It's Okay to BE You

We are not supposed to "do" anything; we are simply to "be".

A lot of people think that they have to do things to be accepted by God....that simply is not Truth.

Consider the woman at the well in John 4...Her story is beautiful!

She was confused but she knew that “the Anointed One” was real. She was an outcast to society yet He stopped at the well to wait for her to come to it. When she arrived, He was welcoming, compassionate, understanding and was not concerned with any of her “faults” or anything that she had done. He simply wanted to speak with her...to reveal to her Truth that spoke to her heart. Her life changed in that moment when she realized that who she was speaking to was the Anointed One. The Truth was like a salve that healed the brokenness within her.

We are like that lady at the well....we come feeling broken and in need of a refreshing drink. Christ in you is the Way to the Source of the well.

So who is the Source? HE goes by many names: Abba, Adonai, Elohiem, Jehovah, Yahweh, Universe, God.

HE is simply Truth. HE is Spirit. HE is The One that has always been and will always be....without beginning and with no end. He is outside of time as we know it. He operates outside of every known law of physics as everything that we are aware of has been created by Him.

He is the source of life. He is what we comprehend as “energy”...an inherent power source. This Life Force – energy – is within you (the mystery of Christ in you, the hope of glory). It is the same force of energy that raised Christ from the grave. It has no limits and is beyond our finite comprehension yet it dwells within our physical bodies. How absolutely marvelous!

This Source, this Life Force-your Father, desires relationship above all else with you dear one. There is no need to be afraid of Him because HE is not out to punish you for your choices. Do you remember the story of Mary Magdalene and the woman at the well? HE did not punish either one of them. HE was compassionate and showed great empathy toward them. HE simply loved them as they were....just as He will do with you.

His Word tells us that there is now NO condemnation.

HE removes our sin from us as far as the East is from the West.

HE has forgiven each and every sin, washing us as white as snow.

HE tore the veil from top to bottom at the moment Christ died, removing all perceived barriers to Him.

HE gave each of us the ability to create...our thoughts/words are the paintbrush

HE gave us the freedom to choose our steps/choices which determine our path.

HE tells us to not be afraid.

There is no barrier between you and Yahweh, your Creator.

You are meant to be in a continual conversation with Him (pray continuously) as HE tells us that His sheep know His voice.

You are called to simply “be” who you are with no other expectations of any other purpose while here on this earth.

So who are you?

You ARE the beloved of Yahweh.

You ARE His righteousness.

You ARE Co-Heir with Christ.

You ARE holy as He is holy.

You ARE spiritual energy, created in His image.

You ARE a spark of Divinity shining in the darkness.

You ARE more than you realize and have been taught to believe.

There are no barriers between you and Yahweh, your Source.

You are a unique spiritual being who has much to offer this world....as yourself!

Do not make it more complicated than it needs to be dear one.

You “be” You with all of your perceived quirks and flaws!

Be your authentic self...that messy, beautiful, spontaneous, delightful ball of energy!

Do not worry about all of the things you think you need to “do”.... Simply “BE” who you are.

It's okay to be you!

 Our Heart Becomes a Beautiful Mosaic in the Hands of God

Chances are that at some point in your life you have been wounded...emotionally, spiritually or mentally.  Life is hard and the storms we go through can leave us exhausted because of it.  

What does this do to our heart?  Our soul? Our Spirit? Well, that is a very good question!

Your heart and soul can be deeply wounded and your spirit can feel exhausted and bruised. This is when the enemy of your soul works to steal your joy – to destroy your faith – to kill your purpose in this life. 

THE only way to move through it all is WITH God. On your own..you cannot withstand the pressure the enemy of your soul will put you under. Thankfully, God has promised us in Deuteronomy Chapter 28 that we are not under things but above them…as long as we stay focused on Him.

 You need time to heal…and you will heal and the pain will subside. Your Heavenly Father comes along side of you in your brokenness and gently picks up the pieces of your shattered heart and soul.

He smooths the jagged edges of each piece before He lovingly places each piece into His design for you. Romans 8:28 tells us that He uses all things for our good.  Therefore, He creates this beautiful mosaic that has remnants of your brokenness and pain but one that outshines the memory of your experience. He creates beauty from your ashes. You simply need to allow Him the time to create it for you.    I say “simply” because it is a simple process yet it is not an easy one!

This time...this part of your journey in the creation of your mosaic is known as the healing process.  This process is sometimes an uncomfortable one but one that is necessary if you are to truly live the abundant life promised in His Word.  

