Often I’ve heard the phrase, “Go to the cross.” It means to take the sin, the brokenness, whatever oppresses you to the cross but the key that people forget… is to leave it there. Christians have a habit of hanging out at the cross…hanging out in the past.
Yes, I refer to the cross as the past. Maybe not for those newly coming into the kingdom of God, but when they pray and ask Jesus into their lives and for forgiveness of sins, it is done. Period. We do not need to spend time there and “make sure it is at the cross or on the cross.” Jesus died to set us free and give us an amazing future.
I’m sorry but too many times I’ve seen God’s people use the cross as an excuse to stay where they are. Too many times I’ve seen God’s people (me included) return to the cross, pick up that sin or brokenness and place it back again. Do we have times in life when something plagues us and when there are things not easily let go of? Sure. Yet, we need to realize and remember that Jesus took the punishment at the cross and it was completed. For some the cross represents a place of punishment instead of freedom and so they stay there and repeat the past, punish themselves and so on and so forth. If you remember one thing…remember this: the cross is a place of forgiveness and letting go, a place of victory and moving on, not a dwelling place.
Colossians 1:20 says, “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
Colossians 2:14 says, “having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”
If the cross was a place meant to spend a lot of time at, Jesus would have stayed there longer, but He didn’t and so we shouldn’t either. Forgive yourself, forgive others, let the past go and run to your future. Stop letting the past keep you there…don’t let your future pass you by.
The cross was something Jesus took care of because He loved us and we desperately needed Him to, but it is finished and He has since been hanging out in the courts of Heaven, not standing at the cross. I have this image in my mind of us bringing our “stuff” to the cross and Jesus standing there saying, “Ok, now let it go and come with me. You are not meant to dwell here.”
Jesus isn’t at the cross…He is on His throne. He left the cross and never returned, so why do we? Our sins were taken care of that day; we were set free that day, so it’s a matter of living that out. I don’t know about you, but I want to be where Jesus is and He isn’t hanging out at the cross. Will you dwell in your past or run to your future? Will you be a squatter at the cross or a throne dweller?
Hebrews 12:1-21 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (emphasis my own)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sunday, November 27, 2011
What is the view from where your standing?
Did you ever stop to really think about how your point of view or the view from where your standing can affect your life? As I was falling asleep last night, I was meditating on the goodness of God in all circumstances and He showed something to me. I saw our circumstances, our past, our futures like a lattice tightly woven and it stood between ourselves and God. We are trying to find God and see Him through our circumstances, our past and even the unknown things of the future. We look hard with intent written upon our faces, often discouraged because the things of the past love to be the center of attention in our lives and make it hard to really find God, to know what He thinks of us. If our point of view shoves our past in our faces, causes us to retreat from God in fear, "take control" instead of trusting and not truly knowing how valuable we are to God...then we need to change positions.
We need to change our point of view, we need to change the place of our standing...in essence we need to move to the other side of the lattice work and look at ourselves, our past, our circumstances and futures THROUGH God. You see, when we look at ourselves through God, we see what He sees...His children, a royal priesthood, chosen, set apart and deeply loved beyond our comprehension. Yet, the most amazing view we will get is that instead of trying to find God through the lattice work of the past, present and future, we will see that He actually covers it all. All you see is Him...and that is all that matters.
How do you walk through life looking at your circumstances, your past or your future? Are you standing there trying to find God or do you see that He is covering the past, present and future? If you are standing on the wrong side of the lattice work...or fence, then come to the other side...it's a much better view from here. Remember God's love covers it all. Just ask Him to help you see things through His eyes...including yourself. He is faithful and loves to talk about His children.
And here is a parting thought for next time...fear of the past or fear over the past will lead to fear of the future.
We need to change our point of view, we need to change the place of our standing...in essence we need to move to the other side of the lattice work and look at ourselves, our past, our circumstances and futures THROUGH God. You see, when we look at ourselves through God, we see what He sees...His children, a royal priesthood, chosen, set apart and deeply loved beyond our comprehension. Yet, the most amazing view we will get is that instead of trying to find God through the lattice work of the past, present and future, we will see that He actually covers it all. All you see is Him...and that is all that matters.
