Story Tellers...

I have such fond memories of listening to my grandparents tell stories from their youth- recounting adventures and life lessons learned. These memories of quality time spent and the truths gleaned from them are some of my most treasured moments. The thought has prompted me to pause and reflect and consider...

The scripture charges us to spur one another on to good works (Hebrews 10:24) to encourage each other in our faith (1 Thessalonians 5:11)... to set up places of rememberance...

This account out of Joshua 4 underscores the importance Father God places on marking our journey with him, calling and recalling his faithfulness, goodness and absolute provision to our minds and setting his glory as president -worthy of being retold to the generations...

Joshua 4

1 When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, 3 and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, 5 and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, 6 to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for war.

14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.

15 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant law to come up out of the Jordan.”

17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.”

18 And the priests came up out of the river carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD. No sooner had they set their feet on the dry ground than the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and ran at flood stage as before.

19 On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. 20 And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. 21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

In the New Testament Peter sets that same bar to a new level...

1 Peter 2:5 says:

"you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

Our very lives become the testimony- a living rememberance of the Father to the generations. We paint the real time picture of who he is. Just as Jesus was the visible manifestation of the invisible God when he walked on this earth (Colossians 1:15), we as his children, are to be the same to this generation and our "stories" should be stood up as stones of rememberance for the generations to come for the glory of the Father and his kingdom.

The question is "What is your story telling?" and will it be set up as a reminder of all that the Father is for those who follow you?

Let it be YES and AMEN for His fame, glory and renown!

A Declaration for the Season...and Maybe a Dose of Encouragement!

Father knows the plans he has for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and they are plans to prosper us...

[this prosper is not just what we americans would consider prospering- it is one of the spirit and righteousness as well as, but not limited to nor required to be- monetary or comfort]

...and not to harm us but, to give us a hope and a future...

[the hope is Jesus and that of the blessings of sonship that we are granted and bestowed as the Father's children and the future is one of his chosing -that will further his kingdom and bring glory and fame to his name].

He promises that he will supply ALL of our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19) and that...

He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:8)

Doing more that we could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20) -answering when we call (Jer. 33:3) -giving us wisdom and discernment to know what to do and when to do it! (Isa. 33:6; James 1:5)

He is Good and everything He does is good! (Psalm 119:68) Praise Him!!!

We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37) and because of Jesus...

we are healed, whole and able stand firm -sheilded against the attacks of the enemy -no weapon formed against us will prosper! (Isa. 54:17)

We stand firm then and see the deliverance of the Lord! (2 Chr. 20:17)

Speaking his truth over our families knowing that he has great things ahead and we are called to walk obediently with his truth in our hearts and his words and praises on our lips! Go and make disciples! Be the doorkeepers into His presence... radiate His joy even in the hard place - its most likely where the real treasures are found!

AMEN, Father -as you wish!

1 Corinthians 2:13, Psalm 31:19

Blessings of peace, rest and face-like-flint faith as you march forth in His power to accomplish and move in his purpose with the power and authority given to those who truly believe through His Spirit by the resurrection blood of the LAMB!

Rise up, Church, In Jesus Name!

Swimming Upstream...

Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."

While walking this morning I had a divinely inspired thought about this verse...

When you read this verse, if you are like me, it makes no sense at first blush. Why in the world would the God of the universe command us to hate (even connect it as a hinge of discipleship) when we are created in his image and put on this planet to display his splendor and bring glory to him and he, at his very essence, is love and incapable of hate...confusing isn't it!

As I thought about it in light of things the Father is doing in my life I realized it's not a literal hate of these people that the Father is commanding but, the ability to step away from the traditions and patterns of behavior- ultimately the world system and its way of doing things that he is demanding...

Many times -if not always - the Father's calling and mandate on our lives, as believers, goes against that which the world surrounding us would encourage, support or even understand (including those closest to us) and we have to be willing in surrendered obedience to swim against the current. Our relationship to the Father supersedes earthly ones and He expects our full affection as we live according to the full counsel of His word in every aspect of our lives.

Whatever He is calling you to step out in - take courage and start swimming!

Our True Source...

2 Corinthians 9:10

"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."

Father God is the absolute true source for all things -through Jesus he made the way back to himself for us - something we cannot do for ourselves... the word says [of Jesus] that everything has its being in him and nothing that was made was made apart from him...

God is our supply and this word implies that not only does he supply what we physically need...seed to sow & bread for food...he is our sole resource eternally and spiritually - "the harvest of your righteousness"

This word is active present tense and future tense as well... "who supplies" being present tense and the "will" being future - demonstrating the Father's continual action on our behalf.

The cool thing here is he is the one who accomplishes this in us and for us and through us and will continue to do so!

This is not only us personally who are transformed by his power but implies that that the transformation in our lives radiates out to those we influence and reaps a harvest in their lives, too.

