Just a bit messy...

This morning I was making scones.  It’s become a weekly thing I do for the ladies and I who meet Saturday mornings at Starbucks to color, share and support each other through life.  It’s a very therapeutic and delicious time for us!

 

The process of baking scones has not come easily.  One time they come out great another time, not so great.  I haven’t been able to figure out what I did the few times they were great compared to the not so great times.  I began asking the Lord to show me what I was doing differently.  First, He showed me that I had switched cookie sheets.  At some point, I had increased the recipe and in doing so I changed baking pans and that made all the difference in the world.

 

Next…scones can be a bit messy to make.  I have to get my hands in the mixture to break down the butter with the flour.  Then slowly add in the egg and cream mixture. This produces a “loose dough” that is not quite all together.  When I dump it out of the bowl to flatten out, it tends to go everywhere and I do my best to keep it from scattering everywhere.  This morning, I found that I was laughing at myself attempting to “keep it together” and not be so messy.  Laughing out loud, I spoke out loud, “Lord, I must look silly trying to keep from making a mess.  How would You do this? You must know a better way.”  He spoke to my heart that sometimes thing are messy.  It’s just the way it is.  But the end result is good.

 

I just love that way He teaches me!!  Yep, just like this scone recipe, sometimes life is just plain and simple…messy.  In fact, probably more often than not, life is messy.  But as long as we have our eyes fixed on Him…not looking to the right or left…but, fixed on Him.  The end result will be good.      

I'm Not Where I Used To Be...Thank God!!

I’m inspired to write today because I believe that a shift has taken place in my life.  Two years ago, 2014, everything in my life was coming to a halt.  I could literally envision big gears slowing to a complete halt.  In July of that year, slowly, very slowly, things began to move again and seemingly in a new direction.

 

The Angie that you see today is far from the Angie of 20, 30 or 40 years ago.  I owe all that I am today to my Lord and Savoir, Jesus Christ.  Without him, I don’t believe I would be here today.

 

By the time I was 36 years old back in the spring of 2003; I was shut off from society.  I was depressed, working through tough issues that had been suppressed in my life for years and years.  I wasn’t in denial.  I just didn’t even realize that they existed simply because of the way I had been raised.  Hang with me for a moment…   I have a friend who is from Poland.  She was an Olympic swimmer.  Once I asked her about what it was like growing up in a communist country.  She said that she didn’t know the difference until she began to compete in other countries outside of Poland.  It was then that she could see how life was different than what she knew in her own country.  That’s how it was with me.  I had been brainwashed to believe that the way I was living was truly living.  Jesus was healing me and bringing me out of that miry pit I had been raised in.

 

Now with that said, life has been challenging.  But, one thing I know.  I don’t have to look too far from where I stand to see someone who has had a tougher time than I have.  That’s just the way it is.  I don’t think I’m a special case…nothing like that.

 

So…in 2003, I found myself, angry, depressed, lonely, confused and barely able to function and often bombarded with suicidal thoughts. Many of you have heard my story about how, at this time of my life, the only person outside of my family I really ever spoke with was the barista at my local coffee shop and how, years later, God has moved me into a ministry at my local coffee shop.  What I’m about to share with you is another way that God has taken something from this time of my life and is turning it into a ministry to help other women who have had a similarly challenging life.

 

One day during this time of my life, I began to think, “Is this all there is to my life?”  “Something about this isn’t fair…it isn’t right.”  “Why have all of my plans come to an end?” “Am I going to be ‘that person’ who was voted ‘Most Talented’ in my class to end up dead by my own hand?”  I was crying out to God…and He had a plan.

 

For several years I had been making pepper jelly.  I would give it away as gifts.  Most people liked it so much that they would encourage me to sell it.  Suddenly, the idea came to me that I should sell it at the local Farmers Market…so I did.  When I look back on this, all I can see is God’s Hand at work because, in the midst of the depression, anxiety and dysfunction, I could not have done this on my own.  What I realized later is that He used this to get me back into society.

