Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way which seems right to a man, But it's end is the way of death.

We do our part and HE will always do His part. What areas are you pursuing, plotting, planning and trying to produce life in that are coming up empty or lifeless? God is in control. Do what He has called YOU to do and leave the results to Him. He is our Enabler! He calls us to be obedient and follow him.  We are not responsible for the results.

Are there areas (be honest) in your life, marriage, parenting, work situations, leadership roles where you are trying to produce life but they are coming up dead? Have you done all the right things (as much as you can do) and yet, things have not turned out the way you imagined or thought they would? Could it be that you either knowingly or unknowingly have been IN CONTROL? Could it be that you have a TRUST issue? Could it be that you are using subtle methods of manipulation to "get the results" you want or desire?

I know for me looking back over the years I can say a hearty AMEN to that one!  God's word tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 - "the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?".  It's true that if you are a disciple of Christ you have been given a new heart, a pure heart; but we can still deceive ourselves especially where our children are involved.  What's even worse is sometimes we add a layer of spiritual flavor to it. This is a hard one to see because the root of control and manipulation is PRIDE! Yes, one of the seven things God hates!

Hard to admit, but if we are COMPLETELY honest with ourselves and God (no shock to Him) and remember God also hates a lying tongue; we have to admit that there have been times, maybe even years where we have had such a controlling grip on those closest to us or were manipulating the circumstances that we have hurt more than we have helped. We like being in control. It gives us a sense of safety for a season.   The fallout or backlash from that tight grip of control can be very destructive. 

Recently, God has broken my heart once again by putting His finger on something I was about to do without realizing the fallout.  I was pursuing, plotting, planning and trying to produce life all in an effort to "help" and show "mercy" but that too has come up empty.  The backlash has been painful but I would rather fear God than man. I would rather fear God and live than fear the backlash of man's response and possibly bring destruction or even death by choosing to break God's heart!  Thankfully God's word stopped me in my tracks and showed me just how manipulative, mis-guided and down right wrong it would be in His sight, and it's Him I want to please.  

Proverbs 19:21-23 - Many plans are in a man's heart But the counsel of the LORD will stand.  What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be poor than a liar.  The fear of the LORD leads to life.  So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

Are You a Disinfected Christian or a Disciple of Christ?

Last year me and my girls read "Radical" by David Platt.  This book rocked my world!  It left my mind reeling and my heart rolling around the words of Jesus Christ.  I love to read books that help weave God's word into my life.  I've read lots of books on prayer, fasting, bible study, books written about books of the bible, leadership, etc.  No other book besides the bible itself has made such an impact on me.  This little book has drastically changed the way I look at the world around me, discipleship, the church, my home, family, friendships, finances, well; everything to tell you the truth. 

For more than 7 years I have had these thoughts that I thought were contrary to what I was seeing and at times hearing in the church today.  I knew there had to be more to this Christian life than attending a bible believing church, serving, going to revival (which were placed on a calendar a year before?).   Can I just say religious routine and at times boring?  Really, when you go back and read the gospels and the words of Christ, there is nothing boring about being a disciple of Christ. 

Never could put my finger on why I would become angry at leadership when they did things like give away gifts to the students if they could get a set number of youth to an event or things like park a car in our welcome center to be given away to the student who could get the most "unchurched" kids to come to an event at their church.  I remember being so deeply angry, so disappointed.  I would make comments and no one would seem to be tracking with me; so I thought the problem must be with me!  I mean if the pastors see nothing wrong with parking a car in the welcome center or bribing kids with prizes to get people inside the church then why should I?  


Oddly enough I never remember Jesus offering such trinkets for following him?  I always thought giving a kid an i-pod because he brought 10 kids to church who for the most part already attended their own church, was twisted to say the least...what kind of message are we sending to the future leaders of the next generation? If you commit to serve Jesus, your reward will be a new car, i-pod, lots of money? It flies in the face of the Word's of Jesus. Who according to His Word and according to the book Radical, promised those who would live godly in Christ Jesus would get just the opposite...."will suffer persecution". Jesus promised you would indeed suffer for the sake of the gospel...He promised you would be laughed at, ridiculed, spit on, beaten, flogged, shipwrecked, whipped, made a mockery of and possibly loose your life for picking up your cross and following HIM.

We have taught the youth of today to "be good" to "not touch" to be "disinfected" Christians. We have taught them to follow a set of rules and if we do it right, everything will be ok...WRONG! How dare we take such liberty with the Word of God Almighty! We are called to be "disciples" of Christ not just disinfected Christians. I believe every Youth worker and leader needs to read the book Radical. I believe anyone who is working with this generation should read this book.

 

The first chapter of Radical my eyes filled with tears and my heart ached.  I saw through the words of Jesus that we are NOT making disciples in "most" of our youth groups.  We are making worldly, carnal Christians all in the name of  "salvation".  It makes me cringe as I read about the lives of the disciples and church history books of the persecuted church, even today's persecuted church all across the globe; we are doing our youth a HUGE disservice!

