"Whatever He says to you, do it."

Recently when I was in prayer I saw myself laying a hand on someone and praying for them. I said to the Lord, "Do you really want me to lay my hand on this person and pray? If you do I need scripture to back it up." I opened my Bible to search. I turned to Isaiah and skimmed a few scriptures, then went to Psalms and perused there, when suddenly a thought popped into my head, Jesus turned water into wine. I knew it must be from the Lord because it didn't logically fit the situation, water to wine was the furthest thing from my mind.

But I went to John 2 and began to read the story of Jesus' first miracle.

John 2:1-11 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana  of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 
Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. (NKJV)


When I read these verses the first thing that struck me was what Mary said to the servants...'whatever He says to you, do it'. I knew I was to touch this person as the Lord showed me and pray for them. But it doesn't end there, we are to do whatever Jesus says. Jesus tells us so much in the scriptures. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus tells us to ask, to seek and to knock. Mary in this story was asking Jesus to do something. When I first read this story I thought it was a trivial thing, running out of wine at the wedding feast but according to the notes in the 'Life Application Bible', wedding feasts were week long celebrations and it was considered a law of hospitality to provide wine throughout the feast, it would have been an embarrassment to run out. So to Mary there was cause for concern. In the grand scheme of things it was probably as I had first labeled it, trivial. 

How often do we fail to ask Jesus for something because we consider our concern too trivial?

Regardless of the size or weight of the request, look at Jesus' response to her, a question..."What does your concern have to do with me?" What would your response be if Jesus asked you this question? Would you turn it into a statement, "Your concern has nothing to do with me." But to believe Jesus would respond that way is to not know the nature of Jesus. He is concerned about our concerns, no matter how trivial they may seem.

So why did Jesus say this to Mary? I believe He was looking for faith. Isn't this what Jesus is always looking for? Jesus responds to faith. In fact Jesus Himself proclaimed those He touched and were healed, that their faith healed them. See Matt 9:2, Matt 9:22, Matt 15:28 for a few examples.

Matthew 21:21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done."


I love Mary's response to Jesus, she doesn't even address Him, she turns to the servants and says do whatever He says. She doesn't say to Jesus, "oh come on Jesus, please do something, I know you can if it is your will to do something." No, she responds with action, sure that He will do something. She knows He can and she knows He will. How does she know this? Because she has a personal relationship with the Father and the Son. Now you may be thinking, of course she has a personal relationship with Jesus, she gave birth to Him and raised Him, but she first had to have a personal relationship with God the Father before she was trusted to give birth to the Son. How great Mary's faith was from a very young age. 

What if Mary had she responded with doubt. They would have run out of wine, people would have been embarrassed and others been disappointed and after not much time at all no one would remember, it would have been no big deal really.  

But look at what Mary's faith produced, a miracle that was recorded in the gospels that we are reading and learning from 2,000 years later. And it caused the disciples to believe.

How many miracles do we pass up with doubt? How many times do we think our concerns are trivial? That Jesus is too busy, has more important things to take care of? Why do we limit God? He is limitless. Don't be naive, God does not put a cap on miracles. It's as if we think God has one phone line and because we're talking to Him about a bill we can't pay, the person calling about a loved one dying will get a busy signal! That's not the way it works. He is everywhere, all the time, and is probably offended when we don't bring our cares to Him. 

 1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the might hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

And there it is...humble yourselves. Check your pride when you believe your cares are trivial. Sometimes we don't ask because we are too proud to ask. We are self sufficient, or we want to be. Our flesh makes us believe we have to be strong and take care of ourselves. But the truth is, it takes strength to admit weakness, it takes strength to humble ourselves. 

But when we put our faith in Jesus and do whatever He says, miracles happen, Jesus is glorified and people believe.

Painted by Louaine Jordahl

Are We Ready?

Ready for what? 

Judgement Day.

As much as we like to ignore the fact that there is more than this life on earth. Whether it's after our death or if Jesus returns while we are still alive, we will face Jesus Christ and He will pronounce judgement on us. 

I read something startling in my Bible recently. Something Jesus said that all American's should pay attention to. In Matthew 11:21-24 Jesus tells the people of the area who were refusing to repent that it will be worse for them on judgement day than for the ancient cities of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom. These cities were destroyed by God for their wickedness, and yet Jesus was telling the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum that their judgement would be greater. Why? Because they saw Jesus Christ with their own eyes, they heard Him teach and preach, they saw the miracles He performed, and yet they did not repent.

Why should American's pay attention to this? How much access do we have to the Bible? Is there one in your home? How many places can we go to hear the Word of the Lord? Is there a church in your city? Most cities have several churches. Here you are reading this blog, the internet has unlimited access to receive the Word of the Lord. And do we open our Bibles? Do we hear the Word preached? Do we repent? With all these resources at our fingertips, what excuse do we have? Will our judgement be greater than that of cities the Lord destroyed for their wickedness?

Are we ready? Are we ready for judgement day?

How do we get ready? Come to Him. Jesus gives us a beautiful promise in the same chapter of Matthew.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Those were Jesus' words. He says come to Him and to learn from Him. Let us American's get ready,

for we do not know the hour we will come face to face with the Lord.

