Alternate Realities

They frustrate me at every turn. When I appear to have been released/relieved on one end, they seek other ways to frustrate me. In the natural - from what is seen by the physical eye - they have all the power and I have none. They call all the shots, they hold my life, my future is in their filthy hands. The grip gets tighter.
They taunt me - playing mind games as if I were a child. I. am not. a child. I am an intellectual - well somewhat. But the games they're playing are a sick mix of patronizing & condescending, their sole purpose to kill my spirit, to kill the fight in me. They're determined to let me know I am small and they are big. I am weak and they are strong. I am because they let me be.

Lies they tell.

Despite the miserable start to this story, this tale, it is in fact a happy one. For you see there is a superior reality. One in which the spiritual trumps the natural order every.single.time.

For I have a Redeemer, a Rescuer. The Holy One is His Name. He sits exalted, high above all authority in heaven and here on earth. Get that? He is bigger, greater and more powerful than the physical bullies. And...and...and... He's my Dad! My Father is the Great I am Who has promised to take vengeance on my behalf, to supply me with strength, grace and power when I am pitted as the powerless. The battle's not over yet but I know the outcome already. Hidden in Christ, my victory, triumph and conquering is sure.

I will stay suited up.

I will stay hidden in Christ.

I will emerge victorious &

 GOD WILL BE PRAISED! 

Reminder in the waiting

The joy of the Lord is my strength. 

My joy is not from/because of my circumstances, it is from the Lord and IN the Lord. Even as I wait, I can still be joyful because I get my joy from AND in God - and I still have Him and He's got me. I can be strengthened for the work I have to do because my strength is not from the circumstances, it is from the joy of the Lord.

I choose to be joyous, to be excited AND grateful for today, for now and for what I do have. 

GRATITUDE IS THE ATTITUDE I CHOOSE IN THE WAITING ROOM.

My heart

💓I have but one heart - not two, or four, just one. How interesting that God would only give us one center of affection or devotion and then want it all?

💝You had it all - my focus, my love and my devotion.

You had it all - you won me over with your salvation.

Now you have all most of it because I CHOSE to give some of it away by fixing my eyes on every passing thing and every passing one. 

I'm trading You, the Eternal, for the temporary.

💔You have SOME of my heart. 

I know because I barely spend time with You anymore. 

My focus is life, living and being seen living. 

How ironic that I'd pursue those things apart from You, the Author of life and Jesus, Life Himself? 

So back to the altar I come, on my knees with my heart in my hands - and I offer it to you again:

"Take my life (heart) and let it be holy consecrated Lord to Thee."

Jesus: Man interrupted.

Lord,
Thank you for modelling reality. You didn't live in a bubble. You were in constant relationship with people. They demanded of You - time, energy, compassion etc and You always made time for them. You were often interrupted and allowed the interruptions in light of Your destiny.

Holy Spirit, 

Cause me to be sensitive to Your heart, Your leading, Your redirecting even interruptions. May I not be as rigid and controlling of me, others, situations etc - Ket me be free enough to be interrupted knowing that You are not confined to my plans, rituals or my prayer time. You continue to speak even past QT, even beyond church services and so I don't have to worry. I get to follow You and Your lead into this interruption.

Interrupt me Lord as You have done before. 

I choose not to sulk at interruptions. 

I choose to be thankful for the interruptions. 

I choose to see You in the interruptions

Signed: Girl interrupted by amazing grace.

GOD'S love never FAILS

God's love stands firm in the face of it all: Rejection. Faithlessness. Unfaithfulness. Regret. Shame. Pain. 

And not only does it stand/remain in the face of the ugliest of uglies, it covers it all.

Be undone by this love. His love. 

Be transformed by it. Be freed by it.

Let His love cover your multitude of sins, no longer holding them against you by drawing you to His perfect love that casts out all your fear.

Perfection.

His perfection does not threaten neither does it intimidate. It is perfection that awakens adoration, worship and praise. His perfection is beautiful.

I am awed by your

Perfect Being.

                  Perfect Love.

        Perfect Goodness. 

                        Perfect Wisdom.

 Perfect Power.

                             Perfect Works AND

                              Perfect Ways.

His perfection overflowed in His perfect sacrifice as the perfect Lamb of God shed His perfect blood for an imperfect people, an imperfect me. Once - for all time, for all sin.

So today I offer my imperfect words, imperfect songs and imperfect worship to say:

Perfect God, Thou art Worthy;

Perfect God, Thou art Wonderful;

Perfect God, Thou art Most Glorious!

Perfect me, Perfect Jesus that I may offer to You, Perfect One,

The Perfect Praise & Perfect Worship that You deserve.

