A Different Day…But The Same Heart Still…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God before the sun came up and I gave thanks for a warm dwelling on this cold day; a luxury many others don’t have. It’s 9 degrees this morning and the ice on the trees and the fields won’t be melting any time soon even though the sun is bright and beautiful. The temperature of the sun never changes, but even it can’t melt the ice if the atmosphere around the ice remains cold. As I stood there admiring the beauty of the icy limbs and the blazing sun, the Lord spoke to my Heart with a reminder of how this is what life will look like as we draw closer to the End. The Light of God will always be there and His “temperature” never changes…but there will always be icy ones that refuse to be melted no matter how Bright the Light of His Love shines. What an Amazing God to speak to my Heart through the icy limbs on a cold day.

It’s a dark world riddled with turmoil as the Spiritual war rages in the heavens. The more the Light of God shines, the icier the world becomes as the limbs relentlessly fight to remain just where they are with no interest in being warmed by the Son whatsoever. Sometimes when the Warmth seeps through even just a little, the icy ones fight even harder for their “right” to remain where they are. Jesus said “they will hate you because of me” and that’s true – but it’s not until we Shine the Light to Warm things up do we Understand just what Jesus meant by that. Fear of being hated will often silence Carriers of the Warmth so the ice keeps clinging to the trees like never before. All it ever takes for ice to melt is for the atmosphere around it to warm up, and when that happens the ice is powerless. I dream about what the icy world would look like if more Carriers of the Warmth were willing to Shine despite the hate they’d experience if they did. The “temperature” of the Living God never changes and He has the Power over all…BUT His people are commanded to Share the Warmth so we can change the atmosphere of the ice, and yet so many refuse to be hated because of Him.

The icy conditions don’t exist just because of the lost ones, they exist because of some Proclaiming to Know Jesus Christ too. There are lots of enemies in the Camp and they freeze over often when they hear things they don’t like or they choose to spread hate over Love. Sometimes they talk about Warmth, but the icy condition of their heart is what the world really sees, and the enemy rejoices to see one of God’s Warmth Carriers spitting out ice instead. We talk a lot about Revival but that’s a “be careful what you wish for” kind of thing. When Revival begins, the ice will rage even more than it does today, and those Willing to Share the Warmth of the Son will be hated like never before. The Good News is that One Day the Son will show Himself to the world again, and when He does, all the icy ones will melt at His feet and confess that He is Lord too. Now that’s a Good Dose of Warmth the icy ones need to hear and it’s what the Warmth Carriers share despite the hate we experience when we do.

God used a simple image of ice clinging to the limbs to ignite my Heart this morning. I’m Armed and Ready to Carry the Warmth of the Son to everyone, everywhere, despite what it might “cost” me. I experience more hate than most people can imagine but that only Propels me to Share more when I do. The Atmosphere around me is so warm that the icy ones feel it by what I say and how I Live. There’s absolutely nothing the icy ones can do to harm me but the harder they try, the harder I Work to be the best Carrier of Warmth I can possibly be. He died for me…I Live for Him. You can’t go wrong when you look at the Journey called Life what way!

How about you?

Beware of the Thin Layers of Ice and Snow

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s below freezing again this morning and the little bit of snow that fell days ago is still lingering on the ground. As I sat in the Presence of the Most High this morning, I thought about how sometimes just a little dusting of sin or adversity can fall upon life and if we’re not careful it can linger for way too long too. That small layer of snow and ice can cause more problems for us than a foot of snow ever could because it appears to be so harmless and yet it’s nearly impossible to find your footing. What an amazing God I serve that would use a layer of ice and snow to drive home a Message about how anything standing in between me and my God is ALWAYS a problem no matter how harmless it appears to be on the surface. Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Life too?

It’s interesting how man is inclined to gauge sin like the weatherman gauges the accumulation of snow and ice. Many people deny that sin is sin to very the One we profess to Serve, and that a “little white lie” is no different than murder in His eyes. The “big sin” isn’t always easy to hide, and if it’s big enough, the world will have a front-row seat to watch the journey. There isn’t usually much debating over “big sin” because the offense is crystal clear to all. But when it comes to those “little sins” – the countless things that can stand in the way between us and our God, now that’s a different story to many of God’s people. They’ll excuse away things like an angry heart, a bitter tongue, judgment, or gossip as if they’re somehow superior to a drug addict or adulterer in the eyes of the Lord. But they’re only fooling themselves, Those thin layers can be a slippery slope that can linger for a very long time (sometimes an entire lifetime) and they definitely stand in the way between us and our God…until we repent and turn away, that is. If we want to be pleasing to the God of all Creation, we need to care as much about doing away with the thin layers as we do the blizzards. They ALL stand in the way between us and the Author and Perfecter of our Faith.