I do not think it was a coincidence the sermon I heard at church today was on this chapter. It was awesome check it out at... http://www.holyfire.net/ click on 11/23/2014 Guest Speaker Terrance Chong.
 

TWO-G

 

Mount Valley Township

Are you depressed? Are you sick? Are you worried? Are you stressed? Are you angry? Are you discouraged? Well, you've come to the right place. There's an old cure you should use called TWO-G. It comes in seed form and must be taken several times a day for maximum benefit. It's great,  and all natural; you buy it once and it can be reused over and over and over again, it actually works better that way. If you have the internet, you have free access to it. Actually you may have TWO-G in your home right now collecting dust. I know mine did for years while I struggled with all of the above.

So what is TWO-G...The Word of God. You know, God the Creator, the one who made me and you and the earth and everything in it. The one who knew us before the foundations of the earth. His Word, the Holy Bible. When taken correctly TWO-G will give you the best high you've ever experienced, the more you take, the better you feel. Possible side effects include joy, peace, freedom, salvation, redemption, love, etc.

So how do you take the Word of God correctly? First I'll tell you how not to take it. When I was in high school or maybe college I decided I was going to read the Bible cover to cover. I tackled the task like a school book ready to learn with my intellect. What I came away with was, mistrust, doubt and confusion. I did not understand that the Almighty God, the one who created all things can not be learned through intellect. This causes lots of people major hangups  because we humans want to understand everything. And when we don't understand, we doubt it's validity. 

The Word of God comes to us through His Holy Spirit. We must approach the Word of God with our spirit and with our heart, not our intellect. We must come to it with a humble heart, just as Jesus came to us. And so before reading the Word, pray, Heavenly Father, let your Holy Spirit, open the eyes of my heart to give me revelation, understanding, joy, or whatever it is you are needing from the Lord.

Philippians 2:5-11  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those in earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here's another helpful hint that I got right out of TWO-G.... It works well with prayer and thanksgiving.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

That's true, I have felt the peace of the Lord that goes beyond my understanding. But it didn't come instantly, I'd been taking TWO-G daily for several years and doing what the Word says here, giving thanks and praying and just spending time with the Lord. It is definitely not a quick fix. But something I've come to realize is there is no such thing as a quick fix. There may be a quick temporary relief but those temporary fixes usually leave us in a worse state than where we started. 

It may sound like too much work, read the Bible, ugh, I don't have time for that. I'm not interested in that. Yes I used to think that way. But remember we are here on earth temporarily but what we do has eternal consequences. So how about start with two. Take two minutes out of your day. Pray for one minute, Lord thank you for (whatever your thankful for). I am about to read Your Word, please give me revelation, in the name of Jesus, Amen. Open the Bible, read one verse. 

This is how I started out, and at first nothing changed. Remember, this is not a quick fix but if you will remain faithful, someday you too will be amazed. As circumstances come my way that used to cause me worry, anguish, fear, I am at peace. And it does pass all understanding because it does not make sense to me but I feel joy. 

I can't say that I never worry or that I am always full of joy or that I am never stressed. No, I am still a human living in a broken world, but the Lord is still working on me. And as I continue in The Word of God, I am blessed more and more and I want that for you too. How about it, commit yourself to two minutes of TWO-G a day, you will not regret it. 

Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Seven Day Feast

Journal Entry  Day 728 Sept 17, 2014 Wed. 11:48 Home

Jesus what do You want me to write about in my next blog post? Just take over Jesus, Holy Spirit take over. Just pour out  Your Words of wisdom, whatever You want us to hear from You Lord. What is the Father saying in this hour? What do You hear in heaven? What do You want us to know right now?

"Look at My Son. In Him I am well pleased. Follow Him, hear Him. His words are My words. They are life to the dead bones walking on the earth today. They are truth to the lies of the media, the entertainment industry, the drug trades, the human trafficking. They are the solution to your social problems. Look at Jesus, hear His words, walk the path He set before you. His way is the way to eternal life. Open the word, read the word, hear the word."

Ask Holy Spirit to reveal His truths to your heart, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness. (see Romans 10:10) Notice it does not say we believe with our minds. The Lord created us with a spirit with which to believe and have faith, even when it doesn't line up with what we see and think. The only thing our spirit should feed on is the Word of God where the truth is.There is a drought in the land, there is a famine in our country. People are starving for the word of God.

Amos 8:11-12 "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it." (NKJV)

End journal entry

Over the past several months facebook has been full of nominations and challenges to people to do and say various things, the ice-bucket challenge, to give to charity, to list things they are thankful for, etc. I nominate everyone reading this post to a 7 day feast on the Word. Open your Bible each day, ask the Lord to open your heart to receive His word and then read the Word of God, which is life...You can start right now...Lord open the heart of the one reading right now in the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Jesus said in John 5:24-25 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live." (NKJV) 

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (NKJV)

Walking in Healing Through Faith

As I prepare for a trip south to help my daughter, Alex, decorate her new living space, I can't help but reflect on a similar trip just over a year ago.

