Let it all Go - Even When (IHOP)

Trust in the Lord completely, and not your own opinions, but with all your heart rely on Him to guide you and He will lead you in all the decisions you make.  Become intimate with Him in whatever you do and He'll lead you wherever you go.  Proverbs 3:5-6 TPT

If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? Rom 8:31

Even when my eyes don't see it, You know what I need before I know I need it.
Even when I don't believe it, I know You are for me.
Even when my heart's uneasy, I'll still follow tomorrow Lord as you lead me
Even when I don't believe it, I know you are for me.

I will let go and follow, won't worry about tomorrow
I let go, I let go, I let go

This song reminds us of so many promises from God's word.  It reminds us to trust Him in all things, to let go of worry and fear and all that would hold us back from believing God through every season. This song reminds us that God is for us and if God is for us then who can be against us?

Take time to just listen to this song and then listen again and just praise God that He has it all covered, He is a loving Father.

To add a personal note to this post, I started listening to this song when I was having a very rough day.  There was a lot of chaos and confusion going on and this song helped me refocus my attention back to God, where it needed to be.  I am finding that Brandon Oaks is quickly becoming one of my favorite worship leaders at IHOP.  You too may want to check out some of his worship sets on the IHOP website, they are pretty amazing.

Unity

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

How truly wonderful, delightful, and beautiful to see brothers and sisters living together in unity. Psalm 133:1 TPT

This post has been a difficult one to write.  I know God has been laying unity in the body on my heart for awhile now but everything I have typed and erased and retyped so far appears to come across as a rant and that is not my heart for unity.

God commands us to love Him and to love each other.  I have heard for years we cannot love each other until we first learn to love ourselves.  While I believe that to be true I do know that love is also a choice.  We need to chose to love one another, we need to stop always finding fault and judging each other because God's love believes the best of others (see 1 Cor 13).  We need to start seeing the gold and treasure in each other.  God loves all His children no matter which denomination they are a part of.

Recently I decided to stop looking at each denomination as a church and I began to start seeing them as different families in the body of Christ.  One day we will have a great big family reunion in heaven and we will worship God as one body.  That will be a glorious day

Some of my favorite times are being with other family members in the body of Christ that may not be in my immediate family (church).  I glean so much from them and enjoy our times together.  We may not always see eye to eye on all things but that is okay because we all love Jesus and want to follow Him.

God has laid two songs on my heart for this post.  The first is a new Jesus Culture Song called Make Us One and the second is by Laura Hacket called Love Makes Us Stronger.  May these songs bless you, may we learn to lift one another up and no longer tear each other own.  May we learn to allow God to bind us all together as one in love.  May we grow in our intimacy and love in our relationship with God!  Blessing

Learning to love each other

Love should always be the compass that guides us, especially for those who desire to live a life of love.  1 Corinthians 13 provides a great example in God's word of what love is and what love is not. I love to read  these verses on love in different translations because each translation provides such great insight into this scripture.  Below I have listed the passion translations version, it is one of my favorite translations and I love the imagery it provides.  The other day as I was reading these verses in the Passion Translation I had the thought, "what if verses 8-10 came first prior to verses 4-7" that talk about what love is and is not.  I just thought that by swapping the verses we see how great an emphasis God puts on love.  Not only loving Him but loving each other.  Jesus sums up the commandments in these two statements:  Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself (see Mark 12:30-31).

When we love there is no jealousy, there is no offense (love is not easily offended nor is it easily irritated), there is no self promotion because we are honoring others.  I know I am not there yet because I can get in the way, but every time I feel myself go of course I remind myself what love is and what love is not.  I pray and ask God to help me love the one in front of me because He loves them.  No matter how people treat me or what they do my desire is to become love because God is love.  A few other great scriptures that direct us to love others are; Matt 22:37-39, John 13:34-35, Rom 12:10, 1 John 4-7-8, and John 15:12-13.  I know there are more than this but this is just a start on your path to loving God and others more.  Next time you have an irritating person in front of you remember they are not only made in God's image but that He loves them. Push past the snarky comments or retorts and just breath and ask God to help you, I know He will because He continually helps me.

Love never stops loving.  It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away.  It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent.  Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten.  Our present knowledge and our prophecies are but partial, but when love's perfection arrives, the partial will fade away.

Love is large and incredibly patient.  Love is gentle and consistently kind to all.  It refuses to be jealous  when blessing comes to someone else.  Love does not brag about one's achievements nor inflate its own importance.  Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor.  Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.  Love joyfully celebrates honesty and fins no delight in what is wrong.  Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others.  Love never takes failure as defeat for it never gives up.

1 Cor 8-10, 4-7 TPT

Again I love how the Passion Translation reads.  I know tongues, prophecy, and words of knowledge are important and we can move and operate in each of these areas but without love it is nothing, a loud and crashing symbol.  God help us to learn to love with open arms like Yo do so we may display you well everywhere we go!!

Chasing You

I'm chasing you, I'm so in love, captivated, I just can't get enough.  I'll spend my days, running after your heart, your heart, your heart.  Whoa!

Do we spend our days running after God's heart?  Do you know He longs to be in an intimate relationship with each and everyone of us?  Eden was created as a place where man could dwell with God and fellowship with Him.  Take a few minutes each day and begin to chase after God.  I know from experience as we begin to take steps to pursue Him, he takes a huge step towards us.  I am so thankful He is able to draw nearing to me as I draw near to Him.  Sometimes I see Him so extremely close I can lean in and kiss His face.  If you have never seen God's face ask Him to show it to you.  It is such a beautiful and glorious face.  His eyes are so full of love towards everyone of us.

