In this world we are like Jesus.

Wait a minute. Who? Me?
I’m like Christ Jesus in this world? Even though I still wage war against sin? Even though I seem to daily forget how important it is to be patient, kind, joyful, full of hope and gratitude?
“…as He is, so also are we in this world.” Wow. Isn’t that incredible???
What a blessed gift!
I am a NEW creation. The old is gone. I’m no longer condemned! I’ve been rescued and set upon a rock that cannot be shattered. I am sheltered by the wings of God Almighty. I’m able to talk 24/7 to the Holy One – and He sees me as clean and loveable.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love 1 John 4:17-18
Abba God, thank You for all You have done. Give me eyes to see Truth: who You are, who I am. Give me courage to walk in faith today… to believe that I really am made like Christ Jesus (not ONLY given eternal life, but also meant to live in freedom and holiness). Truly, You are worth more than I can conceive, and I’m humbled that You love me so well. In Jesus’ name….

I find hope... in ordinary lives

I find hope when I consider

all the ordinary lives woven by grace into God’s Story.

• A carpenter named Joseph, and Mary, a common young girl (probably only 12).
• John Mark. Barnabas. Philemon & Onesimus.
• Many of the disciples were common fishermen. They weren’t stellar in Hebraic religious schools, so it they were sent home to learn their father’s occupation. Rabbis didn’t see anything special in them. They didn’t make the cut. They missed their one chance…Then Jesus spoke into their lives and everything changed.
• Abraham was just another man from a big city. 
• The widow who didn’t have another penny to spare, but gave it to her El Shaddai anyway.

Common people, living common lives, make perfect conduits for Jehovah's strong, merciful arm. 

Truly, it was common people scattered throughout the world who changed culture simply by following Jesus’ commands to love God and people. They prayed, listened to Scripture, and learned to live lives that were above reproach, honoring others above themselves. They had phobias, struggles, insecurities, relational problems, felt alone, and wondered when Jesus would return.

God chose them and they responded to His call. Same's true for you and me.

So, what makes me think I’m so special, so unique, so beyond His ability? I don’t give Jehovah enough credit. I don’t use my imagination to try to grasp His capabilities. He’s beyond everything I could think or imagine. Didn’t He create this world for me because He wants relationship with me? Won’t He create the next one to spend eternity with me, because He longs to be face-to-face with me? Didn’t He promise to finish what He began? Why do I think that His work in me would be any different than all those written about in Scripture?

God is the one who makes Extraordinary happen. He chooses people much like the ones you see every day. Even the woman in the mirror. Even me. 

Abba God, I stand amazed. Truly, there is no one other than You. Your arm reaches further, your love is deeper, and your ability is so much more than I imagine or give You credit for. Thank You for patiently teaching me and for continuing the work You started in me. Train me to focus on You and to fully grasp how extraordinary You are. May others see Jesus through me as I go about my common day. Let me remember that You are way beyond ordinary - You are my hope! In Jesus’ name…  

Is that yolk on your face?

I don't know about you, but there are many times when I feel yolked instead of yoked. 


Rotten eggs are stinky, embarrassing, and downright messy (yuck!). Not something you'd like to walk around with. On the one hand, I know that I'm Abba's precious child. On the other hand, I can't grasp how much He loves me and accepts me, so I act as if I'm covered in yolks. 


I suppose that imagery's what has been drawing me back to  Matthew 11:25-30 over and over through the last couple of years. Have you ever thought about Jesus' yoke? I've always pictured a clumsy me, awkwardly attempting to pick up a cumbersome (smelly) oxen yoke, only to crumble under its weight. 


The other day, I was blessed with a new mental picture, one which I think I'll keep.


Jesus was in the yoke beside me (which was very lightweight and didn't stink the way I thought it would), and he was patiently (with a twinkle in his eye) instructing me on the next task I was to do... as if he were instructing a toddler on how to plant his first seed in the ground. The sky was a pretty blue, the butterflies were fluttering all around, and the sun was just right. And there was peace. (Do you hear the beautiful music in the background? It really was lovely.)


So, I reread Matthew 11... noticing that Jesus made this proclamation to anyone listening immediately after declaring woes to those who refused to listen to truth. How amazing is our Savior, that He would not stop with statements of destruction. He went on to thank Abba for teaching babes. Then He offers rest, acceptance, and training to those who will learn from Him. 


