Browsing Tag

Jesus

Still Small Voice

Demolish the Lies

October 6, 2023

We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ. ‭‭—2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Let My Spirit soar within you—taking you to new heights above and beyond this world. Above and beyond the cares of this world. Listen carefully to My words to you. Listen intently with ears to hear. I beseech you, dear child. Commit, commit to My teachings. Dissolve your unity with this world and its lies. Seek my counsel in everything. Dismiss intrusions in your life. Do not entertain them. Seek wise counsel. Start with My word. Relinquish control of your life. That will lead you to spiral down in defeat. Your missteps will lead to a fall. Let My word be a lamp to your feet. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Fear is not from Me. Recognize that and demolish the lies. Do not entertain them. Cast them down from the high places. They seek to dethrone My truth. Cast them down, and I will imprison them. That which seeks to hold My children captive will be My prisoners. My children will be free from lies as they seek My truth and guard it in their hearts and minds. Walk in peace because he who the Son sets free is free indeed.

Destruyendo especulaciones y todo razonamiento altivo que se levanta contra el conocimiento de Dios, y poniendo todo pensamiento en cautiverio a la obediencia de Cristo. ‭‭—2 Corintios‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭LBLA‬‬

Deja que Mi Espíritu se eleve dentro de ti, llevándote a nuevas alturas más allá de este mundo. Por encima y más allá de las preocupaciones de este mundo. Escucha atentamente Mis palabras. Escucha atentamente con oídos para oír. Te lo suplico, querida hija. Comprométete, comprométete con Mis enseñanzas. Disuelve tu unidad con este mundo y sus mentiras. Busca mi consejo en todo. Descarta las intrusiones en tu vida. No las entretengas. Busca consejo sabio. Comience con Mi palabra. Renuncia al control de tu vida. Eso te llevará a caer en una espiral de derrota. Tus pasos en falso te llevarán a una caída. Que mi palabra sea lámpara a vuestros pies. No gires ni a la derecha ni a la izquierda. El miedo no proviene de Mí. Reconoce eso y derriba las mentiras. No las entretengas. Derríbalas de los lugares altos. Buscan destronar Mi verdad. Derríbalas y yo las encarcelaré. Aquellos que busquen mantener cautivos a Mis hijos serán Mis prisioneros. Mis hijos estarán libres de mentiras mientras busquen Mi verdad y la guarden en sus corazones y mentes. Caminen en paz porque aquel a quien el Hijo libera, es verdaderamente libre.

Still Small Voice

Treasures of Darkness

October 5, 2023

I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. — Isaiah‬ ‭45‬:‭3‬ ‭NASB

Come with Me through the gardens, through the meadows, through the wilderness, and through the forests. I am with you in each season of your life. I am enough for you when you presume you are in lack, or when this world has consumed your spaces. During each season, we will walk together and find the hidden treasures in darkness. Walk with Me, talk with Me, and I will usher you in behind the veil, where all of My treasures are laid bare. They have been preserved for you, My dear one. It is all waiting for you and your child-like faith and trust to receive from My hand. Give Me your worries and I will give you hope. Give Me your pain and I will give you My balm. Give Me your ear and I will give you My secrets stored in My heart from eternity—for all those who value My voice, and seek My face. Give Me your hand, and I will guide you into all truth that leads to life with Me.

Te daré los tesoros de las tinieblas y las riquezas escondidas de los lugares secretos, para que sepas que soy yo, el Señor, el Dios de Israel, quien te llama por tu nombre. — Isaías 45:3 LBLA

Ven Conmigo a través de los jardines, a través de los prados, a través del desierto y a través de los bosques. Estoy contigo en cada estación de tu vida. Soy suficiente para ti cuando presumes que te falta, o cuando este mundo ha consumido tus espacios. Durante cada estación, caminaremos juntos y encontraremos los tesoros escondidos en la oscuridad. Camina Conmigo, habla Conmigo y Yo te conduciré detrás del velo, donde todos Mis tesoros quedan al descubierto. Han sido preservados para ti, querida Mía. Todo está esperando que tu fe y confianza infantile reciban de Mi mano. Dame tus preocupaciones y Yo te daré esperanza. Dame tu dolor y te daré Mi bálsamo. Dame tu oído y te daré Mis secretos almacenados en Mi corazón desde la eternidad, para todos aquellos que valoran Mi voz y buscan Mi rostro. Dame tu mano y Yo te guiaré a toda verdad que lleva a la vida Conmigo.

Still Small Voice

Day by Day

September 29, 2023

Reach out for My hand. I am right beside you. Open your heart to Me. I see the pain. I know it is there even though it feels like no one understands. Let me reset all those places of hurt. I know it is not easy to forget but I want to build new memories for you. I want to pull you forward and show you what lies ahead. Take one step with Me today. Listen to My words. They are faithful promises of My care for you. I know it feels lonely but I have never left your side. Yield to My Spirit and you will see the reality of who you were created to be. As your heavenly Father, you were created to be loved by Me. Let Me love you and show you My love day by day. Let us walk through this together.

