A Mind to Serve

The one thing that continues to hit home with me on this Christian walk is that this life is not about me. For longer than I care to remember, I made everything about me, even as a Christian. I was totally self absorbed. I know some of you may be thinking, "Well, it's about time you figured that one out. That's Christianity 101." It took me far too long to reach the conclusion that everything does not revolve around me. My old perspective was, "What about me!" Notice, I ended the question with an exclamation point instead of a question mark. That's because I didn't ask the question, I demanded it. I demanded that everyone take notice of me and my wants. If I was tired and didn't feel like cooking I thought... If I changed the baby last time, I thought...If I couldn't get a new outfit, I thought, "What about me!" I was totally consumed by thoughts of myself. I put me first, and I expected everyone else to put me first too. It's been a process, but I've learned that this life is so much bigger than me. Once I got the revelation that God has my complete back... that my life is in his hands... that he has good plans and intentions towards me, and that he has plans to prosper me, I realized that He had me better than I could ever have myself. I had to take the trust that I had in myself and place it in him. Since I reached this understanding, I've had to beat my flesh and consider others, not just when it was convenient, but at all times. I had to actually practice putting the needs of others first. Believe me when I tell you that this was by no means easy for me to do. Talk about painful, my flesh was so uncomfortable with putting the needs of others first that it wailed under the pressure. Honestly, doing this right thing felt so wrong to my flesh. Boy, I had to talk myself into it. While serving someone else, " I'd have to tell myself, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me." From time to time, my flesh would attempt to rise up and whisper, "What about..." I wouldn't let it finish. I'd stomp it right back down again. Over time, it became less and less difficult to do. I can now say that serving is a way of life for me. Instead of saying, "What about me!" I say, "What about you?" I know that my role in the kingdom of God is to serve others. That's what I do. I am a servant of the Lord. This is what all Christians are called to do. We are to imitate the number one servant, Jesus Christ. In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus shared with his disciples, "Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." If Jesus came to serve, without consdering himself, then who was I for all those years to only consider myself? Who was I to think, "This serving thing is too hard." Jesus came to serve. Imagine being born to serve. As deep as that is to me, that's exactly what I and all Christians are called to do. The nerve of me. I placed my self in the position of being great without the work of servitude that was involved. As a Christian, I have the mind of Christ. Since Christ had a mind to serve, we should too.

The Easy Button

I love that commercial where individuals find themselves in tough situations and get themselves out by pushing the easy button. Man, I can't count the number of times that I wished for an easy button. When my husband had the nerve to ask for peanut butter cookies at 10:00 at night as though I really want to trudge down to the kitchen and put them in the oven, when I bounced a check yet again and my husband reminded me yet again to tell him when I wrote a check so that he could transfer funds from one account to another, when I was teaching Sophomore Comp. & Lit. my back was turned to the class while writing on the board and a student walked in late wearing a Spiderman mask and matching web attachment but acted as though he didn't know why the entire class erupted in laughter, when my youngest cut up in church and upon her removal screamed at the top of her lungs, because she didn't want the punishment that she knew would ensue, I thought the use of an easy button was highly appropriate at times like those. I liked the idea of an easy button, because it would have totally taken me out of any messy and uncomfortable situation where I would have had to crucify my flesh, where I would have had to think and reevaluate what it was I was doing and why, and where I would have been forced to question if my present set of actions were valid. I would have been avoiding situations that I must face and endure for my own good to bring about necessary changes in my thoughts, attitudes, actions, and speech. But rather than go through this, I could just press a button... a button of escape...a way out of the hot seat. It is tempting, isn't it? Imagine if an easy button had been in existence throughout the Bible. The Bible would surely tell a different story. We wouldn't have to "...look to the hills from which cometh our help..." We would all just look for the easy button. What if Moses and Aaron had an easy button when they went to Egypt to discuss with Pharoah allowing the Israelites to make a three day journey into the desert to worship their God. Moses and Aaron could have just hit the button and deliverance could have immediately come to the Israelites from Egypt? There would have been no plagues, no Passover, no crossing of the Red Sea, nor would there have been an opportunity for the Israelites to see the miraculous works of their God that would lead to their growing trust in him. What if King Nebuchadnezzar had an easy button at his disposal after Daniel interpreted his dream? Although, it would have saved him from living like a wild animal for seven years, it would have prevented him from learning humility and that God is in control of all. What if Abraham and Sarah used their easy button instead of waiting on the Lord to give them Isaac? How would he have learned to trust God that he would be a "father of many nations?" An easy button may seem like an appropriate fix for a bad situation, because it's quick, fast, and in a hurry, but it doesn't allow its user to look to the Lord to learn, to grow, and to be patient in their present situation. It negates the learning process associated with these situations. See, with one press of the button you transcend the obstacle that you're facing and are placed on the other side of it. It's instant deliverance from the situation without the benefit of the wisdom that comes from working through the situation. We would be a bunch of immature, paper thin Christians who never realize our full potential in Christ. We'd never have to reach our full potential, because we wouldn't have to rely on it, because with one press we'd simply find everything fixed. Once again, I'm reminded that there are no short cuts in Christ, for there is much to be learned through the process... the process of putting down the flesh, the process of being patient, the process of gaining wisdom, the process of growing faith, the process of becoming more and more like Christ. Right now, it's easy for me to feel this way about the easy button, because I'm not in the hot seat. Right now my husband isn't asking for cookies, I no longer teach high school English, and my little one now behaves just fine in church. However, I must remember that I should treat my husband to cookies in bed every now and again. He deserves this simple treat, because he does work hard. I must remember that kids will be kids no matter the age or the place. Just because I didn't find the Spiderman costume entertaining, it gave my second hour class quite a laugh and provided them with a little mental break from the lesson (I now find it hilarious everytime I think about it). I am reminded that children must learn to sit quietly in church and this usually doesn't happen over night, so I should have been more patient with my little one. Although I don't intend on finding myself in the hot seat any time soon; however, if ever I am, I'll have to remember my sentiments today about the easy button.

