Rest in The Lord



Notes from my quiet time

 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed; Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of your heart; Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass; And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday; Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. Psalm 37:3-7.

I was talking to our oldest son recently about an area of unforgiveness in his life.  He was expressing his feelings of hurt, anger and disappointment with someone, and I encouraged him to forgive.  He asked me, “How do you forgive someone who doesn’t care enough to even ask for your forgiveness.”  I paused to think about what I wanted to say because I did not want to give him a religious answer.  He is only 16. At the age of 38, even I still struggle with this question!  I also didn’t want to allow my personal struggles with unforgiveness to taint the appropriate answer to him.  So I said to him, “it doesn’t matter if they do not ask because forgiveness is a gift freely given both to that person as well as yourself.  You give that person the gift of grace and yourself the gift of freedom.   It frees up your heart, mind and spirit from bondage, and allows God to deal with the other person in His way.”  His response made me chuckle, when he said “ugh, the bible is too forgiving!”  You’ve got to love teenagers! But truthfully, how many times have we all thought the same thing???

Let’s be honest, it can be difficult to forgive when someone mistreats you and chooses not to acknowledge the offense, let alone ask for forgiveness.  I have personally whined and complained to God about how he could allow someone to “get away with” what they have done to me.  But isn’t that what He allows us to do with Jesus??   Nevertheless, God understands the pain that we sometimes endure at the hands of another.  He also understands that when we choose to forgive, it can feel like the person is getting away with hurting us.  However, He wants you to trust Him with your offenses.  He knows your natural tendency is to retaliate. But if you will commit YOUR WAY to Him, He promises to bring about justice on your behalf.
    

It’s also important to understand the principle of GRACE in forgiveness.  We are all flawed and capable of hurting or mistreating others.  If we are honest, you and I have committed our own share of offenses.  That doesn’t mean that we purposely and continuously engage in relationships with people who repeatedly mistreat us.  Sometimes sin alters the dynamics of a relationship (much prayer is required to determine this).  However, Grace allows you to forgive (as you have been forgiven).  Remember, your offender is not the enemy, even if at times, she or he succumbs to the influence of the enemy.  So you should understand that God’s justice and judgment does not mean He will “smite” your offender and give you a front row seat to observe.  His everlasting, unconditional and unfailing love extends to your offenders as well.  His first priority is to restore that person into alignment with His word, not satisfy the craving of your flesh for revenge.

So I encourage you today to trust God with your hurt, disappointments, mistreatment and misunderstandings.  Trust Him with the offendes that you have stored up against those who have hurt you.  Rest assured that God is not casually standing by while someone mistreats you.  He sees all. He knows all.  He is well aware of everything that is happening in your life, and He will bring about righteousness and justice for you if you will trust Him.  Even though it "seems unfair" and the enemy surely means it for evil -- to disrupt your trust and faith in God – God means it for your good – to make you stronger, to give you wisdom, to BUILD your trust and faith in Him as your Protecter and Righteous Avenger.  He is a JUST and RIGHTEOUS God.  Rest patiently for Him, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

If you are in relationship with someone who is repeatedly hurting you, pray and ask God how you should handle it.  If it is your spouse, seek the counseling of your Pastor or another mature Christian married couple who can cover and guide you and your spouse.  Marriage is so important to God! It is the earthly representation of His relationship with the body of believers.  Make it your first priority over all things.

For other relationships, seek the Lord on whether or not the relationship is purposeful and necessary for your life. For purposeful relationships, ask the Lord to empower you to forgive quickly and commit your way to Him. If the person is unsaved, commit to praying daily that she/he will be saved and will begin to grow in the knowledge of God. If the person is a believer, considering having a conversation with the individual to express your concerns.

Pearls of Wisdom: Whom the Lord Loves

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3: 11,12


Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if the Lord never allowed you to suffer any consequences? Can you imagine what you would do if God didn't love you enough to discipline and rebuke you? I can tell you what my life would be like: a total mess!!  I cringe at the thought of it!  Sure, I would certainly like to believe that I would do the right thing without rebuke, but the truth is that some of the greatest lessons I have learned have been found in the Lord's discipline.  

I've recently encountered a very tough season.  It has been a time of rebuke in some areas where I really needed to grow but I had allowed myself to become comfortable.  It was also a time to reap in some areas where I had sown seeds of disobedience.  But the interesting thing is that despite what I know about the Lord's discipline, my response to this tough season was one that we as Chrisitian's sometimes fall prey: selective amnesia!  I totally overlooked MY contribution and immediately started questioning God!!

Sometimes I wonder if God must sit back and scratch His Head at Christian's selective amnesia.  You know, the kind of amnesia that allows us to selectively forget our own disobedience when we have to reap consequences. Or the kind of amnesia that allows us to selectively forget our own contribution to the problem at hand.  Or how about the kind where we selectively blame the enemy for our situation rather than take responsibility... That's where I found myself...asking God "why"?  Why now? Why this? Why me?  But the truth is that when I look back over some of the decisions I made, a better question is "why not?"  I'm the one the Lord loves like a son.  I'm the one He wants to be in relationship with. I'm the one He wants to bless.  Why not me?  Why not discipline and train me so that I will not repeat the same situations over and over thereby delaying the abundance He has ordained for me?