_______

Extiende tu mano hacia la mía. Estoy justo a tu lado. Abreme tu corazón. Veo el dolor. Sé que está ahí aunque parezca que nadie lo entiende. Déjame restablecer todos esos lugares de dolor. Sé que no es fácil olvidar pero quiero crear nuevos recuerdos para ti. Quiero impulsarte hacia adelante y mostrarte lo que te espera. Da un paso conmigo hoy. Escucha Mis palabras. Son promesas fieles de Mi cuidado por ti. Sé que te sientes solo pero nunca Me he alejado de tu lado. Ríndete a Mi Espíritu y verás la realidad para que fuiste creado. Como tu Padre celestial, fuiste creado para ser amado por Mí. Déjame amarte y mostrarte Mi amor día a día. Recorramos esto juntos.

Still Small Voice

The Healing Balm

September 26, 2023

Cover, cover yourself with the warmth of My embrace. The winds of this world can be cold and bitter. But My embrace and words are a sweetness and a comfort for you. Come alongside Me and walk with Me. The fire from My blazing love for you will ignite your spirit and restore your soul. Deep in My heart I will cover you. In the secret place you are safe. Under the shadow of My wings you are protected. It is here that our intimacy is established. Let Us heal your heart of all its wounds. I will provide the healing balm to the wounds of your past. I have such a glorious plan for your future. Trust Me to heal you and guide you every step of the way. All your days are being used to tell the story of your overcoming victory through this life because you placed your heart in My care.
_______

Cúbrete, cúbrete con el calor de Mi abrazo. Los vientos de este mundo pueden ser fríos y amargos. Pero Mi abrazo y palabras son una dulzura y un consuelo para ti. Ven a Mí y camina Conmigo. El fuego de Mi ardiente amor por ti encenderá tu espíritu y restaurará tu alma. En lo profundo de Mi corazón te cubriré. En el lugar secreto estás a salvo. Bajo la sombra de Mis alas estás protegido. Es aquí donde se establece nuestra intimidad. Sanemos tu corazón de todas sus heridas. Proporcionaré el bálsamo curativo a las heridas de tu pasado. Tengo un plan tan glorioso para tu futuro. Confía en Mí para sanarte y guiarte en cada paso del camino. Todos tus días se utilizan para contar la historia de tu victoria superadora en esta vida porque pusiste tu corazón a Mi cuidado.

Bible Study, Devotional

Secrets of the Redwood Forest (Tall Tales)

October 8, 2022
Redwoods along the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway in Northern California. Photo / Ibelisse Sanchez (2022)

 

the tallest trees in the world

The redwood forest is a fairytale to visit. It has centuries of secrets throughout its cinnamon-red bark tree groves, whispered like fireflies ready to be caught. Some of the massive trees in the forest are as old as 2000 plus years; mere saplings destined to scrape the skies in the Northern Hemisphere when Jesus walked this earth.

Redwoods can grow to 350 feet tall. There’s much happening between the ground and the crown of the redwood. Simply standing next to these giants is quite humbling. We can’t help to look up at these tall trees in admiration. They hover over us as nature’s guardians.

I can only imagine the Earth’s quake when they fall. That was their great peril many moons ago when logging was rampant in Humboldt County of Northern California. Chopping down a redwood tree wasn’t an easy task in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before electric saws were invented, this was done with axes and hand saws, which took days to complete.

What was left behind in that early period of logging the coastal redwoods was a forest floor filled with headstones of old-growth tree stumps. The cut stumps revealed the secret of how long the trees had lived. The top of a tree stump has concentric rings, with light-colored rings representing growth occurring in the spring and early summer, and dark rings representing wood that grows in the late summer and fall. The combination of one light ring plus one dark ring would equal one year of life for the tree. In the mid-1850s, redwood forests covered 2,000,000 acres of the California coast. By 1910, conservation efforts began to preserve the remaining redwood trees. By 1968, 90% of the trees that stood the test of time had been logged. Today, these old-growth redwoods comprise only 39,000 acres, located in the Redwood National and State Parks.

a king, a dream, and a tall tree

Trees are quite predominant in nature and in the Bible. Around 2500 years ago Nebuchadnezzar was king over the Neo-Babylonian Empire (605 – 562 B.C.); a pagan warrior-ruler-builder who wreaked havoc on his enemies. He destroyed the Kingdom of Judah, Solomon’s temple, and led its people into captivity to Babylonia. Among the exiles was Daniel, a young Jew from Jerusalem taken captive who proved to be quite useful to the king with the interpretation of dreams (when the king wasn’t throwing him into a fiery furnace for refusing to serve other gods or worship the golden image the king had set up).

One night, Nebuchadnezzar saw terrifying images and visions while lying in bed and none of the wise men of the land could interpret the dream. Sorcerers and soothsayers, diviners, and Chaldeans came to him and couldn’t reveal its meaning.