Move Making Faith

In Matthew 20:29-34, "Two blind men were sitting by the road side, and when they heard that Jesus was going by they shouted, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, Lord son of David, have mercy on us!" The two men knew what they wanted and they knew who could give it to them. Their faith caused them to make a move. The pair didn't just sit there wishing for their sight. The pair didn't just sit there hoping for their sight. They made a move to get their sight. They did the uncommon. They got out of the boat! The two blind men acted on their faith in the Lord. They came forth boldly and became even louder. They stood in defiance to the crowd. They were full of faith and determination. It was their faith that gave them the courage to press forward. It caused them to determine to stop at nothing less than full sight. They would not be deterred. They knew that something had to give. They didn't care that the crowd rebuked them. They didn't care about what people thought. The pair was desperate for change. They didn't allow others to stop them from getting what they knew the Lord could give them. The crowd didn't understand what it was like to be blind. They couldn't have possibly have comprehended the despair the pair may have felt up to that point. The very thing that many in the crowd may have taken for granted was the very thing that both men needed. Now was the time for them to get it. The blind men were focused on the Lord, not the crowd, because they knew he was the answer. Jesus stopped and called them, "What do you want me to do for you?" he said. "Lord" they answered, "We want our sight. Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes, immediately they received their sight and followed him." What do you want Jesus to do for you? They stepped out on faith. The two received exactly what they came to get. Now, this story could have ended entirely different. The pair could have allowed the crowd to determine their fate. They could have given into the crowd. They could have become embarrassed by the crowd and stopped calling to Jesus. They could have quieted themselves before they received their sight. They could have left that day still blind and ashamed. However, their faith allowed them to stand in the face of opposition from the crowd. The two men lacked their sight. What are you desperately lacking? Will youget out of the boat and withstand adversity for it? Their faith said that Jesus could do it, and he did. What does your faith say?

Get Out of the Boat

At some part in our Christian walk, we must reach that defining moment when we make the decision to trust God about a particular situation. That is the moment according to 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we must, "Walk by faith and not by sight." At some point we have to put our faith in the Lord and trust him to carry out his word. However, we must first walk out our faith, put our money where our mouths are, do the thing and move on our faith. The disciples were faced with that defining moment in Matthew 14:25. After Jesus and the disciples finished feeding 5,000 men not including the women and children, he told the disciples to get in the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side. Once he sent the crowd on their way, Jesus went to pray alone on a mountain. When Jesus finished, he caught up with the disciples on the lake. Jesus walked on water. "When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It's a ghost, they said," and cried out in fear. "But Jesus immediately said to them, Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord if it's you, "Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water." "Come", he said. "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him." "You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?" His own disciples didn't know who he was. They had been with him daily watching him do all types of miracles, healing, freeing, feeding, and raising. They had seen him do all of this, yet they didn't know him. Instantly, they put him in a box. The diciples may have thought, "Well, he can only do those things we've seen him do before. We've never seen him do this, so he can't. Walking on water, we've never seen him do this, so that can't be him. It must be a ghost. Although he's fed 5,000 men in addition to woman and children, raised the dead, healed numerous, released numerous from demon possession, fed the multitudes, taught everywhere he went, that can't be him." They only had a faith for what they had previously seen. If they hadn't already seen it, they didn't believe it. For them, seeing was believing. How was that faith? Faith is believing what you don't see. As they cried out in fear of him, he said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then Peter spoke up. Peter still wasn't sure it was Jesus because he said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you." Peter said, "if." Now, Peter was a step ahead of the other disciples, because he was attempting to believe even with his "if." "Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on water, and came toward Jesus." At least Peter got out of the boat, none of the other disciples did. Peter did something. He was a willing participant in the faith process. Instead of sitting back and watching, Peter made a move on his faith. He acted by getting out of the boat. The Lord can work with little faith. He can't work or do anything with no faith but with little faith he could work with him. Peter's little faith allowed him to get out of the boat and walk on water too! What can our little faith cause us to do? His move of faith caused him to do something that none of the other disciples did. Look at what faith can allow one to do. In order for the Lord to reward our faith, we have to work it by doing. We have to attach our faith to an act, just like Peter did. He attached his faith to walking on the water with the Lord. It worked! He was actually walking towards Jesus. His eyes were set on Jesus. He had Jesus as his focus. He was doing it. We must do as Peter did and attach our faith to something. Sooner or later, we must act on our faith and get out of the boat. Some may think, "I'm staying in the boat. If I never get out of the boat, I'll never get scared and sink. I'mgoing to play it safe." If we never get out of the boat, we will never lead the supernatural lives that God has called us to live. We can only play it safe when we abide by the word of God. His word is a safe haven for us. His word abiding in us should cause us to act. To never get out of the boat is proclaiming, "Lord I don't trust you. Lord I don't believe your word is true." Our faith can't grow if we don't get out of the boat. We will never have a testimony to stand upon or recall for the next boat situation. But..."But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" What happened? Peter took his eyes off Jesus. "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" He lost his focus. He took his eyes off the Lord and saw the wind. He saw the wind whipping fiercely, and it distracted him. He became distracted and lost his focus. The wind looked menacing, like it might over take him. He may have thought, "What made me thing I could do this? I should have stayed in the boat with the rest of them. What was I thinking?" Distraction here is key. The purpose of distraction is to cause one to lose focus. Once focus is lost, it is inevitable that doubt will likely enter. Doubt may have caused Peter to wonder why he was doing what he was doing eventhough he had the OK from God. It was Peter's responsibility to remain focused. It was Peter's responsibility to say I will not be deterred. At times like this we need to proclaim, "Wind you don't have anything on me. If my God said come, nothing's going to stop me. Lord you have not given me a spirit of fear, but of love, peace and a sound mind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It is our duty to remain focused. We can't allow ourselves to get caught up in the enormity of the situation (self, stress, pressure, busyness) that we lose focus. Distraction was definitely doing its job effectively here. While Peter focused on Jesus, he was fine, full of confidence. The instant that he took his eyes off Jesus, he became afraid, doubtful, and started to panic. Don't allow distraction to enter. When he saw the wind he was afraid, and he started to sink. He said, "Lord save me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "Why did you doubt?" Notice the doubt could only creep in when Peter took his eyes off the Lord. This is a valuable lesson, "Keep your focus on the Lord." Focusing on anything other than the Lord is a distraction which can lead to doubt, and doubt can cause sinking. We should wear spiritual blinders to keep us focused straight ahead on the Lord. Blinders will prevent us from seeing distractions (barriers, obstacles, snares, wind) to the right or the left. The wearer can only look straight ahead. This is how Christians should walk. We must walk a focused walk with blinders, so that we don't become distracted and sink. Eventhough Peter began to sink, Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him. He caught Peter even when he was sitting down on the job. He caught Peter even when he was doubting. Jesus caught Peter even we he had little faith. Get out of the boat and exercise your faith today.

