Ephesians 4 | Automatic Responses

Years ago I was listening to Beth Moore, a women’s bible study teacher and something she said stuck with me. I don’t remember the exact quote, but she said something about praying that her automatic responses would be godly ones. Do you know what I am talking about?

The other day I was driving home and was stopped at a light. I was turning left across traffic, so when the light changed I took a second, literally just one second, to make sure I had an arrow before turning. In that second, the person in the car behind me honked impatiently. Was my automatic response godly? Umm…no.

I managed to hold it together and made no gestures to my impatient fellow driver, but it really chapped my hide and I struggled the rest of the way home, with steam coming out of my ears.

Ephesians 4:32 NKJV says:
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

The Amplified bible puts it this way:
Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

The Message:
Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

This was just a brief interaction with someone I was never going to see again. It took only a short time to realize that this was a slight offense, to let it go, consciously forgive and move on. But it wasn’t automatic.

There have been times that slight offenses have taken longer for me to let go of.

Then there are the not-so-slight offenses–the repeated offenses, the deep offenses, the ones that threaten my self-esteem, the heart-breaking ones. My automatic response? To defend myself. To justify myself. To at least ponder retaliation. If nothing else, to voice my dismay about my offender.

But honestly, despite all that, I really do want to be a person who forgives, who has grace, who wants healing on both sides of the relationship. It’s just obvious that it doesn’t come naturally and I can’t do it on my own.

A few years ago, during one of our church prayer night gatherings, I had an epiphany! Jesus finally drove it home to me, that it was never intended that I go it alone. That is why Jesus made a way.

John 17: 20-23 NKJV
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Romans 7:21-25 NKJV
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In verses 4-6 of Ephesians 4 the word “one” is used 7 times to describe our life in the Spirit, as a church, in God. And how can we be “one” if we can’t forgive each other and leave the judging to God.

Jesus is not unaware of our difficulty in forgiving others, especially when our offense is justified. Can you imagine the number of times Jesus was offended by others walking around on this planet for 33 years? His response was to give His life for them.

A life of forgiveness is a huge ask. But it is essential to God’s plan for our being “one”. For our well-being. And He didn’t leave us to tackle it alone. We have His example, and more importantly we have His Spirit! Jesus lives in me.

I don’t want to be flippant and pretend that it is easy. It’s not. I don’t know if forgiveness will ever become automatic for me in this lifetime, but I do believe it is worth the struggle to be a part of what God has in store for us–for the oneness he promises us. I pray for me and for you that He will give us the grace to always be able to come to a place of forgiveness just as He has forgiven us.

Colossians 1:27 NKJV
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

---

About the Author

Darla loves God and is the Digital Media & Communications Director for CitySalt Church. She is a graphic designer and an entrepreneur. Always learning. Eternally grateful for her wonderful and supporting husband Mark and faithful friends who are are pillars of encouragement in all her endeavors.

Mark and Darla have no children but have the privilege of loving a gaggle of ever expanding nieces and nephews.

Rhema | We Will Know His Voice

How do I know that what I am hearing is the voice of God? If you have been a christian for more than a week, you have probably asked yourself or someone else that question.

If I were to answer that question today, I could have more than one response and they have been about 40 years in the making, with me as an active participant. I know God has been talking to me my whole life, but I didn’t always know how to participate.

I believe it is God’s voice when it sounds like the God I have come to know in the bible. Maybe it is something I have read in the bible that suddenly “makes sense” or I see something in a passage that I hadn’t seen before. Or maybe it just sounds like something God would say.

Faith is definitely a factor.

John 10:3-4 NKJV
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (emphasis added)

God said in His word that we will know His voice. If He tells us that we will, I believe He is able to reveal Himself to us in such a way that we will recognize Him when we hear Him. I have faith that He is a big enough God to make me see and hear Him. Sometimes that looks like just “knowing” in my heart, in my being.

Can we misunderstand or misread what God is saying? Of course we can. Each of us are fallible and we each have our own “filter” through which God’s voice passes. Often emotions can really wreak havoc on my ability to hear. So yeah, sometimes we will get it wrong. But if we never take a chance and trust what we hear, God won’t be able to tell us anything or help us to get better at recognizing His voice. Here again I lean on faith to believe that God’s ability to make Himself heard is greater than my ability to hear. And I hope that I am not so arrogant that I can’t be corrected if proven wrong.