 

At the Farmer’s Market, He placed me next to two of the most wonderful Christians I have known.  They were loving, kind and accepting of me.  They had five grown daughters of their own, but said that I could be their “adopted daughter.”  Tom and Mary were wonderful Christian examples to me.  Although Tom has gone on to be with our Lord, Mary and I still visit.  She is 86 years young and still is blooming for the Lord wherever He plants her.  She’s quite and inspiration!!

 

So, for several years, I sold pepper jelly at the farmers market.  It was a very successful business, but then that season in my life came to an end.  God began to move me into another purpose.  Music!!  Music was / is a passion.  He began to move me in that direction once again. The pepper jelly hobby went on the “back burner.”

 

I was such an insecure person.  It’s all I had known simply because of the way I was raised.  I feared being in front of people by myself.  In school I had no problems performing because I was always in a group.  But, when I had to perform by myself, I would very nearly loose it.  In high school, I had gone to try out for the All State band.  I got so nervous and upset that I literally had to run to the bathroom to vomit simply because I had walked into the school where the tryouts were taking place.  All these years later, this dysfunction was still in me and needed to be removed from my life.  I followed the leading of the Lord.  I tried out at my church to be on the worship team and was told that I could be on the team, but that I had to be in the choir to be chosen.  So, I joined the choir.  This was a stretch for me because choir is not my gig at all!  But, along with being in the choir, the Lord led me to get a set ready and play at my local coffee shop.  I did it, but, I would be a nervous wreck the entire day that I would be scheduled to play.  I did this for 18 months and on most nights to an empty coffee shop…all the time, the Lord was working this fear out of my life.  I would get discouraged sometimes because I was singing in an empty coffee shop, but then I would encourage myself because I knew that I had to be faithful in the small things in life.  I wouldn’t allow the discouragement to take over.  The last coffee shop gig I did was to a packed house of people who were obviously enjoying the gift of music the Lord has placed within me.  Then, as quickly as the coffee shop door had opened, it then closed.  God was moving me to the next step in the process.

 

I believe it was the next day after what I now know to be my last coffee shop gig, I was called and asked to lead worship at a local outreach.  That began an 18 month training session in leading worship for me.

 

Now, even though I wasn’t selling pepper jelly at the farmers market, I would still keep it on hand and give it away or even sell a few jars here and there to loyal customers.  One Sunday I was at the outreach getting ready to lead worship and I had taken a jar of pepper jelly to give to the pastor.  As I handed him the jar, the Lord spoke to me that I should use the jelly as a way to help people.  From that moment on, I knew that some day, God would put everything in place to do just that.  That took place October 4 of 2009, nearly seven years ago.

 

Today, I believe the time has come to move the pepper jelly from the back burner to a full fledged non-profit organization.

 

I was in Starbucks, as usual, talking with some of my homies.  I had recently made some jelly and gave away the leftover jars.  They were raving about it and expressing the need to mass produce it.  It was then that I shared what I believed I would eventually use it for…helping abused women.  Now, what I didn’t know is that there was someone nearby who overheard what I was saying, liked my idea…AND…her job is to set up non-profit organizations.  All I can say is that God is amazing!!  A few days later this person approached me and explained that she had overheard what I said and that she had some ideas for me.  Long story short, we met and she literally lay out in front of me what I need to do to get this project up and running.

 

Now, the goal is for the Angie’s Pepper Jelly to be a 503(c) non -profit organization that will not only produce jelly for sale and partner with other organizations to help abused women financially, but also to serve as a place for women to work, earn a wage and gain self esteem and a new skill set to help put them back on the road to success in their lives.

 

I have set the goal for a year from now to have this up and running.  I have put this in the Lord’s hands and will continue to do so.  I believe that He created this to help me out of a challenging dysfunctional time of my life and then will continue to use it to help many, many others out of similar situations.

 

I hope that you can see how God has moved in my life to give me the life of abundance that He speaks of in John 10:10  The enemy comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.  These are the words of Jesus.  It is His will that we live an abundant life…in all aspects…physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, etc.  He wants us to be healed so that we can help others.  God’s word says in 3 John 1:2,  “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”   You see, yes, I was a mess.  But I have allowed God to take me out of the pit, clean me up and work through me to help others.  As my soul prospers, He wants me to prosper…and that means helping others in the way that He leads me and guides me.

