Wandering Thoughts in Prayer

Photo from Wikipedia

This week, the Lord refreshed me in many ways.  He continues to clarify his words to me as I continually seek him, especially in the area concerning his rest.  It’s an area that deserves diligence, and is not easy to come by.  The doorway, I’m learning, to entering his rest is a desire for his presence.  A piece of God’s refreshing came through “The Practice of the Presence of God,” a collection of conversations and letters from Brother Lawrence (c. 1614 – 12 February 1691), a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris.

In Brother Lawrence’s EIGHTH LETTER, he addresses the issue of wandering thoughts in prayer.  Everyone struggles with this; I am no exception.  It’s a constant battle in the mind to keep focus on the Lord's presence.  We know God is omnipresent, but as Brother Lawrence writes, we should also invite Him into our daily "business."  Brother Lawrence’s words confirm what my spirit seeks, and they encourage the path to know God’s presence in a real and tangible way.  My desire is for God’s presence to be evident to me in every way, even in the most mundane tasks.  Of course, we all have moments where we struggle with wandering thoughts in prayer.  So, I pray these words from Brother Lawrence encourage you.  Blessings!

********************************************************************************

Concerning wandering thoughts in prayer. YOU tell me nothing new: you are not the only one that is troubled with wandering thoughts. Our mind is extremely roving; but as the will is mistress of all our faculties, she must recall them, and carry them to GOD, as their last end.

When the mind, for want of being sufficiently reduced by recollection, at our first engaging in devotion, has contracted certain bad habits of wandering and dissipation, they are difficult to overcome, and commonly draw us, even against our wills, to the things of the earth.

I believe one remedy for this is, to confess our faults, and to humble ourselves before GOD. I do not advise you to use multiplicity of words in prayer; many words and long discourses being often the occasions of wandering: hold yourself in prayer before GOD, like a dumb or paralytic beggar at a rich man's gate: let it be your business to keep your mind in the presence of the LORD. If it sometimes wander, and withdraw itself from Him, do not much disquiet yourself for that; trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind, than to re-collect it; the will must bring it back in tranquility; if you persevere in this manner, GOD will have pity on you.

One way to re-collect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquility, is not to let it wander too far at other times: you should keep it strictly in the presence of GOD; and being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.

I have told you already at large, in my former letters, of the advantages we may draw from this practice of the presence of GOD: let us set about it seriously and pray for one another.

********************************************************************************

Our Identity As Musicians

For years, one question nagged at me.  Is “musician” an identity?  On the surface, we may say no because our identity is in Christ.  Right?  Well, the Lord pointed something out to me I thought I would share.  One night, God shared a dream with me that bluntly stated that my husband, my children and I are “Descendants of Levi.”  In the dream, our DNA was tested (swabs to the cheeks) and we found out we are direct descendants of Levi.  So, we were taken to a different area where attendants explained what it meant to be descendants and what our new responsibilities as descendants are.  The dream is SO significant to my identity as a musician.

As I read the responsibilities of the Levites in Scripture, I find more amazing truths about my identity and what God has chosen me to do.  For starters, Levites are priests.  They are a royal priesthood whom God chose himself to care for the tabernacle.  The Levites also did not receive an allotment of land because God is their inheritance.  Their “income” was strictly the tithe of the Israelite community.  They lived in tents surrounding the “Tent of Meeting” where God’s glory dwelled for a time, and then at the temple once Solomon constructed it.  King David also established musicians from the Levite clan to minister before the Lord.  These musicians played day and night, 24/7; I’m sure they were on rotation since there were 4000 of them.  The study is fascinating!

Then I got thinking.  Since these musicians were chosen to play day and night at the temple, THAT was their identity.  They did not know anything else since they remained at the temple ministering before the Lord through music.  Music was even passed down from generation to generation.  Fathers taught their children the “roles and responsibilities” of the priesthood they were chosen for.  My conclusion for now is that being a musician IS an identity in Christ.  Levites are truly worship leaders according to scripture because the Israelites who desired God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to worship. Those of us who desire to minister before the Lord as musicians have a fascinating calling.  Check it out in the scriptures!  It’s awesome!

So, I’m curious to hear from others:
* What is your identity?
* Do you see being a musician as an identity in Christ?
* How did God reveal your identity to you?
* As a musician, how do you see yourself?
* What does it mean to be a Levite musician today?

Support a Missionary!

I grew up in a church where the foreign missions ministry was ALWAYS talked about.  Even as a child, I was taught to pray for missionaries.  Although missionary work was valued where I grew up, I never saw the value in supporting foreign missions when there was plenty to do on the local level.  My thought process was that I can’t support people I do not know, and they don’t know me.  I would much rather minister to people I can see and sit down with than people half way across the globe doing something I know little about.  Now that I’m a bit older, and hopefully wiser, I’m recognizing the extreme value of supporting foreign missions.

Before I share my thoughts, I’d like to begin by stating that any support for missions (whether local or foreign) should never be forced or coerced.  Financial, logistical and prayerful support often comes from a move of the Holy Spirit in asking people to provide some necessary means for missionaries.  So, please receive the following reasons to support missionaries as something to pray about and seek our Heavenly Father for more answers and guidance.  Since the Lord loves cheerful givers, never do anything out of guilt or forced obligation.  Rather support them through love.

