My Choice?

Yesterday and today our church is hosting a ministerial conference for workers of Calvary Ministries International (CMI) the ogranization with which our church is affiliated. Pastor issued an open invitation to everyone on Sunday to attend the evening sessions last night and tonight. The keynote speaker was Rev. Bill Johnson from Redding CA (iBethel.org)

I went. It was phenomenal. I knew, as he spoke, this is what the church is supposed to be doing. We really need to step up to the challenge, renew our minds, see things as possible - not improbable and begin seeing events with a view of the kingdom in action. His illustrations from his ministry as to how God is using laypeople to reach out and spread the healing power of God just totally blew me away. I felt this was the message God needed me to hear and that I needed to, indeed, get my mind renewed so I could see into the kingdom realm.

I can't wait for tonight. I tried to share with my daughter what I had witnessed and how I had been impacted but I found myself so emotionally invested it was hard to verbalize so much of what had happened.

I purchased 2 books Rev. Johnson has written and in reading a bit this morning I was hit with the concept that Satan must get our "co-operation". I had to just stop and say "WOW!" So, it isn't what God permits Satan to hurl at us, it is what we give Satan permission to do to us. We live with physical aches and pains, financial shortfalls, and stress... because we allow Satan the right to beat us up because we think we are to be tried and tested if we are to come forth as gold.

But what if... being tried and tested was something we had concocted in our minds. Is it really scriptural for us to suffer the things for which Christ came and died to secure for us; our health and peace of mind. Mind you, I'm not saying we will not have trials, I'm just saying that I think permit ourselves to be held down by situations which were not institigated by God for our good. That actually these "trials sent by God" orginated from a totally different source, and we sometimes suffer them when we should be taking authority OVER them. I'm feeling a bit foolish today. I want to keep this post as a moment to check back. I want the beginning of the "renewal of my mind" to have started. I do NOT want to be held back from achieving the potential God has ordained that I reach so that I can be a part of the faithful winning the kingdom.

It just almost seems to me like the enemy is doing pretty well in our time simply by holding down the believers with so many personal issues they cannot be about the Father's business. We need not give him our cooperation. We need to claim by faith what God has given us and "run" at the enemy as David ran at Goliath. We need to agressively be taking the kingdom by force.

Whooooeeeeeeee!!! and amen. So let it be.

Time for a LIttle Pruning?

It seems this year we have been faced with one negative event after another. These events seemed to effect our health and always come with a price tag when it's time to address the event in question.

I have visited the doctor's office this year and been tested and treated for more "conditions" than I have in the last 5 years combined. From the bronchitis which was diagnosed as severe asthma to sleep apnea to arthritis it seemed like there was always something I had to be checking into. I prayed, asked for prayers and always felt positive that God was on our side.

I know it is not unusual for a person to go through physical problems following retirement but I just didn't feel I fit into this scenario. After all, thanks to the City, I had rushed prematurely into retirement since their budget was stressed. I had negotiated with them a part-time position with a large cut in pay but would still allow me to make the full amount Social Security permitted and provide enough money in my budget to keep current bills paid.

Then this year hit and once again the City was strapped for resources to have enough money to meet their financial obligations for a year. So, they had to make cuts. Sweet little ole me, was now hanging out there with no contract and no bargaining incentive to keep me on staff. When the final cuts were made, despite the campaigning of my succesor, my position was cut 50%. Oooops! The amount they were able to budget for me will be gone in June. Then I will actually lose over 30% of my total monthly income.

Its true this has been of concern to me. I kept getting messages from the Lord that He had this situation under control and I was not to be concerned about my situation. I thought perhaps the City would magically come into money so they could fund the last 1/2 year of salary for me, but as of right now, doesn't look like that is going to happen.

Anyway, this morning in my quiet time I am reading John 15, one of Jesus final words to his followers before He was crucified. He speaks of Himself as the vine and his followers as the branches. Unfruitful branches, He explained, would be pruned away. I had to ask myself if all these events lately were the Father actively gardening on this branch (me) and pruning away the parts that are not fruitful. I couldn't help wondering if my place of employment was something I needed to lose, that even though I have always felt God placed me there to be his witness, that perhaps my time to be there is now over. And if so, then what's next for me?

Yesterday in church the Father quietly whispered to me that I was not to concern myself regarding health and financial issues, that He was working on my behalf. Which made it a little bit odd when my daughter and I left my mother's house, that she backed right into the side of an oncoming truck. Neither of us were seriously hurt, just knocked slightly out of whack, but the car -- messed up. Now what? I wondered. Then the Father reminded me He had whispered to me because He knew this was another negative event to conflict our lives. But He had said "don't worry!"

Then again this morning I find myself struggling with these assurances I keep getting. I have recenlty told my daughter that I felt we were under attack by the enemy whose job description is to "wear out the saints". As I had my morning chat today with my Father I asked why we kept getting hit with the suck bucket and things seemed to go from one negative event right on to the next one. I reminded Him that I believed Him, I really did, but with repeated attacks, lately it was getting a bit tiresome hanging on to a promise that seemed unfruitful.

Then He asked me what I really believed.

Well, I said. I believe the enemy can fight against me. But I also believe, like Job of old, that he can't do anything you don't permit Him to do. I believe he can hurl all kinds of evil my way, but I don't believe He can touch me to the point of destruction. I believe I should NOT give place to enemy, but rather acknowledge that YOU are the one actually in control and no matter what comes this way, no matter how negative or what happens , You can take what was meant as evil to me and turn it into GOOD! I believe this because it says so in the WORD and I've never known you to not make good on your promises.

So then here we are. Whatever pruning is needed, I'm here at your disposal. Whatever is needed to create in me your image, just have at it. If that means, which I have thought more than a distinct possibility, that I am to point my life in a direction I have not yet comprehended, then I am ready to go in that direction.

And I felt a smile headed my way with an assurance of "That's Good"!

And I think, I need to just be quiet and watch the hand of God go to work on our behalf. That's what I think.... right now!

Finding the One

I have been challnged recently about my perspective as to my contribution to the Kingdom. This morning in my prayer time I was reminded of the parable of the lost sheep. To Christ the message was all about ministering to one individual, not to plan a program to minister to a group, or congregation, or the crowd or reaching the masses.

Jesus did a lot of one on ones. I can't help but feel, don't get me wrong here - I strongly believe in setting goals, designing programs, having an agenda - is very important in winning the Kingdom. But ultimately the Kingdom is won one individual at a time and when it comes down to finding the one you are to reach it is a matter of going out and looking for them.

I think sometimes my focus has been on the feeding of the sheep. Now that is the job for the Pastor, but we undershepherds are to be going out looking for the one that is lost and bringing them back in. I think we forget that it is in our daily going abouts that we encounter these solitary, individual ones. I am convinced that God in His divine wisdom sets us on a path that will provide opportunity to minister to individuals who are hurting, seeking, looking for a connection to the reality that is God.

We seek to know what God's will is. We pray to have a revelation so we can be about the Father's business and accomplishing His purpose for our life. Well, this is it. Our purpose is to find the Ones each day and to minister to them the love that Jesus wants to pour into their lives. We want to dynamically do something we consider significant, important; we want to be taking the Kingdom by force. But, from God's perspective nothing is more important than finding one lost sheep, tending to it's hurts and bringing it back safely to the fold. This is our purpose and it is how we fulfill God's will in our life.

If each individual would look around their day to day asking God to help them see those around them through His eyes, they would easily spot that special one the Father's heart is aching to touch. It is the consistency of daily being about the Father's business that finds us ultimately taking the kindom by force.