I love that the Kingdom is all about transformation. Everything about the Kingdom is a forward progression. That is why the enemy fights so hard to cause us to step down, fall back, or give up.
Paul tells us in 2 Cor.3:18 that we "are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory". Pause and think about the ramifications of this promise. It's not just that we are being transformed into His likeness, but it is with ever-increasing glory. Wow! We have a promise of accelerated glory coming into our lives as we are transformed.
I have been aware of an accelerated growth process in my own life and many other believers around me in the last 5 years. The ever-increasing glory is evident all around us!
Part of the ever-increasing glory process is being tested in those areas where we have experienced grace and transformation in our thinking and lives. Graham Cooke says that "we must know the difference between our training ground and our proving ground". I recently experienced proving in some areas that had always been areas of weakness for me. There was much fear, shame, and doubt attached to these former patterns. I went into the battle with shaky footing, afraid that I would fail as I had done in the past.
As I looked around for the weapons that He had given me in my season of training, I found that He had taught me first of all about His goodness. This for me is the operations base for my battles. It is the foundation of everything....He is a good God! All of our thinking, plans, and battle strategies must flow out of this foundational fact. I believe it is the area that Satan attacks more than any other, because he gains an incredible foothold when we began to doubt God's goodness. Our faith flows out of knowing that He is good.
The second weapon that I had received in training was learning that I am the King's daughter. I am a princess! Beginning to know and understand the vast implications of being royalty totally changes our mindset and the way we operate in our lives. The King's kids have unlimited access and authority that we have just begun to tap into. Again, Satan's strategy is to keep us from discovering who we are. He is a liar, and the Father of Lies, and we cannot believe anything he says.
The third weapon that I had been given in training is the power of declarations and the power of words. God created the world by speaking things into existence. We have been made in His image and our "speaking" is very powerful and important. The Father has been teaching me to become more and more aware of my confessions or words. God works through the power of agreement, and so does the enemy. We must be careful in how we agree with him. I am learning that my thoughts and words must line up with the truth of God's word and my revelation of Him, and not what I seem to be experiencing in my reality. His reality is always greater than my reality.I love it that He is a God who "calls things that are not as though they were", and again, being made in His image, we are to do the same.
So we see that the Kingdom is full of overcoming, being renewed, transformation, reconciliation, pressing on, not shrinking back....all forward motion! We do, however have to make a choice. We can choose to go back to the old familiar patterns of defeat. Many times they even feel more comfortable. There is no faith required. It's easier to slip into fear or self pity or worry when the crunch comes. Faith and forward motion in the Kingdom requires rising up in our spirit man and using our new found spiritual muscles. We can say, "No!" and whack fear, self pity, and worry on the head with the weapon of God's goodness and our declarations of His favor and protection in our life.
As we are changed in "ever-increasing glory" the using of our weapons will become second nature. Actually, it becomes our true nature which is sons and daughters of our victorious warrior King!
We will all experience days in which it seems that we lose our footing and fall in battle. The writer of Hebrews tells us that "we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved". Gratefully, we have a compassionate Savior King who comes and picks us up, and brushes off our knees, straightens the crown He has placed on our head, and again reminds us of who we are and what we're made for, and off we go again ready to experience the sweetness and satisfaction of victory over our enemies.
"Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.
May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in
their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the
peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles
of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the
glory of all His saints." Psalms 149:5-9
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Living in a Legacy
I have the privilege of sitting with my Mom in the hospital as she enters her third battle with cancer, now at 82 years old. I consider it a privilege, because it is a an unexpected opportunity to serve the one who has given of herself so sacrificially in my life and the lives of many others.
The older I get the more I see the legacy that she has created and left for me and my family. A mother does so many things, but more than anything else, she imparts herself to her children. This can be good or bad, but, in my case it is very, very good. Now at 54 years of age, I still find myself in many ways, seeking to emulate her strength of character, her generous spirit, her unselfish nature, and her kindness that she shares with everyone. I never knew anything but total acceptance, love, and support from my mother. I understand that I have been given a great gift.