It was August 2013, my mother, Louaine, an artist, and I traveled to Ames to Alex's new apartment to celebrate and decorate. We celebrated Alex's birthday and her move up, she'd graduated from Iowa State the previous May and it was time to move out of the undergraduate apartments to a building with more mature neighbor's, post-grads. 

Her new apartment was slightly bigger, with a garage and a view. 

We were excited to spend time with Alex and help her put the finishing touches on her new home. First things first, we went shopping. We purchased a stand with cubbies that hold baskets for extra storage, assembly required. That was okay, Alex and I are handy and with grandma to supervise, what could go wrong...right?

Wrong...after unpacking the material and beginning assembly we had the whole living room floor covered in cardboard, bubble wrap, particle boards, strange looking screws with special tools, instructions, everything we needed. Not far into the process as I was putting two boards together, Alex was walking across the living room floor when I heard a terrible thud and my mother gasp. Alex had miss-stepped and in the mess we'd created she couldn't correct it in time. According to my mother's eye witness account she twisted to a horrifying degree and fallen straight down on her ankle. By the time I looked up she was on the floor, in shock and said she couldn't move.

This was serious, I sensed it immediately. Growing up Alex was notorious for spraining her ankles, she always got up. I quickly went for an ice pack and Ibuprofen. We applied the ice there on the living room floor, her leg still off to her side and sort of behind her. She looked terribly uncomfortable, my mommy heart was breaking for her. Oh, there is nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain. 

But it wasn't just her pain bothering me, I saw all our weekend plans dashed as I envisioned her laid up for days. Plans to put all the finishing touches on her new home, organizing, decorating, putting furniture together, going out to eat, exploring the city, but most of all spending time living, laughing and loving together. I know our time together is precious, since she left for college 4 years prior, we often go months without seeing each other. 

That's when Holy Spirit prompted me to lay my hands on her ankle and pray for healing in the name of Jesus. I prayed with complete faith that Jesus would heal her and He did. Not long after Mom and I helped her up and over to the couch. She was already able to put weight on it. By the next day she had a little pain but we shopped most of the day and it was only slightly sore and swollen at the end. She told us later that as she sat there in pain she was sure her ankle was broken. She too was having horrible visions of her next trip to the hospital for a cast. She knew it was worse than any sprain she'd ever felt. But by the power of Jesus and by Alex's faith in Him, she was healed. 

Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turned around and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." (NKJV)

James 5:13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six  months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.(NKJV)

Some who have read this may be thinking it was the ice and the pain reliever and that it was not broken, after all how could she know that for sure. To you I will say this, I know by her testimony and by being a witness, that her previous 5 ankle sprains took up to a week or more to heal. So even if her ankle wasn't broken, the pain she felt in her ankle and the swelling it caused was worse than any other sprain she'd experienced, ice and Ibuprofen did not heal her almost instantly.

1Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed. (NKJV)

Thank you Jesus for your healing power, thank you that you are the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NKJV)

Praise the Lord!

Self Esteem...An Assignment

Sunset at Clear Lake, IA 

Self Esteem...Assignment from Holy Spirit...
I am blessed to participate in a woman's group that gathers Wednesday mornings in honor of the Holy Spirit and the gifts He bestows on believers. It is a wonderful time of fellowship, prayer, encouragement, learning, praise and worship.

The woman who opens her home for these meetings has an intimate relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I am so grateful to her for sharing her experiences and her wisdom with us. 

Jesus said this about the Holy Spirit...
But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. John 14:26 (AMP) 

All the women who gather on Wednesdays are seeking an intimate relationship with Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit. So when the newest attendee came with an assignment, I was eager to listen. The Holy Spirit prompted her to put words on slips of paper. She put them in a bag and let everyone draw one. Our assignment was to pray about the words and see where Holy Spirit would lead each of us in our study and then speak to the group about the experience. 

I was excited, I'd been asking the Lord what He wants me to do next, what He wants me to study, and felt sure this was an answer. One by one we went around the room, each taking a slip out and telling everyone the words we received...pride and humility... depression... strength in God, not ourselves... worship and praise... healing... God's faithfulness... abuse... importance of the cross... guilt and shame... restoration... stewardship... It was interesting to see how the words fit each persons situation somehow. And mine... self esteem.

Journal Entry  Day 679   July 30, 2014  Wed   12:55   Prayer Room
    My first thought when I read mine was (name redacted). I've been praying for her and asking God's guidance to help her. I've thought for awhile the root of her issues are with low self esteem. When I was young I too had issues with self esteem.
    But I don't want to push this off on another person, this word is for me first and so I pray Lord Jesus open my eyes and open my heart to what it is You want to reveal to me with this word. Show me Lord any area of my life that is lacking in self esteem and any area of my life where I esteem myself higher than I should. In fact just yesterday I repented for criticizing another mother for how she was dealing with her teenager. Yes I'm afraid in many ways my lack of self esteem  has turned around too far and I esteem myself higher than others. But the Lord is gracious and merciful; thank You Jesus for cleansing me of this sin of pride over and over and over again.
     Teach me Lord what You want me to know, draw near to me Lord as I draw near to you.(end journal entry) 

So I went on a word search, I was pretty sure "self-esteem" was not in the Bible (clue number one) and so I picked up my dictionary.

