Wisdom Always Trumps Knowledge

My wheels have really been turning lately about authenticity in a Christian's faith walk. The truth is, it is really the lack of authenticity in people around me that has been getting under my skin. To the point of agitation. (GRRRR!) Usually when something is bothering my spirit like this, God is up to something. Usually it has nothing to do with the people around me...it has to do with me. At least I've come far enough a long in my faith walk, I'm starting to recognize it.

A Simple Guide for Behavior "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. Matthew 7: 2-4

 This week has been pretty interesting. I had a bunch of knowledge sort of dumped in my lap and then was left to sort it out. God's word in James says that if you lack wisdom on a matter, all you have to do is ask God. Wisdom is very different from knowledge. Knowledge is simply facts and frankly at times knowing certain things about people (especially if it is inconsistent with godly character) can be a burden. Wisdom is the ability to see the future outcome of a particular course of action. God wants us to succeed, especially as it comes to relationships and kingdom building, so he gladly and liberally will supply wisdom if we ask him. Only God knows the future, but he will gladly give you a glimpse of it if you ask.
I believe God gave me a glimpse of what he has been up to with me and my family this year. I had a divine appointment with someone this week who specifically and prophetically told me after hearing my circumstances that God was getting ready to launch me and my family into some type of ministry. (cricket, cricket) Ummm, what did you say? Ministry? No room for inauthentic character there; that explains a lot about what God has been asking Greg and I to work on, specifically our priorities, finances, and trust in him explicitly. I've had several people tell me and then confirmed in my own spirit, that everything that has happened this past year is in preparation for something.As Joseph told his brothers after they had thrown him in a pit, "what you intended for evil, God intended for good."
The other information I received was knowledge, not coincidentally I believe, at the same time had to do with someone's character. I had a choice to make of how to proceed. Thankfully I asked God first before plowing ahead and leveling that person. Why is that important? Because the holy spirit plainly told me, that anyone in ministry is going to consistently and constantly deal with people of lesser faith or even more frustrating, lukewarm faith. The holy spirit whispered in my ear, "What is accomplished by stepping on an ant?" Nothing.  If God is going to be able to use me in some type of future ministry and kingdom building, I am going to need to know how to deal with these types of people without displaying frustration or worse shaming them. After careful deliberation and prayer, I have decided to say nothing to the parties involved. I think they know that I know anyway. I will consider it a lesson learned.
Apparently I'm going to need this type of lesson, "if I'm going to be fit" to serve in some future capacity.

Sign of the Times

I'm sure you have heard this familiar expression, "It is just another sign of the times." Most people don't realize that many of the expressions that we use in common speech have their origin in the bible. I suppose many of you have heard the saying, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning." Well, it comes from the bible. Jesus actually used it as an example to illustrate that he would one day return from the dead which would be the only sign needed that he truly was the Son of God.
He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. (Matthew 16)

Today this familiar expression means that the world around us is changing and growing ever more dark as Jesus predicted it would prior to his coming again; a "sign of the times" in an indicator that we are growing closer to Jesus' return as evidenced by the way our world is going. By contrast, while the world is going in one direction, God is doing something entirely different with his church. He is using this time to prepare his bride, making her into a church that is authentic, pure, and living for his return. Our current 'signs of the times' are believers who put Jesus first. First before any job. First before any possession. First before anything else in their lives. Those kind of believers are like billboards to this generation that Jesus is alive, and he is coming back. This is the kind of church God is preparing; this is the kind of believer God is molding me to be, although sometimes difficult.

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4:23
What is worshiping in Spirit and truth? It is going where God tells you to, laying down on his altar what he asks, and loving him completely. No matter what. 
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true act of worship." Rom 12:1

I've mentioned before that God has told us to sell our home. Let me tell you, when this year began that was definitely not part of my plan. But part of this journey has involved a constant dialogue with him regarding being willing to lay things down in my life on my altar of worship. Sometimes I placed them there, only to try to keep part for myself. ( A future post regarding this.) Other times, I've laid it there willingly but with eyes full of tears. I do feel though that this is what we are called to do and I know that God will eventually bless my obedience. Now to pray that it sells quickly! For us, it is a 'sign of the times' of what God is doing in our hearts and lives and ultimately in his church of believers. My prayer is that our obedience is sign to those around us; he is alive, he is coming back and he is looking for true worshipers. 