The king dreamt of a tree that grew strong, and its height reached the heavens above and could be seen all over the earth. Then an angelic watcher, a holy one come from heaven appeared and shouted:

“Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let the animals flee from under it
And the birds from its branches.
Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
But with a band of iron and bronze around it
In the new grass of the field;
And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let him share with the animals in the grass of the earth.
Let his mind change from that of a human
And let an animal’s mind be given to him,
And let seven periods of time pass over him.
This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers,
And the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And He grants it to whomever He wishes
And sets over it the lowliest of people.”

Daniel 4:14-17

Nebuchadnezzar is a color monotype print with additions in ink and watercolor portraying the Babylonian king by English poet, painter, and printmaker William Blake (1757-1827). Photo / Tate Gallery in Great Britain

Daniel interpreted the dream and gave the king a decree. He revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that he was the tree that became great and strong, whose dominion reached far and wide. He was the tree to be chopped down to the stump, to be driven from his people, to live among wild animals, to be given the mind of an animal, and eat grass like an ox, for 7 years. But Daniel also advised him to renounce his sins and wickedness by doing what was right and kind.

King Nebuchadnezzar didn’t heed Daniel’s wise counsel and a year later he was walking on the roof of his royal palace and prideful words leaped from his heart and rolled off his tongue.

“Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you.”

The frightful dream was fulfilled.

And at the end of 7 long years, King Nebuchadnezzar looked up to the heavens and his sanity was restored and he praised the Most High. The restoration of his honor, his splendor, and his throne followed suit. Daniel 4 not only includes the king’s dream, but a testimony of his pride, God’s glorious and miraculous power and reign, and his merciful restoration.

tall tale takeaways for spiritual growth and freedom

In working with formerly incarcerated clients, I’ve found a common denominator: self-serving decision-making without regard to God or others will lead to bondage, both physically (sometimes with a prison sentence) and spiritually. The latter is much worse than the former, with the possibility of lasting an eternity without true repentance. Below are a few keys to freedom that will lead to a life set apart for God, His ways, His plans, and His glory.

1) Seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, not your own.

Nebuchadnezzar was focused on building his own kingdom and exalting his own name. And in his chase after the things of this world, he neglected the oppressed. After interpreting the dream of the tree to the king, Daniel earnestly advised him to repent of his sins and help the oppressed and he failed to do that, causing the gavel of justice to come down. This incessant striving to build and exalt our own kingdom is rampant in this technological age and has become a spiritual pandemic. John Calvin once said that it is the task of the church to make the invisible kingdom visible. That should be our sole desire and pursuit. God promised that He would take care of the rest.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

(Matthew 6:3, NASB)

2) Pride leads to insanity and destruction, humility to peace and prosperity.

While the Kingdom of God includes His supreme reign over all, it innately also includes His thoughts and ways of being, which are naturally not our thoughts and ways. In seeking God’s kingdom, we are also in pursuit of aligning with His heart and mind. Prideful, self-aggrandizing thoughts and subsequent behaviors can lead to mental health and emotional issues. Our minds are literally lost in the world of self and are unable to hear or see anything else. This leads to an inflated sense of power and corrodes personal and social relationships. This is what King Nebuchadnezzar experienced. God wisely counsels us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand, so that He will lift us up in due time.

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18, NLT)

Laying your life down in tender surrender before the Lord will bring life, prosperity, and honor as your reward. (Proverbs 16:18, TPT)

3) God is merciful and sovereign; therefore, judge not.

When God decreed Nebuchadnezzar’s 7-year sentence for having a prideful heart, he didn’t completely destroy him or his kingdom. He simply humbled him because he would not humble himself. Leaving the stump and its roots imprisoned in a band of iron and bronze, represented God’s mercy toward him. In nature, trees can grow back from a cut stump. If the root system has enough remaining nutrients, then the impossible becomes possible. For some of my formerly incarcerated clients, the prison was their saving grace. Everything they pridefully pursued was stripped from them, and like a cut tree stump, they waited behind bars, sought the Lord, and were freed spiritually before they were freed physically.

In the Bible, we learn that the ‘Year of Jubilee’ released those from debts and all kinds of bondage; prisoners, captives, and all slaves were released, debts were forgiven, and all property was returned to its original owners. This occurred after seven cycles of seven years, or after 49 years. King Nebuchadnezzar was completely restored after 7 years. And as He works with us and through and for us in our weakness, we too can shout, “Grace, grace,” like the prophet Zechariah, as God lays the capstone Jesus Christ in our new heart-temple.

I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and will show clemency on whom I will show clemency. (Exodus 33:19, Jubilee Bible 2000)

Devotional

Son-rising

November 17, 2018

We are overwhelmingly aware of all sorts of things. Today’s technological advances have aided the delivery of despairing news from all around the world—tragedies, threats of war, and terrorism that attempt to consume us. It camps in our mind, affects our behaviors and influences our words. The darkness that surrounds us is thick. The darkness within, even thicker. It often feels like nothing can penetrate this oppression.

Yet, there is hope.

Matthew 2:1-2 says that at the time of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the east saw Jesus’ star rising in the sky. There was a star rising but it wasn’t an earthly star. It was the bright and morning star.

The Son was rising.