There’s a lot that goes into a Rich Relationship with the Living God…time, praise, service, etc., but the way to true fulfillment isn’t what we do on the outside, it’s the willingness to Examine ourselves on the Inside that matters the most. It’s when we Examine our own Hearts that we’ll see those layers for what they REALLY are, and when we see them (to the extent possible) the way God does, we can’t get rid of them fast enough! We see the long-term ripple effect of our harsh words that can sometimes last for generations. We see the damage we do by pointing out wrongs to our loved ones as if we’re the judge and jury. We see what a bad Witness we are in this dark world by behavior we excuse away as if it doesn’t matter to God but every layer matters to Him. Pride and arrogance have to be buried for us to be willing to Examine our own Hearts. Those thin layers of ice don’t usually melt away over time, they need to be forced away instead. If we want to be pleasing to the God of all Creation, we must be willing to Examine our Hearts for anything standing in the way of the Rich Relationship He wants with every child.

There’s no action needed to do away with the thin layer of ice and snow at the farm – it will melt on its own eventually. But when it comes to my Heart and my Rich Relationship with the One Who died for me, I won’t be buying time hoping thin layers go away on their own like the ice on the ground. I don’t want ANYTHING standing between me and my Amazing God and I’m willing to face whatever I need to face and to repent of whatever I need to repent of so that I can have THE BEST Relationship with Him until He calls me Home. After all, the King of all kings died for me, it only makes sense that I would Live for Him!

How about you?

He Already Knows…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was 0° at sunrise this morning and although I’m longing for some warmer days, I accept what it is today because I trust the Master’s Hand with everything in my Life. He already Knows my plans have been thwarted because of the snow, ice, and cold and He Knows that we haven’t been able to gather at The Well for a few weeks because of it. He already Knows that people are struggling just to heat their homes and that schools are closing until the conditions are safer for the kids and the buses. He already Knows that some people don’t have shelter to escape the bitter temperatures and that some will lose a life or limb because of it. He already Knows it all because He’s already in Tomorrow. As I considered my God who is the “same yesterday, today, and forevermore” I was overwhelmed and I began to weep. I didn’t need to tell Him that I needed a little “extra” this morning…He met me right where I was on this cold January morning because He already knows EVERYTHING about me, He Loves me, and He died for me! The Love and Compassion of the Living God never cease to amaze me. Isn’t that the way it is for you sometimes too?

From where I sit, it seems so easy for some people to believe they’re small in the eyes of a busy God all because of the natural thought process of man, but they miss out on the most amazing Relationship when they do. We tend to gauge our relationship with the Living God the way we gauge all of our other relationships, but God doesn’t work that way. Some people have a hard time accepting that God could forgive them of something horrific they did in the past, but that’s because they know that man is inclined to withhold forgiveness like a judge and jury even though the God they profess tells them to forgive no matter what. Some people struggle to conquer a wrong and they repeat it over and over again because they refuse to accept His Grace. But even Paul struggled with that one – “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” and God loved Paul enough to hunt him down on the road to Damascus because He Knew Paul was the perfect man for the “job” – past and all. What’s “good” for Paul is good for you and me BUT we need to learn to Trust the Hand of God like Paul did especially when we don’t necessarily like the way things are going. That’s the Key to a rich Relationship with the King of all kings.

Man issues “tolerance limits” on relationships but God never does…because Christ already paid the price and He’s always ready to forgive when we ask. Some people live as if they can hide their dirty little secrets forever but that’s because they don’t Trust in the God who holds tomorrow…the One Who already Knows it all and loves us anyway. Nothing slips by God – not the 0° temperatures at the farm this morning and not things the Devil likes to tell us are “secret”. The enemy comes to “rob, kill, and destroy” and nothing gives him leverage like believing that God is too big to care. As for me, I Know that I’m a child of the Living God and He says that I’m Royalty and because I Know WHO I am in Christ, I’ll never think my life is too small to matter to a big God.

