Heart Matters

“For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” Matthew 9:21

Recently I’ve been thinking about those who’ve had a face to face encounter with the living Lord Jesus when HE walked the earth as a Man (GOD-MAN) thousands of years ago. Those who saw Him in His flesh and were never the same.  They beheld His glory, they believed, and as a result their lives were changed forever.  Is it not the same for every single believer today? Were we not just going about our business, living our lives, struggling to cope, survive, or even thrive when the unexpected happened?  Were we not oblivious, blissfully living in the ignorance of the deception we accepted from the world, our flesh, and the devil? Did we not all have a deep void which we tried our best to either ignore or pacify by attempting to fill it with the  temporal and/or the shallow? Yes, I believe this is how it was for us up until the moment we first believed.  There we were doing life as normal, that is until like those all those many of years ago who cross paths with Yeshua, we too found ourselves face to face with our desperate need for the Savior.  He met us where we were, He allowed us to see who He was,  we believed and He saved us, and now we too can say we have never been the same since.

While it’s true that today we didn’t actually encounter the Lord in the flesh, we still were able to see Him in the supernatural way He brought us to Himself.  Through those who shared the Gospel with us, we heard Him speak. Through those who served us in His name, we felt His touch.  Through those we knew who lived their lives lifting Him up, we were drawn to Him.  Face to face with Jesus we were also faced with a choice-we (believers) chose to believe and we became altogether new.  Yes it was then when we first believed, at that moment of truth, that Jesus came into our lives and wrecked us like nobody’s business.  We became children of God, new creations, Christians!  It never ceases to amaze me when I hear how others came to faith in Christ.   No matter what corner of the world the person is from their salvation story always testifies to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.  It always reminds me of the Scripture which says “The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to everlasting life.” 2nd Peter. 3:9 Yes it is the LORD who pursues us.  He sends others to tell us about His great love for us.  He allows circumstances so we can see our great need for Him.  He draws our hearts to Himself. Although He resurrected and ascended many years ago, He did not leave us alone.  HE sent His Holy Spirit.  Although the LORD is no longer walking in a specific location on the earth. The Holy Spirit is moving and working in the life of every single believer!

Continue reading Encounters With Christ-She Touched The Hem Of HIS Garment. →

Heart Matters

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5

I’m sure many of you are very familiar with this Scripture verse.  It’s a verse we turn to for comfort, to renew our minds when we face unforeseen circumstances or have to make difficult decisions.  Many of us have this passage memorized so we can recall it with the quickness when the opportunity calls for it.

I believe the meaning of this verse is plain and clear.  Proverbs chapter 3 speaks of the importance of having a heart for the things of God.  Things such as obedience, trust, mercy and humility. It’s about wisdom and understanding, knowledge and honor.  It’s a Proverb which beautifully conveys the blessings we receive when we walk closely with the Lord.   It’s about having a heart that desires God Himself and realizing when we do, everything else will fall into place.  In Proverbs 3 we can find both comfort and confidence.  We can know that if we walk rightly with God we don’t have to try to figure it all out. Instead, we’ll be able to trust Him even with the most challenging and confusing situations.  And once we get this, we can then let others know where we stand and what foundation we’re standing upon.  Once we get this, we can acknowledge that we’re trusting our God through our actions, the way we react or respond to adversity.  Yes once we get it and do this, we can know that He will direct our paths.

But what does it really mean to acknowledge Him in all our ways?  Does it mean we can only acknowledge Him when we respond to our life challenges in faith?  Has our understanding of acknowledging Him been relegated only to the realm of showing others how we are getting it right?  Or are we also able to acknowledge Him in our ways by allowing others to see our process, our journey, our struggle?  Hmmmm?  I’ve been thinking about this because I’m always fully aware of one of the biggest mistakes Christians make in their walk of faith (because it’s a mistake I’ve made and one I lived in for quite a number of years in my Christian walk).  It is the mistake of thinking we have to come across  in a certain specific way as we interact with others, both believers and non-believers.  For some reason many Christians believe the lie that once we become Christians we are no longer human.  When in all actuality, the Lord is okay with our humanity (He joined us in it and die for us because of it).  We fail to understand that although the Lord desires for us to be holy, He never wants us to live as hypocrites.  He’s okay with our process – how we sometimes take two steps forward and then one step back. He knows that at times we will get tripped up, stumble, and even fall and yet He’s always there willing and able to pick us up.  So why then do we feel we need to act and live as though we now have it all together?  Why can we feel as though we have to portray an image of perfection to others?  Why do we fall to the deception of self-righteousness and the travesty of hypocrisy.  Why?  I believe because it is a lie of the enemy.  Remember satan loves to try to pervert anything the Lord creates.  And so he want us to believe the real change we feel as new creatures in Christ is actually the result of a superior status.  He wants us to believe that since we now know the truth, we now also have it all figured out.  He wants us to live before others as though we’ve already fully arrived as opposed to letting them see our journey.  The devil wants us to do this because living in such a way hinders the Gospel from being communicated and reflected in and through our very lives. God is in the journey.  We haven’t already arrived but are being sanctified day by day. When we transparently share our weaknesses and willingly expose our struggles, it is then that the world is given the opportunity to see Christ being lifted up.  When we acknowledge HIM in all our ways it is then others can witness the presence and the power of Christ.  Jesus is okay with us being honest about where we are because it is only then that He can take us where He wants us to go.  He is The Truth, so it’s time to get moving!