As I have watched my mother interact with the staff of nurses in this small town hospital, I began to notice that she takes time to find out their name and then encourages them every time they leave her room by telling them what a good job they are doing. She hesitates to push the button to call for a nurse when she needs pain medication because she "doesn't want to be a bother". It doesn't surprise me that many of them stop by her room to tell her "good-bye" when they are leaving from their shift.
Just last night her surgeon called the hospital room to talk with me and he started off by saying,"your mother is an amazing woman". He then went on to tell me of her intelligence, her cheerfulness, and the grace and strength that he saw in her. These would be wonderful qualities for any person to exhibit, but it is especially beautiful to watch this fruit flowing from the weakened and battered body of the woman I call Mother.
Yes I, my children, and one day their children, are all living in the wake of my Mother's legacy. We've all inherited so much from this life well lived. I am grateful and humbled that I have this chance to serve and honor my Mother. Now every day is a precious gift.
The older I get the more I see the legacy that she has created and left for me and my family. A mother does so many things, but more than anything else, she imparts herself to her children. This can be good or bad, but, in my case it is very, very good. Now at 54 years of age, I still find myself in many ways, seeking to emulate her strength of character, her generous spirit, her unselfish nature, and her kindness that she shares with everyone. I never knew anything but total acceptance, love, and support from my mother. I understand that I have been given a great gift.
As I have watched my mother interact with the staff of nurses in this small town hospital, I began to notice that she takes time to find out their name and then encourages them every time they leave her room by telling them what a good job they are doing. She hesitates to push the button to call for a nurse when she needs pain medication because she "doesn't want to be a bother". It doesn't surprise me that many of them stop by her room to tell her "good-bye" when they are leaving from their shift.
Just last night her surgeon called the hospital room to talk with me and he started off by saying,"your mother is an amazing woman". He then went on to tell me of her intelligence, her cheerfulness, and the grace and strength that he saw in her. These would be wonderful qualities for any person to exhibit, but it is especially beautiful to watch this fruit flowing from the weakened and battered body of the woman I call Mother.
Yes I, my children, and one day their children, are all living in the wake of my Mother's legacy. We've all inherited so much from this life well lived. I am grateful and humbled that I have this chance to serve and honor my Mother. Now every day is a precious gift.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Jesus Loves Me This I Know
Like many of you, I grew up singing the popular childrens song, "Jesus Loves Me". Even though I sang the sung hundreds of times, somehow the words never made it from my head to my heart.
But, over the last 15 years, Jesus began to romance me and soften this heart of mine that had not known or understood what it really felt like to be loved by Him. The truth is, He was probably romancing me long before this, but I was unaware of His moving in my life.
Just this past year I was at a womens day of meditative worship, and I received as a gift a small scroll tied with a gold bow. We were told that the messages on the scroll were prayed over by the ones who picked them, and to receive it as a message that Jesus had for us that day. As I unrolled my scroll, my eyes quickly took in the words, and I was undone. My scroll read:
"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace". Song of Songs 4:9
Trying to keep it together as best I could, I quickly found a spot in the corner of the room and for the next hour I let the tears flow as the realization of His heart and intense love for me washed over me like a warm spring rain.
You see, one of the earliest wounds that the enemy inflicted on me was that of not being pursued or not being chosen. Then, over the years, he kept reinforcing the lie through people and circumstances.
In my relationship with Jesus, my theology taught me that He was the one who sought me, but my heart always felt like I was the one who had pursued Him. Because of my woundedness and unbelief in this area, there was a veil over my heart that kept me from experiencing and receiving His love.
But little by little, His jealous love for me began to break through the protective covering around my heart. As my heart began to open enough to let Him in, I began to experience even more His personal, intimate ways of pursuing and revealing His love for me.
I love the words to "How He Loves" by John Mark McMillan:
"He is our portion and we are His prize,
drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking.
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest..."