"self-esteem"- a confidence and satisfaction in oneself; self-respect; self conceit.

"self-respect" - a proper respect for one's own standing or position

"self conceit" - an exaggerated opinion of ones own qualities or abilities; vanity.

Then I searched the Word (the Bible) while doing so, I heard this in my spirit... 
We need God-Esteem - confidence and satisfaction in ourselves that can only come from God so that it is not tainted with self-conceit or pride. (clue number two)

Then I went online to the  Blue Letter Bible and did a search for the words confidence and satisfaction.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life and He who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. 

Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.

So it seems to have confidence and satisfaction that comes from the Lord, we must have fear of the Lord. But what does that mean? To fear the Lord? Surely the Lord does not want us to be afraid of Him because in 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul wrote that fear does not come from the Lord.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV)

It is so important to understand the Bible was not written in English. One of the reasons I strayed off God's path when I was young was because I took every word literally from the Bible and got confused. Now when I read the Bible, I know the Lord is not contradictory and so when I find what seems to be a contradiction, I search out the true meaning.

In 2 Timothy this word 'fear' was translated from the word deilia - which means timidity, fearfulness and cowardice. The Lord did not give us a spirit of timidity, fearfulness or cowardice. 

In Proverbs the word 'fear' was translated from yirah - which means respect, reverence, piety - a dutiful devotion to God.

Similarly the dictionary definition of "esteem" is to regard with respect, so God Esteem is simply to regard God with respect, to be dutifully devoted to God.

So lets go back to self respect which means a proper respect for ones own standing or position. Get this... When you fear (are dutifully devoted to) God, when you know who you are in Jesus Christ, your position on earth, your standing on earth, your social status, your job or lack there of, your education or lack there of, your money or lack thereof, those things no longer define you. When you realize you are a child of Christ, you are standing in the throne room of God. Not because of anything you did, no, because Jesus Christ shed His blood to wash away your sins. He died for you and He was resurrected showing Himself fully God, He is seated in that throne room at the right hand of God. You too can be resurrected and seated in the heavenly's. Your position on earth is temporary, your position in heaven is eternal. If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, if you are not walking in a proper respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, it is not too late. Please wake up and see this life is so fleeting, give yourself over to Jesus, your eternal position, your eternal standing depends upon it. As a bonus...you will find the kind of self esteem that brings satisfaction and confidence here on earth. 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

If you want to learn more about who Jesus is go to All About Jesus Christ

If you are ready to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, do so now. Pray out loud, it doesn't have to be word for word, there's no one way to come to Christ, this is just an example of what to pray... "Lord I believe that Jesus Christ came to earth as a man, fully God and fully human, I believe that He died for my sins and the sins of the world and that He rose to heaven on the third day, so that I may have eternal life with Him. I believe that He is the way, the truth and the life. I confess that I have sinned. Lord forgive me for all the sins I've committed in my life, cleanse me with the blood of Jesus, make me righteous in Your sight Lord. Thank you Father for Your forgiveness.  I am now ready to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I believe that I have been saved and have eternal life in You. Help me Lord, day by day as I seek to live according to Your will for me and my life to bring glory to You Lord. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Your only Son, Amen."

Painting by Louj

Resources

Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary Tenth Edition Copyright 1993 by Merriam-Webster Inc.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/ Aug 12, 2014

P.S. The cross painting is 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas and is for sale for $20 visit Tree Town Art Gallery

Happy Birthday Alex

My baby, born 24 years ago...Alexandra Diane...Happy Birthday! 

Proof that God exists and blesses us everyday!

August 1, 1990

Psalm 139:13-16 

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 

You formed me in my mother's womb. 

I thank you, High God-you're breathtaking! 

Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 

I worship in adoration-what a creation! 

You know me inside and out, 

You know every bone in my body; 

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 

How I was sculpted from nothing into something. 

Like an open book, 

You watched me grow from conception to birth; 

All the stages of my life were spread out before you, 

The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

(MSG from www.biblegateway.com) 

Journal Entry    Day 681     August 1, 2014    07:11 Prayer Room

     Thank You Lord for giving me Alex, she is a blessing to me like no other blessing you've given me. Beautiful, smart, generous, loving, forgiving, sweet, hard-working, thoughtful, kind, independent, savvy, faithful, honest, trustworthy, strong, respectful, God-fearing. She is so many amazing things. Thank You Lord for shaping her life, thank You for always protecting her and keeping her safe. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.    End journal entry.

March 29, 2014 Galena, ILL

Above photo taken just before we set off to the 'Grand Tasting' during Galena's annual Wine Lovers Weekend. We tasted many new wines, my birthday gift from Alex.

Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits  of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Today's Scripture is of course fitting because that's how God operates...

Psalm 91:11-12 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (NIV)

Heaven is not bankrupt

Malachi 3:10 "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this", says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." (NKJV)

Tithe...10%...I know this can be a controversial issue. Do we really have to give 10% of our income to the church? The answer is no, of course not, because the Lord gave us free will to choose what we will do with 'our' money. So you don't have to do anything. And for most of my life I chose not to give the Lord 10% of 'my' income, and I went bankrupt. 