My sister, the same applies to you.  Why not you?  He could have chosen to leave you to yourself.  But instead, He loves you enough to discipline you and break those destructive habits and ways that separate you from Him and His will for your life.  So, if you are in a season of hardship, discipline and rebuke, don't despair.  The Lord loves you enough to allow you to be trained by your reaping season.  It's not about punishment.  The truth is, we could not withstand the Lord's punishment.  But He LOVES us enough to permit divinely designed toughs season to enter into our lives for the sole purpose of ushering us into our destiny.  What a great God! 

So be encouraged that He has not forgotten you in this season. He will not leave you here any longer than necessary.  But He loves you so much that He could not allow you to remain the same. No, my sister, He wants more FOR you and therefore, He requires more OF you.  If you can weather your seasons of discipline by staying focused on learning from the process, you will see your life flourish in the abundance that He promised. It's worth it!

All my love,
Nicole

Pearls to Ponder
If you trace your current hardships back to decisions you've made (or fail to make) what is the Lord trying to teach you in His loving discipline? How can you change your response in order to cooperate with the process and not waste time complaining?

Pearls to treasure:

Deuteronomy 8:5
Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you.

Hebrews 12: 6-10

For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time at their pleasure, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The Lord remembered me....

Notes from my quiet time....

Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad…..And the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son….1 Samuel: 1-20

If you read my post from yesterday, I shared how much I’ve learned about wisdom and godliness through the things I’ve suffered (at my own hand, mind you).  I’m so grateful for God’s saving Grace.  But if we are not careful, when we look back over the mistakes we’ve made, we can often be overcome with regret, condemnation, guilt, shame and sadness.  But there is another side to my story…yours too.  I can remember for so long I thought God had forgotten me.  I had made so many mistakes and disappointed him so many times that I thought His purpose and plan for my life was surely cancelled.  I mean really, if you only knew of the dumb, stupid things I did. I was certain there was no way I could ever become or have what God promised. For so long I seemed to be struggling just to find myself, let alone my purpose. And then the Lord remembered me….

Despite my shortcomings, failures, disobedience, rebellion and irresponsible decision making, He remembered His promise to me.  A promised filled with love and significance (purpose). It’s what I had been searching for all along outside of Him but kept coming up empty.  I spent so much wasted time looking for what He had already prepared for me.  It didn’t happen right away. Oh no, He allowed me to reap the consequences of those decisions. (I’m still very much reaping some of them.) But despite that, in due time, He blessed me.  Although I was unfaithful, He remained faithful all the while.  Despite my being angry with Him, He proved how much He loves me.  And yes despite all the failed relationships with men, He blessed me with a husband who absolutely loves me. Despite the broken friendships, He blessed me to know, love and TRUST some wonderful women and call them friend.  Despite my turning away from Him and saying “I’m done with church!” He blessed me to be a part of a church with people who love Him and who love me.  Oh He blessed me alright.  He reaffirmed His great love for me.  He reaffirmed HIMSELF to me and ME to Him.  He remembered me.  And for that, I am humbled and grateful.

So I encourage you today not to focus on all the bad stuff you’ve done to the point of guilt or shame. Sure, you’ve messed up a time or two. Or if you’re like me, a time or twenty.  Despite all of that, He has not forgotten you or cancelled His promise to you.  I’m sure right now you’re thinking about all of those “unanswered” prayers you’ve prayed. The truth is that you’re not even capable of praying for what He has prepared for you.  But even despite that, He wants you to know that He has heard you. Know that He loves you. Know that it is His great pleasure to bless you.  You just continue doing your part by giving Him all of yourself in mind, heart, spirit and obedience.  Don’t believe the enemy’s lies that God is not listening. Oh yes He is and He has heard you.  Believe it!

After Hannah prayed, the priest said to her, “Go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”  That’s why Hannah went away and her face was no longer sad.  She believed the Lord had heard her. And in due time, she received the promise.

Do you believe your God has heard you? Can you trust that in due time, He will remember you?  Not that He has forgotten but that He has a perfectly divine plan to bless you in His time.  Can you believe that? Then, sister, go in peace. Your due time is coming.

All my love,

Nicole

If I had only known then...



Proverbs 2:6-11


For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding; He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.  He keeps the paths of judgment and preserves the way of his saints. Then shall you understand righteousness and judgment and equity yea every good path. When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.

How many times have you said, “If I had only known then what I know now....” 

If you are anything like me you probably have said it more times than you can even count.  There are so many things that I’ve learned over the years, a lot of them very painfully, and I often wish I could go back to my late teens and early twenties with the knowledge that I have today. I would avoid so many horrible decisions, situations, and people.  Sigh.  Thank God for His saving Grace.

This passage of scripture clearly tells us that the knowledge we need is actually stored up for us.  We don’t have to learn it the hard way.  God provides knowledge and wisdom so that we don’t have to look back and say, “If I had only known that he would treat me so bad, I would have never given him my number.”  Can anybody relate? :) The bible teaches us that God actually “lays up” sound wisdom for us. He preserves our way.  That means He protects it and carefully looks after it. He speaks to us so that we can avoid all the hell that makes us look back and realize how dumb we were.  He GIVES wisdom.    He GIVES it.  So why don’t we walk in it as we should? Why do we have so many “if only I had known” experiences?  It’s simple: choice.

