For those that are seeking God's face - his guidance, his peace and his insights into life.
I am a business owner, serial entrepreneur, consultant, wife and mom and seeking His face in all that I do.
You've seen it. The guy standing on the corner with a sandwich board stating that the end of the world is coming and to repent.
Spiritual NOISE is a little bit like that. Not to say that the Holy Spirit can't work on someone's heart and for the sandwich board to be the clincher to get someone to change their destructive behavior.
Rung #2, NOISE is just a slight step above Spiritual SPAM. It has a lot of the same characteristics.
Talking instead of listening
Quoting scriptures using archaic language (can you say Thee and Thou) versus a more relevant translation
Overly spiritual terms that turn people off (similar to the second point), such as "repent" versus more common terminology such as "change their destructive behavior"
Talking about someone you love, who has positively impacted your life should be natural conversation, not noise. If I want to talk about my best friend Chris, if you don't appear the least bit interested in hearing about what I love about her, and 10 minutes later I'm still talking about her, I've been really disrespectful of you and have devolved to "noise".
Think before you share. By all means share boldly and in response to nudging or an out and out push by Papa God, but remember to breathe once in a while and to listen for a response.
Getting a response is the next rung on the ladder. Stay tuned.
This week I started a series of posts about the Word of Mouth Media relationship ladder on my various blogs (www.wordofmouthmedia.blogspot.com being one).
It occurred to me that while I'm talking about social media and how it is used and misused, that there is also a spiritual side of this discussion.
You see it all the time. The people who use the moniker "Christian" or even "Born Again". Now, make no mistake, I am a believer that uses those terms as well, but at the same time, I realize the alienating nature of some of the language that believers use to communicate.
We want everyone to know about God's love and His power and the transformational power of accepting the supreme sacrifice that He made when He sent His Son to earth to stand in the gap for us, when we couldn't stand up for our own behavior.
But all too often, we SPAM those that we are trying to reach by not taking to them in their terms and by taking the time to establish relationship.
The most stark example of SPAM in the physical world would be going up to a homeless person, handing them a tract or a book about God's love and leaving them hungry, thirsty, cold [or hot as the case may be here in Florida]. Online, spiritual SPAM can be as simple as talking in ultra-spiritual terms or quoting scripture from a version of the Bible that speaks in terms that are not in common use, without having any dialogue with them to find out where they are and what they are thinking.
None of us want to be spiritual spammers.
What we really want is to introduce everyone that we know to the One that made gave us a clean heart, the one that we want to "press into". That terminology is used to describe not only relationship, but intimacy. In the spiritual version of the Word of Mouth Media relationship ladder, the top rung isn't reputation, it is intimacy. Enjoy this unchoreographed dance to Isa Couvertier's Pressing into You that demonstrates the spontaneous expression of that intimacy.
Did you ever pick up a book only to find that you have read it before. When you know the end of the story, it changes your perception of what you are reading (aka seeing).
Revelations 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him.
Have you been feeling beaten down? Do the circumstances around you seem like everyone is against you?
At the end of our story, the accuser loses the privilege of access. This is a prelude to his total and utter destruction by the Lion of Judah.
I need to stand up to his lies and accusations and use Revelations 12:9 as my sword in the day to day battles.
Papa God, thank you for not listening to his accusations and for standing up for your children.
Thank you that we will all have the opportunity to bow down to the Lion of Judah.
Revelations 5:5 Stop weeping. Behold the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.
NOTE: To read more about the background of (and to order) the beautiful picture that I've included here, click on the link on the photo.
Photo Copyright 2000-2008 by Pam Smart-all rights reserved
John knew that the book must be opened and that the seven seals must be broken. It seemed hopeless that no one could be found that was worthy for the task. Even God himself did not step up to open it.
Worthiness came from the ultimate sacrifice of the lamb. Only He was worthy.
He is the overcomer. We have no real choice but to serve Him and give Him glory by living the example He showed us in His life and His sacrifice. He lived LOVE and that is what we are called to emulate in all that we do.
Lion of Judah, give me strength to serve you faithfully and fearlessly to share your love with others. Let them see you when they look at me.
Enjoy this video from Jason Upton about the Lion of Judah.
Rev 1:14-16 His head and hair were white like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze when it has been caused to glow in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp two edged sword and his face was like the sun shining in its strength.
This picture of the Son of Man (God made flesh, but then glorified) is of his purity, power, strength, clarity, authority and glory.
He is indeed the first and the last and we must listen and hear what he says to the churches.
Lord return me to my first love, help me to persevere and endure and to live in your ways. Let me stay "hot".
Enjoy this video from a Korean dance troupe.
Holy, holy, holy. You are worthy to receive glory honor and power.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselfs. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
Imagine a world where God created a point system by which we each had to earn "goodness". One point for saying nice things, lose two points for being mean. We would constantly be striving and those who got more points than others would likely flaunt it, or as the author of Ephesians says, "boast".
When we receive a gift, we don't try to take credit for that gift. If someone complements us, we say, "Thanks! So and so gave this to me.".
Thank God that He set things up so that we couldn't earn his favor or his grace or even that we could muster up faith without it being a gift from him (1 Cor 12:9).
Thank you Lord for setting things up in such a way that we can only attribute our redemption to you and that we can truly find rest because we can't earn that amazing gift of grace.
Psalm 97:1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad, let the distant shores rejoice
This series of verses are proclaimed on Michael W. Smith's Worship CD in the son "Let it Rain". They are a perfect picture of God's power.
Even if we don't worship the Lord, the earth will.
Psalm 97:3-5 Fire goes before him and consumes our foes on every side. His lightening lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.
Lord, let me remember your power and that your righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Thank you for your power and for your protection Lord. Let the people proclaim your righteousness and may ALL the people see your glory.