 

I pray that if you are going though a challenging time, that God will show you what you need to do or need to allow Him to do in you.  He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Put your trust in Him and allow Him to show you what He created you for.  This life is but a vapor in the whole scheme of things.  Don’t waste the time that’s been given to you.

 

Vapors vanish quickly.    

 

Looking for a Drive Through Break Through?

In our fast paced world of drive through banking, groceries, alcohol, meals, and even marriages, I fear that few understand the benefits of long suffering.  It's like the commercial (local commercial??) where the guy yells; "It's my money, and I want it now!" It's advertising that if you have long time installment payments coming to you, you don't have to wait, you can get it all now...for a price, though.

 

You see, so many believe that the dreams that God has placed in our hearts don't come to pass overnight, there's something wrong. I've literally had people tell me that there was something wrong because the dreams that I believe are from God haven’t come to pass yet. That is a lie from the devil and is nothing but discouragement that was spoken to me through another Christian. Sure, I could push people around, tweak things in my favor and do what needs to be done to get what I want when I want it, they way I want it. But...would that be God's will for my life? Would it be His plan...or my plan?  Just because we hit what feels like a bump in the road, doesn't necessarily mean we're doing something wrong. There is learning in the journey. There is stretching and growing and testing of our faith in the journey. Don't despise the journey.  Don’t despise the possibility of long suffering. For myself, I come from a family who didn't know God for generations.  God has exposed and broken off so many generational hindrances that I can’t even count them.  I’ll say it again.  There is purpose in the journey.  Don’t despise long suffering through the journey.

 

The problem is that in today’s drive through society, most of us want it now.  We don’t want the journey.  We don’t want to endure long suffering.  We want instant gratification.

 

About 25 years ago, the Lord called me back unto Himself.  I wasn’t raised in a Christian home.  However, I had been fortunate to have attended a church camp where I received Christ as my Savior.  (At that point in my life, nightmares and sleepwalking which had occurred several nights a week came to an immediate end.) But since that relationship was hindered because my family wasn’t a believing family, I was nearly 25 years old before I was drawn into a serious relationship with Jesus.  I was broken…completely disabled by depression.  But, God!!  Two weeks after inviting God back into my life via Benny Hinn ministries, (Those of you who despise his ministry should realize that it takes all kinds of people to do God’s will.  None of us, including myself, have 100% of the answers.) God healed me instantly of the depression that was crippling my life.  God began the process of cleaning me up, preparing me for the purpose that He had created me for.

 

It’s been an interesting 24+ years. I’ve had good times.  I’ve had bad times.  But, one thing I can say is that there has been purpose in every moment of it.  Is there something wrong with me because my dreams didn’t come to pass immediately?  I can honestly say, “No!”

 

You see that depression, although I had been healed instantly from it in the beginning, did return.  It’s been something that I’ve had to deal with for many years.  But now it doesn’t have a hold on me like it did.  God healed me at the time because He saw fit that I should be healed.   But through the years, He has taught me to not only see it coming, but to fight it off with spiritual warfare.  It’s been a process of growing in knowledge, wisdom, and patience…all taught by the Holy Spirit simply because I have allowed Him into my life to do so.

 

I have had my moments where I didn’t understand why things happened the way they did.  I had moments where I’ve even been angry with God.  But, what I’ve learned is to always talk to God about it, whatever the “it” is for that moment.  He is so kind and loving and He cares about what we care about.  When I don’t understand something I ask Him and He shows me, in His timing.  This is why we should never despise the journey, and sometimes the suffering is long.

 

I’ve had many mountain top experiences, but I’ve had many valley experiences, also.  That doesn’t mean that His purpose for my life isn’t going to happen, because it will.  But when it does happen, it will be in His timing, not my own  This is a journey and we must do the walking.  Sometimes I have taken a step of faith only to see that it wasn’t the right direction.  He is ever so faithful the show me the way.

