holy-spirit

Like David or Saul?

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

1 Samuel 15:10-23

10 Then the Lord said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

12 Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”

13 When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. “May the Lord bless you,” he said. “I have carried out the Lord’s command!”

14 “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

15 “It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,” Saul admitted. “But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!”

“What did he tell you?” Saul asked.

17 And Samuel told him, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ 19 Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else. 21 Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied,

“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
    your burnt offerings and sacrifices
    or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
    and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
    and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
    he has rejected you as king.”

I’ve heard it preached that we, as believers in Jesus, are a lot like David. But I can’t say that I’ve ever heard a message that we, at times, are also a lot like Saul. No surprise there. Heroic tales of anointing and calling and cutting the head off a giant tends to outnumber those that cut to the heart.

Far more times than I care to admit, the Lord has anointed and appointed me to fulfill a mission in His name, and I’ve only done part of what He said. In truth, I simply rebelled and rejected His command. I decided to lead (pride), instead of being led by His Spirit (surrender). And once I got caught, or called out, I covered myself and hid behind shame and a list of excuses.

“I did obey the Lord, BUT…..”

Absolute foolishness.

Bound up in my heart.

God’s Word is very clear: partial obedience is disobedience. And disobedience is rebellion. And, “rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshipping idols.” (emphasis mine)

Wait.

What?!

Witchcraft?

Idol Worship?

Yes. The Word of God cuts, doesn’t it?

Why?

Because He LOVES us!

He wants us to be like children, like David, who LOVED God with all his heart. Not like an orphan, like Saul, who said in his heart, “you’re not the boss of me,” or “don’t tell me what to do!”

Rebellion always leads to rejection, my friend. When we rebel against the Spirit of God or the Son of God, we reject God. Our heart becomes a divided kingdom. In our Spirit, Jesus is still King. But in our soul, WE ARE KING.

The King of kings, in His Sovereignty, will reject [oppose] our pride until the testimony of Jesus (the Spirit of Prophesy) comes with correction. The Truth- The Living Word- always cuts between soul and Spirit, convicting our heart of sin, and convincing it of righteousness.

And when we are convinced of His LOVE, we will always return to the Father’s house of prayer.

Remembering that the Son was pierced for our rebellion.

Rejoicing that His sacrifice covers all our sin and all our shame.

And THAT, my friend, is Good News!

In the Shelter

/ Jodie / 2 Comments

2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.

As Hurricane Milton was developing into a Category 5 Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico last week, the Lord was simultaneously preparing us for trouble. That’s right. Trouble. Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble-  but He also offers a solution to the tests, trials and temptations we all will inevitably face.

Long before our Governor declared a state of emergency across multiple counties in Florida (including ours) the Lord was helping me take heart. Before I even knew what was coming, He was preparing my mind, will and emotions to trust Him.

The trouble?

A spirit of fear.

The solution?

Worshipping the Father.

  1. Scripture (Truth)

All ya’ll know I continually encourage us to be in the Word, but in case anyone forgot, I’ll remind us again: we must chew, digest, regurgitate and chew the cud of Scripture each and every day. Why? Storms are coming! Heavy rains and destructive winds are on the way and flood waters are rising. Those who build their hearts upon the Word of God will stand firm. Conversely, those who foolishly build their houses on the world – and its systems, will crumble.

Two weeks ago, I was also preparing to teach another lesson in our Emotional Discipleship class at church. Care to guess the subject matter? It was on anxiety, fear & depression. I volunteered for the topic, having been well acquainted with these troubling emotions since childhood. Sad to say, the spirit of fear is very familiar with me- and my family. It’s been around for generations… but it ain’t staying!

Then, this past Sunday, one of our elders preached a message on… a spirit of fear! Do you think the Lord was trying to get our attention?!

2. Prayer (Spirit)

In the past few years I’ve become acutely aware that my prayer life must increase. As our family continues to settle into and possess the land God has promised as an inheritance, the resistance and retaliation from the enemy’s camp has also increased. Instead of wearing myself out, trying to extinguish those fiery arrows in the flesh, I must be FULL of the Holy Spirit, dressed from head to toe with the armor of God, seeking direction from the Commander of Heaven’s armies. HE is my strength and shield. Not my words, but His Word.

Each morning, I pour out my praise and process my feelings in a journal with God. I also walk and talk with my man and the Lord on a local nature trail. Throughout the day, I pray without ceasing as I’m prompted by the Spirit, or a prayer request is sent my way. And, I join other intercessors in the body of Christ multiple times a week to ask, seek, knock on the Father’s heart for our community, our nation, and Israel.  

As we began hurricane preparations at home on Monday, news reports were overflowing with fear and speculation. Social media posts were even worse. Then came the warnings and watches that continued to blast emergency signals to our phones and watches. A spirit of fear was palpable. My entire body felt its affects. For a moment I entertained it, but then I was reminded that the Lord had been preparing me for this battle all along. So, I flipped the switch between soul and spirit, and my heart anchored itself in the One who sits far above every storm!

In the middle of the night on Wednesday (or the wee hours of Thursday) as the eye of the storm passed over Polk County, we heard a thunderous CRASH outside our bedroom window. Instinctively, I started praying in the Spirit as my man attempted to peer out the window with a flashlight (we’d lost power the night before). As terror gripped my heart, I kept declaring the Word of God to my soul. Moments later, I felt indescribable peace, knowing:

I was in the shelter of the Most High.

The next morning, as dawn broke, we went outside to assess the damage. A section of our neighbors abandoned cattle shelter had flown over the fence and into our backyard. As one hundred mile an hour wind gusts raised the roof and support beams into the air, the Almighty’s hand laid it right back down in the perfect spot. The only damage to our property was a few tears in our pool enclosure.

If I’d needed another sign from heaven, this was it!