From Shepherd to Giant Killer

At one time or another we have all had giants in our lives. Those things that seemed to overwhelm us. They were the biggest of obstacles that we didn't know how to move or go through. We must remember that there is a giant killing process and that we too are, according to Pastor Ben Gibert, giant killers. The process can be found in 1 Samuel 16. It's the story of David and Goliath. Instead of saying,"Oh , that's such a nice story, but I already know it." We need to reread it and look for some things that maybe we missed the first few times that we read it. This story is not just about David beating the giant. It's about the process that David underwent in preparation for slaying the giant. It's about the process of the kingdom of God at work. In order for us to be effective in the kingdom of God as David was, we must understand what David did and then do it. We should reread it and place ourselves in the position of David. God expects us, me and you, everyday regular people to be giant killers just as David was. He was a regular everyday person too. He could have chosen to be scared and run and hide as the other Israelites did when Goliath challenged them; however, he chose to trust God as he did in other situations which prepared him for this one. It was the power of God that transformed David into a giant killer. That same power of God is available to us as well. In 1 Samuel 16:3 Samuel, a prophet of God, annointed David, "Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power." David had power, because the spirit of the Lord was on him. We have that very same power. Luke 10:19 states, "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possess]; nothing will harm you. That means that no Goliath can harm us. If we know who we are in God, nothing can have power over us, unless we allow it. In Samuel 17 David, who was delivering food to his brothers who were fighting in the army, heard Goliath who stood over nine feet tall) opposing the Israelites, and he saw the Israelites running away from the giant in fear. At that point, David had been under going preparation for this very moment. David asked in 1 Samuel 17:26, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncirumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" It didn't hurt that the reward was great wealth, marriage to the king's daughter, and an exemption from paying taxes. David was basically saying, "He must not know that we're fighting for the "living God." David may have been thinking, "If he didn't know it before he will soon find out, because it's going down! No one can oppose my God." David went to Saul in 1 Samuel 17:32 and said, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go fight him." Imagine how the king must have looked at him when he said that. The king probably shook his head and thought, "You little David? What can you possibly do to that giant? You're no fighter. You're just a shepherd. You'll get yourself killed for sure." Instead he said, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he had been a fighting man from his youth." That's when David explained his process to the king. David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep, when a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumsized Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine." This was the process at work. David just told us how he was able to reach the point of slaying Goliath. He started the process by first killing a lion and then a bear. When a lion or bear came to carry off a sheep, he went after it. He rescued the sheep right out of the mouth of the beast. He said he seized the beast by its hair and struck it and killed it when it turned on him. This was David's preparation for killing Goliath. The Lord protected him from both the lion and the bear. His faith had already been tested and accomplished. He knew the Lord's protection was fail proof. He was ready to take on what others probably would have deemed the "big dog," Goliath. David saw Goliath as a "puppy." He was fighting for the living God. He couldn't lose! Nothing is too big for our God. He knew that the Lord would give him the victory. He was fearless in God, because he knew what God could do. He was a living witness to God's deliverance. God had raised him up for such a time as this! The king finally consented after which he attempted to outfit David in his own fighting attire, which he certainly didn't need. Because this was the Lord's fight, the Lord would perfectly equip him for it. David moved to meet Goliath with five stones and a sling. In 1 Samuel 17:45 the battle began, David said to the the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head." David said all you have are physical weapons. I have the Lord God Almighty. It doesn't get any bigger than that. David spoke the end result. He said, "This day, the Lord will give me the victory, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. He spoke exactly what he expected to happen. He said, "Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you unto our hands." David was brave, bold, strong, and courageous in the Lord. While everyone else ran away, David was preparing to run at him. When Goliath opened his mouth to tell him what he was going to do, David didn't receive it. He knew his asignment was ordained by God. He in turn told Goliath he was going down. He proclaimed that the giant and his men would fall that day. David was saying that his slaying Goliath would be a testimony for all Israelites. After this, the whole world would know that there was a God in Israel. Before making his move David spoke, "All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give all of you into our hands." The fight was on. "As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone; he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. Without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him." That was the battle. Through David, God took out Goliath with one shot. The Lord does not need the typical weapons of warfare to save his people. He is a supernatural God; therefore, he uses supernatural weapons. He uses the atypical, like a sling shot . Natural man would say that's ridiculous. What damage could possibly be done with a sling shot? But, it's not the sling shot. It is the annointing of God on David who is the possessor of the sling shot. According to Zechariah 4:10, "Do not despise small beginnings." David was a shepherd who grew to become a giant killer, a mighty warrior of God, and soon after king. I'm sure everyone was thinking what is this boy gonna do? I hope he doesn't get himself killed. See, it wan't what David was going to do, it was what David trusted God to do. He clearly stated, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine." David was saying that the fight belongs to the Lord. The Lord is going to work this out. If he chooses a sling shot as his weapon of choice, then so be it. Natural man would say it can't be done. A boy with a sling shot against an accomplished giant with a sword. The Lord just said to Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things men look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Man would look at the size and strength of Goliath compared to the small frame of David and would say this is a no brainer. I'm going with Golaith. God saw that David had a heart to love, serve, and trust him. David had to step out on faith and know that the Lord would keep him just as he did with the lion and the bear. He stepped out on faith and the Lord met him. That day all were amazed and knew their was a mighty God in Israel. We have the same power that David had. We must exercise it. David didn't just wake up one day and say that he was going to kill the Philistine. No, he went through a process. We must also go through a process for our own sakes, so that we know that we have a fail proof God. David started small as a shepherd. This was part of his process. He didn't despise it. He guarded his sheep as though his very life depended on it. He didn't let one sheep get away. He was diligent at his job. He went and seized his sheep from the paws of both a lion and a bear. He would not allow the beasts to stop him from doing his job. Doing his small beginning well is what elevated him to the position of slaying the giant. He didn't look for a way around it. He took out the opposition. What are we going to do. I'm talking to you and me. What are we going to do? I'll tell you. We are going to trust God right here where we are and do our small beginning. We aren't going to mumble, grumble, or complain about where we are now. We are going to learn our process at this level. We are going to learn right here and do what we need to do so that God can use us at the next level. We are going to proclaim a victorious end at the start of every situation. We are going to diligently buckle down and carry out our assignment. We are going to trust God in the small things, so that he can elevate us to larger things. We aren't going to receive any negative trash talking from the opposition, because we know that this battle is the Lord's. We are going to proclaim victory and victory only! We are going to rise up and be the brave bold, strong, courageous mighty warriors of God that we need to be pressing forth and fighting the good fight of faith as David did.