 

When I was getting ready for church this morning, all of these thoughts were rolling around in my head.  At first I thought this was going to be a one or two sentence “status update” for facebook.  But, as I began putting my thoughts down in my notes as David drove us to church, I realized that there was more to it.  Then…one thing I SO love about God is how He confirms things to me through other people.  Much of what I’m talking about here is what my pastor spoke about in his teaching this morning…including the “drive through mentality” that we have here in the western world.

 

Folks, it’s time to examine our hearts.  Do we truly want a meaningful relationship with God or not?  It’s our choice.  Jesus never said that a life of following, believing, trusting, and growing in Him would be easy.  But, I can tell you from my own experiences that it is worth it.  I am so different from the person I used to be and it’s all because of my own personal journey with Jesus.  I long to be more and more like Him.  I long to know and love Him more.  I long to hear His voice daily and throughout the day, not just in a single moment of prayer.  It is a journey, led by the Holy Spirit, and trusting that He knows what is best for me and any given moment.

 

My prayer is that any and all who reads this will experience a hunger for the God of all Creation no matter where you are in your walk of life…whether you know Him well, or not at all.  If you’re breathing, God has a purpose for your life.  It’s a matter of whether or not you choose to walk out your journey with Him.

 

Choose life.  Choose the journey that may involve long suffering instead of the supposed “drive through break through.”  You won’t be sorry. Your life already has divine purpose, but do you choose to live out that divine purpose?  Reach out to Jesus now.  He is there for each and every one of us, but we must choose him.  Choose Jesus.  Choose life.

Freely Give, Freely Receive!

So today, the idea of giving freely has been on my mind.  I have had a few experiences lately and some from several years ago that have been brought to mind about the subject…therefore…I write!  J

 

This statement crossed my mind:  “If you give with strings attached, you’re not really giving.”

 

Years ago, I met someone who was having financial difficulty.  After about a year of hearing about these difficulties, I began asking a few questions, cautiously and lovingly.  What I found out is that these people were not even keeping track of their bank account.  So, by the time Christmas rolled around, they never had any money to buy presents for their children, let alone put food on the table.  (After 2 Christmases like this, red flags appeared for me.)  Long story short, I taught this person how to balance a check book and plan for monthly expenses, wisely.  In the process, this Christian person became extremely angry about their financial giving.  They stated that they were giving the full tithe, but weren’t receiving anything in return.  I sat there in Starbucks completely stunned.  Seriously, I could not believe the depth of anger I was hearing from them. I quickly and silently prayed for guidance and then was able to let this person know that God wants a cheerful giver, and that if we give simply out of “duty” without truly wanting to give…and expecting financial, or any blessing from it, that’s probably not going to happen…although, I’m not God and He can do whatever He chooses.  But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.   So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:6-7

 

God wants a cheerful giver...one who gives with no strings attached.  He blesses us because He loves us unconditionally.   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8  He wants us to prosper as our soul prospers.  Yes, He wants us to prosper!  Don’t believe the lie of Satan that He doesn’t want us to prosper.  He wants us to prosper in every aspect of our lives.  For some reason when the word “prosperity” is spoken, many people believe that it’s only finances that are being referred to.  Not so!!  Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.  For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  3 John 1:2-4

 

Recently, I’ve seen some situations where someone “wanted to bless” another person only to see that person renege on the gift that they gave.  It turns out that the giver in this situation believed that they still had the right to determine what the receiver of the gift could do with the gift.  This is not giving with a cheerful heart.  Again, like the first example, this is giving with strings attached.

 

Now…here’s another example I’m going to throw in here and I may step on some toes.  What about giving only because the government allows it as a tax deduction on our taxes?  I have often wondered if people would still give the same amount if it wasn’t allowed as a tax deduction.  Ouch!  Think about that for a minute.  Would you give the same amount if you couldn’t use it as a tax deduction?  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a blessing that our government allows this, but what is the motivation behind the giving?  Is it because you truly want to give your tithes and offerings, or is it because you can receive tax deductions on it?  You see, there is a difference.  And, quite honestly, it’s somewhat annoying to me that the “carrot” of tax deduction is dangled while asking for donations.  By the way…not judging…just expressing an opinion.  What if we simply trusted God for what we truly needed without dangling the tax deduction "carrot? #FoodForThought

 

