I had a friend share a moment with her son on her Facebook that ally touched my heart, so I emailed her and asked if I could use it for this blog and she said yes. So Sarah Grace, thank you for sharing your heart with us and for allowing us to see what God so desires from all of us.
I said to Arden, "It's nap time." Arden then ran away like he does most of the time. I slowly followed him (there aren't too many places he can hide). Moments later I found him in the kitchen, on his knees, face down, praying something like this..."Holy Spirit help me to obey..." When I thought he was finished, I said his name. He looked up at me and said, "I'm still praying" and then he went back to prayer. 10 seconds later, he jumped up, ran to his room and dove into his bed. One thing I would love for Arden to remember throughout his life is to ask the Holy Spirit for help, instead of thinking he can do this life on his own.
I read this post that my friend had put on her Facebook as she shared some tender moments with us about her son who is only 3 years old. Now honestly, Richie and Grace Parks are two of the most passionate prophetic intercessors I know. They are ½ my age and I am not surprised that they probably began teaching Arden to pray before he even made his appearance into this world. So honestly for this to come out of the mouth of their 3 year old, does not surprise me.
Last week I just could not seem to focus and finding that time to carve out with the Lord was non-existent and for some reason I was just really tired. I mean more tired than normal, to the point that even during the day I had to put my work down and take 2 hours naps. It was very bizarre. When I read Sara's post I just had to repent. And hence began a new journey in the Word the past week of God reminding me in whom my help comes from. Why do we struggle with this so? You see what is amazing about little Arden isn’t that he went to the kitchen floor and asked the Holy Spirit to help him be obedient towards his parents, but that this little warrior they are raising up – actually understood that the Holy Spirit is His helper!
We are studying the Holy Spirit and its importance in our church right now. It’s been amazing to have some balanced teaching and to watch our congregation begin to wait on the Holy Spirit to bring direction into our services. I’m thankful that our pastoral staff at Dominion does this, and more thankful that the Body I attend allows it to happen. We wait on God to move through our services, whether it is in prayer time, worship time, the preaching of the word, the altar service….WE WAIT. This study has helped me to recognize the Holy Spirit in a different way in my life. Not just for the empowerment that abiding within this facet of God brings to my life, but also in a way that I understand that the Holy Spirit is the promised "help” that Jesus left us with. It is the tangible way that we can hear and feel God moving through us. But I can honestly say that that I have never sat down in the middle of any room in my house and fought the desire to obey by asking the Holy Spirit to help me overcome my own fleshly desires and obey!! What a concept!!
David understood this. He said so in Psalm 51:11 when he told God, “Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me”. Jesus told the disciples in John 16:15 that the Holy Spirit will “take what is mine and reveal it to you”. You see the disciples knew Jesus; they were with him all the time. But when he was gone, how were they going to know what to do or what Jesus was speaking to them – through the Holy Spirit. Early in the Book of Acts, we see this working, infilling of the Holy Spirit into the lives of the apostles. And honestly, how could they face ½ of what they faced without something stronger to lean on. Jesus just didn’t leave them in the battle without some ammunition, AND HE DOES NOT LEAVE US EITHER. This same helper that the prophets knew in the Old Testament that the apostles experienced in the New Testament and that little 3-year old Arden came to on the kitchen floor – SAME HOLY SPIRIT that empowers us today!
But in our modern day Christianity we treat this third person of God very casually. You see the Word says that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us as well. The Holy Spirit is what strengthens us in our weaknesses us and helps us walk in obedience. We have to ask when we are faced with situations that on the outside might be very easy to handle on our own, or that we think we can control, or even do better at getting a situation under control is better than what God can do for us. We have to ask, and then we have to obey. I am so guilty of often asking God to give me strength, patience, love, kindness, but when faced with life controlling issues, the sin in my own life, or just the day to day weariness that comes in our lives, it is rare that I ask the Holy Spirit for help. I may cry out to God for deliverance, but help to overcome, help to endure, help to understand, help to obey, I had to search my heart and realize I do not do this.
My blog today is not to criticize us a Body, but to encourage us to take a lesson from the mouth of a 3-year old. Here are some situations in my life that I will be working on in this area of asking the Holy Spirit to help me obey better.
• When faced with adversity or just paying attention to and listening to God, I will run to the kitchen floor (so to speak) and ask for help to overcome it.
