The Presence of Purpose

 

‘I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.’ 

Isaiah 48:10

‘I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD;

‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

Plans to give you a hope and a future.’

Jeremiah 29:11

Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible; But with God, all things are possible’ 

Matthew 19:26

He has a plan and a purpose for your life;

It was designed before you were ever a thought in the hearts and minds of your parents

He loves you with an everlasting love …

Trust His plans & purpose for your life

CHOSEN

 

Happy Monday!

Here we are – a little less than three weeks to Christmas …

I love this time of year!

It reminds me of wonder-filled act of love that God extended toward us all

 

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever should believe in Him would not perish but have life everlasting’ John 3:16

 

When God plans – He know the end from the beginning.

 

Christ was chosen from the beginning of time – a perfect sacrifice and intercessor for us all

 

But He was not the only One chosen

The LORD has also chosen us

 

‘Before I formed you in your mother's womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.’ Jeremiah 1:5 NET

 

‘I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.’ Isaiah 48:10 KJV

 

‘For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.’ Deuteronomy 14:2 ESV

I had a conversation with one of my sons recently regarding the upcoming Hanukkah celebration and we also talked about the Jewish people being God’s chosen people. And my son said something that has stuck with me for several days. He noted the tremendous challenges the Jewish people have endured’ over time – persecution, the holocaust, even their enslavement in Egypt in the Old Testament. And my son said, ‘… and still they love God and says He is the LORD their God … no wonder they are God’s chosen people”

 

However – the truth is – He does not love us because we love Him

He loved us – and continues to love us – even when loving Him was/is not a thought in our minds

In fact – we love Him only because He first loved us [I John 4:19]

We choose Him because He chose us

And even when we do not choose Him – He loves and chooses us still

 

It is an amazing love!

And, the beautiful thing is that we are all His CHOSEN people in CHRIST

 

‘For He chose us in Him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.’ Ephesians 1:4 NIV

 

‘But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ I Peter 2:9 ESV

 

‘Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of His sacrifice, acting as our priest before God.’

Hebrews 10:20 MSG

 

As we reflect on the personal and individuals challenges that we might each be experiencing, as we think about the challenges all have faced throughout 2020 – I hope, through it all, we would still choose Him.

 

He never promised this life would be easy

But He did promise that He would be with us – EMMANUEL, God With Us

 

He chose us because He loves us –

But make no mistake – He loves it when we choose Him too

 

Have a Blessed Day!

WHAT A MATCH!

 

Our leading text points to a monumental wrestling match …

There are many struggling matches taking place in our world today:

The match of families against challenging times,

The match of ethnic groups against social injustices,

The match of hearts wrestling with the bitter pain of loss,

The match of my nation in an electoral process,

The match of all nations against COVID-19,           

The match of  the world against what has been an unimaginable 2020.

 

All are challenging matches of strength and resolve;

And, we could discuss at length any one of these situations – and many more

However – today we are focusing on a match which Jacob had in the Old Testament

What a Match! 

The story tells of Jacob’s encounter with a man –

     A Man who we later understand to be the LORD

And how Jacob boldly declared, even after significant personal injury,

     ‘I will not let go unless You bless me’ [Genesis 32:26]

 

The response from the Man was this,

“Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed" Genesis 32:28

 

That is a power-packed statement!

 

You have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed

 

Now, I have always understood the struggle with man …

But, can anyone truly struggle with God and prevail?

After all, He is the LORD Omnipotent – All Powerful and Mighty

He cannot be overcome by anyone or anything

 

Yet Jacob is told, ‘you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed’

 

I believe the prevailing victory that Jacob encountered pointed toward the first part of the declaration which was delivered to him at the end of this long wrestling match

 

‘Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel’

 

Jacob underwent a life-changing, identity altering experience –

An experience which was not the sole product of his encounter with the Man that night;

Rather, he had many experiences which culminated in his encounter with the Man that night.