Sometimes I don’t know and I just go with what seems right in my heart. I might have to make an agonizing choice or decision and trust that God will honor my faith and help me out.

Two scriptures help me here:

Romans 8:28 NKJV
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

So I believe God has my back.

And Proverbs 9:9 NKJV
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

So number one, I believe you are only as wise as you are convinced that there is more for God to teach you. Two, I believe this verse applies to a wise woman as well as a man.

Another contributing factor to hearing God’s voice is the fact that God is really in favor of community. There are probably hundreds of reasons for this, but I believe one reason is to challenge each other and our convictions. Basically to ”keep us honest.” This can be very messy. What was God thinking?! But it is an effective tool. I believe we hear God’s voice better in community. And I believe it is by design.

Finally I will share a verse that literally changed my life.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (emphasis added)

This epiphany, if you will, struck me one night after a church service, probably at least 25 years ago. It has never left me and I have made it a life commitment. “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

It seems like most of the church is stuck on memorizing verse 11. But I find verse 13 equally provocative. God’s promise to me, and everyone else who receives it, is that if I search for Him with all my heart, I will find Him.

So I commit myself to give Him room, to give Him time, to give Him space to talk to me. I fellowship with the body of Christ, I read the bible, I spend time praying, I shut up and listen. I do all these things imperfectly, but I am committed to do them, because I want to seek Him with all my heart. I believe He talks to me when I make room for Him.

One time, in the midst of very imperfect behavior on my part, I heard God’s voice in my heart as clear as I have ever heard anything, “You see Darla, I don’t need perfect people, I just need faithful ones.”

I have counted my use of the word “believe” 10 times. This is what I believe that God has spoken to me about hearing His voice over the last 40 years. It has taken time, faith and practice. My confidence is in Him, wanting me to know Him. God did say that I would know His voice. And if you are a sheep, you will too.

---

About the Author

Darla loves God and is the Digital Media & Communications Director for CitySalt Church. She is a graphic designer and an entrepreneur. Always learning. Eternally grateful for her wonderful and supporting husband Mark and faithful friends who are are pillars of encouragement in all her endeavors.

Mark and Darla have no children but have the privilege of loving a gaggle of ever expanding nieces and nephews.

Emotional Well-Being | Independence Day

I have been dreading this day. I feel heavy and concerned for my family, for others.

The 4th of July - a day when Americans celebrate - independence. Under normal circumstances we get together and throw a party, have a barbecue, watch fireworks. But we are also in the middle of a pandemic. People are tired of being apart. Rebelling, even angry. More people will “break the rules” today. More people will get sick, disease will spread, using our own desire to be close, our desire to be together, to be one, to reflect the Image of God, against us.

I am sad. I am anxious. I feel defeated.

Suddenly the Holy Spirit shows me a different perspective. A different way to see this.

This pandemic has revealed a beautiful fact. In all our brokenness, in all the chaos, in everything that has been twisted, God has preserved His Image in humanity. Not just in the Church, but in all humanity!

In all the time sin has been in the world, it has not been able to destroy the Image of God that is in us all - our desire to be One. To be in relationship.

It has taken a beating since the Garden. It is no longer untarnished and pure, but it is still there. Still strong, even defiant against what the enemy would throw at it. It is strong even in those who do not acknowledge it as God’s Image.

God is greater. In humanity we see that the Image of God is not defeated. We desire oneness and relationship!

Not that I think we should abandon wisdom and be together at all costs. On the contrary, it is my opinion that we are called to wisdom. I believe we need to face this situation as the foe that it is and work together to defeat it. We can assess our vulnerabilities and use our strengths. Those strengths may include patience, self-control, perhaps self-denial for a time. I see those characteristics in Jesus in His time on this planet. The unified goal being to see the enemy defeated once again!

This revelation for me is not about influencing behavior or personal choices during this time. I have my opinions, but it is too big a task for me to tackle what is right for everyone. I am not the judge.

My joy and my hope is in the fact that the Image of God is still alive and well in the human race! Bruised, imperfect, dented, cracked, but alive and well!! Thanks be to God! He is the Victor!

Ok now I sound a bit Christian-ese. Forgive me. I am excited. There is hope for us. God is good. His image prevails in us! He can continue to build on that in us as a planet.

