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This Moment

The word “ministry” has sort of been “boxed in” to be a word that requires a professional title.  We think of pastors, small group leaders, and other leaders of the church body to be the people doing “ministry”. However, ministry requires no title at all. Instead, it requires a call, and the good news is we’ve ALL been called to ministry.

In The Great Commission, Jesus tells his disciples “go and make disciples,” (Matthew 28:19-20). If we are going to call ourselves disciples of Christ, then we can’t just ignore this call to ministry. Let’s break this verse down a little more to see how we can apply this daily. The first word Jesus says here is “go”. This doesn’t have to be across the world, to a foreign country, or leaving your job to become a pastor. “Go” can be to Motiva, or being a truck driver, a mail man, a CEO of a tech company, a stay at home mom, a teacher, anything! You can reach people and spread the good news of the Gospel wherever you are planted.

The next thing we are called to do is to “make”. Now, we can’t be effective at making disciples if we’re harsh and act like we know best. Instead, we are supposed to love them where they are at in that very moment as Jesus would. Be the one who goes the extra mile for someone. Smile at a stranger. Leave a large tip at the restaurant. Hold a door for someone. Share your faith publicly. Be unashamed of the Gospel. Ask someone you see struggling if you can pray with them.

Through these actions, people will want to know why you’re living this way and how you’re so full of joy doing it. You’ll lead people to Jesus best when you’re acting like Him and walking with the Holy Spirit.

This is ministry.

All of those acts that I mentioned above and so many more can be ministry. Don’t put the work that Jesus has called us to do in a box. We were created for more than that!

Fill the bowl

Filling up the bowl.

This is a phrase I use often when it comes to praying. Sometimes I have to remind myself that my prayers are being heard and that eventually, the answer will come. In the meantime, I’m filling up the bowl and at a set time, it will be poured out.

It comes from Revelation.

“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.”

Revelation 8:1-5 NKJV

This thought carried me through last year when my sister was in an extended and unexpected stay at the hospital. I knew many prayers were going up from numerous people and it gave me faith that the more that went up, the sooner her healing and recovery because the bowl was filled faster. It was a constant request in that season.

I fail to be so diligent in my own prayer life. I fail to make requests with others. I fail to bring matters before the Lord with such persistency or consistency. This was a needed reminder.

And it occurred because of a silent Sunday service at church. As I sat there experiencing this holy hush, I thought of heaven being silent for half an hour. My spirit was stirred in that pew with excitement — God was up to something BIG! Correction: God IS up to something big. Our prayers are tipping the bowl. The pour out is happening. Heaven and earth are stirring.

Our moments or seasons may be filled with silence, but the heavens are shaken. I’m finding more and more that it’s in those quiet times, those moments heavy with a hush, the seasons of silence, that God is working the most. Our hearts continually crying out in those seasons, filling up the censor, an incense before the Lord.

But how often do we remain so desperate in seasons that aren’t silent? I know for me personally, I’m not likely to push through as much when it’s “mountaintop” moments with the Lord. I ease off. But I should continually be entreating the Lord. For His promises to come to pass, for salvations, for healings, for guidance, for His presence, for His will.

This reminder to keep praying set an excitement and expectancy in me. A desire to keep seeking, asking, knocking. Where I was weary, I am now encouraged to press through. The prayers are filling up the bowl. Where I was once disheartened with time, I am now expectant for God to have perfect timing and at peace knowing He is lining it up even now. It will be poured out. Where I was once disappointed, I am now excited to see His hand having guided it along the whole time. There is a fire to the prayers that bring along a preparedness for when the time comes. Things are moving.

It’s beautiful the way He works!

So, my friends, may I encourage anyone who is weary or disappointed or discouraged to pray without ceasing — in the high or low. Your Heavenly Father is listening. It’s joining with others prayers as well and others join along with yours. What a beautiful thing to think and picture in our minds! Like smoke rising up, our prayers are lifting up. Like a bowl being filled with water, each prayer a drop. And when many voices are lifting up a certain situation, name, desire then it’s a downpour in the bowl. How exciting!

