My pastor has been preaching from the book of Nehemiah for a few Sunday’s now. One Sunday he asked us how many people have read Nehemiah since he has been preaching on it. Many people raised their hands but I could not. Actually, it never even dawned on me to read it. Did I just place myself as a “pew sitter?” Listening, but not doing? Not applying what I have been learning through the sermons?
A couple of days after that sermon, God really placed on my heart the burden to read the book of Nehemiah. I was only able to get through chapter 2 before God convicted me and gave me a message. This message is for you, it is for me and it is for the church. “They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.’" Neh 1:3. It seems to me that our churches and our worship to God have been broken for several years now. We need to find the cracks, repair the walls and get back to the business of worshipping and praising God! Truthfully, you and I have no reason to do anything BUT to praise and worship God. He created us, He sustains us, He sees to our daily needs. He is the author of our salvation and He is the living God who “was and is and is to come!” When Nehemiah heard about the broken walls of Jerusalem he fell down and wept -- “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Neh 1:4. How often have we seen the brokenness of the messages coming from our churches? How often have we seen the brokenness of a world in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ? How often have we as children of God fallen down on our faces and wept and prayed and fasted because of this brokenness? Nehemiah should be an example to us. What part am I playing in this brokenness of the church? What part are you playing? Don’t you think it is time that the church (that includes you and I, we are the church) quit worrying about stepping on toes and preach the saving mercy and grace of the CROSS?
“And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.” Neh 2:8b. Nehemiah asked the King to send him back to Jerusalem with all of the resources he needed to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah states that because God was with him these requests were granted. Anytime you and I are obedient and following the will of God, his hand will always be upon us....upon you and upon me! BUT, let’s not be naive here. You know and I know that whenever we begin to follow the will of God and do His bidding that there will be opposition. If you and I caught on fire for God and began a revival in our churches across this great nation....there would be opposition. “But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’" Neh 2:19. Trust me, when you and I begin our church rebuilding project we can expect opposition from the world. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor 1:18
Each of us must begin to prayerfully examine our church to see where we can help rebuild. You and I must also examine ourselves. Our own personal walls! Where are they falling apart? Where is the breach that Satan can use to infiltrate? Where is Satan using “political correctness” against our church to mask the true message of God? Where is Satan using your “busyness” to keep you from a total and complete, worshipful relationship with Jesus Christ?
Please don’t be a “pew sitter.” If we are obedient, if we open our hearts and say yes to Jesus, if we open our eyes to Satan’s tactics...we will not fail! Our churches will be rebuilt and at the same time, our personal lives will be rebuilt. The God of heaven will give us success!
"The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding...” Neh 2:20a
All verses from the New International Version
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Fill Me, Lord!
I’ve been asking God to fill me with the Holy Spirit, and do you know what I’ve heard from God? “You’ve got to be emptied first.” Mt 12:34 says, “…out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” So, what’s overflowing out of your mouth? Is it encouragement, blessings, love, joy? Or is it anger, bitterness, judgment, critical words and complaining? How do we get emptied of all of the junk inside of us? It’s called “repentance”. Now I know that people don’t want to think about repentance because it sounds old fashioned and we think there’s got to be some other way to empty ourselves, right? But when we repent, or turn away from our sin and turn toward God, we are asking God to take out all of the junk (sin) and clean us up. But we need to look at the reason we keep sinning. I’m convinced that we continue in sin because we never really deal with it. We just know it’s wrong and we ask God to forgive us and then we go on our merry way, feeling a little better for having expressed it to God. But the sin returns because we haven’t dealt with the underlying issue. We need to take time to reflect on the sin and really be convicted about it. If we’re not truly convicted and sorrowful for what we’ve been doing, we’re just going to continue to do it over and over again. Take the time to find verses in the bible that deal with that sin and meditate on them. See how God feels about that sin in particular. And ask the Holy Spirit to convict you.
