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The Prodigal @ Home

/ Jodie / 2 Comments

Luke 15:11-32

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[a]’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Like that prodigal in the parable, I also left my Father’s house as a young child. Blind to sin because of the desire to be my own god, I spent decades wasting my inheritance on immoral living. I ate and drank and wallowed in the mud & muck, just like a pig. Until one day, praise GOD- when I came to my senses, by the power of His Spirit! Conviction cut straight to the heart, piercing between my soul & spirit. I confessed, repented and returned to my Father, where He welcomed me home with open arms.

But my story doesn’t end there.

Since being adopted into God’s family, I’ve also played the part of the older child. The prodigal at home. Distracted by the demands of being about my Father’s business, I inadvertently become disconnected from His heart. As a result, the pouting begins; grumbling and complaining about the pigs who get to party, while I do ALL the work of the ministry! Forgetting about the grace given me, I become self-righteousness and angry. Angry that they seem to be getting all the attention and affection and applause, as if they are my Father’s favorite. Over time, if I ignore that anger long enough, it grows into a root of bitterness that defiles and deceives my own soul.

But, praise the LORD!!!

There’s still good news for that prodigal stuck in the pig trough.

When we:

Get HONEST with Him, ourselves and others (confess)

HONOR our Father (repent, forgive)

He will:

HEAL our prodigal heart

DELIVER us from the pig trough

My fellow prodigals, I believe it’s time to come to our senses again. LOVE must be our highest goal! We’ve become too distracted by the work of the ministry. It’s time to repent and return to our Father’s house- and the heart of the Father. It’s time to confess our sins to Him and one another so that we may be healed. It’s time to humble ourselves, get honest, and ask others in the body of Christ for help. It’s time to submit and surrender to His Word and Spirit as He cuts through our emotions, our minds and our wills.

It’s time for prodigals to come home. It’s time for prodigals at home to come to Him. He’s waiting for all of us with open arms.

A Preschool Prayer

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

Psalm 100:4-5

New Living Translation

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
    go into his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,
    and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

A few weeks ago, I started pondering a little prayer I learned to recite in pre-school. You’ve probably heard of it, or maybe even memorized it yourself as a child,

“God is good.

God is great.

Let us thank Him for our food.

By His hand, we are fed.

Give us Lord, our daily bread.

Amen.”

At the same time, I was also meditating on verses 4 and 5 of Psalm 100. Taking God quite literally at His Word, my man and I started thanking God and praising Him each morning during our daily walks.

Realizing my personality type lends itself to focusing on the negative/glass half full point of view, I wondered if this discipline might change my perspective and perhaps hinder some of my grumbling and complaining.

It didn’t.

At least, not right away.

But when my scheduled fasting day arrived this week, something shifted. I started seeing things differently. In the morning, I felt discouraged and deeply disappointed about a few things. To be honest, I just wanted to stay in bed and pout about it, or maybe even throw a preschool sized pity party. But instead of looking inward, I looked upward. I sought the Father – and His Kingdom. I entered into His gates with thanksgiving. I went into His courts with praise. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, right in the middle of the mundane of the day, revelation came.

Manna from heaven.

Daily bread.

Here’s the hard truth about fasting: it HURTS! But you know what can happen when we persevere (by His grace) through physical pain? Emotional pain has the opportunity to rise to the surface. Crucifying our flesh allows His Spirit to reveal what’s hidden and covered up in our soul. This is how He purifies our hearts! In His presence, God himself invites us to pour out our complaints and process all our feels in a healthy, productive way. Then, as we surrender our will to His, we are able to see things from HIS perspective. And that vantage point, my friend, is far above every power or principality of darkness that tries to deceive or tempt us to doubt that…

God really is good.

God really is great.

Called. Chosen. Commissioned.

/ Jodie / 2 Comments

Matthew 4:19

19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me…

Matthew 22:14

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 28:19

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

A little while ago, a local college student asked to get together with me. She was searching for someone older in the faith to disciple her and wondered if I’d be interested. I agreed to meet with her on campus to discuss the idea over a cup of coffee. As we sat down together at a table outside the library, I soaked in the Florida sunshine as she started a monologue about all the things she was doing for the Lord. At some point during her sermon, I interrupted to inquire about her story. She fumbled to find the right words as I asked a few questions about her relationship with her parents, siblings and our Father, Son and Spirit. They weren’t complicated questions. Just simple things that pertained to BE-ing a disciple of Jesus. The conversation stalled, so she quickly changed the subject to her fiancé. They were planning to enter full time ministry together after graduation. She explained that her man recently found a spiritual father because he was struggling with porn, so she thought it would be a good idea for her to have a spiritual mom too! As we talked about their relationship, she admitted they were having sex, and occasionally they smoked weed together at parties.

As our conversation came to a close, I assured her that I was willing to meet again if she understood what kind of spiritual mother I am. I’m a childlike mom who’s filled with compassion and cares for the broken hearted. I feed the hungry and the hurting, because I’m hungry and hurting… and I’m healed and delivered by the love of the Father, the sacrifice of the Son, and the power of His Spirit! I’m not a mom that continually affirms and applauds gifted kids. I’m grateful for God’s grace and the gifts He’s given all His children, but I preach Bible so that good fruit may be produced. I am called, chosen and commissioned to BE and make disciples who love the Lord with all their heart.