Your body needs to release the trauma that has been stored on a cellular level. This happens as you acknowledge the emotions that surface when confronted with the memory of a painful and/or traumatic event. Remember...the emotion/feeling is not sinful.  For instance, being or feeling angry is not a sin.  Ephesians 4:26 tells us that we are not to sin IN our anger.  We can be angry...and there are times when we need to be angry.  The sin this verse refers to is an action we choose while we are angry.   Unfortunately, not many have been taught how to properly process big emotions like Anger which is why some choose harmful actions while angry. 

So how do you process big emotions?

Feel it!  Allow yourself to feel each emotion…honor that part of you that was deeply wounded.  As you do, He pours His salve upon the brokenness and you begin heal.  Some emotions may have many layers and that is okay!  With each layer, He gently takes that emotion as you express it to Him and He smooths the sharp edges so that it is not as “prickly” anymore.  With each processed piece, He carefully and intentionally places that piece into His Masterpiece of your heart's mosaic.

He only reveals the layers that you are willing to release…so allow Him to go deep into your heart. Release the tears with each piece…grieving the loss of what that piece represents to you. You control the speed at which He works so take the time you need to sit with each piece of your shattered heart before letting it go.  Then let it go into His capable Hands...become the clay on His potter's wheel.

This mosaic that He creates for you will be stunningly beautiful when it is completed.  Trust Him enough to take you on this journey of healing your soul from the storms of this life.  He has given you a few tools to help you on this journey.

You have His armor in Ephesians 6. Read through that and mentally put it on each day. This helps you understand that He has given you everything you need to become more than a conqueror!

Renew your mind and when it all feels overwhelming…begin to praise Him…even if you don’t feel like it. Just lift your hands and start thanking Him for the little things and ask Him to be there in that moment with you.   Think of Paul and Silas when they were in prison.  They began to praise God in the inner dungeon...and what happened?   Do you remember?   

After they were beaten, they were thrown into the inner dungeon and chained so that they could not escape.  Their situation seemed hopeless.  They must have felt despair and as if God had  forgotten about them.   And yet they prayed and then they began singing.  Suddenly! There was a massive earthquake that shook the jail to it's foundation; so much so  that the cell doors swung open and the shackles fell off...of every prisoner there!  In spite of how they must have felt...in spite of those big emotions, they offered up what must have felt like a sacrifice...a sacrifice of praise!

Praise, therefore, is a very powerful weapon in the spiritual battles we encounter.

Moments like that when He touches your heart and you simply know that He is are very precious.  I like to refer to moments like these as God Winks.  

He is always there with you!  He listens intently as you speak from your heart…the enemy of your soul wants to blind you of this fact but God never walks away from His children or leaves them alone.

Psalm 116:2  Because He bends down to listen I will pray as long as I have breath.

Deuteronomy 4  The Lord will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors

Deuteronomy 31  I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.

James 4:8  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Let His Word guide you on this journey while He creates your mosaic. Hold tight to the Truth that He never leaves you nor forsakes you! Let that be your anchor so that you do not drift from Him.

Pause for just a moment in the midst of your storm…reach out to your Father and wait for Him to bend even closer to you.  He is there…waiting for you to turn toward Him so that He can comfort His deeply loved and cherished son/daughter.

James 4:7 says to surrender to God.   That is what the healing process is...you surrendering your emotions, your pain, your wounds, your fears, your anxiety, your brokenness...laying it all at His feet.   The second part of that verse says that after you surrender to God, the enemy will flee!  The accuser will flee because of the One who stands with you.

That is POWERFUL!

That is a promise from your Father.  

That is an anchor point for your soul!

Therefore, take the time and put in the effort and you will begin to see this amazing mosaic being created from your brokenness.  

PSALM 116:  The Heart of The Father is Revealed 

This Psalm reveals the heart of God toward those who choose to simply Trust in His Word.  It is a powerful passage that has the potential to shake your shackles loose!  Join me as we take the path of this Psalm and experience Jehovah in a new, deeper way.  

First...we need to establish a solid foundation before building upon it with His Word.  If we do not rightly understand the context of His Word, we will fail to apply it appropriately.  It is my experience that many do not truly know their Heavenly Father.   Why?  Well....there are many reasons to be sure; each individual has their own set of reasons as to why they do not understand God as a Father who cherishes them deeply and truly only wants His Peace and Protection for them.

God offers many blessings to His people, His Beloved Children.  These blessings are offered to all who simply choose to trust in Him and serve Him.  Yeah...that concept of being a servant made some of you uncomfortable.  Ask yourself Why?  Why does it cause an unsettling in our core to even think about being a servant?  It simply means one that VOLUNTARILY serves another.