Lord, I pray that you will teach us during this time of forced separation, that seems wise to me for a time to embrace our desire for Oneness that is Your Image reflected in us. Use it into the future as we are able to come back together to bring us to greater unity as a church, city, state, nation and world. Lord, like Job, bless our latter days more than our beginning!

Genesis 1:27 NKJV
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

1 John 4:4 NKJV
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

John 16:32-33 NKJV
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 17:20-23 NKJV
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

---

About the Author

Darla loves God and is the Media Communication Coordinator for CitySalt Church. She is a graphic designer and an entrepreneur. Always learning. Eternally grateful for her wonderful and supporting husband Mark and faithful friends who are are pillars of encouragement in all her endeavors.

Mark and Darla have no children but have the privilege of loving a gaggle of ever expanding nieces and nephews.

Love Purified | We Have the Power

I have been thinking about gifts lately. Not the kind you get for birthdays or holidays, but the kind given to us by our Father who loves us. I believe that the Father gives us gifts that are just for us, just to bless us when we need lifting up. Gifts that we get to enjoy that bring us pleasure, maybe a talent for something we love to do, maybe a person who makes our life a better place. There are also many gifts intended to be given away. Think of the gifts of the Spirit…

Galatians 5: 22-23 (NKJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV)
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…

The world is full of builders, craftspersons, writers, mathematicians, artists and problem solvers of all kinds. The list goes on.  

The Father has also given us a gift, that the Bible calls very powerful. Our tongue. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” With it we have great power. The power to praise God. The power to demolish strongholds. The power to tear ourselves or another down. And the power to build up and strengthen, validate and encourage one another. The power to let someone know that they are valuable to you; that your life is better for them being in it; that you appreciate something about them. This power can be directed toward a neighbor, a friend, a sibling, a parent, a spouse, a child, someone who lives in your house or around the world. This is an awesome power, let's not waste it!

In this season we have been made all too aware of the unexpectedness of life. Let’s seize the moment to use our tongues as a gift. Choose someone you like, someone you love, someone you appreciate and tell them so today! Tell them why. Encourage someone who is facing a challenge. Be there for someone who needs a friendly ear. Sometimes the power is in what we don’t say. Make someone’s world better today, this week, this month. Be creative. You have the power!

Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV)
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 25:11 (NKJV)
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.

---

About the Author

Darla loves God and is the Media Communication Coordinator for CitySalt Church. She is a graphic designer and an entrepreneur. Always learning. Eternally grateful for her wonderful and supporting husband Mark and faithful friends who are are pillars of encouragement in all her endeavors.

Mark and Darla have no children but have the privilege of loving a gaggle of ever expanding nieces and nephews.

Oneness | We Were Never Meant to Do It Alone

The Back Story
I was born into a Christian family. A Catholic Christian family. A devout, Catholic Christian family. I was in church every Sunday and Holy Day from infancy on. I attended parochial school from 1st grade through high school. I was taught that there is a God who is a loving Father, and His Son Jesus became a man, lived with us and died for our sins so that we could be God’s children and live with Him forever. He did all these things through the power of His Holy Spirit. Of course there is a lot more to that story, but it is enough to make my point. I don’t ever remember a time in my life when I didn’t believe myself to be a Christian.

I had a good childhood, loving parents, and close family. Frankly, I remember feeling pretty happy and safe. My parents taught me right from wrong. From my perception, it was black and white, no grey area and my parents were the ones to make the important decisions. Follow the rules, go to confession regularly and I am golden! God loved me and all was right with the world.

Things started to change for me in high school. I started to notice that my parents were more interested in my opinion about things. They wanted to know what I thought I should do in a particular circumstance. They didn’t seem to want to hand me all the answers. Hmmm. This was different and didn’t feel quite as safe. I liked having clear rules and safe boundaries.

Even though I was taught about a good God and loving Savior, we live in a broken world and the things of God got twisted for me along the way. There is more to that story too, but suffice it to say that the idea of a loving God had developed in my imagination to a God who loved me as long as I didn’t screw up. Now my parents were asking me, their first born, the responsible one, to start making decisions on my own. What if I screwed up?

In my 16th year, I entered into a dark depression. Fear of failing, screwing up, or falling short of God’s expectations dominated my thoughts. I once left it up to my parents to keep me on God’s good side and now they were handing the mantle to me.. Which was unexpected, and honestly unwanted. I no longer felt safe. The next 3 years were a very dark time for me, full of fear.