Be encouraged.

Keep asking.

Keep seeking.

Keep knocking.

The door WILL be opened to you.

Stand up

Sometime within our first years of marriage, my husband and I went tent camping with some friends. One couple had brought their boat for everyone to enjoy some time out on the water. Growing up as a kid, water activities were not a frequent part of our lives mostly because of my mother’s fear of water. I remember feeling nervous on the boat. The anxious feeling that can come when you are not in control and your mind races with all the things that could happen.
My husband and others took turns riding a kneeboard. I decided I would do something outside of my comfort zone and attempt to ride it. Standing near the bank, I knelt and strapped my legs onto the board. As I held onto the pull rope, the boat slowly began to go. After a little ways out, I lost my balance falling over with the strap still holding me to the board. Frantically, I got the strap undone and even though I had a life jacket on, I’m sure my face showed some doubt. My husband, knowing how my mind tended to go to the worst case scenario, stood up and shouted from the boat, “Lisa! “ to get my attention. Once he did, he said, “Just stand up!”
I was still able to touch and that immediately brought assurance and hope. Once I could get a sure foundation under me, my perspective about my situation changed. Now that I knew what to expect, I went on to try several more times. Balance is definitely not my strength! We still enjoy camping, and I love being out on the lake fishing (no kneeboard). The story of that first attempt is something that still gets a head shake and laugh from my husband. Really, it’s fine, you can laugh.
Yes, this is a silly story, a moment of fear that I can now laugh about. But, I thought about how many times I find myself in circumstances where my automatic response is fear and panic. Those moments when my thoughts and imaginations make me believe I’m in over my head. I’m frantically looking for some kind of assurance and hope- a place to securely stand. As humans we want and need security in life. Take away security and it is soon replaced with anxiety.
God, with just the utterance of a few words, the heavens and earth were created. At His word the very foundations were established. “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Psalm 33:9 NIV). “Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89).
God’s Word was made flesh in Jesus Christ. “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says, “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone.It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.” (Isaiah 28:16 NLT).

Jesus talked about this foundation in Matthew 7: 24-27 ESV. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been found on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
How do we stand on this foundation? We trust His Word. We abide in His Word. We apply His Word. We have faith in His Word. Because of the foundation of Jesus’s death and resurrection we can have an eternal perspective. Living with eternity in our minds helps bring assurance and hope that can sustain us in daily life as we face hard things.
“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever”. (2 Cor, 4:18)
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand ( In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend)
If today finds you searching for assurance and hope, this is what I say to you, “Friend! Just stand up!”
Lisa

Who we are

I hope everyone had a blessed and amazing Holy Week last week – I know I did!

Today, I wanted to talk about identity. In this modern day, it’s hard to know who exactly we are. More specifically, who we are in Christ. There are so many outside forces telling us who we SHOULD be or what the world expects us to be. But friend, I want you to know that in Christ:

You are loved- (1 John 3:11)

“For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

You are forgiven- (1 John 1:9)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

You are redeemed- (Ephesians 1:7)

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

You are a new creation- (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

You are holy- (Hebrews 10:10)

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

You are set apart- (Romans 8:30-39)

“Moreover whom he did predestinate, then he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified: and whom he justified , them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You are a temple of the Holy Spirit- (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 ; 6:19-20)

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

You are made with purpose- (1 Peter 2:9 ; 4:10)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”

“As every man hath received the gift, even though minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

You are loved beyond compare by a Savior that died to know you and save us from ourselves. 💜🌿

Indeed

So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. Matthew 27:66

Yesterday was hard. Reading Matthew 27 is like getting punched in the gut – as it should be.

I did that.

We did that.

To Jesus.

To the one person that loves us despite.

Despite it all.

And we did that.

It’s interesting to dig into the end of the chapter and really see what was happening behind the scenes. The people that did this were floundering.

They were scared – as they should be.