In Nehemiah chapter 9:1-3, the children of Israel were assembled together and were fasting. Fasting is a great example to follow because God will give you more clarity and insight as you seek Him, whether it’s regarding repentance or some other answer you’re looking for from Him. Then the Israelites separated themselves from all of the foreigners. Now this was actually a time for the people of God to come together, out from the worldly influences, as an assembly and listen to the word of God and reflect on how their lives lined up with God’s word. Do you have a church that you attend regularly to hear the word of God and see how your life lines up? And how is your life lining up with the plumb line of God’s Word? When you find a place that your life is not lining up with the word, take time to stop, confess it to God and repent. Ask God to show you the root of the sin and ask Him to give you a plan of action that will keep you from continuing to engage in that sin. And then apply it to your life. If you fall short of this last step, you won’t change, and that’s what repentance is all about – changing, renewing your mind and turning away from the sin. There’s also something about confessing your sin to someone else. (James 5:16) If you have a secret sin, when you tell someone about it, it removes the power and the hold it has over your life. Entrust yourself to a godly person and confess to them. Find someone you can trust and who won’t judge you because they know they could fall just as easily.
In Nehemiah 9:3, the people stood in place and read the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for 3 hours. Yes, you heard me right, 3 hours! Sometimes we have a hard time reading the word for 30 minutes, much less standing for 3 hours! Then for another 3 hours, “they confessed and worshiped the Lord”. Now I believe part of this time of worship and confession was on their faces because in Ne 9:5 the men said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever!” So don’t feel foolish about bowing down to God. It shows your humbleness toward God and your reverence to Him. And when you are finished repenting, worship the Lord and bless God forever and ever! He is worthy of your praise! Then the Holy Spirit will have plenty of room to come in and fill you up to overflowing so that you can lead a Spirit-filled life!
*All Scripture references are from the New International Version.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
In Nehemiah chapter 9:1-3, the children of Israel were assembled together and were fasting. Fasting is a great example to follow because God will give you more clarity and insight as you seek Him, whether it’s regarding repentance or some other answer you’re looking for from Him. Then the Israelites separated themselves from all of the foreigners. Now this was actually a time for the people of God to come together, out from the worldly influences, as an assembly and listen to the word of God and reflect on how their lives lined up with God’s word. Do you have a church that you attend regularly to hear the word of God and see how your life lines up? And how is your life lining up with the plumb line of God’s Word? When you find a place that your life is not lining up with the word, take time to stop, confess it to God and repent. Ask God to show you the root of the sin and ask Him to give you a plan of action that will keep you from continuing to engage in that sin. And then apply it to your life. If you fall short of this last step, you won’t change, and that’s what repentance is all about – changing, renewing your mind and turning away from the sin. There’s also something about confessing your sin to someone else. (James 5:16) If you have a secret sin, when you tell someone about it, it removes the power and the hold it has over your life. Entrust yourself to a godly person and confess to them. Find someone you can trust and who won’t judge you because they know they could fall just as easily.
In Nehemiah 9:3, the people stood in place and read the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for 3 hours. Yes, you heard me right, 3 hours! Sometimes we have a hard time reading the word for 30 minutes, much less standing for 3 hours! Then for another 3 hours, “they confessed and worshiped the Lord”. Now I believe part of this time of worship and confession was on their faces because in Ne 9:5 the men said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever!” So don’t feel foolish about bowing down to God. It shows your humbleness toward God and your reverence to Him. And when you are finished repenting, worship the Lord and bless God forever and ever! He is worthy of your praise! Then the Holy Spirit will have plenty of room to come in and fill you up to overflowing so that you can lead a Spirit-filled life!
*All Scripture references are from the New International Version.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
Monday, October 18, 2010
SIN CAN NOT WIN!
Do you believe that? Do you believe that sin can win? Do you honestly believe that Satan can defeat the children of God? When God started calling me back to him in early 2000, He gave me Jeremiah 29:11-14 as my own personal verses from Him. This gave me something to hold on to, to believe in, to trust in and to pray back to God. I could easily quote back to God verse 11 “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I would quote back to God verses 12 through 14 and usually (actually, quite often), I would butcher those verses....but I understood and internalized what they meant and I prayed them back to God with a sincere heart. Whenever, I saw a plaque or something with Jeremiah 29:11 on it, I always wondered “where are the other verses? Aren’t they just as important?”
Recently, God revealed to me that yes, Jeremiah 29:11 was given to me personally and that the other verses were given to me, so that I could give them to you! “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity...” Jer 29:12-14a. As a Christian, know that when you pray to God....He does listen! If you are still breathing.....know that when you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him. It doesn’t matter if you are saved or not because, “when you seek Me with all of your heart, I will be found by you!” This is a promise! God is so amazing and He loves you so much that when you make one move, just one step toward Him, He will take three, four, five steps (however many it takes) toward you! If you truly seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him!