How do you walk through life looking at your circumstances, your past or your future? Are you standing there trying to find God or do you see that He is covering the past, present and future? If you are standing on the wrong side of the lattice work...or fence, then come to the other side...it's a much better view from here. Remember God's love covers it all. Just ask Him to help you see things through His eyes...including yourself. He is faithful and loves to talk about His children.
And here is a parting thought for next time...fear of the past or fear over the past will lead to fear of the future.
Monday, October 3, 2011
FOR REAL
I am sitting here at my computer at 11:40pm. I have just finished one of the most amazing books outside of the Bible. Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. The book is about a little boy’s journey to heaven and back and it is all true. Once I started the book I couldn’t put it down, I cried and laughed and cried some more and then just because…I cried some more. Yet, I was not crying because it was saddening or terrifying. I cried because the book is a glimpse of God’s massive and passionate love for us. I would be reading the book well past midnight (the first night-because it did take me two nights to read), crying and saying to the Lord, “You are good.” God knows our heart, the desires of it, the pains of it and the things we keep to ourselves. God’s love for us is so strong it defeated death once and for all…sending His only Son to defeat death et al on the cross and opening the door to full access to the Heavenly Father through Jesus.
A month or so back another book caught my attention, 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese. I couldn’t put that book down either, the man vividly described what he saw in hell and what God wanted him to share because God’s love is so strong He wants no one to go to hell. Hell wasn’t even made for people. I remember being troubled by this and what I had read and feeling that I need to have the same urgency, but not to declare “Hell is waiting for you, but God is waiting for you…choose His love.” We should spread the message of God’s love…that is more effective in emptying hell than scaring people to death. Yes, we need to realize hell is real and when people do not have a relationship with God they do not go to heaven and our hearts need to grieve over those who refuse God’s open hand. Go into all the world and spread the good news…Jesus loves you, wants to be with you…plain and simple. The way to heaven is narrow, but not complicated. Reading a book like Heaven is for Real reminds you of that. Jesus said we need to be like little children in Matthew 18:3, children are simple but smart, they have faith and what do they want most from their parents?…just to be with them, oh how we should have such a desire for our Father (He so obviously has that desire for us).
A door is opening…the light of God’s love and His intentions are shining through and it is so bright you almost have to close your eyes and open again, squint and ask yourself, “am I really seeing this, feeling this?” So yes, hell is for real and Satan and all that darkness, but heaven is real and God and His love and that far outweighs anything because remember in His word in Romans 8, He says, “nothing can separate us.”
Love died for us, defeated the grave, opened the door, cast out fear, is strong enough, is full enough and love’s name is Jesus and He is waiting…just waiting for you to say, “Yes.” Let me leave you with this one parting thought…
One of my parents favorite memories of when my daughter was small, was when her and I would pull up to their house, she would bound out of the car and throw their door open and holler with excitement, “I’mmmm heeerrrrree!!” Now Jesus says we are to be like little children and the Bible also says we are to come boldly or confidently into His throne room, now some of you may think “well, that’s not dignified or respectful,” but let me challenge you with this thought…my daughter did such things because she knew my parents would scoop her up with hugs and kisses and be oh so very happy to see her, so why wouldn’t our Heavenly Father do the same? Do you know Him for real?
A month or so back another book caught my attention, 23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese. I couldn’t put that book down either, the man vividly described what he saw in hell and what God wanted him to share because God’s love is so strong He wants no one to go to hell. Hell wasn’t even made for people. I remember being troubled by this and what I had read and feeling that I need to have the same urgency, but not to declare “Hell is waiting for you, but God is waiting for you…choose His love.” We should spread the message of God’s love…that is more effective in emptying hell than scaring people to death. Yes, we need to realize hell is real and when people do not have a relationship with God they do not go to heaven and our hearts need to grieve over those who refuse God’s open hand. Go into all the world and spread the good news…Jesus loves you, wants to be with you…plain and simple. The way to heaven is narrow, but not complicated. Reading a book like Heaven is for Real reminds you of that. Jesus said we need to be like little children in Matthew 18:3, children are simple but smart, they have faith and what do they want most from their parents?…just to be with them, oh how we should have such a desire for our Father (He so obviously has that desire for us).