Gotta Move

Crissy Thibodeau, my instructor, and her twin boys

I am frequently motivated by music. I usually at any given time will have a particular song that is speaking in to my life/current situation. Right now is no different, and my anthem seemed so appropriate for the events of the day.  Today was quite a physical day. I started by running my first race since all the challenges at work had begun. It was the Blue Mountain 30 A 5k. There were small hills along the course; I could tell that all that weight lifting I have been doing really helped me push up those hills.  I finished first for females over 40. That made me the "Female Master" Overall winner. There wasn't a huge turn out for the race, but it was nice to win a medal my first time running again and I felt good when I finished with a time of 29:05.
Next I went to my regular Zumba class. I thought she was going to take it easy on us because today was Zumbathon/Party in Pink for Breast Cancer. I was wrong; class was as challenging as ever. So after class and Zumbathon, I did almost 4 hours of Zumba.

 It was challenging but I completed everything I set out to do. But more importantly, I succeeded in reminding myself how physical challenges are such good analogies for spiritual ones. That's why Paul used the examples of running a race so many times in his letters. Despite everything that has happened this year, I am actually now stronger. Both physically and hopefully in my walk with Christ more than ever before. All the training, which has been at time painful, has paid off.






So back to my song. My current choice is "Move" by Mercy Me.

The lyrics pretty much describe how I feel about Zumba and exercise right now as a physical demonstration of my faith walk. Lord, your word promises brighter days...so I'll keep dancing anyway. Gotta move!

I'm not about to give up
Because I heard you say, there's gonna be brighter days
I won't stop, I'll keep my head up
No I'm not here to stay, there's gonna be brighter days
I just might bend but I won't break
As long as I can see your face
When life won't play along and right keeps going wrong
And I can't seem to find my way
I know where I am found, so I won't let it drag me down
I'll keep dancing anyway
Gonna move, gonna move, gonna move

I've got to keep it steady, keep my head in the game
Everything is about to change
This hurt is getting heavy, but I'm not about to cave
Everything is about to change, there's gonna be brighter days
Just might bend, but I won't break
As long as I can see your face....

No matter what may come, gotta move to different drum, gotta move.

What's Your Jericho?

If you read my last post then you know that I participated in a church wide fast for 21 days. The goal was to set something aside for this period of time...to sanctify yourself...in preparation for seeing God work wonders. The inspirational scripture was from the book of Joshua as the Israelites are about to take possession of their promised land and cross the river Jordan. Joshua 3:5 "Prepare yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
Our pastor told us that the first town that Joshua had to conquer among entering the promised land was Jericho. "Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in." Joshua 6:1
Jericho represents strongholds. Strongholds are ways of thinking, basically lies, that we adhere to strongly despite the fact that they are not of God; they hold us captive. No one gets in and no one gets out; at least that's how our enemy would like it to be. It is spiritually significant that the Israelites had to conquer this place first. Why? Because the battlefield for our souls largely takes place in the mind. Overcoming strongholds is the key to fulfilling your destiny in Christ and taking the land God has prepared for you.
How you do know what your stronghold is? Pastor Steve said, "ask yourself these questions."
Identify the king: Do you feel like what you battle constantly is becoming part of your identity? The enemy wants it to be that way. He wants it to be Jennifer, the _____________. (Fill in the blank here)  What makes you defensive...hopeless? That's what he wants to write in the blank.
I knew exactly what to write in the blank. My stronghold is rejection. It stems all the way back to my childhood and has controlled my behavior ever since. I see rejection even when it is not there. For most of my adult life, I was motivated by things I thought would gain approval from others. In many ways, I turned those things into idols because I was hoping to gain from them what only God can provide. God wants to tear down those walls and let the truth come rushing in. In my mind, it was 'jennifer', the despised, the rejected. I realized instantly that my current situation, with the other doctors, is my Jericho. (Have you noticed that SHHEC has a big 'tower' out front?)  I could choose to live inside those walls and further cement this as part of my identity, controlling my behaviors, or I could choose to make it the event that sets this captive free. Just like the cross at Calvary, the enemy was hoping it would be the death of one of God's beloved, but instead God will use this in my life to bring himself glory.
The way we weaken the walls of our Jericho is by meditating on God's word. Replacing lies for truth. I think God asked me to eliminate Facebook so that what people had to say would be so much less important than what God had to say. After 21 days, it becomes a habit/way of thinking. So for the last 7 days of my fast I read scriptures each morning that told me how God feels about the rejected of this world. I also walked around my house praying each morning; I encircled it once for 6 days, and then on the 7th day I walked around my home 7 times finishing with a shout of praise. The last day of the fast literally was a shout of praise. We had a "Night of Worship" at DWC and I sang with the choir, which I recently joined.
Here are some of the scriptures God gave me:
1st Corinth 1:27-29 " God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify things that are, so that no one can boast before him."