Deep down they knew nothing could hold Him back. He wasn’t going to stay in that cold, dark grave.

After all, He is the light.

So they sealed the grave and secured the guard, which just helped Jesus’ testimony even more.

He’s about to make the impossible possible. He’s about to break that seal and roll that stone away. And everybody’s about to know.

It is finished indeed.

Good Friday

Good Friday is an odd name to commemorate something so horrific. On that day:

Jesus was betrayed and given over to enemies. He had done nothing wrong, yet He endured great pain as He was beaten beyond recognition. (Isaiah 52:14)

Jesus gave Himself over to physical beating and humiliation. (Isaiah 50:6)

Jesus actually became sin, even though He was completely perfect. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus was tortured and crucified. (Mark 15:15-20, 24)

Since all of that was incredibly horrific, why do we commemorate the day with the term “good”? I don’t know the exact reason it was given the name “Good Friday”, but I do know there was good that came out of those horrible events.

When Jesus experienced all of those terrible things, He did so willingly. He “gave” Himself to the torture that marred Him from recognition. “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:6) The fact that He “gave” Himself to it means He chose to do it. His torture was a gift of love for us. He willingly endured it all for us. He paid the price for our sin, for our unrighteousness. We deserve what He endured.

After all of the horrible things He experienced, He then “gave” Himself to death with the cry, “It is finished!” “When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished,’ and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30) His death completed the atonement of sin for all mankind. His willing submission to torture and death completely satisfied the wrath of God, the wrath we deserve. His cry, “It is finished!” was not a cry of defeat or giving up, it was the cry of victory.

“It was a Conqueror’s cry; it was uttered with a loud voice. There is nothing of anguish about it, there is no wailing in it. It is the cry of One who has completed a tremendous labor.” (Spurgeon)

He had finished a work that no other man could finish. Our sin debt was paid in full when Jesus made that victorious cry. When we accept the gift of salvation that is offered because of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can also proclaim victoriously, “It is finished!” because our sin debt is canceled and our eternity is secure! That glorious victory is the good that came from the horrific events that are remembered on Good Friday.

The bare minimum

This might make some people uncomfortable-

Shouldn’t we all be prayer warriors?

I hear people say, “Oh, she’s such a prayer warrior!”

Or, “thankful for my prayer warriors out there!”

“Thank you for being the prayer warrior we all need!”

But shouldn’t we all be prayer warriors?

There’s nothing wrong with using the term, but if we are going to be using the term prayer warrior then it should be used to describe each and everyone of us. If we are praying like God says we should in the Bible, then aren’t we all prayer warriors?

But here’s the problem, we aren’t praying like we should. We might say a little prayer before we eat or sleep or that little time after worship but before the sermon. But that’s just the bare minimum!!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says “pray without ceasing.”

Can you ask yourself this question – how often are you really praying?

Are you just doing the bare minimum?

Or are you praying without ceasing?

Sunday’s Coming

John 17: 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter.

It’s a big, heavy awesome week. If you have time this week read all of John 17. In it Jesus is about to head to the garden of Gethsemane and He prays for Himself, His disciples who were with Him and me……and you.

It’s hard to wrap my head around what God planned and Jesus accomplished on the cross. It seems too much, it’s too big and I am so unworthy.

This prayer that Jesus prayed is one of unity. He wants us to be united with each other. We have the same Spirit dwelling within us so why is it so hard? The difficulty lies in the fact that unity is how we are to reach the lost world. If we are separated that makes the world doubt our message. Thank goodness the Holy Spirit still draws people despite our shortcomings.

Jesus also prays for us to be united with Him. The Holy Spirit within us as believers unites us with Christ. We can walk and talk with Him at all times. God is in Jesus and His Spirit is in me. How much do I take that for granted? 😭. Jesus forgive me. It is so hard to keep a grasp of that, to walk in it and live that reality.

As we reflect on Jesus this week let’s try to stay in unity. What does that look like? It looks like me decreasing so He can increase in my life. I need to connect with the Spirit in a more conscious manner; allowing Him to rule and reign within me so my thoughts and actions become His.