A door is opening…the light of God’s love and His intentions are shining through and it is so bright you almost have to close your eyes and open again, squint and ask yourself, “am I really seeing this, feeling this?” So yes, hell is for real and Satan and all that darkness, but heaven is real and God and His love and that far outweighs anything because remember in His word in Romans 8, He says, “nothing can separate us.”
Love died for us, defeated the grave, opened the door, cast out fear, is strong enough, is full enough and love’s name is Jesus and He is waiting…just waiting for you to say, “Yes.” Let me leave you with this one parting thought…
One of my parents favorite memories of when my daughter was small, was when her and I would pull up to their house, she would bound out of the car and throw their door open and holler with excitement, “I’mmmm heeerrrrree!!” Now Jesus says we are to be like little children and the Bible also says we are to come boldly or confidently into His throne room, now some of you may think “well, that’s not dignified or respectful,” but let me challenge you with this thought…my daughter did such things because she knew my parents would scoop her up with hugs and kisses and be oh so very happy to see her, so why wouldn’t our Heavenly Father do the same? Do you know Him for real?
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Losing Fear
Losing fear has got to be one of the hardest things. It’s like breaking out of a very familiar place into unfamiliar territory. You almost question whether it is right because breaking out of it seems foreign. Sometimes it feels like it chases you down. God’s word says He has not given us a spirit of fear but one of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). God is love, not fear…so why is fear the familiar place? We become accustomed to fear because it almost makes more sense than faith…in fear we can imagine what may happen and “prepare” ourselves for it…maybe so it hurts less? Faith requires trusting in something you cannot see and not allowing your imagination to take over (because lets face it most of the time our imaginations…well imagine the worst).
Fear of the unknown is a big one, yet our imaginations fill in the blanks and cause more trouble than trusting in God and His wonderful plans for us (Jer 29:11). We place our trust in fear because we think whether conscious or not that it will protect us, we see it, it is familiar…with fear we can imagine the worst…versus with faith we hope for the best. We must learn to trust in God completely…even though it may seem so foreign, because He has nothing bad in store. Why is it easier to trust in fear and let our imaginations take over then just to say, "you know what I don’t know what will happen, but I know God’s love is bigger than this issue and God’s love for me ALWAYS comes through."
99% of the time our fears never come true, but God’s love ALWAYS comes through. So let’s trust in that, because after all…perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
Lose the fear and gain the faith. Remember all you need is the size of a mustard seed.
Faith moves mountains…fear builds them. So....lose the fear.
Fear of the unknown is a big one, yet our imaginations fill in the blanks and cause more trouble than trusting in God and His wonderful plans for us (Jer 29:11). We place our trust in fear because we think whether conscious or not that it will protect us, we see it, it is familiar…with fear we can imagine the worst…versus with faith we hope for the best. We must learn to trust in God completely…even though it may seem so foreign, because He has nothing bad in store. Why is it easier to trust in fear and let our imaginations take over then just to say, "you know what I don’t know what will happen, but I know God’s love is bigger than this issue and God’s love for me ALWAYS comes through."
99% of the time our fears never come true, but God’s love ALWAYS comes through. So let’s trust in that, because after all…perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
Lose the fear and gain the faith. Remember all you need is the size of a mustard seed.
Faith moves mountains…fear builds them. So....lose the fear.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
What is Your Effort Producing
I remember when I was a teenager (wow the distance between now and that time grows) I wanted to hear the voice of God desperately. I wanted to feel how real He was. The problem was that I kept trying to connect with God through my youth leaders. I would weekly go up and ask them to pray for me, I wanted more of God and I remember trying to rid myself of anything that I thought would be ungodly. I remember times when I felt so desperate I would cry.
