If You're Messy And You Know It...Be Converted! Part 2

3. Folks who feel like they can live any kinda way and "make it in" - seriously need to review the lists in 1 Corinthian 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21.


"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

4. Folks who just wanna be startin something and run with the wrong crowd should read  Romans 1:28-32 and re-read NO. 3 above again.

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.  They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,  slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,  foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

Finally, Jesus said something that trips people up. A lot. At the end of His teaching in Matthew 5:48, He admonished the crowd and disciples to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Theologians and Bible scholars have studied the Greek word used here: τέλειος téleios  (tel'-i-os).

Simply put, it means complete, full grown. And, indeed it is a process. It means we are not to remain the same. It means, if we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, we are fulling the whole law. (Matthew 22:36-40, Romans 10:4, Romans 13:10).

There is a standard of living for Kingdom citizens. Let us not be fooled into thinking a change will happen suddenly - we must be about a renewed mind, right now. Christ made it possible for us to live eternally and not suffer damnation, if we would just allow the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth...and transform us.

I am messy and I know it, folks. And I'm convicted, and pray every day for a fresh anointing and conversion. S/he who hath ears, let them hear.

If You're Messy And You Know It.... Be Converted! Part 1

The problem is, messy folks (drama queens, kings, hate mongers and gossips) rarely know what a detriment and burden they are to themselves and their social group.  NEWS FLASH - if you call yourself a Christian, or even an "enlightened", "freethinking" individual - you still have to get to a place of maturity where the dumb stuff has to cease. There must be spiritual growth taking place in the life. And if there's confusion about what constitutes "dumb stuff", keep reading.

Because I am confident that I can embrace both enlightenment and free thinking in Christ (It's the truth that makes us free - John 8:38, and He sets us free, indeed! John 8:36), this is for Christians and those who might be interested in knowing what the Lord says about the following:

1. Folks who call themselves Christians yet harbor (and nurture) hatred and unforgiveness - need to read 1 John 4:20-21, Matthew 5: 44-45, and Colossians 3:13.

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."

"But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

2.  Folks who do good deeds for show, please check Matthew 6:1 -5

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." 

I submit this today because I look around and see so many who are being deceived by smooth messages from pulpits that are meant to keep the status quo - allowing things that ought not to be happening in the Body of Christ. I submit this because, thankfully, it is not my opinion. Anyone finding fault with my writings, should take it up with the Lord.  Anyone who is seeking, as I am,  to live a victorious life, please, keep reading...

72 Hour Hold

Before the book, "72 Hour Hold", by the late Bebe Moore Campbell, came out, a girlfriend of mine had introduced me to her coping mechanism for whenever something emotionally devastating happened in her life. My friend is a nurse, and she'd worked for some time in the Psych Ward. My own work in mental health also made me very familiar with the term "72 hour hold." In short, the 72 hour hold (also known as the 5150, involuntary detention, suicide hold) is an involuntary emergency hospitalization for evaluation in a treatment center, typically a short intervention for a fixed period of time.

And though I found Campbell's book compelling, well written (and I recommend it), this post isn't about the clinical definitions or the original purposes or application of this term. It's about what I have found to be a healthy way to deal with emotional trauma, of the relationship variety.

When going through a painful divorce, and left with two children, my friend, the nurse, said she felt her world had come to an end. But she still had to get up in the morning, attend to her children, get them to school and go to work. It is true that divorce feels like someone has died (but the kicker is, they're still walking around above ground, having a life without you!). A breakup is painful whether married or dating. So she decided to give herself 72 hours to "get it all out". 72 hours to scream, 'sling snot', moan, get in the fetal position on her bed and just rock and cry herself to sleep. She'd planned it; for a weekend she didn't work. Took her children to their grandparents for that weekend (grandparents are a blessing).  And when she got back home, she locked herself in, turned off the TV, internet and land line - and sat in her robe and fuzzy slippers with her quart of double chocolate ice cream, and wept. And she slept. And she vented, had one-sided conversations with herself, and said all the things she'd wanted to say to him. Then she wrote her feelings down, read them, and tore the paper into tiny pieces.

She told me, "It was such a release! I began to feel so much lighter, so much better. My reality was still my reality. I was still a divorcee; my husband had still left me - it was all still so true. But the pain was way less. I knew I could deal with it." Then, she said that on the last day, she opened the windows, reconnected the phone, turned on the internet, threw on her favorite gospel CD, took a shower, put on a new outfit she hadn't worn with some cute shoes, did her make-up, combed her hair and walked outside into a new day, her new life.

I believe the 72 hour hold is necessary. In this context, it's voluntary. When we lose someone, it hurts. And especially in cases where the person has not actually passed away, I believe it's possible and reasonable to utilize this 72 hour time period to get into some serious mourning - get it all out, scream and shout. (I would not suggest that one could or should employ this when a loved one has died) Then emerge from that emotional release with a renewed sense of direction, a new plan, or at least the skeleton of a plan. As a believer, I would also highly recommend praying through. We need supernatural power to gain the victory over emotional wounds, and to avoid falling into depression.

Acknowledging the pain, and yielding to it - not denying it - is good, and healthy for us mentally and emotionally. The bad thing did happen. It is devastating. Our hearts are broken, and we are in pain and the tears won't stop. Even after the 72 hours, pain is likely to linger. But not to a paralyzing degree; we've given ourselves permission to let loose. And we've made a promise to ourselves to move forward.

The important thing is to take the time to mourn. It can be however long you decide. I like 72 hours. It could be less - but not too much longer than 72. We have to count our blessings, remember we are still alive. And God is with us always.

