DNA Calling!!!

I think I grew up in a culture of the Church that said, “You’re not…” much more than “You are…” Perhaps that’s why I’ve struggled with insecurity about my identity in Christ’s body for so much of my life. You see, I know who I am to Jesus, but who am I to people in His Church? Whenever I step into a new church group, I usually put out feelers to see what peghole they put me in and conform to it.

But I’m tired of surviving, tired of fearing what people think, tired of cringing every time I try stepping out of the little box the enemy puts me in. I’m going to let other people off the hook and admit it’s me—it’s me listening to the lies of the enemy. He’s the one whispering the accusations and shaming me into keeping to ‘my place’. Seriously?

Our place is in Christ! Seated in the heavenlies at Daddy’s right hand! Our place is in the center of His heart and saturated with the love of His Spirit! So what about those times when Godly correction is needed? During last week’s prophetic worship conference at Faith Center, Graham Cooke said it wonderfully: “Accountability isn’t calling people out on their stuff but calling them up into their true identity.”

So let’s apply this to calling. What if God’s callings on our lives aren’t positions to be attained to but Spirit-infused DNA—the same spiritual DNA that transformed us into new creations the moment of our rebirth? What if spiritual growth isn’t advancing through categories (like church worker, deacon, teacher, pastor, prophet, apostle) but maturing in our ability to express the calling God infused into our spiritual genes from the get-go: the Bride of Christ?

I think that if we, the Church, can see each other as ALREADY who we are meant to be and simply growing in our ability to operate in our Spirit-fused callings and giftings, we won’t be so hard on each other. In fact, I think we’ll say, “Yes, you are…. Let me help you” rather than saying, “Who do you think you are? You can’t do that. You haven’t earned the right to do such and such.”

Granted, increased responsibility comes with increased maturity. We aren’t going to put a baby or child in charge of a church. But a child will seek to act like his Father. A little girl will do her very best to copy Daddy. So let’s show incredible kindness and joy as we see each other stepping out in faith and desire, doing what Daddy has put in our hearts to do. After all, the Holy Spirit is within each of us, and He absolutely delights to do what the Father is doing and help us grow in the calling we were created to walk in.

So maybe a baby lion can’t protect the pride. He’s sure going to practice his roar…and one day, he’ll be big enough to do what he was born to do!

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we ALL come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children…” Ephesians 4:11-14

No Holding Back

Tonight while we worshiped during service at Faith Center, I saw a picture: a great dam, a strong dam, like the dam at Niagara Falls with a great big, beautiful, peaceful lake behind it. I felt in that picturesque moment, the power of the Spirit suddenly burst upon the lake.

As the power was released, I saw people in the water and the water felt like the souls of the people filled with such radical, absolute passion that they could no longer stand being held back. The people and the water rushed at the dam and broke through it, pulsating over the rubble fast and strong.

I felt in that moment that my heart wanted to burst. Yes, Lord! Let there be such intense breakthrough that nothing can hold the church back.

Then I felt, but I’m not sure, that the Lord said, “The dam is holding My church. It is built to create the lake, a quiet, peaceful place to learn and grow. But get ready! Get ready! The power of My Spirit is about to be released in a new way, a way unparalleled in history.

"It will seem as if the whole dam is breaking—the whole structure upon which you, My dearly beloved, lean. Upon which, you My dearly beloved Church, lean. Because I cannot be held back by anything man-made. I must have a glorious Bride—a Bride created for excellence, released by the Spirit to expect more than mind can see or heart can imagine.

"I’m coming again. I’m coming for a Bride washed, redeemed, and sanctified, wholly one in heart with Me. So I’m doing a new thing. I’m doing a radical thing. I’m taking the old and breaking it apart to allow an even greater impartation of grace by My Spirit.

"See, I’m doing this thing, here, now. And I’m letting you know so you can get ready! I want you ready so there’s no hindrance, no obstruction to grace. Don't fear, Beloved. Perfect love casts out fear and My love is perfect for you, My beautiful Bride, My beautiful Church.

"I say, 'Get ready!' Rush smooth and strong in perfect sync with the new wine I’m bringing, the passionate grace I’m imparting, not just to one or two but a dispensation of anointing upon everyone from the youngest to the oldest, from the wisest to the simplest so that everyone may see and know that I am the Lord your God.”

In the Trenches

Early on this week as I worshipped and prayed in my living room, God showed me a picture in the spirit realm. I saw a strong, powerfully fit man, the Holy Spirit, digging a trench in a dry, barren land. It was back-breaking work, toiling in the hot sun. The land desperately needed water.

I begged God, “Send rain. We’re waiting. We’re oh, so thirsty. Send rain.” The Lord said, “I have sent rain—time after time.” I said, “Oh, God, we need more…so much more.” As I cried out, I saw a prophet to the nations. I begged for him to come because I knew he carried God's anointing and would bring a deluge—a huge, torrential deluge that Papa God had reserved to be poured out upon this place.