Determine the Outcome of Sin, Not

Before the Lord brought the wall of Jericho tumbling down in Joshua 6, he instructed Joshua, "But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the Lord and must go into his treasury." God clearly stated this to Joshua; however, Achan chose not to follow God's instructions. He allowed greed to win out. If only, he had stayed away from the "devoted things." If only, he hadn't entertained the thought of sin. If only, he had treated the things of God as sacred. I'm sure we can come up with quite a few "if onlys." Achan chose to do the wrong thing for so little and missed out on a windfall blessing. He acted on his temptation. Achan stole the "devoted things" of the Lord even after God warned them "...to keep away from them so that they don't bring about their own destruction by taking them." It cost him all that he had... his life and the lives of his family. He brought about his own destruction. With his own hands, he essentially killed himself. Greed caused him to oppose God. Not only did he steal, he stole from God, the very one who led the Israelites out of Egypt in a supernatural way and into the Promise Land. He stole what belonged to God, and it brought death for him, his family, and for the Israelites as well. His sin caused 36 Israelites to be killed and ran off by King Ai's men. This sin that Achan by himself chose to commit effected everyone. Achan, his sons and daughters, and his animals were stoned to death and then their remains were burned. The cost of his sin was so much bigger than he ever could have possibly imagined. Christians can't rationalize sin and say, "Well, yes I did steal, but I really didn't take that much. It really wasn't that serious." We can't determine the outcome of our sin. When we sin, we can't possibly know what doors we are opening, but we must know the results will not be good. They can't be. I know someone may be thinking, "But that wasn't my sin. I didn't take what belonged to God, so I'm straight." Wrong, you're not. Romans 6:23 plainly states, "The wages of sin is death..." Sin brings death, period. Whatever the sin may be, it ultimately leads to destruction. Achan lost his life, his family's lives, his reputation, his livestock, and the lives of the 36 Israelites over a robe, 200 shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold. He was blinded by greed. He stole from God. How could that possibly have ended happily? He was so blinded that he missed the big picture. God had already announced the Israelites victory in battle. They were going to take possession of the land that God had already given to them. How could Achan have not been blessed by this? All he had to do was be patient. God had already said that the Israelites would be blessed if they were obedient, but he just couldn't wait. Impatience and greed cost him so much more than I'm sure he would have been willing to pay. If only he had held out, because in the Israelites very next conquest, the Lord said they could keep the plunder and livestock. That meant all the riches they came across they could keep. He allowed himself to be blinded by the little that he missed the big picture. He served a rich God. He didn't have to go and steal as though God didn't provide for him. He could have been deceived into believing that if he just stole a little bit that no one would know. He could have reasoned away his sin by thinking that the amount that he stole was so minor in comparison to what was left that his theft was no big deal. He could have thought that no one would even miss it. He could have just complied. His sin stopped him from receiving the benefits of the Promise Land. I don't have to wonder, "Was it worth it?" We know the answer to that.

Obedience: The Prerequisite

In Exodus Chapter 33, we find that while Moses was with God on Mt. Sinai for forty days receiving the Ten Commandments and the laws God wanted them to live by, Aaron, under pressure from the people, created a golden calf for them to worship. Just that quickly they resorted back to their sinfully familiar ways. The people were in a state of complete chaos. The end result was Aaron and the Levites slayed 3,000, God struck them with a plague, and he refused to travel with them to the Promise Land. In fact, God was so angry with them he said he couldn't travel with them, because he might kill them on the way. Moses, who was called a friend of God because "God spoke with him as a friend," pleaded with God to travel with them because he didn't want to go without him. The Lord said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." God finally consented. "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Wow! God consented to Moses' request of traveling with them to the Promise Land, despite his anger with the Israelites. He changed his mind because he was pleased with Moses. Moses did exactly what God requested of him. What God requested of Moses wasn't simple simple or easy to do. He requested Moses to lead his people from Egypt and into the Promise Land. Let me reiterate, Moses' job was by no means simple or easy. He had to leave his home of forty years, go back to a land that he was forced to flee, tell them what God said, and listen to the Israelites complaints on a consistent basis. At times, I wonder if Moses thought, "Why me?" It was his job to lead the people that God called "stiff necked people," the Israelites. One minute they said they would do exactly as God requested of them and after forty days they were doing as they were requested not to do and what they said they wouldn't do. So Moses' job was definitely not easy even though God raised him up for it. His job was a continual pressing for him. Everything that Moses had done up to that point wasn't simple, in fact, it had been quite a challenge. God rewarded him by honoring his request of traveling with them when he first said that he wouldn't. If we want God's presence, we must honor him with our obedience as Moses did, not some of the time, but all of the time. Obedience isn't an option. It's a prerequisite to fellowship with God. Obedience is key in honoring God. In order to obey God, the flesh has to be killed. After fleeing Egypt, Moses was a sheep herder in the desert for forty years. Any no good thing that was in him at the start of that period had to be worked out of him by the close of that forty years in order for God to use him to lead his people (the killing of his flesh). A chore that some would have looked at as menial was his training ground for leading the Israelites. God had to make Moses into a vessel that he could use. Over that forty year period, he reworked him. Remember, Moses killed an Egyptian when he saw him beating an Israelite. That temper and anger had to be pressed out of him. Just as Moses had to under go a transition period, so did the Israelites, and so do we. Consider this...Moses went from being a murderer to being hand picked by God to lead his people out of Egypt. How awesome is that? What did it take to get Moses to that point? OBEDIENCE! What will it take to get us to that point? The same Obedience. There is no way around it. If we expect to get the same results that Moses did that day, than we have to put forth the same obedience that he did prior to that point. First, we need to find favor with God by being determined to be obedient to his Word even when it's not easy to do. We must submit ourselves to the Word of God. We must tell him, "Lord your will be done and not my own." Next, we must pray what Moses said to God in verse 13, "Lord, if you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." That should be our prayer, meditation, and confession. You will be amazed as God grows you up in his Word. Our level of obedience is directly connected to how God can use us in his kingdom.