• When my husband makes a decision I’m not really happy about, I will not argue or pout, but know that God has given me this soul-mate to lead me and ask the Holy Spirit to help me to obey.
• When trying to control things in my life that I really have no control over, I will ask the Holy Spirit to help me to give those things over and release my control.
• When looking at others and wondering why they struggle so much in their Christian faith, or why they can’t “get it together”, I will remember that I am no different, and ask the Holy Spirit to help me to be a better example, a better friend, and be the one who embraces those who need encouragement and guidance instead of judgment and abandonment.
• When feeling overwhelmed, look at my focus and go back to the place where I knew God was using the Holy Spirit to speak to me. Nothing replaces a good cup of coffee and the Word of God, just sayin…
Arden prayed, “Holy Spirit help me to obey”. David prayed, Jesus prayed and promised, the apostles prayed, waited and received and then had power to do great things for God. Let us be thankful that God has not abandoned us and left us here to figure things out for ourselves. I mean what a mess that would be! Let us come boldly with the child like faith of a 3 year old and also say the same thing.
ROMANS 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hang in there friends, the ride is half the fun - we are empowered and we can overcome!
cv
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
What is waiting outside your door?
Its raining again in Houston. The rain keeps coming, then it gets cold, but for a brief moment the sun comes out and we warm up, only to start this geographical process of a “Texas Winter” all over again. Amazingly shortly after the rain disappears and the sun peeks out its head out beyond the clouds, everything just smells fresh and clean. Even living in a huge city it happens. I miss spring and everything it represents in our lives. I miss riding my bike, going for long walks, sitting in the sunshine with a cool glass of southern iced tea. I miss the trees blooming, despite seasonal allergies, the flowers coming to life and the other signs that indicate that winter is finally over and we can look forward to a few months of nice days before the Texas summer is upon us and we are screaming for fall to come. We are never satisfied are we?
Genesis 4:6-7: The Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
Just before this passage we read that Abel brought an acceptable offering to God, but Cain did not. Instead, Cain brought a offering of the ground, which God had cursed. God refused to accept Cain’s offering. Cain was never satisfied with all the God has given him and blessed him with and like many generations that would come after him, Cain’s pride got the best of him. His jealousy towards his brother Abel and his anger towards God was relentless and fueled something inside of him. Even after God had given him this warning, Cain still lured his brother out into the field and murdered him.
Genesis 4:10-15: The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." But the LORD said to him, "Not so if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Okay, so I can’t prove this in my blogging time this morning, but knowing God the way I do, I am convinced that a couple of things could have changed this whole situation around for Cain. (1) He could have first heeded this warning from the Lord and repented of his anger and jealousy or (2) even if he failed in resisting sin, he could have told God that he killed Adam and possibly seen and learned a valuable lesson in God’s grace and mercy. Do you think God would have banished Cain if he just told God, “I have killed my brother in my anger and jealousy and please forgive me”? He might have but deep down I want to believe that God would have embraced Cain and given him another chance.
Much later, after Jesus has walked the earth and died for our sins, we see this story played out every single day in not only the lives of others, but in our own lives as well. So many times I hear this crazy voice in my head which asks me “Cindy why are you downcast? Just do what is right and you will have my grace and mercy in what your life. I wish I could say I always choose “right”, but I can’t. Sometimes I just think I’m much smarter than God. I quickly find out however that God is warning me because He is good and wants me to avoid the trap that an enemy who is “sitting outside my door” has laid out for me. We must learn to master sin in our lives in order to be effective in this world which is fallen and full of sin.
Cain’s entire destiny changed in that moment of his “choice”. Did it mean that God refused to continue to love Cain – absolutely not, the Lord disciplines those he loves (Proverbs 3:12). I’m sure God’s heart broke then just as it breaks when we make choices that are not right. Sometimes we have to just accept the fact that we screwed up to the point that we don’t get a “do over”. But we get to learn from those choices and the next time the enemy comes to us in that area of our life, we can remember the consequences of our previous actions and not go around that mountain again. I’m sure many times during his life Cain had to looks back at the land he loved in Eden and realize that one moment of time in his life changed everything forever.