Trying is not doing.

We try to find time for things we don’t want to do. We try to make it to places we don’t want to go and we try not to end up doing things we don’t want to do. On the other hand, in regard to our responsibilities,  we say we will try to do things we want to do, but don’t think/believe we are able to do.  A mouthful huh? I'll give you a moment to re-read that.

So what's the problem with our 'try' confessions? What happens when we try to do things? Well, often they don’t get done.

WHY?? The biggest reason: trying is not doing. Trying doesn’t work because it has built in doubt. When you say you are going to try something, you are implying that it isn’t going to be easy or natural. You are building in the expectation that it may not happen. When you start something thinking about how it may not happen, guess what, it may not and usually does not happen.

I hear this confession a lot with jobs, exercise, dieting, addictions, relationships and a long list of other changes that people want to make in their lives. These are all things we “want” to do, so it is funny to me that we keep trying to do them as opposed to just doing them. It’s funny because we continually tell ourselves that that we are trying or we are going to try. If we are just trying, we are simply saying that we don’t really want to do it or don’t think it will happen.

Think about a scenario with a group of friends, say when you organize a meeting. When someone is “going to try to stop by” are you waiting for them as if they said “YES, I’m coming”? No way. You are more likely to assume they are not coming. We hear the word 'try' and the tone of their excuse and conclude that they will not be coming. Not that trying means they automatically won’t come. If they do it will be a bonus, but we don’t expect them to come.

It’s the same thing when we do it to ourselves. When we say we are trying to do something that we want to do, we are just hoping we can do it. We are not planning to do it or better yet…doing it. Therefore, when something doesn’t get done, we already have the excuse ready: “oh well, I’ll try that again later”.

Unfortunately, trying can become a habit. When that happens, it only gets more difficult to stop trying and start doing.

QN: What are you ‘trying’ in your life as opposed to ‘doing’?

Written August 5, 2013

Believing God to the point of truly thanking Him

By Emily Obwaka.

I recently sensed God challenging me in the area of truly believing Him – not just in saying I trust Him, but getting to the place of thanking Him because I so believe Him. I think it is so Christian to say we believe – after all that is how we become children of God and partakers of the Divine Kingdom. But this should not be all. It is a life of believing, of trusting. 

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, those following Him asked Him ‘What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?  Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent.’ (John 6:28,29). The challenge is to believe that God is leading each step of the way and to know that every aspect will fall into place together well and then to even begin to give thanks in anticipation for what He will do!

As I read my devotions this week, 2 Kings 3, tells the story of how three kings came together to fight against the Moabites. Stuck in middle of desert – out of water and convinced they were going to be defeated, they decide to consult Elisha the prophet. Elisha consults God on their behalf and by the Spirit of God instructs them to dig ditches. He assured them that although there was not wind or rain, God would fill the ditches with sufficient water for them and their animals and more, He would give them victory over the Moabites. I love one statement Elisha made that I am holding on for those tough and impossible looking challenges in my life –  ‘This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord... -2 King 3:18). God will do it – and with great ease!  We can speak forth the victory – it shall be because God will make it possible.

What then? Elijah after declaring there will be rain to King Ahab after 3 years of drought in Israel (1King  18:41), went up to Mt. Carmel and put his head between his knees periodically instructing his servant to go and look toward the sea for any sign of rain. Six times he returned with a ‘no show’ answer. The seventh time there was a cloud the size of a man’s fist. The victory was won. 

But I wonder - what prayer was he making through this time? 

• Was it petition, in case God had not heard? 
• Was it a fear-ridden plea of ‘don’t put me to shame’? 

I am inclined to believe that it was a prayer of thanksgiving. Elijah has just seen God answer powerfully by fire to demonstrate His power against the prophets of Baal. Elijah knew that:

 'God watches over the word of His servant to perform it' (Isaiah 44:26). 

And that ‘He who sacrifices thank offering honors God and prepares a way so that God can may show him His salvation (Psalm 50:23). 

Elijah demonstrated faith in God to the place of speaking forth and pressing through by faith with thanksgiving till the victory was won!! For everything we have brought and are bringing to God in prayer, let us believe enough to declare His doing, victory and to thank Him.  

The benefit is the peace of God which passes all understanding...

Written July 9th, 2013.

God of my future

You are in my anticipation, You answer before I ask.

You are in my expectation, You fulfil my unspoken desires.

You are in my future, You bring to pass the very destiny you made me for.

Oh how glad, how very glad I am to meet You in the next, in the upcoming… to know that You allowed the oncoming and have given sufficient grace for my overcoming.

God of my next breath, God of my tomorrow, God of my future, I worship You.