Gauging the Love of God the way we gauge our other relationships is a clear sign that we don’t understand who He is at all. In fact, it goes to show that it’s not YOU who is too small for Him…it’s Him you think is too small for you! His Word says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, “declares the Lord.” There’s not a relationship on earth that is “perfect” and not a human being that will never cause you pain; but that’s the nature of man. God never stops loving. He never gives up on us no matter how many times we fall. He can’t be fooled. He sees it all. He knows the Heart. He knows the mind. He forgives it all. He doesn’t have boundaries on His Love, and He’ll forgive the offenses matter how vile every single time we Repent.

Gauging His love against every other love is not only an insult to the One that “scattered the stars and sky and knows them each by name,” but it’s absolute foolishness! Who would want a god that loves us the way man does? Who would want a god that could be fooled? Who would want a god that says, “I’ve had enough!?” Who would want to serve a god with limitations and boundaries? It’s only when we stop looking at the Living God as if He has the nature of man that we find Peace and Joy AND Love as we’ve never known before!

I began this day with the coldest temperatures we’ve seen in a while and important plans that have been thwarted because of it. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I inclined myself to the Author and Perfecter of my Faith – the Creator of this new day – and I spent time Reinforcing my Trust in the One with the Master Plans. I found my Peace in a world I don’t understand. I found my Joy that always “cometh in the morning” and I found my Contentment. You won’t hear me whining no matter what today (or tomorrow) brings. God has great Plans for me and when He says “forever” I know He means it. I’m looking forward to my Forever with Him and I want to Glorify Him until He carries me to my New Home to live “happily ever after” with Him!

How about you?

El Shaddai Never Sleeps…Do You Trust Him?

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The farm was blanketed in another layer of snow yesterday and the temperature is dangerously low this morning. It’s always quiet after a snowstorm as the snow absorbs the sound and the wildlife takes cover and it’s a beautiful sight to behold the winter in the Winter Season of this thing called “Life”. Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall – all is well with my family, this farm, and the world around me because El-Shaddai (God Almighty) protects it 24 hours a day. The Bible says, “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength” so I rarely attempt to fight battles on my own anymore. Instead, I put my Trust in the One Who “scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name” and I “work out my Salvation with fear and trembling”. It’s no small thing to call out to El-Shaddai for help and it’s no small thing when He answers. As I sat in His Presence this morning I was overwhelmed by His Might. The One Who opened up the heavens for the snow to fall on the farm LOVES ME and He holds my Life in the palm of His Hand. I feel His Love and Protection every day and I’m forever grateful for Him. But when I pause to consider His Might – and I understand the outcome of any situation isn’t in my hands at all – it’s an indescribable feeling. When I pause to consider the Power of the Living God it doesn’t make me feel small in comparison to Him…instead, it reminds me of just how much Power is right at my fingertips ALL because of El-Shaddai. Isn’t that the way you look at the Journey too?

It can be so easy for people of Faith to lose sight of what it means to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” and they overlook the Power of a Mighty God when they take matters into their own hands MORE than they place the matters in His. But our Power doesn’t come from our own actions, and no matter how resourceful we think we are, we’re never the ones to “fix” whatever it is that’s wrong. It’s always the amazing El-Shaddai at work even for the most “trivial” things. There are plenty of horrific things going on all around the world these days, and it would be easy to get caught up in them, but El-Shaddai sees it all…cares about it all…is with us through it all…and He’s got it all in the palm of His Hand. There’s a tremendous sense of Peace and Power that comes just by knowing that El-Shaddai is ALWAYS there and ALWAYS listening. Hmm…He’s Jehovah Shammah too! The best part is that He doesn’t need social media to speak to His people and nobody can twist His arm or thwart His Plans. There is Power in His Name.

The Bible says, “You believe that there is one God? Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.” Even the most evil shudder at the mention of His Name and yet we hear His name mentioned more in vain than we do in Praise. So many people have bought into the “God is love” concept but they refuse to Believe that God is to be feared too even though the Bible warns them that “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Believing He exists is one thing – Living as if you Believe is an entirely different story. When you Believe, you Surrender, and you understand the Power that is within you because of Him. You find Peace in Knowing that “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.” When you get out of your own way and Surrender to El-Shaddai instead, you call upon His Name for everything. When you Surrender, you fearlessly mention His name and you’re excited to share Who He is. When you Surrender it’s easy NOT to become overwhelmed because you see His Hand in everything and it’s overwhelming to know that El-Shaddai…the God of all…the Prince of Peace…the Great “I am”… is there with you through it all. When you Surrender, the tears of Joy flow freely at the mere thought that El-Shaddai will never leave you nor forsake you. When you Surrender, you KNOW there is Power within you – all you ever need to do is tap into it. There is Power in His Name.

