dare to ask

Lines

Here’s a good question to ask God. “What’s on your heart Lord?”

My people are hurting…they need the love of the Father. The perfect love that takes away all fear, that empowers with wonder and overcomes all the odds. It’s a joyous part of the journey that overcomes all obstacles and tears down all boundaries. No walls can keep Me away when you say “Yes Papa”.

Call to me, I will answer! I am here, sense My presence. My heart is for you. It is filled with abundance, receive my child, receive my goodness. I withhold no good thing from those who ask. Ask and it will be given, ask, I am waiting and I am willing. Ask.

Are you asking?
Is it just a motion or are you expecting His answer?
Are you taking time to listen?

Ask Him to share a verse, a word, a picture, a song. Write it down and ask Him again to explain why He shared that. So many of our thoughts are God’s promptings. He knows us so intimately.

This LINK will share with you several verses on how long God really has known you!

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:8

Seldom going to give us what we desire until we ASK.

Heavenly Father – thank you that You know us so well. You know just what we need, what we are facing with trails, relationships and questions. You know who we are going to encounter today. Over and over in Your word, you tell us that all we have to do is ask. It’s not about our works but about Your goodness. We ASK Lord to know Your heart better. We ASK Lord to have great wisdom and revelation in our knowledge of You. We ASK Lord that You would prepare us and those we need to share Your love with. We ASK for earthly relationships restored. We ASK for healing and wholeness for those sick and confused. We ASK for peace to surround our world. And we ASK to hear Your voice with a new clarity that increases each day. We give thanks Lord that Your sheep hear Your voice and another they will not follow! 

knowing the heart

Matter of the Heart

I woke to the words “there is a way that seems right but it leads to death” I was familiar with the verse but not where… Prov 14 verse 12

Why this message Lord?

The world is looking to things of man not what is the heavenly realm. I bring eternity to those who will seek me. I’m planting seeds of discontent with what the world is showing people. They will rise up and receive great grace when they seek me with all of their heart.

So many are giving lip service but not heart surrender. I long to have that heart communion with them. It’s not a matter of the mind but of the heart.

God isn’t looking for people successful in the worldly ways but in kingdom ways. He doesn’t need more Pharisee’s and teachers of the law, but a Bride who knows Him – like the humble followers of Jesus.

God wants us to know Him!

Think of the many earthly relationships you have… what are your conversations about? We seldom ask about the passions, the desires of the heart. We can read a book about a person but that is only a segment of who they are. There are many chapters unwritten and it is the same with our Lord.

The sacrifice and redemption of Christ isn’t just for our eternal desination but to tear down ALL the separation that was brought in the garden and beyond. Christ did not die just clothe us and cover our shame but to remove it as far as the east is from the west so that we can once again walk openly in the garden with Him.

You might say I’m just one of the unique ones that hears from God…not really. You are hearing Him too.

Chose today not to put His voice aside. Ask Him what is on His heart. His greatest desire is for ALL to know Him. 

Forgive me Lord for the ways I push Your voice aside. I want to know You more. I want to have more conversations with You and know Your heart in a fuller way. Thank you that Christ in us is the hope of glory and You never leave us or forsake us. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening….

more than enough

“Shower of Blessings: Are you open to receive?”

I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God’s straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you many times over as you deepen in your experience with God and Jesus, our Master.

Don’t Put It Off

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

 So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:1-11

heir to what

Royalty

What does it look like to be an heir? 

Our earthly definition is a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person’s death OR a person inheriting and continuing the legacy of a predecessor.

What you are heir to depends on who died.

Did you inherit debt, investments, pets, or homes? Maybe someone left you a car, painting, business or ministry.

Generally an heir receives things that were previously part of the deceased person’s life. Seems pretty basic, right?

Why do we as believers in Christ, His Word and His kingdom, feel “we have to die” before we receive our inheritance? 

Who are we inheriting from then?
How can we inherit from ourselves?

(Yes, I have these wonderful conversations with God. Thankfully He’s gracious in His sharing and continues to tell me to Ask, Seek, Knock.)

Reading, studying, meditating, and praying through God’s word isn’t just brownie points, its learning God’s ways and seeking to understand Him more.

The death of Jesus gave each and every believer an eternal inheritance. That clock starts when the moment we say YES to him. It doesn’t have to wait for our earthly death. Jesus already passed on the inheritance at the cross.

Take some time in these coming days to ask the Lord what your inheritance is through Jesus’ death. I don’t think we’ll all get the same answers.

It seems like a Trust Fund to me. The more we mature, the more He can trust us, the more we will see and experience. It’s not all released at once but it’s all saved up for later either.