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your^[c] works, and I will show you my faith by my^[d] works. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! ²⁰ But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:14-20

Give because it’s in your heart to give.  Don’t give because you do it as a “work” for the Lord.  That is not the way it works.  Don’t give with “strings attached.”  You’re not really giving anything if you think you should still have control over the “supposed gift” after giving it.  Or for that matter, if you think you deserve something in return after “giving,” more than likely, you’re trying to control the receiver in some way, shape or form.  It’s not giving with a cheerful heart.  If you’re giving only because you get a tax break, that isn’t a true giving situation either.  Now, don’t get me wrong here.  Our government does allow for tax breaks.  There is nothing wrong with utilizing that.  But, don’t give solely for that reason.

These are all heart issues.  Examine your heart.  Ask God to reveal and weed out any wrong motives.

Be a cheerful giver so that God may prosper you…wholly…as your soul prospers.    

Rise up!!

This morning as I skimmed through facebook reading the news highlights, I felt as though I was in some futuristic movie.  As different images flashed through my mind, I thought; “How is it that I find myself in a world that is seemingly out of control and crazy…crazy enough to be some scary futuristic movie?” I wasn’t fearful.  It just felt very surreal. Instantly I heard; “Keep your eyes on Me and not on the situations.”  Amen!!  Thank You, Lord for wisdom, guidance and comfort!!

 

Yes, we are living in crazy times on this planet, but, we were born for such a time as this.

 

Rise up!!  We all have a part in this.  We were created with specific gifts, talents, purposes, etc.  Do you know what your part is?  Have you sought God for your purpose in this life or are you floundering…unaware of why you’re here?

 

Don’t let the troubles of this world cause you to doubt your calling or purpose in life.  Don’t allow the rising of evil to get a hold of you.  As the dark gets darker…and, it will continue to get darker, the Light will get brighter as darkness will never overcome the Light.  John 1:5

 

Don’t let fear overcome you.  Look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, as Christ followers.  Hebrews 12:2  Remember, even though it may seem like things are out of control, ultimately, God is in control.  He is all knowing.  He’s not surprised by anything that has happened or will happen and He has made a way. Isaiah 55:9,  Job 37:16   Put your trust in Him.  Don’t listen to those who cry out that our prayers are not working.  They have no idea what they’re speaking of.  They are lost.  Continue to pray…and pray for the lost…Jew and gentile, alike…terrorist, Satanist, agnostic, and the slumbering Christian, just to name a few.

 

Folks, we are in the midst of the great falling away.  There will be only black and white…no gray.  When all is said and done, which side will you find yourself?

 

I have read the last chapter in the Book and I know who wins.  Never give up!! Christ will prevail!  Rise up and be who God created you to be!!

Prayer changes things!!

A few days before all the ruckus hit about the Starbucks coffee cups, a friend informed me of it and asked me what I thought.  I told her that it didn’t matter to me.  This is a coffee shop that by no means has ever professed to be a Christian company.  I said what would bother me more is if a Christian company deliberately took Christmas out of advertisement, etc to appease the masses.

 

We’re not dealing with the flesh, we’re dealing with spirits.  There are good spirits, angels… and bad spirits, demons and power and principalities.  When we deal with people, this is what we’re dealing with.  Ephesians 6:12   I wasn’t trying to demonize anyone, but rather trying to make a point.

 

Why should we expect a “non-believing company” to follow Christian teaching?  We shouldn’t.  To expect companies to be “Christian” when they’re not Christian is sort of like legalism.  When Christians…NO… “Christians” attack others for not upholding our traditions of celebrating the birth of our Savior, aren’t they being legalistic?  It’s like telling someone that they need to clean up their life before they approach God.  NONE of us can clean ourselves up.  Isaiah 64:6  Only God can clean us and make us white as snow.  Isaiah 1:18  A non Christian company trying to appeal to the Christian community is no more a Christian company than a person sitting in a garage is a car.  It doesn’t work that way.  And, for the life of me, I wonder just how long it’s going to take the church to understand this?

