The Love of a Servant

Yes! The love of a servant...sounds crazy...doesn't it. Is is even possible for a servant to love His master? To be a servant means to simply serve others. So, is it possible for me to love my Master (The Lord) AND serve others? I say, "Absolutely." Everything we do for Christ should come out of a heart of pure love for Him. I challenge you today to allow the Holy Spirit to dig deep into your heart...to reveal the uglies inside each of you. The BIG REVEAL is for one purpose...to draw you closer to Him. When you draw close to Him, He draws close to you. When you are close, you experience deeper intamacy and revelation. It is in that place of intimacy and deeper connection that you experience...and stand in the wonder of Our Lord. I encourage you to shake off all that hinders you and run toward Him and experience Him today! Experience Him as your Savior, encourager, your Jehovah Jireh, your Jehovah Nissi, your Jehovah Rapha, your El-Shaddai, your Abba Daddy, your Friend, your Guide...He really IS your everything...He really does satisfy and meet all your needs. One touch...an experience...will change you forever. Come an experience YOUR Master...let Him fill your heart with so much love that everything you do and say flows out of a GREAT love for Him...as you are transformed into loving servants!

Settling for Cheap Substitutes

When God speaks a Word to you...hold on to it...write it down, so you can bring it into remembrance often. God spoke a Word to Abraham. He said, ""And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered." One problem...Abram and Sarai were old and had been unable to conceive. They had a choice to make at that point. #1 They could believe that promise and trust in the Lord or #2 Doubt that promise. I implore you today...believe in and fully receive your promise from God! The same God who spoke it over your life will fulfill it! What a mighty God we serve! Don't take a substitute when you can have the REAL deal!

Compassion in the form of a cross

I have been studying the word compassion. The world and the Bible define compassion differently. Compassion simply means to sympathize and bear. You see when the Bible says that Christ had compassion it was always followed by Him doing something...sometimes it was healing, sometimes feeding, sometimes teaching...but, one thing is for sure it was always followed by an action. The world just says, "my heart goes out to them or I feel for them," without any action. The fascinating thing about Christs compasssion is that you never know what it will compel one to do.
So what causes us to not follow through on the acting part? It could be lack of money, busyness, inadequacies/insecurities, fear, our past, annoyances or many other things. It is time for us to lay those things down at the feet of Jesus, maybe even ask Him to slay this yuck in our lives. It is time grab the reigns on our lives and put the reigns in His hands and let Him do that GREAT work in us. After all Our Father in heaven had so much compassion on us that He DID something. He sent His only son, to die a horrific death on a cross, so each one of us could be reconciled to Him. The greatest action imaginable. Lord, help us get a revelation of the compassion you had for each one of us. Let us experience you in a new way. Amen

Emerging from the Cave

I was thinking today about caves and that led me to think about bears. Bears go into caves (dens) in order to hibernate. They go in there with full bellies. They eat and eat there fill so they will survive the winter without having to come out and eat. The females have full bellies and most are pregnant...while in their dens they give birth and the babies stay close and nurse...also growing in size. Then one day they emerge...usually in spring! They emerge famished...it's been a long time since they have eaten. I was just thinking about being in a cave spiritually and emerging hungry. Today, I am so thankful my God satisfies my every need. All I can say is God...feed me...I'm emerging and I'm hungry!

Boxes!

I'm in a place spiritually where I hate boxes or at least the kind of boxes that most people use! What are boxes used for? Boxes are used to package something nice and neat and present with something inside, they are used to store things, they are used to display...etc.
Our spiritual gifts are not to be displayed, stored in boxes nor do they have to be nice and neatly packaged.
Sometimes we or others try and box these amazing gifts that the Lord has given each of us...sometimes these gifts are to be used for a lifetime or a season or a moment. Sometimes we see one gifting and place it in a box and allow no room for others. Sometimes we use our gifts in a way that it is controlling...I mean if we see someone else growing in the gifts...let them be an active participant. Let us not become so arrogant to think God can't use the baby to heal or move in miracles. Sometimes God calls us to a season of equipping and teaching others how to even walk in that power. I have been thinking about why we do this. Why do we box gifts? Why do we exercise all control? Why do we not allow more room?
Lord, help us to keep our eyes on you, focused vertical, delighting in you. I ask Lord in the name of Jesus that you do whatever it takes to strip us of pride, control, an I know better attitude, jealousy, envy and I ask that you release a fresh dose of your love as we operate in your gifts, as we serve others and to receive a deeper revelation of you...not for my Glory, but all for You!

How can Blood make us white as snow?

Today in my devotions I was reflecting on Mark 15:38...
"The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."
I began to go deep into the blood of the Lamb and was rejoicing in what we have through the blood. In the Old Testament the only one who could go into the Holy of Holies once a year was the high priest...only once a year, but when Jesus died on the cross it reconciled us to the Father...there no longer needed to be a curtain...we have ALL been given full access. We no longer needed a sacrifice to atone for our sins...Jesus was that perfect sacrifice without spot or blemish. He was the sacrifice for our past, present and future sins. Through His death we have forgiveness and cleansing...we are made NEW! Man, when I think about how He has forgiven me...how can I not forgive others, how can I hold offenses towards other. What if God did that to me? Through His death we have wholeness and healing. The Bible says in Isaiah 53:5, "But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
Thank you God for sending your Son Jesus to die on a cross for me, because you loved me THAT much. Thank you Lord for what I have received through your blood...the blood of Jesus!

Birthday Reflections

Well today is my 37th birthday and so far received birthday loving from all my favorite people...so its a good day! :) I received a phone call from the most amazing man in the world!!!I got kisses from my little ones, email cards, call from my mom and complete retelling of my birth story...I love hearing my mom share this on an annual basis, phone call from by best friend, visit from my dad, singing trio of VFCCers and lunch with two of my favorite little people...It's a GREAT day! God blessed me with another second, minute, hour, day, week and year. He blessed me with this life...a life I can openly live for Him.
Thank You Lord for the blessings you have poured down on me, thank you for another year to worship you, love you, follow you and serve you. Father God continue to do that work in me that you have begun, so that one day it would be found complete...all for your glory!