fear or love

As I sat and read in Daniel this morning, I found myself battling once again between the pit in my gut that is fear, and the first hand experience I constantly have with God's love.

I've spoken before about how easy I am to control with fear.

I grew up with 'end times' sermons being screamed from the pulpit and over-conservative adult relatives that monitored every word I spoke and move I made, and felt it their duty to constantly report to my parents.

I'm easily controlled with fear and intimidation.

Obviously now as an adult I understand that God never intended for that kind of misuse of scripture to be used to control people and especially not to terrify kids.

As I sit on my deck this morning, praising the Lord for who He is, I remember again that what God wants from me is to long to be with Him.

Instead of worrying about all the horrible sin and corruption I see all around me, it should point my focus toward Him - creating within me a longing I cannot suppress to spend eternity in His perfect presence.

This morning - with no news blaring from the TV, and newspapers laying in front of me - I worshipped Him, I longed for His return, and He gave me again the assurance that everything I see around me should be no surprise coming from those who are lost and simply seeking for what will satisfy them.  And it will be so until He returns.

Despite the turmoil all around me, I sit in His peace this morning realizing this world is just a quickly passing jot in eternal time.  He's given me a few years to serve Him, and I will continue to fight against my fear and the distractions and abide in Him - fully in He love.

 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1

abide

I haven't had even a couple of minutes to write recently.   I'm sure it means I'm not managing my time well, but here I am!

I've been occupied by many things including being concerned by several people around me that have been ill recently.  One seriously ill, the others more 'regular' sick.

In thinking about them and what they're going through, I'm not sure if anything brings focus and inner reflection like illness does.

The most serious thing I've ever had to deal with were the 2 night-time seizures I had over the past 3+ years.  The only residual effect they had was my friends lecturing me about going to bed earlier and avoiding stress, waking up with a chewed tongue and being confused for a few minutes.  (wait, actually that's a daily thing!  ha ha)

I cannot imagine what it's like to go through illness that's life threatening!

I would think it is completely consuming as if life stands still - takes a time-out, while you watch the goings-on from a far.  Being around it should bring perspective to those of us watching - revealing how we should spend our precious few years here on earth.  And forcing an evaluation of how our time is being spent.

Looking at my day as I sit on my deck I wonder what was eternal about it?

My determination to try to the best of my ability to prioritize my days to reflect that God is first place in my life - as if His existence is the driving force behind my choices is renewed once again as I think about my friends and pray for them.

I would love to not only trust Him each day, but actually, completely ABIDE in Him.  So I leave you tonight and plan to study about abiding…what does that look like and require - and am I capable of it?

If you too study about how to live a life of abiding completely in Him - please comment and share the information you find with all of us!  Let's learn together as we do this life together!

to boss or not

I have been intrigued my whole life by people who are abel to be the boss without being bossy!

I was doing some tough self-examination today.

I care deeply about being a good manager.

My secular work career was scarred by people for the most part that were bosses only because of appointment to a position.  It had nothing to do with earning leadership, it was mostly about corporate ladders and inside friendships - or female quotas to fill.  Sad to say the least.

Good leaders (like the ones I follow these days) are easy to follow.  You know clearly 'where' you're going and what is expected, but far beyond that you get to know the 'why' instead of "because I said so".  There is purpose behind where we go and an urgency in the journey.

The urgency comes from the 'why'.  We are called to point others toward the throne and personal spiritual maturity with our Savior.

Time is short - ministry is a season and the harvest is incredibly eternal and forever significant.

I am not only describing the opportunities that belong to those of us working within the ministry  - each of you are just as responsible where the Lord has you daily!  What if you really are the only person in someone's life that knows the Lord - that can point them toward Him?  Please point daily!  It doesn't take perfection - it only takes authenticity in your personal walk with Christ.  There are all kinds of fake 'feel good' things, only one real walk.

I need to change my focus from just urgent details - to urgent lives I cross paths with.  The amazing volunteers at Crossroads, my fellow staff members and especially the incredibly dedicated Magnification staff.

Being a boss to anyone is a huge responsibility and I feel like I need to do so much better at it.

 I am willing - with God's continued help I pray I am able in Him!!

what I learned today

I had the privilege of beginning my day with 2 John 7 -13.  John is teaching against false teachers and false doctrine.

I have always understood that there are many bad versions of Christianity but just recently, studying combined with Pastor Tim's keen focus on doctrinal truth has helped me realize just how uncompromising we should be about every detail in our Christian walk.

We scrutinized our coming choices of worship songs last week based on correct doctrine regarding the Holy Spirit.  Tim reminded us that the Holy Spirit is one of the most often misrepresented doctrinal pieces in Christianity.  You often hear 'baptism of the Holy Spirit', correct theology says we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we come to a saving knowledge of Christ.  There is no magical second step in being somehow baptized in the Spirit.  This would suggest something more 'we' have to do to get to that point.  WRONG!

So even in simple things like our music he leads us toward careful choices with our lyrics.  Always it is our desire to never compromise or settle for 'maybe it's ok'...

False teachers or bad church theology is sometimes hard to spot.  The most frightening false teachers do not refute EVERY single doctrine,  but they often don't believe he was Man as well as God.  Beth Moore said this, "the issue of Christ coming in the flesh is so vital because we "Enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus and only by His blood".

 God designed us with 3 parts similarly: body, soul, and spirit.  He equipped us with inner longings toward Him.    This spiritual longing is perhaps what fills the seats of many churches who do not present doctrinally sound teachings.  satan loves to use the spiritual longing and still keep people blind to the only real Truth of Jesus Christ.

It's vital that all pastors know what is being taught in the children's departments, woman's/men's ministry groups as well as from the pulpit.  I am so thankful that our pastor's are strong in their theology and can spot false teachers!

The toughest people to win to the Lord are those that consider themselves spiritual - they have a veil of deceit before their eyes.  Pray for them and walk wisely and always remember that although there are many 'good' things - there is only one Eternal enduring forever doctrine - that God sent Jesus in the form of a human to die brutally and then be raised from the dead so that through Him we can become the sons and daughters of God.