Ministry is not "ministry" anymore.  True ministry according to the way Jesus did it looked like, getting involved in the lives of the lost, broken-hearted and the hurting.  To bind up the wounds. To walk alongside and help others grow in Christ. Not to just bring people to your church event but to bring them into your life and invite them into your home.  To help those who actually needed and wanted help (not a hand out) but a hand up! 

To be a disciple of Christ is to be His hands and feet and that requires action! It is not always something we can put on a calendar or plan.  True ministry is "as we go", it's those divine appointment moments that interrupt our plans in order to fulfill His purpose.  Ministry is not a business or an organization.  Ministry is to be done by the church (the body of Christ) which is not in a building!  We are the church, each of us individually as well as corporately.   

Not disinfected from the world but disciples in the world! 

Extravagant Worship

Matthew 26:6 - Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. (read the rest of the passage). 

A woman worshipped Jesus in a way that seemed extravagant to those who witnessed it.  She poured out very costly perfume on His head as an act of worship.  Others became indignant with  her, asking "why she had "wasted" what could have been used to help the poor."  Jesus, knowing their hearts rebuked them and told them to leave her alone; not only that, He honored her for her extravagant worship. 

What about us?  Do we worship God extravagantly?  His love for us is certainly extravagant isn't it?  He held nothing back.   He gave His all.   He gave His best.  He is still giving today.  His mercy, grace & forgivness are extremely extravagant. 

I am definitely not known as an extravagant person.  I'm pretty simple really, frugal even.  My needs aren't extravagant or expensive.  I've never spent alot of money on clothes, cars, or material things.  I like nice things but due to one income and a big household, being "extravagant" has never been part of my vocabulary. 

After watching a dear friend of mine walk through some hard things because of her extravagant love for the Father; I've realized that God loves an extravagant worshipper!

I want to be known by God as an extravagant worhshipper.  To pour out my life and love for the Savior in a way that would make others curious about this God I worship.  To exceed the limits of reason or necessity.  To not care about what those watching think, but to bring honor and glory to the ONE who died for me. 

What about you do you think of yourself as an extravagant worshipper?

Extravagantly Loved,
Renee

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Are You a Squirrel or a Bird When it Comes to Feeding on God's Word?

A devotion my Mom wrote a few years back.  Thought it was worth sharing......

I was standing at the kitchen window and looking out this morning, after my quiet time with God.  There at the bird feeder, where usually birds come to eat all day, was a squirrel eating the seeds that had fallen on the ground from the feeder.  She doesn't come everyday, but when she does, she eats her belly full.  Then she scampers off to do her folly and comes back every now and then to eat some more.  A little bird was standing there at a distance watching, but making no move to disturb the squirrel, just allowing her to eat the seed. 

The picture I saw was one of a spiritually hungry believer (the bird) who knows who she is in Christ Jesus, and she knows she  needs the seed (God's word) everyday.  So, faithfully she comes every single day to eat the seed (the word of God). 

Then I saw the carnal believer (the squirrel), who has  not fully grasped who she is in Christ Jesus.  After being gone for days or weeks and taking part in the world.  She doesn't sustain her balance because she is still out in the world eating all it has to offer her.  She realizes that God is drawing her back to Him, wooing her to eat the good seed that will heal, nourish and strengthen her (His Word).  The more often she comes to eat from the good seed, the more she understands who she truly is in Christ and how much she needs the Word of God.  Sooner or later, she begins to mature as God's daily seed gives balance to her life.   

Sometimes we are more like the squirrel.  Can you relate? 

Reminds me of Luke 8:5-15 The Parable of the Sower.   The Sower is God, the seed is the Word of God, some seed fell on the road where it was trampled underfoot. Some fell on the rocky soil, but as soon as it grew up it withered away because it had no root, some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it out.  Other seed fell on good soil and grew up and produced a crop a hundred times as great.  The soil represents the hearers or the hearts of the hearers.  All soil received the seed (heard the word), but with very different results. 

Which soil is your heart most like today?  If we are honest, we have experienced every type of soil where the Word of God is concerned.  There have been times in my walk when my heart has been like the "road" where it is heard but certainly not heeded.  Other times my heart has been like the "rocky" soil.  I've been attentive and heard the word and begun to apply it but because I wasn't "rooted" in Chris but rooted in the things of this world or self, it yields no fruit.  Of course we have all had days when our hearts were like the "thorny" soil, where the cares and worries of this world of the temporal things have choked out the word of God.  Oh, but then there are the days where hopefully we live most of our life with God; where our hearts are the "good" soil.  We not only receive the seed but because we are rooted in Christ, we respond to the heart of our Father with honest, open hearts and it grows up and produces a crop a hundred times as great. 

Dear Lord, you are the master gardener you know condition of hearts (soil).  You alone know how to cultivate our hearts into the good soil.  I ask you today dear Lord to prepare our hearts, to give us the "Son", the Living Water and remove the rocks, thorns and anything else that is preventing us from hearing and heeding your word.  I want to be a fruitful believer.  Producing fruit that will last.  Thank you Jesus.