Then, there is verse 14. I’ve always thought, “well that doesn’t apply to me because this verse is talking about Israel.” No, that’s not the case. This verse applies to me and it applies to you. What is holding you captive? God is saying in this verse “I am bigger than sin! I am bigger than whatever you are allowing to get between us! Seek me with your whole heart! Pray to me and I will listen to you and I promise that I will free you from the sin that is holding you captive!" What is that sin? Is it busyness? You just don’t have enough time in the day to focus on God? Are you a slave to an addiction that you just can’t quite kick? Are you constantly trying to hold yourself up to the standards of others? Who is it....your spouse, a friend, girlfriend or boyfriend, your best friend, a relative, a co-worker.....how about Hollywood? You are unique, you are special. God knit your bones together in your mothers’ womb and He knew you and numbered your days before you even took your first breath of life! God has a plan for you and that is a promise!
There is no reason for you to struggle any longer; whether you are a Christian or not, you are not in this alone...the God of the universe is on your side! Did you hear me? God IS ON YOUR SIDE and He wants so much to be your God! He wants you to give ALL of your problems to Him. Don’t you want to rest? Don’t you want the peace that only faith in Jesus Christ can give you? “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, sin can not win! “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love......” Joel 2:13
To find out more about receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please read our blog titled New Life in Christ (April 2, 2010).
All verses New International Version
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Recently, God revealed to me that yes, Jeremiah 29:11 was given to me personally and that the other verses were given to me, so that I could give them to you! “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity...” Jer 29:12-14a. As a Christian, know that when you pray to God....He does listen! If you are still breathing.....know that when you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him. It doesn’t matter if you are saved or not because, “when you seek Me with all of your heart, I will be found by you!” This is a promise! God is so amazing and He loves you so much that when you make one move, just one step toward Him, He will take three, four, five steps (however many it takes) toward you! If you truly seek Him with all of your heart, you will find Him!
Then, there is verse 14. I’ve always thought, “well that doesn’t apply to me because this verse is talking about Israel.” No, that’s not the case. This verse applies to me and it applies to you. What is holding you captive? God is saying in this verse “I am bigger than sin! I am bigger than whatever you are allowing to get between us! Seek me with your whole heart! Pray to me and I will listen to you and I promise that I will free you from the sin that is holding you captive!" What is that sin? Is it busyness? You just don’t have enough time in the day to focus on God? Are you a slave to an addiction that you just can’t quite kick? Are you constantly trying to hold yourself up to the standards of others? Who is it....your spouse, a friend, girlfriend or boyfriend, your best friend, a relative, a co-worker.....how about Hollywood? You are unique, you are special. God knit your bones together in your mothers’ womb and He knew you and numbered your days before you even took your first breath of life! God has a plan for you and that is a promise!
There is no reason for you to struggle any longer; whether you are a Christian or not, you are not in this alone...the God of the universe is on your side! Did you hear me? God IS ON YOUR SIDE and He wants so much to be your God! He wants you to give ALL of your problems to Him. Don’t you want to rest? Don’t you want the peace that only faith in Jesus Christ can give you? “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, sin can not win! “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love......” Joel 2:13
To find out more about receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please read our blog titled New Life in Christ (April 2, 2010).
All verses New International Version
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Waiting On God
Ps 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Ps 33:20-21 – “We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.”
It’s hard to wait. In our culture, waiting is not seen as a good thing. We want what we want when we want it, and we want it now! We are not a patient people. We want fast food. We want everything on the fast track. We want everything to go fast forward, and we certainly don’t want to wait on God.
During times of waiting at the doctor’s office or in line, I notice that I try to multi-task so that I can “be productive” because waiting seems to be “a waste of time”. But I don’t think God sees waiting on Him as “a waste of time”. Look at Moses... He had to wait 40 years before he truly started walking in the ministry God had planned for him. He was in training for 40 years in the desert as a shepherd. He was 80 years old before God used him in the leadership role for the Israelites! This tells us that waiting is a fact of life. It also tells us that we are never too old to be in service to God. Your life has not been a waste just because it took you a little longer to start going in God’s direction. Stop looking at “what could have been” and start looking forward to “what will be”. As long as you’re still alive, God has a plan for you.