While God speaks wisdom, lays up sound judgment and keeps His divine path for us, we must choose to walk in it.  Sure, that sounds easy enough but for all of us that choice requires sacrifice and self-denial.  And that’s often wrapped in discomfort and waiting.  Sister, there is a price for the fruits of wisdom. You must be willing to exchange your agenda for His. You must wait when you want to rush. You must say “no” even when that dude is fine and you are tired of being by yourself. You must restrain even when you want to engage in what seems like the simplest of pleasures that you know are not a part of His will for your life.  You must choose wisdom.

I love how this passage ends, and I see it so plainly in my own life. There are things that I would NEVER do again….people with whom I would NEVER be involved again….places I would NEVER go again. Why? Because, now I understand.  The things I’ve learned over the years were hard and tough but the understanding I received was invaluable and it shapes my behavior and choices today. Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee. Now that I have learned who I am in God, I no longer tolerate anything less than His best in my life from anyone or anything.  Now that I understand that mistreating someone else is not okay just because I’ve been hurt, I am no longer careless with someone else’s heart.  And when I learned that whatever I sow, that shall I also reap, I learned to be careful what I sow and to take responsibility for my actions when it’s reaping season.  Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee.

So I’d be interested to hear from some of you.  What are some things that you look back and think “If I had only known then what I know now, I would never have ___________.”  Share some things that you’ve learned the hard way that have changed your behavior for the better.  We can all get encouragement from your testimony.

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Nicole

Spiritual Maturity

Now there’s a phrase that’s often thrown about like a child’s toy. However, like all spiritual concepts and principles, we must take a moment to understand what this phrase really means, practically speaking. It’s often mistaken to represent the length of time someone has been a Christian or a person’s age, neither of which are real indicators of maturity. Instead, spiritual maturity is a result of continuous understanding, application and obedience to the Word of God characterized by progressive, continuous and authentic life changes for the better. Spiritual maturity is not just “change we can believe in,” it is change we can see in our everyday lives. Changes in habits, conversation, associations and attitudes that are a result of a real process of making mistakes, learning from them, growing, and getting better everyday. It is the process of “growing up” as a

Christian.

Several weeks ago, my husband spoke about the “stunted growth” of many Christians. He explained to us that much like the natural process of growth, a believer’s walk with God requires time, attention and nourishment to flourish. Without it, your development as a believer is stunted such that while you may be saved and participating in church/religious activities, you will fail to see true growth and development (change) in your everyday life. The apostle Paul describes this as ever learning but never coming into the knowledge of the truth. And what is that truth? That real spiritual maturity is a

demonstration of the Word of God at work in your life…in your home, in your money, in your heart, in your mind, in your relationships…in YOU. Spiritual maturity happens as a result of on-going experiences with God that result in your willing obedience to Him.

 

Now, it must be said again that spiritual maturity is a process. It is not something that we reach at some crowning point in our lives and then rest there. On the contrary, spiritual maturity is a state of constant growing and changing. A woman who is spiritually mature is always making application of the Word in her life and thus she is always getting better. So as you take time to evaluate your progress in spiritual maturity, I want to leave you with a few ways spiritual maturity shows up in the life of the believer. My husband shared these in his message, and I encourage you to take some time to evaluate yourself in these areas and/or asked a trusted friend to give you honest feedback.

• Love – the ability to demonstrate goodwill, sincerity, care and pure motives towards others, with no conditions or selfish motives
• Stability of mind – unwavering in salvation and spiritual commitments; purpose and obedience driven instead of pleasure and emotional driven; focused on the goals and objectives at hand while managing distractions and fleshly desires
• Self control – self management; the ability to do what is right in the face of temptation; the ability to respond to situations with clarity and control instead of react to situations with emotions
• Wisdom – the ability to make sound, good and timely decisions, led by God, while minimizing the influence of flesh and emotions. The ability to learn from mistakes without repeating them over and over. The understanding of when to get counsel from a trusted source. The ability to have something to say without saying it.
• Selflessness –committed to the principle that life and godliness is centrally concerned with aspiring to be a blessing; focused on giving rather than receiving
• Practical Application of the Word – focused and determined on gaining understanding and knowledge of the Word for the primary purpose of becoming a doer and applier rather than a hearer alone

While these aren't the only areas spiritual maturity manifests itself, this is a good way to know if you're on the right track. Have a wonderful day!

All my love,

Nicole

 

Who's in your environment?

Over the past several weeks, Pastor has taught about transparency and accountability and the critical need for both in the life of believers. This week, he continued as he talked about the believer’s need to cultivate an environment that consistently confronts our current realities, thought processes, behaviors, etc. This type of confrontation is vital to the ability to grow and get better. If your current paradigms are never confronted, then you will miss out on the opportunity to become the better you that God has designed. We should always have people in our lives that can challenge our current personal truths and cause us to consider and reconsider our ways. So he challenged us by asking:

Do you have someone in your life that you allow to confront you when you are wrong?
Is there someone in your life who is not afraid to disagree with you?