10 Things I'm Thankful for today

Well I'm a few day behind on 10 thing I'm thankful for?  Here goes....

1 - Time to sit still and know!


2 - A fresh cup of coffee.




3 - Kids who slept late so I could sit still and know.


4 - Good friends who are helping me to plan a wedding. 


5 - Date with my sweet Jessie yesterday.


6 - God's forgiveness, grace, mercy and blessings. 


7 - Opportunities to be the  hands and feet of Christ!


8 - The Power of Prayer.


9 - That God is teaching me a new language.


10- The Body of Christ.


Thanks for the idea Beth Herbert from http://nclighthousekeeper.blogspot.com/

Is Our Faithfulness Important to God?

1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14 Focusing on verses 1 & 14

Today while reading my One Year Bible the two verses above connected for me and  stopped me in my tracks.  "The people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness." Then again at end of chapter, "Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the LORD.  So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."

The two words that jumped off the page at me were in verse 1 as well as 13; unfaithfulness and unfaithful, then the words "to the LORD" in verse 13 stood out to me.

Most of us would consider ourselves faithful wouldn't we?  We are faithful to our spouses, children, careers, churches, even to our ministries.  We faithfully pay our bills, keep up our homes, show up at work on time, work hard at whatever we do.  Could it be that we are still found unfaithful to the LORD? 

Think about it.  Look at verse 13-14 again.  "So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD."  Can I truly say I have been faithful to the LORD?  Can you?  Look again,  "He did not keep the word of the LORD."   Can we truly say we have been faithful to keep the word of the LORD in our lives? 

Check this out!, "and even consulted a medium for guidance", are we in the practice of consulting mediums through horoscopes, seminars, CD's, books, new age practices of our day?  How about the Oprah craze or Dr. Phil?  The 1st part of verse 14 states: "and did not inquire of the LORD.  So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."  How many times have we made decisions whether small or big without first inquiring of the LORD through prayer, God's word or godly counsel?  What were the results?

This passage has made me stop and take a good look at my faithfulness "to the LORD".  The Holy Spirit has already begun working and showing me areas of my life where I too have been unfaithful "to the LORD". 

How about you?  Where have you been unfaithful "to the LORD"?   Will you stop, be still, ask God to search your heart and show you those areas of unfaithfulness and respond with repentance?  Don't you want to hear God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"? 

God, forgive us for neglecting our relationship with your Son Jesus Christ.  Forgive us for neglecting the house of God.  Forgive us for forgetting our first love.  Forgive us (the church) for prideful and arrogant hearts. Forgive us for being so critical of our brothers/sisters in Christ.   Forgive us for being really good "doers" but unfaithful "be-ers".  Show us where we have been unfaithful to You Oh LORD.  Thank you for your mercy and grace as we confess, repent and turn back to you with faithful hearts. 

In Jesus Name,

MATCH

I am posting today to spread the word about a wonderful program in the North Carolina Women's Prison System.  It's called MATCH which stands for Mothers and Their Children.  MATCH is a program that is run entirely by volunteers and donations.  You can go and to the following link to learn more: http://www.mothersandtheirchildren.org/. 

I had already been exposed to the women prison through serving as a small group bible study shepherd for a few years.  So, I already knew about the women's prison environment.  It was exciting to help these women learn to study God's word and learn about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  When I realized that the prison also had a program for children I was ecstatic!  To be able to make a difference in the lives of their children as well?  What an opportunity to reach into the next generation and make a kingdom difference.  

Would you be willing to make a difference in the life of a child?  You can help by donating money, gas cards, toys for the birthday closet, or by donating your time to sit in on a visit with a mother and her children.  This would be a great project for a ladies ministry or small group to take one.   

These children by no fault of their own are living each and everyday seperated from their mothers.  That just breaks my heart.  Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can help.  Go to the link above. 

In Christ,

Your Status Never Changes with Jesus!

Colossians 1:13-14 (from message preached by Mark Cottrell, Pearces Baptist Church)

While listening to a wonderful message at a church in our community, I heard a quote that stuck in my mind, "Your status never changes with Jesus".

Our status changes weekly and sometimes daily on our facebook pages. Our status in our places of employment can change on a dime these days; one day you have a well paying "secure" job and the next you're standing in the un-employment line. As a follower of Christ a believers status in the world is sometimes seen as weak, helpless and sometimes a laughing stock, but with Jesus Christ our status is secured forever!

The pastor pointed out 5 things God has done for us. These five things came from the book of Colossians out of 2 little power-packed verses!

1 - He has qualified us

2 - He has rescued us

3 - He has transferred us

4 - He has redeemed us

5 - He has forgiven us

Because of those 5 things that GOD alone did for us who were once without hope, our "status" can never change with Jesus.

Those 5 things would not have been possible except for the Cross of Calvary. Those 5 things are not something we can do by working harder, attending church more, denying self, serving, nothing we can ever do in regards to "good works" would ever be enough. God in His love, mercy and grace did these five things for us!

These 5 things can never be removed from a believers life. They are all dependent upon His faithfulness and promises! Isn't that good news!