I gasped in air as I saw the so-badly needed water about to be released, and in that moment I understood how it would just rush off, because it would move too fast, passing over the land before the hard ground could drink it up or stop it. I cried, “Oh, Daddy, the trench isn’t deep enough. It will have to be so much deeper to hold that much water.” Because a very, very deep trench could take in the water, hold it, store it, save it so it could irrigate the land as it soaked into the rocky soil.

The Holy Spirit leaned on His shovel, gazing just over the top of that trench He had dug by refusing to give into the heat, refusing to stop in His grueling, monotonous effort. He smiled, and Father said, “It’s deep enough. Let it rain.”

Let It Go...

"Let it go. Let it go. Can't hold it back anymore. Let it go. Let it go. Turn away and slam the door. I don't care what they're going to say. Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway."


This chorus from "Let It Go", the award-winning song in Frozen, strikes a chord deep inside of me. Elsa's ordeal is so well-portrayed that we ache with her, and the ache resurrects a longing deep inside for us to truly be free.


Let it go...


Jesus promised we would be free in Him. Free from everything Elsa longed to escape: fear, pain, other people's condemnation, the name 'monster'. Don't you ache to be free of the cruel names people have called you? Free from the fear that they're true? Free from the pain of hurting others. From the fear that we'll hurt and be hurt again.


Let it go...


The Apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 3:17, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." He tells us that liberty is meant to be used not for vice but for love. The movie Frozen carries this theme through to the end: the antidote to fear is love (I John 4:18). The power not to hurt others is found in the ability to bless. Can we bless even when others have imprisoned us, shamed us, judged us, been vindictive toward us? Ana's sacrifice brought Elsa freedom, and so does Jesus' sacrifice for us. His love conquered death. He showed us the better way. And He did it through the shedding of His own innocent blood on our behalf.


Let it go...


Do we hold onto what we want others to think of us? Or do we accept what Jesus already says about us? We're chosen, forgiven, beloved, set free. Let it go...


Let's not be one with wind and snow but with the Prince of Peace, King Jesus. Let's give Him our hearts and surrender all our life to Him. He won't disappoint us or fail us. He embraces us just as we are...just as He made us to be. He covers our failures and washes away our stains. Don't you know? He's made us for more than this world can offer...He made us for Himself.


Beloved, let it go.... Let it go... Let's believe Him and stand in Him today. Nothing can steal His love away. The Psalmist shouted in triumph that Jesus is the refuge, the hiding place, the secret place, where the storms can't touch. Elsa thought isolation was her haven of peace, but she discovered that she couldn't live separate from her people. Neither can we. Beloved, Jesus is our Cleft of Safety today.

Next Step--Unknown

"The Lord God...revealeth his secret unto his servants." --Amos 3:7

"I know a God who loves you deeply, madly, unconditionally. He is just waiting for you to turn to Him and say, 'Here, take it. I can't fix what is broken in my life.' He promises to give you rest." --Heather George


"I have a special path for you. I have you on a path which is all your own. It is not My way for anybody else. It will become clear to you only by revelation from Me. I call it the golden path. It is a sacred secret between us. Guard it and keep it, treasure it in the secret places of your soul." --Frances Roberts


"Get used to fear. It's what pushes you into faith. That knot in your stomach isn't untying anytime soon--the only option is to accept it as part of the ride and even dare to enjoy it a bit. Put your arms in the air, feel the rush, and scream your guts out all the way into whatever it is God has for you. Wheee!" --Holley Gerth


"Great faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His word and taking the next step." --Joni Eareckson Tada

"Faith is not an effort, a striving, a ceaseless seeking, as so many earnest souls suppose, but rather a letting go, an abandonment, an abiding rest in God that nothing, not even the soul’s shortcomings, can disturb." –Evan

"When we focus on God, the scene changes. He’s in control of our lives; nothing lies outside the realm of His redemptive grace. Even when we make mistakes, fail in relationships, or deliberately make bad choices, God can redeem us." –Penelope J. Stokes

"There is nothing but God’s grace. We walk upon it; we breathe it; we live and die by it; it makes the nails and axles of the universe." –Robert Louis Stevenson

Crazy Faith

With faith, you'll move mountains, Jesus said. With faith, you'll walk on water. With faith, you'll overcome the enemy. With faith...


The Bible asserts over and over that faith is a vital weapon we need, a tool for accomplishing the will of God in our lives. It definitely is.


But I realized something really crazy today. I realized that the purpose of faith--conquering giants, etc--wasn't supposed to be my reason for desiring faith. Why? Because then our perspective can get skewed. If faith is desirable only as a tool for accomplishing specific ends, then I'll discard it (or adapt a different religious faith philosophy) if it doesn't seem to accomplish my desire.


In fact, that's exactly what I did early in my Christian life. But what does the Bible indicate should be our one desire? To please God. And Hebrews 12:6 states explicitly, "Without faith, it is impossible to please God."