To be the servant of God means that you perform the official duties of God; you are the Ambassador of Christ while here on this earth.  As His Ambassador, you are asked to represent the power and dignity of His Sovereign, The Almighty God.  As such, you are to manage the public concerns of your King...Christ Jesus Himself.  So you see....being His servant is an honor and a privilege...not a punishment.  It is perspective that focuses the beauty of His Word!

Psalm 116 is King David pouring out his heart for the One who has saved him.  His praises are based on his personal experience with God as he indicates in verse 6.  Experience that comes from a personal knowledge derived from trials, use, practice and/or from a series of observations.  This is how Noah Webster defined experience in his dictionary; I think it fits beautifully here.

The Blessings of God are offered to everyone but only extended to those who choose Him.   Joshua put it nicely when he said....Choose this day whom you shall serve. (Josh 24:15)  He reminded the people that it  is a choice, an individual choice that needs to be made regarding the offer made by God Himself:

Deuteronomy 11 and 30:  "Today I set before you Life and Death; Blessing and Cursing...Now choose Life"   It is a choice to be made each morning when we awaken to a new day!  The choice has always been up to us...to serve the Creator and walk in His Ways and experience His protection and blessings or to choose to serve the enemy of our soul and live unguarded to his schemes to kill, steal and destroy us.

Now that we understand that He has given us the choice to serve Him and benefit from His Blessings, we can dive into Psalm 116.  The Heart of the Father is revealed and can be experienced by any who simply choose to trust what He says about Who He is and how He wants to interact with each of us.

Let's take this verse by verse so that we do not miss what He reveals about Himself.  you can follow along in your Bible.  I am using TPT, The Passion Translation.

Psalm 116 verse 1:
    God Listens
    He hears your prayers
    He answers 
Psalm 116 verse 2
    God "stoops down" to listen to your heart's cry; (He draws near as we draw closer to Him)
Psalm 116 verse 5
    God is kind and gracious
    He is compassionate
    He deeply loves you
    He restores you
Psalm 116 verse 6
    God protects those with childlike faith
    He protects the humble
Psalm 116 verse 7
    God rewards your trust in Him
Psalm 116 verse 8
    God saves you from Fear
    He keeps you from stumbling
Psalm 116 verse 9
    God gives you strength to live according to His Ways
Psalm 116 verse 12
    God pours blessings upon you
Psalm 116 verse 15
    God cares deeply about you
Psalm 116 verse 16
    God releases you from your chains...He sets you Free!

That's a pretty darn impressive characterization of the Heart of The Father.  Wouldn't you agree?

You need to also understand that each one of these assertions made by David are also confirmed in other places in His Word.   They are solid foundations to build your relationship with God upon.  David wrote all of that based on his experiences with God; my own experiences with God have also been the same...God is very trustworthy; He does not lie.   When you choose to be His servant and follow His Word, He blesses you.  As you draw near to Him, He draws even closer.  

James 4:7   Submit yourself to God (agree to be His Ambassador/servant), resist the devil and he will flee from  you.  Move your heart closer and closer to God and He will be touching you (He will come even closer to you)

The question to you is this....

Are you ready to embark on experiencing The Creator in such a beautifully, powerful way?

I hope you are!!!  All it takes is a Green Gumball Faith...a simple, childlike faith and a heart willing to serve.

Obedience is the Key

Sometimes what you are going through is not entirely about you; God uses our circumstances and our obedience to impact the hearts of those who do not yet believe.

Exodus 13:17

For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

Exodus 14:2, 4

“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea...

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

The Israelites were on the move; they had already left Egypt and were on their way to the Promised Land before God allowed the Pharaoh to realize what he had done. (Ex 14:5)

Even though they left Egypt “ready for battle” and with the wealth of the Egyptians, God directed them away from the path that would have resulted in a war with the Philistines. (Ex 13:17) God knew that if they had faced a war, they would change their minds and return to captivity.

So then....Why would God have His people turn back and make camp instead of continuing on their journey? They were making good pace in putting distance between them and Egypt. They even took an alternate route to avoid a war and yet now, God has them stop and turn back; turn to make camp at the same time Pharaoh decides to pursue them.

God leads them away from a war just to position them for a battle...why?

Verse 4....so that the Egyptians (the very same people who held the Israelites in captivity) would know that He is the Lord. This was about God moving on the hearts of those who did not yet know Him. God was about to reveal Himself to a nation as well as remind a nation of who they serve.

Moses was instructed to tell the terrified Israelites “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

The battle you are in right now may seem overwhelming and it might not be about just you. God may wish to reveal Himself to those around you. As He instructed His people then, He is instructing you today....