I spent Quality Time with a Mighty God this morning surrounded by snow and I gave thanks for His Power and Might. The more I considered how “big” He is, the Stronger I felt. ALL things are possible through Him and I know He doesn’t grow tired of me asking for the “impossible” and Believing those things will come to pass…all because of El-Shaddai – my Mighty God…the omnipresent and omnipotent God of my Life that sees it all…cares about it all…is with me through it all…and the great I AM has it ALL in the palm of His Hand. “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength”

How about you?

In His Presence There Is ONLY Good…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s bitter cold this morning and just stepping out onto the front porch to breathe fresh air was almost too painful for me. Stepping onto the front porch in the Winter can be painful, but stepping into the Presence of a Mighty God never is. That’s not to say there aren’t times when I Know that I’ll be taken to the Spiritual Woodshed that I never weep and ask for forgiveness, OR that I’m never ashamed of my Heart. It means that whenever I face Him, in this life or the Next One, in His Presence there is ONLY Good. He IS Mercy, Hope, Joy, Peace, Forgiveness, Compassion, Healing, Love, and a million other Good things! Sometimes I feel a little self-inflicted pain when I turn to Him with a Heart that needs to be Tenderized, but I never feel pain from Him and I never will. When I stand before Him on the day He calls me Home, I’ll Know where He’s taking me, and I’ll have nothing to fear…EVER. Isn’t that the way you look at your Future too?

It can be so easy for some people to distort the Image of God, but they miss out on the meaning of Grace and Mercy when they do. Some live their entire lives in fear of God and they are robbed of the Joy of Faith because of it. Don’t get me wrong, the Fear of God is a good thing and I fear Him too, but I know that if a little pain comes my way He IS NOT trying to crush me, He’s trying to GROW me. When you look at it that way, there’s no pain to fear at all!

If He finds that I need a little “discipline” here and there that’s okay, because I know “The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” If I go through a Season of suffering, I’ll endure it with the right Heart, because His Word says “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” As long as He keeps making me “strong, firm, and steadfast” then I know He’ll continue to use me, so I don’t fear the pain of the Season – I learn to Hold onto Him and Grow through it instead. He is the “Beginning and the End”…the One who “knit me” together in my mother’s womb…the One who “knows every hair” on my head…the One who died for me…the One who has Plans for me…the One who knew me before the foundations of the earth…the One who says “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, YOU ARE MINE.” Why would I live in fear of pain from the One who knows my name and CHOSE me to be one of His own before He even created the earth?

Faith doesn’t need to be nearly as complicated as some people make it out to be. When you Love Him with your whole Heart you accept the Journey and you long to follow the “rules” because it pleases Him when you do! There is more Joy in the Journey with the Living God than anyone can describe with words…but when left to man, that Love becomes conditional, scary, and “too hard” to endure. Some get lost in the fear and some believe they can’t measure up to His expectations and they spend their entire lives lost and alone because of it. Like a child hiding under the bed to escape the boogie man, they attempt to hide from God too. But God knows everything about us and He loves us anyway. He sent His Son to die for every vile thing any human being has ever done and His Grace is sufficient to cover it all if we let Him. It’s sad to see so many people missing out on the Fullness of their Faith. Some out of fear…some out of guilt and shame…some because they think the Journey is too painful…some because they have been convinced that all they ever have to do is say “Yes” to an invitation to Believe and carry a membership card to a local church.

There is a Mighty God in Heaven longing for a bigger, deeper Relationship with His Children. He deserves to be “feared” because of who He is…but He doesn’t get joy out of inflicting pain and He warns us not to be afraid of anything. He’s the Source of Joy and Love and everything Good and if there is any “pain” to fear, it’s missing out on the kind of Relationship He longs to have with His Children.

I began this day with a cold breath of air but I warmed up my Life just by spending Time in the Presence of my God. The world might be a scary place, but I’m not afraid. I might feel a little “pain” here and there, but I’m growing Stronger every day because I Cling to the King, and with Him, there is nothing but Good and never a reason to fear pain.

How about you?