That's right, I believed the lie that I could not afford to give 10%, that just seemed like sooo much. I mean really, we couldn't make ends meet the way it was. Every time I'd look at the bills and the amount coming in and see there was just no way to get it all paid, I got stressed out and felt so helpless, sometimes I would just cry. 

Then one day in the midst of our struggle's my father, who always seemed to have plenty of money, told me I needed to start giving. He talked to me about tithing, giving back to the Lord 10% and how much it made a difference in his finances. I have a lot of respect for my father, he's honest, hard working, God fearing, trustworthy; I had to listen.

So I did. I have to admit, I couldn't give 10% right away, that was too big of a leap for me, we started with 5%. We still struggled with our finances but no more than usual. Then a year later when we needed a car we couldn't afford, my father gave us a car he bought for the exact amount we'd given up to that point. I know some skeptics would say he would have done that anyway. Maybe, maybe not. I can't help but see significance in the fact that the amount we were given was the exact amount we gave. The result was that we realized we could afford to give and we could afford to give more, so we started giving 10% of my net income.

We still went bankrupt, a natural consequence of poor financial choices, a very humbling experience for me. That time brought me closer to God and strengthened my faith. As the bank was foreclosing on our house, I put my trust in God to provide us a place to live, and He did. 

I started to understand the way money operates in God's kingdom, here on earth. 

Number 1. None of this is ours, it all belongs to God. When we tithe we are returning to God a small amount compared to what He gives us. He gets 10%, we get 90%. Who's getting the better deal?

Number 2. It's not logical. The mind tells us if we give to the church we will have less. However, we will actually have more because the Lord will bless us with more so we can give more to His kingdom, for His purposes.

Number 3. Tithing requires trust and faith. We must trust God and have faith that He will provide for us. 

Oh there is so much more I could go on and on and on...and I will.  Something that strikes me about the Lords words in Malachi 3:10, He says, "Try me now in this". Basically He is saying put Me to the test and I will prove to you what I am saying is the truth. 

Early this year our pastor's gave us a book called "The Blessed Life, Unlocking the Rewards of Generous Living" by Robert Morris. An amazing book, I highly recommend it. I learned that my tithing was not exactly biblical. We are to give our first fruits, that is 10% of our gross income, and we are to bring it into the Lord's house. Perhaps I should have noticed that by reading Malachi 3:10, but I did not. 

The Lord said, "Try me", and I said, "Ok Lord, I'm going to test you because we're living paycheck to paycheck and returning to you 10% of my gross income will take away what seems like another large chunk out of our monthly income." But I did it and I did it according to His word in 2 Co 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (NKJV)

And my husband, Chad, agreed to give 10% of his gross income. By logical thinking our monthly income decreased even more. But we are to live by faith, not by sight (2 Co 5:7) and so we committed to being faithful to give back to the Lord with cheerful hearts. 

This past winter was one of the coldest I can remember, the bills were high and our furnace broke down. We needed to buy a new one even though we didn't have the money to pay for it. During one of the most expensive times we gave more than ever before and the Lord came through for us. I can't explain how we had the money to get by this past winter and spring, it seemed impossible but we always had enough; our bills were always paid.

Then last month our car broke down as you know if you read my other posts and we didn't have the money to get it fixed until an anonymous donor deposited a thousand dollars into our checking account. Imagine my surprise when I got online and saw the amount in my bank account was $1000 more than it should have been. I called the bank of course because I thought there had been an error but they reassured me the money was ours. Oh Lord, You are so good! Thank You for always providing for my every need, thank You for always being faithful to answer my prayers. Thank you too, to the anonymous donor for listening to God and obeying His call for you to give. 

And that brings me to...

Number 4. We must obey God. Period. 

If I had not obeyed God's word and returned to Him what belongs to Him, if I would not have asked in faith, trusting Him to answer, He would not have placed it on the heart of another faithful servant to give to me. If I did not have faith, if I did not trust Him, if I had not 'tried Him' in this, He would not have opened the windows of heaven and poured out this blessing. Thank You Lord! 

And it's not just the money to fix the car, Chad's computer repair business has increased tremendously, especially this month. A coincidence? I think not!

And one of the hardest things...

Number 5. Be patient. 

Our blessings did not come pouring in immediately, if they did we wouldn't need to have faith. 

Winnebago River Fertile, IA

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you will go bankrupt if you do not tithe, but be careful what you treasure. 

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

In my heart I treasured the comforts of financial security and when I didn't have it my peace crumbled. It wasn't until I started to treasure God's word and walk in His will that  my peace no longer crumbled when my finances look bleak. 

Be Still...

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God...

Pastor Doug Domokos reminded us of this verse last Sunday in his sermon about distracted living. But have you ever tried to sit still... silent... focusing on Jesus... only on Jesus? Try it for 20 seconds... Did you count the seconds? Did your mind wander? I know mine does. But don't throw up your hands and say it is impossible...All things are possible with God. Don't say 'I tried that and it didn't work'. With that attitude you would never have learned to read these words. This takes practice and I'm by no means an expert but here are my tips to sitting still and focusing on God.

If you've never done this before I would suggest starting with a favorite praise song that is Jesus focused to listen to. Sit quietly listening and focusing on the song, it's words and Jesus. It's best if the song just ends, if not shut it off and then sit quietly for a moment afterward keeping your mind focused on Jesus.