But thanks be to our truly loving God, who did not leave me in that condition!

Through a series of events, I was introduced in my 19th year to a new way of interacting with this God I so wanted to please. I was introduced to a relationship with God. The Lord showed himself to me in a whole new way and he began to heal my perception of Him. Did it happen overnight? No. The struggle with depression, lack of confidence and trusting in Him did not end overnight, but it was the beginning! In my 20’s I gained ground and grew in understanding and hope in my friendship with Jesus and the season of depression passed. Worship, prayer and relationships with friends and mentors on the same journey, literally “gave me a new lease on life.” And the journey continues…

Fast Forward
Twenty-some years later still on that journey, I had what I can only call “an epiphany!”

Epiphany: Merriam-Webster Dictionary
1 capitalized: January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles...
2 : an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being
3a(1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

I was now attending South Hills Church, later to become CitySalt. Since the beginning of the church there has been time set aside by leadership for anyone who wants to gather to pray corporately for our church body. Pastor John led the call then too. On one such evening, besides John, I was the only other person who came to pray. There was nothing significant about the date. I don’t remember anything particular about events or circumstances going on at this point in my life. We were just doing what we do, gathering to pray. In God-like fashion, He showed up and everything changed for me.

John 17: 22-23
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one…”
“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one…”
Light bulb: We were never meant to do this alone!

We were never meant to need to figure things out in order to impress God. We were never meant to clean up our act before we could present ourselves pure before Him.

I was never meant to hide from Him what I don’t understand. Or clean up my christian ‘speak’ so that I present myself to Him in a way He could tolerate. I am not left on my own to “get my act together.” I am not discarded to flounder in my mistakes. It is okay to talk to Him about things I struggle with and ask for help. He already knows anyway.

I am made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27)

“that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,”
We: the Father, Son, Holy Spirit and me are in this together!!!

The earth moved for me in that moment of realization. God is in this with me! I was never meant to go it alone.

If you had this figured out in Christianity 101, I commend you and you needn’t read any further, but this was life changing for me! Never before had I thought of being partnered with God for my own salvation. I think that after all these years, I still thought of the Father as someone to impress--still feeling as though my life literally depended on impressing Him. “Thank you Jesus for coming and dying on the cross, but I’ll take it from here,” was my position. He had done His part and the rest was up to me.

I don’t believe that anymore. By sending Jesus to die on the cross, by Jesus coming, by leaving the Holy Spirit with us, God, the Trinity, has more at stake in this game then I do. He laid it all on the line. He wants us to get it right this time and is willing to give everything to help us to get there, despite our sin.

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

I don’t comprehend how this all works out and what it all means, but I can talk to Him about it:-) I want to know Him more and continue the journey together. He designed it that way, from how I see it. Father, help me to understand, forgive my misunderstanding.

We are made in the image of God. God is Three. God is One. We are invited to “be one” in Him.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

---

About the Author

Darla loves God and is the Media Communication Coordinator for CitySalt Church. She is a graphic designer and an entrepreneur. Always learning. Eternally grateful for her wonderful and supporting husband Mark and faithful friends who are are pillars of encouragement in all her endeavors.

Mark and Darla have no children but have the privilege of loving a gaggle of ever expanding nieces and nephews.

Seeing the Other | The Father, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and Me

This has been an amazing season for CitySalt blog writers and readers. I have been blessed again and again by the insights and hearts revealed through the theme of “Seeing the Other“. If you missed any of the posts in the last few months, I highly recommend that you click on the Salt Blog and scroll down to read the ones you missed. It is a treasure trove.

---

Do you ever think of God as ‘the Other?’

The Nicene Creed begins,
“We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all that is, seen and unseen.”

I recited that creed every Sunday in my youth and I believed it and still do. I have spent a lifetime trying to wrap my head and my heart around a God who is amazingly wise, all powerful, perfect, all seeing, a God who created a universe that appears endless and incomprehensible. A God who Psalm 139 says, “knit me together in my mother’s womb.” We have only scratched the surface in understanding how these bodies of ours function and must constantly amend our understanding as we learn more. How is it that I can have anything in common with the amazing Being who created me?

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.”