Sports fans have nothing on believers when it comes to recognizing the power of the One that we worship. Listen to the whole song by Michael W. Smith. Feel the power.
Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.
We know that God is the Word. The Word is love. It sheds light on all situations and gives us understanding - even to the simple.
In my 35+ year walk with the Lord, the Word is still unfolding. I see new things and even the old things that first impressed me, I now see with fresh eyes.
Lord, let my hunger for you continue that I would be fed and that your Word would be planted in my heart.
1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have before Him that if we ask anything according to HIS will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know we have the requests which we have asked of Him.
All of 1st John focuses on living in love and not living in sin & idolatry. Love and loving our brother IS His will, so our requests of Him need to line up with that. If we are just asking for things that serve ourselves or our love of things and money (for their own sake), then we need to rethink our motives.
Since it is His good pleasure for us to live according to His will, it is also His pleasure to fulfill our requests.
Lord, teach me to love. Empower me by your Holy Spirit to love the unlovable.
John 21:6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch." They cast it and they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.
When we don't see results from our efforts (e.g. fishing all night without a catch) and he directs us to change our pattern, we should listen!
Not just because God himself is talking and speaking with knowledge but because He knows that we get stuck in unproductive patterns.
I speak from personal knowledge, as I have felt stuck for over a year in an unproductive pattern. I am ready to "find a catch".
Bring it on Lord! Speak so that I can change my pattern.
John 16:24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. ASK and you will receive that your joy may be full.
Joy is defined by Webster as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. God defines it differently. He sees our needs and He desires to fill them. He just wants us to check our "alignment" with His will first.
Did your kids, or a friend or a co-worker ever approach you saying "I don't know if you'll agree, but.....". Actually, they generally already have an inkling, something that they know about you that lets them know that the answer will likely be no.
Asking "in His name" requires knowing Him and understanding His nature. As we get to know Him through His Word and through spending time with Him, every day we have a clearer picture of His plan for our lives. It is so much easier to ask for things when we know His propensity to say yes! If we seek His will for us, then asking takes on a whole new dimension!
As I seek to have a deeper relationship with Jesus and with Papa God, my requests will automatically be more in alignment with His will for our lives. And when He says yes, that is what produces true, lasting joy.
Lord, make my joy complete by revealing your will to me.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you may also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.
So often we look at the outward things - even the religious things (going to church, study and prayer) as measures of our service. But those can all be done with an impure heart and self-centered motives (pride) and as such are not effective. He wanted us to mirror His behavior, His love.
I need to look at my heart and my motives for each act of service. I need to love without condition as He loves me. True service comes out of the heart, not out of the action itself.
Lord, may your love be visible in me. I pray that those that you have put in my path will be touched by your love, through me. Send your Helper to teach me how to love the unlovable. Show me how to serve the homeless.
Psalm 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.
All we have to do is read the paper, online headlines or listen to the news to hear the woes of the world.
Perhaps you think the word "wicked" is too harsh, but at the core we all suffer from the wickedness of our natural self.
As verse 7 says, our deliverance from that wickedness comes not from our own strength, but from trusting in His unfailing love. He is our hiding place, He will protect us from trouble and surround us with the songs of deliverance and victory.
Let the song be heard in Tampa today Lord! Thank you for your unfailing and unconditional love.
Ps 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart o God and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant to me a willing spirit to sustain me.
David had sinned big time. Not only did he see Bathsheba bathing and even though she was married, sent for her, slept with her and got her pregnant, but he had her husband sent to the front lines to be killed. Talk about a gross misuse of power.
David knew what it was like to be in God's presence and to have His Holy Spirit's influence in his life.
In Psalm 51, David turned to God, knowing that to do otherwise would separate him from God forever, and likely speed up his own death. He had seen many others die for less. He knew sacrifices wouldn't cut it. That would be external only - action without intent of the heart.
The sacrifice God wanted was a broken spirit - which David had - and a contrite heart - a willingness to TURN back in God's direction rather than following his own lusts and desires.
Psalm 51:10-12 is that cry of David's heart.
Lord, every day, create in me a clean heart and give me the joy of knowing You and You knowing me by name.
John 16:24 Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that our joy may be made full.
Asking in Jesus' name requires knowing Him. You wouldn't ask your spouse to do something that you knew they didn't approve of or that they hated to do. If we seek His will for us, asking takes on a new dimension.
As I seek to have a deeper relationship with my Creator, my requests will automatically be more in alignment with His will for my life.
Lord, make my joy complete by revealing Your will to me.
Do you suppose there is a link between how the banks that received TARP money are behaving and Matthew:18:23-35? They received TARP money to bail out their debt and now in many cases are showing no mercy (and even bullying and threatening) to those that owe them money.
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
By the way Wells Fargo/Wachovia.... I don't want debt forgiveness, just mercy and grace, which is what the US Government and the American people gave to you.
John 13: 34-35 A new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you may also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.
So often we look at the outward things - even the religious things, such as going to church, studying and praying - as measures of our love. But these can all be done with an impure heart and as such are not effective. He wanted us to mirror His behavior, His love in all that we do.
His love goes so far beyond our ability to love that it is in fact incomprehensible to most. He asks us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but to Him, our neighbor in fact includes our enemies. It is tough enough some days to love the folks in our own circles, let alone our neighbors. But that is the model that He laid out for us.
His Word is His love letter to us. That is where we need to start. Understanding and accepting His unconditional, immeasurable love for us will give us the power that we need to love others.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Were you asleep today? http://ping.fm/y19z7 His grace is there. Sunday's coming.
In case you missed the significance of today's passion. It was indeed Good Friday. Don't forget that Sunday's Coming http://ping.fm/y19z7
Catch some of the passion this Good Friday - Sunday's Coming http://ping.fm/y19z7