If the answer to either of these questions is "no," its time to re-evaluate your environment!

Pastor taught from 2 Timothy 4:1-5 & 2 Thessalonians 2, and there was so much good wisdom and knowledge packed into this message. In these passages, Paul urge believers to be careful about teachers, doctrines, churches, etc, that do not teach the message that he taught them from the beginning….a message that is founded in God’s word. Paul warned that as time passed, believers would turn away from the fundamental truth of God’s word and “accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, having itching ears.” What this means is that as time passes, and people become more self-absorbed, even believers will seek after teachers that only say what they want to hear and never force them to change and grow. Pastor made this statement so emphatically: “Be careful about attending a church that never confronts where you currently are!”

But this principle doesn’t just apply to churches, pastors and other church leaders, (although it is one of the most important places of application). In your life, in general, be careful of having ANY relationships that do not challenge you to grow and get better. There is so much more of YOU to be uncovered in your life.  For that reason, the primary purpose of all of your environments should be to push you towards a better you. I’ve often heard it said that if you’re the smartest person in your “circle,” you need a new circle!   Likewise, be careful of connecting to people who only tell you what you want to hear and only say what feels good to you. You will never grow that way.  And be especially careful of following anyone who teaches you in fables – mystical, illogical, stories, rhymes & riddles designed to generate an emotional response rather than a practical one.  Anyone that you choose to follow should be able to teach you with clearly understandable spiritual principles derived from a clearly defined biblical truth so that you can put into practice in your everyday life. This is your standard. This is the will of God for all believers.  This is the true path to abundant living.

Have a wonderful week!

Resolution Revolution: My Integrity

in·teg·ri·ty

1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

When I first read the chapter in Resolution for Women that dealt with integrity and purity, I thought to myself:  isn't it interesting that there was a time in the history of the church and church go-ers where we described ourselves by many words...saved, sanctified, holy-ghost filled, fire baptised.....you've heard them and, if you're like me, you've probably used these words to describe yourself at some point in your life.  But how often did we then, or do we now, describe ourselves with words such as ethical, moral, honest, whole??? 

Why is it that as believers we have often preferred to describe ourselves with charasmatic words while overlooking such basic fundamental words like integrity? Could it be that we often care more about our image than our character?

This chapter led to some very interesting discussion among the ladies. As we chatted over dinner, we talked about those things in our lives that can possibly desensitize us to sin and threaten our integrity. We shared our own personal struggles with integrity that we often prefer to hide from others.  We agreed with Priscilla when she offered the ideas that a life of integrity must be lived with other sisters who can hold us accountable and more importantly, a christian must have, at a minimum, one person with whom you can be completely open and naked, who can search you and spot any evil or fleshly influences in your life.  This is often very difficult for christians, especially women.  We can sometimes barely get along, let alone get naked with each other! How sad for us!  Despite this, you must make every effort to find that sister with whom you can openly pursue a life of integrity.  A sister with whom you can be all of you...good, bad, ugly, sin, flesh, you name it...you need that sister who will let you be the imperfect you as you grow in God but who will hold you to a higher standard than you might otherwise hold yourself. 

As we wrapped up, we gave some thought to the true essence of this chapter. Priscilla quotes John Wesleyan's mother in a letter written to him:

"Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."   -- Susanna Wesley (Letter, June 8, 1725)

What a wonderful principle to live by for any christian, not just women. To live a life of integrity, you must move beyond what is simply sin as explicitly written in the bible.  Of course, this is our highest authority, but God also left His Spirit to dwell in us and enable us to live a life of purity, character and integrity on a daily basis.  To do this, we must refuse to give strength to the body (flesh).  Living a life of integrity and character is essential living up to the reputation we carry as His daughter.  So I encourage you to examine your life.  Consider those things that weaken your reason and strengthen your flesh.  Confess those to someone who can hold you accountable to a higher standard, and be resolved to remove any and all evil influences from your life.  Be resolved to live a life of integrity!

Until next time!

His Living Word

The past couple of months have been a very growth filled time for me.  I've been faced with many things: decisions, trials, emotions, faith, doubt, confidence, triumph, failure, strength, disappointment, forgiveness, favor....you name it...it seems as if God has packed a year's worth of “me & Him” in just these few short months of 2012.  And as I've sought to cooperate with what He is doing in this season of my life, one thing has remained a constant source of strength, hope, faith, and encouragement....His Word.  Despite the many times I vacillate, His word remains steady.  Despite the many times I'm confused, His Word provides clarity. Despite the many times I doubt Him, His Word reminds me of His promise even the more.  No matter how unstable I get in my mind, heart and emotions, His Word provides a level path to take the next necessary step, even if I don’t like it.  And when I say His Word, I mean the Presence of His Spirit in my life empowering me to do the things I’d rather not do and refrain from doing the things that my flesh desires to do.  For me personally, His Spirit is His Word in action in my life.  

