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On this Mother’s Day of 2020, I would like to give a salute to Moms! During this time of pandemic, motherhood (as well as parenthood) has been very challenged. School aged children can no longer go to school placing the “burden” of education on the parents. Empty nest parents finding their college students back at home or their working children at home having been laid off from their jobs or now working from home. Grandparents having to step-up to assist their working children with the grand children now at home. These are additional challenges added to a role that is challenging enough. Mothers wear many “hats” in their homes. They are counselors, teachers, culinary artists, cheerleaders, nurses, referees,fashion experts, design specialists and much more. In addition, many work outside of the home. Mothers are heroes!

Motherhood is a life of sacrifice. From the time the child is in the womb, a mothers’s lifestyle is affected. Pregnancy impacts what you drink, eat and your sleep patterns. It causes you to forgo certain habits and requires you to take vitamins. Once the child arrives, the demands increase. Raising children requires everything that we have and when you feel you have reached your limit, it requires more. The good news is that God provides everything we need to effectively rise to the demands.

Motherhood is an anointing/a special grace. God gives us the grace or the ability to be a great mother. He gives it to all mothers that are willing to yield to it. He gives the ability to nurture, love, teach, correct, protect and raise them to be responsible adults. He grants them wisdom and insight. Some call it mother’s intuition. It is wisdom and grace bestowed by God.

So Moms, relax and follow what God gives you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Just be faithful and consistent in doing your best. God will cover what you miss. He knows you are broken but He trusted you with them anyway. This leads us to the next truth concerning motherhood.

Motherhood (as well as fatherhood) is a trust or a stewardship. Children are a gift and a trust. They are entrusted to us by God. They exist in the mind of God before they are given to us. (Jeremiah 1:5) So, they are on loan to us to prepare them to walk in their places of divine purpose. Therefore, we are accountable to God for how we raise them. At the same time, He is available to give us the wisdom and direction on how to raise them. It’s like when our employer gives us a job to do and the training and resources we need to do it. One day we will give an account to God but not for the outcome of our parenting but for our level of faithfulness. How the child turns out is dependent upon their choices as well as our parenting. Their choices can override our parenting and that is a matter between them and God. At some point, it is just their journey. God calls us to be faithful not perfect. Faithfulness requires personal discipline.

Personal discipline is extremely important in effective parenting. Routines, proper boundaries, and training must be established with consistency in concert with unconditional love and grace. It takes courage to be a parent. It requires self-control as we discipline them and patience as we train them. God will grant that to us as well if we pause to give our emotions time to cool off before we speak or act. As an adult, I asked my mom why she would wait for hours before she would spank me when I was a child. The waiting felt like torture to me. She said she would wait because she did not want to punish me with anger. She was giving herself time to cool off. Wow! She was not even a Christian at that time. Even without knowing Christ or having the power of the Holy Spirit within her, she was a great mom that functioned in self-control and wisdom.

If being a mother requires so much, why do we do it? It is because the rewards far out weigh the sacrifices. The unconditional love that is returned to us through the hugs, kisses, simple gifts, kind words and devotion. The blessings of seeing them excel in their gifts and talents as they grow to become responsible adults. It also establishes a legacy. We can look forward to them carrying on the family call that God has established. All the dreams and visions that God has given us may not be fulfilled by us. Some may be fulfilled in our children or grandchildren. Past generations were legacy minded. They knew that the sacrifices they made in the present for their children were for the advancement of future generations.