I don't know about you, but the thought that I am His prize is hard to wrap my mind around. But that day when I read the words on the scroll, "You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes", I felt that I got a glimpse into the heart of Jesus, and I too, was drawn by the grace in His eyes. Wow! He loves me so much!
I love going into the day knowing that at any moment I could receive a "God kiss"! I don't believe He is stingy with His affection, but I believe that our hearts are often so steeped in hurt and unbelief that we fail to see or experience His attempts to touch us in a personal and loving way.
Thank you Jesus for your persistent, fierce, and lavish love! Thank You that You hold the keys to even the most resistant of hearts.
"Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
Rivers cannot wash it away.
-Song of Songs 8:6-7
But, over the last 15 years, Jesus began to romance me and soften this heart of mine that had not known or understood what it really felt like to be loved by Him. The truth is, He was probably romancing me long before this, but I was unaware of His moving in my life.
Just this past year I was at a womens day of meditative worship, and I received as a gift a small scroll tied with a gold bow. We were told that the messages on the scroll were prayed over by the ones who picked them, and to receive it as a message that Jesus had for us that day. As I unrolled my scroll, my eyes quickly took in the words, and I was undone. My scroll read:
"You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace". Song of Songs 4:9
Trying to keep it together as best I could, I quickly found a spot in the corner of the room and for the next hour I let the tears flow as the realization of His heart and intense love for me washed over me like a warm spring rain.
You see, one of the earliest wounds that the enemy inflicted on me was that of not being pursued or not being chosen. Then, over the years, he kept reinforcing the lie through people and circumstances.
In my relationship with Jesus, my theology taught me that He was the one who sought me, but my heart always felt like I was the one who had pursued Him. Because of my woundedness and unbelief in this area, there was a veil over my heart that kept me from experiencing and receiving His love.
But little by little, His jealous love for me began to break through the protective covering around my heart. As my heart began to open enough to let Him in, I began to experience even more His personal, intimate ways of pursuing and revealing His love for me.
I love the words to "How He Loves" by John Mark McMillan:
"He is our portion and we are His prize,
drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking.
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest..."
I don't know about you, but the thought that I am His prize is hard to wrap my mind around. But that day when I read the words on the scroll, "You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes", I felt that I got a glimpse into the heart of Jesus, and I too, was drawn by the grace in His eyes. Wow! He loves me so much!
I love going into the day knowing that at any moment I could receive a "God kiss"! I don't believe He is stingy with His affection, but I believe that our hearts are often so steeped in hurt and unbelief that we fail to see or experience His attempts to touch us in a personal and loving way.
Thank you Jesus for your persistent, fierce, and lavish love! Thank You that You hold the keys to even the most resistant of hearts.
"Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
Rivers cannot wash it away.
-Song of Songs 8:6-7
Monday, February 22, 2010
Plumbing Matters
Recently I spent some time in South Carolina visiting my mother and enjoying the beauty of the Carolina mountains. One day as we were returning from a trip to my college alma mater in Boiling Springs, NC, I stopped the car for a much needed restroom break. As I headed for the restrooms in the convenience store where we had stopped, the clerk behind the counter quickly let me know that they had no water and their restrooms were not available for use. She said the pipes had burst.
I hopped back in the car and continued to travel down the road. About a half mile from the convenience store we passed a home with an unusual sign in the yard that said, "plumbing matters". I laughed to myself and said "Yes, it surely does!" As I began to think about this funny turn of events and the unusual sign that I had just seen, I felt the Holy Spirit began to speak to me and show me that the pipes burst because they were not able to contain the volume of the liquid as it expanded inside the pipes.
He then directed my thoughts to the passage of scripture in Matt. 9:16 which says,
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch
will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men
pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the
wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No they pour new wine
into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
So, just as the pipes burst when they could no longer contain the volume of the frozen water, the wineskins will burst if new wine is poured into old wineskins.
Our unrenewed minds are like the wineskins and our old ways of thinking will not be able to contain the new things that God is wanting to do and release. Our minds must be renewed in order to contain the new wine that he is pouring out today, in this very hour.
