Shift Up!

There's something about looking out of the window of an airplane. Things that are so grand and  daunting from the ground appear small and manageable from above the clouds. Everything looks mapped out and in its proper place. I can see where the roads begin and end and even the mountains look small. Just as I was about to close my eyes for a nap, I heard the Lord say, "That's what the view is like from up here." It took my breath away. I immediately got it and I hope it hit you similarly but if not, let me share what I got. God sees the entire picture and it's laid out perfectly. You know those mountains in your life that look impossibly wide and overwhelming? They are nothing for Him to handle. Those roads that seem so long and winding to you? He sees exactly where they started and where they end. From His vantage point, your life is perfectly manageable. Here's the thing though, you have to be able to trust what God is doing. He reminded me of the classic verses in Isaiah 55. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (vs 8-9 NKJV). You have to be willing to shift up to get through.

So many times you want the victory without the battle. You want the road to be smooth and the answers to fall from the sky like rain.  It's human nature! But I think what God wants you to know today is that the victory has already been assured. He already has it planned out. Can you see it? Can you shift your thinking to God level? You know the drought you have been experiencing in your job search? Are you looking through to the end of it and taking advantage of the time you have to hear from Him? Or maybe it's the struggle that your marriage has been for the last few years? Are you taking every lesson and cataloging it for the others you will be able to help when they come to you for advice and prayer for their marriage? What about the terrible state of your finances? Are you still living your life and giving when instructed and led in preparation for the breakthrough? God is not looking at the map of your life like you are. He is way above and beyond and you have to seek out His viewpoint instead of your own so that you can shift to that next level. You have to be willing to shift up to get through.

In my own life, I often ask God why I have to keep going through some of these difficult things when I am just trying to do what He has asked me to do. Today, He highlighted something for me in the introduction to the book of Hosea in my bible. I just happened to open my bible to this page and these two sentences jumped out at me and all of a sudden...the answer. This is what it said. "The problem was how to get this message of God's love to a people not inclined to listen, and not likely to understand if they did listen. God's solution was to let the prophet be his own sermon." Do you see that? That's the kind of thinking God does. He sees your purpose and He knows that you can handle the assignment, the weight, the ministry so that others can get to Him. So He uses you and your life to break others through. If you are struggling today with a decision or a situation that feels impossible, understand that God already has what you need laid out in the plan. You just need to change your thought process. There is a lesson, a reason, and a deliverance in where you are. Someone is watching how you respond so they can trust God's plan for their own life. Come on, saint! Shift up!

Amen

Chosen for a Purpose

Whenever I write Rhema, I start by asking God for a relevant, right now word for me and you. Sometimes it comes immediately, other times it's a struggle but every time, it meets a need for someone out there. Isn't that how life is? You go through various things and sometimes those situations leave you at a complete loss as to what you are supposed to do next. Sometimes the answer comes immediately and sometimes it's a struggle. But generally if you look back, there was a lesson that you had to learn. Today, God sent a word of reassurance with a little challenge mixed in. Don't you need that every now and then? To hear God tell you that you are in the right place or headed in the right direction? I know I do. Well...here goes!

"You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name." (‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭16‬ NLT)

That's it! Straight from the mouth of Jesus! If you have been struggling with your purpose or your call or even  with just who you are in general, this verse is for you. You were important enough to Jesus that He picked you to do a mighty work for Him. He has appointed you to produce fruit for the Kingdom. Jesus was speaking to His disciples in this verse and preparing them for the life they would experience after His death, resurrection and ascension. The disciples were just like you and me. They were normal people chosen by God to share His message. They were called from their jobs, their families, and their personal plans to "go and bear fruit, and that the fruit should remain" (NKJV). You might be saying to yourself, "ummmm, I am not a minister or a preacher!" Trust me, I know that conversation. But YOU have a purpose on this earth. Maybe it's to give the best hugs to those that look or feel unloved. Perhaps it's to be a great listener or friend. But maybe it is to be a pastor or prophet or evangelist. Whatever your purpose is, Jesus picked YOU to live it out. 

