Tag: God is Love

Building History with God (Intimacy with God Part X)

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I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness,~Jeremiah 31:3. 

I love reading the stories of people’s relationships with God in His word. One of my favorite passages is actually Hebrews 11. It is called the hall of faith. The passage is long so I won’t post it, yet you can read it here:  Hebrews 11. 

The people listed in Hebrews 11 have incredible stories with God. They overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles with God. God delivered some from and others through. He drew His people with loving kindness. He established a covenant with His people; one He upheld by His power, love, and provision. 

I’ve said this many times and will state again, there are things we can only learn about God through experience. 

Have you ever done missions? Or a team building exercise? Or gone through a struggle with someone? It knits you together. You learn things about them you would not learn by just reading their bio or even meeting with them for an hour or so once a week. 

God longs to be known by us. 

I was in a Bible study fellowship for a few years with a group of passionate young adults. Many of us ended up on a mission in the Amazon Jungle together in Brazil. I thought I knew the people on the team. We met weekly for Bible study. 

I learned so much about my team and myself those few weeks of traveling in a truck, hiking in 100F weather, handling heat stress, living under banana leaf huts, sleeping in hammocks, bathing in the Amazon River, and being in close proximity. Stories were written down, stories told, intimacy built, laughs had, tears shed, prayers offered, and bonding occurred. 



I learned new things about God on that trip. He wrote some great things into my story…

One that I could preach. I could hear from God in an instant for a perfect stranger. I could survive flying home with a partially dislocated hip. I could lead worship in Portguese. Spanish is my second language, Portuguese is my third (so much to learn). I grew in sharing deep parts of my heart with people on my team. It grew me. I had to rely on God fully. It’s a part of my story with God that’s marked with miracles and wonder. 

God is writing our story with Him.

He longs for the closest promximity and highest priority in our lives. You see, in heaven it’s all about the Kingdom. There’s no marriage, kids to be had, PTA meetings, bills to pay, singles events…it’s His Kingdom. This life, though it’s not marketed as such, is preparation for what’s to come. The relationship built with God on earth will continue on into eternity. Time on earth is the shortest time we will ever live. The greatest covenant and relationship is with God. 

What will be the theme of your story? 

Will it be faith? 

Will it be love? 

Will it be overcoming? 

Will it be the power of Jesus? 

Will you be known as one who walked closely with God like Enoch? Will you get to heaven and realize many people came to know Jesus because of your faithfulness on earth?

Will you encounter God not only as Father as a best friend?

We can learn from others stories and history with God, yet we build our own history with God.  

I love the way God communicated with Moses. I love God. I love who He is. I love being with Him more than anyone else. I desired greatly as a youth to have continual communication with God. At one point in my walk I told Him, “I want to be like Moses. He met with you face to face (intimately)-Exodus 33:11. Your glory passed over him. You spoke to him through a burning bush.” God’s reply to me was, “I meet with you heart to heart.” 

We each have our own story with God.

You see, I am not Moses. We certainly have a better covenant than Moses and the indwelling of the Spirit. My story is my story with God. We meet heart to heart. I’m not a feeler. I’m a thinker. I’m prone to logical/analytical thought patterns and do not rely on feelings for processing. Yet God supernaturally deposits His heart for people into mine. I feel what they feel. I feel what He feels. He moves me through my heart, though my personality is driven to be led by my brain. 

He’s writing a story marked with His radical, passionate, compassionate, and profound love. It’s also a story marked with His power. I’m alive because of His great power to heal, protect, and perform miracles.

We each have a unique and divine purpose. We are carved out of the heart and imagination of God. The good times matter, the challenges matter, the struggles matter, the joy matters. We are a part of a greater story, His story. We join the story of God and champion our King! 

We learn the Book (His word) and allow it to lead us into an encounter with Him. Our greatest need is to know the Author. 

Every situation an opportunity to deepen intimacy with God. What is He doing? What is He saying? Who in His word has experienced something similar? What is God teaching us? How can we cling to Him and grow to know Him better? 

Sweet friends, you are so loved, valued, appreciated, significant, and your story matters! You matter to God.  Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything (talk to and listen to God). One day you’ll look back and smile. Your heart will say, “What a testimony of God’s love, power, and provision.” 

Whether we believe it or not, God is always working things together for the eventual good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). 

Praying for you! 

Love in Christ, 

Erin 

Receiving and Abiding in Love (Intimacy with God Part IX)

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Our greatest strength comes from abiding (remaining) in God.

John 15: 1, 4-17.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Culture vs. the Kingdom of Heaven

Our culture promotes self. If you want something, you go for it in your own strength. You make it happen. You persist. You press harder or push harder. The central character is us, the created ones. Our culture celebrates the “self-made” person.