Reasons why I would encourage supporting missionaries:

* We understand it’s a higher calling!  Every missionary is called.  There are areas in the world without the real and tangible gospel of Jesus.  People in that area need the gospel, and God needs willing believers to minister to them so they will know His heart better.  Thus, missionaries need honor and respect from us.

* We understand their struggles!  Missionaries do the kind of dirty work that not many other people want.  They have a special calling because they must count the cost before moving in the direction God desires of them.  When God calls people to be missionaries, he essentially requests of them to give up everything they know for the sake of the people who need the gospel.  He asks them to leave behind their culture, their jobs, their way of life, etc, even to leave behind family.  [Please note here that I am NOT referring to spouses and young children.  Marriage and parenthood are roles God ordained and will not ask anyone to break the vow of marriage or the responsibility as a parent.] So, leaving behind all that you know and adapt to a different culture is extremely difficult.  Thus, they need our mercy, encouragement and prayers.

* We understand our responsibility!  My husband and I had a conversation one evening about foreign missions, and what happens when a church sends missionaries.  He had a very good analogy that is so fitting to why we should support missionaries.  Since my husband has an Air Force background, he explained to me that there must be at least 200 personnel on the ground for every plane that takes off.  These 200 personnel are responsible for ensuring the mission runs smoothly.  See how that relates to missions?  For every missionary the church sends, there MUST be a great support system.  Missionaries need money, supplies, food, basic necessities, etc.  So in the grand scheme of things, we are ALL responsible for ensuring our missionaries are provided for.

* We also reap the benefits! To explain this better, 1 Samuel 30 offers a view into how God sees this.  In this story, David’s army destroys the Amalekites.  Two hundred men were too exhausted to cross the Besor Ravine, so they stayed behind to guard the supplies.  When the remaining 400 won the battle, they did not want to share the plunder with the 200 who stayed behind.  David explained to the 400 why this way of thinking is not wise, and said, “All will share alike.”  So, whether we are out in the mission field or staying home to support them, we ALL reap the benefits!

My love for missionaries grows by the day.  Even though the Lord has not (yet) called me into foreign missions, I’m more than willing to help missionaries in whatever means are accessible to me.  Who knows, the Lord may be preparing my heart for missions as he teaches me the value of supporting them from THIS side of the ministry.  May your heart be full of God's love, and may he show you the fullness of his love for missionaries.

Encouragement for Stay-At-Home Moms

I’m always amazed at how God encourages stay-at-home moms!  I’ve been a stay at home mom for 6 years, and I’ve often had discouraging thoughts.  When the Lord revealed some deep truths to me, my whole demeanor changed in regards to being a stay-at-home mom.  If you are a stay-at-home mom, have you ever had any of these thoughts?

* Who am I?  I’m ONLY a stay-at-home mom.

* I feel useless in ministry because my kids consume my time.

* I'm so disconnected from the world

* My prayer time is limited with all the motherhood work I’m doing.

* I feel like I have to go back to work because we REALLY need the extra money.

Well momma, I have a word for you.  You are NOT just a stay-at-home mom.  You have an extremely high value in God’s sight!  You set the spiritual tone in your home; you are responsible for teaching your children spiritual truths among many other things you teach your children; you are responsible for physically and spiritually protecting your family; and you have the kind of spirit that easily connects with God’s Spirit.  The prayers for your family have so much value!  I’ll explain more.

One day, I had a tough day and I really desired to drop everything so I could spend time with the Lord.  Because of my motherhood responsibilities, I had no time for one-on-one time with my Heavenly Father.  In the midst of my discouragement, I heard God speak to me during my motherhood duties.  He said, “But I am here raising them with you.”

Isn’t that incredible?!  The God who made the heavens and the earth, put the stars in their places, formed me while in my mother’s womb, and adopted me into his kingdom desires to raise my children WITH me!!  We tend to forget God is also a Father.  He KNOWS how to raise children; he’s got plenty of experience, ya know?

The Lord revealed more motherhood truths to me!  To get to those motherhood truths, we have to look at a basic truth.  God’s desire for mankind is to restore us to PRE-FALL maturity.  This means, he desires to heal us, restore us, redeem us, save us, and reconcile us unto himself to have the same relationship than he did with Adam and Eve before they disobeyed.  So what is God restoring us to exactly?  To know more details, we look at Genesis 2 to discover what God’s desire for man and woman before they disobeyed God.

Verse 15 shows us “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”  This was Adam’s worship, to work and take care of the Garden of Eden.  In verse 17, God commands Adam to NOT eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Interestingly enough, soon after God tells Adam to NOT eat from the tree, he says in verse 18, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Look at the word “helper.”  Is this a physical helper to aid Adam’s efforts to work and care for the Garden?  NOPE!  The Hebrew word for “helper” is the same Hebrew word in the Psalms when David says, “The Lord is my HELPER.”  Interesting!!  Do you think God knew Adam would disobey, and desired to create a spiritual helper?  If so, this means YOU as a wife and a mom is the SPIRUTAL HELPER of the family, and a SUITABLE one at that.  Do you see your value yet?  There’s more!!!!

While Adam’s worship was to work and care for the Garden, Eve’s worship was raising and teaching their children as well as being the spiritual helper of the family.  So being a stay-at-home mom IS an act of worship!!!  As you parent and teach your children in the ways of the Lord, you are also preparing your children for a more devoted walk with the Lord!  How awesome is that!!!!