These wise men were following ‘His’ star in the night sky. They were used to that. God spoke to them in a way they understood. These spiritual priests or advisors were also known as magi, experts in astronomy, astrology, and natural science. But on that grand day when Jesus was born, God led them to the most glorious Light the earth has ever known. And it wasn’t the star in the sky. They were led to Jesus Himself, the hope for a world caught in the throes of darkness.

Jesus is …

The star that ushers hope into our broken and desperate souls.

The star that reveals the authority of truth amidst the tyranny of confusion.

The star that heals with His presence as torment releases its grip.

The magi witnessed for themselves that the true Light of the world had come. The sun, the moon and the stars paled in comparison to the Light that dispels spiritual darkness. By nature, Jesus’ life brings hope, healing, and the revelation of truth.

When His Light comes, darkness must flee.

Darkness is hard at work being what it is. Darkness doesn’t understand how to be light. All it knows, lives and breathes is darkness—an oppressive darkness that keeps us blind and chained. But, take heart. Even if there is devastation and destruction all around you, the Son is rising with healing in His wings.

The Son is rising in the hearts of many seekers.

If you’ve been looking to the lesser lights of this world for counsel and comfort and still feel darkness nipping at your heels, all you have to do is allow the true Light to enter your heart. His Light will shine in you and through you.

The Hebrew name for Jesus is Yeshua, which means, “the Lord is salvation.”

Reach out for Him in faith, even in the midst of darkness.

Your rescuer is near.

Devotional

Anxiety to Trust: Becoming My Father’s Daughter

April 21, 2018

The adrenaline rush jolted me into an internal frenzy. My heart was palpitating. Suddenly I felt dizzy. I thought for sure I’d faint. I didn’t know if I was having a heart attack or what. As all of this was going through my head, my fingers were typing at the keyboard and I had a client in front of me. I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed to escape. I excused myself and walked as quickly as I could to the office right next to mine. I told my coworker what I was feeling. She said it sounded like I was having an anxiety attack, to sit down, take deep breaths, and that it would pass in a few minutes.

Those minutes were agonizing. And the next several days even more so. I went to the ER two days in a row convinced something was dreadfully wrong, only to be told I was physically fine. But I was far from fine. For the first week, I couldn’t sleep because my heart was pounding out of my chest. That coupled with all sorts of scary thoughts bombarding my mind were pure torment. I didn’t want to leave my home or be alone. I lost 15 pounds in those two weeks due to loss of appetite and digestive issues. I’ve been through some tough days and nights, but those two weeks were a dark night of the soul for me. The only thing I could do was cry out to God and desperately wait for relief.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of that anxiety attack. I had subsequent anxious days following but they were less intense, yet no less despairing and paralyzing. The anxiety attack was triggered at work but it was really uncovering years of fear, mental abuse, stuffed emotions, and the loss of major relationships. All the yuck from the past was taking too much space in my soul, affecting my body as well. I hadn’t fully offered all the pain from my past to God to move into freedom. I bottled it all up until it had no recourse but to find a way out. And that’s when anxiety reared its ugly head.

I came from a loving but enmeshed family. Fear was the silent dictator. It caused us to live isolated lives. All we had was each other and the unhealthy bond was hard to break. Our trust was in our family unit. It was as if we were one instead of four individuals. Much of my loyalty to my family stemmed from being raised by mami and papi, my maternal grandparents. They chose me, rescued me, and raised me. And I loved them for it. Since they were older parents, ailing health required around the clock care in their later years, which I did at home, with the help of my older sister until she became ill herself.

After losing mami, papi, and a healthy relationship with my sister, the sheltered life I was used to was no more. I stepped into an unfamiliar territory of making my own decisions. I walked out stripped of my identity as a caretaker for fifteen years but carrying burdens of loss and pain deep within me.

God was gracious to give me three years of much needed rest after that season of my life came to a close. So there I was—physically free from but still a captive to my painful past. And God knew it was time to face it. But in order for me to face it, I’d have to see its effects. And it wasn’t pretty.

When gold is put through the refining fire dross comes to the surface. That’s what happens to us when our faith is tested. Like, whoa! That was in there? 1 Peter 1:7 says, Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. (CEV)

This past year tested what I was made of. I thought I was doing well. But anxiety was the waste material produced and buried within and it was pointing to something deeper still. Trust issues. More specifically, my trust in God.

I had to face the hard question of who or what I have been putting my trust in. Some folks put their trust in relationships, others in money, in careers, in the government, in their carefully planned life, or in themselves. For so many years, the trinity I bowed down to was my family. My fear of displeasing or losing my family superseded my reverence of God.

 All of us want to put our faith in something trustworthy—with a good track record, right? And we can’t trust something we don’t know. Trust is usually built over time. I realized I wasn’t consistently cultivating my trust in God.

I was so close to my earthly father that it nearly replaced my relationship with God as my Father—which simply put, is idolatry. We may not even know that that’s what we’re doing! But I know that anything that attempts to supplant God enthroned in our heart is an idol. I’ve had to identify these idols and consciously admit their primacy before my trust in God. Our relationship with God should fuel our love for one another not our adoration of one another.