I always thought this Scripture referred mainly to faith for salvation, but I believe now that faith for salvation is like a seed that is meant to grow. Faith implants within our souls by the power of the Holy Spirit, yet it isn't meant to remain immature or dormant. Faith grows, it expands, it matures as we nourish ourselves in the water of the Word.


So what do we do when crazy faith humiliates us? We rejoice...because by stepping out and risking our pride to obey what we believe God is speaking to us in our hearts and stirring in our spirits...by stepping out, we please God. And when we step out again and again, accepting with humility when others don't understand or we make mistakes, that's when our Papa throws back His head and laughs with great joy.


Because the enemy couldn't stop us. Couldn't stop us from throwing ourselves--our lives, our finances, our hopes, our dreams, our fears, and our relationships--in with God. And being radically committed to Jesus is, after all, the entire purpose of a Christian life.

~~Speak, Daddy. I'm listening. And I'm all in.~~

Remembering His Works

"At just the right moment, I heard you. At just the right moment, I stepped in and helped you." ~God


Isn't it funny that God's just-right moments in our lives are usually after panic hits? Okay, not funny. Just ironic, and probably so we learn that panicking really isn't necessary. After all, God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, and panic is by definition intense, sudden fear because we just figured out things have spiraled completely out of our control. As if we ever had control to begin with. But that's just the point. We have to get past trying to feel in control.


One way that we dissolve fear and release faith in the present is by reviewing God's awesome deeds in the past. We can begin with the amazing miracles recorded in the Bible then read powerful stories recorded by people of faith throughout history. And then we can get closer to events in our generation and feel our faith revived.


But I think one of the most powerful ways to stir faith is to look at what God has done for us in our own lives. When we start recounting our moments of panic and need and how God stepped in and met us, then our grip renews upon our sword of faith and we once again take a warrior's stance with an unwavering inner conviction: I know the Almighty God fights for me.


After my divorce, I lived with my parents for three years. So did my four children. Thank God for big basements and overflowing grace. The arrangement worked very well and gave me a nest of incredible love and security. I began healing but as the kids grew, the need for our own place became pressing to the point of desperate urgency. I had to move, but I didn't have my own vehicle, I was still attending college, and had used up all my savings.


I applied to government housing and began looking for a minivan. Just attempting to get a reliable vehicle with my limited loan money was taxing on my emotional reserve, but I did my research and God supplied a small minivan--just the right size for a short mom with skinny kids. Great. I was set. I would move out as soon as a house opened up, but the weeks ticked past, each one increasing in tension and stress. Time had run out.


Tears pouring down my face, I called the housing office and said I was willing to take an apartment in an area of town known for drugs. But I couldn't stay put any longer and if I was going to be the mom I needed to be for my kids, I had to take that leap of faith into the dark and trust that Jesus would be the Bodyguard who surrounded the kids, just like He'd promised to always be.


The next day, I saw an advertisement for an apartment that was also subsidized in a different area of town. I applied and within a couple days, I was approved. I was very relieved. Even though the coin-op laundry room was up three flights of stairs, at least we'd be in a much better neighborhood. I signed the papers even though I couldn't see the apartment for two days.


Two hours later, the first housing office called me. They had a four-bedroom, two-bathroom unit open just two blocks from the three-bedroom, one-bath apartment I had just paid a deposit on. I swallowed. I should keep my word, shouldn't I? But the four-bedroom had its own laundry hookups. I asked if I could go look and have 24 hours to decide. The manager said yes, and I stepped into a beautiful, newly remodeled two-story unit with a huge kitchen and tons of space.


I stood, looking around, and as I walked through every room, the certainty that God wasn't playing a joke but truly blessing me bubbled up stronger and stronger. I told the manager I'd take the apartment then began praying for God to return my deposit. He did. The other manager said she totally understood how much having my own laundry hook up meant to me, seeing as I had four young kids and did laundry every day.


The kids and I moved into our new, wonderful apartment with its own front and back doors, small patio, and shared grassy yard where the kids could safely play with other neighbor children. Hallelujah! Within just three days, God turned panic to absolute blessing because I stepped out in faith that He would provide. He would bless and protect me and my children. It was a miracle. A heart-stopping, joy-bursting miracle.


Could this experience be placed under the label of 'coincidence'? I don't think so. I've learned we can't worship luck and worship God at the same time. I choose to give all the glory to my Creator who knows what my kids and I need to thrive and rejoice in life. Jesus gave us an apartment we shouldn't have received. We weren't far enough up on the waiting list for the nicer areas of town. But we got the key.


He provided the washer and dryer too, along with all the furniture we needed. Many of the items were completely free, a few were obtained at amazing deals. Jesus watches over us. He delights to fill our homes with good things, and when we're looking to Him as the Source, He loves to show us exactly what He can do: He pours out unreserved blessings of lavish grace.