Unfortunately, I never heard from that young woman again.

But she’s not the only kid wandering around in the wilderness here. Many have been called to this land flowing with milk and honey. Many live here as orphans. But a few have chosen to follow Jesus down the narrow road alongside spiritual siblings, parents and grandparents. A few have chosen to sit at the generational table He’s preparing for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

The sad reality is, there are many breastfed babies being trained for service in the Father’s house, but they don’t have a clue where the kitchen is! They haven’t been taught how to purchase, plan or prep a meal. They haven’t been taught to sit and share with their Savior and Lord. They haven’t been taught how to eat His body and drink His blood every…single… day. They’re hungry. And they don’t even realize they’re starving to death!!!

Question is: who’s gonna feed them?

It’s time for parents, like Peter, to strengthen the body of Christ. Yep, I’m talking to you. I know you’ve been guilty of denying Jesus because you’ve feared man, not God. But let me remind you: He’s interceding for you!

Repent & return to Him.

He’s called you.

He’s chosen you.

He’s commissioned you to GO, make disciples!

Care for and feed the lambs & sheep. Invite them to breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sit at the table and listen to their stories. Tell them yours. Preach the Word of God to them. Pray with and for them. Pursue their hearts. Prophesy dry bones to life in their mind, will and emotions.

You know where the kitchen is. You know how to sit at the table. You know how to eat the scroll. It’s time to share your leftovers with the next generation.  

Restorer of Homes

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

(excerpt from my new book)

I received my first prophetic word in 2008 during a church leadership meeting. At the time, we were members of a non-denominational mega church plant, but I was completely clueless to the gifts of the Spirit. Being raised in traditional churches, I’d never even heard of prophesy, much less been involved in a Prophetic Presbytery, led by a modern-day prophet. I wondered if we’d inadvertently joined a cult! Silently I questioned,

Is this even biblical?

Are “prophets” for real?

Or is this guy just another clown performing in a charismatic circus?

I was skeptical. But also… a bit curious. My formative years were spent in a Presbyterian church, but after a cross-country move, my family and I settled in with the Methodists. My husband was also raised in the United Methodist Church, so we both had a pretty good foundation of Truth. But, the things of the Spirit were still very foreign to us. I knew that the one true God was a triune God; Father, Son & Spirit. But His Spirit was rarely mentioned in Sunday School or in Services, unless of course we were reciting the Apostles Creed.

I’ll never forget the moment the prophet locked eyes with me. I braced myself for impact; wanting to run and hide, while simultaneously standing in an unexplainable blessed assurance that this moment would change the trajectory of our lives.

He began by reading our mail, as they say. I looked at our leaders, silently asking,

Did you tell this guy everything about us?!

They just smiled at us, like masters watching their apprentices experience the joy of discovering hidden treasure.

The man of God continued.

He mentioned ways we had served the Lord and talked about what that would look like in the future. In due season, he said we would be out of growth room, so the Lord would need to transplant us in order to transpose us into what He wanted. God was calling our entire family to be full of virtue, character and strength; to be an example of humility in the Father’s house. The man also gave specifics regarding our home:

“I feel like the Lord says, “I’ve got a different house for you because I want to turn your house not just into a trophy, but I want to make it a place of ministry.” God’s gonna give you a ministry center where you’re gonna minister to your family. Where you’re gonna minister to other families, and gather the people of God there. At times, you’ll even gather the lost and those that are yet to find Christ. They’re gonna find Him right at your kitchen table, right in your living room. It’s going to be an amazing place of ministry. Just know that God says “I’m gonna give you a place of ministry.” You’ll say, “this is our house, but it is God’s place of ministry and design for us.’”

A few months later, another prophet came to town. Calling us out of the crowd again, another word was spoken over our family. He even told us to bring our toddler up on stage with us! After he spoke to my husband, he paused and stared straight at me,

“Over you, God says, “I’m going to release a gift of prophesy.” Some of what I’ve been doing tonight, you’re gonna do. Ok? Can you receive that? Two anointing’s: One to hear, and one to speak. I’d like to lay hands on you to release that. One of the fundamental doctrines of the church, we transmit gifting’s by the laying on of hands. By speaking the word of prophesy, Father bring it to pass. We release the gift to hear and the spiritual gift of prophesy to speak. Make her a voice in the family, in the church, in the marketplace.”

After these encounters, Acts 2:17 was realized as prophetic words, visions and dreams became a recurring phenomenon in my life. During that season, mature believers in the body of Christ taught me how to become a scribe. They encouraged me to write down every prophetic word, vision or dream in a journal. Then, they told me to prepare myself for the process of persevering in prayer, until all of God’s promises came to pass. They explained that everything must be judged by the Word, contended for in prayer, and confirmed or denied in due season.

Several years into the process, I noticed a pattern emerging. Night after night, when I fell asleep, I repeatedly saw houses that needed to be renovated, remodeled or rebuilt. Initially, I didn’t know whether they were literal or spiritual houses, but eventually, the Lord revealed more of the mysteries that were hidden in my dreams.

The prophetic process proved to be more painful than I originally expected…

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