Saturday, February 3, 2018

To be changed by Jesus is to know His heart...

Good morning my sister warriors-

The day has not dawned yet, the hour is early and the only sound I hear is the dog biting on a bone. And yet, I sit here and think about how many of you are getting over the flu or have lost someone significant to you.  I wonder about the people in other countries and how they're doing and I wonder about the men and women who sleep outside when I have a soft bed every night of my life.

These are the thoughts that go through my mind. It wasn't always like this. Most of the time I couldn't think straight when I woke up. The challenges of business, kids and marriage would be scattering through my mind and just over a year ago my mind would have only been on making money.

Things have changed. My relationship has gotten deeper with Jesus. I find that as I've asked Him for clarity and to see what breaks His heart, He has shown me. And now, I see the tragedy in this world or maybe it's the fragility of life that we all take for granted, either way, I see it and it humbles me.

Life is precious and we waste so much of it running after our dreams, building businesses that forget us the minute we step out the door and worry how we women worry. To overcompensate for what ails us, we find joy in getting a new car or a new house and over time both break down and need repair. Worry nor possessions are what this life is really about, that's the world talking.

God wants us to love people. He wants us to sit with them right where they are, even if it's in pornography, homelessness, drugs or  prison. He didn't come for people like me with a great house and money to buy food. He came for the destitute, the lonely and the lost. And every day I get closer to Him I know that my journey isn't about amassing things, security or money anymore. It's about investing in His people.

I'm not saying it's wrong to have a nice house or cars that work, it's not. What I am saying is that you  must put effort into what matters most to Jesus. He worked with his hands, he was a builder, he had a trade and for years he went to his job and provided for his family members. And then one day, his Father called and he left behind his stability and all He knew. You see there was a greater purpose so He listened to the will of His Father and walked among his people because he knew that what was most important was to fulfill His Father's will. So he went into danger, fostered twelve men from different walks of life and spent the rest of his time on earth healing the sick, comforting the lonely and forgiving those that trespassed against him. (BTW-that's all of us)

So as I close today, I want to remind you that you are loved by the almighty God. His hands are on you, and if you know Him by name, He lives inside of you. You can be destitute and He loves you. You can be sinning and He loves you. You can be denying Him and He's calling. God knows you by name and he continues to send his warriors out to find you and make Him known. I'm one of them. I love  you and if you reach out I will pray with you and I will help you find Him. Behind every saved Christian there is a story of redemption. We do not live perfect lives or live without flaws. We are just like you. When we found Him, we were lost just like you. Don't let the image of what a Christian should look like sway you into knowing Him. We all have closets and they are full of regret, shame and sin. He provided a way out so that what you see today is transformation and it never ends. I will be molded until I'm in the grave.

Just like the times of old, God is with us. Before Christ, the ark of the covenant went before the Israelites ALWAYS. God's presence was with them so that they would have courage to forge ahead. He knows your battles and where your heart aches. You may only have today and in today I would encourage you to love with all your heart, lead like a servant and ask the Lord to come into your heart, for He is the master planner.

A special note to those that know Him...

We are His warriors, women that are committed to the gospel. We must pray for those that can't pray, who have lost faith or have never had it. It is our time to come together and to make Him known to all nations. We don't know the hour, so let's take every minute and make something precious happen. Let's make Him known!

Are you with me?

John 14: 2-3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14:1-14