Lord, thank you that You give good and perfect gifts to Your children. That you have not left any of us as orphans without hope but love to lavish on us. Help us to know and understand Your ways and seek Your goodness – on earth as it is in heaven. 

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

The good Samaritan story – GO AND DO LIKEWISE. Luke 10

even in storms

Night time is not the right time to get great color photos of your art work but it will suffice to demonstrate today. This was a photo from a friend. I loved that it captured both storm and beauty and asked if I could study it. My study may seem a bit different but it’s to get paint out and capture some parts of the photo. Not exact. Not precise. More the feeling of that moment of study. This photo speaks richly. First seen on a higher resolution computer screen, it lacks a lot on my laptop but still inspires.

We often will look at something and have a quick thought, impression or understanding. It’s when we take some time to study the scene, person, situation or passage – when something more comes.

Relating to God’s word, I think of the mystery that requires revelation and why we are told to “meditate” on His word day and night. We have different perspectives during light or darkness.

Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Ephesians 4:26

Relationships should not be a holding tank for the storm. They should be a place of grace, forgiveness and hope.

We could concentrate on the storms or chose to look for the sun setting, seeking the rainbow, the  wonder, the possibility and promise.

A verse comes to mind…

He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Psalm 23:5

Thank you Lord that even when things seem the darkest, when the storm seems the roughest and everywhere we turn seems to be bleak, there is a table of Your goodness ready and waiting for us to discover. Thank you that through Christ we are more than conquerors! Let us share Your good news through this week with those we encounter so they too can see Your goodness in new light! 

 

 

 

how big is your God

Where’s Your Focus?

As I read a journal note about worldviews and putting God in a box, that question continued.

How big is your God?

Is the God you are believing in the same one who created the heavens and the earth? Is your God the one who brought the plagues and stood up the sea to save His people? Is He the ALMIGHTY ONE who sent His SON so you could be FREE? Is the God you believe in one you will trust? Is He bigger than cancer, wiser than the government and stronger than any natural disaster?

Why are we trying to keep Him in a little box?

Maybe it’s more important to ask why are we keeping ourselves in a box?

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Romans 8:11 NLT

Forgive us Lord for the ways we have been limiting You and limiting ourselves. Your word says that with You nothing is impossible. It says with You, nothing is too difficult. Thank you Lord that we can trust completely in You and can walk in Your ways. Guide us through this week Lord. Let us see more clearly the fullness of Your love and know the goodness of Your heart. That our lives will be lived for Your glory!! 

 

write this down

holy and blameless

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 ESV

I recently met someone who was practicing her hearing from God and shared with me. She felt to ask me if would write things in a journal. I said YES. A lot!!! She was relieved because it meant she was also on track in her hearing. She expanded to say I needed to review my journals. I had to tell her that I do that regularly too! She smiled bigger and shared a bit more. It was a very good God confirmation and some direction of all that has been written outside of this blog.

Many places in God’s word talk about us writing things, sharing with others, and the word of our testimony.

Our lives matter.
What God is doing in them matters.
We ARE the mouthpiece for the Lord.
What are your words and writings saying…

And then God answered: “Write this.
    Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
    so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
    pointing to what’s coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
    And it doesn’t lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
    It’s on its way. It will come right on time.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 MSG

vision source

New Discovery

Last weeks ministry conference brought many great points to ponder. I’ll share a few areas I look forward to digging deeper on.

The story of Cornelius and Peter’s “confusing” call to go to him. Peter finds revelation from his “vision” and “stepping” in obedience.

Was going to Cornelius safe for Peter?
Was it comfortable?
His vision of animals and to kill and eat – how does that translate to all “people” being acceptable to God?

God’s ways are seldom our normal ways! 

Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone.”
Acts 10:34-36

Peter was trying to limit God with his reaction to the vision. Yes a great follower but still being shown more. He dared to step out in what was uncomfortable.

Thank you God that we have such examples of faith in action. Not just faith in traditions and understanding, but faith that what You share is even more important. Let us not discount what You are revealing to us each day. 

be the light

There are no two the same in my Kingdom. There is none like you. Trust yourself and trust what we are doing in you. We will not let you fall. Just stay close to us. Do not let darkness overtake you. Be the LIGHT.

…whispers from above – we never walk alone!

be one in love

The words of Jesus are so rich…

This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:16

Valentine’s day brings a big range of emotions for many but I think of the “greater love” we have from our Father in heaven. The one who gave His all – His Son for us. Who gives good and perfect gifts if we’ll receive them.

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:22-23

God doesn’t want to give glory to other gods or idols but He does want to give us so much more. I pray this week is one where you will see His goodness, receive His glorious gifts and feel the sweetness of His presence.