Getting the Word Out

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” John 21:15, 16



Over the past year I have watched as God has poured His love and compassion for suffering children into the heart of my husband, specifically speaking of children in poverty. I have watched Denny shed many tears as he has read factual stories, and seen videos of these children who are in desperate need. To be honest, what God has done in the heart of Denny, and now is doing in my life too, has changed the way I view Christianity. It has expanded the way I view Christianity, and in many ways there has been a paradigm shift.


We live in an era of “prosperity preaching”. “Obey God and he will give you the home of your dreams, he will give you the car of your dreams, He will provide everything you ever wanted…”


Understand I believe that God wants to prosper you. I believe that when we obey Him, He does prosper us. But I’m not sure the above scenario is what he had in mind.


In Luke 3:7-9, we see a sample of John the Baptist’s preaching, and what he talks about is that when we follow God, our life should change, our life should look different. Part of what he says is this:


“Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God.”
At the end of his sermon, the crowd asked, “What should we do?” Good question. John replied, “If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”


In Luke 12:33, Jesus says, “sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no holes in them. Your treasure will be safe…no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.”


We dream of news cars, and new homes, while others dream that someone will come along to provide them clean water, a bite to eat, and clothing to cover their bodies.


This Sunday, at First Christian Church, you’ll have a chance to fulfill someone else’s dream. The dream of having a bite to eat…clothes to wear, as we join with Compassion International, and churches all over the nation for “Compassion Sunday”. May you prayerfully consider your role as we make an effort to “release children from poverty in Jesus name”.


Father, you have called us not to acquire more, but to give more. Help us to understand the specific call that you have on our individual lives, so that we might fulfill your will and your purpose for our lives. So that your Kingdom can come through us to others….


Application: Prayerfully consider how God would like you to respond to His kingdom call.


Luke 16:9 “I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.”


Acts 4:32-35 “all the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had. And the apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great favor was upon them all. There was no poverty among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need.”

Spiritual Chaos

I feel normal today for the first time in about two weeks. Monday morning, March 23rd, I woke up at 3am, and I woke up at 3am darn near every day after that until today. Last night I finally slept all night.

During that time, I had a couple of people tell me that God was waking me up. I know that God does that sometimes, but to be honest, I had a hard time believing that God would disturb my sleep at 3am, when He knew that I would wake up at 5am and meet with Him anyway.

So, finally, after about a week of this chaos, I got up one morning, angry. And I said to God, "God, I refuse to believe that it's you waking me up, and the only way I'll believe it, is if you make it clear to me. Lord, if it's you, then in my scripture reading this morning, may you mention, in scripture, that you 'wake us up'."

My scripture reading that morning was Zechariah 4. The first verse I read said, "Then the angel of the Lord awakened me." Praise God, now I at least knew that it was indeed Him waking me up, and not the enemy, and not insomnia...but what does He want??

So the next mornings He continued to awaken me, but instead of me getting frustrated by being awakened, I would simply wake up and say, "yes Lord". Sometimes I got out of bed, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I grabbed my Bible, sometimes I didn't. Sometimes I could feel His presence, sometimes I couldn't. But the one thing that was consistent every night is that God would bring up various people that He has involved in my life right now, and various circumstances that He has me in involving those people...and as He would bring them up, we would pray for them. To be honest, sometimes, no, a lot of the time, it seemed like chaos. The people and circumstances would flash through my mind so quickly, that it just seemed like chaos. Almost like God was saying, "I'm doing this and this and this and this and this" all the while quickly flashing the mental images through my brain while He was saying it.

By yesterday, Friday, I could hardly keep my eyes opened, I was so tired. In fact, I nodded off once at my desk yesterday. Later in the afternoon, I was driving to see a client of mine, and as I was driving, I was thinking of the events of the past two weeks. I was thinking, "it just seems chaotic. I can't really make sense out of why You have me awake God. It seems like You're doing something bigger than I can understand." About the time I got that thought out of my brain, this song came on the radio. The song summed up my feelings perfectly. And the timing of it was such confirmation from God, as if to say, "yeah, you're right, my ways are higher than your ways, you can't quite fully grasp it, but I'm doing something bigger than you..."

Thanks God for whatever it is you're doing. Thank you for calling me to pray. Thank you for once again answering my thoughts with such sweet confirmation through this song...."

As the chorus said...

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life
something Heavenly
Something Heavenly





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06AgY5Xoavw

Let Him Help

"Come now, let us argue this out," says the Lord. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. If you will only obey me and let me help you..."

Isaiah 1:18,19

Far From Perfect

Just today I was talking to a friend of mine, and I told her, "I hope no one looks at me and/or our family and thinks that we're perfect, that we have it all together, 'cause we don't." That's the truth. We have our struggles. Daily. I think that's why I loved this post SO much tonight when I read it. Please know that you are not alone in your struggles, chances are there are many others who deal with the same things...

A Captive Set Free

So, I had to go to Paris this afternoon to see a client who also just happens to be an Elder in our church. While there, one of his customers came in with the cutest little puppy dog named “Jack“. The customer left the store, and then came back into say, “I can’t see it, but there is something alive in your drain pipe. Jack is going crazy over it”.

So one of the employees went out and took the drain pipe apart, while we all watched from the window to see just what kind of varmint was going to come out! After a short time the employee got the pipe apart, and out flew a bird. I shouted, in a humorous way, “HE SAVED THAT BIRDS LIFE!!” Which they all chimed in, “yes…he did!”

So, I followed that up with, “HIS eye is on the sparrow!” “Yes, it is!” they replied. Me, still being a bit goofy, said to Keith, the owner/elder, “God used a DOG to SAVE the bird!” We chuckled a little bit more, but both agreed, “yes He did”.

As I walked out of the store, I was reminded of the Communion meditation that Keith gave at our church a couple of weeks ago. He spoke to us about worry, and I believe he used this scripture:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:24-26

So, I peeked my head back in the door and reminded Keith of his communion meditation. He said, “yep, maybe all of this was just for me”.

You can laugh if you want. I even laughed as it was happening, but it doesn’t change the beauty of what happened. God used the dog to set the bird free. Are you not much more valuable than the bird? He knows your needs too, turn to Him, trust in Him for your help. Let Him set you free.

Here’s what God says about it:

Psalm 84:3Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

Matthew 10:31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows

Luke 12:7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.