 

His birth name was Jacob – which means ‘one who grabs at the heel’, ‘supplanting’ or ‘deceiver’

His new name was Israel – meaning ‘God Contended’, ‘Wrestles with God’ and/or ‘Triumphant with God’

He was Triumphant with God

Triumphant over an upbringing plagued by favoritism, competition, contention and family dysfunction – playing his own role in the situations and living up to his name

Triumphant over being tricked in business dealings

 Triumphant over an identity crisis which started from his infancy

And now here he was, not stealing a blessing by trickery this time, but obtaining a blessing by clinging to the Blessing Giver

 

It was not a short process –

This wrestling match occurred on the eve of him meeting his brother whom he had tricked out of blessing many, many years earlier – at least twenty years. In the process, he had endured many challenges. He had also amassed a large family, servants and great wealth

 

Yet, here he was still seeking a blessing from the LORD

 

I believe he understood that there was a blessing with his name on it –

     A blessing he would not have to manipulate or trick others to obtain

Because a blessing received by ill-gotten means is not a blessing at all and certainly not one which can truly be enjoyed with peace

 

‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’

 

And that is exactly what happened –

‘Then he blessed him [Jacob] there. So Jacob called the place Peniel saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”’ Genesis 32:29-30

 

I believe all the trials Jacob faced – and the transformation he underwent – prepared him for the blessing which was for him all along.

 

What God has for you is for you!

 

You do not have to want or grasp for the blessing of another.

And, even when you miss the mark [which we all have at one point or another], it does not cancel out the call of God on your life or the blessing He has reserved just for you.

 

It may take a while for the blessing to fully manifest.

But, in the process, the LORD will use all of your circumstances –

     to prepare you for what He has prepared for you.

 

If you will patiently wrestle and work & struggle and strive –

     allowing your character to be developed

If you will steadfastly cling to the Blessing Giver –

You will ultimately prevail … and you will not be disappointed. 

I promise!

  

‘For the vision is yet for the appointed time;

It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.

Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.’

Habakkuk 2:3

 

Have a Blessed Day!

LOVE 2020: LOVE LIVING ...

Hello Friends!

I hope you had a good day today –

I am so glad to spend a few moments with you today –

Continuing our talk on LOVE,

And today I would like to share some thought on our need to love living

This post occurred to me when I was driving home from church yesterday

Something caught my eye –

to such a degree that I had to turn my car back to get a picture

And this was it –

Some delicate pink roses, growing in the midst of a mess

Twisted, dried up branches, dead leaves, you name it

But there were these roses – and mind you it is still winter for another month!

As I drove farther along, I came across these:

There was a press on my spirit:

BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

BLOSSOM WHEREVER YOU FIND YOURSELF – NO MATTER THE SITUATION

DEFY THE ODDS AND DO WHAT THE LORD HAS CREATED YOU TO DO

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved,

                And those who are perishing” II Corinthians 2:15

But what does this have to do with ‘loving living’?

Life will not always be pleasant –

Indeed, you may go through some seasons where it seems like all is failing

But you must not let that discourage you or rob you of your joy

Even if you do not love your life circumstances at the moment,

                It is possible to love living …

There are some dark, tangled places –

     where only you have been appointed to bring beauty;

Places where the LORD has designated you

     to be a sweet fragrance and a shining light.

I know it is not pleasant – but is it is worth it

Several years back, the LORD asked me a question,

‘Will you stay in the fire long enough for someone else to see Jesus?’

It was a reference to the three Hebrew boys who were tossed in the flames

When you have a few moments, you should read it [Daniel, Chapter Three]

It is a compelling tale – not of how God kept His chosen servants from a fiery trial,

                But how He walked beside them through the flames,

                And the impact it had on all who were observing them

And this is what the LORD is speaking to us all:

‘When you pass through the waters,

     I will be with you;

And when you pass through rivers,

     they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

     you will not be burned;

The flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 43:2

‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God.

I will strengthen you  and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:10

I put in a post just the other day,   

‘Thus far, you have survived 100% of the toughest moments life has thrown your way’

Even if you do not love everything about your life at this moment,

Love Living …

God is not through with you yet –

And He has good plans to prosper and not to harm you. [Jer. 29:11]

Have a Blessed Evening!

Cling to the Sword!

‘And after him was Eleazar … one of the three mighty men with David … He [Eleazar] arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.’ II Samuel 23:9-10 (KJV)

What an image!