Pressing to Break Through

There is much to be learned about perseverance, determination, and humbleness in viewing the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15. She was not above begging and pleading to get what she needed. She was seeking Jesus to save her daughter from demonic possession. She was a woman with a mission. She yelled, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." Jesus did not answer her. She was a foreigner. The disciple asked him to send her away, because she continued to call out after them. Jesus answered her, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman was undeterred. The woman came and knelt down before him. "Lord, help me! she said. He replied, "It is not right to give the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." She persisted. She humbled herself further and said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed that very hour. This woman was unrelentless. She didn't care that she wasn't the right nationality. She didn't care if anyone heard. She didn't care what anyone thought. All of that was irrelevant to her, because she had an issue that she knew Jesus could end immediately. The first time she approached Jesus with what she wanted he ignored her. That didn't stop her. She didn't get an attitude. His response to her was, "I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel." Basically he was saying, "I'm not here to help you. I am under no obligation what so ever to help your kind." How many of us would have been more than a little put off? We would have said, "The nerve of him" and left without getting what we so badly needed. She persevered. She was focused on Jesus, because she knew he was the only one who could help her. She knelt before him and said, "Lord help me." She was desperate. Jesus was the only help for her daughter. Jesus said, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." The children he was referring to were the Israelites. The dogs were the gentiles, everyone else. Jesus was saying why should I take my gift intended for the Israelites and give it to their dogs? He called her a dog. By this time, some of us would have been thinking, "No, he didn't. I know he didn't just call me a dog. Forget it. I'm out of here." Our daughters would be lost. This Canaanite woman humbled herself and remained focused because she knew her assignment...get my daughter help. She knew without a doubt that Jesus could do it. So, she pressed. She would not quit. She would not give up. She would not allow herself to become distracted by the name calling. She put her flesh down. "Yes Lord," she said, "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table." She was saying Lord you're right; however, can't I just get the crumbs? Can I get the little morsels that fell from the master's table? I know I'm not an Israelite. I know you're not obligated to give me your gifts. I know I'm being a nuisance. I know that. I still desperately need what you have. I still know that you can save my daughter. The crumbs from you're table will be sufficient to heal her. The woman would not rest. She was determined. Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. The Lord was telling her that her faith was so great that although what he had was not intended for her, he had to give it to her to reward her great faith. His action said, "Because you have not turned away but remain boldly standing, I must reward you. She remained constant. She remained fixed on her assignment. No matter what the Lord said, she wasn't leaving until she received what she came to get. She got it. Jesus was moved by her great faith. He was moved by her standing on her faith. He was moved by the determination of her faith. She fulfilled her assignment. How many of us know how to stand like that? How many of us could have endured what she did? Could we have patiently endured being ignored, being talked about, being told that what I have isn't for your your kind? How many of us would have left dejected and feeling sorry for ourselves. How may of us would have said, "Well, I tried. It wasn't meant to be." How many of us would have wanted to give the Lord a piece of our minds? Well, we must if we expect to get the results that she did. See, she didn't care because she had a need that only Jesus could meet. Her need for her daughter caused her to do some things that she may not have otherwise done. Her daughter's life depended on a move from Jesus. Christians must stand as she stood on the very word of God as though our lives depend on it. There is no other option for us. There is no retreat. So many times when we stand on the word of God and things don't happen when or how we think they should we throw up our hands in frustration. We may think something similar to, "I guess this isn't for me." We don't stand boldly and determined as though our very lives depend on it. See, the Canaanite woman was driven by the need of her daughter so much so that there was only one option to her situation...her healing. That was it. She refused to settle for anything less than healing for her daughter. That's the type of faith we need. But guess what? Unlike the Canaanite woman, he is for us. His word is for us. According to 2 Corinthians, "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes."For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ." That means that what God says we can have, we can have. We don't have to beg, nor do we have to plead. We must act as though these verses are true. Just as the woman had to walk out her faith and stand when faced with adversity we must also do the same. We must stand when it isn't easy. We must stand when it doesn't look like it's going to happen. Stop, quit, can't must be removed from our vocabularies. As Christians, we must consistently press our way to break throughs just as the Canaanite woman did.

Preparing for Marriage

If you or someone you know is looking to be married to a Godly husband, please refer her to my post "Who Wants to be Married?" It will make all the difference in your life or hers. Preparing for a Godly marriage is a process. Your mind has to be in the right place. So many times women waste time fantasizing about a fairytale wedding and prince charming. Neither of them exist. Your time could be better spent studying the Bible and Biblically inspired books to find out what God has to say about marriage. Now should be the time that you prepare yourself for marriage. Don't wait until Mr. Right gets here. Begin now. Get everything in order...home, finances, health, mind, relationship with the Lord. Clean your house. Get rid of those things that you no longer use or are out dated. If you're not doing so, start a savings account. If you have any debts, pay them down. Get a physical. Make sure your health is in order. If you need to lose weight, then do it now. Ask the Lord to prepare your mind for marriage. Take your mind off yourself. Once you're married, it won't be about you anymore. You will become a "we." Put the Lord first. Spend time with him daily. Make it a priority to keep him first even after you're married. Be the person that you want to marry. If you know that you want to marry a good thing, then know that he does too, so get you're act together. Don't set such high expectations for him that you don't meet yourself. Think about what you're bringing to the table. Do what is listed in "Who Wants to get Married?" and soon your future husband will find you