If you are a single mother, your value does not diminish here whatsoever!  Your willingness to teach your children in the way they should go is still an act of worship.  It’s the love we have for God that Father that motivates us to see our role in his kingdom with high value.  Since the Lord sees your heart, he knows your motives.  If your motives are pure to raise your children in His ways, he’ll take care of your needs.

If you are a male reading this post, your value in God’s kingdom is not diminished here either.  Your acts of worship are just as valuable as a woman’s.  There’s so much to add for a dad’s value to the family.  Since the intention of this blog post is to encourage stay-at-home moms, I hope you’ll receive insight into how to encourage the women around you.

If you would like to read about more of your value in God’s kingdom, check out these books.  Both are written by Rabbi Shalom Arush.  Although these books are Jewish in nature, the author does a GREAT job expressing God’s design for men and women.  Christians and non-Christians alike will benefit from these books.  (Note: The books are gender specific for good reason.  Do not read the book of the opposite gender.  Doing this will prevent expectations and judgment of the opposite gender.)

For women: Women's Wisdom: The Garden of Peace for Women

For men: The Garden of Peace: A Marital Guide for Men Only

So be encouraged, stay-at-home mom and strong woman of faith!  The Lord sees how you care for your children.  He sees your struggles, he sees your tears, he sees your motives to devote your children to Him, so he’ll raise your children with you as you walk in his ways and teach your children to also walk in his ways!  You are BLESSED to have the God of creation in your home with you!

Does God Still Heal Today?

Let’s ask my friend, Randall.  Back in September 2010, he began displaying definitive symptoms that something was terribly wrong.  On February 8, 2011, he was officially diagnosed with having Glioblastoma Multiforme, an aggressive form of brain tumor.  Prognoses for this type of brain tumor are not good.  The median survival time is 14 months.  Even if treatment works well, 1-in-4 survives past a year.  When Randall was diagnosed, the medical doctors immediately set him up for surgery to attempt removal of the tumor.  When the surgeons went in, they found the tumor was larger than what they measured on the scan; it was the size of a softball; one doctor called it “a whopper.”  The tumor also crossed to the other side of the brain (called a midline shift), and he also had brain stem compression and hydrocephalus (water on the brain).  Because of the severity of the tumor, the surgeons could only remove half of the tumor, and gave him 12 months to live.

Tumor the size of a softball; photo used by permission.

So what do you do when medical experts give you only 12 months to live??  Like many people, Randall and his wife started praying.  The morning after the diagnosis, Randall had a dream that he was in Heaven with God.  God told him it was not yet his time, and that the tumor did not come from him.  The cancer is a work of the enemy trying to kill him off because of the calling God has for Randall’s life.  [We also have to remember that nothing happens on earth, good or bad, without God allowing it to happen.  It’s called sovereignty.]  Others started praying with him.  Eight pastors visited him in the hospital.  Many laid hands on him, anointed him with oil, and prayed for God to miraculously heal him.  When he came home from surgery, many from his local church brought meals for the family and prayed in their home.  The only thing that was prayed by all these people was healing “in the name of Jesus.”

Can healing occur outside the name of Jesus?  Perhaps, but on May 26, 2011, the brain scan reveled the “whopper” tumor was GONE!  There was no midline shift, no water on the brain, and NO TUMOR!  It IS a medical miracle.  Even the doctors called it a miracle short of giving God the glory.  Three months later, Randall had another scan.  The tumor is still gone, and his brain looked healthier than the previous scan!

Hole in the head remained, tumor is gone; photo used by permission.

Does God still heal today?  According to Randall, YES!  According to the Bible, let’s look into this a bit more.  Psalm 103:2-5 (NASB) says,

“Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

The same God who healed in the Bible is the same God who heals today.  No disease is too complicated for him to heal.  No sin is too great for him to forgive.  He expresses his deep love for humanity by physically, emotionally, and spiritually restoring them unto himself.  He shows no favoritism.  Anyone can call on his name, and seek his healing and deliverance.  Isaiah 53:5 (NIV) says, “But he [Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are HEALED.”  The Hebrew word for healed in this verse is Rapa, which means “make fresh, complete, whole.”  When God heals, he goes all the way.  Another name for God is Jehovah Rapha, “the Lord who heals.”  So biblically speaking, we should believe in miraculous healing because God’s character includes "healer."

Also, we look at the life of Jesus.  Miraculous healing was a sign to everyone that the Kingdom of God was there.  Jesus even told his opponents in John 10:37-38 (NIV), “Do not believe me unless I do the works [miracles] of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works [miracles], that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”  Essentially, Jesus was saying that the miraculous healing they witnessed is a testimony that God and Jesus [Father and Son] are one.  What does that say about us?  If we heal the same as Jesus, is it a sign that we are also one with God the Father?  If so, does it fulfill Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene that we would be one with him and the Father?  I say, YES!!!  Ask God to reveal his kingdom to us!  Ask him for his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  When we do, we’ll see more signs and wonders than we would expect to count.  So ask!