When the time is up, we must get up from that place of despair, wash our faces, go outside in the sunshine, and take on the life God has given us. One day at a time.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I wanted to just take a moment to express my thanks and gratitude for another year of life! Blessed beyond what I deserve, I thank God for His mercy and grace. My journey thus far, the path of many twists and turns, has been and is all of those things that work together for my good. I declare today that I love the Lord, and have been called according to His purpose!  He is showing me a more excellent way, and I'm trusting Him to lead and guide me until my last day on earth, should He not return before I die.

This morning, my husband prayed over me - a beautiful birthday prayer. All day today, I've experienced an overwhelming peace, and love. Work was stress free - quiet, with a 'holiday weekend' type of atmosphere . I had a song playing in my mind all day... "Sing a song of love, sing it loud and clear/Sing it over the land so that the whole world can hear"... My soul is full and free. I'm the richest person on earth because what I possess, money can't buy. My family is amazing, and they love me unconditionally. I'm blessed beyond my feeble comprehension and so much more than words can convey! 

My dear friend and former Pastor sent me a birthday blessing that nailed it for me. He said:

"May you experience all the happiness and joy that comes with wisdom!"

So you know I'm praying for wisdom each and every day for the duration - because I am excited to see what God has in store - He's already been more than wonderful to me!

Why Prayer?

During my time participating in small group prayer and Bible study ministry before moving to the east coast, I had the opportunity to discover a great deal about how and why couples were not connecting in their marriages. Indeed, my interactions with others in our circle taught me huge lessons and revealed things that I know God meant for me. And these experiences convicted me – I knew I had to share what I’ve been learning. 

The bottom line was simple and startling at once.  Couples were not praying. Couples were not praying together. Couples, who call themselves Christians, who attend church services every weekend without fail – were leaving home every day without first connecting to the Power Source. I repeat: AND they were not doing it together. Homes where the husband was an Elder, or Deacon, where the wife was Youth Ministry Leader or Choir Director… were lacking in this part of their worship experience. How is that possible? I will offer one suggestion in two words: spiritual compartmentalization. Might be a lot of syllables, but it simply means – putting God in a neat little box reserved for certain times and places; home, not being one of those places. Trust and believe, the absence of prayer in the home explains why many marital troubles manifest - and fester.

Sincere couples worship forms a holy shield of protection around us. We will think twice about acting out against a spouse or significant other if we engage in daily prayer – together. The emphasis on praying “together” is more important than many may believe. Some may feel they’re doing just fine praying alone in their prayer closets; and there are times when we should seek the Lord privately. Praying with our mate is essential for both intimacy with God and each other. Praying together strengthens the covenant we have made to one another by God’s grace and power.

Believing couples who consider that they “have it all”, yet do not spend quality time praying together should carefully re-assess their relationship with the Lord, which will undoubtedly provide insights into their relationship with one another. This will mean making an intentional effort to communicate with one another, honestly. I speak from experience, of things in my own life and the lives of others who have shared their stories with me. Marriage goes better with prayer, and the benefits are multiplied exponentially in ways you cannot imagine. Some of you reading already know. So pray. Do it regularly. Do it regularly, together.  

Day 40 - Prayer Alphabet

Boaz Ministries

“Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11: 1

The disciples didn’t ask the Lord to teach them how to preach, or even lead. The Bible records one request, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They must have felt there was something powerful about the way Jesus prayed to the Father; and they wanted that special connection.

It’s true that we feel we don’t pray as we should. There is guilt because we’ve neglected to go before the Throne of grace – and sometimes we may feel inadequate in our very speech. We may feel we lack the vocabulary to articulate the things on our hearts to the Lord. That is when we should do as the disciples did – simply ask Jesus to help us. Let their simple request become our modus operandi: “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Remember, the first objective of prayer is praying about what to pray about. And it’s about getting into God’s presence to receive His agenda for us, not the other way around. There’s a story Batterson tells in this final chapter about a grandfather who walked by his granddaughter’s bedroom one night and overheard her praying the alphabet, literally. “Dear God, a, b, c, d, e, f, g…z”. When he asked her why she prayed that way, she said, “I didn’t know what to say so I figured I’d let God put the letters together however He saw fit.”

Finally, if we get stuck, don’t know where to start, let’s go back to the Bible. When we start reading, God will start speaking. We’ll find that words, phrases and promises will jump off the pages and into our spirits. Circle them in prayer. The anointing and favor of God isn’t limited to preachers. It is for everyone. And prayer is the key to all of our endeavors, businesses, practices, plans and dreams.

Day 39 – Holy Ground

 Boaz Ministries

“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5

We never know when God will invade the routine of our life. There are two places in the Bible when God gives the very curious command: “take off your sandals.” The first time is when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush before the people of Israel were delivered from Egypt; the second was with Joshua, before God delivered Jericho to the Israelites.  Jewish scholars have concluded that God used a burning bush on the backside of a mountain to show that there is no place devoid of God’s presence. It doesn’t matter where we are, God can meet us there.

No one can live off of someone else’s experience. We have to have our own epiphany, our own testimony. And taking off one’s shoes when pressing into the presence of God, is a simple act of humility, removing any obstacle that might block the anointing we wish to receive. Pastor Batterson makes an observation that bears repeating –

“The holy ground wasn’t the Promised Land. It was right where Moses was standing. Don’t wait to worship God until you get to the Promised Land; you’ve got to worship God along the way. This is holy ground. This is a holy moment. Right here. Right now.  Take off your sandals.”