Power, love and a sound mind is only found in the shadow of the Almighty. He is our shelter in every storm.

I Can’t…

/ Jodie / Leave a comment

John 5:1-15

5 Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda,[a] with five covered porches.3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.[b] 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty–eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

7 “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

13 The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.”15 Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Are you feeling sick….and tired?

I don’t know how long you’ve been laying beside that pool of pain, but I’ve got good news for you today. Jesus is extending an invitation to you. Actually, He IS the invitation. All you need to do is receive and respond to the question He’s asking,

“Do you want to get well?”

If you RSVP “yes,” then He’ll wanna talk to you about a few things that have been going on in your mind. There’s some thoughts you’ve been thinking that aren’t His thoughts. There’s no condemnation in Christ, dear one. All of us are guilty of agreeing with lies about God, others and ourselves. The enemy is crafty in convincing us that God isn’t good-  and His will and ways in our lives aren’t good. But we’ve gotta get outta that trap he’s laid for us. Otherwise, the blame game will keep us bound, believing

“I can’t…”

“I don’t …”

The Truth is: you CAN get well. The Truth is: you DO have someone. If you’ve been born again and baptized by the Spirit of God you have a helper (on the inside of you) that is suitable for you! If you’ve believed and received Jesus as Savior and Lord you DO have the Word who lights the way back to our Father. You CAN come home again. He’s waiting for you, arms open wide, ready to give you a ring and a robe. He’s also preparing a table just for you, in the presence of those enemies who’ve lied to you.

So… are you ready to return to Him?

Yes?

Praise the LORD!

You’ve come to your senses!!!

Healing is waiting on the other side of your obedience.

Now that you’ve made up your mind, you’ll need to surrender your will. That requires:

  • Humbling yourself.
  • Asking for help.
  • Confessing (out loud) any sin to Him, and others (if prompted).
  • Repenting for what needs to be forgiven.
  • Forgiving those you’ve blamed for not putting you in that pool.

You can do this, my friend.

You can stand.

You can pick up your mat.

You can walk.

There’s a crowd of witnesses cheering you on!

Self-Care

/ Jodie / 1 Comment

Matthew 23:1-4, 25-26

Amplified Bible

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law]; 3 so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.4 The scribes and Pharisees tie up [a]heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].

25 “Woe to you, [self–righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self–indulgence (unrestrained greed).26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate[examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.

Since the Good Shepherd told me to LAY DOWN last year, I’ve been letting go of a few old things to embrace what’s new. In the midst of this great exchange, I came to realize that His grace was no longer sustaining the weight of some of the baggage I was carrying. What I previously lifted with ease in a former season suddenly felt heavy in this one. And so, the Lord, in His loving kindness invited me further into the valley of the shadow of death to bury some dry bones. As I did what He required, His Spirit began breathing resurrection life into my body… and soul. At times, I’ll admit, the process was extremely painful. My flesh cried out on more than one occasion as my mind, will and emotions wrestled between what I wanted and what He wanted.

Before laying down, I had been stuck in the hustle and bustle of everyday life; consumed by what I was doing, while neglecting who I was being. As the Lord corrected Martha, reorienting her heart towards His, so He did with me. His Word cut between soul and spirit, reminding me that the inside of my cup was far more valuable to Him than the outside. His rebuke to the Pharisee’s was even more direct. What they were teaching people was RIGHT, but the motivation of their hearts was all WRONG.

If we aren’t careful, we too can get stuck faking the funk- working up a sweat in our scrubbing bubbles to make our cups look good on the outside, while neglecting the filth that’s piling up on the inside. Religious activity has a way of setting us up for that kind of hypocrisy. If we’re not careful, we can easily fall prey to the enemy’s trap: desiring to be praised by people. It feels really good to be accepted, affirmed and acknowledge for our giftedness, but God deserves all the praise for what we do since everything comes from Him and is for Him. Furthermore, seeking the approval of man will always leave us disappointed anyway. Instead, Jesus invites us to choose a different way. His way…which leads to eternal life: pleasing the Father.

If you, like me, struggle with people pleasing, I have good news for you! Take heart, my friend. There’s always HOPE! Seek the Lord. You will find Him. Ask Him to examine every area of your soul that is bowing to the fear of man. He will ever so gently illuminate the dark places with His marvelous light, releasing you from the enemy’s lies which hold you captive.

I’m so grateful for the freedom to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth in this season and for the saints who told me what I needed to hear. I’m even thankful for the sinners who told me what I needed to hear, because God uses all things for my good- but especially for HIS glory!

As I’ve submit to this process of cleansing, the Lord has taught me a few valuable lessons about self-care in this season:

  1. First and foremost, I must constantly care for my spirit. I literally cannot live without His bread and water sustaining me every day. The secret place is my happy place. Rising early every morning I worship Him in silence, reading/hearing scripture, praying in the spirit and being a scribe (journaling). That quiet time carries me the rest of the day as I continue meditating on His Word and praying, without ceasing.
  2. Second, my soul needs compassionate care. In His presence, as I pour out the complaints in my mind, will and emotions, He comforts, cares and corrects anything I believe which is contrary to what He says about Himself, myself and others.
  3. Third, my body needs continual care. After hiring a nutrition coach, I realized this temple needed some serious cleansing, ‘cuz what I was puttin’ in my mouth wasn’t holy! Our enemy has convinced us that fast, fake food will satisfy us. It’s a lie. God has already provided everything we need since the dawn of creation: what grows in the ground, what grazes on it, and what swims in the waters that separates the dry land. Spend the time and money required to eat healthy foods- and move your body!

Beloved, it’s time to clean the inside of our cups. Let’s not just be hearers of the Word, let’s do it! We need to practice what we preach. God is watching. And so is the world.