The Bible teaches us that we can do nothing apart from God. Nothing means no thing. He is the Source of human life, even for the wicked and unbelieving. We exist because of Him. The central character of God’s story is God. The Kingdom of heaven celebrates the person dependent on God.

It hurts the pride and bruises the ego to realize that God is above all. He is above us. We are not God or demigods, though some teach this. God doesn’t force us to obey Him or comply, He’s still God and there are consequences for our choices. We are never truly independent from His Sovereignty.

If we are in Christ, then it’s good to recall that we are to rely on His strength. Our striving produces stress. Abiding produces abundant fruit. He is the Source of love, peace, joy, hope, faith, goodness, life, patience, meekness, gentleness, and self control. He’s the Vine. If we remain in Him, there’s flourishing life.

Example from Gardening…

I had a plant with vines. I noticed it would grow towards the light. Any parts of the vine that fell off, died. It was disconnected from its life source. The root system of that plant was supplying nutrients. The branches produced no life on their own. If I forgot to water or fertilize the soil, it died.

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We need intimacy (relationship) with God more than anything else. We need the Light (God). We need water (His Spirit). We need fertilizer and food (His Word). When we place other things in front of Him, we suffer. God doesn’t cease loving us, we cease producing fruit.

Fruit is the result of fellowship and intimacy (abiding, remaining). We will always see fruit of our fellowship. If we fellowship with fear, the fruits are worry, anxiety, insecurity, suspicion, unhealthy stress, people pleasing, jealousy…

God knew and knows that we will suffer if He’s not first. We can’t produce Light and His Love without Him. He is Light; He is love.

Our first step in intimacy with God is salvation. The second is abiding. We receive first, then we give.

The highest priority isn’t doing for God, it’s being with God.

So beautiful friends, may we seek Him first. May we meet with Him, talk with Him, listen to Him…

What is God doing? What is He saying? What does His word say? What is God teaching us at this moment?

May we soak in His Presence and allow God to heal, restore, saturate us, and minister to us. God can do more in a moment than we can in a lifetime. He contains solutions to all the world’s problems.

Father, Abba Pai, help us to first receive from You and abide in You as Jesus did. Teach us to rest in Your love and the finished work of the Cross. May we have a deeper revelation of what’s already been paid for in Your Son. May we know heart, mind, and spirit the height, depth, and vast expanse of Your love for us. May we rely on Your strength and Your Spirit. In Jesus powerful name, Amen.

Praying for you! You are deeply loved (John 3:16).

Erin

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The Fire, Den of Lions, & Deep Waters (Intimacy with God Series Part VIII)

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Isaiah 43:2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

I’ve met people who believe that if you live Godly then nothing bad will ever happen. This isn’t what Jesus taught. It’s not what we read in our Bibles. Jesus said, “In the world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.”

Sometimes God delivers us from and other times He delivers us through.

Lion’s Den:

Daniel was delivered through. He stood in the lion’s den and God didn’t allow him to be consumed (Daniel 6). He sent angels to shut the mouths of the lions. It was a said of Daniel, “They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent,”~Daniel 6:4b. Daniel was obedient to God, yet he was still thrown into the lion’s den. God did not prevent the incident, He showed Himself strong in the midst of Daniel’s circumstances.

The Fire:

“Is it true . . . that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up?” Nebuchadnezzar asked Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:14). Shadrach, Mechech, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship an idol. They were thrown in bound. The fire was so hot it consumed the guards who took them into the fire. Yet when they looked at the men in the fire, they saw another man in the fire and they were not consumed. They were unbound and walking around. When they came out they did not even smell like smoke (Daniel 3).

Deep Waters:

When the Israelites where fleeing Egypt with Moses the Lord parted the Red Sea for them. The power of God parted the deep waters. Once His people were on dry ground, the Lord then allowed those waters to drown Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 14). The Lord said to Moses, “My people will know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten the glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and horseman,”~Exodus 3:18.

These are just three stories in the Bible where God delivered His people through the challenge or obstacle. He didn’t remove the obstacle, the challenge, or adversity. He stood in the fire. He closed the mouth of the lion. He parted the Red Sea. Sometimes God will allow you to be challenged so He can show Himself strong on your behalf. Without a problem, there’s no need for a miracle. The Spirit of God is one of an overcomer.

There are things we can only learn about God when He’s the only One who can help us. There’s an intimacy (knowing) that occurs in the challenging seasons of life. You learn to pray. You learn the intensity of God’s love. The power of His healing and comfort. You learn the very heartbeat of God as you cry out to Him in the midnight hours. The closeness of God forged in those seasons cannot be snatched from you.