Continue reading Acknowledge Him In All Your Ways! →

Heart Matters

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,  I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalms 23: 4

I swear (figuratively) it seems the older I get, the weaker I get. Sometimes it feels as though life has just beat the mess out of me and I have no more strength left.  Yes, at times I get weary of feeling worn and I can so relate to Mary J. Blige when she said “No More Drama.” The older I get (I’ll be 48 this year), the less tolerance I have for the nonsense.  I guess this is partly due to the wisdom that comes with aging, the smarts to know how to pick our battles, and the ability to discern when we should engage altogether. But I’m starting to realize that as I grow older some of the things I used to be able to conquer and/or rebound from quite easily are now the same things that can cause me to isolate and retreat.  It’s crazy because oftentimes I don’t even realize the reason why I’m growing weary or experiencing feelings of frustration.  It can take me a while to put two and two together almost as if I’m in denial of my feelings (and believe me-this is not me). Then when I finally recognize the culprit, if I choose to respond to it in my flesh by taking cover instead of taking it captive to Jesus, I can eventually find myself feeling as though I’ve been thrust into a deep and dark valley, like the valley of the shadow of death.  Although the realization of being there is shocking, almost startling, I’m sure it didn’t happen overnight. I’m almost positive that most times the descending road to the valley of darkness is one of many twists and turns propelled by such sins as unforgiveness, failure to trust the Lord, or an unrepentant heart. How do we get there?  Disappointment leads to Discouragement leads to Discontentment leads to Depression.  When left uninterrupted or undisturbed this trajectory is one of a downward spiral and we can quickly find ourselves hitting rock bottom and under the shadow of death.

Before I continue, I must say I use this reference “the valley of the shadow of death” cautiously as I know my valley experiences may not be even close to what being in that ominous valley has been like for some. I decided to use it as the title for this blog because this is what the Lord Himself recently used to meet me where I was.  It is the very verse and this very subject He used to redirect and rescue me.  So just as His Word always speaks life into me, I’m praying He’ll use this blog to do the same for you.  So let’s suffice it to say that this valley, “the valley of the shadow of death” doesn’t always have to do with facing death itself or even the worse case scenario, but is instead a vast and complex place where we all have visited at one time or another and have come face to face with a darkness personalized just for us.

Continue reading “…the valley of the shadow of death…” →

Heart Matters

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”  Colossians 2: 6-7

A Christian organization recently asked me to write a brief summary of my faith walk thus far. Although there is so much more I could share regarding the 24 years I’ve been on adventure with the Lord, I believe the content is such that it could be worth sharing.  As such I’ve decided to use it as this week’s blog post.  Please remember that this is only a summary. (For some reason The Holy Spirit had me record how He insisted I get free from my stronghold of fear and relinquish my need to control before calling me into ministry. So if you struggle with the same, perhaps this one’s for you). As I said, I’ve been saved for 24 years and as such there’s many lessons I’ve learned on my journey thus far.  I also know there are many lessons I’m still learning and have yet to learn.  Believers are always a work in progress.  When I blog I’m always writing from that place-one of all the lessons and principles The Lord has taught or is teaching me as He causes His Word to wreck my life (in the bestest way possible) for my good and for His glory.  I have to mention that this is not my testimony regarding how I came to faith in Christ.  If you haven’t read that blog post, I encourage you to do so.  It’s called “My Testimony.” One other thing before I post it, as always I pray the Lord Jesus uses whatever He’s done in my life to do what He aims to do in your life.  “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17  

Continue reading My Faith Journey →

Heart Matters

“Be angry, and do not sin.  Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” Psalm 4:4-5

The sacrifices of righteousness!  What exactly is that?!  Well if we just look at this one scripture passage it seems to have something to do with giving up our perceived rights in regards to certain matters or a specific circumstance.  In this passage of Scripture David inspired by The Holy Spirit – wait – let me back up and give you verses 2-3 first so we can truly understand the context:  “How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?  But know that  the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.”

