Give me Your Eyes.

I am so grateful to the myriad of testimonies that others can give and I can remember from my own life about how God has changed my perspective so that I can see from a "closer to reality" viewpoint.

Yesterday after church my husband, Sam, and daughter, Emily, were both trying to find me because we wanted to do our Operation Christmas Child box and maybe even a local present for a child here. While they ran out of the local children ornaments, we were excited to go and fill two boxes for OCC. If you have participated before, you know the joy of picking out the items and filling the box.

This year following the mission trip that Emily and Sam went on this summer, things were different. Even though I had did not go with them, it was like as soon as we decided to fill a box for a 5-9 year old boy and one for a 5-9 year old girl, their minds immediately went into gear. They were transported back to their trip. At one point  I was holding up an small pet toy for the girl and Sam immediately grabbed the princess nail polish and said it would be better. I was floored, but then I remembered how they all sat with the orphans last summer and the girls spent hours painting each others nails and showing them off.

Amazing what a one week trip will do, and I am sure that I have not seen the half of it, yet.

 ^"I thank my God for all the memories I have of you. Every time I pray for all of you, I do it with joy. I can do this because of the partnership we’ve had with you in the Good News from the first day you believed until now. I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6

Mother Teresa said, "The reason we have no peace is we have forgotten we belong to each other."
We truly do need each other.

Lord, Increase our Peace, Increase our Vision, Increase our Intimacy with You. Amen.

James 4:14,
Camelot

Hunger Games

Last night my daughter and I went to see the second edition of Hunger Games on the big screen. While the ending was a cliffhanger as you would expect from any second movie in a trilogy, the conversation on the way home gave me more anticipation than the waiting for the third movie to debut.

We were talking about why the girl who was in the games made the decisions that she made. The fact that throughout the "game" she was being watched, just like in the first movie. There was a scene where she was hiding on a tree limb and realized that the sound she heard as the zooming in and out of a camera lens in a knot on the tree. With this realization there were key decisions that she made in order to make it through the game alive.

If we know that someone is watching us, we may choose to do things differently. Not necessarily wrong or right, but just differently. When my husband who is quick to through things away is watching, I may choose to throw a wrapper away before I sit down to eat rather than throw it away when I get to cleaning up the dishes. So when I think about living my life before an audience of One, it is not judgement that I think about because I know that the Holy Spirit will let me know if there is anything between us, but more along the lines of respect and love. There are things that I think of doing just because I have His perspective in mind as I walk through my day.

Lord, may the "movie of my life" be acceptable and bring You Glory! Psalm 19:14 And as soon as I pray and write this, He brings to my heart the reality that we are in the "movie" together and it is the truest of Love Stories.

James 4:14,
Camelot

Come Close...

The first part of James 4:8 says "Come close to God, and he will come close to you."

Certainly God uses many things to increase our faith: 

Trials: "My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything." James 1:2-4

Prayer: "May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give our brothers and sisters peace and love along with faith." Ephesians 6:23

Miracles: "But these miracles have been written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that you will have life by believing in him." John 20:31

  

I have found that when my faith increases so does my vision of who His is. So whether it is a miracle or an answer to prayer or even a trial, my response, eventually is praise. As the song says, "To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your Glory, Pour our Your power and love as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy."

After the prayer that Paul prays for the believers in Ephesis, that God would give them peace, love and faith. He says in verse 24, " His favor is with everyone who has an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ."

Whatever causes us to come a  little closer is a miracle in and of itself because of the blessed truth that if we will come close to Him, then He will come close to us. I know He lives in me, how much closer can you get...but don't you love the inside hugs that increased intimacy brings. 

James 4:14,

Camelot 

Actively Resist

Suppose a person carries meat set aside for a holy purpose and he folds it up in his clothes. If his clothes touch bread, boiled food, wine, oil, or any kind of food, does that make the food holy?” The priests answered, “No.” Haggai asked, “Suppose a person becomes unclean by touching a corpse. If he touches any of these things, does that make them unclean?” The priests answered, “That makes them unclean.” (Haggai 2:12, 13 GW)

We as the Church of the Living God have been given authority by Jesus Himself. It is our responsibility to be active in prayer and thought not only resisting the enemy of our souls, but invading the darkness with our words and prayers. We speak life. If we are passive in our relationship with Christ, it is a reality that our lives will be tainted by the world. Evil is contagious like mold in a dark, moist place. 

BUT

When Light shines in the darkness, the darkness not just flees, but deceases...darkness is the absence  of light.

“You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. (Matthew 5:14, 15 GW)

Be Light. Go Shine! is written on the wall as you walk outside of my church. While "be" is a passive verb, this is a very active command. 

Lord, awaken me and rise up within me that I would not drift passively in Your Name, but that I would believe aggressively and stand tenaciously on Your Word. Not only have absolute sway in my life, but make my life kindling for Your Light to shine brighter. In Jesus name.

James 4:14,

Camelot

You have Promised.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30)

 Father, Thank you for your strong arm that has worked salvation for us. I am humbled by what You have done for and through the scrappy lump of clay I handed to You on the day we met. Miraculous, indeed! You are Faithful, You are True... and You have promised that in the midst of chaos and distraction that those whose minds are stayed on You, those that love You will know that Your eye is on the sparrow and not only do You see me, but Your Hand works all things for the good of those who love You. You have promised and it will be done. In the Name of the One called Faithful and True, Amen.

James 4:14,
Camelot

Project Galilee

This Thursday, I am participating in Project Galilee, a time of rest and revelation with other pastors and leaders, a time to make extra room for the Presence of Jesus in our lives.

We are gathering off the coast of North Carolina, not the Sea of Galilee, but the call is the same as the angel's message in Mark 16:7

"But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’"

Pastor Kerry Willis is leading this conversation as we all seek to intentionally look on the horizon of our lives and increase our peace, joy, hope and grace by gazing into His face together.

Here was the view from my window the last time I woke up at the Sea of Galilee a few years back.

Spiritually speaking, I am looking forward to the Light on the Horizon of this week as we entire a time of intentional Holy Spiritual Community. Anyone interested in spending a few sunrises and sunsets with us receive the invitation...

ProjectGalilee.com

James 4:14,
Camelot

Asleep in the Light

Jesus said that, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."
 He then instructs those serving alongside Him to pray that the Lord of the harvest would send workers.

With the week of My Hope with Billy Graham and the sermon yesterday at Harrisonburg First Church of the Nazarene, As Christians, living in the light of this perspective, we are either working alongside Him and praying for the harvest, we are asleep in the Light.

Another highlight from the heart of one harvester, Keith Green.

 

Here it is on Youtube... Asleep in the Light

The last line says, "Don't turn away and pretend the job's done."

Lord,

Wake us up.

James 4:14,

Camelot