Listen (Do not be afraid)

Trust (Stand Firm)

Obey (Be Still)

God did not mean to stand still or do not move. No, they were to get up and move to safety as He provided their path. He was telling them to stop complaining, to stop fretting, to stop focusing on what was behind them and start focusing on the life in front of them. He instructed them to move in the direction of the Promise. (...press on toward the goal... Phil 3:14-15; ...keep your eyes on Jesus... Heb 12:2)

As they obeyed and moved through the obstacle in front of them (the Red Sea), God took care of what was behind them. In doing so, God gained the glory and the Egyptians were given the opportunity to know that He is the Lord.

What a wonderful God He is! As He takes us THROUGH the hard places, our faith is strengthened and He reveals Himself to those who are watching.

With that in mind, what 'enemy' are you facing today?

I encourage you to do as the Israelites...

Listen (Do not be afraid)

Trust (Stand Firm)

Obey (Be Still)

and in the process, be reminded of the God you serve.

Lesson of Mindfulness

Ezekiel 37:1

The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; and it was full of bones.

This verse is full of knowledge nuggets! It is like an archaeological dig where you have to uncover the treasures as you gently sift through the words. (Proverbs 25:2) It is similar to the parables that Jesus used to teach with; many applications as one looks deeper into the story. God reveals the initial interpretation of the vision in verses 11-28; the restoration of Israel. However, since we know that God is a Master Storyteller and His Word is relatable to us today, there are still bits of wisdom to be discovered within these words. Let's go digging....

“The hand of the Lord”: Hand in this verse refers to an open hand, indicating power, direction and means. God reveals that His hand...one with power and direction...is available from the very beginning of the journey, guiding him through the valley.

“...was on me and brought me out...” This phrase, interestingly, is simply one word in the original text...yatsa'. The meaning of this one word is … to go out; to go forth. Yet it can also be defined as to germinate; to expand, like a plant.

“...set me down...” the original meaning of this word related to respiring or resting to draw a breath; the sitting down to rest, to be quiet.

I find this fascinating! Ezekiel is standing in the middle of utter devastation. God tells him to look with purpose at the destruction before him...to notice the dry, dis-articulated bones; to truly take in the hopelessness of the chaos in that valley. It is then that God speaks a word...nuwach...which literally means to breathe freely again due to resting. He encourages Ezekiel to simply pause, to sit down and rest a moment. Can you hear the soft voice speak to Ezekiel....”Draw a breath Ezekiel and allow Me to calm your mind so that in the middle of the chaos, you may notice Me.” In other words, Be Still and know that I am God.

I believe God was teaching Ezekiel a very important lesson in that valley...the lesson of mindfulness. Your Father asks you to be present WITH Him in each moment of your day. Being mindful of the Hand of God and His presence has the ability to shift your perspective and correct your vision.

God speaks to each of us in the middle of our own chaos. He encourages us to slow down a bit and pause to catch our breath. Pause long enough to allow your vision to see things for how they truly are and not simply how they may seem in the moment. It is in the “resting” that God's Hand will cause His Truth to germinate and expand in your spirit.

May you embrace the lesson of mindfulness found within the story of the valley in Ezekiel 37; as you do, may you breathe freely once again knowing that God is always with you.

A Royal Mandate

Ezekiel 37 tells the story of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones. It is just twenty-eight verses but the wisdom, knowledge and hope that is revealed within those verses is quite profound and refreshing! Let's take a walk through the valley with Ezekiel and see what God reveals to us along the way. 

This chapter falls within the part of the Book of Ezekiel where God tells His people that He is going to bring them out of captivity and restore them as a nation. The story of the dry bones is intended to be an illustration of encouragement to His people to have a humble faith in their God. However, to understand the magnitude and scope of what God is illustrating, we need to know a few things about their circumstances.

The nation of Israel was divided within themselves as well as being scattered among the nations of their enemies. They were surrounded and not united as a people...they were without Hope.

God had already given them words of reproof and conviction (chapters 4-24). Now He brings them His Word of Hope...He is going to bring them out of their captivity. He used the illustration of dry bones to make His case for Him. Let's look through the eyes of Ezekiel as we walk through this valley...

As we stand in the middle of this open valley, we look around and see the bones; so many bones, scattered everywhere. They are not buried so they are sun-bleached to a pale, white color and they are in no order...not placed together so that we can make out a full skeleton...No, it's just a chaotic mess of individual bones. It appears that a great struggle or even a battle had taken place in this valley...what is left is the destruction of the people who lost that battle.

We hear a voice...”Can these bones live?” What kind of question is that? We see the evidence of utter devastation...no sign of life...nothing but chaos. Tears may have stung Ezekiel's eyes and his heart may have begun to break as he stood there thinking of the lives that these bones represented. 