It was in the year 2000 that God gave me a vision to speak out for Him. That was 11 years ago. I can see that I’m very close to that vision, but I’m still not there yet. God has been training me and changing me these past 11 years for the plan He has for me. And at the same time, He’s been working on Cindy and Vanessa too (the other two “cords” in A Cord of Three). Sometimes God has to wait for the right circumstances. You know, Vanessa and I have been going to the same church for about 20 years. We’ve known each other by name, but we never really connected or talked until this last year. And Cindy and I only met because God put us together in our church’s Mentor & Mentee program. But otherwise, we didn’t run around in the same circles at church and would seemingly have never met. But God has His plan for each of us, and He works through us our entire life to get us where we need to be.
Where do you see yourself waiting on God? Is it a ministry you believe He wants you to start? Or are you waiting on God to answer your prayers? Maybe you’ve been praying for someone’s salvation? Don’t give up! Just as God’s ways are not our ways (Is 55:8-9), God’s timing is not always our timing. Waiting on God shows that you trust Him and His plan for your life. If you move ahead of God or lag behind God, you won’t walk in all the blessings He has for you. As you wait on God, walk in the promise of Isaiah 64:4 and see how God acts on your behalf because you waited on Him.
“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.”
*All Scripture is from the New International Version unless specified.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
Ps 33:20-21 – “We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.”
It’s hard to wait. In our culture, waiting is not seen as a good thing. We want what we want when we want it, and we want it now! We are not a patient people. We want fast food. We want everything on the fast track. We want everything to go fast forward, and we certainly don’t want to wait on God.
During times of waiting at the doctor’s office or in line, I notice that I try to multi-task so that I can “be productive” because waiting seems to be “a waste of time”. But I don’t think God sees waiting on Him as “a waste of time”. Look at Moses... He had to wait 40 years before he truly started walking in the ministry God had planned for him. He was in training for 40 years in the desert as a shepherd. He was 80 years old before God used him in the leadership role for the Israelites! This tells us that waiting is a fact of life. It also tells us that we are never too old to be in service to God. Your life has not been a waste just because it took you a little longer to start going in God’s direction. Stop looking at “what could have been” and start looking forward to “what will be”. As long as you’re still alive, God has a plan for you.
It was in the year 2000 that God gave me a vision to speak out for Him. That was 11 years ago. I can see that I’m very close to that vision, but I’m still not there yet. God has been training me and changing me these past 11 years for the plan He has for me. And at the same time, He’s been working on Cindy and Vanessa too (the other two “cords” in A Cord of Three). Sometimes God has to wait for the right circumstances. You know, Vanessa and I have been going to the same church for about 20 years. We’ve known each other by name, but we never really connected or talked until this last year. And Cindy and I only met because God put us together in our church’s Mentor & Mentee program. But otherwise, we didn’t run around in the same circles at church and would seemingly have never met. But God has His plan for each of us, and He works through us our entire life to get us where we need to be.
Where do you see yourself waiting on God? Is it a ministry you believe He wants you to start? Or are you waiting on God to answer your prayers? Maybe you’ve been praying for someone’s salvation? Don’t give up! Just as God’s ways are not our ways (Is 55:8-9), God’s timing is not always our timing. Waiting on God shows that you trust Him and His plan for your life. If you move ahead of God or lag behind God, you won’t walk in all the blessings He has for you. As you wait on God, walk in the promise of Isaiah 64:4 and see how God acts on your behalf because you waited on Him.
“Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.”
*All Scripture is from the New International Version unless specified.
@Copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc.
Monday, October 4, 2010
CROSSROADS!
Has there ever been a time in your life that you knew you were standing at a crossroads? You knew that you had a choice to make. You knew that whichever way you chose to turn would have a direct impact on your life and lead you to where you are today? You knew that the choice you made would impact your life for better or for worse. Some of you may be standing there now at that crossroads and you are having to make your choice now. Some of you have already made your choice and you know that you are now paying the consequences for a foolish choice, while some of you made the wise choice and you are reaping the benefits of that choice.