This mighty man of valor fought so hard and long that his hand ‘clave unto the sword’. The word for clave in the Hebrew is ‘dabaq’ which means: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to…

He was so determined in his fight against the enemy that his hand clung to the sword. It stuck to and with the sword. It stayed close to the sword. It cleaved unto the sword. His hand kept close to the sword. His hand followed closely and joined to the sword.

‘And the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.’

Because he remained focused, diligent and persistent – because he clung to the sword – the LORD brought about a tremendous victory. And the only thing left to do when it was all over was to collect the spoils from the enemy.

•Do you need tools to fight the battle you are in?
•Do you have a desire to annihilate the enemy?
•Do need a TODAY victory where you can take back all enemy has stolen from you and others?

DO WHAT ELEAZER DID … CLING TO THE SWORD!

Ephesians 6:13-18 tells us to put on the full armor of God when going into battle. But I especially like verse seventeen which tells us, ‘take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’.
• As I stick to (and with) the sword, it enables me to cut down the enemies which have surrounded me
• As I embrace the truth of God’s Word and apply it to my life, I am equipped for an unrelenting battle
• I am empowered as I keep my hand close to the ‘sword, which is the word’ – as I allow it to direct the works of my hands, my actions
• When I am joined to and follow closely the Word of God, which is the sword of God, I have everything I need

The victory is sure if I will but cling to the sword of God, to the Word of God!

Understand, however, that dogged determination is not enough…

My determination must be accompanied by His sword, by His Word, by His Spirit.

This is the word of the LORD: ‘It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

CLING TO GOD’S SWORD – CLING TO HIS WORD
DESTROY THE ENEMY … WIN THE BATTLE … COLLECT THE SPOILS!

*Re-Post 4/12/19. Originally posted on this site 04/29/10

LOVE: WHILE YOU CAN ...

Good Morning Friends

I pray your day is off to a great start – February 1, 2019

I continually find myself saying, ‘The older I get, the faster it goes’

However, I think it might be time for me to adopt a new saying when time passing:

‘Thank You God for the time; help me make the rest count’

I was going to move off our focus on STORGE/FAMILY LOVE

However, I believe I am going to spend one more day there – TODAY

WHY? Because it is so important to … LOVE WHILE YOU CAN

My cousin passed away yesterday morning; he was fifty-one years old. I think that is young. However, I might feel that way because he was only three years older than me. We were all more like siblings than cousins when we were growing up. He called my mom his second mom. My last contact with him before New Year’s Day was in December when he told me he would be coming to see her soon. He truly loved her. Yet, even with all his love for her, he was not able to make that last visit.

Tomorrow is not promised to any of us – the next moment is not promised to any of us

That is why it is important to – LOVE WHILE YOU CAN

Many people have been commenting on my cousin’s amazing smile.

And he did have an absolutely amazing smile!

That glint in his eye, the crinkle of his nose and then there was that dimple on his cheek.

His smile was infectious and you could not help but smiling yourself in response.

But why share this with my online friends who did not know him?

It is important to focus on loving family while you can & letting them know.

Family love [and love in general] is a precious gift – but one which can easily be taken for granted.

Therefore, it is important to be intentional about loving and expressing love

Take time to appreciate the little things that you love about people – and let them know

It is so important to express love –

Whether it is a kind word, a loving act, a thoughtful gift, a heartfelt hug or a listening ear

And this does not just apply to family love – it carries over into all areas of love

It is great to express the love you had and will continue to hold onto

However, you will never know the full impact of expressing the love you have – TODAY

LOVE EVERY CHANCE YOU CAN – seizing every opportunity to express love

LOVE BECAUSE YOU CAN – recognizing it is a gift from God to have people to love

LOVE WHILE YOU CAN – understanding there is no greater present like the present

Praying You Have a Blessed Day!

Wishing You Much Love …

“A new command I give you; Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

Believe Him ...

Good Morning Friends!

I pray that your weekend is off to a peaceful, restful and enjoyable start. It is cloudy here in Virginia Beach with a forecast of rain this afternoon. However, the possibility of rain does not disappoint me. No – I believe what Scripture says, that ‘the spiritual is not first; the natural/physical comes first, and then the spiritual’ (I Cor. 15:46). And so I believe that there will be shower/outpouring of His wisdom into my spirit and a rain/flood of His Spirit into every situation which concerns me.