Did He not say that He came to give us life? He didn't come to smear your face in guilt, fear, despair. He came to give you a hope, joy, peace, and every spiritual blessing. So, don't think of yourself as being yolked (embarrassed, smelly, and unclean). Think of yourself as YOKED. 



²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from thewise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. ²⁷All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

   ²⁸ “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”


Abba, you're the best! Thank you for promising me what I have yet to grasp. Thank you for walking right here with me, every day, loving me and accepting me AS IS... NO MATTER WHAT. In Jesus' name...

Abide, Deny, Trust - part 3 - Denying self

This series is a recap of from what I've been learning through recent ongoing storms:

1.    Abide in Jesus

2.    Deny myself: to follow Jesus and lay aside everything identified with myself

3.    Trust Abba

Denying self is not pleasant, but it’s critical as a Jesus follower.

In all of the gospel accounts, we find Jesus explaining in clear terms what would happen to him, when Peter starts scolding him. I’m sure any of us would do the same, in his situation. After all, teachers and students of the Text believed that when their Messiah appeared, He would overthrow the current Roman regime and rule the world. What Jesus was saying just didn’t make any sense, as God had bigger plans which weren’t yet understood.

Jesus’ response: “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Next, Jesus turns his attention to the crowd, stating:

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?...

Mark 8:34-37, NASB and Message

This message wasn’t proclaimed only to his closest disciples, but to all who want to follow Jesus. What does this even mean?

Suffering… in that culture, taking up your cross meant embarrassment, suffering, shame, submission to ruling authorities and God’s calling on your life. It does in this culture, too, for many of us. I think it was Deitrich Bonhoeffer who explained that our callings look different, as God's not in the cookie-cutter business. One might be called to leave the ministry to be in the world (as Martin Luther was), or one might be called to leave the world and enter ministry. Some are given a happy platform to proclaim Jesus; others are called to martyrdom.

Submission to whatever Jesus is leading us in... Abba might call you to follow Jesus into the opposite of what you expect. Sometimes Jesus told followers to stay put (Remember the demon-possessed man, after Legion demons were sent into the pigs who drowned?). Sometimes, he sent them out (as he did the 72, Paul, and so many more).

Denying oneself is choosing to reject your own desires, to submit to Jesus, to obey Abba. He's extremely clear when He’s telling us to take another step in our faith journey. In those times when we are confused or conflicted, we wait… We stay where we are, holding fast to what we’ve already learned. If in doubt, keep on loving where you are. 

Abba, thank you so much for including us in your family, for teaching us what it means to follow Jesus, and for giving us clear directions at just the right time. Help us be content in Jesus, knowing that He is our everything, our focus, our salvation. Our roles are not what define us. JESUS defines us. In his name, with great thanks and praise… 

Abide, Deny, Trust - part 2 - Abiding in the struggle, During storms

DURING THE STORM. What might abiding look like when I'm in the midst of the storm???  

 

Stay focused. Stand firm. Hold to what you have already attained. Do what you've been doing, and remember, if nothing else, keep it SIMPLE! Love Jesus by obeying His 2 commands: Love God and love each other. Go to the basics. 

NOTE: This is not a to-do list - just some reminders that help me. I hope you can find a useful reminder as well.
 

Finish the sentence

Keep putting on that armor; stand firm at your post. Endure. Sometimes that’s all you can do. Hold to Jesus. Don’t make decisions in the valley.

Keep seeking Abba & things above. Focus on Jesus, what He did, and what He’ll do. Colossians 3:1–3, NASB

Keep accepting His love. Even if it hurts, reflecting on His love breaks off another chunk of our heart scars like dried mud on a shoe. When it just hurts too much, that’s ok! One baby step at a time. Abba knows…  Play worship tunes. Read Psalms. Journal doodles. Sit in nature. Be still and know that He is God.

Remember your studies! Remember whose you are! This is hiding, in plain sight. NO, I’m not saying to become a hermit!!! (that’s a note to myself) Remember that you are a secret, concealed (that’s right out of Strong’s, from the Greek). Enjoy that for a moment. It’s just you + Him, sistah! No one, nothing can touch you (Romans 8 says nothing can separate us from His love.)

§  “Your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3);

§  all that Abba allows in your life has to absolutely be given His permission

§  AND is used for your good (Romans 8:28-30. See Romans 8 here).

Get support.

Communicate to Abba. Ask Him questions. His Spirit searches what’s in your innermost places, knows what we are really searching for, and prays for us according to Abba God’s will! See Romans 8:26-27. Just yesterday, I started to ask something and was convicted before I finished the thought… We might not get answers that we want, or in our timing, but it’s absolutely OK to ask the questions.