An openness to receive new revelation and a heart that is quick to repent(change the way you think)are keys to having a new wineskin. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble, and this humility opens the door for the new wine to flow in freely.
In Romans 12, Paul indicates that in order to know God's will our mind must be renewed. This renewing of the mind causes us literally to be transformed from the inside out. Yes, knowing and walking in God's will involves having a humble, childlike approach to receiving revelation and a heart that rushes to repent when we realize that our thoughts no longer line up with His. It is the renewed mind that will be able to test and approve the will of God.
I feel so very blessed to be alive in this day when God is uncovering mysteries and revelation that have been kept for us His Church, the Bride of Christ. As we walk in childlike wonder and humility, let us move forward as a mighty army, with an ever expanding capacity to receive Him and all that He is.
May our wineskins be ready to receive the new wine as He pours it out in our day. May we be free-flowing conduits or "pipes" that continually contain and release the very Presence of God.
Yes, plumbing matters.
I hopped back in the car and continued to travel down the road. About a half mile from the convenience store we passed a home with an unusual sign in the yard that said, "plumbing matters". I laughed to myself and said "Yes, it surely does!" As I began to think about this funny turn of events and the unusual sign that I had just seen, I felt the Holy Spirit began to speak to me and show me that the pipes burst because they were not able to contain the volume of the liquid as it expanded inside the pipes.
He then directed my thoughts to the passage of scripture in Matt. 9:16 which says,
"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch
will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men
pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the
wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No they pour new wine
into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
So, just as the pipes burst when they could no longer contain the volume of the frozen water, the wineskins will burst if new wine is poured into old wineskins.
Our unrenewed minds are like the wineskins and our old ways of thinking will not be able to contain the new things that God is wanting to do and release. Our minds must be renewed in order to contain the new wine that he is pouring out today, in this very hour.
An openness to receive new revelation and a heart that is quick to repent(change the way you think)are keys to having a new wineskin. God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble, and this humility opens the door for the new wine to flow in freely.
In Romans 12, Paul indicates that in order to know God's will our mind must be renewed. This renewing of the mind causes us literally to be transformed from the inside out. Yes, knowing and walking in God's will involves having a humble, childlike approach to receiving revelation and a heart that rushes to repent when we realize that our thoughts no longer line up with His. It is the renewed mind that will be able to test and approve the will of God.
I feel so very blessed to be alive in this day when God is uncovering mysteries and revelation that have been kept for us His Church, the Bride of Christ. As we walk in childlike wonder and humility, let us move forward as a mighty army, with an ever expanding capacity to receive Him and all that He is.
May our wineskins be ready to receive the new wine as He pours it out in our day. May we be free-flowing conduits or "pipes" that continually contain and release the very Presence of God.
Yes, plumbing matters.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Don't Be Like the Horse or Mule
In the early years of my Christian walk my spiritual history with God took a certain pattern. Crisis would come and I would press in to find Him. I would enjoy sweet times in His presence only to gradually give up my practice of seeking Him once the crisis had passed. I still served Him and loved Him, but let the cares and business of life steer me away from seeking His face. Then another crisis would come and my heart would turn once again to pursuing after the One who had proven Himself faithful in my life so many times.
One such crisis occurred when our son was hospitalized at just one year old. The doctors could not explain why he had such a high fever and had become quickly lethargic. A number of tests were run including a painful spinal tap and the fear of the unknown threatened to totally overwhelm the heart of this young mother. One night as I lay in his hospital room on a cot, listening to his labored breathing and unable to sleep, I picked up a book that I was reading and God pricked my heart and spoke to me concerning the shaky foundation that I had been building for my life.
The chapter talked about "sinkholes" and how in certain areas of our country there were homes built on ground that looked good for all practical purposes, but at any point the homes might suddenly collapse as the ground gave way underneath them. God showed me that my life was as precarious as those homes built on the "sinkholes" and the storms that came to threaten me had the power to cause my spiritual house to come crashing down. There on that cot in a dark hospital room, I tearfully repented of my wishy-washy relationship with Him.