I walked through a 10 year season of what I would call the 7 levels of hell. But God! In my life I’ve had 7 near death experiences, including being trapped in my car under water. 911 never came for me, yet God performed such a miracle to allow an already flooded engine to turn over for 60 seconds to get me out. Others left me to die, but God didn’t. I watched my mum suffer for 7 years; surgery after surgery…we lost the house, car, so much. But God made a way out of no way. Not one day was spent hungry. I watched both my parents battle cancer. One healed. One died. I endured 4 years under intense persecution from my manager. Human resources did not help me. God stepped in and she eventually gave her life to Jesus. I’ve been sick and healed by God. Lost friends, been lied on, gossiped about, betrayed, but God intensified my friendship with Him. He fortified my identity as His daughter and friend. I’ve been placed in many situations where no human could or would help. Been left to die, but God!

You see, I’d never know His power without those encounters. You learn the comfort of God in the seasons where your heart is wrenched with grief and no human is willing to wipe a tear. People are great yet they do not trump God. You learn to lean. You learn His voice. You learn the power of God to sustain you and keep your mind. God becomes your best friend. He is my best friend.

Sweet friends, no matter what you’re facing…I want you to insert the words, “But God.” He makes a way out of no way. He is the resurrection and the life. He is the alpha and the omega! He is the everlasting God. He speaks and the world must respond to Him. Heaven is His throne and the earth His footstool. He can do more in a moment than we can in a lifetime. Is anything too hard for Him? The answer is no.

So, I say to you what He says to me, “Come to Me all who are heavy and laden and I will give you rest. You can trust Me. I will work this for good. Abide in Me. My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” And sometimes all He says is, “I love you.” His love is like no other. He longs to be known by us in every season; to be our source.

God loves you more than anyone ever could. If you’re in the fire, the lion’s den, the deep waters, God will not forsake you. This too shall pass. He gave Job double for his trouble. God is a restorer of ruins. He takes ashes and makes them beautiful.

Praying for you. May your intimacy (knowing) of God go deeper than it ever has before! You are deeply loved (John 3:16).

Love in Christ,

Erin

Believe, Know, Listen, & Follow-Intimacy with God (Part II)

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Photo credit: Son of God movie

John 10:25-30.

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

I recommend reading all of John 10. In this passage Jesus refers to Himself as the good Shepherd. Shepherds were overseers of flocks. Sheep are not the brightest animals. They will fall into ditches, see another sheep in a ditch and fall in…they can wonder off and be destroyed because they are not wise. Shepherds protected their sheep. They were invested in keeping them safe. They’d lay at the gate to prevent them from escaping. They spent time with the sheep. They rescued wayward sheep.

Jesus is the good Shepherd. We are like the sheep. He’s responsible to care for us, reveal who He is to us, and we are to know and follow Him. We are not an obligation to God. We are His dearly loved children.

In the verses above Jesus is responding to the questions of the Pharisees about who He is. Is He the Christ? I love His responses. He stated, “You do not believe, therefore you are not my sheep. My sheep know and follow me.”

Intimacy with God starts with faith. It starts with belief.

Do you believe God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do?
It is not enough to simply believe there is a God or Jesus is the Son of God. Even the demons believe and tremble. (James 2:19), yet they are not saved. There’s no salvation for them. There is for humanity.

If you’re reading this and you’ve never confessed your sins before God, repented (made a decision to turn from sinning and turn to God), asked God to cleanse you of your sins, placed your faith in Jesus Christ as the appropriation for your sins, and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, I invite you do so. There’s no salvation apart from Him. There’s no entrance to heaven without going through the Son. We can’t do enough good works to earn holiness or righteousness. Jesus did it for us. We by faith, receive what He’s done and accept His righteousness as our own.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” John 14:6.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith,~Romans 3:23-25a.

If you invited God into your life, I would love to hear from you and provide more information to you.

The second step in intimacy with God is being with Him.

Sheep spent their time with the shepherd. They learned his voice, his smell, his mannerisms. It’s impossible to have intimacy (knowing) with someone and you never spend any time. If Sunday morning is the only time you spend with God, well your level of intimacy is not going to be high.

I am not stating you attend worship services all week, lock yourself in a room to pray and read the Bible all day. I am saying we can commune with God every day, as much as we’d like. One of my morning activities is to start the day with worship and thanksgiving. “Good morning God! I love you. Thank you for who you are and all you’ve done. I invite you to be a part of my day. What do you want to do? Who do you want to bless?” And there are days where I’m just listening. What is God doing? What is He saying? It’s not a ritual, it’s relationship.

Intimacy with God involves listening and knowing His voice.

The Bible says God speaks. There are some who teach He doesn’t and that does not align with scripture. God speaks to His children. If you had children and wrote an instruction manual for them, would you then say, “I refuse to speak to you. Go read the book I gave you.” That would seem insane. Yet some teach God only speaks to us through the Bible. God spoke to people in the Bible through dreams, visions, directly, through prophets, even through a donkey. Before you get too excited, let’s lay down some ground rules.