Whenever I hear people say, “Well, if it’s God’s will, he will heal.”  All I want to say in response to that is, “God’s desire is the restore people to himself.  So, it IS his will to heal.  Ask away!!!”  We would not be asking God for any “special favors” when we ask for healing.  It’s his nature to heal, it’s his desire to heal, and it’s his passion to heal.  He does this everyday.  It should be a privilege to ask God for healing because we get to see his mighty works with our own eyes!  We would not be asking him to do something he’s never done before.  So ask!!!!

My friends, Randall and Michelle; photo used by permission

Randall is one of many testimonies to the goodness and loving nature of God the Father!  Does this mean we can stop praying for Randall?  By no means!  We continue to pray for more completeness in his healing.  Even though the tumor is gone, he still has difficulty in his mobility.  Plus, the doctors still maintain that the tumor may come back.  Every three months, Randall is required to have a brain scan to ensure the tumor does not return.  So, we continue to pray for Randall’s healing so “his youth is renewed like the eagle.”

If you know someone who needs miraculous healing, be free to ask the Lord who heals. He may surprise you with how he reveals his deep love for them.  Seek out those who have a strong faith in the healing nature of God, and surround yourself with those people.  They may surprise you with how much they love the Lord and how much they love people.

God still heals TODAY.  So, I’ll say it again.  ASK!

Sabbaths: Cycles of Rest

Over the past few weeks, I have been diving into the scriptures about what it really means to enter the Lord’s rest.  Many may believe it has to do with “resting” after we die and we are in the Lord’s presence, or it has to do with allowing the Lord to be our comfort in difficult times.  Both are reasonable but I believe the scriptures reveal a much deeper teaching. I found that God wants us to enter His rest NOW while we are living so we may experience His kingdom in this life; right here, right now.  My reading mainly centered around a word search of “Sabbath.”  Since one of the 10 commandments is “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8), I’m compelled to ask the burning questions:

* What does Sabbath mean?

* Why was it so important to God?

* How did God instruct people how to honor it?

* Is the Hebrew Sabbath for all people?

* Why should we observe it?

* How Christians honor the Sabbath?

* Does the day matter?

* How can we enter the Lord’s rest today?

****************

WHAT DOES SABBATH MEAN?

Sabbath literally means, “to cease” in Hebrew.  When God explained it to the Israelites, he instructed them to observe the day of rest just as God rested from all his work at creation.  Upon reading the scriptures concerning Sabbath, we’ll find the Sabbath rests are in cycles.  There are Sabbath days (weekly cycle), Sabbath months (monthly cycle), Sabbath years (yearly cycle), and Seventh-year Sabbaths (7-year cycle).

WHY WAS SABBATH IMPORTANT TO GOD?

Sabbath rests were so important to God for several reasons:

1.  He set the example at creation when he rested on the 7^th day (Genesis 2:2)

2.  He taught the Israelites about the Sabbath BEFORE he etched the 10 commandments in stone by his own hand on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 16)

3.  He listed it among his top commandments (Exodus 20)

4.  Desecrating it was punishable by death (Exodus 31)

5.  He likens it to honoring your parents (Leviticus 19:3)

6.  He called it a “day of sacred assembly” (Leviticus 23:3)

7.  He listed among reverence for His sanctuary (Leviticus 19:30)

8.  He established the Sabbaths among the feasts (Exodus 23:14-19)

9.  It is a sign between God and his people that HE makes them holy (Exodus 31:12-18)

The ONLY time I’ve seen in scripture when God detests the Sabbaths is when people refuse to learn to do what is right.  He wants us to seek justice, defend the oppressed (or correct the oppressor), take up the cause of the fatherless, and plead the case of the widow (Isaiah 1).  If our observation of the “rest” overrides caring for people who desperately need our mercy/compassion/help, we dishonor God.  As Jesus explained to the Pharisees, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Doing “good” means binding the wounds of the broken, setting captives free, feeding the hungry, etc (Matthew 12:9-14 & Isaiah 58).

IS THE HEBREW SABBATH FOR ALL PEOPLE?

When God instructed the Israelites to cease from their work on the Sabbath, he also instructed them to allow their servants (even the foreigners among them) to rest as well (Ex 23:10-13).  In other words, rest is rest.  It means we rest, and we also refrain from making someone else work in our place.  Sabbath rest is for everyone.  Paul even continued in the Sabbath rest, and encouraged everyone to observe the Sabbath rest as well (Hebrews 4).  He also encourages new believers in Colossians 2:16-23, to not allow anyone to judge them by what they eat, drink, or observing festivals.  Worldly rules will perish, but God’s rules remain forever.  So as believers, we should be very interested in following God’s rules because the reality is found in Christ because he is Lord of the Sabbath (Matt 12:1-13).

WHY SHOULD WE OBSERVE IT?

According to God’s spoken words, honoring the Sabbath brings tremendous blessings.  First of all, he established the Sabbath day as a sign between him and his people that He makes them holy (Exodus 31:12-18).  God even promises to bring us, the foreigners who bind ourselves to him, to his holy mountain and give us joy in his house of prayer (Isaiah 56).  That is pretty good incentive for me!

There are also many benefits to explain why we should honor the Sabbath:

1.  Our Sabbath days are also times to be refreshed in God’s presence.

2.  Honoring the days of rests, gives us strength for long journeys ahead.

3.  We learn to trust God’s provision more, just as God provided two days worth of food for the Israelites in the desert.

4.  It changes our mindset that we must do lots of things NOW.  It takes us out of the “get things done” rat race that is so rampant in our culture.

