THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING

Today my heart sings, there is a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  WHY?  Tonight my love comes home after a week-long business trip.  “My Beloved is mine and I am His.”  Tonight I will touch his face, hold his hand, listen to his voice and all will be right again.  Today is a day of preparation.  I made a trip to the grocery store and the pantry is stocked with his favorite foods.  A pecan pie will soon be baking in the oven; WHY?  Because he loves pecan pie.  By tonight, the house will be swept, the furniture polished the candles lit and I will be showered, perfumed and my hair fixed just right.  WHY? The one my “heart longs for” is coming home.

It is a message that many scoff at or have brushed aside.  It is a Love Story of a bride preparing as she waits in eager anticipation for the groom to return as he promised.  John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  To the Unbeliever it may be just a fairytale but to the BRIDE, it is HOPE; a PROMISE; an APPOINTED DAY!

Oh she doesn’t sit pining away, daydreaming about what is to come.  No, the Bride is busy preparing, anticipating, getting ready because the time is drawing near; THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING!  As she sweeps the house, a song spills from her lips; a song of praise to her beloved.  The food is prepared, the candles are burning brightly, she is showered and perfumed; THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING!  Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready.

The time is now; it is time to WAKE UP, GET READY, THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING!  Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is HIGH TIME to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.  Get out the broom, the dust cloth and the polish; reach way back in the corners and sweep away every cobweb and “dust bunny.”  Check the candles, are they fresh and new; trim the wicks and light the fire.  Now it is time to check your garments, brush away any crumbs, wash away any smudges, and roll off the lint that may have accumulated.  Spray on His favorite scent; the aroma of praise.  Then LOOK and LISTEN for His arrival.  THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING!

Does your heart beat just a little faster?  Is His touch just a little sweeter? Do you long just to be in His Presence?  Don’t be weary, THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING.  Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say COME!

Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”  Amen.  Even so, come Lord Jesus!

IT'S CALLED HOPE

It turned out to be the 5th largest blizzard in Chicago history and we were there to witness it in person.  Our flight to Phoenix was not scheduled until early Monday morning but in anticipation of the coming storm, we arrived in Chicago on Saturday.  Monday dawned cold but with the sun shining brightly on about 20 inches of snow.  The flight, of course, was delayed and after setting on the plane for an hour and a half, we were finally off to enjoy warm, sunny days in Arizona.  I was surprised to find the plane was not completely filled and the window seat next to me was empty, giving me just a little more precious room for the 4 hour flight.

During a quiet moment at the beginning of a relaxing, fun-filled week, it hit me; I was rejoicing over an empty seat on the plane instead of praying for an opportunity to be a blessing to someone.  I said a quick “forgive me” and “use me” on the flight back and went about the rest of the week, oblivious to the Divine Appointment God was setting for me on the flight home.

Arriving at the airport for the flight back to the frozen north, we learned there was an hour delay, which turned out to be two hours.  So, needless to say, I was not in the most spiritual frame of mind as I walked onto the plane.  I was also just a little “miffed” that in the window seat next to mine, sat a beautiful lady, a few years younger than me, huddled up in a blanket.  OH   GREAT, not only a cramped flight but I would be breathing “sick germs” for the next 4 hours.  I quickly repented, smiled and settled in with my Kindle and Tablet.  I read a little, then after takeoff, brought out my Tablet to play a simple game to relax.  The sweet lady next to me made a few comments, which I answered with a smile and went back to my very important Bubble Game.

Thinking back, I cannot recall why she suddenly asked the question that started the conversation;  "What kind of church do you go to?”  I answered, “We are Pentecostal,” certain that she would have no idea what that even meant.  Her eyes opened wide and she said, “Get out of here, so am I.”  Still certain that she was not of my specific “flavor,” my next question, “Are you Assembly of God or Church of God in Christ?”  She looked at me puzzled and said, “No, I was raised in (an organization that we were affiliated with at one time) Oneness Church.”  Now it was my turn to utter, “No Way!!! We are Oneness also.”  Further investigation revealed that she had attended a church in IL and I, of course knew the pastor and had seen him at many camps and conferences.

She began to pour out her story to me for the rest of the flight.  Most all of her family still attended or pastored churches.  She had received the Holy Ghost at the age of 7 and continued in the church until about the age of 18.  She felt as if she could never be good enough or measure up and finally left.  Marrying a man who was not raised in church and had a background of drugs, alcohol and pornography, she strayed further from God and finally moved to the Southwest.  