The Waymaker Never Sleeps…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Most High God who “gives and takes away” and He Illuminated His Word to speak to my Heart all over again this morning. While I was enjoying the warmth of the farmhouse, I watched the deer making their way to a feast that had been covered with snow for the last few days. It is fascinating to watch them move in for their feast after the melting takes place and the ground is clear of snow, but it’s not as if they didn’t eat while the ground was covered. It’s not as if they would starve had the melting taken longer. It’s not as if they need men to feed them. They just need to work a little harder for their supper and temporarily turn to the back up diet of bark and twigs instead…AND NEVER give up. The deer intuitively know that if they just keep moving, and refuse to give up, their Provider has a Plan to sustain them. So, as I sat there taking in the ways of nature, I thought about how our Waymaker gives and takes away, and when He does, it’s not time to be discouraged and it’s never time to give up…it’s time to go to the bark and twigs instead. What a Sweet Reminder from a Mighty God that He’s got my Life Covered in Grace no matter what it might look like to me sometimes. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

I’m not sure why some people Persevere through all kinds of turmoil while others throw in the towel at the first sign of difficulty and wait to be fed instead of looking for the twigs and the bark, BUT I AM sure that it’s how we Handle the Journey that will determine our Peace and Joy in the end. If we don’t KEEP MOVING we’ll never get to the other side of the turmoil and we’ll never be able to Claim our Victory because of it. If we refuse to KEEP MOVING like our furry friends, we’ll never be Transformed into a Vessel that can be used by the Living God. If everything in Life was smooth sailing we’d never Develop our Character. If we don’t Overcome…and Live to tell about it….we’d squander away a Testimony of the Power and Might of the God of Grace.

It’s sad to see that some people live their entire lives as if all the “good” is covered by the snow and they don’t hesitate to whine about the God of Grace as if He forgot all about them. They often turn to man to make a way without realizing that, although man may “feed the deer”, it’s never a good idea. Feeding the deer weakens their instinct and feeding the deer attracts their enemies, and the same is true for man. God will always make a way for those who Trust Him. But if we insist on taking matters into our own hands to force the Hand of God…well, we’ll suffer the consequences for our lack of Trust every time. When Moses found himself “confined” by the sea that separated his people from freedom, he whined to God to fix it too…and God DID fix it AFTER He told Moses to KEEP MOVING forward in Faith. Sure enough, the Waymaker made a Way that the world still talks about today but it took Obedience and Faith on the part of Moses to get there.

God used a few feasting deer to speak to my Heart this morning and now my Heart overflows with Gratitude for the One Who ALWAYS makes a way…the One who always Provides…the One who died for me. I Know the One who holds to Keys to Heaven and Hell can open any door, part any sea, heal any disease, halt any snowstorm, and melt any field to feed nature, has my Life Covered in Grace no matter what it looks like to me. I’ll KEEP MOVING because He says so and when (or if) I doubt, I’ll just turn to my furry friends for another lesson on what it looks like to truly “Let go and let God”.

How about you?

The Deception is Working…

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and although it’s starting out cold, it will be warming up by this afternoon and much of our beautiful snow (and ice) will be gone. All it takes is a little snow, a little drifting, and a little ice, and navigating around the farm gets pretty challenging. Although getting snowed in is one of my favorite things, getting snowed out isn’t so great. We had to cancel service at The Well yesterday to avoid anyone getting stuck on roads that have drifted over AND to ensure their safety around the barn from field parking to the sanctuary. Kids everywhere pray for snow days so that they can stay home from school, but canceling church for any reason is heartbreaking to me. I miss my friends. I miss the fellowship. I miss studying His Word together. I miss seeing the joy of the Lord on their faces. I miss praying with them and for them. Missing church is a big deal to me but it sure isn’t to a VERY large number of folks these days. They’ve traded attending church for Sofa Services and nothing could pry them away from the TV on Sunday morning. As I sat in the Presence of the Most High God this morning I cried as I prayed for the remote ones, for the state of the Church today, and for all the Beauty they’re missing by trading church for the couch. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

I know what it looks like to tune into church remotely because I did that very thing myself years ago when my home church was in turmoil and I was in limbo “church hunting”. I know what it feels like to “go to church” in a comfortable chair and to not hesitate to get up for unlimited coffee refills in the middle of the sermon. I know what it feels like to watch church “in comfortable clothes”. I know what it sounds like to have a conversation during prayer time and/or to freely critique the music as if the musicians were a part of America’s Got Talent instead of a church choir. I know what it sounds like to LIE to myself (and to others) about how “whenever two or more are gathered” is a fitting scripture to defend Sofa Services…but it’s not. We can thank the COVID debacle for making a way to draw Christians out of the church and boy, did we make it easy! We can thank the Devil himself for deceiving God’s people into thinking it’s ok to detach from the Church Body even temporarily. The liar from Hell got even more than he bargained for because “52% of “regular church attendees” who left during COVID have never returned” and unless something changes in their Hearts, they never will.