The Apostle Paul gave us warning very much like the one God gave Cain:
Galatians 5:7-8, 13-15: 7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Jealousy and anger are two emotions that drive us into a pit that we don’t want to be in. Looking back every bad choice I have made has been fueled by (1) jealousy, wanting what someone else had or trying to be like those around me, or (2) anger when I didn’t my own way or thought I was being mistreated or even worse (3) an attitude that I truly thought I could sin because quite frankly “I deserved to have something that God would not let me have”.
Friends, let us race towards the prize. Put aside the things that hinder us. We are called to freedom! Be thankful that we are in relationship with a God that speaks to us because for no other reason we are covered by the blood of his son, which is our mark from God! We do not need to trade our destiny for less than God has for us, we just need to do what is right in the eyes of our God.
The sun just peeked through briefly, and the rain has left a smell of cleanliness is in the air. I pray that this day the rain of your Holy Spirit will wash through you and wash away those things that keep you from Him.
God's favor isn't awarded like a trophy through winning a competition with others (Alicia Chole)
cv
Genesis 4:6-7: The Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.
Just before this passage we read that Abel brought an acceptable offering to God, but Cain did not. Instead, Cain brought a offering of the ground, which God had cursed. God refused to accept Cain’s offering. Cain was never satisfied with all the God has given him and blessed him with and like many generations that would come after him, Cain’s pride got the best of him. His jealousy towards his brother Abel and his anger towards God was relentless and fueled something inside of him. Even after God had given him this warning, Cain still lured his brother out into the field and murdered him.
Genesis 4:10-15: The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." But the LORD said to him, "Not so if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
Okay, so I can’t prove this in my blogging time this morning, but knowing God the way I do, I am convinced that a couple of things could have changed this whole situation around for Cain. (1) He could have first heeded this warning from the Lord and repented of his anger and jealousy or (2) even if he failed in resisting sin, he could have told God that he killed Adam and possibly seen and learned a valuable lesson in God’s grace and mercy. Do you think God would have banished Cain if he just told God, “I have killed my brother in my anger and jealousy and please forgive me”? He might have but deep down I want to believe that God would have embraced Cain and given him another chance.
Much later, after Jesus has walked the earth and died for our sins, we see this story played out every single day in not only the lives of others, but in our own lives as well. So many times I hear this crazy voice in my head which asks me “Cindy why are you downcast? Just do what is right and you will have my grace and mercy in what your life. I wish I could say I always choose “right”, but I can’t. Sometimes I just think I’m much smarter than God. I quickly find out however that God is warning me because He is good and wants me to avoid the trap that an enemy who is “sitting outside my door” has laid out for me. We must learn to master sin in our lives in order to be effective in this world which is fallen and full of sin.
Cain’s entire destiny changed in that moment of his “choice”. Did it mean that God refused to continue to love Cain – absolutely not, the Lord disciplines those he loves (Proverbs 3:12). I’m sure God’s heart broke then just as it breaks when we make choices that are not right. Sometimes we have to just accept the fact that we screwed up to the point that we don’t get a “do over”. But we get to learn from those choices and the next time the enemy comes to us in that area of our life, we can remember the consequences of our previous actions and not go around that mountain again. I’m sure many times during his life Cain had to looks back at the land he loved in Eden and realize that one moment of time in his life changed everything forever.
The Apostle Paul gave us warning very much like the one God gave Cain:
Galatians 5:7-8, 13-15: 7You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 8That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Jealousy and anger are two emotions that drive us into a pit that we don’t want to be in. Looking back every bad choice I have made has been fueled by (1) jealousy, wanting what someone else had or trying to be like those around me, or (2) anger when I didn’t my own way or thought I was being mistreated or even worse (3) an attitude that I truly thought I could sin because quite frankly “I deserved to have something that God would not let me have”.
Friends, let us race towards the prize. Put aside the things that hinder us. We are called to freedom! Be thankful that we are in relationship with a God that speaks to us because for no other reason we are covered by the blood of his son, which is our mark from God! We do not need to trade our destiny for less than God has for us, we just need to do what is right in the eyes of our God.
The sun just peeked through briefly, and the rain has left a smell of cleanliness is in the air. I pray that this day the rain of your Holy Spirit will wash through you and wash away those things that keep you from Him.
God's favor isn't awarded like a trophy through winning a competition with others (Alicia Chole)
cv
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