5.  Our assemblies become more focused on him because we need not worry about doing any work that day.

6.  God richly blesses those who keep them holy!

HOW DID GOD INSTRUCT PEOPLE HOW TO HONOR IT?

God prescribes several cycles of Sabbath rest.  Most people are familiar with the weekly Sabbath rest.  We rest on the 7^th day because God rested on the 7^th day at creation.  That’s mainly understood.  God also prescribed monthly Sabbaths, yearly Sabbaths, and Seventh-year sabbaths.  These Sabbath rests can be seen among the feasts the Lord taught the Israelites.  The Seventh-year rest is confusing to most people.  From an agricultural perspective, it makes perfect sense.  Farmers give the land rest in the seventh year so the land has a full year to replenish nutrients in the soil.  If farmers had multiple fields, they rotated the fields so each field has a year of rest in the seventh year, and they can still maintain their crops for food.  There is much more to be said about how God instructed his people to observe the Sabbaths.  If you would like more reading on the subject, check out The Meaning of Sabbath at Bible.org, or read the scriptures for yourself to learn about the all the Sabbath cycles.

HOW SHOULD CHRISITANS HONOR THE SABBATH?

I believe anyone who is bound to the Lord should observe the Sabbath as God prescribed.  Of course, we need discernment between what God our Father desires of our Sabbath and what man has changed over the years.   We should carefully go through the scriptures and seek God’s ways.  Jesus said that if we love him, we would keep his commands.  His “commands” are the laws given to Moses.  We know this because James stated at the council at Jerusalem that “the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath” (Acts 15:21).  So when we ask how should we honor the Sabbath, we must read what God says in the OT.  Following God’s laws give us freedom.  Jesus said “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).  So, Sabbath rest should not be viewed as a heavy yoke.  It is a prescription to be refreshed in the Lord’s presence.

DOES THE DAY MATTER?

Quite honestly, I cannot provide a solid answer.  The part of me that says, “Yes” believes it must be on the same day as what God instructed the Israelites.  The Israelites were on God’s calendar, which means the Sabbath day is the last day of the Hebrew week (that is Saturday for us under the Gregorian calendar).  We should desire to be on God’s calendar since he explains his “appointed times” in scripture in lots of places.  The part of me that says “No” wants to believe that as long as we have a consistent day of rest, we are within God’s law.  However, I have not found anything in scripture that has changed what day the “Sabbath day” is on.  So, I would error on the side of observing Sabbath on Saturday because it is most consistent with what God prescribes in scripture.

HOW CAN WE ENTER THE LORD’S REST TODAY?

As we love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength, He will show us the way.  Loving Christ means following HIS law.  Again, his law brings us REST not a burden, for King David wrote, “The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.  The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip” (Psalm 37:30-31), and they will inherit the land (Psalm 37:29).  Paul even stated, “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” (Romans 2:13).  Entering the Lord’s rest begins by loving him so much that his law is written on our hearts, and our desire is to obey them because it honors God our Father.  Part of that law is keeping the Sabbath holy.  When we keep the Sabbath holy as God instructs us, we are thus in his rest!

****************

As I stated before, this has come from weeks of reading scripture and prayer.  We must earnestly seek the Lord for his ways.  So much of scripture has been distorted over the years that many people do not know the true way.  To keep our feet from slipping, we must ask God to write his law on our hearts just like he wrote them in stone on Mount Sinai, and follow them with every fiber in our being.  We must seek God’s heart and ask him to help us remain mindful of those who need mercy.  May the Lord reveal himself to us, and show us his way so that we may be considered righteous in his eyes.

Six “Pure Praise” Take-Aways

I recently completed an online study with some folks over at theworshipcommunity.com.  The study is called "Pure Praise" written by Dwayne Moore.  During this nine-week study, the Lord moved my heart in some powerful ways!  Admittedly, I am not currently a part of a worship team.  The reason why I decided to join the study is because I heard so many good things about it, and I also heard it applies to congregant worshipers.  Indeed it does!  The title of “Pure Praise” is so appropriate.  Even church attendees can benefit from this study, and that’s where I got the most out of it - from that perspective.  My desire is to please the Lord and one way of doing that is ensuring my praise is pure before Him!  With that said, here are my 6 noteworthy take-aways from the study.

1.  The Daily Praise/Daily Surrender portions were very effective to me.  I was daily reminded to remain focused on my praise for the Lord (even those elements of praise I still consider uncomfortable), and encouraged to allow the Lord to reveal those deep, dark crevices in my spirit where I need to seek his forgiveness and recalibrate my thinking.

2.  My spirit desires more physical worship, but my flesh likes to put up a fight.  Although physical worship is very biblical (throughout all of scripture), I’m still uncomfortable with certain expressions.  Clapping and raising hands are no big deal, but I still struggle with the others to varying degrees.  So, I’ve opened myself up more to the Lord in this area.  I’m still maturing.

3.  I love the anchor story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.  There is so much praise and worship in that one story!  No wonder Dwayne Moore centered the study on that one amazing event!  I’m still impressed with how much about praise and worship we can draw from 30 verses that demonstrate obedience, faith, and the glory of God!

4.  About halfway through the study, Moore encouraged participants to listen to the Lord’s voice more.  The Lord gave me more than I expected!  I heard the Lord speak to me in ways he never has before.  My life is more centered on his ways, his timing, and his authority.  Glory to his name!

