Don't miss it...

I thought I would have something super powerful and profound to say today but I don't. I just have a simple piece of advice that I'm trying my best to follow myself. So here it is...don't miss God! Simple, right? I wish! You see, there are so many things that compete for your attention – family, friends, work, church, things you want to do, things you need to do. It's so easy to find yourself so wrapped up in the “busyness” of life that you miss God’s business. A play on words, I know, but a problem that many of us face on a daily basis. This morning, I simply want to make sure you have your focus on the right thing.

I had a conversation with a close friend this morning and God had really dealt with her. Sounds churchy but if you’ve ever had God meet you in your closet and show you yourself, you know what I mean. It's serious! When I got off the phone with her, all I could say or pray was, “Lord, please don't let me miss You!” Don't let me get so caught up in expectations that I don't walk in Your purpose. Don't let me forget what You told me to do because I'm trying to please man. Don't let me get overwhelmed with the work of ministry that I'm not actually ministering to Your people. Anybody else had a similar prayer? You see, the enemy’s job is to distract you from your path so that he can destroy your purpose. Remember the whole steal, kill, destroy mission? But I realized that a lot of times, you help him with his mission by taking on too much, doing too much, and not listening enough. Are you missing God?

Do you remember when the disciples of John the Baptist came to him and told him that Jesus was baptizing and everyone was going to Him instead of them? His response spoke to me this morning about how to ensure that I don't miss God. “John answered, “It’s not possible for a person to succeed—I’m talking about eternal success—without heaven’s help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom’s friend, his ‘best man’—that’s me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? That’s why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.”‭‭(John‬ ‭3:27-30‬ ‭MSG‬‬) John the Baptist could have completely missed the purpose of his life in that moment. He could have gotten in his feelings and let what man was saying take him somewhere that he couldn't come back from. But instead, he recognized how everything that God had been telling him came together in Jesus. He realized that the way to fulfill his purpose in the earth was to decrease so that Christ could be seen. When you get so caught up in what the world wants you to do and be, you are essentially minimizing Christ’s place in your life. You're missing your opportunity to let God be seen through you. Are you missing God?

You are powerful, creative, and God chosen! He has something so amazing that He plans to do in the earth through you. Don't miss it because your eyes are somewhere else. Don't miss it because your feelings are hurt. Don't miss it because you're scared or overcommitted. Find yourself where John the Baptist was, waiting for his assigned moment to be used for God’s glory. He knew what he was supposed to be doing so no one could move him out of position with their emotions, motives or intentions. He didn't miss God and I pray that you don't either.

Amen

I've got this...

Calling all Rhema readers! Can I have your attention for a moment? Can you shut out the voices and the worries so that I can share some breaking news with you? Ready? Here it is, straight from the Lord to you! “I’ve got this.”  Yep, that’s it! That’s what He encouraged me to remind you of today. Stop fighting, worrying and stressing. All you need to do is listen, obey and trust. Believe me, I get that your life is super busy and people are always asking you to do something or solve a problem or find a solution and you’ve gotten weary of the fight. But I have great news for you today, God is fighting for you and the battle has already been won.

If you’ve read Rhema for any amount of time, you know that I love the names of God. Well one in particular I use often and love to call on is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts! It’s not a name that you hear often in the church when people are listing the names of God but He is integral in living a life of trust and peace. I was led to introduce Him to some of you and present Him to others. You see, He is the God who wages war on your behalf and causes wars to cease. He is the God that commands the angels and the stars to line up and do His command. He is quite simply and yet so magnificently, the Almighty God. He is the One that sees your situation and already has a strategy. He is the One that you can bring your battles to and He will fight them. He is the One that says stand still and see My salvation. You see, so many times you can  get so caught up in the battles that you face and trying to figure out how to survive, that you forget that you are not alone in the fight. But I’m here to remind you that God is fighting for you and He doesn’t give up or give in. He is the ultimate finisher!

This morning God sent me back to 2 Chronicles 20 and a story that I often think about. It’s the story of King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when the Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites declared war on them. The king was terrified and begged God for help, so much so that he ordered the entire nation to fast. He prayed and prayed, seeking God’s help. As I was re-reading this story, God highlighted the end of Jehoshaphat’s prayer. “O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chron. 20:12) Have you ever found yourself saying that? I know I have! You know, when the battle is getting long and you’re starting to tire and you just aren’t sure what to do with this big thing that has come against you. You’ve forgotten that God will fight for you and you finally just cry out to God for help.  That’s where Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were - scared, nervous, and anxious. Well, God responds through Jahaziel and I want to share it with you.

This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” (2 Chron. 20: 15b – 17 NLT)

Perhaps you need to read it again! The forces fighting against your marriage? Watch the Lord’s victory! The family members that don’t understand your path? Watch the Lord’s victory! Your own insecurities and struggles with self-esteem? Watch the Lord’s victory! The list could go on and on but all you have to do is show up willing to be in position and watch God do the fighting. I encourage you to read this story for yourself because you are shown exactly how to win. Seek God’s face in prayer and fasting so that you are able to hear what He has to say. Praise Show up to the fight, get into the position He tells you to and then watch Him fight it. You just need to be there to celebrate what He has done. If you continue to read, you will see that the enemies turn against each other and all of the enemies were killed. They left enough spoils that it took them 3 days to collect it all. Could it be that if you take your hands out of the fight and let God handle it that you will see blessings overwhelm you? Could it be that of you just show up to the fight with a heart of expectation that God will confuse the enemy and turn things in your favor? Could it be that if you praise God when the threat comes that He will make it so you don’t even have to fight at all? God is fighting for you and He has all that is needed to get the victory!