David starts by addressing the malevolence of those who are grieving him, angering him.   He’s calling for their repentance as he reminds them that he is God’s boy so to speak and as such, the LORD Himself would take care of him -and them on his behalf.  David lets them know that whatever unjust behavior they’ve once again asserted against him, they would be accountable to God for it.  It is then that we get to the Scripture passage listed above under “Heart Matters.”  David starts addressing how we’re to handle anger.  Anger is a valid emotion. It is a God-given emotion.  A product of our conscience and convictions, oftentimes anger is subjective in nature, if not always.  When we feel the strong emotion of anger, the emotion in and of itself is not sin.  However, it is such a passionate emotion that when left unchecked, and we fail to take it into captivity to Christ, it usually is the predecessor of sin.  So here David says it’s okay to be angry-just don’t let that anger lead you-cause you- to sin. Sounds familiar?  Ephesians 4:26-27 says “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (Once again we’re given till the end of the day to release it and get rid of it before we take it to bed with us and sleep with it.  There must be something about allowing it to rest with us which allows it to rest deeper within us.)

Continue reading The Sacrifices of Righteousness →

Heart Matters

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”  Hebrews 12:5-6

Tough Love can be defined as “promotion of someone’s welfare through strong constraints (and boundaries) which will lead them to take or face the responsibility for their wrong actions.”  The urban dictionary says it’s the process of “being cruel to be kind.”  Tough love is doing what’s necessary for a person we love even when that person won’t like or welcome it. It’s doing what’s best in spite of how difficult it is for us or how devastating it seems for our loved one.  I have to note this “tough love” subject is one I’m probably not all that qualified to write about. However, since I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to have a go at it, I’m jumping in.  I have to start by acknowledging that my experiences with having to stretch myself and exercise tough love have been few and far in between.  What I’ve dealt with I’m sure couldn’t compare with the life experiences of some which have called for them to either step up and incorporate tough love or continue enabling and abetting their loved one’s destructive behavior.  I’m talking about those who have had to struggle with properly loving a person given over to addiction, criminal behavior, or succumbing to the bondage of any irrational emotion or habit which has crippled, disabled, or robbed them of a fruitful life.  For those of you who have had to watch helplessly as someone you loved purposefully embraced the very thing that has wreck their lives, I’m in no way pretending to know the extend of your pain. But God knows.

I”m approaching this subject because I believe it’s one worth examining in light of the Scriptures.  I’m of the opinion that at times, tough love is indeed an important component of the complexity of being able to exercise true love for another person. How can I say this? Because I believe the LORD Himself practices tough love with His children when He feels the time calls for it.  The Scripture above makes it clear that the Lord loves us enough to correct and chasten us when He knows it’s the very thing we need.  Did you notice some of the words in the passage above?  It describes being chastened by the Lord as being “rebuked”, and “scourged”.  As verse 11 states it doesn’t feel good to be on the receiving end of such actions-it’s “painful”, however it always has a purpose attached. I love how the writer of Hebrew expounds on this principle.  He says that when God chastens us it’s much better than when our human fathers do.  For they chastened us for “just a few days and as it seemed best for them”-but the Lord, when He chastens us, it’s always for our “own profit”-that we may be partakers of His holiness.”  God’s chastening at times can indeed be a form of tough love.  Although it may take a while to bring about the desired results and it definitely won’t feel good, we can rest assured that it will always be in our best interest.

Continue reading Tough Love-True Love →

Heart Matters

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

Do you recall being a little kid and breaking something that was of great value to your mom or dad? If so, do you remember how you handled it? Did you go and straight away tell your parents what you’d done?  I’m willing to bet (figuratively that is) that you allowed your overwhelming feelings of fear and shame to either prolong or prevent you altogether from coming clean. The probable threat of receiving a stern reprimand along with a dreaded spanking or punishment caused most of us kids to opt for trying to cover our transgression.  Simply put, we felt compelled to give it our very best effort to successfully stall facing the music for as long as possible.  If we destroyed mom’s favorite vase and she wasn’t around when it happened we might be tempted to: hide the broken pieces behind a pillow; throw all the shards away and bury them deep within the trash can; or just leave the mess right there and choose to act oblivious as to what led to it’s demise.  When that moment of truth would arrive and mom would question/interrogate us about the whereabouts of her vase, overall, we’d probably try to get away with convincing her we had nothing to do with it! At the time, getting away with it would matter more to us than her right to know the truth. As she’d strive with us to find out what happened, we’d put on our best performance to come across as being innocent, and we’d straight out lie. When she finally seemed to surrender to the fact that she had no evidence to incriminate us, we’d walk away basking in the glory of our victory, relieved having thought we escaped our sentence. That is until…..