Don't get stuck in the whys and why nots of this life! You have something powerful to offer and it's worth the road and the process that you may have to travel to get there. So, here you are on this Thursday morning, trying to figure out why your husband is acting crazy or why your bank account is in the negative again and you don't have an answer. Well, here it is! How you react to these challenges are preparing you for your next level. They are giving you a testimony to share and a strength to stand on. And as you stand and share, the fruit comes...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23 NLT) These Holy Spirit given fruits will remain! But not only that, having them give you all that you need to go forward in your purpose. 

Finally, I have to close by reminding you of something else in that verse. Jesus said that in bearing this lasting fruit, "God will give you whatever you ask for in My name." That's powerful and reassuring. This is not a lottery verse, folks, but rather an assurance of relationship and response. Jesus is letting you know that in choosing you, He also equipped you and connected you to a Father that will give you what you need. So, go forth knowing that you have been chosen and covered by the best!

Trust the plan!

Have you ever woken up and wondered how you got where you are? Sometimes it's a positive question and you happily meditate on the goodness of God and how everything is lining up in your favor. Sometimes it's a more reflective time when you think back over your journey and how God has brought you through. But there are also those times when you just don't quite know how you ended up in a certain situation or set of circumstances or mindset. You look around and you just cannot believe that your marriage is a hot mess, your finances are completely out of whack, your dream business is not making any money. Or sometimes it's even harder when God is shifting you but tradition says stay, your ministry is waiting but you're scared, or God's plan is in direct conflict with what you imagined for yourself. What do you do then? My flesh, aka Molly, would like to tell you to run! Don't hang around for all of the stress and the struggle that comes from being in a "what's next" moment! But then I hear the Lord say, "Trust Me..." Man! Don't you hate that? Be honest! Don't you sometimes want to hear 'go ahead, you can quit' or 'you don't have to'? I know I do but usually that isn't the case because God always has a plan for where you are.

Think about Elijah. Can't you imagine right after he got Jezebel's message, justifiably having a "how did I get here" moment? I get it! He had been doing what God said and now he was the enemy and the target. "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." (1 Kings 19:3,4 NIV) The Lord sent an angel to feed him twice for strength. Then Elijah went to that cave to hide and essentially wait on death to find him. Do you think that was a part of God's plan for him? Think carefully because it may affect how you think about your own journey and why you have gone through certain things in your life. Do you think it's possible that God led him to that cave so he could learn a lesson that he wouldn't have learned had he followed his own plan? Think about this, Elijah didn't sign up to to die, he signed up to serve. What about you? What did you sign up to do?

Back to Elijah in the cave, trying to understand how, after doing all the Lord had directed him to do, he was at this point in his life. "The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." (1 Kings 19:11,12 NIV) You didn't hear the answer when the infidelity happened, you didn't hear the answer when the famous preacher spoke into your life. No, the answer comes when you can trust that God has you right where you are supposed to be and when you are quiet enough to hear His still small voice. God then asked Elijah the question that you often ask yourself. "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He answers with a list of all that has gone wrong in his life and God responds with the plan. “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” (1Kings 19:15-18 NLT)

God has reserved just what you need and it or they will show up right when it is time. Your only responsibility is to trust the plan that God has set forth for your life. How did you get here? God has a plan and a purpose for you and it is for such a time as this. Don't get caught up in the cave, instead move out on the mountain and wait for God to pass by and speak. Trust the plan, it's been written by the Master!

Amen

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Don't Give In!

I asked the Lord this morning to give me a word to encourage His people. I asked Him to give me a word to encourage me. I asked Him to give a rescuing, relevant word that would help you to go one more step in spite of what your today looks like. I asked Him to be just who you AND I need Him to be. Do you know what He told me? Don’t give in! I had to pause because initially I thought I heard ‘don’t give up’ but no…He was very specific. DON’T GIVE IN! Wait…is there a difference? Yes! To give up means to surrender, to quit, to abandon, to die. I know what you’re thinking and you’re right! We don’t need to do that either but to give in means to cease opposition, to yield. Giving in tends to happen after a long effort or insistence.  I think that’s why the difference is so important today. You see, some of you have been waiting on change, on manifestation, on breakthrough for a long time. You’ve been fasting, praying, interceding but the results have been slow to come. Today, I want you to get this in your spirit. You are more than a conqueror through Christ. You are an overcomer and a survivor. No matter what the enemy has told you about your situation, your burdens, and your future, the Lord is saying don’t stop fighting. You will not yield to Satan’s plan because what the Lord has planned is so much better. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 NKJV) Don’t give in!