Thankfully, our son improved and was able to leave the hospital a week later. I left that hospital with a determination to live my life in a different way than I had before that time. As a result of this hospital encounter with God, I began to seek to build a foundation for my life that would be unshakable.
It was not long after that I was reading in the Psalms one day and came across a passage which the Lord gently used to remind me of my new commitment:
"Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no
understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you". Psalm 32:9
He showed me that I had been like the horse or mule in my relationship with Him, and that He desired my heart to be so in sync with His that I would no longer need the bit or bridle(crisis) to control me. He was looking for a relationship with me that far surpassed the "fair-weather friend" that I had been for so many years.
Did God cause my son to become sick to teach me a lesson? No, I don't believe that God is ever the author of sickness because that is not part of who He is. I do believe however, that He was with me right in the midst of my crisis of faith, waiting to shepherd my heart into a higher place with Him.
Now, many years later, I am still grateful for that difficult lesson learned in the midst of adversity. I can honestly say that I love spending time with Him just as much when things are going well as when I am in the midst of crisis.
I am thankful that my loving heavenly Father loved me enough to correct my negligent attitudes and open for me a door into a lifetime of encounters with Him in the secret place. He is so good!
One such crisis occurred when our son was hospitalized at just one year old. The doctors could not explain why he had such a high fever and had become quickly lethargic. A number of tests were run including a painful spinal tap and the fear of the unknown threatened to totally overwhelm the heart of this young mother. One night as I lay in his hospital room on a cot, listening to his labored breathing and unable to sleep, I picked up a book that I was reading and God pricked my heart and spoke to me concerning the shaky foundation that I had been building for my life.
The chapter talked about "sinkholes" and how in certain areas of our country there were homes built on ground that looked good for all practical purposes, but at any point the homes might suddenly collapse as the ground gave way underneath them. God showed me that my life was as precarious as those homes built on the "sinkholes" and the storms that came to threaten me had the power to cause my spiritual house to come crashing down. There on that cot in a dark hospital room, I tearfully repented of my wishy-washy relationship with Him.
Thankfully, our son improved and was able to leave the hospital a week later. I left that hospital with a determination to live my life in a different way than I had before that time. As a result of this hospital encounter with God, I began to seek to build a foundation for my life that would be unshakable.
It was not long after that I was reading in the Psalms one day and came across a passage which the Lord gently used to remind me of my new commitment:
"Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no
understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you". Psalm 32:9
He showed me that I had been like the horse or mule in my relationship with Him, and that He desired my heart to be so in sync with His that I would no longer need the bit or bridle(crisis) to control me. He was looking for a relationship with me that far surpassed the "fair-weather friend" that I had been for so many years.
Did God cause my son to become sick to teach me a lesson? No, I don't believe that God is ever the author of sickness because that is not part of who He is. I do believe however, that He was with me right in the midst of my crisis of faith, waiting to shepherd my heart into a higher place with Him.
Now, many years later, I am still grateful for that difficult lesson learned in the midst of adversity. I can honestly say that I love spending time with Him just as much when things are going well as when I am in the midst of crisis.
I am thankful that my loving heavenly Father loved me enough to correct my negligent attitudes and open for me a door into a lifetime of encounters with Him in the secret place. He is so good!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Fashioning Arrows, pt. 1
I remember as a young seminary student sitting in a "future" minister's wives class taught by our Pastor's wife. This was a significant time in my life because God used this dear woman to plant some seeds of vision in my heart that grew to become a burning passion to have an exceptional marriage and children who would impact the Kingdom.
Over the years God continued to water those seeds and expand my understanding of His original intent in creating "family". In Genesis 1:28 it is clear that it was His desire that we partner together to subdue the earth and rule over it.
As a parent with two grown children, I will have to say that they are one of the greatest joys of my life. However, their greatest purpose is not just to be a joy to their parents, but to become powerful rulers and instruments of the Kingdom of God.