There are personal benefits afforded to us as well. First there is the side benefit of our own personal growth and development. We become better people. We learn to care for someone other than ourselves. We learn to serve, to extend grace, to forgive and to love. We also get to have bragging rights when they do well. (Haha!) Hopefully, they are there to care for us in our old age. Finally, we get to hear the commendation from God one day when we stand before Him in eternity of “well done.” (Matthew 25:23)

So Moms, be encouraged. Hang in there. You are doing a great job. Don’t allow discouragement, fear or regret overtake you. Yield to the changes that are occurring inside you. You are not loosing yourself. You are discovering yourself. Take one day at a time. Shift with the changes and seasons that parenting brings. God is there to help you. Look to Him in every season. He will give you what you need even in the most difficult seasons. Moms of adult children, be grateful to God for what He has done through you in raising your child(ren). Do not entertain regret! You did your best. God is doing the rest. Now, we continue to love, encourage and pray. We have become advisers, cheerleaders, helpers and even greater prayer warriors. I leave you with this verse:

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9 (NASB)

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

It is customary to make New Year’s resolutions or goals at the beginning of the year. Common ones relate to health, finances, career, family and even spiritual life. Each year I ask the Lord what He declares over the new year, especially significant ones like this one. I want to know what is on His heart for us.

What came to me was that 2020 is the year of “alignment.” Alignment to His ways and His heart. This is a word particularly for the body of Christ. Those who have put their trust in Christ’s death and resurrection for salvation. We are His sons and daughters, heirs to all that He has (John 1:12, Galatians 4:4-7). We are also His representatives on the earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). He has chosen to reveal Himself through us as well as through His word. We are living epistles/letters (2 Corinthians 3:3). That verse goes on to say that we are letters written by the Spirit of God on human hearts. It is truly “Christ in us that is the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Though these things are true of us, we do not always conduct ourselves accordingly in actions, words or most importantly within our own hearts and minds. God has set us apart to be holy even as He is holy (1 Peter 1:13-16).

Before my cataract surgery, I used to wear glasses. Whenever I would go to the eye doctor, he would evaluate my eyes based upon the standard goal of 20×20. Each eye should measure as close to 20 as possible. Because my eyes did not meet that standard, he would prescribe lenses that would bring my eyes to that standard. Therefore, I would wear glasses to correct my vision.

Well, the nature of God is the standard. He is 20×20. He is calling us into alignment with Him. The cool thing is that He has given us everything we need to do it in the person of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:3,Galatians 5:16,25,Ephesians 5:18). He is not in you to give you a warm or gleeful feeling. He is in you to set you apart for God and connect you with His nature. The Spirit of God among other things is the manifestation of God’s nature (Galatians 5:22,23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). That nature can be summed up in one word – Love (1 John 4:8).

We are all on a journey to Christ-likeness (Romans 8:29). The destination of that journey is full maturity in the fruit of Love. When love is fully matured in us, that is when we become like Him (1 John 4:7-21).

In this year 2020, let us submit to the Holy Spirit’s work of aligning us with the nature of God as He teaches us the heart of God. As we read the Scriptures this year, let us ask ourselves, “What do I learn about God in this passage or this story, this chapter?” Then ask the Holy Spirit to both teach you and empower you to be aligned with God’s nature and His heart for each other and for the world (John 3:16,17). We cannot expect to walk in the power of God, if we are not conformed to the nature of God. It is not about our activities and religious practices though they have value. It is us being in connection and a dependent relationship with God (abiding in Him – John 15:1-11). Allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us with His qualities as we go about our daily lives. This is the road of spiritual maturity -sanctification. Which is another term for becoming like Christ.

Let’s do it! Embrace 2020 as “The Year of Alignment with The Nature and Heart of God!” He will take care of all the other things in our lives. They will all line up with His will and promises.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NASB)

Many blessings! Shalom!

One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. It is a list of three commands that expresses the will of God for us. Included in that list is an admonition or command to “Pray without ceasing.” At the end of that compound sentence, Paul gives the reason these admonitions are given. He says “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Included in that list is “Rejoice always” and “In everything give thanks.” The latter two listed here can can be challenging to follow but I could never understand how one could “pray without ceasing.” How can we do that when we have jobs to perform, people to interact with, responsibilities to fulfill, lives to live? Two things have come to my attention that has brought relief to my mind concerning this and has shown me how it is possible to “pray without ceasing.”