5.  The Lord revealed to me that my “awe” of him remains somewhat superficial.  There remains a degree of mysticism in my worship.  I want to see more of God so that I may revere him, as I should.  He is King over all the earth!

6.  The mountain analogy throughout the study seemed so appropriate to me.  By the end of the study, I felt tired and frustrated.  The very last week about finishing strong allowed me to breathe easy as I continue on my journey in a much better stride.  Time will tell how the Lord uses this study through me for his kingdom.

I pray the Lord will use what I have learned, and help me apply it in a manner holy and acceptable to Him.  If anyone is interested in developing a pure praise for the Lord whose love endures forever, this study is a MUST.  Thank you, Dwayne Moore, for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit while writing this study.  I’m truly blessed!  Blessings to you and your family!

Singing At Supper

Picture from http://www.coopersvilleunitedmethodistchurch.org

On a typical evening, my family and I rush through dinner because we have some place to go by a certain time.  Plus, my eldest son tends to take his time eating his meals so my husband and I normally coax him to eat, which consumes time.  The other night, dinner was no ordinary dinner.  Out of a goofy mood, we sang at the dinner table.  Although I cannot remember the song we sang, I do know it was a children’s song.  We had a good laugh at the impromptu dinner singing, and enjoyed the closeness in our family.  We are blessed!

Today, I read passages in scripture regarding the Last Supper.  One statement jumped off the page!  “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”  This sentence is found both in Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26.  I never in my life knew Jesus sang!  Interesting.  This is the only indication in all of scripture (that I know of) that Jesus knew music.  Plus, they sang at the dinner table!

Of course, the two moments compare only a little since our family sang out of a goofy nature, and the disciples sang because this was the last meal they were going to have with Jesus for a LONG while.  The similarity is the closeness each person at the table had with each other.  Just as singing at our dinner table reflected the closeness in our family, singing at Christ’s last supper indicates the closeness they had.  How beautiful that moment was!

Just a thought.  We normally remain quiet while the band plays a song during communion.  The next time we take communion together, shall we sing as we eat the bread and drink the wine (or grape juice)?  What would it sound like if we all sang a-cappella as we took communion?  My guess would be beautiful.

Personal Worship Time

When I worship at home, I tend to use the same songs in my personal worship time. The songs are not a formula for my personal worship time, but they do reflect how much I want the Holy Spirit to permeate my life and counsel me as I testify to others.

"Heart of Worship" is my always my first. This song always brings me to repentance. I cannot sing this song without tearing up at the phrase, "I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it" because how many times have I tried to take the lead in worship when the Holy Spirit should be in that role?

"Hungry" is typically my next song. It is the testimony of my heart. I'm hungry for the Spirit and want Him to fill my life with his presence. Only He can satisfy and heal my soul as I seek his face. I choose to empty myself so that I may be full with Him.

"God of This City" is my heart's battle cry right now. I see multiple denominations (churches practically on every block), and nothing consistently connecting them. I see the Lord's children scattered in the same town. The Lord's children can do better than this. "Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city."

Curiously, do you have songs that you use repetitively in your personal worship time? How have they shaped the way you lead worship?

Building Relationships

For a while now, the Lord reminds me to “build relationships.”  I must be honest and forthright here.  Sometimes, I struggle with what that actually means.  Does it mean to build on new relationships?  Is God telling me to reinforce the old ones?  How much time should I invest in people’s lives? Who should I approach?  What do I do?

Then I read Luke 6:37-38.  Jesus said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

This passage spoke to me differently than before.  Most people see this passage in the context of unbelievers criticizing believers for telling them they are going to hell if they do not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Sadly, many Christians believe that context, and it is simply not true.  Here is the truth:  Jesus is speaking to his disciples on relationship building in this short passage.  “Do not judge” and “Do not condemn” are other ways of saying, “do not base your relationships on presumptions, hearsay, and inconclusive results.”  If we choose not to build relationships with others based on cultural differences or personality differences, what good will that do us?  We must NEVER find ourselves in a pattern of avoiding people because of differences of culture, personality, opinions, etc.  Jesus had dinner with sinners, and went out of his way to talk to a Samaritan woman in a time when Jews and Samaritans were forbidden to communicate to each other.  We MUST take the time to spend with people.  Cultivate deep spiritual relationships earning the trust of those who normally would not trust you.

The next part is so encouraging!  “Give and it will be given to you.”  What does this have to do with relationships?  Well, it’s kind of obvious!  If we are willing to give our time and our resources to people outside of our “friendship circle,” God will bless it.  I’m not talking finances here.  I speak of trust, honor, and influence with the people we choose to give our time to.  Our Lord is sure to reward that behavior with “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.”  WOW! 

Jesus also said, “For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Again, when it comes to relationship building, how do we measure relationships?  Whatever measure we use, the same measure is used thus for us.  So, love unconditionally, forgive unconditionally, give unconditionally, and see what God does!

I want to challenge you today to build relationships outside of your comfort zone.  Always take the message of Christ with you.  As you live a life pleasing to our Savior, you may very well find you will gain favor from the most unlikely people, and lead them to a life changing decision to follow Jesus Christ!  Be encouraged, child of God!  You are worth more than all the earth can provide.  Therefore, go today and make disciples!