This may seem an unobtainable goal in the early years of parenting when changing diapers, middle of the night feedings, ear infections, and sleep deprivation are the order of the day.
Our focus can become just as impaired in later years as we join the merry-go-round of soccer games, carpool, piano lessons, and karate practice. Too often have young parents with the best of intentions, bought into the lie that their child must be an expert in every field. The pressure to compete and succeed becomes a driving force that is a poor substitute for some of the things that every child needs in the depths of their heart.
Having a Kingdom vision and purpose in parenting is essential to raise up and equip children who will learn to rule in their sphere of influence. Having this vision effects everything about how you parent and why you parent.
Children need to know and rest secure in their father and mother's love. They need to hear that they are special, unique and created with a purpose and destiny that a loving Heavenly Father ordained for them. After years of doing counseling and inner healing with individuals it has become obvious that one of Satan's greatest strategies, if not THE greatest strategy against us, is to try and keep us from finding out our true identity. Parents play a huge role in building a healthy foundation of identity in their children and pointing them to their Daddy God who will continue to speak words of identity and destiny into their hearts.
As parents we are to "train up a child in the way he (or she) should go". It is part of a parent's job to know their child and discern how they have been created and then to wisely point them in that direction and provide opportunities to see them grow into that calling.
Success in the world and success in the Kingdom will not always look the same. As a parent, your values will be reflected in the way that you parent. Prestige, wealth, and high-paying jobs are not wrong in themselves, but they become wrong when they are valued above the Kingdom. We are to 'Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness'.
Psalm 127:4 likens children to "arrows in the hand of a warrior". Arrows have to be fashioned and the very nature of an arrow is that it be released. The releasing of the arrow comes after it has been honed and fashioned in such a way as to hit the target made for it.
As parents, we are 'arrow-makers', shaping, fashioning, and honing our children as arrows. There is no greater joy than partnering with the Godhead in fashioning your quiver full of arrows, then standing back one day to release those arrows, one by one into the Kingdom.
Over the years God continued to water those seeds and expand my understanding of His original intent in creating "family". In Genesis 1:28 it is clear that it was His desire that we partner together to subdue the earth and rule over it.
As a parent with two grown children, I will have to say that they are one of the greatest joys of my life. However, their greatest purpose is not just to be a joy to their parents, but to become powerful rulers and instruments of the Kingdom of God.
This may seem an unobtainable goal in the early years of parenting when changing diapers, middle of the night feedings, ear infections, and sleep deprivation are the order of the day.
Our focus can become just as impaired in later years as we join the merry-go-round of soccer games, carpool, piano lessons, and karate practice. Too often have young parents with the best of intentions, bought into the lie that their child must be an expert in every field. The pressure to compete and succeed becomes a driving force that is a poor substitute for some of the things that every child needs in the depths of their heart.
Having a Kingdom vision and purpose in parenting is essential to raise up and equip children who will learn to rule in their sphere of influence. Having this vision effects everything about how you parent and why you parent.
Children need to know and rest secure in their father and mother's love. They need to hear that they are special, unique and created with a purpose and destiny that a loving Heavenly Father ordained for them. After years of doing counseling and inner healing with individuals it has become obvious that one of Satan's greatest strategies, if not THE greatest strategy against us, is to try and keep us from finding out our true identity. Parents play a huge role in building a healthy foundation of identity in their children and pointing them to their Daddy God who will continue to speak words of identity and destiny into their hearts.
As parents we are to "train up a child in the way he (or she) should go". It is part of a parent's job to know their child and discern how they have been created and then to wisely point them in that direction and provide opportunities to see them grow into that calling.
Success in the world and success in the Kingdom will not always look the same. As a parent, your values will be reflected in the way that you parent. Prestige, wealth, and high-paying jobs are not wrong in themselves, but they become wrong when they are valued above the Kingdom. We are to 'Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness'.