Without the proper understanding, we misuse, misquote, mishandle and mistake the Word to be something that we quote rather than something we live.  In my experiences with God, I've had to not only know the word but understand it so that I can do it.  It’s hard to choose to do something you don’t understand when it gets hard.  So gone are the days of unlearned, illogical ideals and perceptions of God in my life.  Gone are the days of trying to live a Word that I don’t understand.  If I’m required to do it, then I need to know how to do it.  The scripture tells us that in all our getting, we should get an understanding.  This understanding is power.  One of the greatest tricks of the enemy is to use a lack of understanding to keep believers in bondage and prevent us from experiencing the true promises of God that are only manifested through a proper application of the Word of God. 

So, my sister, no matter what you are facing today…no matter what decision, what trial, what emotions, what unstable or discouraged place, there is a source of constant stability, clarity, and strength.  All the answers you need are there, right there, in the knowledge and understanding of His Word. We often say there is power in His Name.  The truth is that neither knowing His Name nor speaking it provides any power in your life.  The power of His Name, His Spirit and His Word in your life, requires your continued pursuit to understand and live by it every day through the choices you make.  So make learning and understanding the Word of God the #1 priority in your life.  Hear it, read it, study it, utilize additional bible resources to understand it, discuss it with other Christian friends…whatever it takes…get an understanding of how to put the bible into action in your life and then do it. Every day. Every decision. You will see your life become the living epistle the bible speaks of…you will become His living word.       

Are you maximizing your talents?

Today my husband spoke from the parable of talents (Matt 25:14-30).  In this parable, a man goes on a journey and before leaving, he entrusts his servants with his property (talents). When he returned, two of his servants had multiplied the talents they were given while one servant had buried his talent and returned only the original talent to his master.  As a result, this servant's talent was taken and he was called wicked, slothful and unfaithful!  Whoa.  Let us not be found as this servant when Jesus returns!  So let us all ask of ourselves this question:

What am I doing with the talent(s) that God has entrusted to ME??

I remember a time in my life when I thought I had no talent. When I would look at others who were gifted with the ability to sing or teach or create things, etc, and I convinced myself that since I had none of those talents, then I was not talented at all.  This is a oft-too successful trick of the enemy. If he can convince us that we have no talent, then he can prevent us from using those talents to multiply the kingdom of God.  But this lie is exposed in the text of the teaching today.  The scripture tells us that God has given us talents, each and every one of us, according to our individual abilities (Matt 25:15). Yes, that does mean you too!  God has given you a talent that is uniquely yours!

As Pastor described today, in order to carry out His plan of salvation in the earth, it is necessary that God equip us with the tools, gifts, talents and purpose that we can faithfully use to serve Him and bring increase to His Kingdom.  But we must be good stewards over these gifts.  We must not bury them, which is to fail to use them, and we must not use them for personal gain.  This is not to be confused with the idea that we are not to use our gifts for any gain.  Many of the gifts we have been given can be used in the marketplace. For example, our careers, business opportunities, music, writing, etc can be use to increase financially so that we can be a greater blessing to the work of ministry.  As Pastor emphasized today, the more money a faithful servant has, the more capable that servant is of helping and blessing others.  Likewise, the more we use our gifts and financial increase to bless others, the more we, in turn, are blessed more abundantly.

So ask yourself these questions: 

1. What are your talents?  If you're not sure, start with evaluating those things you're passionate about.  Consider, also, the things you're good at and enjoy doing.  Talents are not just the "big" things like singing.  Talents are the things about you that make others better! 
2. Are you maximizing your talent?  Are you actually using those talents to make someone else better?  Don't keep putting off starting that business or going back to school or taking on more responsibility at work.  Don't shy away from encouraging others or leading that small group.  Go ahead and write that book or pursue that new idea that's been in your spirit.  For the rest of your life, be determined to fully exhaust your talents!  
3. Are you using your talents to benefit the Kingdom?  There is so much work to be done in ministry.  More than preaching or teaching or other visible assignments, the work of ministry needs your gifts and talents.  There are far more needs out there than there are people to serve and minister to these needs.  So ask yourself,
4. What more can you do to help in the work of ministry?

My sister, God is expecting you to use the talent you have, whether it is a little or alot, to serve His interests. One of my all time favorite quotes is by Erma Bombeck and it states:

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'"

Pearls of Wisdom: Simple foolishness

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear.
Proverbs 1:32-33

Well there it is....what else does God need to say to us?

It is interesting to consider the simplicity of these statements. There is no grey area. Nothing to try to figure out.  Straight to the point.  As I was sitting and meditating on these two sentences, I began to think, as I always do whenever I think about great wisdom, of some of the simple but wise statements that my grandmothers used to make. Things like:

A hard head makes a soft behind.

Don't let your mouth write a check that your behind can't cash.

If you keep buying all of those shoes, you're going to be broke.

Okay, don't say I didn't try to warn you.

Okay, my grandmothers used to say some crazy stuff but it made so much sense back then!  :-) I knew exactly what they meant.  No guessing!  Simple statements designed to warn me that my current behavior would lead to strong consequences.  This is the purpose of these scriptures.  A warning that foolish behavior will ultimately destroy us, but a promise that if we live the Word, we shall be safe.  Simple. To the point. No guessing! So why is it when we suffer strong consequences, we almost always forget these warnings??