Read Revelation 4 & 5. These chapters are John's description of the throne room. As you read, form a picture in your mind of what he is describing to draw on when you are sitting still. Focus on this picture as you sit. 

I try to focus on my heart where His Holy Spirit resides and focus on Jesus in my minds eye. I picture Him sitting next to me or standing above me with His hand on my head. Sometimes I see Him sitting in front of me holding my hands, or I imagine myself on His lap with His arms wrapped around me. I have to change things up to keep my mind occupied with Him. And when I realize I'm making a grocery list or replaying a conversation in my head or planning my workday, I will say out loud, "Jesus", to help re-focus on Him.

Sometimes I think about Jesus' attributes. Love, Peace, Truth, Life, Worthy, Faithful, Strong, Mercy, Grace, Righteous, Comforter. Or I think on snippets of scripture. Christ strengthens me. Jesus is truth. Spirit of Love. 

Whatever you do, remember to be gentle with yourself. This is not easy and the Lord knows it; He will appreciate your effort even if you can only focus for a few moments. But don't give up as soon as you realize you've lost your focus, just simply turn your mind back to Jesus. The more times you do this the easier it gets. I wouldn't ever say it is easy, but it does get easier.

And of course ask the Lord to help you on your journey to Him, there is no better tour guide than our Creator.

How do you "be still"? Please comment, I would love the hear how you stay focused on Jesus.

Be Anxious for Nothing

I love Philippians 4, it's been too long since I meditated on it. I know because my loving husband pointed out to me that I've been irritable and a little spacey. Now ladies, don't get all bent out of shape at this, there's no sarcasm in my statement. Chad and I have an understanding. We know that often when something is wrong we don't always recognize it in ourselves until the other holds up that mirror so we can take a look. And that is what he did.

I saw that I had not been rejoicing in the Lord like I should. Not in everything. I'd been anxious, worried, selfish. (pause)

As I was typing this post last night I was interrupted by life dealing a blow to someone close to my heart. I cannot share her story with you but I can tell you my heart is breaking for her and her family. And the words "be anxious for nothing" seem even harder.

People who know me well would tell you I'm not a worrier by nature. I'm pretty easy going for the most part. I've taken to heart, Jesus' words in Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. To me this means don't worry about the "what if's" which I usually have under control, not always but usually. But I'm also not wonder woman and today's stuff on top of yesterday's stuff bothers me. 

So what do I do when there is trouble today? And yesterday's trouble followed me into today. How do I go about "being anxious for nothing"? 

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Aahh, there it is, I feel better just typing the words. There's so much in those two little verses, God tells us how to "be anxious for nothing". 

1. Prayer: 'An earnest request or wish'1
2. Supplication: 'To ask humbly of' ² or 'seeking, asking, entreating God'³
3. Thanksgiving: 'A prayer expressing gratitude'⁴

So to keep worry at bay we should earnestly, humbly, with gratitude seek God and ask God. There's a promise attached. If we will humbly - without pride - seek God, thank God, ask God, praise God; God in return will guard our hearts first and our minds with His peace. A peace so profound, we can't even understand it, and He does all this through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Notice how it doesn't say run to your friend and tell them all your problems...guilty...it doesn't say allow your mind to try to come up with a million and one ways to solve your problems on your own...guilty...it doesn't say slap on a smile and tell everyone nothing is wrong...guilty...it doesn't say go to the doctor and get a prescription...every other ad on tv...No, it says PRAY...to GOD...it says be THANKFUL...to GOD...it says SEEK GOD...it says ASK GOD! This takes time. This takes commitment, this takes intention. We must make time to pray. Don't try to find time as if it were something you lost. Pastor Doug preached on this today. He said take your schedule to God and He'll show you what to cross off your to do list. We've all got things on our list that are so much less important than our peace. Just think of all the time we would have if we found the peace the Lord has promised instead of spending all that time worrying, complaining, and problem solving without God. He's very efficient you know, He made everything in a week, I'm sure He can help us find 15 minutes here to thank Him and 20 minutes there to seek His peace.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

August 2013 Ames, IA

1 "Prayer" Merriam-Webster.com  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prayer July 12, 2014
2 "Supplication" Merriam-Webster.com  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prayer July 12, 2014
3 "Supplication" Blueletterbible.org http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1162&t=KJV July 12, 2014
4 "Thanksgiving" Merriam-Webster.com http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thanksgiving July 13, 2014

Actively Waiting on God

 Painting by Louj

I know the Holy Spirit is moving and that something awesome is happening in the supernatural that is about to give birth here on earth. Not just the car, that is a minor thing compared to what the breath of God is blowing in. I didn't come up with this all on my own. I subscribe to http://www.elijahlist.com/ and read what today's prophets are saying. For some of you this may be a hard pill to swallow but yes there are prophets in this day and age and the Lord does speak through them.

One of the reasons I agree with them is this stirring I have in my spirit. I didn't sleep much last night and this is unusual for me. I am so blessed to be one who falls asleep quickly and sleeps well through the night. Not last night, I know the Lord was dealing with some of my "stuff". Ok I'll use the real words for it unbelief, fear, pride; and He's using our car to do it...

