I remember the first time I really fell in love with Jesus. I was sitting in an evening class at the Helms' house at Canada West School of Worship. Our teacher that night had just finished his lecture, and had picked up his guitar and began to lead us in worship. In the past, I would always sing along during worship and try and focus on the words. But this time I closed my eyes and found myself dancing in a golden field. It felt amazing. I had never felt so much freedom before. And oddly enough my dancing was actually beautiful (you would understand why this might surprise me if you have ever seen me dance in real life). In fact, I don't think I've ever felt as beautiful as I did dancing in that field.
As I was dancing I noticed Jesus walking in the field nearby. As soon as I saw him, I started running toward him with so much excitment and joy. He came running to meet me and as soon as he reached me he picked me up, twirled me around (like a daddy would twirl his little girl) and spoke these words, "I Delight In You". And that was it, the moment I fell in Love with Jesus. I remember sitting there, being completely blown away! You delight in ME Jesus? In ME? I couldn't believe it. The God who created the entire universe and made all things beautiful, delights in me. And what girl doesn't want to be told that? We all have this desire to know that we are loved, delighted in. I often revisit that moment. There are days when I'm down or moments were I'm sad, and sometimes in those moments I go back there to be with Jesus in that field.
About a month ago, God reminded me once again of his deep love for me. This time it was through a vision he gave a friend of mine at the College and Career retreat. During that weekend I had been thinking about the people I knew in my own life who seemed to have a clear sense of where they were going. They were doing something important, something that mattered and I had been asking God, "what about me"? Well that night my friend pulled me aside and started to tell me how she had seen me standing in a field. There were people dancing beautifully around me. And as I stood there and watched, Jesus came up to me, picked me up and put my feet on top of his, and said "Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, this dance is just for you". That night I felt so romanced by God. Literally Silly in love with Him! If you've ever been in love, it was like that, but ten thousand times better. I don't really know how else to describe it.
And there are days, especially lately, where I feel heavy and burdened. But God always, sweeps me away in His love. And so even though times are hard, His Love is ENOUGH. And He's ALWAYS there when I need him. He will NEVER let me down, he NEVER leaves me or abandons me. How amazing. And guess what, He feels exactly the same way about YOU!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Taking a Time Out
I'm always posting other people's words that inspire me lately...and well, here I go again...here is a post by Stasi Eldridge (writer of Captivating)...
I’m trying to relate to my sixteen year old son. It is not going well.
Sometimes I feel that he looks at me like I am a strange (not exotic, just strange) fish swimming inside of a tank. What?!? Huh?
I don’t like it. I want to snap at him for looking at me weird, dismissing me, not responding to me with awed respect. I want to go into the pantry and eat some forbidden food by the handful. Bury my face in a pan of brownies. That’ll show him.
Instead, as those godless roads are closed to me, I escape to my bedroom and give myself a time out. Big breath. What is true? Who is the grown up here? How do I love from this out of sorts place? Jesus, please come. Help me rise above my hormones and sugar addiction and self centeredness. Fill me Holy Spirit. I breathe you in. I let go of my own agenda and complusions. Thank you.
I’m still hungry but choose to reengage.
“Ping pong?”, I offer. He says no thanks. I am still a fish.
“I turn my eyes up to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, maker of Heaven and Earth.” I love you, Jesus. I know this is about me, not my son. You are the only One who can fill this hungry heart.
This got me thinking about how I respond to similar situations. I obviously don't have kids of my own...but I think this concept works in most scenarios. Taking a Time-Out and asking God to re-focus us is a good thing to be doing.
I’m trying to relate to my sixteen year old son. It is not going well.
Sometimes I feel that he looks at me like I am a strange (not exotic, just strange) fish swimming inside of a tank. What?!? Huh?
I don’t like it. I want to snap at him for looking at me weird, dismissing me, not responding to me with awed respect. I want to go into the pantry and eat some forbidden food by the handful. Bury my face in a pan of brownies. That’ll show him.
Instead, as those godless roads are closed to me, I escape to my bedroom and give myself a time out. Big breath. What is true? Who is the grown up here? How do I love from this out of sorts place? Jesus, please come. Help me rise above my hormones and sugar addiction and self centeredness. Fill me Holy Spirit. I breathe you in. I let go of my own agenda and complusions. Thank you.
I’m still hungry but choose to reengage.
“Ping pong?”, I offer. He says no thanks. I am still a fish.
“I turn my eyes up to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, maker of Heaven and Earth.” I love you, Jesus. I know this is about me, not my son. You are the only One who can fill this hungry heart.
This got me thinking about how I respond to similar situations. I obviously don't have kids of my own...but I think this concept works in most scenarios. Taking a Time-Out and asking God to re-focus us is a good thing to be doing.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Words of Mother Theresa
“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
– from Mother Teresa’s wall
Saturday, June 6, 2009
God Speaks
June 6, 2009
"Work Out" What God "Works in" You
. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . —Philippians 2:12-13
Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, "But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God." Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say "I will not obey" is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.
The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. ". . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." With focused attention and great care, you have to "work out" what God "works in" you— not work to accomplish or earn "your own salvation," but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with "dynamite," and the "dynamite" is obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.
"Work Out" What God "Works in" You
. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . —Philippians 2:12-13
Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, "But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God." Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say "I will not obey" is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.