Continue reading The Throne of Grace →

Heart Matters

“Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the LORD said, “You have pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.  And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left-and much livestock?”  Jonah 4:9-11

Talk about someone with anger issues!  I can’t get over how bad Jonah was!  This dude was so stubborn and so strong-willed but ultimately he surrendered to God.  What I think I love most about this book in the Bible is that although Jonah is running from and therefore rebelling against God, he always seemed to keep it real with God.  When we read this book it doesn’t take long to see that for Jonah-the struggle is real!  Simply put, he didn’t like what God had called him to, so much so, he chose to disobey his call and face the consequences instead. Jonah has to be one of the most stubborn saints recorded in scripture.  His displeasure and disgust regarding his assignment was so strong within him he seemed more willing to fall into a raging sea, than to fall in line with God’s will. For those of you who haven’t read it yet (what are you waiting for?!), I’ll summarize for you.

Continue reading “A Jonah Spirit” →

Heart Matters

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  Hebrews 12:1

If you’ve been a believer for any length of time, I’m sure you can do a quick inventory and easily identify the “sin which so easily ensnares” you. You know, that area of your life you’ve determined to be on guard against so as to not fall back into it once again. Yet, as soon as the opportunity sets itself up for it, you find yourself right back there, in that same familiar place seeking a tinge of comfort and a temporary reprieve from whatever’s begun troubling you. It usually happens in a whirlwind, it gets a hold of you, encapsulates and then slams you down, before you even know what’s hit you. The brutality of the force of the impact is actually what knocks you back to your senses.  You can’t understand how it happened so quickly, how you fell for it once again. That familiar place, where you were determined not to end up again, “that sin which so easily entangles you,” has called to you and captured you once more. That familiar place, the “home” the old you used to live in the one you thought you left way back in your past, follows closely behind you with its doors open, releasing sweet aromas hoping to tempt you (when the time comes) to return and once again seek refuge there. Like the delicious candy coated house described in Hansel and Gretel it seems irresistible but if you enter in you’ll have to fight to get out. Eventually we’ll realize that it’s not a home but a cave and the things we’ve given ourselves over to, has now began to take over us-leaving us feeling empty, destitute and ashamed of where we’ve allowed ourselves to end up.

The familiar places find us because of our spiritual frailty and our fleshly fondness of that particular sin. We’re wrecked so easily by it because in some way we’re still so very vulnerable to it. It’s one of those areas in which something has been deeply embedded and therefore is being removed bit by bit every time a piece of it breaks through the surface and exposes itself. While there are some things the Lord removes from us in one clean swipe, other things He takes us through a process delivering us over time, as often as we depend on Him.  As sure as I am that you can quickly identify the place you’re prone to fall into sin, I’m just as sure you can easily pull up all the hard lessons (and consequences) the Lord has used to encourage you to lay that sin aside altogether.  Identifying it is easy if we’re willing to be honest with ourselves.  Like Dr. Tony Evans likes to say “tell the truth, shame the devil.” LOL  Anyway the reason I’m even going there with you is because of the above scripture. There’s a lot that’s at stake!

Continue reading Familiar Places →

Heart Matters

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”  John 6: 66-67

John chapter 6 begins with Jesus feeding five thousand.  A huge crowd was following Him because “they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.” (verse 2)     Like the world today, there were people who were broken, hurting, diseased-in need of healing. When they saw Jesus and the miracles He performed they began to hope.  HE had something they wanted.  They had heard of how He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, and turned water into wine.  And now they were about to simultaneously witness and experience together what He could do as He miraculously fed them out in the middle of now where until they had their fill. Jesus fed over five thousand people by multiplying just five barley loaves and two small fish.  Moved by His power and ability to provide they declare that He “is truly the Prophet who is to come into this world” (verse 14).  They were so enamored by what had taken place they decided they’d try to make Him their king.

Why? Was it really because they believed their long awaited Messiah had come?  They were ready to appoint and acknowledge Him as their ruler.  Was it because they realized He was The Bread of Life or was it because of all that bread He had just fed them?  I’m going with the latter.  They were willing to minimize and overlook the arrival of the person of Christ for the prosperity they felt He could offer them.  As the big picture unfolded right before their eyes they missed it because they were squinting on the crumbs.  Sounds familiar?

Continue reading Believers or Receivers? →