Amen…

It's finishing time!

A few minutes ago, I heard the Lord say, “Finish what you start.” I’m pretty sure it was in response to my desire and plan to pass on Rhema today after a day of traveling. The more I listened, I realized that it was also an encouragement not only for me but for you. You see, I understand the struggle that overtakes you when you have been working on something for a long time but still can't see the end in sight. I know the pain of waiting for a promise to manifest when you feel like you've given your all. I even get just being plain tired and not wanting to fight or work anymore. But can I just encourage you today that there is joy and peace in the finishing? It might not feel like it today but the Lord wanted me to tell you to press to the end and finish what you have started.

God is so amazing that He can say something so simple and it apply to a variety of situations. As I started writing, I  heard Him say everything from completing books, to staying the course in marriages, to praying for that person until you see the change. Through it all, He just kept repeating the same phrase – finish what you started. It was almost like the chorus of a song and the list of projects and instructions were the verses. He was adamant that I encourage you to get to the end of that thing. You see, sometimes the enemy will dress himself up as distraction and frustration and attempt to take you away from completing your assignment. You begin to look at what's in front of you instead of the victory that God promised you at the end of the assignment. But can I just remind you that if He told you to do something, He has equipped you to finish it? He has given you exactly what you need to get it done. Even if you had to take a break, even if you veered off path, even if you wanted to give up, you have what it takes. He didn't give you an assignment without seeing you at the end of it! Finish what you started!

As I close out, God sent me to Ecclesiastes 7:8 in the Message and it says, “Endings are better than beginnings. Sticking to it is better than standing out.” You see, sometimes you have to remind yourself that God is a finisher! When He started creating the world, He made a lot of amazing things but He didn't declare it was good until He finished. When Christ walked the earth for those 33 years, He did some powerful and life changing miracles but our salvation was not assured until He completed the assignment. The journey and the process are incredibly valuable but you have to get to the destination to be able to look back on it and see what you endured. It's time to finish what you started. Get up, brush yourself off, straighten your clothes up and get back in the race. No more delays. No more allowing setbacks to throw you off. No more watching others get to goal while you stall. God is with you and as long as you obey His instructions, you will get there. Let's go…its finishing time!

Amen

An Expected End...

The Lord spoke to me this morning about keeping my eyes on the expected end. He challenged me to stop looking at my life situations through my natural eyes and focus on what He has shown me. He challenged me to wait with expectation for the promise to come to pass. He said that I would see what I have been praying for! What about you? Will you take up the challenge to wait on your expected end?

The Lord sent me to Jeremiah 29:11 early this morning but as I began to write Rhema, He told me to back up and look at the previous 10 verses. You see, sometimes you won’t be excited about your expected end until you acknowledge where you’ve been. Jeremiah 29:10 -11 says “This is God’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (MSG) You see the Israelites had been in exile for a number of years already at this point and though it wasn’t like the Egyptian captivity, it was an unfamiliar land and one not meant for them. There were foreign gods and false prophets and a separation from what they knew. But it was a predetermined time period of 70 years. Would you act differently if you knew how long you had to endure your struggles? But I digress. Jeremiah sent this letter to the Jewish leaders in exile and told them to carry on with their lives as they waited. He instructed them to build houses, plant gardens and marry. He told them to pray for their captors and beware of false prophets attempting to throw them off of their path. But at the end of the 70 years, He was going to show up just as promised and release them back to their homes.

That’s a word! How many of you can pray for your enemies that they prosper even while they mess with you? How many of you can continue to build your business, sow into people and create relationships while you are waiting for your own breakthrough? Do you see that no matter what is happening in your life, you are to keep living and trusting God as you wait for your expected end? Do you understand that even in the hardest of circumstances, you are to keep your eye on the promise, believing that God has planned a future for you that you can’t even imagine? Whew! I’m getting excited!  I feel God pushing me and you toward our destinies. Because that’s what it’s all about, right? The enemy desires to cut you off from fulfilling your purpose but God has declared that He has plans for you that include a future and a hope! You may have been struggling for a long time but God sees you at the end of it and you are better and stronger. You may have had to survive some deep hurts and disappointments but you have made it and you will get to your promise. Why? Because He planned it that way! He planned for you to get all that He promised! It’s your expected end!

I want to declare to you today that you are right there! I want to agree with you that if you just keep living and obeying, that you get to that future! Don’t grow weary in your well doing! Don’t give up on your praying! Don’t walk away from your sowing! God is going to show up right on time and carry you to your destiny. He’s going to do just what He promised and it will be for your good and for your future. Oh get excited, saints! Your expected end is coming and it’s mighty good!

Amen