With the Church laser-focused on making the congregation comfortable at all costs, it isn’t hard to figure out how (and why) so many Christians fell into the Devil’s trap of Sofa Service. Coffee shops, professional praise bands, lights, cameras, and ACTION have grown the numbers, that’s for sure, but fellowship (relationship) has taken the back seat in the process and people have disappeared without even being noticed. Gone are the days when churches welcomed a spontaneous testimony about the power of God and time didn’t seem to matter when God was moving. The testimonies we no longer have time for STRENGTHENED the body and spurred us on…AND they were in keeping with what God tells us all to do in and out of the church. Gone are the days when we’d miss a Sunday in church and somebody would reach out to see how we were doing…they noticed and they cared. Unfortunately, the churches today believe bigger is better, and instead of doing their part to get the people BACK into the church where they belong, they’re hiring Pastors who are online experts to build the numbers just like any good business does. Having people attend church remotely while taking their offerings via an app is far too appealing for them to ignore and some studies suggest that one day in the near future the brick-and-mortar church will cease to exist altogether because of it. I hope the Lord calls me Home before that happens because that’s too sad to even think about.

We had to cancel church yesterday and I was LOST because of it. My brothers and sisters in the Lord are my family and they strengthen me for the Journey…and I do my best to strengthen them! David said it best in Psalm 16: “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” You won’t find me “forsaking the assembly” because I know if I do then I’m working against the Plan God has for His people and I care more about pleasing Him than I do about pleasing myself. Just so you know, if you’re reading this and you’re attending Sofa Services (by choice not necessity) I’m praying that God lights a fire within you that cannot be contained that will propel you from the recliner to the alter one day soon.

May God richly bless you on and off the sofa.

The God of Mercy…Still on the Throne!

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Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God nudged me awake long before the sun came up and we had a long talk about Life. My Heart couldn’t wait for the lights to come on so I could see with my eyes that my world is the same today as it was yesterday. Thousands of people are standing by this morning as their homes (or businesses) burn to the ground and my heart is broken for them. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that He is a God who “gives and takes away”, but He is. Sometimes it’s hard to see that He is a God of Mercy, but He is. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that He is a God of Law and Order when it looks like the world has fallen apart, but He is. As I turned to Him for Peace and Direction for such a time as this, He reminded me that He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore no matter (how I perceive) what’s going on around me, and He reinforced my Marching Orders all over again – to share His Goodness of God with a world that needs Him now more than ever. And just like that – my heavy Heart was filled with Peace, Hope, AND Excitment all over again. Following Jesus is a choice. Reading (and Believing) His Word is a choice. Trusting Him when it looks like the world has gone crazy is a choice. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith too?

Some of my favorite passages in the Bible come from Job 38-41 where God paints a picture of His Majesty and Might to a man who had everything taken from Him, from his kids to his wealth and his health. The God of All Creation considered Job to be “the most righteous man” on the planet and yet, He allowed calamity to come into every corner of his life. The kind of calamity that you and I would never EVER want to know. I want to be like Job because, through the calamity, he never stopped praising God. Job made the choice to cling to the Creator no matter what. That’s the good news. The bad news is that “the most righteous man” still managed to get himself into trouble when he presumed to know the Mind and Plans of God and he wasn’t afraid to say so. So the Living God set Job straight with the most beautiful “Where were you?” speech the world has ever heard. By the time God finished His “Where were you speech” Job was so ashamed of his arrogant heart…a heart that presumed to know what God was up to…that he cursed the day he was ever born. With humility like that, it’s no wonder God saw Job as the most Righteous man on the planet! I wonder how many of us are willing to admit that we DO presume to know the Plans of the God who “gives and takes away?” Hmm…

When I consider the “Where Were You” speech this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder what that speech would look like for America today? Would God say “Where were you” when laws were passed that allow us to rip an unborn child from the womb of its mother…70 million times? Would God say “Where were you” when laws were passed to disgrace what He intended to be between a man and a woman?” Would God say “Where were you” when we created new genders of our own and we chose to accept perversion as the “norm?” Would God say “Where were you” when we allowed prayer to be removed from our schools to avoid offending non-believers? Would God say “Where were you” when His commandments were ripped from the walls of our public places for all the world to (not) see?” I don’t want to presume to know the mind of God either…but could it be that God has had enough with our “one nation under God” or that all our efforts to “stand up” are just too little too late in His eyes?