Why do all this? Why not just jump on the world bandwagon of self?

Because He alone is worthy.

Sunday is coming.

Not always

Do you know the Lord has a perfect plan for your life? He wants to use you, but it’s not always going to look the way you expect it to look. I am completely humbled by the opportunity to write today. And I mean COMPLETELY humbled by the Lord! Two months ago, Mrs. Daisy so graciously asked me if I would be willing to write a devotion for this page. As I had a baby due in one month, I didn’t want to commit to a date sooner than that and then the baby decide to make an early arrival, so I asked to push it back to now. For some reason, I thought I would remember without putting a reminder on my phone, but I have terrible mom brain, and didn’t remember that I made this commitment until Mrs. Daisy texted me, “I need your picture, bio, and devotion by tomorrow, thanks!”

I immediately felt sick to my stomach that I had completely forgotten. Then I heard the Lord speak to me. “You have been asking me to use you as a vessel; here’s your opportunity. You don’t have time to make up eloquent words on your own, so lean completely on me.” Wow! YES, LORD. So here goes…

Many of you know the story of Joseph found in Genesis 37-50. For the sake of time, I am going to borrow part of Stephen’s sermon found in Acts 7. Stephen summarized the text for us.

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.”

“Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.” Acts 7:9-15 (If you don’t know the details of this story, I would encourage you to go read in Genesis.)

What can we learn about forgiveness, God’s providence, and why He would want to use little ol’ me (us) for furthering His Kingdom? What we can learn is that when we step back and view our lives through a biblical or Godly lens, we can give forgiveness and have peace knowing that God has a perfect plan for us. We can forgive our wrong-doers knowing that God didn’t use them for evil, but that He used evil to bring about goodness and provision in our lives. We forgive because He first forgave us. He is THE God of possible. He is not a God who only lives in the moment, but He lives in the past, He’s with us in the present, and He is planning our future. When you commit your life to Christ, it doesn’t stop there! He wants to take you further than you’ve ever been in His presence. He is calling you for more! Don’t let un-forgiveness and bitterness hold you back from stepping into the calling that God has on your life.

When God says to Move

Like many educators, I find myself burnt out. I’m tired of carrying the burdens of the world, the pressure of my job, and the stress of raising a family in a broken world. I’m also a little fed up with the normalization of sin. What is wrong with the world? How can I pull myself out of the darkness and feel hopeful again?

Like me, hundreds of thousands of teachers are running on empty or left the profession altogether. We are losing good, God-fearing teachers every day.

Being a classroom teacher has never been more challenging. Teaching in the information age means we are up to our eyeballs in data, differentiation, IEPs, accommodations, unprecedented behavior problems, and a global pandemic.

Teachers have been through the wringer. And what solutions have been offered? Not much besides the age-old jeans pass, and the ludicrous panacea called “self-care.” Even a pay raise isn’t enough to keep teachers from burning out.

How do we keep good teachers from giving up and throwing in the towel? Well, teachers are asked to be superheroes every day. What we need is supernatural healing, restoration, and inspiration.

We must remember this is not about what we can do but what HE can do.

There is only one solution for dry, thirsty, burned-out teachers—the living, restorative water of Jesus. Of course, this thirst-quenching love isn’t just for teachers but anyone seeking Him.

When I began to seek the presence of God in a more purposeful way, He gave me a renewed hunger for the Word and a thirst for the Holy Spirit. The deeper I went, the more I heard that still, small voice telling me to share this with teachers–telling me to move!

What happens when God says, “MOVE?” You pray! And hopefully, you are swiftly obedient. I am moving into a new calling. Part of that call is starting a new Instagram account to support teachers with the love of Jesus (@JesusLovesTeachers).

I want to encourage educators who have lost hope in their calling. And if you hear that still, small voice pushing you to do something, I pray you are obedient. What God has in store for us is so much better than anything we could imagine. I can’t wait to see where He is leading us!