Jesus, one with the Father, also God, almighty, all powerful…

John 1:1-5
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Yet, he calls me, friend (John 15:15). He is my Savior, He laid down His life for me. He left His place by the Father’s side and experienced pain and death for me. He came as a servant when He was God. How is it that I have anything in common with this extraordinary Man?

“We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the
Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.”

The Holy Spirit, teaches me, empowers me, inspires me. He, too, is God. He is also a gift from God to us that we might know Him better and be more like Him.

John 14:26
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 20:22
Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

How is it that I have anything in common with this amazing trinity of Beings? I can interact with Them but can I truly be like Them? The idea is so much greater than me.

Does God see me as “the Other?” It would appear not.

Genesis 1:27
So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

I (we) are created in the image of God. He says so Himself. How can that be? I see such a difference when I compare my behavior with His. I (we) have fallen from a great height, no doubt about it. But still we are created to be like Him. We are not ‘other’ than Him, we are created in His image. The whole of the bible, the coming of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit reinforces for me the truth that God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are committed to restoring that image and relationship to its former glory.

Do I completely understand it? Do I know how it will be accomplished? Can I wrap my head around all that it entails? No. But I know more than I did, 5, 10, 30 years ago, because He is intent on leading me if I will listen. Have I executed each learning challenge flawlessly? Hardly. But it is worth it to me to keep pushing forward through my incompleteness and lack of understanding to be more like Him. He has made it clear that it is worth the struggle for Him and so it is worth it to me.

Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Is God “Other” than me? No. He is the Creator and I am the created, it will always be that way. Yet in His love He saw fit to create me in HIs image. He wants me to be like Him and be in relationship with HIm. It seems it is HIs good pleasure. I want to say, “yes” to that.

---

About the Author

Darla wears many hats, one of them being Media Communication Coordinator for CitySalt Church. She is a life long learner, who is always up for a challenge. She is married to her amazing husband, Mark. Though they have no children she enjoys being involved in the lives of her nieces and nephews as their ‘crazy aunt.’

A Challenge to Bless

In lieu of a devotional today, I am offering up a challenge.

In the last 9 days I have attended two memorial services. In both cases the death was unexpected and surrounded by tragic circumstances. In both cases the person that left us to be with Jesus was a loving person who regularly demonstrated that love to others and therefore was greatly loved.

I know it is a bit cliché, but I am again reminded of our mortality and the unexpectedness of this life. It also reminded me that God has given us a very powerful gift. Our tongue. With it we have great power. The power to praise God. The power to demolish strongholds. The power to tear ourselves or another down. And the power to build up and strengthen, validate and encourage another person. The power to let them know that they are valuable to you; that your life is better for them being in it; that you appreciate something about them. This power can be directed toward a neighbor, a friend, a sibling, a parent, a spouse, a child, someone who lives in your house or around the world. This is an awesome power, let's not waste it!

The Challenge: Pick someone you like, someone you love, someone you appreciate and tell them so today! Tell them why. If you are a really inspired tell two people. If each person who receives our newsletter tells one person, that is 90 people for whom the day just got better.

If you choose to take this challenge, like this page below to let others reading this blog know you did.

Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV)
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 25:11 (NKJV)
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.

"Love is Key" by Darla Beardsley

Love. What a powerful word. It makes sense that it would be, because 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love. Last Sunday in service Boby Jubberread 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 inserting God in place of the word love. It was very thought provoking concerning the nature of God. God is Love.

This morning in prayer I was wrestling with what I am doing with my and how I am spending my time. Am I doing everything God wants me to do? Should I get involv3ed with this? Should I do more of that? Am I spending too much time on this project? Another “love” scripture popped into my head, so I turned to Revelations, the second chapter and read the following:

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have preserved and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.”

So God, what you’re saying is that it is possible to be busy trying to do all the right things and still miss my mark? Love is more important. This got me thinking about my motivations for doing the things that I do. Am I trying to impress God or other people with my performance or in my actions? Do I love the Lord and the people He puts in my life? Am I worried about looking worthy or is it love that drives me? Most likely, I’s a little of both.

I believe that I am only scratching the surface of what God has to teach me in all this, but I think getting to the heart of the love issue is key. What motivates me? If love is not in the answer to that question then chances are I will miss the mark. So how do I become motivated by love? By pressing into, spending time with, and receiving from He who is Love.