Journal Entry Day 656
July 7, 2014 Mon
14:20 Living Room
....Last night Chad tried starting the car while I was at work, it wouldn't start. But his key fob unlocked the car so there was enough battery to open the electric locks. Today after I posted the blog...Miracle Coming Soon, I took my Bible outside and read Mark 11:21-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (NKJV) Then I said to the car, "battery charge in the name of Jesus." I pushed my key fob, nothing. I did this two more times and nothing; I wondered if my key fob battery is dead and I must admit I felt silly talking to the car and worried that someone would come along and hear my failed prayer. I came inside not wanting to tell anyone I failed again. But is this about me? No, this will not happen under my power but God's Holy Spirit. I thought before I went out there it should be simple, walk up to the car and tell it to work in the name of Jesus, which I did. I will not give up, I know in my heart the Lord made this promise to me, it's not about the car, it's about faith, it's about believing in the promises of God, believing the Word of God even when what we see is contradictory... (end journal entry)

Shame on me....failed prayer, did I actually write that? I did, forgive me Lord for my unbelief, forgive me for being afraid someone would hear my prayer and think I'm crazy. I certainly didn't walk out there boldly like I should have. Help me in my weakness oh Lord.

Journal Entry Day 657
July 8, 2014 Tues
22:19 Bedroom
     After Chad and I spent a lovely day together in Clear Lake, brunch at Denny's, a walk by the lake and grocery shopping at Fareway, I took some time to clean the cars. My dad's first, that was easy, light vacuum, quick dusting, it wasn't too dirty. Then our old reliable Olds. First I had to get Chad's set of keys, my fob didn't work and I don't have a key to unlock it. Chad's key fob didn't work either, I needed the key. By sight the battery is dead. And by sight, our car is filthy; garbage everywhere, dirt buildup everywhere, gravel accumulating on the floor. I tried praising God while I cleaned...but thought am I being genuine? or am I just trying to get God to perform this miracle I've declared He'd do? I'm ashamed to say in that moment the latter. So I stopped that and acknowledged God for who He is, faithful always, even when I'm fake. And I realized He would be true to me, our car will run again whether we have to take it to Standard Exchange and have human hands fix it or whether the Lord will charge the battery and fix the electrical problem by His hand, either way is a miracle because today when we look at our finances we see the money's not there to get it fixed. My problem is I always want God to do things the way I want Him to do things. Pride. Oh Lord, forgive me of my pride. I repent of my pride Lord. Cleanse me Father with the blood of Jesus and make me righteous in Your sight. Thank you Lord that I am forgiven.
     The physical act of cleaning was therapeutic for me. By the time I had cleaned the garbage from the car, I'd cleaned up my prideful heart and it was time to wash the grime away. I got a rag and soapy water and this time I wasn't trying to praise God, I was truly praising Him. I thanked Him for cleansing my heart, not just from the days pride but all the days of my life. I thanked Him for the car He provided, I thanked Him for the faith He'd given me to trust Him, I thanked Him for always being faithful, for forgiving me and the list goes on and on and on...
     But don't think because I've accepted the Lord's will in this matter that I am just going to sit back and wait for Him to act. No, after I got it all cleaned up well mostly, I couldn't move the car to vacuum it yet, I sat in the drivers seat and said again, "by the power and authority of Jesus Christ battery charge, lights work properly." I turned the key, not even a click. But that's ok, it's not shocking my faith. 
    Now, I just got done reading Hebrews 11 and was reminded Jericho didn't fall for 7 days. I'll go talk to my mountain everyday till it moves. (end journal entry)

After writing that journal entry, I read the story of Jericho in Joshua 6; how the Lord instructed the priests to circle Jericho once every day for 6 days and  then 7 times on the 7th day and how the people were to remain silent until Joshua told them to shout. There was more to it than that but what I realized was they were given very specific instructions from the Lord to their victory. What had the Lord instructed me in the matter of my car? And I remembered that first day as I prayed I saw myself standing over the car, hands raised to God, declaring the car be fixed in the name of Jesus, the Lord's will to come down to earth and then to anoint the car with oil.

This morning I took olive oil, infused with frankincense and walked boldly up to the car, I raised my hands to the Lord and said, "In the name of Jesus, car battery be fully charged, lights work properly." I took the oil on my finger and made crosses over the lights and said, "I anoint this car for Your purposes in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.  

Now I thank You God for fixing our car in the name of Jesus. And I thank You God for showing me my pride, unbelief and fear so that I could confess them to You and repent of my sins and be forgiven, in Jesus name, Amen. And I ask you, which is the greater miracle?

UPDATE: July 18, 2014
The Lord answered today, we have been given the finances to pay to have the car fixed. Thank you Lord, you are so faithful! And He answered so quickly, Praise God!!

Miracle Coming Soon

Sunday, my favorite day of the week. Today at Word of Faith Dominion Church being the first Sunday of the month, my husband Chad and I arrived early to stand at the door and greet everyone as they came into church. The service starts at 10:00 and we arrived at 8:51; today we were early enough to greet Pastor Doug and Laurel Domokos, that was a treat :-) We have yet to greet anyone on the worship team, they were already rocking, they sounded great. I feel honored to be a greeter welcoming everyone into the church. I pray we can make everyone feel welcome and loved.