But God is always reaching! So at her “wit’s end,” she and her husband began to attend a Pentecostal Church in New Mexico.  Her husband got saved, she got renewed and wouldn’t you know it…the church turned out to be a cult.  They were restricted on who they could visit, where they could go and even the intimate details of their life were controlled by the pastor.  They finally left that church and with nowhere to turn allowed the old lifestyle to slowly creep in.  Desperately, her husband called the pastor and asked if he could come and hear him preach.  The Pastor coldly told them that they were not welcome in his congregation any longer.  The rejection was devastating to her husband and a few days later, feeling hopeless, he took his own life.

The following years were so difficult for Michelle.  She was angry at the pastor, angry at God and angry at life.  Alcohol became her companion and she ended up in prison for too many DUIs.  A Christian lady had come to the prison, befriended her, prayed and talked with her and now she was trying to put the pieces of her life together. 

God will go to any length to reach a hungry heart.  I told her I had purchased the tickets only 3 weeks previously and had paid the extra fee just to choose these exact seats….God had set a Divine Appointment for her.  She revealed that it was exactly 3 weeks ago that she felt her world was falling apart and she had to get away.  We talked about how much God loved her and that He had been intervening in her life all along the way.  I prayed with her, promised to email her the names of a couple of churches and the flight landed….I never did finish my Bubble Game!

Walking off the plane into the terminal, I gave her a hug and once again reminded her how much God loved her and I would be praying.  She looked at me and said, “I feel so light; I feel almost happy.”  Hugging her again, I replied, “Michelle, it’s called HOPE!”

When God fills us with His Holy Spirit, we become the BEARERS OF HOPE.  Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.  There is a hungry and searching world that is just waiting to hear the good news of the HOPE that you have found.  1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the HOPE that is in you with meekness and fear. 

God has DIVINE APPOINTMENTS set up for each one of us.  Too often we miss them because we are too preoccupied, in a hurry or worried about being inconvenienced.  Before you go to the store, a restaurant, get on a plane or go out for a walk, take the time to ask God to show you the appointments He has set on your spiritual calendar.  You can speak life to someone in need.  You can be the BEARER OF HOPE!

GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS

Have you ever started the car, driven to work or the mall and realized you don’t remember anything about the time between leaving your driveway and arriving at your destination.  I remember one time; I continued toward the mall, through a traffic light and about a block down the road, I realized I couldn’t tell you if the light was red or green.  It must have been green because no one honked, I didn’t get a ticket or have an accident, but I was so accustomed to driving a car and going to that specific location that I automatically went through the motions with no coherent thought to my surroundings.  There are so many routine things we do during our day in which we have become so proficient that we can perform them with expertise and little thought or as some would say “do them blindfolded.” Even our relationship with God can become a practice in just “going through the motions.”

If you have been a member of a church for any length of time, regardless of the denomination, you become an “expert” at “going through the motions.”  You know when to stand, sit or kneel; when to say “Amen” or other response; you can bow your head, raise your hands and clap at the appropriate time without consciously knowing what is being said, sang or prayed.  You speak “christianeze” and keep the smile pasted on just right without looking too “fake.” You have even mastered the art of encouraging others while evading probing questions and other's concerns.  You have become a Powerless, Professional Christian and sadly, you may not even realize how you arrived at this destination.

Samson, a judge of Israel found himself in this exact dilemma.  Samson was chosen and set apart for service to God from conception.  His mother was instructed to keep the Nazirite vow during her pregnancy and to raise Samson to adulthood, according to that vow.  I’m not sure when Samson started just “going through the motions,” fooling himself and everyone around him but eventually he became a Powerless, Professional Nazirite in Israel. 

One of the saddest verses in the Bible is in Judges 16.  Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman, Delilah, not realizing that she is being used as a tool to defeat him and the Israelites.  Delilah begs Samson 3 times to reveal the source of his strength and 3 times Samson lies and is able to defeat the Philistine men that attack him.  Finally, the 4th time, Delilah cajoles him into revealing the true source of his strength and Judges 16:19-20 reveals Samson’s true spiritual condition.  “Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM HIM.”  Samson had become so accustomed to his “station” in life that he wasn’t even aware that he had “run through the light” until the sirens sounded.