Living Reconciliation - Pt. 2 "The Hope - Redeemed-Restored Relationships"

The second element in our hope of reconciliation hinges on the first; forgiveness (see previous post for more). Redeemed and restored relationships are impossible apart from it. Through forgiveness the bitter root is snipped (Hebrews 12:15) and the healing power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed to effect change in our hearts and minds - ushering in redemption and restoration.

Jesus is the ultimate testament of this truth to us. Because of his obedient choice, to die on the cross for our sins -paying the profound price; death- and then being raised to life, we have a way to be reconciled to the Father . He declared, " I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me"(John 14:6). The scripture also says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He willing came then and he seeks us out now -wooing us to Himself... He is the example by which we should pattern our lives and our responses to others.

Isaiah 62:12 states,

"They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted." (italics mine)

"called 'Sought after, the City No Longer Deserted'"...he seeks us out! And not only that, He provides the means of restoration! We are redeemed through personal relationship with Jesus and in turn called to continue "the work" of reconciliation (Titus 2:14). In essence, we are covenant bearers -a testimony of God's character and his heart towards the world (Isaiah 49:8). Our ability to accomplish this mission flows out of our complete, active obedience to the Word and our deliberate willingness to lay down our "rights" for the benefit and blessing of another. When we operate in concert with the Father, ushering in redemption and restoration through our words and actions (albeit sacrificially at times), we demonstrate the purest form of His love and grace - dying so that life may come...

In doing so, the Holy Spirit's resurrection power (Ephesians 1 :18-20) is activated in its full measure and we "become the righteousness of God" -

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." ~ Isaiah 58:12

"They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations." ~ Isaiah 61:4

This is who we are to be...LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK!

Living Reconciliation - Pt. 2 "The Hope - Forgiveness"

Three principle elements define the hope of reconciled living; forgiveness, redeemed-restored relationships and sanctified lives. All demand consideration and application. So, let's begin by examining Forgiveness- we'll unpack the other two in subsequent posts...

Forgiveness...

Forgiveness at its core is a "God task". It's not something we on a human level muster or sustain. The power to forgive and maintain a life of forgiveness is solely driven by the emboldening force of the Holy Spirit in the believer's heart and mind. We are called to a choice of the will- I must decide to draw upon the Holy Spirit's power and choose to forgive those who offend or sin against me. Divorcing oneself from the act of forgiveness only renders reconciliation impossible. To obtain the one, you must maintain the other.

Essentially, divine love propels forgiveness - the cog that turns the wheel or "will" as it were. The bible states very clearly that we have the ability to love because He [the Father] first loved us (1 John 4:19)...we forgive because we have first been forgiven (Col. 3:13) and as we forgive so we will be forgiven (Matt. 6:14-15; Mark 11 :25; Luke 6:37). Jesus died on the cross so that we might receive lasting forgiveness for our sins (Acts 10: 43; Acts 13:38; Eph. 1:7)and in doing so, be completely and eternally reconciled back to the Father. By accepting this free gift, we enter into fellowship with the living God and, in turn, possess the Spirit with which to extend the same forgiveness to others.

As believers, when we operate in forgiveness, we become a conduit of God's life-changing power to those we encounter. Out of our choice, flows Holy Spirit power to effect eternal change in those we influence as well as our own righteousness. Careful here -lest anyone think that our actions lead to righteousness - THEY DO NOT! Ephesians 2:8 and Titus 3:5 echo this truth saying, " ...he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy...". We are made right with God through Jesus alone but, we have the capacity, by our deeds, to squelch the Spirit (Eph. 4:30) and render His power ineffective in our lives and subsequently our circle of influence. The antithesis of reconciliation!

"Keeping short accounts" with Father God and man allows the reconciliation fountain to flow freely. Confess quickly and often (Matt. 5:23, Luke 17:4, 1 John 1:9) - do not harbor unforgiveness in your heart! To do so, would give the enemy a foothold and stir up a bitterroot(Acts 8:23, Eph. 4:27). Any hope of reconciliation hangs on this balance. Grace-filled lives, willing to forgive even the most grievous offense, demonstrate the Father's glory and empower the Spirit to accomplish His work in and through us. The goal is not that we would be justified or treated fairly but, that we would surrender our own reputations to the care of the Father and seek His kingdom above all else!

Our Initiator

More will come on reconciliation -I promise....

But for today...

I have been reading one of Beth Moore's latest books; "So Long Insecurity"- It is a great read and I pray the Lord uses it powerfully in the lives of those who dive into it...

This is a quote that really struck me and I've been living with it for a few days...

"What God initiates, He equips us to handle." - Beth Moore

Because God is the initiator -it [whatever he has called you to] is in His
perfect will for you and He will accomplish it in and through you. He is
faithful and he will operate on your behalf -giving you all that you need for
life and godliness in order to accomplish the task he has set before you!
Be strong and of good courage -Your God is FOR you and with you -press in and
you will soar on eagles wings!