First, when I looked up the word “ceasing” in the Greek, I discovered that in that the word used does not have the connotation that we would attribute to it. It is the Greek word, “adialeiptos” (with a long “o” sound). To my surprise, according to Vines Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words it refers to “that which is constantly recurring” rather than “that which is not interrupted”. That is a big difference. Something that is constantly recurring is something that you do in regularity rather than something you do every minute of the day. This is the same term used in Romans 1:9 referring to how Paul faithfully mentions the Romans in his prayers. It is also found in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 regarding how Paul always remembers the faithful work and the steadfastness of the Thessalonians. So, prayer is something that we should be doing with regularity. It is to be a lifestyle rather than an afterthought or a duty. Though we may be somewhat relieved, we are still left with the question of how to even do that? How do we live a lifestyle of prayer? This leads us to the second thing that came to my attention regarding the admonition to “pray without ceasing.”

Before I share what that is, let us first make sure that we all understand what prayer is. Prayer is a conversation with God. We tell Him what is on our minds and if we can settle our minds and hearts, we can discern Him speaking with us. We can talk to Him regarding things that are personal to us and those things that pertain to others. Though in Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives a model for prayer, there were times when He just simply asked God to move on behalf of others without preliminaries (John 11:41,42; Luke 23:34). There is a way to approach God that is brought out in the model prayer – worship, confession of sin, forgiveness of others, our requests made with worship and thanksgiving for the answers (Philippians 4:6,7).

For those of us who have placed their faith in Christ for salvation, we have direct access to God (Hebrews 4:16, 1 Peter 2:9). We are actually seated at His right hand in the heavenly places right now (Ephesians 2:4-6). We have His ear (John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15). Understand also that it is the posture of our heart more so than the posture of our bodies that leads to effective prayer. There is a place for lifting of our hands, bowing or kneeling but prayer is not confined to postures. It is the humble submission of our heart in faith that is paramount in prayer. Therefore, prayer can occur anywhere. It can occur in the car, the grocery store, on the job, while you are cleaning, cooking, exercising, doing recreational activities. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing is an opportunity for prayer because it is simply having a conversation with God, the one who loves you passionately and made the ultimate sacrifice to bring you into relationship with Him.

Having said that, the second thing that I realized about the possibility of “praying without ceasing”/ living a life of prayer is that God constantly gives us opportunity to pray for others in addition to the concerns of our own hearts. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to be anxious about anything but instead to pray about it all with worship and thanksgiving. James 1:5,6 says to ask God in faith for wisdom if we need it. There are many more verses I could list that invite us to pray about the things we need. We also have access before God to pray for others (James 5:16, Ephesians 6:19). Because we have that privilege, God will bring people to mind or in our path that need prayer.

It took me a long time to realize that when I think of someone it is primarily for prayer rather than for me to feel guilty about not having talked to them or to wonder about them. I learned it when I would find out that the moment they came to mind was the time that they were in a situation that needed prayer. God will even use things to make you think of a person. One way that happens to me is that I will notice a car that looks like someone I know or I will see someone that reminds me of them. There are also encounters with strangers on the road or in a line at the bank or grocery store, on the job or anywhere else you may be. I have found that sometimes God has allowed me to be late just so I can encounter someone at my destination that needs prayer. Between my own life of dependency on Him and the needs of others, I find myself praying frequently throughout the day. Things that seem like coincidences are actually God’s divine appointments for prayer and even at times for ministry.

May God open our eyes to opportunities to talk to Him about our needs and the needs of others as He leads us into a life of prayer. I encourage you to embark on the exciting journey of living a life of prayer – “praying without ceasing,” – for it is His perfect will for us. Many blessings!

A huge part of experiencing abundant living is attending and being a part of a local church. We know that primarily the “church” is not an organization but an organism. It a living breathing entity made up of individuals who have put their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ for their salvation. Scripture in Corinthians and Ephesians calls it the “Body of Christ,” Revelation calls it Christ’s “Bride” for whom He will return. It is a mystery never before revealed in the Old Testament (Ephesians 3:3-6) as a people made up of Jews and Gentiles that is neither Jewish nor Greek. Instead, it is a totally new and unique entity that is made into one in Christ. So, it begs the question that if we individually are the church, why would we need to go to church? That is a popular question to which I will address briefly.