Drowning in Excess

As Christians, our minds should constantly be renewed to the point that we are foreigners to our old selves. The world should become a foreign place to us. It should become but a distant memory. We are set apart from the world's way of doing things (thinking, acting, speaking, dressing, looking, tasting, feeling, hearing). The world's way is out of balance. There is no discipline, no self control, or no moderation in the world. Everyone does what works for them with little to no consideration for anyone else. It's all about self. When I was in the world, my number one goal was to make myself happy at all costs; however,I found that my happiness was fleeting. It was unsustainable, because my happiness was based on acquiring things. If I wasn't getting things, I wasn't happy. I was over the top. I constantly fed my flesh whatever it wanted, but it was never enough. I chased everything I could find thinking it would make me happy but with no success. All of that chasing left me an emotional wreck. I remember finding peace for the first time in a very long time. It was in church. All of my worries, concerns, and fears seemed to fall from me. That day marked the beginning of my exodus from the world. Since then, the Lord revealed to me that the world is full of dangerous excess. An excess of entertainment to keep you lulled into a mindless state...movies, Internet, video games. An excess of stuff to make you feel important but keep you in debt...the newest cell phones, big houses and cars, latest technology, designer clothing. An excess of food to keep you over weight and too unhealthy to carry out your God given assignment..., a McDonald's on every corner, super size menus, movie theaters that sell food. An excess of time spent away from home...mom works weekends and then goes out to lunch with her girls, dad works over time and plays golf on Saturdays, and the children are home alone. An excess of sex.. it's everywhere all the time.. music, music videos, movies, cable, Internet, suggestive kid's clothing. In the world, there is an excess of everything, and no one has joy. People are duped into thinking that things will make them happy, so they go after more things, yet they have a fleeting happiness but no joy. They are attempting to fill the God hole in their lives with things that can never give them what they truly want. So they continue to chase. They think, "If I try this one, then I'll be happy." If I buy this designer dress, drive this type of car, and party at this club, then I'll be happy. Still, these things don't bring them that which they are seeking. They chase, they run, they chase and still no joy...no peace. They have been deceived. People are drowning in excess. Drowning in debt, drowning in drugs, drowning in food, drowning in sex, drowning in deception. They chase and they chase. They are lulled in by deception. It backfires, and they are drowned by the excess. I have to thank the Lord that although I came close a couple of times, I didn't drown. If you can identify with my testimony, know that you don't have to remain where you are. You too can return to the Lord. Tell him you're sorry for going off on your own, but now you're ready to come home. Ask the Lord to remove you from your present state. Renew your fellowship with him. Put him first and he will give you his very best.