Perhaps, you have come to this point.  So many times you find yourself in a situation, you shake yourself and find just enough power to see you through this dilemma.  But what about the next and the next?  Unless you awaken out of the malaise that you have lulled yourself into, a situation will arise soon that you will not be able to “shake” free of.  Once the “Lord has departed,” no amount of professional “going through the motions” will be sufficient and like Samson, you may find yourself  blinded and bound.  Thankfully, Samson’s story doesn’t end at Judges 16:20.  Samson prayed, the power of God returned to him and in his death, he was able to defeat the Philistines.  The last word spoken of Samson in the Bible is found in Hebrews 11:32; he is listed as one of the “Heroes of Faith.”

The “last word” of your story is yet to be written.  There is still time to reconnect with the power source.  The “motions” can become powerful tools used by God to affect those around you.  You don’t have to die blinded and bound; powerless, at the hands of the Philistines.  It is God’s earnest desire to come upon you, not just one more time, but to dwell in you and fill you with power.  You have been called by God to a purpose from the moment of conception; focus on Jesus; listen to His voice and follow after Him.  Go when the light is green and stop when it is red.  God will lead you on to victory.

RUNNING ON EMPTY!

Several years ago, ok, I’ll admit it was more like over 40 years ago; our church was involved in an annual fundraiser for foreign missions, entitled Sheaves for Christ.  One of the fundraising activities was a 20 Mile Walkathon.  I enlisted sponsors, laced up my shoes and excitedly, took off with the rest of the group at the starting line.  We quickly moved ahead of some and fell behind others but that was ok because my friends and I were walking along, chatting and enjoying the day.  Almost 10 miles in, we stopped for a bathroom/rest break.  The workers handed out a cup of cold water and a snack, which I promptly sat down to enjoy.  BIG MISTAKE!!! I suddenly realized that my legs were like rubber and my feet had developed blisters on top of blisters; I had completely run out of “gas.”  No amount of “pride in finishing,” getting the t-shirt or hearing cheers from the crowd could motivate me…I was DONE and the only thing on my mind was getting a ride back to the starting line. 

SOMETIMES YOU DON’T KNOW YOU ARE RUNNING ON EMPTY UNTIL YOU STOP AND CAN’T GET RESTARTED!

Three years ago, we moved back to Michigan, exhausted, blistered and bruised.  Sure, the “gas gauge” of our spirits registered empty, but we were still idling, so we continued walking.  We found a church to attend full of wonderful people but instead of instead of allowing ourselves to get “refueled,” we jumped right in and kept walking.  We tried to be encouraging, prayer warriors and do what we were asked to do but secretly I knew we were “running on empty” and soon even the “fumes” would be ineffective.  If you have ever allowed your automobile’s gas gauge to fall to empty, you know if the car is idling, you put it in drive and step on the gas, it will go for a while because there is a small amount of fuel in the pump.  If you ever stop, however, there will probably not be enough to restart the car because it isn’t created to “run on fumes.”

YOU WERE NOT CREATED TO RUN ON FUMES!

Finally, one day, the engine died; there was no more to give and even the fumes had disappeared in the breeze.  But God was not about to let me sit and rust out, so I took in just enough fuel to get me to the next station and then the next.  Along the way, I have had some “God-Encounters” and “Divine Appointments” and times when I could reach w a a a a y down to the “bottom of the barrel” and find “just enough” to encourage that hurting soul or pray for a hopeless situation; then “just enough” to make it to the next prayer meeting or church service, but I had no reserves; only fumes.

IT’S TIME FOR A FILL-UP!!!

Living through 50+ years of northern winters, you quickly learn that it is a good idea to keep the tank full.  If you don’t, it is possible that moisture will get in and mix with the gas or even freeze in the hoses…not positive occurrences.  Spiritually, we do not want to sit, stand or run on empty for too long and allow foreign substances to dilute the fuel or freeze our spirit….It is time for a fill-up.  So for the next few months, I will spend time connecting with the only one who can REPLENISH, REVIVE and RENEW my spirit with His Holy Spirit.  I intend to spend time walking and talking with Him, refreshing my mind with His written instructions and listening, REALLY LISTENING to His voice. You will see me as we continue doing life.  I will wave and smile as I pass by and I’ll probably stop to offer an encouraging word and prayer but I can no longer RUN ON EMPTY…I need a HOLY GHOST FILL UP!

If this blog hits a nerve and you feel as if I am writing your story, maybe I am.  You don’t have to RUN ON EMPTY any longer.  God has an endless supply and it is available to WHOSOEVER WILL!  Get to the station!!!  It may be your secret place, an altar at your church or small group; you know where you need to go to be filled up.  The Holy Spirit will refresh, renew, reinvigorate and fill you with new purpose.  YOU WERE NOT MADE TO RUN ON EMPTY!