Psalm 22:24 "For he has NOT despised or scorned the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from her but has listened to her cry for help."

Neh 4:4 "Hear me O God, for I am despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

Deut 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth to be his...his treasured possession."

John 15:19 "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Col 3:12 "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

No, nothing miraculous has changed yet with my call situation. In all honesty, I was hoping God was going to drop some amazing solution in my lap after 21 days. That didn't happen. But don't get me wrong, I do think things have changed...in my mind and priorities.

21 Days of FB Fast

At the conclusion of my last blog post I indicated that I would spend some time in prayer to decide what I would give up during the next 21 days. This period is meant to be a time of sanctification in anticipation that God is getting ready to move in my current work/life situation.

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5

My family and I are eager to know what direction God is taking us. We have felt strongly since January that the events of the last year were designed to prepare us for "something"...we just weren't sure what. I've had numerous people speak that over my situation which only confirms it for me.  Although some would describe my current situation as 'captivity', that is a worldly view. A spiritual perspective would frame the events as God's way of actually setting me free from things that have held me captive; I can testify this is absolutely the case as I have relied upon him instead of things, possessions, or people to get me through this season of life. I can absolutely say without a doubt that I have no desire to go back "to the way things were" prior to February 4th, 2011. I'm ready for something new. I'm ready for what God has planned for me and this time of preparation is so that he will reveal it to us.

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." Isaiah 42:9

To be able to hear God's voice, I decided it was important to eliminate distractions or inputs that frankly have begun to take up too much of my thoughts and energies. So, for the next 21 days I am not going to log on to Facebook at all. People who really mean something to me or care about me will contact me 'the old fashioned' way. Sometimes when there are too many voices, God's voice can get drowned out. Eliminating the chatter, can help you focus on the only the voice that matters. Remember, when the Israelites were sent to scope out their promised land, only 2 of the 10 came back with the report that God intended. The others did not speak God's promises over their situation. At the time of the Exodus from Egypt, it was estimated that the nation of Israel was about 2,000,000 people. That means only 1 in a million held onto God's promises and were willing to go in and claim their promised land. That's the type of believer I want to be. I'm ready to leave Egypt, cross my Jordan, and take possession of some new land. For the next 21 days I will be getting ready to see God's favor work itself out. Of course, I'll keep you posted.

What's Next, God?

This week was homecoming at my sons' school, Rocky Bayou Christian School. First I just have to say that I just love their school! Both boys have been there since they were 4 years old and their education at RBCS has definitely added to the foundation for life that we have striven to achieve in our family. I was particularly emotional about the whole event because Cameron was on the homecoming court as one of the freshman representatives. The reality of just how much he has grown really struck me as I stared at the person who was once a baby I rocked to sleep and now standing before me as a handsome young man. It's amazing how transformation takes place in individuals. So slow and yet so fast, at the same time.
One of the things that really struck me occurred at the presentation of the Court on dance night. Each member of the court was introduced and a short biography was read about them. So many of the young people in front of me were obviously talented young men and women with their whole lives in front of them. Yet, so many of them when their biographies were read said that their plans were all dependent upon where Jesus would send them. Yes they had aspirations, but so many said that those aspirations were only meaningful if they fit into God's plan for their lives. These weren't just trite little quotes to meet some unspoken Christian school expectation; the listener knew, they meant it.  In that moment, I was a little jealous. Oh, how different my life might have been had I had such wisdom at 16 years of age! The very lesson that God is teaching me right now, some of these young people have already mastered!