BELIEF is a powerful thing!

What we BELIEVE has a powerful impact, both positively and negatively

Maya Angelou is quoted as saying, ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them.’ It is a powerful quote and one that has stayed with me from the first time that I heard it. To me, it speaks to a need to operate within the boundaries of reality.

Too often though, we ignore the obvious truth in exchange for a lie. I am not certain why this happens. Perhaps we have been conditioned, as part of the fallen nature of man to gravitate towards what is false. Perhaps we have just gotten too busy with life, technology and religious practice to be observant. Perhaps our lenses through which we view the world have been permanently tainted by our individual life experiences. Whatever the cause, it seems to happen quite frequently that we convince ourselves that what we see and have been told is not the truth – both positively and negatively.

There is a story of a woman in an unhealthy relationship. She is belittled, demeaned and abused – verbally, physically and emotionally. She is terrified and miserable. Yet, one day she escapes that prison. And after much time, another man enters her life, a gentle man. He respects and honors her; he protects her and encourages her. He does everything she ever dreamed that a God-sent man would do. But she does not believe what he says or what he does. Why? She still looks at life, and him, through the lens of hurt and disappointment. Rather than enjoying the reality of what is before her and the joy-filled vision of what could be, she embraces fear and uncertainty; she rejects him and chooses aloneness – while she keeps waiting for the future that she has dreamed of, the future that was standing right before her eyes and which just walked away from her presence because she said, ‘No thanks.’

Sounds a bit unbelievable – does it not?

Yet it is a reality for many women (and men) out there.

Sadly, it is also a reality for many Christians.

You see – we can be just like that woman I described.

Some of us have been so damaged by the past, by relationships, by hurtful words, by damaging actions and by ungodly voices; we have been so injured that we have a hard time seeing anything other than what we have previously experienced.

Although we have a Gentleman standing in our presence – telling us that He chose us (I Peter 2:9), that we are lovely (I Peter 2:1-5), that He will protect and defend to the death and that He has already (John 3:16) – we question that truth which is right before our eyes. At times, we elect to ignore it altogether.

As we read Luke 1:28-29, we gain some insight from reading the story of a young lady receiving a vision and revelation from the Lord. Mary, a young virgin, engaged to be married, was visited by a celestial being on assignment from the very throne room of heaven. The account reads, ‘And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.’

It seems like a wonderful greeting to receive from an angel.

How many of us would love to hear an angel tell us that we are highly favored and that the Lord is with us? Yet she was troubled at his saying. And, he had not even revealed to her the total sum of God’s plan for her to carry the Messiah. He merely told her that she was highly favored, blessed and in the company of the Lord.

I am not sure what Mary’s life had been like up to that point.

I am not certain what your life has been like up to this point. I am, however, well-acquainted with what my life has been like up to this point. And if I am honest, there have been times when my response was just like Mary’s when God showed me what He had in store for me.

Yet, He responds to me just like the angel responded to Mary:

‘Do not be afraid … for you have found favor with God.’ (Lk. 1:30)

The same message is delivered to you today:

Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God!

Since God has shown you who He is, BELIEVE HIM

When God shows you who you are and what He has for you, BELIEVE HIM!

You see – if we are not careful, we can get caught in a cycle where, we look at the bad and try to convince ourselves that it is good. We look at the good and are convinced that it must be false. Or that if it is true, it could not possibly apply to our lives.

Often times – we are taken aback when we hear what God thinks of us because our self-view is not aligned with His God-view. It can be intimidating once we realize who God says we are because, once we know, we must rise to the call or walk in disobedience. A new revelation of who God says He is and who He says you are will always require action on your part.

You will have to push past fear, intellect and experience and BELIEVE.

You cannot let fear prevent you from journeying with God – whether it is fear of an unknown future or fear induced by a living knowledge of past disappointments. You must be intentional about drawing near to God, finding out who He is, finding out who He says you are and what His plans are – despite your fears or insecurities and without consideration of what it will cost you. No price is too great to walk with God.