1. When God speaks He will not tell you to sin or violate His already written word.

I had someone tell me once the Holy Spirit told her not to read the Bible ever and only to listen to the voice she was hearing. That’s wrong and violates scripture.

I heard someone say God told them to leave their spouse for someone else. That’s wrong. It violates many scriptures.

Our culture says do whatever feels good for you and if it’s “love” or feels good, God must approve of it. That’s wrong. If there’s no place in scripture where God is condoning a behavior, you can’t condone it either and claim it’s God. There are some verses that seem to contradict each other which is why God gave His Holy Spirit to teach us.

We can’t toss out the Bible and rely on feelings, human wisdom, angelic visitations, or voices we believe are God.

2. All prophecy (speaking God’s word) is to be tested. Meaning the following:

Does it align with God’s word? Example, there are many false prophecies about when the world will end. Well, the Bible states the following:

“No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows,”~Matthew 24:36.

Does the prophecy fit the character of God?

I’ve had destructive words spoken over me. There was no life in them. God does give warnings. He also provides redemption. Those who repent can find hope and life in Him. Jesus came to save, not destroy. If people are destroyed, it will be because they refused the gift He offered and refused repentance.

Finally intimacy with God involves following Him.

We are called to obey God. It’s not a popular teaching, yet Jesus taught it often. Christianity is not simply praying a prayer, it’s following a person. That person is Jesus. We cannot claim to love God and live a life where we refuse to do what He says. He gives us grace and His Spirit to enable us to do His will. If we cease to obey, we will eventually cease to hear from Him. If He continues to speak, we are held accountable for what we know. So if you feel super disconnected from God, one thing to ask is , “Has He told me to do something I have not done?”

I will continue this series because I truly believe we perish for lack of knowledge of who God is. We are called to know Him, to be loved by Him, to love Him, and enjoy Him. God is not boring, cold, stern, a kill joy, or mean spirited. He is good, holy, exciting, adventurous, overflowing with love and joy. He’s beyond amazing. He’s generous, faithful, merciful, and forgiving. The evil one doesn’t want the world to know who God is and how good He is. Once you know Him, it’s almost impossible to resist Him.

Will you join me on this relentless pursuit of God’s heart? I hope so.

You’re continually in my thoughts, prayers, and you are deeply loved (John 3:16).

Love,

Erin

Between Fear and Faith (Book Excerpt)

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The Bible says without faith it’s impossible to please God. In order to believe in God, there must be faith. We do not see Him the way we see people. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Once we believe in God, I truly believe that’s just the beginning of the journey. The walk with God also includes believing God is who He says He is and will do everything He says He will do. There’s faith required to believe what He says in His word about us, about the future, and so much more.

It’s easy to talk about faith. It requires much more to live out our faith. Faith requires us to do something. When we believe God, we live differently. We experience peace and joy. We cease worrying.

God loves to show up in the lives of those who believe. God loves it when we place confidence in Him.

Fear is one of the many things that comes to choke out faith. It’s a belief that something or someone is more powerful than God. Fear is misplaced faith.

I’d love to tell you I’ve lived or live a 100% fearless life. That would be a lie. There are areas of my life where I have no fear, others where I cling to Jesus and ask for His courage. You won’t see me jumping out of a plane any time soon. 🙂

The Bible tells us to not be afraid because God knows we will be afraid. The more we experience His love, the more confidence we have in His ability to do what He says, including protect us.

Hope this book excerpt from I Thought I Knew What Love Was blesses you.

Between Faith and Fear
Written July 28, 2010 by Erin Lamb
Copyright© 2011 may not be reproduced without permission

There is a place between faith and fear,
where the heart, mind, and the spirit battle for who will win.
There is a consistent tug-of-war,
an outcry;
“Is God here?
Will He answer?
How will I overcome?”
The mind can waver from firm belief
that God will do what He has promised,
to a place of no hope and no peace.
The heart can be so overjoyed,
standing on the mountain of promise
thinking, “This is for me, Lord.”
It can quickly shift its place to the valley
allowing the place of faith
to shift to fear asking, “Will God leave me here?”
The spirit shouts from the mountain top,
to the echo of the valley;
“God is who He says He is,
so do not worry and do not fear.”
This is an uncomfortable place,
the place between faith and fear.
The cold sweats,
the rapid pulse, and
the times of jubilee;
will all connected parts line up and take the leap?
Will there be the leap of faith that says,
“Though I cannot see,
I will still believe?”
Will there be the leap of faith
that says,
“I cannot feel,
but I will trust that God is real.
I will believe despite emotions
that God is good and has the most pure motives.”
Between faith and fear,
a choice must be made;
which one will decide our fate?
There is a blessing on the other side of faith;
will fear strangle it,
devour it, and
destroy it?
Or will faith overcome
and be victorious?
There is no life
on the other side of fear,
just limitations,
speculations,
worry,
and lack of participation.
Fear
strangles all ambition,
shatters all dreams,
destroys anything in its path,
and leaves nothing good to be seen.
On the path between faith and fear,
choose faith.
God will not disappoint you,
nor turn away from any promise He has made.