Weight Loss God's Way

With a new year, I'm sure countless individuals have made New Year's resolutions to lose weight. Although I'm sure losing weight is a good idea for those who need to lose it; however, an even better idea would be to adapt a healthy lifestyle. That way you lose the unwanted weight and the unhealthy eating practices, and you don't ever have to be plagued by being over weight again. Anyone can lose weight on a diet, because their calories are being restricted, but what happens when they go back to eating the stuff they ate before the diet? Of course, they gain the weight back and sometimes they gain back even more than they lost. So instead of trying another diet and instead of resolving to lose weight, for 2008 make it an effort to adapt a healthy lifestyle God's way. Although I didn't know it at the time, the Lord was taking me through a healthy lifestyle process that began three years ago. After giving birth to two children in two years, I resolved to lose weight. While I was pregnant, I didn't deny myself a single thing. Whatever I wanted, I ate. After I gave birth, I continued to eat junk for two. I was carrying a whole lot of baby weight that I didn't lose once both of my kids were born. I was just huge for no reason at all, and I ate every single piece of junk food I could find. I was five feet and two inches tall and a little over 180 pounds. My days revolved around eating junk food. After dropping my daughter off at school every morning, I would stop at Dunkin' Donuts and order anywhere from 3-6 muffins and eat them all by myself. I would eat about two king size Snicker bars every day in addition to whatever junk I could find. I was addicted to junk food. Any kind would do... candy, cookies, pies, ice cream, chips. You name it, I ate it. I never tasted a piece of junk that I didn't like. My husband would go to throw something away and say, "You went to Baskin Robbins again today, huh." I became so embarrassed by how much junk I was eating that I would hide the wrappers and containers in the trash cans in my garage. I knew that I had to do something about my addiction because it was causing my weight to spiral out of control. I felt helpless in trying to control my appetite for it. I didn't know what to do. One day I was watching Joyce Meyer and she was talking about giving up cigarettes. She said her husband prayed over it and gave them up immediately; however, she actually had to walk out the quitting process. She said she confessed all day long that she hated cigarettes and that she wasn't a smoker. She even said this while she was smoking, but she finally lost the urge to smoke and quit even though it wasn't easy for her. I tried what Joyce Meyers suggested. I prayed that the Lord would remove the taste of ice cream from me. I confessed, "I hate ice cream. The thought of ice cream makes me sick. I don't eat ice cream." My family thought I was crazy. I usually ate ice cream everyday. Guess what? I no longer eat ice cream. Now, I can drive past that Baskin Robbins around the corner from and not even have the urge to stop. I gave it up three years ago. After that I asked the Lord to help me with my weight and my appetite. I told him I had tried everything that I knew to do, but it wasn't working. I had no idea at the time but that was the beginning of a weight loss process that the Lord took me through. Around that time my husband got the bright idea that we should give up beef, because it was unhealthy. It seemed to me like he just came out of nowhere with this and said the whole family was going to do it. That meant I had to give up pork too. My husband didn't eat pork, so this wasn't an issue for him. He gave me a great book to read Satan I'm taking back my health by Jawanza Kunjufu. After reading it, I willingly gave up beef and pork. The book discussed healthy eating and why it was important. I prayed that the Lord would bless our entire family through this new eating change. It's been almost three years since we gave up beef, and I gave up pork. The Lord took me through a gradual process of purging my diet of those things that weren't any good for me. After reading that book, I took an interest in reading health magazines like Prevention and Women's Day. I learned about what I should be eating and why and about what I shouldn't be eating and why not. The Lord was educating me on the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. I received a copy of The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. As thick as that book is,I read it. As a matter of fact, I couldn't put it down. It contains some of the best information on how to be healthy. One morning, I was watching Sarah and Marilyn Hickey on television. Marilyn Hickey was talking about a cigarette stomp that they held at their church. She said that during that time members bought their cigarettes and other addictions to the altar they prayed over them and then literally stomped them. She actually gave a testimony of one woman who prayed for her sister to quit smoking during this time, and it worked. Every time her sister thought about smoking or tried to smoke she became sick, but she didn't know why until her sister told her about the prayer. At that point, Marilyn Hickey invited viewers to take part in that prayer and say their addiction. I prayed it and said that I was addicted to