Proverbs was written to give us wisdom and to warn us of the consequences of rejecting such wisdom.  Trust me when I tell you that there is a cost for foolishness and simple (unwise) behavior.  A cost that may seem far-fetched today but that I promise you will not want to pay.  It is a cost that God does not even want us to pay.  That is why He did not leave us without instruction, guidance and wisdom for all areas of our lives.  And since He has provided this wisdom for our protection, He gives us full and clear warning beforehand that our refusal to listen and heed it will lead to our own destruction.

Now before we gloss over these words as some overly spiritual sayings written with "big sins" in mind (as we so often do sometimes in our religious approaches to God), allow me to leave you with some practical wisdom to think and pray about.  God certainly desires that we live the abundant life that He promised and designed, BUT:

• If we keep eating more than we burn, our bodies will deteriorate.
• If we keep spending more than we save, we will always be broke.
• If we keep settling for the wrong one, the right one will never find us.
• If we are not willing to make changes in our lives and stick to them, we will never experience true fulfillment.

Pearls to Ponder
Why do you think God repeatedly warns us about rejecting wisdom?  Why is it so important to Him that we understand wisdom and its role in our lives?  What do you think He's trying warn YOU about?

Pearls to treasure:
Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”(NIV)

Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (NIV)

Resolution Revolution: My Forgiveness

I really enjoyed reading, studying and discussing our most recent topic of forgiveness from this book.  I have to admit, as I did in our group discussion, that at first I avoided this chapter for a few days. Then when we decided to take a break from the book club over the Holidays, I was actually glad to have more time to avoid it.  You see, while I understand how vital and important forgiveness is in the life of every Christian, the thought of actually being confronted with the possibility that I still harbored some unforgiveness towards someone, or even myself, was a bit scary.  But I'm so glad this book was inspired by God to expose every part of me that needs to be exposed....and it did.

In our discussion, we talked about some of the ways unforgiveness shows up in our lives.  Sometimes we think we have forgiven a person, but we must really search our actions to determine if this is actually true.  Priscilla writes how unforgiveness is like internal trauma that goes undetected and ultimately leads to death.  One of the ladies shared a statement by another popular female minister that said harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. How crazy is that!?  So we discussed some ways to recognize unforgiveness and some ways to prevent unforgiveness from becoming a root of bitterness in our lives.  Some practical ways we named were honest communication, confrontation, and trying our best to see others in light of our own flaws and not just theirs.  When someone hurts us, we owe it to them and ourselves to be honest about it and expose our offense or hurt feelings, to deal with the issue quickly rather than hold on to it and allow it to fester and to remember how God has forgiven our sins and mistakes before we pronounce judgement on them.

One of the most important principles of this chapter is that forgiveness is a choice.  It is not a feeling or thought. It is the choice to share the gift that we have been so freely given - the unmerited, undeserved gift of forgiveness. 

I absolutely loved Priscilla's answer to the young lady when asked the question: "How can I forgive myself?"  I was personally stunned by the answer.  Have you wondered how you could ever forgive yourself for that horrible mistake you made?  The answer, as Priscilla so beautifully penned, is that "the capacity to forgive yourself is personally impossible."  Wow. Maybe you are not as blown away by that as I am.  But maybe that's because you may not have made some of the huge mistakes I have. But my-oh-my how I exhaled after reading that sentence.  Did you get that? If you've been trying to forgive yourself and shed the tiresome, burdensome load of guilt and shame for years, you can stop it!  You can't forgive yourself because you are incapable.  Only Jesus, and your acceptance of HIS gift of forgiveness and all that comes with it - erasing your sins from his memory (Jeremiah 31:34), making you righteous before God (Romans 3:23), and cancelling the eternal debt for your sins - can offer you the forgiveness that lifts the heavy load of guilt from your life.  Remember Jesus urged us to take HIS yoke because it is easy and HIS burden because it is light!  (Matthew 11:30)

And so we wrapped up our discussion with Priscilla's practical ways to approach forgiveness.  She encourages us to choose not to hold grudges, choose to allow God to deal with those who offend you and choose to pray and ask God to empower you to forgive those who have offended you.  Did you get that common word: you can forgive him or her if you CHOOSE! And always, ALWAYS, remember that we forgive others, as we have been forgiven.

I can't say this enough, if you don't have this book, it is a must read!  It will change your life!

Until next time!

Pearls of Wisdom: Do-overs



Proverbs 1:28-31

 ²⁸Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:  ²⁹For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:   ³⁰They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.  ³¹Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Have you ever heard the familar saying that hindsight is 20/20?   Or better yet, have you ever asked God for a "do-over?"  I certainly have.  I have asked God for several "do-overs."  The problem is that for every "do-over" I wish I could have, there was always wisdom available to prevent the situation that I got myself into.  Right before this passage, God speaks to wisdom's call and our refusal to answer, resulting in our ultimate self-inflicted calamity.  Here God is simply saying that when we refuse his instruction, knowledge, wisdom and guidance, He will allow us to reap the consequences of our actions.  Everytime.