Pastor Doug preached on signs, wonders and miracles. It was an awesome service, check it out at http://www.holyfire.net/ and click on the sermon titled God's S, W, M's. It got me fired up because he reminded us that we have the same power, the same Holy Spirit living inside us as raised Jesus from the dead. Think about that. Why don't we see signs, wonders and miracles in our churches? Why aren't people being healed, why aren't financial needs being met? Why aren't prodigals coming home? The Bible is full of signs, miracles and wonders, so why aren't we seeing more of them in our churches?

I think there are several reasons. One, we don't believe God would use us. Ok, I might have stolen that one from Pastor Doug's sermon but he's right, we think we're not worthy. No kidding! None of us on our own are worthy, that's why God had to send Jesus to save our sorry human rears! Jesus' death on the cross paid for our unworthiness. So get that out of your head, get that out of your heart, Jesus makes us righteous. Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience, many will be made righteous. (NKJV) 

Two, we don't want to bother God with our little problems, so we don't ask. Let's think about this. Look around at planet earth here and think about how God created everything there is here. Every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every insect, every bird, every person, every river, every ocean, every mountain, every cloud, etc, etc...He is limitless. Just because we are limited does not mean we should limit God. Our Great God is totally willing and fully capable of taking care of our every problem, our every concern and every need. He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives if we will let Him. He knows how many hairs we have on our head so do we really think He doesn't want to be bothered about an injured shoulder, a broken down car or an electric bill that's due? Come on, He can do all things at all times, we won't be stealing another person's miracle if we ask God to heal us or help us. Read Matthew 7:7-12 for more on asking, seeking and knocking.

Three, we lack the faith to act. We say we believe, we think we believe but yet we don't act on our faith. Why? I think it could be we have gotten so used to believing what we see in the world. Remember Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."(NIV) Oh but the things we see everyday, this world programs us to believe what we see. I've been building on my faith for years and yet I still fall into this trap of believing what I see. 

Let me tell you where my sight overruled my faith. We have one car so when it's not running we walk or we borrow a vehicle from my parents, thank God for their support, in fact they gave us the one car we have. However generous they are, we want our car to run properly, it's a 1997 Olds Aurora, yes it's an old Olds but I believe it's not dead yet. 

Journal Entry Day 640
June 21, 2014 Sat
10:05 Prayer Room
Break through today Lord, break through! Yesterday the parking lights on the Aurora wouldn't shut off. Chad took it to Standard Exchange and they pulled the fuse for now. Chad started cleaning at the YMCA last night, praise God, an answer to our prayers for provision to pay his student loans, hallelujah! When he got home last night though the dash lights wouldn't shut off. This morning he said the car won't start today. But God gave us authority and power in the name of Jesus. And I prayed this morning in that power, in that authority, in the name of Jesus and I declare and I decree that car will start and those lights will work properly in the name of Jesus. Thank you Lord! Amen. 
23:13 Living Room
Thank you Lord! The car started. The inside lights are off. Monday Chad will have them put the fuse back and we'll see the lights are off.

Journal Entry Day 642
June 23, 2014 Mon
08:20 Prayer Room
Well yesterday when I went to the car to go to church the electric door locks wouldn't work, the battery was dead.But instead of persisting in prayer and speaking to my mountain, I gave up and called my dad for a ride to church. Lord forgive me for giving up. What do I do now Lord? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
(end journal entries)

So I allowed my sight to override my faith. Ugh. The great thing though is the Lord is infinitely faithful and merciful and has forgiven me because I was honest with Him and repented for my lack of faith. However, I still hadn't returned to the promise that the car would be fixed completely in the name of Jesus, I still had not acted in faith in the matter of the car, I was thinking maybe God wanted to use Standard Exchange to fix the car. So Monday Chad asked them to order the part to fix the car, it would be at least a week, in the mean time my parents supplied a vehicle. 

Then Wed July 2nd Standard Exchange let us know the wrong part was delivered. Hmmm, a sign perhaps? This did occur to me in passing but there were other things fighting for my attention like seeing my daughter Alex who was home for the day. Anyway it would be at least another week before the right part would be delivered.

Then Pastor Doug's sermon reminded me of this promise the Lord gave me about the car being fixed in the name of Jesus. Again I wanted to declare and decree the car was fixed in the name of Jesus but a voice was telling me there were more important things to pray about, that praying about material things was not right and that the Lord miraculously fixing the car was not going to happen. This shook my faith and again I failed to speak to my mountain, I failed to act in faith. 

But I refuse to give up on the promise the Lord made to me that first day I prayed about it. He showed me if I would stand over the car and speak to it that I will have whatever I ask. I'm standing on Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (NKJV)

You see I just haven't acted on my faith yet, I haven't spoken to the mountain yet. But I will and that is why I say there is a miracle coming soon...

UPDATE: July 18, 2014
The Lord answered today, we have been given the finances to pay to have the car fixed! Thank you Lord, you are so faithful! And He answered so quickly, Praise God!!