§  By turning to Him and seeking answers, we are communicating, even if our hearts might look ugly at that very moment.

§  By expressing what we’re going through (especially out loud), we learn what we believe in the inner depths. Lies lose their hold when they are brought into the light & we choose TRUTH.

“… keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” - Colossians 3:1–3, NASB

Remember the point. Abba prunes, at the right time, with the right tools, as often as is necessary. A rose needs different care than a lilac. Pruning = more of Jesus & less of ME. (John 15)

Expect that the pruning season will end. It will not last forever. The Lord is kind and gracious. Even Jeremiah speaks of God’s lovingkindness in the midst of suffering in Lamentations 3  (especially vs. 20-26, 32-33, 39). 

“For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness…. Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?”  – Lamentations 3:32, 39

 

Abba, thank you for loving me so well. I don't like the valleys, suffering, and struggles. Still, I know from your Word that these are used to prune me, to make me like Jesus. So, even though I don't fully appreciate them (yet), I thank you for loving me enough to do what's best. I love you and commit (again) to submitting to your will. May your will be done on earth and in me, as it is in heaven. In Jesus' holy name... 

Hope

Hope. On the mountaintop, she is amazingly easy to gaze upon. She is much more elusive in the valley, where I find myself questioning whether she ever existed. I suppose I can lay aside my shame to admit that I’m travelling that valley. The details about my circumstances don’t matter. While I don’t know what this whole string of struggles is about, I do know trust is a large factor.

Intellectually, I know that God is good. Abba is righteous. He is powerful. He is the one who creates the sunrise. Job 38:12, NASB He has every right to do what He wants with my life, because I’ve been bought with a great price. Yet, nothing in my life is excluded from His assurance that “God causes all things to work together for good” (from the Greek word meaning useful, beneficial)... for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. I know this applies to me, that He’s saved me & called me according to His purpose. I do love Abba, and I do want to live as He calls me to.  Romans 8:27-30, NASB

So, back and forth I battle. How discouraging! For He has saved me; I owe Him everything, yet my stubborn flesh wrestles my own precious Abba who gave His own Son for me! Yet hope is found in this: His Spirit prays for me in my weakness, and Abba knows what is best.

So, may He do in my life as He wants. For He alone knows what tools best mold me into the image of Jesus. He is greater and I must become less. His wisdom is beyond comprehension. I am nothing apart from Jesus, and can do nothing apart from Him.

So, even if the struggle never is resolved, I must continue to learn what it means to

•          Abide in Jesus
•          Carry my cross, denying myself, following Jesus
•          Trust that Abba knows best, cares the most, and is continually working toward the end goal of bringing me into the full image of my Savior, Christ Jesus.

Abba, thank you for saving me, for your endless kind benefits, for assurances that you are at work in my life. I really don’t like that I still wrestle with you. I want to persevere (like the great cloud of witnesses who also struggled), even though I feel weary and scared, of what you might be preparing me for. In the end, I know that I must look forward, to Jesus alone. All the answers are in Him. May you have your way in me, as I learn what it means to be made in the image of Christ Jesus. In His name…  

Who do you love most?

“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

Matthew 10:37-38, New Living Translation

Abba, your word – truth – is so hard to swallow some days. We prefer the “easy” word. Teach me what it means to love my Jesus more than all others, especially myself. In Jesus’ holy name… 

The Story of the Warrior Princess

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." - Galatians 2:20 [We’ll be staying on this verse a few days. There’s so much to dwell on here.]

It calls the Warrior Princess to actions which I don’t like to think about.

Crucified? Sounds painful.

No longer I who live? Ok, that’s just crazy talk. I’m uncomfortable and nervous. What about my desires, dreams, friends and family? My money? My talents? My time? My hurts and fears?

Everything??? Yes, everything. A Warrior Princess of the Most High Kingdom must give up all of her rights. She has no other option.

Why? Maybe you know her story, for it is the story of all Warrior Princesses.

He knew what was at stake.

I once heard a passage by Max Lucado which encouraged me. I don't know which book it was read from, nor who read it, but the message is embedded in my soul deeply.

Simple Faith out of a Messy Sunday Morning

Ever have a Sunday morning which doesn't start so well?

Abba knows best.

During a very difficult and lonely season of life, a friend asked me what I was so desperately searching for in relationships. Tough question! I knew I was discontent, but why?