Becoming

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Image credit (Passion of the Christ Film).

… Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma,~Ephesians 5:1-2.

Becoming…the Christian walk is about becoming like the One who gave His life for ours. I do not hear many messages about becoming like Christ anymore. My pastor teaches on it and this past Sunday talked about this narrow path that leads us to being transformed into the image of God’s Son.

Becoming is rooted in abiding. After salvation (believing, repenting of sin, asking for forgiveness, and choosing to say yes to following Jesus), there’s a process called sanctification. The Holy Spirit works in us so we are transformed into the image of God. Those who abide in Him, will have abundant fruit (John 15:5). Apart from relationship with God, we cannot live like Jesus. Grace, God’s abounding grace, empowers us to do the impossible-live and love like Jesus.

Why is becoming so important?

Well, because we represent God in the earth. Some people will never set foot in a church. They will interact with you. If you are following Jesus, you are His Ambassador (sent ones-representative) on earth. He calls His followers to be salt and light. If we don’t imitate Christ in every area of influence and relationship, where’s the light shining in the darkness?

I’ve met way too many people who refuse to go to church because they’ve had horrible experiences with Christians. It’s sad because God is so good.

I have a few friends who are atheist. They grew up Catholic or Protestant, yet they saw people claiming to love and represent God abusing grace, acting exactly like the world, and had some painful experiences. All of which led them to believe God must not be real if His followers are so unrighteous and unloving.

I had one friend who fell down the steps while visiting a church. She stopped the pastor to ask for help. She couldn’t get up and he was the only one who came by. He told her he was late for a staff meeting and left her there.

Jesus said the world will know we belong to Him by our love for one another.

I’ve been in church my entire life. My dad is a pastor. We were taught loving people regardless of who they are or what they believe was and is a priority.

I’ve heard other Christians question my kindness towards them. Why are you doing this? Did God tell you to do this? Well, yes in His Word when He said love others as I have loved you.

How does God love me?

He forgives.
He gives.
He’s merciful and kind.
He’s generous.
He’s encouraging.
He’s thoughtful.
He gives good gifts!
He points me in the direction of truth and holiness.
He supports my dreams.
He cares about every detail of my life.
He’s patient.
He’s compassionate.
He gives more of Himself than I could imagine possible.
He mourns with me.
He laughs with me.
He rejoices over me.
He sees the best in me when I’m at my worst.
Jesus prays and intercedes for me.
The Holy Spirit empowers me.
He protects me.
He provides for me.
He shares His wisdom and knowledge.
He listens.
He speaks.
He comforts.
He celebrates.
He leads.
He’s good!

If I am to imitate Him, then I treat people the way God treats me. I do as He does.

Becoming requires a dying to self and selfishness. It’s not easy, yet it’s possible via the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It’s so important. We are the only interactions some people will have with God. We are not responsible to save the world. We are responsible to let God live and love through us. Jesus invited people to follow Him, not just pray a prayer. Following Jesus is about imitating Him.

We can draw people to God by shining bright, or we can push them away by our lack of love.

God is LOVE!

Father please forgive us for the times we’ve chosen our own path apart from You. May we overflow with Your love. Teach us to stay connected to the true Vine, You. May we be the brightest lights, reflecting and representing You in the earth. In Jesus powerful name, Amen.

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Remembering John (Operation God is Love)

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Whatever you’ve done to the least of these, you’ve done unto Me,~Jesus.

Operation God is Love is a street ministry I started this Spring. The objectives are to take the Gospel into the city, to pray for people, to share Jesus, and be instruments of love. I am drawn to people no one loves. They are too dirty, broken, messed up, and outcasts of society. I look into their eyes and my heart cries out, “I see you. You are loved.”

This ministry is small. It’s me and two other women who pack up supplies and hit the city month after month. We never know who we will see or what God will do. What we do know is that God is good. God is all powerful. God is love. God has empowered us to go into all the world and make disciples! The Great Commission was given to all…

John (not his real name) was a beggar and homeless man we met our first time out. He was young, maybe early thirties. He was hungry and sad. John captured my attention the moment we saw him, and we took him to get pizza.

I’ve never seen someone so undone by what I would consider reasonable kindness…a meal. The Bible says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.” John wasn’t an enemy. He was a hurting person who was invisible to many people who walked by.