This world needs Jesus Christ now more than ever before and I’ll be sure they hear the Truth when God puts them in my path. The Truth doesn’t come from “secret sources” or a favorite news channel. The ONLY Trustworthy Source of Truth comes from the Living Word of God…period. It’s there where we’ll find the Truth about the God of ALL Creation – the TRUTH about the Future that is possible for those who Believe – the TRUTH about what to expect as the Day draws near – the TRUTH about forgiveness and how to pray for our enemies – the TRUTH about how we have the choice to be “born twice but die once” – the Truth about everlasting Life and immeasurable Joy – the TRUTH about the God who gives and takes away – the TRUTH about the One who died for all. There is pain from coast to coast – from hurricane victims to the raging fires of LA but the God of Mercy is still on the Throne. Lots of things are changing in our world, almost faster than we can comprehend, but the God of Mercy is still on the Throne. Just thinking about my Future with Him fills me with Excitement and my Job Description is clearer than ever before no matter what God decides to take away for such a time as this. I choose to Believe. I choose to forgive. I chose to love. I choose Hope. I choose Jesus.

How about you?

Tenderized and Transformed in the Desert…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God added a beautiful layer of snow to the fields while I was in Pittsburgh to celebrate the 13th birthday of my first grandson. Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall there is no place like home to me. It’s bitter cold this morning, and there won’t be any melting today, but with a hot cup of coffee and a warm Heart, all is well with the world to me. I sat in His Presence for the longest time this morning Preparing for this new day and all that the Alpha and Omega has Planned for me in the days ahead. I’m Excited about His Plans for me and how He will be using me all the days of my life here on earth BECAUSE I’m Armed and Ready… I’m Tenderized and Transformed! I spent years in the desert being Prepared for this precise moment in Time and I was born for such a time as this! Some people will be in a tailspin today over something as simple as a snowfall and some people will hide under the bed over what’s going on in this dark world, but not me because I’ve been to the desert and I’m Prepared for it all. In the desert, I found my Strength and I learned to Lean on Him and I learned that there is no good thing in me apart from Him. I’m a Willing Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and I’m certain that if I keep my focus OFF myself and ON Him, I’ll be Serving Him with honor until He calls me Home…AND I’ll always be Victorious. Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Faith too?

Most people do everything in their power to avoid time in the desert but it’s in the desert where God does His greatest Work on the human Heart. Paul spent three years in Arabia – Moses spent 40 years wandering – Joseph was in Egypt for 13 years – and David spent many years hiding away from King Saul. When we see people soaring in Service to the King of all kings, you’ll always hear that they were sent to the desert first to Prepare their Hearts. This is true from the saints of the Old Testament to people we rub elbows with today. It takes a desert experience to Prepare. Understanding this part is the Key to Peace and having the Heart it takes to see (and Believe) that all things really do work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His Purpose. I received plenty of War wounds while in the desert and “proudly” wear them in the Name of Jesus Christ today as a Witness to how a Mighty God can Transform even the hardest of Hearts with just a little Time in the desert.

Be careful what you wish for in your Journey of Faith – if you sincerely want God to enlarge your territory it’s probably going to involve some time in the desert where “no pain, no gain” takes on New Meaning. After all, if anybody knows how stubborn and selfish the human heart is, God does, and He Knows how to Tenderize the Willing Ones! He Knows that in order to accomplish His Greatest Work through us, He first needs to throw us into the desert…like a spiritual sink-or-swim Experience designed to Strengthen His people. It’s definitely an Honor to be used for Kingdom Work no doubt about that, but it always comes with a price for the Privilege. In the desert, God changes us and removes things that hold us back and make us “useless”. In the desert, He forces us to draw upon His Grace alone. Thank God, the desert is only a short (but Powerful) Season in our Journey of Faith. When He has accomplished what He wants in our lives in the desert, He will bring us out and when He does, we see Kingdom Work in an entirely different Light. God has given each one of us a Mission to fulfill that can only be Fulfilled after we have spent adequate Time being Prepared in the desert. Have no fear of the desert and don’t avoid it like the plague if you desire to be used by the King, because it’s in the desert where you’ll hear His Voice like never before, and it’s there where you’ll receive your Marching Orders for this Journey called Life.