When we put all our hope in another, we also place burdensome expectations on them. And when they fail us, we become frustrated or heartbroken. And without an anchoring relationship with God, we can be tossed to and fro when relationship storms hit us. Some of these storms can be rejection, abandonment, loss or abuse.

God wants to reveal Himself as our Father—one that would never disappoint us or leave us. Many of us have had earthly mothers or fathers who didn’t choose us or keep us. But the beauty of our relationship with God is that He chose us!

3 Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts! 4 And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence. 5–6 For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace—for the same love he has for his Beloved One, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!

(Ephesians 1:3-6, The Passion Translation)

 We were chosen by God, we’re a delight to Him, and He loves us the same as He loves Jesus! That’s quite a heart and mind blower. I want to trust His ‘tremendous love’ and fully experience what a relationship with Him as my Father looks like.

In choosing us, God the Father adopted us to become part of His family. The cost to adopt us wasn’t monetary as some adoptions entail, it was the offering of One life for many. God saw our need for a family. He looked at the earth full of spiritual orphans. God choosing us didn’t end there. Jesus redeems us and the Holy Spirit empowers us. Each member of the Godhead is involved in our life. They are now our family and we can’t lose them or be snatched from their embrace.

Anxiety is a captor that suffocates us with lies. It tells us that there’s no hope, that terrible things will happen, and that we’ll remain where we are. But Jesus’ death is the key that opens the door that takes us from that whirlwind of tormenting darkness into a relationship with God, the Father of lights. We are not alone or forgotten. God Himself offered the precious way to His heart, the truth that sets us free, and the life we desperately need.

This past year, God wasn’t necessarily showing me ways to overcome the anxiety. Methods and tools to overcome it are useful but temporary if the root issue isn’t addressed. God was teaching me to trust Him despite my circumstances. There was a shift of focus from the pain and effects of my past to His love and trustworthiness.

I also recently discovered that for a long time I was responding to God the way I had responded to those who hurt me. I lost trust, intimacy, and safety with them, which caused me to withdraw emotionally. I ran away from connecting with people for fear of pain. And that had carried into how I related to God. I kept Him at a distance as well, not enjoying the full potential of our relationship.

I’m learning to take walks with my Father, listen to His heart, talk things over, and to trust all the beautiful plans He has for our future. And when I look back on my past I want to focus on the marks of God’s presence not on the pain.

I hope you’ll decide to take walks with Him too.

Devotional

Leaves of Stone

November 20, 2017

I decided to get a little exercise in by raking a trillion leaves that we clearly didn’t make time for. They were still rather damp from the rains from a few days back, so the raking was more difficult with the added weight.

As I began raking the hoarded autumn leaves from our back stairs, I noticed how they covered the water drain, not allowing the rain to fall through. The rain just seeped into the leaves themselves, and slowly made its way down.

I began to rake the yard. It was too much to gather all the leaves in one area so I made three mounds and added leaves nearby to each mound.

And then it hit me. Hard. I began to think about all the layers I’ve allowed to cover my heart. Layers of burdens – shame, regret, pain, fear, anxiety. They laid on the soil of my heart and it was heavy.

As I raked the leaves and added them to the mounds, it was as if I was placing my layers at the altar before the Lord. I couldn’t see all the layers and layers, year after year, anxiety upon fear, fear upon regret, regret upon pain, and pain upon shame. As I kept raking, I kept uncovering the truth.

One mound for the Father.

One mound for the Son.

One mound for the Holy Spirit.

As I raked the leaves, I also found broken branches.

I made a heap for the sticks and mounds for the leaves. Leaves that became heavy, burdensome stones. Stones that covered my heart – making it cold and inaccessible. So now I had sticks and I had stones and a bunch of hurts I needed to name.

Oh Lord! Dig through the layers of these leaves of stones on my weary heart and heal me. Show me the hope you have for me. I know that there’s life underneath all these layers of dying – with your love, through your blood, by your power.

Death was gripping my heart, not allowing me to live – to breathe.

There it was for me to see. The layers I’d accumulated over my life that covered my heart. Clear as day.

But deep inside, under the layers, is a heart of flesh.

God will make it right.

And as I write, the wind outside is strong enough to lift the dry, lifeless, falling leaves, enabling a few of them to knock at my window looking for a home.

But I won’t let them in.

It’s time for the northerly winds to scatter them away.

But the leaves will continue to fall and I vow to catch them before they get too comfortable with me.

And so I wait, grasping at hope. Expecting to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

And I lift my hand and give them to God one by one.

Devotional

10 Keys to Spiritual Creativity

January 9, 2017

Many of us think that being a ‘creative’ is about self-expression. I’m here to ruffle a few feathers and challenge that long held view. Over the years I’ve come to believe that living a truly creative life isn’t at all about us. Unless we’re willing to take our ‘selves’ out of the equation, the path of pure creativity cannot flow through us.

Creativity is a spiritual process. Thoughts, inspirations, and dreams find their way into our inner being. But how do they get there? I believe creative ideas come from one of two places in the spiritual realm. The source and motive behind them is what distinguishes life-giving creativity from corrupting creativity.