HEIRLOOM SEEDS

Have you ever wondered why there are so many religions?  Why are there several varieties even within denominations?  How do beliefs change from one generation to the next?  Every denomination believes their doctrine is “the truth” and all can “prove it” by tracing their history to the “Original.” So what happened?

Last Spring, I decided to plant a garden.  I prepared the soil and picked out the strongest, healthiest looking plants from the garden supply nursery.  After planting, I tended them with loving care; pulling weeds, daily watering and periodic fertilizing.  In August, my diligence began to pay dividends; I harvested a bumper crop of delicious, beautiful tomatoes.  What I did not know until later, is that this is the first and only crop that these plants will produce because they were grown from HYBRID seeds.  If I save the seeds and plant this spring, I may or may not get delicious, beautiful tomatoes.  If they do grow, they will have a different taste and appearance because I do not have access to the original “parent” plants.  A master gardener has this advice, “You shouldn’t save seeds from HYBRID VEGETABLES because they won’t produce “true” in the next generation.”

Then there are HEIRLOOM SEEDS.  Heirloom seeds are carefully tended and protected.  According to one source, “a true heirloom is a cultivar that has been nurtured, selected and handed down from one family member to another from one generation to another.”  Another important fact regarding Heirloom seeds; they adapt to the soil, climate and conditions they are grown in, making them MORE resistant to pests, diseases and weather extremes. Heirloom seeds contain pure genetic material from the original parent plants and produce the same uncorrupted fruit generation after generation.

If we examine the Christian church history, we find the teachings of the Apostles contained in the Bible, then we come to the Apostolic Fathers who were taught by the Apostles and attempted to carry on the original traditions and teaching.  In the next generation we find the ante-Nicene Fathers and the post-Nicene Fathers.  By this time there were so many teachings, opinions and writings that these men grew more “interested in methods of defending the gospel and less interested in transmitting the gospel in a true and pure form.” (author of quote unknown)  And here we find the BIRTH OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.  The teachings of Jesus and the Apostles became a HYBRID SEED!  RELIGION is always birthed from HYBRID SEED.  Remember, replanting a hybrid seed will produce different fruit every season.  They may still be called tomatoes, they may look, smell and taste like tomatoes but they will never have the purity of the original plant.

1 Peter 1:23 Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever.  

Take a look at your life, your theology; are you of HEIRLOOM SEEDS or have you become a HYBRID, producing beautiful fruit for this season and then passing on an uncertain harvest to the next.  The only true test is to measure your seed against that of the parent, which is the WORD OF GOD. It is only the HEIRLOOM SEEDS that will be resistant to the pests, diseases and storms of life.  Extreme measures must be taken to rid yourself of all the HYBRID seed. First, all the thriving Hybrid plants must be pulled up by the roots.  Then we must allow the “Fire of the Holy Spirit” to consume the plants, roots, little cuttings and buried seeds.  Then we must cultivate the soil, allow the Heirloom seeds to take root through study of the Word and water the seedlings with prayer.  Soon the HEIRLOOM SEEDS will grow to beautiful healthy plants, producing fruit and seeds to pass on to the next generation and the next and the next…

UTTERLY DESTROY!!

During my time of devotions, I felt the Lord speak these two words to my heart, “UTTERLY DESTROY.”  I paused, not sure.  Was that really God speaking?  Why would a loving God speak of destruction?  I had been praying for some dear precious people who have made the choice to explore on their own, away from the path God has laid down for them, so why would God say, “Utterly Destroy?”  Surely God wasn’t speaking of these dear ones; this was definitely going to take a little more meditation and a whole lot more prayer.

As I lingered in prayer, God directed me to get up and read the account of King Saul’s disobedience to the command of God, Samuel’s pronouncement of judgment and the end of King Saul’s life…there are lessons to be learned.

Many years before, the nation of Amalek had ambushed Israel as they were making the journey to the Promised Land, it was now time for them to receive the punishment, God had prescribed, for their actions.

1 Samuel 15:2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and UTTERLY DESTROY all that they have, and do not spare them.  But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”

I am not sure what went through Saul’s mind as he went to battle.  Perhaps he thought God was unfair or unjust.  Perhaps it seemed such a waste to kill the animals that really had nothing to do with the ambush, besides they could be used for food, trade or breeding OR even to sacrifice to God.  Whatever thought process led Saul to make the choice to disobey the command of God, the Bible does not say but the decision to not UTTERLY DESTROY was the beginning of Saul’s UTTER DESTRUCTION.