One night after lying on the floor of the youth room for a while waiting on God I became angry, because I couldn’t feel Him…and I wanted to feel His presence. To prove to me how real He was. I got up off the floor that night and left angry and stayed angry and allowed that anger to steer me away from God and into the arms of young men.
After going a very hard road and not realizing that God pursued me the entire time until much later, I gave my heart back to God. At first because I was desperate not to have my heart broken by another man again (it was only a few, but a few too many), but as God gradually wooed me and healed my heart I clung to Him for Him. I realized much later that I was trying to find the touch of God in a person, and He had a much better plan for me, but because I really didn’t pursue Him (outside of those youth nights), because I didn’t wait upon Him and I listened to the lie of the enemy I felt let down by Him and gave my heart to another.
God desires relationship with us, a deep intimacy. I couldn’t feel Him in those days because I was seeking it in others and not going directly to the source. He wasn’t ignoring me or withholding because I wasn’t ‘right’ or going about it all wrong, but now I see a teaching moment. Everything worth having is worth waiting upon, at times worth pursuing and ultimately worth working for. Relationships are work; they take time and effort and are so worth it. I’ve developed the love of gardening and at this moment due to a well water issue I have to hand water all my vegetable plants. The Lord is using this time and this effort to prepare me for marriage and to deepen my relationship with Him.
We can either take the easy road in relationships (setting a hose and forgetting) or put forth the effort (weeding, caring for, and in my case hand watering) and reap the greatest benefits…effort and time always lead to deeper intimacy in all relationships. Those vegetables have become “my babies” so to speak; I hand care for those crops, I take time and invest effort into those crops and I know I will reap a wonderful harvest. See the parallel?
I also pray in that garden and listen for the life lessons the Lord wants to speak to me through gardening. I know with all of this, those will be some of the best tasting vegetables and fruit I have ever eaten. I know the same for my relationship with Jesus, the lover of my soul and the husband the Lord has set aside for me. What will be your harvest?
One night after lying on the floor of the youth room for a while waiting on God I became angry, because I couldn’t feel Him…and I wanted to feel His presence. To prove to me how real He was. I got up off the floor that night and left angry and stayed angry and allowed that anger to steer me away from God and into the arms of young men.
After going a very hard road and not realizing that God pursued me the entire time until much later, I gave my heart back to God. At first because I was desperate not to have my heart broken by another man again (it was only a few, but a few too many), but as God gradually wooed me and healed my heart I clung to Him for Him. I realized much later that I was trying to find the touch of God in a person, and He had a much better plan for me, but because I really didn’t pursue Him (outside of those youth nights), because I didn’t wait upon Him and I listened to the lie of the enemy I felt let down by Him and gave my heart to another.
God desires relationship with us, a deep intimacy. I couldn’t feel Him in those days because I was seeking it in others and not going directly to the source. He wasn’t ignoring me or withholding because I wasn’t ‘right’ or going about it all wrong, but now I see a teaching moment. Everything worth having is worth waiting upon, at times worth pursuing and ultimately worth working for. Relationships are work; they take time and effort and are so worth it. I’ve developed the love of gardening and at this moment due to a well water issue I have to hand water all my vegetable plants. The Lord is using this time and this effort to prepare me for marriage and to deepen my relationship with Him.
We can either take the easy road in relationships (setting a hose and forgetting) or put forth the effort (weeding, caring for, and in my case hand watering) and reap the greatest benefits…effort and time always lead to deeper intimacy in all relationships. Those vegetables have become “my babies” so to speak; I hand care for those crops, I take time and invest effort into those crops and I know I will reap a wonderful harvest. See the parallel?
I also pray in that garden and listen for the life lessons the Lord wants to speak to me through gardening. I know with all of this, those will be some of the best tasting vegetables and fruit I have ever eaten. I know the same for my relationship with Jesus, the lover of my soul and the husband the Lord has set aside for me. What will be your harvest?
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