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Prov  16:9
"I know that people's lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps." Jer 10:23

Greg and I have been struggling a little with what comes next for us. Life since January has been a big transformation both for us and within us; this only confirms for us in our souls that it is part of God's plan for our lives. We know in our hearts that we are being prepared for something, but we just don't know what. Initially we struggled with really trusting that God was in control of this whole situation. We have fully come to that understanding. One lesson/outcome of the last few months is that I truly am relying on God every day for my hope and have put down a lot of the idols that I once turned to for comfort.  Last night, however,  I expressed my frustration with the fact that the Lord has not told us where he is leading us. I even cried a few tears over it. Sure enough, the message at church today was EXACTLY on this topic. (Again, the Lord confirmed we are in the spiritual house he wants us in right now). Pastor Steve told us that if you are asking the question, "What's next, Lord?" in your life, you have to seek the Holy Spirit to tell you. He wants you to know his plans for you; they are not a big celestial secret. Crossing your Jordan River into the land God has for you takes a few preparations on our part.
----Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over.  After three days the officers went throughout the camp,  giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.  Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about two thousand cubits between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”----Joshua 3:3-5

It was made clear to us, that what God is preparing us for will be obvious to us when we see God move in our lives. It won't be by our efforts, but something that only comes from him. It will be something NEW, that we have never done before. And we have to prepare ourselves in order to see his wonder.
Pastor Steve asked us to ask the Holy Spirit how we should sanctify ourselves in preparation. Specifically, what should we get rid of that will hinder our ability to hear from the Lord. For 21 days, we are to set ourselves apart and be ready. This afternoon I will be spending some time in prayer to determine what should be let go; I am so ready to see God's wonder work itself in this situation.

My PCS of Faith

Both my husband and I grew up as military brats. If you are one, you know exactly what this term defines. It is not so much about an attitude or level of behavior, it is about a lifestyle. Children of military members understand things like code of ethics, sacrifice, and duty from a very young age. They also understand that duty takes precedent over comfort and often this requires frequent moves. Most military families pick up and move every 3 to 4 years; it's called a PCS or 'permanent change of station'. I actually liked it when I was a child. Although it meant saying goodbye to familiar friends and surroundings, I always looked at it as a new start. Somehow I had convinced myself that when I got to our new location I could "start over" and create the ideal relationships that somehow lacked in my current location. I could re-create myself, if I so chose, and the fresh start always seemed appealing. The problem is....that is not how life or moving works. Why you ask? Because a move involves movers, and when you get to the new location you have to unpack your stuff. We all bring baggage with us.
I'm watching some folks around me who basically are trying to create what they believe is a fresh start for themselves. They are essentially quitting their current life in an attempt to move into some kind of new one. The problem is, that apart from God this is impossible. Doing it in your own strength, will only produce the same results. You can't expect a different outcome, if you keep going about things in the same manner.
Solomon, who was the richest man in the world with everything he could want or need, said it this way in the book of Ecclesiastes..."Utterly meaningless, everything is meaningless. What do people gain from all their labors for which they toil under the sun? What he meant was, that a life here on Earth apart from God (under the sun) is meaningless because all your self improvement efforts are in vain. Anxious toil is exhausting and I would suggest that is why most of us want to quit. What we are really seeking is relief from our circumstances and the hard work it is going to require to fix them; the path of least resistance seems somewhat like a military move. Just pick up and go somewhere else. Oh, yeah...the baggage.
That's why we have to live life "above the sun"...with the big picture that only God gives. This only happens by staying connected to him on a daily basis. Brave Christians who want to grow in their faith are willing to ask themselves tough questions. This is something I am currently learning especially as it relates to the things that make me anxious. But I will tell you one thing....I am not going to quit, despite what the current rumor mill might suggest. My life has undergone a lot of change in the last six months, most of which I would not have chosen. But my walk with God is stronger than it has ever been as I turn to him daily for the perspective that I need to get through it. As we try to sort through our house in Niceville, getting ready to put it on the market, the process seems overwhelming. That is exactly how our enemy wants the process of change to feel...overwhelming, so that we will chose to quit rather than push through the mountains of baggage to achieve what God has in store for us. At times it certainly does seem easier, and appealing, to just walk away from everything I am dealing with. I'd rather have a little discomfort now knowing that I'm on my way to the blessing God has in store for me, than have to live with the lifetime of regret that accompanies the believer who chose to quit rather than persevere.
God wants us to move too, but only when we are willing to go through the processes of change that will make us more like his Son. Change is how God moves you from glory to glory. (Read that one again! and meditate on it for a second.) It really is a permanent change of your station (PCS) in life.  If that is true, then quitting would be the worst thing to do. The question to ask yourself is, "Am I resistant to change?" The answer for most of us, is yes.
Only God makes things new. Only God can release you from the baggage that causes us to labor in vain. Looking at your circumstances through worldly glasses will always encourage quitting. But seeking God's perspective on the matter will take your faith to the next level.
"So from now on regard no one with a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come." 2nd Corin 5:16-18