God is the first and unsurpassed ‘creative.’ Our creative pursuits should always spring from Him not ourselves or other sources. We are spiritual vessels to be used by God for His purposes. If God has a purpose for each of our lives, He also has a unique and creative plan tailored just for us. He alone knows how our life journey will also weave into someone else’s path.

The creativity given us should uplift humanity in some way; build it up, not tear it down. It should cause us to seek higher spiritual pursuits and not temporal pleasures. If what we create causes another to live an ordinary or shackled life, then our contribution is of no value. Freeing the human soul from the clutches of carnality should be our highest creative aim. And we have to trust that God has a storehouse of imaginative ways to reach each individual.

When I was in art school some of the exercises we did entailed drawing or painting whatever came to us. We used our hands and brushes as physical tools of deliberate expression. Writers do it too with free writing. God wants to use us the same way, special tools in His hand to create majestic works of art that transform the human spirit for eternity. But we have to be willing to let go and allow the Spirit of creativity to direct us.

We have to let go of what we think we know in order to be filled with what we don’t know. We have to drain our soul of our ‘selves’ and ‘our’ ideas about God to be filled with deeper revelations of God’s heart and His desires for us.

Some years ago God questioned the motivation behind what I did. Why do you do what you do? If we want our creative pursuits to matter, we have to be willing to question our motives. We have to be willing to lay down our desire for self-expression just for the sake of expression, the desire for fame or validation, and the desire for fortune. Those motives stain the purity of spiritual creativity.

Revelation 3:8 contains a message to the church in Philadelphia, which in Greek means ‘brotherly love’.

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Over the years I’ve thought about creativity, God, and our unique purposes while living our one life on this earth. I’ve collected a few spiritual keys to a creative life that honor God and uplift our fellow sojourners.

  1. FAITH: It all starts with believing in God’s majestic grandeur – His omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. His infinite creative power and imagination is beyond our comprehension. God’s thoughts are higher than our wildest dreams. If he deposits an idea in us and we try to flesh it out without His help, it’ll probably remain stagnant. If we put our trust in His dynamic ability to reveal His deep reservoir of creativity, He’ll gift us with unique ways of expressing His truths.
  2. FOLLOW: When we consistently follow the Word of God, our life will be created. We are to be followers of Jesus – the Word of God. Without Him we can do nothing and with Him all things are possible. Jesus created us and everything we see and everything we don’t. When we truly follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He offers us the gifts of His divine fullness. He is everything we need and even more than we could ever imagine.
  3. FELLOWSHIP: Who but the Spirit of God is able to reveal the secret things of God? Let us fully surrender to the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person, not some energy or force. He is our ally, our teacher, and our comforter. Let us become one in spirit and the shadow of the Holy Spirit. Say what He says and do what He tells us to do. But we have to take the time to fellowship with the Spirit and listen to that still small voice that searches the deep things of God and reveals them to those who are in pursuit.
  4. LOVE: Putting others first is the essence of love. When we die to self it opens the door to creativity because we’re willing to lose in order to gain. You can only fill an empty container. When our hearts are aligned with God’s, then our life’s purpose will undoubtedly include serving others. Our creative endeavors should always lean toward depositing life into another and always naming that life ‘God.’
  5. GRATITUDE: Being thankful opens the heart and hand of God to His endless bounty. God so loves it when we are grateful for all that He is and all He has done for us. Greed just fills us with corruptible things, leaving no room for the eternal. When we loose our grip on earthly things, we open our hearts and minds to receive God’s treasures.
  6. INTEGRITY: We must be the same person when we’re around others and when no one is looking. That’s the mark of a person of integrity. God needs to be able to trust us with the gems of His heart and to carry through to completion the purpose He’s planned for us.
  7. HUMILITY: Having a teachable spirit opens us up to God’s endless imaginings. If you think you know it all then you’re not being receptive to the enchanting thoughts of God. Acknowledge your weakness before God and His strength and He will send dreams, stories, songs, paintings and all sorts of goodies to your heart.
  8. PURSUE: Being a truth-seeker will lead you to God’s wisdom. Those who seek do find. Those who ask are given. And to those who knock, doors will be opened. Wisdom is saying or doing or not saying and not doing the best thing at the right time. Without God’s wisdom creativity loses its strength to transform.
  9. FORGIVE: Without letting go and forgiving those that have wronged us, we cannot plant seeds of inspiration in our spirits. We need to be a garden ready for God’s perfect ponderings not a field of bitter roots. Forgiveness is at the heart of God’s ways. It’s not enough to be like-minded, we must be like-hearted to be co-creators.
  10. RECYCLE: Surrendered souls have stories that God can use. We must be willing for God to use our suffering for the benefit of another. God can recycle our pain and birth a purpose out of it. Nothing we have experienced in our lives is wasted with God. He heals our wounds, comforts our hearts, and strengthens us to be a soothing balm for others. We must tell the story together, sing the song together, and display His goodness and loving-kindness together.