The ground is covered in snow but I’ve been more focused on the desert of my past than what I see with my eyes this morning. I’ve been in the desert and I came out Victorious AND I always will because He promises me that. I have a Testimony that could make the toughest man cry but I wouldn’t change a thing about my Journey. It took the desert to Refine me into the Vessel I am today and my territory just keeps getting bigger and bigger because of it. Be careful what you “wish” for if you want to be a Vessel used by the King of all kings, it always comes with a “price” to Prepare. There are no words for my Gratitude for a God who loves me enough to take me to the desert so that I can have the privilege of doing Kingdom work on this side of Heaven until I draw my last breath.

How about you?

Lack of Gratitude Leads to Whining…Ouch!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was a blistery 22 degrees at sunrise and snow is on the way. Although I’m not too keen on the idea that the snowfall may get in the way of my plans, I’ve prayed for snow to nourish the land, so I’ll do my best to trade my disappointment for gratitude. This isn’t the first time recently that God has changed the plans and I’m sure it won’t be the last. As I sat there in the presence of the Most High God I thought about how easy it is for some people to come to the conclusion that doesn’t Know what He’s doing when it comes to changing the Plans…but the God of Tomorrow always knows what He’s doing and all plans, large and small, belong to Him. Although the Word says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” there is no promise to avoid pain and disappointment throughout the Journey. It all comes down to whether or not we choose to whine about our circumstances or if we’re willing to Trust Him no matter what. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith too?

If there is anything that can tap my last nerve it’s whining – especially when it comes forth from a professed Follower of Jesus Christ. The whiners will shake their fists at the first sign of disappointment and they don’t hesitate to ask “Why me Lord?” as if they’re being picked on by the Author and Perfector of their Faith. The whiners want His Plans to conform to their plans and when they don’t…off they go. They spend a lot of time focusing on all those things they don’t have as if God has forgotten them and when they’re reminded of what they DO have they shrug it off as if it is meaningless compared to what they really want. They are like a real-time example of the Israelites who grew tired of the miraculous food provisions God rained down day after day because they wanted meat instead of manna. Whiners don’t see themselves as a defiant child but that’s the way God sees them, and as long as they shake their firsts in defiance with an ungrateful heart, they can’t receive all the Good that God has for them. It puts the saying “your own worst enemy” into a spiritual perspective. The Key to Peace and Contentment is so easy when you think about it…Be Grateful for all things and Trust Him with the Plans. This is the Key to Maturity in the Journey of Faith.

The whiners seem to have a perpetual half-empty glass and they LOVE LOVE LOVE to gossip because talking about someone else makes them feel better about their own circumstances. But it’s when we refuse to whine and we trade gossip for heartfelt prayers on behalf of the one we talked against that we see the most amazing fruit come forth in the one we’re praying for AND in ourselves. Whiners have a difficult time with forgiveness and they only extend it to people they deem to be worthy to be forgiven as if Jesus had exemptions for forgiveness that we don’t know about. If you wrong a whiner, they can hold onto what they perceive to be a personal offense forever. The best part is that they’ll attempt to justify their hard heart and they’re rarely willing to take the first step in the forgiveness process. It’s only when we can see ourselves the way God sees us – when we comprehend how hopeless we are without Him – it’s only when we can genuinely embrace the Grace that we can learn to easily forgive. This is the Key to Surrender in the Journey of Faith.

I’m disappointed about the changed Plans of late BUT I have complete Trust in the One who is in Control of my Life. When something happens to change my plans I pause to consider what God is doing to Steer my Life in a better (or safer) direction and I NEVER wonder if He knows what He’s doing. He’s my Father and I’m His child. I don’t want to be a defiant child in His eyes. I don’t want to be ungrateful in His eyes. I don’t want to be one unwilling to Trust because of my own insecurities. I want to worship the King of all kings with every breath I take and when He Redirects me I’ll say “Yes, Lord” without question.

How about you?