He told us many people ignored him or looked down on him. He carried tremendous emotional pain and shame.

We asked about his life. We gave him a Bible and literature. We gave him food and supplies. We told him about Jesus. We prayed with John and his friend who showed up later. We prayed for healing of his leg. We spent an afternoon with John. Doing all we knew to do to express God’s heart.

John met his Maker a few weeks ago. He overdosed on some drug. We don’t know if it was an accident or on purpose. I do know the level of pain and shame he carried was heavy. I can’t imagine living his life story. I do remember his tears as we informed him of God’s love and redemption. I don’t know if John finally gave his life to Christ. He didn’t when we were with him.

Here’s what I do know…

It pays to stop for the one. I run into so many hurting or homeless people and sometimes it’s impossible to get to everyone. I can’t help everyone. I can help one person. I can share the Gospel with one. I can feed one. I can love one.

I don’t think I will ever forget John’s face. It’s etched in my memory. He wasn’t too dirty for me to touch. He wasn’t so lost I didn’t want to reach out. He wasn’t invisible. He was seen and loved. I was honored to share a meal with him. Honored God allowed our paths to cross. Honored to love him as a person God loves.

My encouragement to you is this…you have the ability to change someone’s life and enlarge heaven. Don’t waste it. Yes, it’s unsettling at first to reach out to strangers, but it’s worth it. I’ve found people on the street more welcoming and appreciative than people who gather in churches on Sundays. It’s far easier for me to minister to the hurting than people who think they have it all together and don’t need or want love.

Please pray for us as we continue to go out! We want to see God’s Kingdom come and His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Heaven full! Hell empty. We can’t do everything. We can do something….

Love in Christ,

Erin

Finding JOY in Giving

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Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,~Luke 6:38.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too,~Phil 2:4.

One of the major causes of depression is selfishness. You might think, “No way!” Yes way. When our focus is always ourselves we will not be happy or have joy. Why? Because God did not create us to be self centered.

We were created to connect first to God, then others. The God sized void can only be filled by Him. Once He fills us up, He intends for us to pour out. If we don’t, we implode.

Have you ever had a plant that grew wildly? I have. I have a set of plants that once they grow to a certain size they stop because they are root bound. They need split or repotted to keep growing. If I over water or over feed them, they die.

God intends for us to grow, to help others grow, & to enlarge His Kingdom.

We don’t give to earn God’s favor. We don’t give to primarily get from God-though He rewards givers with pure motives. We don’t give so people think well of us. We give because God’s love causes us to become generous. We give for His glory, His fame, and His goodness to be shed abroad.

It’s not about us or them. It’s about Him. It’s about the world encountering Christ in us. He’s what the world needs.

There’s joy in seeing other people encounter God. There’s always someone in a worse situation. That’s not to say God ignores where we are. He doesn’t. I do think at times He whispers to us, “Go help this other person. I will handle your problem.”

Introspection, self pity, self focus, what about me?, look how bad it is for me, poor me,…has never solved anything. Jesus is the one we focus our eyes on and entrust with our burdens.

I can say this because I used to have pity parties. I’d even invite Jesus to come. “Jesus, don’t you see how bad this is…why me?” I love how God handles His children. His response, “Do you want my help? Or do you want to have a tantrum or pout? I will let you choose. I love you. I will be here when you are done.”

God has brought great comfort in dark seasons of my life. In loss, tragedy, betrayal, sickness, etc…He never refuses comfort. He does not, however, enter into pity with me. He brings hope. Do you want help? If not, then I still love you, but I can’t force help on you.

Which leads to my last point. It’s incredible to help other people and love them. It’s a trap to aimlessly pour out. Some people don’t want help. Some people are in the situation they are in because they created it and trying to get them out will hurt them-they won’t learn from their choices. Some people want others to do for them what they need to get directly from God or for themselves. Some people are users and look for anyone they can drain dry. Some people will take what you give and throw it in the garbage. Giving, like anything else, requires wisdom.

When we do street ministry, we feed people, provide necessities, etc…we do not give cash. Many of the people, through their own confessions, have substance abuse problems. We love them. We don’t enable them. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he’s naked, clothe him. Unless God prompts you to, I wouldn’t empty my bank account to some random person and say I’m generous. God intends for seeds sown to produce a harvest for Him. God is generous and wise. Just read about the parable of the talents (Matthew 25). God intends for us to do something with what He gives. Freely you receive, freely give,~Jesus.

If you have a million dollars and you give 1 dollar to a million people, have you helped them? Versus splitting it between 10 people. God knows where you should sow to yield the greatest harvest for His Kingdom.

I’ve spent years pouring into people and situations that yielded nothing but frustration. Why? It wasn’t my field of harvest. The people I targeted to love and pour into were chosen by me, not God. And since I was raised to be a giver, I chose to give 100% to everyone. That dear friends leads to burnout and being used and abused.