sugary sweets like candy, cookies, pies, and cakes. Soon after, I bought a birthday cake for my son. I forgot all about the prayer. I ate the cake the first day with no problem. The second day when I ate a slice I became sick and had to run to the bathroom. The same day I had a second slice and immediately had to run to the bathroom. Then, I realized that the prayer was working. Later on that day, I cut a piece of cake for my son and a small piece of cake got on my finger so I licked it. Immediately, I had to run to the bathroom. I confessed that I didn't like sugary sweets and that the thought of them made me sick. After that, I gave up all sugary sweets. That was almost two years ago. Please understand that this was like a miracle for me. I began each day by eating a candy bar, doughnut or a cookie. All day long I snacked on some type of sugary sweet. To not what any of those things was miraculous. I was free from that addiction. It didn't own me anymore. I didn't have to think about what excuse I would make to go to Walgreen and buy ten dollars worth of candy. Thank you Jesus! After that, my husband purchased a membership at Bally's. He worked out faithfully. I would think, "Boy he really enjoys working out. Good for him." That's when I realized that I should be working out too. I definitely wasn't pleased about having to work out, but I knew I had to. My first time in the gym was a joke. In order to get to the gym you had to walk up two flights of stairs. Now that was out of the question, so I took the elevator. After riding a stationary bike for fifteen minutes, I was out of there. I was so tired and out of breath it wasn't even funny. I did go back though, and each time I tried to do a little more and stay a little longer. One day while I was working out, the Lord revealed to me that in order to get different results, I had to do something different. I had been working out half heartedly and had the nerve to wonder why my body still looked the same. I had to give it more effort than I ever had. I started confessing, "I love working out. I am a fat blaster in Jesus Name." It worked. I ended up staying at the gym so long my husband started to complain (about two hours). I started saying confessions all day long. I confessed, "I eat to live in Jesus name, I am a healthy vessel in Jesus Name, I have discipline and self control in my eating habits." While pushing myself on the elliptical machine I confessed, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Instead of doing twenty crunches I did a twenty minute ab work out, and the whole time I'd tell myself, "That I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me." I also watched The Biggest Loser. That show inspired me to want to work out and lose weight. Seeing how hard the participants pushed themselves made me want to push myself the same way. I don't know if those individuals were Christians or not, but I know that I am; therefore, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If they could push themselves like that, then I could push myself like that as well. Then, I asked the Lord to remove the taste for fatty foods from me. I also gave up high cholesterol foods like chips and fried foods. Later, I also gave up potatoes and white bread. That was fifty pounds ago. I can honestly say that I've never felt better. Last year, I turned thirty five. I feel better now than when I turned thirty. I've adopted a healthy eating plan. One that consists of turkey chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. I've learned how to make tasty healthy meals for my family. This healthy life style didn't happen over night. It was a process. So many times we look for quick fixes to lose weight. There are no short cuts to losing weight. There is no miracle pill. I didn't gain weight over night, why then did I expect to lose it over night? Now that I am on the other side of the weight loss, I am mindful of 1 Corinthians 6:12, "Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me- but I will not be mastered by anything." Never again will I allow myself to be ruled by food of any kind. Before you start another diet, ask the Lord to help you adapt a healthy life style. Know that with the Lord on your side there's nothing you can't do, because"...All things are possible to him who believes."

New Year's Challenge

Happy New Year! Sorry for being a little late with this. My kids are out of school and my husband is off work for Christmas break, so there has been much activity in my home these past two weeks. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I pray that every reader has a great 2008! Start to day to make it memorable. Stop what you're doing right now, and spend some time with the Lord. Pray, read the Bible, meditate on a particular scripture. Do this daily. Even if you can only do it for 10-15 minutes a day do it. Just start and see the change in you. Take the first step to make a change in your life today. Don't put it off. Stop saying I'm waiting on God to move. What can you do? Do your part. I assure you when you take that first step towards the Lord, he will do more than meet you. He will change you from the inside out. I challenge you to spend consistent time with the Lord outside of going to church and to Bible study in 2008. If you give him the consistent time, he will give your his very best. Be blessed.