 

If we want to win the lost to the Lord, we have to make ourselves available for the Lord to work through us.  That…is a sacrifice.  We have to walk along side people, loving them, maybe even while they’re still in sin.  We need to be Jesus to them with the hope of winning them to the Kingdom of God.  Love never fails.  Have we forgotten where we’ve come from?  Have we forgotten that Jesus walked along side us, loving us even while we were sinners?  Aren’t we supposed to be Jesus to others?

 

This supposed lashing out of Christians against Starbucks is ridiculous.  And, I’ve heard a lot of people running their mouths about this.  Some are against the “plain red cup.” And, some are so “spiritually superior” that they say they don’t even know a Christian who is so selfish to speak that way.

 

Prayer!!

 

Prayer changes things!!

 

When are we, as the Church, going to understand that prayer is the answer?

 

I have to tell you that it doesn’t bother me to drink my coffee out of a plain red cup.  I visit Starbucks nearly every day.  I do enjoy the coffee, but anyone who knows me, knows that this is where my ministry is.  I will continue to have my coffee here until the Lord leads me elsewhere.  God sends us to the lost and the broken because it’s His will that all would be saved.  2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:3-4  Are we too good to reach out to the lost and broken?  If we are, I wonder if we’ve truly had a Christian conversion…or perhaps one is just “playing church?”

 

Think about it folks.  Pray about it.  Ask God how He would react to this “red cup,” and then ask yourself how you should really respond.

 

If we want to change the world for the Kingdom of God, it’s not by legalistic ruling.  It will happen by being the hands and feet of Jesus…loving our neighbor as ourselves.   

Let's Get Down...Down to Earth...

Not long ago I had a conversation with someone about God and all that is happening in the earth today.  Our thoughts were centered on our “want” for all people to be saved.  But then something happened. We disagreed on something.  I was shocked, and their words caught me off guard.  I’m sure my facial expression showed it, too.  I won’t say what the topic was.  That’s irrelevant.  But, what is relevant is how we relate to other people…people in and of the world.  As followers of Christ, we are only passing through this world.  Heaven is our home.  We are in the world, but that doesn’t mean that we should be like the world.  How then, as Christ followers, are we to reach the lost?

 

Over the past two plus decades that I’ve been following the Lord, I’ve noticed something. When followers of Christ set themselves above the world, whether knowingly or unknowingly, they cannot reach the world effectively, if at all.  We have many in the church who think they have it all figured out.  They have money and everything they would want or need.  They have set themselves above others.

 

Reverence for God is paramount.  Reaching the lost is paramount.  How do we do both without falling into sin or legalism?  We, as the collective Church, cannot seem to get this.  Jesus was accused of being a wine bibber and keeping company with sinners. And yet, He still did not sin. He set the example for us. Many are following in His steps, but many still choose to set themselves above the world.

 

I have attended churches that will not allow folks with a sordid past be in any type of leadership for whatever reasons.  I almost find this humorous. Who then should lead in the church setting? All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… Romans 3:23-24 Paul, who called himself the chief of sinners, wrote the majority of the New Testament!! Has that fact been forgotten by the Church? (We must be repentant followers of Christ who are committed to Him.)

 

One of my favorite sayings is that you shouldn’t look down on another person unless you’re reaching out your hand to help them up.

 

Several years ago, I seemed to hit a road block on my path with the Lord. I was down and out. I didn’t understand what was going on. I needed healing for massive hurts. The Lord led me to a couple of ministries. I was amazed at what I learned from God through these people. But then, people who I attended church with began to speak poorly of these teachers of God’s word…not knowing that I listened to these people. I began to pray and ask God to show me if I was being deceived. God simply asked me, “Did listening to these people bring you closer to or further away from Me?” My answer was “closer.” He said, “Don’t worry about what those people say.”  Looking back, what I find interesting is that these people didn’t care about what was going on in my life (or anyone who wasn’t in their circle…cronyism). What they cared about was lifting themselves up because of their “knowledge” of the Word. They were so “high and mighty” that they couldn’t see others around them who needed the love and encouragement of God. They were only concerned with putting down the teachers who were “not doing things the way they would do them”…according to their rules and regulations. They had knowledge of the word, but the question is: Were they living out the word?  Were they allowing themselves to be led by the Holy Spirit?