First, we are admonished to do so in Hebrews 10:24,25.

“And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.”

Key words in this verse is “assembling” and “together.” From the time the Gospel was first preached at Pentecost (Acts 2), those who responded in faith met regularly for prayer, worship and to hear the word of the Lord taught. Everywhere the Apostles preached assemblies of believers were established. It is to these congregations that the epistles/letters of the New Testament were written. We also see in these verses that the tendency for people to want to go it alone was not new. That is because it is the tactic of the devil to isolate believers in order to overtake them (1 Peter 5:8). The metaphor in that verse is that of a roaring lion. The tactic of lions is to isolate the prey from the pack in order to devour it. We leave ourselves open to deception when we try live out this Christian life in isolation.

Secondly, we have the example of such gathering of the people of God in the Old Testament for both worship, work, and warfare. In Old Testament history, God always ministered to the people when they were gathered. Even though, He spoke to the prophets individually, it was always for the purpose of their ministry to the congregation of His people. When they embarked on rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after returning from captivity in Babylon, it was directed by God through Nehemiah to do it as a group effort. Each family took a section of the wall and they worked together. It is seen in warfare as Jehosaphat under God’s direction called the whole congregation out to go out against their enemies with the worshipers going out ahead of them. God fought for them and they walked away with the spoil.

Thirdly, the metaphor of the “body” and the purpose and function of the spiritual gifts can only be fully actualized in community. In 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4:4-13. A human body cannot function in a dismembered state. A dismembered body is a dead body. With serious medical intervention, it may survive without legs and arms but it will not survive without the head. All parts of the body are important for it to function at peak capacity.

So it is with our spiritual life. Christ is the head of the body and we are all the members/parts of the body. God has given each of us what we need (spiritual gifts and talents) to help the body as a whole to function to peak capacity for the purpose of bringing glory to God that people may be saved and nurtured until Christ returns. This was written to congregations in order that they may work together for God’s glory and for mutual growth and edification. He has set leaders among us according to Ephesians 4:11-13 for our spiritual maturation as well. The very creation itself shows that God does all things in order and He establishes order in all areas of life. The order is always associated with purpose. He establishes leaders in the congregation and calls us to be in submission to them as they follow Christ.

Lastly, the validity of attending church is seen in how the word first appeared in the New Testament. In Ephesians 5:27 and Acts 11:26, it is referred to as “church.” It is the greek word”ekklesia” which means an assembly of “called out ones.” The believers in Antioch were referred to as “the church” and they were the first to be called “Christians.” In the book of Acts, we see that decisions were made and ministries launched by a community of believers never in isolation.

In conclusion, local assemblies of believers (church) is crucial for our maturity in Christ (being made like Him in character), effective warfare against the devil and his works, to effectively impact the world for Christ, and to fulfill our individual purpose in the earth.

It is important to understand that we go to church to GIVE more that to receive. We go to be a blessing to others by expressing the love of Christ as well as using our gifts and talents to serve. In so doing, we are mutually encouraged and blessed. It is more that hearing the singers and listening to the sermon. It is encountering God in the congregation. He who says, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20 NASB)

If you haven’t already, get in a local church that teaches the Scriptures, honors Jesus as God and savior. Get involved and be blessed, be challenged/stretched in your growth and be a blessing.

Shalom!

Earlier this year our country experienced a busy flu season.  Unfortunately, for some, it even brought tragedy. My husband and I both found ourselves overtaken by the flu virus.  For me, it was the result of a perfect storm.  I had been out of my vitamins and my immune system had been compromised.  It was as though the virus was lurking in the air and seized the opportunity to strike me.

This reminded me of a spiritual truth.  Just as the flu virus was lurking about looking for a compromised immune system, so is our adversary, the devil looking for opportunities to get to us.

The word of God states in 1 Peter 5:8,

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert, Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (NASB)

Continue reading “STAY ALERT”