What's interesting is that I can distinctly remember a situation where I did not heed wisdom but as soon as the consequences came along, I went searching for God! Have you ever done that?  Have you ever disobeyed God and then turned to him to rescue you once your disobedience caused an uncomfortable and painful situation?  I remember God explicity telling me that He was finished with something that I was choosing to hold onto.  He told me to get out of it.  He told me He had something better, greater.  And OH did He ever have something greater!

God has something better for you too. Something greater.  Something more fulfilling. More rewarding.  Something more purposeful. More Him. More You.

I only wish I had listend wayyyyy back then and not prolonged my time in less than God's best!  I wish I could go back and do it over! I would choose differently!  I would listen better! Back then, I did not listen.  I stayed and the situation got worse. I cried out to God to deliver me. I cried and begged and begged and cried! Have you ever done that?  I wanted to be delivered out of the situation immediately. I wanted out so badly.  But that's now how God works.

Thankfully, He is such a loving and caring God, that He covers us with grace as we endure our reaping process. But He does not rescue us, not even when we beg and cry. Instead, He allows us to learn obedience just as Jesus did.....through suffering.  Yet the truth is that it is not the will of God that we should suffer unnecessarily. He has provided all the necessary instruction we need to live an abundant life in Him.  However, when WE choose to disobey and/or disregard His instruction, He will always allow us to eat the fruit of our ways (reap what we sow).  Everytime.

So I encourage you, if you are holding onto something or someone that God is finished with, please listen to His instruction.  Of course, I am not speaking of your spouse who is a part of your covenant with God.  But I'm speaking of other strongholds, habits, ways, people that are hindering your growth and process in God....hinderences that are deafening your hearing of wisdom's instruction.  Don't allow hindsight to be your clearest vision.  Allow the Word of God to give you clear and concise wisdom now....BEFORE destruction comes.

Pearls to Ponder
Have you ever asked God for a "do-over?"  When you think about that situation, did God try to warn you beforehand?  What could God be warning you about now to prevent future suffering?  Are you holding on to any people, strongholds, habits or ways that God is finished with in your life?

Pearls to Treasure
1 Samuel 15:22  But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.

Galations 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Pearls of Wisdom: Avoid Calamity

                                                                                         

Proverbs 1:24-27

²⁴Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;  ²⁵But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:  ²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;  ²⁷When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Have you ever told your kids to stop running in the house but they didn’t listen and eventually ended up with a knot on their heads?  I can vividly see my little boys running through our house as I write this. They are so full of energy, especially little Christian.  I’m always saying, “Walk Christian!” And he is always anxious to get where he is going and even despite his best efforts to walk, it’s still more like a trot-on-the-verge-of-running.  Now, it never fails that at some point after I’ve told him to stop running, one of two things happens.  Either I will discipline him for running or I will see him coming towards me, eyes wet with tears, hand to his head, face saddened, looking for comfort because…you guessed it….he hurt himself running.   Either way, whether it is discipline or accident, the result of doing something that I’ve warned him not to do was uncomfortable.  Had he listened to me when I initially gave him instruction, he would have avoided the destruction that resulted from his disobedience.

Have you ever gone to God, eyes wet with tears, hand to your head, face saddened looking for comfort because of the calamity that was caused by your refusal to heed wisdom?

I cannot count the number of times I’ve cried for God to rescue me from a situation that I created.  I can remember some personal choices in my life that were in direct disregard of wisdom and, as the passage suggests, the result was destruction, distress and anguish!  For example, I remember my mother vividly telling me not to "shack up" with a man.  At the time, I thought she was just being old fashion.  So did I listen? No. Was the result destructive? Oh my gosh, YES! Oh how I wish I had listened!! I would have avoided the devastation that my decision inevitably produced.  So as I sit and think about several other decisions that turned out the same way, I'm reminded in this stage of my life to always seek wisdom and do my very best to follow wisdom's instruction.  I'm careful to get the input of my husband and at times, a close friend whenever I'm unclear about a decision and especially when my flesh is speaking louder than usual.  Because I've learned that whenever I choose to set wisdom's counsel at nought, calamity follows.  And it never fails that no matter how much I cry and beg for comfort from my calamity, although God covers me with His grace, He always allows me to feel the consequences of my behavior so that I will learn the lesson that He tried to teach me beforehand:  my relationship with Him is the safest place on earth. 

Pearls to Ponder

How well do you trace your situations and circumstances to your disregard of prior instruction and wisdom from God? What things are you dealing with today that could have turned out differently had you listened to wisdom?  What things can you do differently in your life if you apply the principles of wisdom?

Pearls to treasure

Deuteronomy 4:38-10 Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Be Encouraged...

In my quiet time this morning, and over the past several days, I’ve had such an increased passion to encourage and uplift you all. I really asked God what I could say to you to encourage your hearts as you consecrate yourself and seek God for more of Him, and thus more of yourself.  I know from my own experience that at times this walk with God ain’t exactly no walk in the park.  Personally, there are times when I feel like, just as I seem to grow and get better in some areas, God unveils some other area where I totally suck!  If I’m not careful, I find myself battling the spirit of depression and condemnation, wondering if I will ever get it all together.  So I wanted to share one of the ways the Lord consistently encourages my heart in those times.