At The Sound of the Bell

The other night, I had a vivid dream.  I don’t know how much spiritual significance it has since most (if not all) of my dreams are simply crazy.  However, I believe this one has some merit.  So, please follow along, and comment if it speaks to you.

******************************************************

My husband and I visited a church that met outside.  The view was gorgeous as the congregation faced a lake while the stage faced the congregation.  That day was gorgeous, too; not a cloud in the sky.  There was a roped off area in the lake to the right of the stage where the church does baptisms.  In the front-left of the stage, a large bell hung from a strong wooden post.  My husband and I did not know the significance of this bell.  We were so used to candles, a wooden cross, communion trays, etc as a form of worship, but never a bell.  The pastor of this church came up to the stage for invitation time, and explained the purpose of the bell.  He said, “If you just made a decision to change the way you are living to follow Christ, we want you to ring this bell.  The sound of the bell is an indication someone is new to the Kingdom.”  This was HUGE to me.  As people prayed, the bell would get everyone’s attention so the entire church could celebrate together and go encourage the person who just rang the bell.  I quickly realized the sound of that bell served several purposes.  To the one who rang the bell, it was a loud proclamation this person’s life was changed, and it was a sound for help.  To the others, the sound of the bell meant it’s time to let out a roar in celebration that another life is free in Christ.  It was also the sound that indicated someone’s life needed encouragement because the Christian walk is tough.  Seeing an entire church body celebrate together and minister to one another was a blessing to me.  How great would it be if the entire church body celebrated at the moment of decision?  How encouraging would it be to the new Christ follower that the Church has the new believer’s back?  This church knew to rally at the sound of the bell, and I loved witnessing it.

******************************************************

How does this dream speak to you?  I’d like to see what God does through this.  Blessings to you!

Processing A Calling

Recently, I posted my thoughts about how to process a calling on theworshipcommunity.com to compare with other worship leaders and pastors how they processed theirs.  I am still blessed by all the responses.  The Lord continues to bless me with godly mentors who invest their time and resources in helping me grow in my calling.  I pray I am also able to help others process their passions for ministry just as much as my mentors are helping me.  Yes, there are "ups and downs" to my journey, but I know God is in the middle of every moment.  If you are struggling with the process of your calling, check out THIS ARTICLE at The Worship Community, and please post here if it helps.  Also, feel free to share your story with how you processed your calling into full time ministry.  I'd love to hear how God moved you.  Blessings!

Spaghetti Vision

Lately, I’ve been finding myself “testing the waters” when it comes to my vision.  In doing so, I would cast out pieces of my vision to see if any stick.  Then I began to wonder, isn’t that like cooking spaghetti?  Most of the times in a calling, God has us sit and wait while the calling “cooks.”  How do we test the spaghetti to see if it’s done?  Take a string and throw it up against the wall.  If it sticks, it’s ready to serve.  Sounds like fun!!!!  Over the past two weeks, I’ve been casting glimpses into my vision to various people to see what kind of reaction I would get (ie. see if it sticks).  The responses have been mind blowing.  People seem like they would be on board with it, and many have shown encouragement toward that vision with some even offering some very useful counsel.  I’m in the process of gaining mentors in my passion area, and praying the Lord teach me more of his ways.

Growing in My Calling

For a few years now, I’ve felt nudges from God about moving into full time ministry.  Although I am eager to grow in this area, circumstances have not yet lent themselves to open doors.  I’m at a point where I feel like I am standing still.  My only learning/growing is online in my own time with no one around to share my thoughts or struggles.  In my personal prayer time, I keep sensing the Lord telling me that my development must occur in a safe and secure place (like the image of a womb).  Honestly, this is a very lonely place or me.  Out of desperation, I called a friend whom I’ve known for a very long time, but have not communicated with her much over the past few years.  Our conversation was anointed.  I felt the presence of God in her words as she gave me practical advice on growing in my calling.  Here is what I’m learning now:

-- ALWAYS pursue the caller more than the calling.  God calls us to various places, some temporary and some permanent.  We need to be close enough to hear God’s whisper to know where to go and how to do it.  Also, by the time we are where God wants us to be, there will come times where we are overwhelmed and desperately need God again.  Developing a habit of pursuing the caller is THE most important trait when moving into the direction of your calling.  This spoke to me deeply!  Whenever I pursued the calling, I got burned out.  When I pursued the caller, he carried me in the direction of his calling.  WOW!  Right now, I am pursuing God fiercely so he will reveal to me those obstacles that prevent me from doing his will.  He will open the doors, and he will give me the connections I need to move in the direction he desires.

-- Obedience is better than sacrifice.  When God fulfilled his promise to Abraham to have a son, Abraham was thrilled.  He enjoyed raising his son in the ways of the Lord, teaching him all the great things of God.  Then, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son.  Abraham obeyed.  On the way up the mountain, Abraham told his son what was about to happen.  He told his son, God would provide the sacrifice.  Abraham’s faith KNEW God would provide the sacrifice even if it meant raising his son from the dead.  Comparing this story to God’s calling on my life, I had to ask myself, if God fulfilled his calling within me, am I willing to give it up simply because he asked me to?  Am I willing to forsake what I have (even those things I love the most) for the sake of His kingdom?  Am I willing to obey no matter the cost?  In all truthfulness, this is a struggle for me.  I’ve worked so hard doing what God has asked me to do, and forsaking it all is very difficult.  However, I realize when in full time ministry, I will certainly find myself at that crossroads.  Some opportunity will come along outside my calling, and I have to know whether God is asking me to forsake my calling for this “opportunity,” or if the “opportunity” is a distraction from what God truly wants me to do.  With that said, my heart says yes, although it is very tough.