God has proven His character. He has told you and shown you who He is. He has done the same thing for me. He is a good God (Num. 23:19), who has good plans for each of us (Jer. 29:11), who looks for opportunities to show Himself strong on our behalf (II Ch. 16:9), who is working all things together for our good (Rom. 8:28), who will do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or think – if we will only let the power of His Holy Spirit work in us and through us (Eph. 3:20).

We can trust what He has revealed. And, when we do, we will experience God and all that He has for us. Further, we will hear others testify of our faith, just like Mary did when she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth: ‘Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.’ Luke 1:45

Blessed are those who BELIEVE,

For there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told them from the Lord. Hallelujah!

I am praying for you …

Praying that you will experience God’s presence, like never before; praying that you will know Him; praying that you will believe Him; praying that you will experience all He has for you. I pray that you will have a blessed weekend! Sending much love your way ...

 

God Almighty who plants into our hearts His heavenly hopes and visions,

will not fail us when we press forward to possess them.

You're not yourself ...

Good Evening Friends!

Happy Sunday… what is left of it. Needless to say, my hope was to have this post completed and ready for publication before now. However, today has been a busy day. And, the weather is not helping. It has been raining all day and it is quite cold [to me anyway]. Don’t get me wrong … I am thankful that it is not snow. But it has been a dreary day just the same.

It has had me thinking about my MinPin who passed away last summer. He was such a good boy … but he hated days like this! I would try to coax him out of his blanket to get him to go outside and he would stubbornly refuse. If I would push too hard, he would actually start his low, slow growl – gently letting me know that I was getting on his nerves. His growls I could take. It was even a little laughable being that he was twelve inches tall and all of ten pounds. However, there were other times, like the time he got something stuck in his paw, that his animal instincts took over and he actually snipped at me. He would immediately feel bad after I would let out a yell letting him know his bite – however little – still packed a punch and it still hurt. His intention was not to hurt me. So what would make my sweet little dog act outside of his normal character?

YOU ARE NOT YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE ...

… OR HURTING

But what does this have to do with us?

Yesterday I shared a post about being willing to stay in the fire until someone else can see Jesus.

Yet, what do you do when those you must stay in the flames for are the same who pushed you in [or stoked who the fire while you were going through]?

FIRST –

You take a moment to remind yourself that people are not themselves when they are broken or hurting. Remind yourself that pain can make people act in ways that might be completely contrary to your preference and completely contrary to their nature in normal circumstances. Take time to remember times when you have been hurt or broken; times when you have uttered a harsh or impatient word or acted in a manner outside your normal character.

THEN –

You stick with the task at hand, follow the lead of the faithful individuals that walked before us and continue your trek through the flames until someone [or multiple some ones] are able to see Jesus for themselves, are able to receive salvation for themselves, are able to receive comfort for themselves, are able to walk in newness of life for themselves.

LASTLY –

Remember – it is never solely about you.

This does not mean that you become a doormat for people – or that you subject yourself to repeated abusive treatment. You can continue to walk through the fire, forgive people and love them from a distance [if needed].

Job – he stayed the course that the LORD set him upon. He walked through his firestorm of trials and pain and suffering – and then he prayed for his friends and was reconciled to his siblings, neighbors and associates. [Job 42:10]

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – they walked through literal flames long enough for their persecutors to see Jesus – and then they were promoted to a place of authority where they would be positioned to help some of those same people. [Daniel 3:19-30]

Understand that He has made us ministers of reconciliation. [2 Cor. 5:18-21]

Those who can be trusted with flame [a passion for the LORD & for the lost and the hurting] can likewise be trusted in the flames. However, your mission will promptly be aborted if you allow offense to take root, if you fail to understand that people are not themselves when they are broken, if you allow it to impact your commitment to the God-assignment on your life.

Understanding some of the ‘why’ which lays behind the ‘what’ [the reasons behind the actions of others] can go a long way in helping us to maintain focus and stay the course that the LORD has placed us on.

Again … a little perspective helps make any challenge a little more bearable.

Praying the rest of your evening is restful and that your week is purpose-filled.

Have a Blessed Evening!