I love what Dusty always says, “When in doubt, default to love.

(1 Corinthians 13)

"Walking with God's Spirit" by Darla Beardsley

I find it amusing when I set out to do something that I feel is ministry to someone else and then God uses it to teach me something. That happened recently. 
 
A couple of months ago, Pam approached Sue Paris and me to do some acting for this year’s kid’s camp. So we got together to brainstorm on an idea that had been floating around in our heads. Sue felt she had a scripture and a direction, so we took off from there.
 
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
 
As the Epic Kingdom camp criers we would proclaim these attributes as proper kingdom deportment and hopefully drive home to the kids that this was only possible by walking with God’s Spirit. So I took notes while we laughed and devised screwy characters. Afterwards I took all our ideas and put it to dialog. A funny thing happened while we were memorizing and rehearsing. I found that the lines said more to me than I had been aware of when writing them down. Ideas connected that I hadn’t thought of during the brainstorming and laughing. I felt like we had received a word that we didn't fully hear until we attempted to share it with the kids.
 
I found myself looking for the Fruit of the Spirit in my life. I wondered if I really understood what it meant to walk with God’s Spirit. How do I do it? Is it an action? Is it an attitude? Can I measure it? I am sure that praying, reading His Word, worship and fellowship are all part of the process. As I pondered this another scripture came to mind—the revelation of which was life changing for me many years ago.
 
Jeremiah 29:12-13
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
 
I know I don’t have all the answers, but I have a direction. I don't know how to do everything, but I have a great, wise and patient Teacher. I know Who to ask. And He promises me that if I put my whole heart into it, I will find Him. So I will seek to learn to walk with God’s Spirit, something I am sure will take me all of my life. Sometimes I see this fruit in my life and sometimes it is greatly lacking. But my prayer is that next year I will look and see more of it, more often and so on year after year, from glory to glory.
 
Last Sunday John spoke on the proper perspective of work in the bible. We are not saved by our works, but work has been prepared in advance for us to do. If we have faith but no works that give evidence to it, then our faith is dead. I have an additional thought. I cannot work my way into heaven by exhibiting all the attributes in Galatians 5: 22-23, but because Jesus took care of my sin on the cross I can seek to walk with His Spirit and see these things become a part of my life. When I fail and fall flat on my face, God’s grace gives me the option to get up and try again.
 
Encouraging Words:
 
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Jeremiah 29:12-13
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
 
Isaiah 30:15
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

Practicing The Prophetic

This summer I had the privilege to participate in a mini women’s retreat held at Julie and Dusty’s home. Nicole Cade, a Foursquare pastor and friend of Julie’s, taught on prophecy. After the evening teaching we broke into groups and practiced praying and listening for words of prophecy. It was an encouraging time and since we were “practicing,” I felt no pressure to be “perfect”.
Following the retreat I read a story in the Bible as suggested by Nicole. In Numbers 22 & 23, the story of Balaam reveals that a prophet can speak only as the Lord speaks. In John 14;10, even Jesus says He spoke by the Father’s authority. I also reread the story of Ezekiel prophesying over the dry bones in Ezekiel 37 where God tells Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones and God gave them life again.

Later that month, my husband, Mark, and I planned to join his mom, dad, and family in southern Oregon for a reunion. I had been looking forward to it all summer. At this time the fires broke out in southern Oregon causing bad air quality throughout the region. People were warned to stay inside. Some in Mark’s family have asthma and it looked like the reunion may be canceled. People were disappointed, myself included. News and weather reports brought no hope of things clearing up in time.

I began to have a strong impression that God was telling me that He would allow me to prophesy over the geographical area for clear and healthy air. I knew that I could only do it if God was doing it, and I believed He was. So I did. I spoke clear, healthy air over the area. I had the opportunity to tell family in an email that I was praying and believing God for the provision of good air. Everyone decided to take the chance and meet and hang out indoors if necessary.

The day before we left the air was a bit better. When we got there, there was a bit of haze but so much clearer with only an occasional smell of smoke. It evened rained at one point. The air cleared so much that we had NO issues for the entire four days, and were able to do everything we had planned outdoors. Someone in the family remarked at how well everything had turned out, and to think-we had almost canceled! I really felt that God was glorified and my faith was strengthened through this experience.

God is good!

Darla Beardsley