Not too long ago, a friend recommended that I read the book Search for Significance by Robert McGee.  It’s such a mind-altering book that I highly recommend it for you as well.  In it, he talks about the performance trap that many believers find themselves in from time to time.  It’s the idea that you must meet certain standards in order to feel good about yourself.  I can certainly relate to this feeling.  At one point in my life, and even now periodically, I find myself attaching my confidence to my “performance” as a Christian.  The better I “perform” i.e. make all the right decisions, say all the right words, remain totally consistent in my prayer, devotion & church attendance, etc, the better I feel about myself as a Christian.  Then on those occasions when I make a horrible decision or I say all the wrong words to my husband or I allow my schedule to pull me away from focused attention to the Word, I find myself questioning whether or not I’m even saved for real.  This is not the will of God.

Instead, God wants you and me to understand some very important truths about ourselves.  We are so deeply loved by Him just the way we are. Because of Christ’s redemption, He has welcomed us into the beloved, and we are completely forgiven, acceptable and pleasing in His sight – not because our performance is completely perfect – but because the blood of Jesus is completely sufficient to present us to God as holy and acceptable in His sight.  What a wonderful savior we have. 

So despite the things you may feel you are lacking in your life, you are totally complete in Him.  Despite what might seem like the slowest growth process ever, you are just where you should be. Still growing!  Release yourself from the performance trap that suggests that you are anything less than a woman who is growing in God.  Of course, that does not negate the fact that you must still put forth the effort to continue growing and maturing in him.  But for just a moment, take a look at where God has brought you from, and be encouraged in knowing that the God who began such a good work in you is faithful to complete it.  Sure, you may not be where you want to be spiritually but keep growing. You may still make some mistakes but keep growing. If you get a little off course (or a lot), get back on course and keep growing! There is so much purpose and destiny ahead for you to accomplish. Don’t get stuck in the performance trap. Walk in the freedom of knowing that as imperfect as you are, you are God’s perfect-creation-in-progress and reject any & all thoughts, ideas, beliefs, people or environments that suggest that you are anything less than deeply loved and totally acceptable to God. 

Remember who you are!

Monday Rewind: What are you demonstrating?

Yesterday my husband spoke an awesome word about the gospel of demonstration.  Just like the Gospels were written to provide a witness to those who read and believe in the name of Christ, God is calling you and me to be a living witness through demonstration of the Word (practically) in our lives. He is calling us to be a living epistle, or letter, able to read by the world.  Paul states we are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 2 Cor 3:3   

I thought my husband did an awesome job in teaching us that, without demonstration, our faith is only an explanation of what we believe.  This is no longer good enough for the world we live in.  This world is providing increasingly more options to the unbeliever.  It is up to you and me to demonstrate that living in Christ is the best option available. After all, why should people believe that a godly life is the best life if WE don’t show them that it’s actually true and working for us?

So what are you demonstrating? If you never spoke a word, what about your life would indicate that you are a Christian who believes that the Word of God actually works?  Remember, the world is watching those who call themselves Christians. The scripture states that the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:9). That’s you and me! So with a sincere heart, try your very best to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit toward others, and make every effort to be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith and in purity (1 Tim 4:12). 

What a powerful word!  You and I have something that this world needs and wants. The question is how are we going to convince others of this fact? Simple. By demonstrating that what we have is better than what they currently have.  In other words, live like someone is watching!

Have a wonderful week!

Nicole

Pearls of Wisdom: Listen!



Proverbs 1:20-23



²⁰Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:  ²¹She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,  ²²How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?  ²³Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

It is quite interesting that Solomon chose the female pronoun to describe wisdom.  She cries…She utters.   Is it because wisdom has a feminine quality?  Like a virtuous wife, wisdom is something that must be pursued and it is the greatest treasure for all who are blessed to obtain it.  Like a caring mother, wisdom provides protection, guidance and training that is necessary for us to be fruitful, successful and purposeful.  Like your best girlfriend, wisdom is honest, trustworthy, encouraging and always holds you accountable.  God so desires for us to obtain wisdom that He makes wisdom cry out to us in His word.  With wisdom He provides instruction for every detail of our lives because He would have us lacking in nothing.  It is with wisdom that we accomplish everything in His will and so He asks how long we will ignore wisdom and choose to operate in foolish ignorance.

How long? How long will we ignore wisdom and wonder why we are not living abundantly? How long will we ignore wisdom and wonder why our marriages are not healed? How long will we ignore wisdom and wonder why we never have money?  How long will we ignore wisdom and wonder why the scale hates us so much. J

God is asking how long we will ignore the one thing we need to obtain everything we’re chasing.  All of our dreams, goals, pursuits, purpose, potential…you name it…we need wisdom to get it, and we need wisdom to manage and keep it.  So, listen out for wisdom’s cry.  She is anxious to help make your life better.  Are you ignoring her?

Pearls to ponder.

In what areas of your life are you ignoring wise instruction? How can you use wisdom to be more efficient and effective in managing your priorities?  Is there someone in your life that provides wise counsel for you? If you do not have a wise friend, who can you get close to that can provide the wisdom you need to manage your life?

Pearls to treasure.

Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.

Colossians 2:2-3
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.