Jesus had 12 disciples and chose 3 of them to be closest to Him. We think God is out fixing everyone’s messes, but He’s not. That’s not good parenting. He allows us sometimes to face the earthly consequences of what we’ve done. If we repent we are forgiven in heaven, yet there are some consequences on earth.

Where’s the joy in giving?

You see heaven invade earth!

You see God move radically in the lives of others.

You invest in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

You imitate Jesus who came to serve, not just be served. You re-present Him to the world.

You demonstrate to the world who God is: generous, kind, compassionate, and loving.

When you partner with God there’s joy.

What we do primarily for ourselves dies with us. What we do for His Kingdom remains eternal. What can we do to partner with Jesus so He gets the greatest reward? Where does God want us to sow? How can we fix our eyes on Him and eternity not the temporary things of this world? There is joy in being a blessing to Jesus by investing in His Kingdom.

May our eyes be upward then outward. Someone needs what we carry. May we be led by the Spirit to bring Jesus the greatest reward!!!

Love in Christ,

Erin

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Love is Never Wasted

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Be imitators of God as dearly loved children.

Love one another as I have loved you.

Build each other up. Encourage one another daily.

Don’t just look out for your own interests, look out for the interests of others.

Do nothing out of selfish motives or vain conceit.

Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is the greatest commandment.

The words above are from the Bible. Many are from Jesus. I’d love to tell you that I always think love is a good idea. I don’t. Sometimes the logical response for me is to choose isolation from people and forgo loving anyone but God. As an introvert, loving people is sometimes exhausting. Sometimes, honestly, love feels like a waste of time. Just keeping it real…yet part of loving God is loving people, not just in word but through actions.

When you really love people, you are vulnerable to them. They have the power to hurt you in ways you never thought possible. Sometimes they do it and blame you. Sometimes they are ambivalent or indifferent. Sometimes people are cruel or unkind. Sometimes the people you’d give your life for are the ones nailing you to a rugged cross. My heart has some pretty interesting scars. 🙂

Guess what? No one bears more scars than Jesus. We cannot fully comprehend the pain our sins caused Him. He was marred beyond recognition. His friends denied Him, forsook Him, and betrayed Him. Love cost Jesus everything. He felt the weight, shame, and pain of every sin.

This same Jesus says to us, “Love as I love.” He gave us His Spirit to help us to love. He doesn’t ask us to do anything He has not done or will not empower us to do.

So what are we to do? Do we throw in the towel on this love thing?

We could, but we would be living a life in disobedience to God. God never gives us permission to stop loving people. He never gives us permission to hold grudges or withhold forgiveness. If we don’t forgive, we are not forgiven. God never stops loving. He said the world will know we are His by our love for one another. If we don’t love, we don’t know God.

You see the point of life is to be loved by God, love God, love people, do as Jesus does, & become like Him; not by striving, but by abiding in Him.

We are transformed by relationship with God. We are being transformed by what we love and worship. Hence God saying, “Love Me most! Love Me first. Have no other gods before Me!” We are slaves to who and what we worship and obey.

We are God’s Ambassadors on earth. We show and demonstrate to the world what He’s like.

Do you know anyone who reminds you of Jesus?

Do you know anyone who represents Him well?

Does the person you see in the mirror continue to grow into His likeness?

Sanctification (the process of growing more Christlike) is part of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives. We can quench Him, resist Him, ignore Him, and offend Him. Yet He’s trying to work in us so we represent the Father well and become our truest selves.

Our world needs Christians who look, behave, and sound like Jesus. They’ve heard our sermons and worship, listened to our political agenda, but have they encountered Jesus? Have they seen Christ in us?

I ask these questions of myself. Am I becoming more like Jesus or more selfish and like the world? Am I loving people or harming them? Am I giving/serving or asking to be served? Is my life a reflection of His love and power? When God reveals weaknesses (which I have plenty of), am I asking Him to help me or making excuses for them?

Lastly, though I feel it at times, love is never wasted. People are not our audience, judge, or jury. We love and live for an audience of One. Every person will give an account for their lives. We are called to care more about what God thinks than people’s responses to us or their opinions. It’s for His Glory, not our own.

May we choose love. May we abide in the One who is love so we have love to give away. May we be known for looking, acting, sounding, and behaving like Jesus. He said those who abide (remain) in Him will bear MUCH fruit (John 15:5). I don’t know about you, but I desperately need Jesus to love people, including myself. Without God I am nothing and have nothing.

Have a blessed week! Be a blessing to others. The world needs what you’re carrying…Christ in you, the hope of glory.

You’re in my thoughts and continual prayers…

Love in Christ,

Erin

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Finding JOY in Waiting!