It is my desire that our creative journey will take us straight to the chamber of God’s heart. It is there that we will find the unique ways of expressing His love for the world. It was His love that created us for good works and I know He longs to embrace us and release His dreams into our spirit like a breath of life for us all.

Devotional

Deep is the Mystery of Intimacy

January 7, 2017

There is an endless cacophony of noise and voices entering our minds and hearts on a daily basis influencing us. Much of that is out of our control. But what if we deliberately chose to sit and hear from God himself.

My spirit has been yearning to enter into an even deeper intimacy with Jesus. I want to hear more of what His Spirit wants to share. But I know I’ll need to do some specific things for our relationship to flourish. It’s going to take time, focus and surrender. And I know I will have to sacrifice some things but what I expect to get in return will be worth the sacrifice.

When our spirit is silent and expectant our hearts are shaken to life. Sometimes I stretch forth my physical hands and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I get on my knees and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I pace around the room and sometimes I just stand still. It’s more a posture of the heart that God notices. He’s looking for someone that’s humbled in His presence, ready to listen and receive rather than quick to speak.

This intimacy is still such a mystery to me. And I believe it’s hard for some because it requires us to let go and trust.

But I truly believe the Spirit of God wants to whisper secrets from the heart of Jesus. On New Year’s Eve I received a gentle whisper that had my heart fluttering and my imagination dancing. It gave me a sneak peek of what we can expect from a deeper relationship with Jesus.

A Midnight Whisper from the Spirit

Wedding bells are ringing, wooing the bride of Christ.

At the midnight hour her heart is being prepared.

She will meet Him at dawn to begin a divine romance.

He will sweep her off her feet into the heavenlies.

Her first dance of true love with the Father will have the angels in awe.

The Son will then take His bride and show her His mansions.

Each day they will discover a hidden treasure together.

They will open new doors together;

enter into deeper rooms of revelations.

His heart will unlock rooms holding mysteries so deep,

her breath will be taken away.

There will be a library of books filled with words of love for His bride.

They will eat fruit baskets of grace and truth.

And He will take her to the throne room of mercy – a room of never-ending love and intimacy.

These are a couple of books I recommend that aided my intimacy journey with Jesus:

Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge

Desperately Deep by Lana Vawser

Devotional

Write Your Story Again

June 16, 2016

As I was studying Jeremiah 36:1-32, I realized how encouraging this Bible passage could be to aspiring writers and storytellers. Many writers struggle with telling their personal stories, myself included, especially with how much of it to tell. What may help with that is a matter of perspective. Our stories are a vehicle used to tell the bigger story.

What’s the bigger story? The redemptive story of God’s love for us.

In writing our stories, we tell God’s grander story over again. We cease to be the main character of our own story. That can alleviate some of the mental and emotional pressure associated with telling our stories.

At some point or another, we’ve asked ourselves if our stories are worth telling and how much of it to tell, and most irking, if we should air our dirty laundry. Every story with a greater purpose is worth telling. And the dirt will always be there. Telling the story of love necessitates it. Being a crafty writer will help with how it’s told.

The prophet Jeremiah was instructed by the LORD to take a roll of a book and write all the words He had spoken to him against Israel and Judah, and against all the nations from the time of the current king’s father’s reign.

I know what you’re thinking! God’s words spoken against Israel, Judah and the nations? How can this story be of encouragement to a writer? Hang tight with me a little longer! God’s hope was that in retelling his words of judgment they would turn from their evil ways so that he could forgive them. God was basically saying, This is what’s going to happen if you don’t stop all the evil you’re doing, but if you do stop, I’ll forgive you.

Jeremiah obeyed and had Baruch the scribe write down all the words God spoke to him. He then instructed Baruch to go and read the words written in the roll to the people in the LORD’s house. Did you catch that? The LORD’s house! He was talking to the people of faith on a fasting day. You know, like the folk going to church who are really not being churchy. Now, non-churchy folks weren’t off the hook either. Baruch was to read it to all of Judah as they came out of their cities. The scope of ears to hear was wide.

After the reading of the rolls to all the people of Jerusalem and to all who came from the cities of Judah, three antagonists surfaced in this story –Michaiah, Jehudi, and King Jehoiakim. Michaiah was the first snitch that went to tell the princes, Jehudi was sent by the princes to fetch Baruch the scribe so he could read the roll to them, and the princes went to the king and told him all that it said. The king had Jedudi fetch the roll and he read it in front of the king and princes.

What did the king do? He had the roll thrown in a fire on a hearth burning before him. And no one was afraid of what had been done. No one flinched at this assault against God’s words.

The story hasn’t ended but I want to share a few points we can take away from this passage in preparation for telling our own stories.

Be obedient to God’s word to you no matter what.

Baruch was asked by the princes, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words—at his instruction?” (v.17) Baruch simply answered, “He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in a book.” (v.18)

It’s that plain. There’s no need to complicate this one. Our story can only take shape when we start telling it. But also let’s be patient with ourselves. It may take us some time to tell our story. Sometimes we have to let the tears run, wait, wipe away the tears, and extract deeper meaning from our experiences. But eventually it should be told.

