You Have A Pillar

"Therefore prepare yourself and arise...I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar...They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you." 

(Jeremiah 1:17a, 18a, 19)

Maybe you can identify with that seesaw between confident and not. I know that I've been waffling between feelings of utmost confidence and extreme brokenness. It's an odd place to be. But Jeremiah has truly been ministering to me in this season. As I read, I was reminded that in the midst of my brokenness I have a pillar who has fortified me.  When I'm falling behind the shadows, He's there. When I'm feeling like I can step confidently into light is shining in my life, He's there. Through it all what He asks is that I prepare myself and arise each and every day. Each day we have a choice to walk in the full understanding that God has reinforced us as iron pillars. And, even better than that, GOD is the greatest pillar that we have. He'll be with you and deliver you.

Be encouraged. -MinD

Do You Have Luxury-Style Faith?

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us"  Ephesians 3:20
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

I was talking with a friend of mine and she was updating a group of us on all the wonderful new blessings that God was bringing her way. We were all quite excited as we listened about the new house about to close, the great job, the anticipated graduate studies...We celebrated with her how God was doing a marvelous work. And then she began to talk about her car situation. You see, she had recently given her car to a family (yes...for free) out of obedience to God. So, for the time being, she is car-less. The faith she expressed in giving her car away was the kind that so many of us are scared of but yearn for all in the same breath--the kind that is pleasing to God. 

As she discussed getting a new car soon, she made mention that she had often felt like this was the year that she would get her luxury car. But, in the next sentence she began to talk about how that was not going to happen because of all the other blessings. She couldn't make sense of buying that luxury vehicle while incurring the new debt of a house and schooling. 

As she talked, the Lord placed on my heart to remind her that she needed to have "Luxury-style faith". 

Her faith had been astounding for the house. It had been on point for the other person's blessing in her previous car. But somehow, it stopped just short of the next exciting blessing. And while, cars and things are not to be the center of our faith (please hear that I am not preaching a "prosperity gospel" that says the point of faith is to get stuff), the Lord was using this example to remind her and me that HE goes further than the place that our faith stops. God's promise extends far beyond the reaches of our reason into a place that leaves us dangling on the edge of a cliff, unsure of how He could possibly make it work. And I was reminded of the spies that Moses sent out to check out the Promised Land (Numbers 13, 14). Of the twelve, only two (Joshua and Caleb) came back with a hopeful report. And, consequently, God blessed only those two to see the fruits of their faith. 
 
Joshua and Caleb had LUXURY-style faith...so how about you? Is your faith compact? Or even just mid-sized? Do you only go so far in your belief in what God can/will do? Does it just fall short of the extraordinary? Today, I challenge you to rid yourself of compact and mid-sized dreams and have LUXURY-style faith--understanding that those dreams truly can become a reality.

Be encouraged!

MinD

3 - 6 - 12 A Multiplication Anointing

There's a MULTIPLICATION anointing on this day! As I wrote the date in my journal this morning, I took note that today is "3-6-12" and the Spirit of the Lord laid on my heart that today He is "doubling" the blessings, doubling the anointing, doubling our clarity, doubling our awareness of the grace He has extended, doubling our awareness of how He is moving in our lives. Keep your eyes open and WATCH HIM MOVE! If you approach Him with an expectant and open spirit, He will pour out a blessing (both tangible and spiritual) that you won't have room to receive just as it says in the Scriptures. You may not see evidence/manifestation of that doubling today but it WILL COME. Wait on Him and watch it unfold. Do not allow doubt to hinder His ability to flow freely in your life. EXPECT the promise!

Undercover Christian?

I met a couple a few weeks ago who had once been super involved in church, got burned out, and then retreated. The husband admitted that over the last few years, he had become an undercover Christian. He was still a good person, but there was never any overt display of his Christ-centered life. He'd go to church faithfully but never really talk about that or God or what God was doing in his life. His testimony, though extensive, was shut up in his sealed lips. And it wasn't until recently when the Lord began to prick his heart did he realize that he had turned into an Undercover Christian.

Some of you can relate to this world. You have great intentions and love the Lord with all your heart. Maybe somewhere along the way you were hurt. Perhaps you were disillusioned by something someone said or did who professed to be a Christian. Maybe you didn't want to be like so many other public Christians who simply came off as hypocritical. So you keep your nose to grindstone and your lips zipped.

I am reminded of Queen Esther who was presented with a similar predicament. She had an extreme love for God but had settled into living out that love in private. However, contrary what society would have you believe, faith is not supposed private. Faith should be one of the most public things you live out. Just like your favorite sports team or hobby that preoccupies your time and mind, faith should be that thing that EVERYbody knows about because you purposely enter into conversations where you're always "name dropping" God. It doesn't mean being obnoxious, but it shouldn't be a secret. And, like Esther, there comes a time for every Undercover Christian to come out of hiding "for such a time as this".

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise 

for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. 

Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  

                                                                                            Esther 4:14 (NKJV)



(When you get the chance, read the whole 4th chapter of Esther.) The Spirit of the Lord has been gnawing at my spirit with the statement that this is the season for bold movement. This is the season to "go" and be bold in the process--unapologetic for doing what God has been pushing you to do. This is the season where remaining in hiding and silent is your choice, but not the best option. So I encourage you today...pull back the covers and claim your rightful inheritance. Like Esther, we have to be willing to risk it all for God and stop worrying about what other people may think and/or do. Move into the things of God boldly knowing that God's glory will prevail.

Be encouraged as you move!

Blessings,
MinD

You ARE Enough!

I had a dream that I couldn’t get in to a very important meeting. The meeting unlocked the key to me getting something I wanted and I was stopped at the door by a lady with a clipboard who said that my clothes were too stained and I would have to change. I ran back to my room searching for unstained clothes—unable to find anything that would work. Eventually I sat in a pool of my clothes and tears, dejected and feeling inadequate. I wouldn’t be able to get what I wanted because of my stains.

That feeling of inadequacy haunted me as I awoke this morning. It is a feeling that I feel at times (I won’t say often but enough). And tears welled in my eyes as I imagined that I was not alone—that so many of you awoke this morning or walk through your lives feeling inadequate. You feel as though the “stains” of your life hold you back and prevent you from getting all that you want out of life. You’re not blaming anyone else but yourself for the fact that life hasn’t turned out the way you want. And there are days when you sit in the middle of your mess feeling hopeless and inadequate.

The Good News is that you don’t have to stay in that hopeless space. I began to be reassured this morning that God fills in the gaps where I am not enough. The Bible tells us:

⁵ Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,… ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

2 Corinthians 3:5, 9:8 (NASB)

Now that’s a good word! Through God we become enough! With that knowledge, attack your day and your circumstances with power. With that understanding, encourage yourself in the Lord to complete those things that you once felt held back from. You can do it. You ARE enough!

Be encouraged,

MinD

DON’T DRAG YOUR FEET!

“I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet, 

was quick to follow your orders. The wicked hemmed me 

in-there was no way out-but not for a minute did 

I forget your plan for me.” Psalm 119:60-61 (MSG)

Thus says the Lord: THE TIME IS NOW. Isaiah 49 calls it “the acceptable time”. Esther says “for such a time as this”. The Spirit of the Lord is saying the time is NOW. Whatever it is that you have been dragging your feet on, it’s time to break loose from those chains that are weighing your feet down and move forward. God is speaking. Take time today to get quiet and hear what He is saying to you. You may say “I didn’t hear anything”, but I promise it’s not because He’s silent. Sometimes He comes with an audible voice, sometimes it’s just that ‘peace that surpasses all understanding guarding your spirit’ around a decision or circumstance, at times it’s through the words of others…these days God even sends emails and text messages. Be intentional about stripping yourself of the noise of your life. Clean out your spiritual ears. Don’t allow the wicked things of this world to hem you up. And when the Word comes to leave, move, do, be, say…Don't just continue to talk about what "you're gonna do" or what you've been "meaning" to do. This is not the time for talk. This is the time for action! DON’T DRAG YOUR FEET and be QUICK in following through, and watch God move on your behalf as a response!

Be blessed as you pursue him with fervor in this day!

--MinD

These Are Your "FREE DAYS"!

9) I tell prisoners, 'Come on out. You're free!' and those huddled in fear, 'It's all right. It's safe now.' There'll be foodstands along all the roads, picnics on all the hills— 13) Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead! Mountains, send up cheers! God has comforted his people. He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people. Isaiah 49:9, 13 (MSG)

The other day, I was going to pay bills and I had only so much money that was well under what I needed to meet all the ends. So I did what any person would do and figured out what had to get done now and what could wait and went to payin’. Truly, the blessings of the Lord had to STRETCH just like they do every month, but I had peace. I had it worked out so that all the important stuff got paid even though it left me with zero. That was ok with me. So when I called to make a car insurance payment and the lady said “I’m sorry but you don’t have a payment due. You are in your free days. It looks like you made an extra payment along the way.” You should have seen my eyes bugging out. I told the woman I didn’t recall making an extra payment but if she said so then OK and I wouldn’t block my blessing. As I hung up, I could do nothing but shout praises to God because I knew that the LORD made that extra payment.

And the Lord quickened my spirit at what she had said: walking in my free days. He wants you to know that we ALL are walking in our “FREE DAYS”! Truly, the Lord has set us free. He gives us license to be released from bondage and go forth in boldness. Whatever/whoever is has you feeling in a funk…press on through! Whatever your circumstance lurks overhead, “Come on out. You’re free!” Today, make up your mind to walk as though you are truly liberated. Though you didn’t make the payment (Jesus paid the price back on Calvary), you can definitely reap the benefits! Decide today that it’s going to be a good day, a good week, a good year, a good season…ON PURPOSE. Break out! Raise the roof! These are your free days!!!

Be encouraged (and encourage someone else)!

MinD