 

When I look around this amazing world and beyond, I see creativity that at times I cannot comprehend because of the vastness, detail, and immaculate order. There are no two people who are the same, no two trees, blades of grass, birds, insects, etc. God’s creativity knows no bounds. In words that cannot even come close to describing Him…He. Is. Amazing!!  Now, I ask you; why wouldn’t He be creative in reaching the lost? Another of my favorite sayings is: There’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Not that I’d skin a cat…oy vey!!)

 

Years ago, I was picking blackberries on a hot July summer day. I was deep in prayer…one, because of snakes…and two, because I believe He was speaking to me in those moments. I have never spoken about what He spoke to me until now, nearly twenty years later.  As I searched, He would lead me to the blackberries.  I found so many blackberries that were hidden by branches,  leaves, cobwebs, and such. One berry in particular was deep in the branches and hidden away all by itself … a big plump, juicy, beautiful blackberry. God spoke to me and said, “This is the extreme I go to to find all who are willing to follow Me.” I remember this like it was yesterday. His creativity is fascinating, unfathomable…and knows no bounds.

 

We can know the word, set up rules and regulations for what our human minds know from the word. But, if we don’t follow the leading of the Holy Spirit(which sometimes doesn’t make sense to us…His ways are not like our ways) and apply what we learn from the word to a lost and hurting world, what good are we for the kingdom of God? For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23-2

 

GRACE

 

Grace is the answer. We can “be” who God created us to be to a lost and hurting world by relying on His grace. God’s grace will not lead us into sin. His grace will not set us above the world and keep us from interacting with sinners. His grace “fills” the spaces where we are lacking…or weak.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11  More rules and regulations are not needed in the church.  More understanding is needed…understanding of God’s word (not man’s)…understanding of the needs of others (not our own)…understanding of grace. We can know the meaning of something until the cows come home. But, if we don’t understand it and apply it, what good is our knowing?

 

I’m going to go out on a limb here because it just won’t escape my thoughts right now.  When I see 2 Corinthians 12:9-11…in this moment…I see “2 Corinthians” = God’s word… “12” = (God’s or divine) governmental perfection…”9-11” = a call for rescue or help in an emergency. In this moment, God is speaking that His people desperately need His help.(We are pretending to be strong when truly we are weak, sleeping, and lukewarm, but not admitting it.)  His ways (government) are perfect. His word is the living word (He may show you differently than He shows me).  He’s showing us that it’s ok to be weak. That’s why we need Him.  You might say, “Angie, that’s way out there!” Well, that’s ok. I see some things differently than you and you see some things differently than me.  As long as we’re serving the same Jesus…Son of the living God, Savior of the world, we don’t have to agree on everything.  We won’t agree on everything.  We just need to work together to save the lost. It’s not about splitting hairs about who’s “right” and who’s “wrong”…who has the most “education” or “knowledge,” who has the “most” and “best” programs.  It’s about reaching out to the lost and hurting.  It’s about knowing, understanding, and applying God’s word by being led by the Holy Spirit.  If I see that you do not understand me in a creative way that God has shown me (like the above), I’m not going to hold it against you and demonize you for it or force my views on you.  I will, more likely than not, drop it, if salvation does not hinge upon the topic at hand.

 

The church is so ‘busy’ being busy right now and has been for such a long time. But, are we truly doing all that the Holy Spirit is asking of us?  I believe that if we were, we would see a different world around us.

 

People, it’s time to get real.  It’s time to set aside petty differences.  It’s the petty differences that are keeping us from making a difference in this lost and hurting world.

 

Knowing the word is not enough.  Understanding the word and acting on it by being led of the Holy Spirit is what will make the difference.  Don’t set yourself above others.  We’re all on the same playing field in Christ.  God is the only One above us.

 

When you’re out and about in your world, look around and ask God to show you someone in need and then follow His lead.  It might be as simple as smiling at someone.  You never know what is going on in someone else’s life.  Don’t forget where you’ve come from.  You were once lost and didn’t know Christ.  Don’t assume you have it all down because you were born into a Christian family. Remember: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…ALL.