Let’s trust that he who began a good work in us will complete it if we stay the process of living and telling.

Not all of our words will be hopeful but they can be helpful.

Jeremiah and Baruch were obedient to God’s command to write His words in a roll of a book. Sometimes what needs to be said isn’t pretty but God’s grace always precedes his judgment. In this passage, the judgment had not occurred. It was a warning. That’s God’s grace.

Like God’s words of judgment, our stories will not be told with exclusively flowery, fragrant words. Some of our words will be like picking at scabs. Some may not be ready to hear our words. But for some, our words will be timely and that’s why we need to tell our stories.

Every day that we have lived is a necessary thread in our story. The joys, the births, the sufferings, the deaths, even the dirt and the shame. Let’s not stuff them in our mental or heart closet forever. After we have processed our pains and weaknesses, let’s pull those memories out, dust them off and use them for good.

You will have opposition but you can’t be defeated.

Many will try to silence us in an attempt to subvert our story. This is what happened when the king burned the scroll. The enemy is afraid of the content of our stories because our stories will always have God as the protagonist and the victor. He doesn’t want God to get the glory. But God’s footprints and handprints will be seen in the journey of our lives when we tell our story.

Due to the content of what was written in the roll, the princes advised Jeremiah and Baruch to hide themselves. Sure enough, the king wanted them found but God hid them from the king. The Bible asserts over and over that He is our refuge despite the circumstances around us. Let’s be at peace with our story and the telling of it even when we feel the heat around us.

You will have advocates that will protect your story.

Only three made intercession to the king to not have the roll burned but he refused to listen. Those three were El-nathan (Hebrew: gift of God), Delaiah (Hebrew: freed by Jehovah), and Gemariah: (Hebrew: accomplishment). The meaning of their names alone is inspiring.

But our biggest advocates are God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are really all we need. They will inspire us, teach us, and guide us, so that we may tell our stories.

Our stories can be a token of peace or a balm for a troubled or hurting heart. There is not one day in our lives that’s a waste, if we tell it in light of the bigger story.

Never stop telling your story over and over again.

The passage in Jeremiah ended with God instructing the prophet with these words, “Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.” (v.28) Not only did God ask him to write it again, he even added many like words.

As I was reading this in Jeremiah, it was as if God was saying, Listen, what I told you before stands! Many will try to do away with my word, burn them like the rolls written by Baruch but write them again and I will add even more for you to write.

Our story doesn’t end until God says it ends. As long as we have breath, let’s write it and keep writing it!

Bible Study

Bursting the Veil

August 14, 2012

Hebrews 9:1-9; Judges 1:9-15

There is a hidden love story with an incredible “The End” in one of the unlikeliest of places in the Bible—in the first chapter of the book of Judges. Among the tale of the conquered Canaanites by the tribe of Judah after the death of Joshua, is a gem of a story that women will Ooo and Aah over and men will respect.

Long story short, Caleb offers his daughter Achsah in marriage to the man who conquers the city of Kirjath-Sepher. His younger brother, Othniel, wins the prize. End of story? Not quite. Once married to Othniel, Achsah urges him to ask her father for land. Caleb gives them a southern land but she also asks for a water supply and he gives her the upper and lower springs.

Are you at the edge of your seat yet? I know you’re not. A superficial reading of this story has probably left you huffing and puffing at the arranged marriage. Hang on! A closer look reveals a fresh perspective and the study of biblical Hebrew adds an astounding depth to its meaning.

Humor me for a few minutes. We’ve already read the text in a straightforward fashion. Suppose we read the story slightly different and substitute God for Achsah’s father Caleb and Jesus for Othniel, whose name means lion of God. Nothing less than spine-chilling! Jesus as the bridegroom puts His life on the line to redeem Achsah when He took possession of Kirjath-Sepher or city of the book. Debir, which means Holy of Holies, was formerly known as Kirjath-Sepher.

As the innermost sacred space of the tabernacle, the Aaronic high priest only entered the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement—no bells, no speaking and barefoot (Leviticus 16:1). When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil dividing the holy place from the Most Holy tore in two from top to bottom, granting believers access to the Almighty God through Jesus’ substitutionary death (Matthew 27:50-51a).

With that said, here’s the icing on the wedding cake: Once married to Jesus, the church-bride Achsah enters God’s throne room and asks for a special favor from God and she’s given the gift of His Spirit with an unending flow like rivers of living waters. Achsah’s name means anklet or adorned, but according to Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary it also means bursting the veil. Only her feet covered with the gospel of peace, which is the Wordof God, would allow her to enter with boldness into the Most Holy place where the Shekinah Glory of God dwells.

Dare we as the body of Christ—the bride without spot or blemish—imagine what life would be like if we truly claimed our spiritual inheritance through Christ Jesus? We would be bursting through the veil to grasp the promises of God as abundant gifts wrapped and ready for a receiving heart; expecting more spiritual riches from our heavenly Father than what we’ve settled for. The end of this sweeping romance opens the door to a promised land flowing with much more than milk and honey.

This is a repost of my Bible Study on Charisma Magazine’s website.

Click LINK to view.