Psalm 127:4 likens children to "arrows in the hand of a warrior". Arrows have to be fashioned and the very nature of an arrow is that it be released. The releasing of the arrow comes after it has been honed and fashioned in such a way as to hit the target made for it.
As parents, we are 'arrow-makers', shaping, fashioning, and honing our children as arrows. There is no greater joy than partnering with the Godhead in fashioning your quiver full of arrows, then standing back one day to release those arrows, one by one into the Kingdom.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A "Doublemint" year!
I love the beginning of a new year! Every year around this time, I ask the Lord what He is saying for the new year. As I have waited and listened, the following words have been stirring in my spirit.
I enjoy the study of numbers and their meanings. The number 10 means “completeness of order, making the entire round of anything, or the whole cycle is complete.
One of the things that I sense the Lord saying to the Body of Christ for 2010 is that it will be a year to cycle out of old destructive patterns. It’s the time to finish the cycle. The grace to overcome and step on the head of the enemy on your way out of the cycle, will be available for those who will draw upon His empowering grace.
Others are in a cycle of pruning or training that has been orchestrated by the hand of the Lord. 2010 is a year that many will come full circle in their training and propelled forth into their purpose and destiny. As we have been in an accelerated pace the last few years, I believe this will continue as sons and daughters arise, clothed in their true identity and calling.
During the Christmas holidays our family was shopping at the Outlet Mall. Our daughter, Adrienne, was in a store by herself and called us on her cell phone. She excitedly conveyed a message that within a period of two or three minutes she had seen two sets of adult identical twins dressed exactly the same. One of the sets of twins were male, the other female. She said she had a sense that it was “the language of the Spirit” and that God was saying something. I jokingly said, “Maybe it’s going to be a year of double blessing!” A few days later, I read T. D. Jakes word saying that it would be a year of “double portion”.
I believe that God is jubilant in expressing to us that His abundant grace is available to us His children in unprecedented measures. Old mindsets that have believed that you will barely eke out a living or have just enough, must be replaced with a joyful expectation of the abundance and goodness of our Father’s heart towards us His children. Get ready for a “Doublemint” year!! That’s double the pleasure and double the fun!!
May you experience a year of double grace and double favor as you walk in the reality of our magnificent King and His Kingdom that the prophet Isaiah spoke about with these words, "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end."
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is a work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen!
Ephesians 3:20
I enjoy the study of numbers and their meanings. The number 10 means “completeness of order, making the entire round of anything, or the whole cycle is complete.
One of the things that I sense the Lord saying to the Body of Christ for 2010 is that it will be a year to cycle out of old destructive patterns. It’s the time to finish the cycle. The grace to overcome and step on the head of the enemy on your way out of the cycle, will be available for those who will draw upon His empowering grace.
Others are in a cycle of pruning or training that has been orchestrated by the hand of the Lord. 2010 is a year that many will come full circle in their training and propelled forth into their purpose and destiny. As we have been in an accelerated pace the last few years, I believe this will continue as sons and daughters arise, clothed in their true identity and calling.
During the Christmas holidays our family was shopping at the Outlet Mall. Our daughter, Adrienne, was in a store by herself and called us on her cell phone. She excitedly conveyed a message that within a period of two or three minutes she had seen two sets of adult identical twins dressed exactly the same. One of the sets of twins were male, the other female. She said she had a sense that it was “the language of the Spirit” and that God was saying something. I jokingly said, “Maybe it’s going to be a year of double blessing!” A few days later, I read T. D. Jakes word saying that it would be a year of “double portion”.
I believe that God is jubilant in expressing to us that His abundant grace is available to us His children in unprecedented measures. Old mindsets that have believed that you will barely eke out a living or have just enough, must be replaced with a joyful expectation of the abundance and goodness of our Father’s heart towards us His children. Get ready for a “Doublemint” year!! That’s double the pleasure and double the fun!!
May you experience a year of double grace and double favor as you walk in the reality of our magnificent King and His Kingdom that the prophet Isaiah spoke about with these words, "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end."
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is a work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen!
Ephesians 3:20
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