James 4:8 TPT -  Move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to You.

Other translations read, draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Today take time to draw near to God, pursue Him, chase after Him.  You will experience such joy and freedom, it is completely amazing!!  Don't be afraid when He reveals Himself to you.  I know the first time I saw the face of Jesus it was inches from my face.  I jumped back at first and then leaned in and just beheld His beauty. It is the face of the one I love!!!

Clean Natalie Grant

Do you every hear a song that just makes you become undone?  Clean by Natalie Grant is that song for me.  When I begin to waver and see myself as less than how God sees me this is a great go to song.  The lyrics in this song remind me that I may see myself as a mess, I may see myself as unworthy but that is not how God sees us.  He sees us as beautiful, whole, completely worthy, acceptable, chosen, clean!!!

Take a moment to listen to this beautiful moving song.  You may need a few tissues on hand while you listen and just allow God's love and truth of who you are wash over you!

I love the part that says "I'm coming alive with joy and destiny, cause You're restoring me piece by piece."  I know the process can be unpleasant but there is growth and maturity in the process.  Stop focusing on the why and what and just focus on Him.  Learn to draw close to Him and as you grow in your relationship with our loving Lord, He will begin to reveal His heart for you.  He will reveal His plans and purposes for you.  May we all learn how to just be.  After all we are human "beings" and not human doers!!!

Love and blessings

Trust in You

Do you ever have a-ha moments?  I had one this morning and it was so simple but so profound. Recently I have felt God directing me to become more faithful to writing this blog but I continually doubt my ability to make this happen.  Despite the positive feedback some of you have given me I doubt I have what it takes to be a good writer, to adequately convey all the God is doing in me and through me.

Well this morning God got all in the middle of me worrying about my ability and He reminded me to just trust Him.  He took me to 2 Peter where He tells us that He has given us everything we need and then He took me to Moses.  Moses was given the great opportunity to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and introduce them to the presence of God, and they did not want it!  In fact after continually trying to introduce the millions of people he lead out of Egypt to the wonderful and glorious presence of God he was really only able to affect 2 people that we are aware of; Joshua and Caleb.

In today's standards that is not much of a success but think about how Moses affected these two men. They were the only two of the original Israelite's that crossed over into the promised land and they did so with the presence of God going with them.  Joshua was chosen to lead them into this wonderful promise and I know he must have been a little overwhelmed by the responsibility because God had to remind him at least 7 times to not be afraid (I know I counted them one time).

Whatever God is leading you to do, stop trying to lean on your own ability and talents and just trust Him.  He has given you all things that you need to accomplish what He desires you to do.  Don't focus on the how or what just focus on Him.  Allow Jesus to lead and guide you, allow Him to direct every step you take down the path that He leads you down and then know God is with you every step of the way.  Maybe you will reach millions, maybe you will only reach 2.  No matter the number be faithful to do all that God has laid on your heart and enjoy every moment you spend with Him and getting to know Him more and more.

For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  2 Peter 1:3 AMP

As always, when God speaks to me He provides me a song that drives home the truth that He is showing me.  God speaks each of our love languages amazingly well, maybe because He knows us so well.  Take time to allow Him to speak to you in your love language.  Be blessed today and draw close to God.

Pastures Housefires

I love the group Housefires!  Their new cd is so amazing, loaded with songs that just make you draw closer to our wonderful God.  One of the songs on their new cd (yes I still refer to new music as a cd - I could really date myself and call it a record, ha!) is called Pastures.  The song, based on Psalm 23:2, talks about how God provides us a place of peace in Him.  When we dwell in Him we have found our home, our very being.  Isaiah declares that Jesus is the Prince of Peace and elsewhere in the Bible it says that Jesus gives us peace that passes all understanding.

Psalm 23:2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside quiet waters.

Someone I know once made the observation that quiet waters are in the valley and not on top of the mountain.  If that is the case then when we are in our low places, when we are going through a trial or storm then we can also find our place of peace in an intimate relationship with Jesus.

If you are like me we love to find all of the promises in God's word and stand on those amazing promises.  Do you know that John 16:33 promises us that in this world we will experience trials and tribulations?  Do you also know that Jesus said in this verse to take heart because He has overcome the world?

I know any trial or storm is never easy and I know our flesh can rise up and want to have its way but instead of grumbling, instead of complaining, instead of giving worry a voice begin to thank God instead.  Ask Jesus who He wants to be for you in this situation.  He will always provide an answer.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace.  In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous (be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy); I have overcome the world. (My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.)  John 16:33 AMP.

As you listen to this song take a minute to close your eyes.  Allow the lyrics to speak to you.  Allow Jesus to fill you with His perfect peace, then ask Jesus, Father God, and Holy Spirit to give you a picture of the you together with all three of them.  Many times he will lead you to a pasture like setting but whatever He shows you it will be a special place for you and Him together.

Blessings.

LYRICS
Verse
You give me peace that surpasses all my understanding
and love that is deeper than all I know

Chorus
You lay me down in the greenest of pastures
I am found by the one my heart was after

Bridge
Where else can I go
In You I am home