The enemy would like nothing better than to divert you from your purpose. He would love for you to allow people to cause you to turn from your calling and give in to frustration, hurt and flesh. He would love if you let a mistake or a weakness color your entire future. You see, Satan’s whole existence is based on lies. His primary goal is "to kill, steal and destroy". (John 10:10a) That’s why when your marriage is in trouble, your blood pressure goes up. That’s why when your kids have gone astray or acting up, your stomach turns and ulcers form. That’s why when you are stressed at work, the migraines come. He wants to use whatever means he has to take you out. But God knew from the beginning what tricks he would try. He knew that you would get weak at times and fall prey to the attack and so He sent Jesus. Jesus who came that you "may have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10b) How much do you want that abundant life? Do you want it enough to keep fighting for it? Don’t give in!

The old saints used to sing a hymn that said “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; Each vict’ry will help you some other to win; Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; look ever to Jesus, He’ll carry you through. Ask the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen, and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through.” You can’t give in! You have too much to gain and too much to do. I’m tired of seeing the enemy win because it seems easier to stop opposing what he’s put out there. It’s time to start fighting for the right! It’s time to start standing in your rightful place as a chosen, anointed, powerful child of God! Do you think Satan would be fighting you so hard if you didn’t have anything to offer? Let me help you with that. No, he wouldn’t! You have a word to share that will bring encouragement. You have a testimony that will bring someone to Christ. You have a prayer that will bring someone back to life. If you give in, who will do your assignment? Don’t give in, saints! There is work to do! Amen.

I AM

If you’ve read Rhema for any length of time, you know that God ministers to me through song a lot. This morning as I was walking and praying, one line just kept playing over and over in my head. It’s from Jason Nelson’s song “I Am” and it truly spoke loud and clear this morning. “Just let Me fix it! That’s Who I am. Just let Me be who I am for you.” I almost laid out on the track, y’all! I mean really! This is where a lot of you are. You have tried so hard to fix situations that you just cannot fix in your own power. You have tried to resurrect a marriage that only God can restore. You have tried to dig your way out of a financial mess that only God can turnaround. You have tried to overcome an addiction or a grief that only God can heal. But today…TODAY…God is sending a clear message to you. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8) Do you understand what that means? He can do it! Whatever your “it” is, He can fix it. But here’s the kicker. He may not do it the way you want it to be done. It may not be like the fairy tale that you have concocted in your mind. But I can promise you this. It will be a complete work.

Sometimes it is rough when the Lord tells me certain things. I struggle because I am waiting on the same word that you are. I need Him to remind me of some things just like you do. But this morning, He left me almost gasping for breath just by re-introducing Himself to me. Do you remember what He said to Moses in Exodus? He said “I am That I am”. (Ex. 3:14 KJV) So when He says, “Just let Me be who I am” that means He will be whatever you or I need Him to be.  I really want you to catch hold of this. If you are sick in your body, He is saying “I am the Lord who heals you.” (Ex. 15:26) If you are searching desperately for Him to show up, God says, “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Ps. 46:10) If you are struggling in your faith, He says, “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God and there is none like Me.” (Is. 46: 9 NLT) If you feel alone, He says, “I will be your God throughout your lifetime- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” (Is. 46: 4 NLT) That’s who God is. He is whatever you need Him to be because He is God. “He is the God who made the world and everything in it.” (Acts 17:24a NLT)

I have watched some folks that KNOW God struggle to find peace in their day to day lives. I have watched people that are young in their faith struggle to keep going on this journey. Many days, I have wanted to throw in the towel myself. But for every struggle, there is an answer and it is the Lord. Just let Him be who He is for you. Let Him be your healer. Let Him be your counselor. Let Him be your parent. Let Him meet every need, whether it be physical, spiritual, or financial. Let Him be Him! Stop trying to do His job! What He did for Elijah in the cave, He can do for you. What He did for Hannah in her turmoil, He can do for you. What He did for the woman with the issue of blood, He can do for you. There is nothing impossible for Him. Just let Him be who He is for you! I will close with this word from the Lord. I encourage you to take it in to your situation and heed His words to you. “But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going. I’ll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don’t fall into the ditch. These are the things I’ll be doing for them – sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.” (Is. 42:16 MSG) He’s right there, folks…let Him be who He is for you!

Amen