1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to UTTERLY DESTROY them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

BE SURE YOUR DISOBEDIENCE WILL FIND YOU OUT!!!  It wasn’t long before God sent Samuel to confront Saul regarding his disobedience to the command of God.  Saul is told that because of his disobedience, God is taking the kingdom from him and his heirs and giving to another.  Samuel, then has King Agag brought before him and hacks him to pieces.  Pretty gruesome stuff, but when God commands, He doesn’t mess around! 

REMEMBER THE WORD, AMALEK!  If we jump forward a few years, we read of a young man running to tell David the news of Saul’s death.

2 Samuel 1:6-10 Then the young man who told him said, “As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa, there was Saul, leaning on his spear; and indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 Now when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ So I answered him, ‘I am an AMALEKITE.’ 9 He said to me again, ‘Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.’ 10 So I stood over him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen.

Did I really just read that the young man was an AMALEKITE?  One of the people that King Saul was told to, “UTTERLY DESTROY?”  The man who killed King Saul was an AMALEKITE?   YES, YES and YES!!!   Now the lesson becomes a little more clear, when God says to UTTERLY DESTROY, He means UTTERLY DESTROY…don’t separate the good from the bad, don’t save the best parts; UTTERLY DESTROY!!

What has God told you to ELIMINATE from your life?  Has it been UTTERLY DESTROYED?  Have you learned to COMPARTMENTALIZE your life?  Separating the things that belong to God from the things that “aren’t so bad;” the things you keep hidden to be cuddled and stroked in private.  Your life CANNOT be compartmentalized; the profane will taint the holy.  God says, “UTTERLY DESTROY!”

DO NOT FOOL YOURSELF!  You canNOT COEXIST with the enemy and at the same time be pleasing to God.  God will NOT share his authority in your life with anyone or anything.  It doesn’t matter how alluring, how beautiful or how valuable the offerings of the enemy appear, your choice to coexist with the enemy means you accept the ENEMY’S TERMS and play by the ENEMY’S RULES.  You must also understand that the enemy’s end game is YOUR ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION!”

The command of God is NOT up for debate.  When God says, “UTTERLY DESTROY,” move swiftly and be thorough.  The little “things” you set aside for a special purpose will eventually be uncovered and their beauty and value will require your soul.  “THAT WHICH YOU REFUSE TO DESTROY, WILL EVENTUALLY DESTROY YOU!”

1 Samuel 15:22-23 So Samuel said: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and the stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king."

SHELTER IN PLACE

“SHELTER IN PLACE,” I can still remember the first time I heard the phrase.  On April 16, 2007 at Virginia Tech, a lone gunman went on a shooting rampage. The alarm went out and students were told to “Shelter in Place.”  The authorities were not sure who they were searching for, how many shooters were involved, their location or if and when they would strike again.  Students were instructed to lock all doors and stay where they were until further notice.  This limited the number of people on the street as police conducted a search for the gunman and also lowered the risk of more victims being shot down by the perpetrator or getting caught in police crossfire.  It was finally learned that the lone gunman had committed suicide and the “All Clear” signal was given to allow students to leave their shelters.  Since that time, there have been terroristic shootings in more schools, malls, coffee shops, military bases and even churches and we wonder where can we “shelter in place?” 

This has been a week of terror in France with terrorists entering a newspaper office and killing several people.  As I watched the story unfold on a 24 hour news network, fear threatened to paralyze the freedom I have always enjoyed and destroy my peaceful existence.  Is there no place of safety?  What if?  Could it happen here?  As I continued to watch, God spoke these words to my heart, “shelter in place.”  The Peace of God flowed over me and His Word filled my heart.

Psalms 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.

YES, there is a place of safety; a place we can run to when the affairs of the world threaten to shackle us with fear.  Proverbs 18:10 tells us “The Name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”  God is MY refuge, MY fortress, MY strong tower; in HIM will I trust.

If confusion is clouding your mind, if fear has a firm grip on your heart and your circumstances threaten to overwhelm you, it is time to “SHELTER IN PLACE.”  Find that “secret place” in God and REST!  Say His Name; JESUS!  It is a STRONG TOWER.  There is NO place of safety outside the “shadow of the Almighty.”  It is there that God will restore your soul.  It is in Him that the crooked path will become straight.  The storm will pass over, the “all clear” will sound, but for today, “shelter in place.”