So with all that said, I feel I’m ready to move.  I’m praying for open doors.  I need the Lord to send me a mentor in the area of His calling for me.  I’m praying the finances will be there if I need to attend conferences, seminars, materials, etc.  In the meantime, I’m seeking friendship here where I am.  Although my friend of many years was there for me when I needed her, she lives far away.  I need a good local friend who will walk along side me because, frankly, I need the encouragement.  Well, there’s my heart, out in the open, and on the blog.  It’s proof-positive I’m still a work in progress as I grow more into the image of God.  Blessings!

A Gift From the Father

Anyone who knows me well, knows it does not take much to bring to me to my knees.  So, any form of rebuke, discipline, or challenge, I take seriously and with much prayer (sometimes fasting).  Due to a series of events leading up to Christmas, I found myself on my knees once again.  The Lord took a few things from me (I don't know whether permanent or temporary), which left me feeling empty.  I kept asking the Lord, "how empty do you want me to go?  If I need to be completely empty with nothing but you, I'm here."  All I wanted at that time was to curl up in Christ's lap, and weep.  I repented for sin after sin, and asked God to not allow my sins have any serious consequences.  While caring for my children, and doing simple housework throughout the day, I found myself lamenting in song around the house.  Imagine that!  I've never done that before.  Of course, I had to chuckle about it.  What if my "laments" became popular like so many other worship songs?  I honestly laughed it off.  After my kids were in bed, I began to journal on my computer what my mind and my soul were going through.  As I was typing (accompanied by weeping), I started lamenting in song again.  This time, only words.  OK.  Now that I had words, what about melody?  Suddenly, I heard the Lord say, "Use your first song."

Only God, my husband, and I know about my "first song."  The first song I ever wrote was when I was a senior in high school when I was not following Christ.  I simply wrote a short 10-measure song experimenting with a minor key signature, a 3/4 time signature, note intervals, and measure ties.  That was about 20 years ago, and never intended to be shared.  I've always wanted to do something with it, but I could never find the words.  For years, I told my husband that the song sounds like it's a lament, and any words in it should reflect its style.  When the Lord asked me to use "my first song," I was floored that the words actually fit the melody.  It wasn't precise but it was pretty close.  I only changed two or three words to make the melody fit better, but the message of my heart remained the same.  Needless to say, I was weeping big time by this point.  All this time, and NOW my first ever song has words.  To add to the tenderness of the moment, I thanked God for taking something old, and making it new again.  Then, I heard the Lord say, "This is what I want to do with you," and I saw an image of a beautiful gold plated music box covered with dust.  God is blowing the dust off!!!  I wept even more, praising Him profusely.  Lord, what do you have planned?????

In this tender moment with my Savior, I don't know what God will do with it later.  Is it a simple lesson to show me He never forgot that short seemingly insignificant song from so long ago, or does He have a bigger plan with the music that flows out of my heart for Him?  I'm still praying for clarity.  In the meantime, I still think it's so cool that God took something I crafted such a long time ago, and created something brand new out of it.  I love this gift.  Not many gifts make me cry with joy.  Thank you, Lord!!!  You know how to give the best gifts!!

Knowing Christ is truly the greatest gift of all, the Lord still likes giving us gifts unique to our relationship with him.  For me at this moment, it was a song.  Do you have a story of a unique gift the Lord gave you?

Cultivating a Servant's Heart

One of the top struggles of a worship team is dealing with pride, ego and envy. What can a worship team do to ensure this attitude remains at bay? A while ago, I found worshipteleseminar.com (no longer available) which contained multiple resources valuable to an effective worship team. The site provided multiple seminars dealing with various issues of working with a worship team. Various worship leaders, some well known, called in and provided a 1-hr long seminar on their topic. Every seminar was recorded and provided free to members of the site. WorshipVanguard has every recording and all the seminar notes. The below seminar is by Rory Noland who tackles the issue of pride and ego. Another seminar, later, will specifically deal with envy. So, get your notepad, and listen carefully to the wise words of Rory Noland as he explains how to cultivate a servant's heart even when you are on stage and in the spotlight. God bless.

03-ServantVsStardom sound bite

King David's Original Music

For those who know me well, I love music. I like listening to it, scoring it, analyzing it, arranging it and composing it. Recently, I've been studying King David's music development strategy. Keep in mind, I do not have a music degree so my knowledge is somewhat limited. So, I find what I can by researching using the Internet for nuggets of info that support the subject. In my personal research, I found a site that used note-for-note transcriptions of the Davidic Cipher to produce an audio of how King David actually wrote his psalms. Hearing music as it was written thousands of years ago absolutely amazes me. The people at "The Music of the Bible" has an incredible compilation of David's psalms transcribed for our listening pleasure. Their site not only provides the audio of the songs, but also the original Hebrew, the English translation, and some very good background information on music in the Bible. Feel free to check out the link, and post here what you think of this ancient Hebrew music. As for me, I love this stuff.