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Photo credit (cruzine)

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him,~Isaiah 64:4 (NIV).

…those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint,~Isaiah 40:31.

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD,~Psalm 27:14.

I would love to be able to say I’m a truly patient person. This is not true at all! My natural personality is concerned with efficiency. God and I have had some rough moments because of my impatience. I couldn’t wait to finish high school. Then I was eager to finish college and find a job. Life was continually about fast forwarding. Fast forwarding past my mom’s battle with cancer…fast forwarding through working three jobs and having a double major in engineering…fast forwarding past every hurt, pain, trauma, near death experience…the cry of my heart was, “God I will be happy when this is over! I will have joy when the storms pass.”

Let me tell you, God didn’t remove the trials, traumas, pain, or all suffering. Some prayers were immediately answered, others were repeated, and others took years to see any fruit. He has and is teaching me that He is my JOY in all seasons of life.

The Questions:

1. What do you do when you’re in the waiting room of promise?

2. What do you do when your life doesn’t match your prayers?

3. What do you do when you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired?

4. How do you handle watching others receive what you’ve been praying and longing for?

The Responses:

These are simply my reflections from life and the people God had wait in the Bible (almost everyone)! God does great things in seasons of waiting, much of which we don’t see.

1. Seek God in seasons of waiting.
We need to continually seek God, yet many people pull away from God when they don’t get what they want. Relationship with God is the highest priority. If it’s not, we will replace Him with the thing we are praying for. God never longs to take a back seat to anyone or anything! As we spend time with Him, we are prepared for what’s to come and our heart condition is revealed.

What God is doing in us far outweighs anything He can do for us.

2. Ask, Seek, Knock.
Sometimes our lives don’t match our prayers because what we are asking for would destroy us. Sometimes our motives are wrong. Sometimes our motives are good, but the timing is not. Sometimes we are murmuring and complaining. Sometimes we are speaking word curses and death over ourselves-“I will never be free. This won’t happen for me!”

Though it’s painful, it’s a time to Ask God, Seek God, and Knock on the door of heaven. Ask God to reveal our hearts and His heart. Why do we want what we want? The Bible says God withholds nothing good from us. It’s not always our definition of good, it’s His.

Sometimes the answer is on the way, yet it’s delayed. See the book of Daniel. The angel was delayed. There was spiritual battling around Daniel’s request. Understand if God has a huge blessing in store for you, the enemy (though a defeated foe) has a plan to delay, distract, discourage, or harass.

3. Receive Comfort from the Holy Spirit.
He is called the Comforter. God is perfect in bringing comfort, help, and healing. I went through a season where in two years 5 family members died, two family friends, and I was in a car accident that totaled my car. Around my accident time (last year), three aunts died within three weeks. It was horrible and overwhelming. I needed God desperately; He was there for me. God will bring comfort, even if the comfort is needed because we are operating in unbelief about His provision. He cares more than we can imagine.

4. Celebrate Others Getting What You Want.
What God does for one, He’s willing to do for another. This is not easy. I have walked through this test many times. However, if you’re jealous, envious, or covet what others have, you’re not ready for God’s blessing. It’s not about keeping up with the Joneses. It’s about loving God first, loving others (this includes being happy for their blessings), and growing into Christ likeness. God loves to give good gifts to His children. He does not want us destroyed by the gifts He gives. If it will pollute our hearts or cause us to be more sinful, He’s willing to withhold.

God is Patient:

God is not as obsessed with time as we are. He’s not the Burger King God. There’s not always a fast food breakthrough. He’s after relationship with us. Relationship is cultivated over time.

Where Can I Find JOY?:

In God’s Presence. God is pure joy. Being with Him changes perspective.

In God’s Word. God keeps His word and promises. He cannot lie. Recite His word, meditate on the promises of God.

In Your History With God. What has God already done? What trials have already been overcome? How has God provided and taken care of you in the past?

In Serving Others. Anytime we are self centered it robs us of joy! Get out there and help someone else. Support someone else’s dream, offer to baby sit for new parents, volunteer to help/serve those less fortunate. The more our eyes are fixed on Jesus and blessing Him, the better off we will be! Serving the poor, broken, and hurting is a sure way to increase gratitude and joy.

Give thanks. Tell God thanks for who He is and what He’s already done. It is not enjoyable to be in relationship with people who only care about you because of what you do for them. Love God. Thank Him!

Lastly I will say, though we may forget, God does not forget His promises to us. He’s perfect in every way. If we move ahead of Him, we get Ishmael instead of Isaac.

God knows the plans He has for you dear friends, plans to prosper you, give you hope, and a blessed future (Jeremiah 29:11). I need this reminder, hope it encouraged you!

You’re loved and prayed for!

Erin