The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. ". . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." With focused attention and great care, you have to "work out" what God "works in" you— not work to accomplish or earn "your own salvation," but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with "dynamite," and the "dynamite" is obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.
Monday, May 25, 2009
"I am In This"
So I've been planning Global Day of Prayer here in Saskatoon with two friends of mine for this year. It's coming up really fast, in less then a week now. We still seem to have so many details to pull together and as I've called people to be involved and looked for people who are eager to serve I haven't gotten a lot of positive results. It's been frustrating for me, being new at this and really not knowing how to plan such a big event in the first place, the lack of response seems to add to the frustration. I think in some ways I've lost some motivation and also have allowed myself to become lazy.
This morning I was reading from John Eldridge's blog, a well known christian author. I came across this:
“Both the Scriptures and the history of the church teach that if the Holy Spirit is working, the whole man will be involved and there will be much cost to the Christian. The more the Holy Spirit works, the more Christians will be used in battle, and the more they are used, the more there will be personal cost and tiredness. It is quite the opposite of what we might first think. People often cry out for the work of the Holy Spirit and yet forget that when the Holy Spirit works, there is always tremendous cost to the people of God, weariness and tears and battles.”
I asked God to use me and I guess in some ways I figured once the oppertunity came it would be easy. But it's a battle. Inward and outward. Further down in John's blog he wrote something that literally came off the page as though God were speaking those exact words to me, he wrote, "The consolation was also Jesus saying, 'You didn’t blow it; I asked you to do this. I am in this'".
This morning I was reading from John Eldridge's blog, a well known christian author. I came across this:
“Both the Scriptures and the history of the church teach that if the Holy Spirit is working, the whole man will be involved and there will be much cost to the Christian. The more the Holy Spirit works, the more Christians will be used in battle, and the more they are used, the more there will be personal cost and tiredness. It is quite the opposite of what we might first think. People often cry out for the work of the Holy Spirit and yet forget that when the Holy Spirit works, there is always tremendous cost to the people of God, weariness and tears and battles.”
I asked God to use me and I guess in some ways I figured once the oppertunity came it would be easy. But it's a battle. Inward and outward. Further down in John's blog he wrote something that literally came off the page as though God were speaking those exact words to me, he wrote, "The consolation was also Jesus saying, 'You didn’t blow it; I asked you to do this. I am in this'".
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Just a little thought for the day...
Since mine eyes have looked on Jesus, I’ve lost sight of all beside, So enchained my spirit’s vision, Gazing on the Crucified.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Worship and Intercession
Holiness or Hardness Toward God?
He . . . wondered that there was no intercessor . . . —Isaiah 59:16
The reason many of us stop praying and become hard toward God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer. It sounds good to say that we pray, and we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial— that our minds are quieted and our souls are uplifted when we pray. But Isaiah implied in this verse that God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer.
Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5 ). Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or disputing Him when we say, "But God, I just don’t see how you are going to do this"? This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don’t worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people.
Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic?
Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work-work that demands all your energy, but work which has no hidden pitfalls. Preaching the gospel has its share of pitfalls, but intercessory prayer has none whatsoever.
If there are two things that I'm most passionate about it's worship and intercession. Those two things are the most important aspects of my relationship with the Lord because it's through worship and intercession that I am changed. As we seek and pursue God in our lives he honors that and begins to change us. And I so want to be changed by Him. Everyday I long to become more and more a reflection of my God. I long to be free from the flesh, the sinful nature that so often controls me. I want so badly for the lost to be found, for the blind to see and for the hurting to find healing in Jesus Christ. I long to go deeper and deeper into the heart of God...as deep as I can possibly go. I want to know every corner and every part. I want to know the heart of God, I want to cry for what He cries for, I want to rejoice in what He rejoices in. I want to be so intimately connected to my God, to the point where I'm undeniably His alone.
He . . . wondered that there was no intercessor . . . —Isaiah 59:16
The reason many of us stop praying and become hard toward God is that we only have an emotional interest in prayer. It sounds good to say that we pray, and we read books on prayer which tell us that prayer is beneficial— that our minds are quieted and our souls are uplifted when we pray. But Isaiah implied in this verse that God is amazed at such thoughts about prayer.
Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5 ). Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or disputing Him when we say, "But God, I just don’t see how you are going to do this"? This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don’t worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people.
Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic?
Do you find yourself thinking that there is no one interceding properly? Then be that person yourself. Be a person who worships God and lives in a holy relationship with Him. Get involved in the real work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work-work that demands all your energy, but work which has no hidden pitfalls. Preaching the gospel has its share of pitfalls, but intercessory prayer has none whatsoever.
If there are two things that I'm most passionate about it's worship and intercession. Those two things are the most important aspects of my relationship with the Lord because it's through worship and intercession that I am changed. As we seek and pursue God in our lives he honors that and begins to change us. And I so want to be changed by Him. Everyday I long to become more and more a reflection of my God. I long to be free from the flesh, the sinful nature that so often controls me. I want so badly for the lost to be found, for the blind to see and for the hurting to find healing in Jesus Christ. I long to go deeper and deeper into the heart of God...as deep as I can possibly go. I want to know every corner and every part. I want to know the heart of God, I want to cry for what He cries for, I want to rejoice in what He rejoices in. I want to be so intimately connected to my God, to the point where I'm undeniably His alone.
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