I found myself at such a crossroads several years ago. Some of you may remember from my prior postings that my husband and I got away from going to church. As it is with these types of things in life, one thing led to another and the next thing we knew we were living in the world and not following God. After I had lived in the world and made a mess of things, I found myself standing in the middle of a crossroads. I’ve thought about this often and when I look back at this period of time in my life, I actually see myself standing at a crossroads. I knew that I had a choice to make. Looking to the left, I could only see darkness and sadness; this is the atmosphere that I had chosen to live in for a while. On the right, I could see sunshine, my husband, my family and the life that God had intended for me to live. I don’t know why God allowed me to see myself this way and to show me what led down each road, but I’m glad He did and I’m glad that I chose wisely. This was in the mid 1990’s.
We moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 2002 and from then on, God has really been working in my life. Often, I think back to the friends that I left at the crossroads, the friends that chose the dark road and no matter what I say to them would never convince them that the road they are on is a road of destruction. Satan is very convincing. What road are you on? Do you find yourself at a crossroads? The choice is yours, even if you are a Christian (and I was) you may find yourself living in the world and you know that you need to get off of that road and get back to God. If that is the case, ask God to show you where you are and how to get back on the right path. If you are not a Christian and you know that life has got to be better than what you are living, then please read our blog titled New Life in Christ (April 2, 2010).
“This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls...” Jer 6:16 (NIV)
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity...” Jer 29:13-14 (NIV)
Dear Father,
Today, I come to you on behalf of all those who are standing at a crossroads. They have a choice to make, they can turn to the left where there is only darkness, destruction and captivity waiting for them, or they can choose to turn right toward sunshine, family and You. Father God, I pray that all reading this will choose to ask You where the good way is. That they will choose to walk in that path and that they will choose to believe You when You say that they will find rest for their souls. So many people are hurting and in pain today. Lord, the enemy has made a mockery of all things that are true and just and sacred. There is only one straight and narrow road that leads to Life, but there are many roads that lead to death and destruction. I pray Father that the Holy Spirit will guide everyone reading this entry today to realize they are at a crossroads and that their future depends on the choice that they make today.
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
I found myself at such a crossroads several years ago. Some of you may remember from my prior postings that my husband and I got away from going to church. As it is with these types of things in life, one thing led to another and the next thing we knew we were living in the world and not following God. After I had lived in the world and made a mess of things, I found myself standing in the middle of a crossroads. I’ve thought about this often and when I look back at this period of time in my life, I actually see myself standing at a crossroads. I knew that I had a choice to make. Looking to the left, I could only see darkness and sadness; this is the atmosphere that I had chosen to live in for a while. On the right, I could see sunshine, my husband, my family and the life that God had intended for me to live. I don’t know why God allowed me to see myself this way and to show me what led down each road, but I’m glad He did and I’m glad that I chose wisely. This was in the mid 1990’s.
We moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 2002 and from then on, God has really been working in my life. Often, I think back to the friends that I left at the crossroads, the friends that chose the dark road and no matter what I say to them would never convince them that the road they are on is a road of destruction. Satan is very convincing. What road are you on? Do you find yourself at a crossroads? The choice is yours, even if you are a Christian (and I was) you may find yourself living in the world and you know that you need to get off of that road and get back to God. If that is the case, ask God to show you where you are and how to get back on the right path. If you are not a Christian and you know that life has got to be better than what you are living, then please read our blog titled New Life in Christ (April 2, 2010).
“This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls...” Jer 6:16 (NIV)
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity...” Jer 29:13-14 (NIV)
Dear Father,
Today, I come to you on behalf of all those who are standing at a crossroads. They have a choice to make, they can turn to the left where there is only darkness, destruction and captivity waiting for them, or they can choose to turn right toward sunshine, family and You. Father God, I pray that all reading this will choose to ask You where the good way is. That they will choose to walk in that path and that they will choose to believe You when You say that they will find rest for their souls. So many people are hurting and in pain today. Lord, the enemy has made a mockery of all things that are true and just and sacred. There is only one straight and narrow road that leads to Life, but there are many roads that lead to death and destruction. I pray Father that the Holy Spirit will guide everyone reading this entry today to realize they are at a crossroads and that their future depends on the choice that they make today.
@copyright 2010 LVC Ministries, Inc
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