“Can these bones come back to life? Only You hold the answer to that question God. What I see before me is something that only You can restore.” BINGO! That is the answer that comes from a humble heart and acknowledges the Sovereign Power of God!    With that type of faith, God will move mountains on your behalf.

After Ezekiel answered, God told him to prophesy or to speak to the bones by a divine power... “All you dried up bones, LISTEN to the voice of God Almighty!” As Ezekiel repeated the word that God commanded him to say, he heard a loud noise...like thunder; a great rattling like an earthquake or the sound of chariots. Now, there are so many knowledge nuggets in this story but we are going to pause here and examine this one a bit more closely...

Verse 4 “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” in this verse, “word” means … A Royal Mandate; an edict or a command/ declaration from a king/prince/authority requiring obedience. God's Word is a royal mandate...an edict...that requires the obedience from everything that is under His authority. Think about that for a moment...God has authority over ALL things, visible or invisible therefore all things are required to obey Him.

Verse 7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.” The word “noise” is from an unused root word meaning “to call aloud” or “a voice”. The word used for “rattling” means noise or tumult (like that of chariots). 

Ezekiel described the noise he heard very similar to the way the voice of God has been described in other parts of the Bible. His voice is described as “...a loud noise...” “...a thundering, or thunders...” “...a sound of many waters...” which resembles the sound of chariots. As Ezekiel repeated the very words that God had given him...the loud noise began....God echoed the words Ezekiel spoke! The rumbling noise was the voice of God declaring His Royal Mandate which requires nothing less than swift obedience. As a result, the scattered bones gathered with the bones from the original skeleton and muscle formed on the skeletons and skin covered them. Essentially, that which was not became that which was spoken.

We will revisit the valley next week as there are so many wonderful things to be gleaned from this chapter. The nugget I would like y'all to examine this week is simply this...

His Word is a Royal Edict within His kingdom that requires obedience from all under His authority. He invites each of us to find His promises in His Word and speak them aloud so that He may echo your words in the sound of His voice just as He did with Ezekiel.

Do as Ezekiel did and pray...have a conversation with God; take a walk through His Word, allowing Him to humble your heart so that He will reveal a promise to speak aloud, declaring God's authority over your situation.

Pray – Humble yourself – Receive His Word – Declare His Word

The Mystery of Purpose

Within the words of Romans 8:28 lies a gem; a clue to the mystery that is your purpose in life.

Romans 8:28
So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.

Did you see it?

We have been called to fulfill His designed purpose. It really isn't our purpose but rather His. His purpose that He designed by weaving every detail of our life together so that it will FIT into His perfect plan. This plan is to bring good into our life. THAT is our purpose...simply put, He is our purpose!

Have you ever thought of it like that? Our life...every detail...is being continually woven together. Therefore, we cannot mess it up because He is continually weaving our actions into His tapestry. His plan for you is perfect and it will fulfill His designed purpose. This way of life is what brings that overwhelming sense of inner peace in spite of the chaos or troubles.

We work in harmony with the Creator as He weaves this tapestry when we understand what this calling (or purpose) is for us in this life of ours. We begin to feel connected to something much greater than our-self and this is precisely when we begin to achieve the most satisfaction.

So then....the question becomes, What is this well designed plan that is continually being woven together to bring good into our life? What is God's designed purpose for me?

For the answer to that, we must go on an expedition. Yes! A journey to explore His Word in search of the clues that He has left for us to find. In the true spirit of any expedition, this will require some research, some digging, some hard work and the resolve to not give up until we find the treasure.

Are you ready to embark on this journey through His Word...your emotions...your beliefs...to uncover the mystery of Purpose?

This journey will require us to adapt our way of thinking to align with the truths that He reveals in His Word. Therefore it is vital to the success of the expedition for each of us to be open and willing to accept what He shows us. This may challenge ideas and/or mind-sets. This may challenge doctrine or traditions that we have been taught through our churches. This will challenge what you believe about yourself.

THAT is what makes for an exciting journey...the willingness to do what it takes to find the treasure!

So let's start by really digging into our first clue, Romans 8:28. This first clue tells us what God says our purpose is in His world. Read that again...the first challenge is to accept that this is God's plan for us. We may have our own ideas of what we should be doing and even what we want to be doing...and that is okay if you simply wish to exist in life. However, the point of this expedition is to find PURPOSE for your life.

His purpose for the life He created as an integral part of His world. He is the master craftsman. Romans 8 tells us that God is constantly weaving together every detail of our life...EVERY detail. Why is He doing this? He masterfully takes each detail and weaves it together with the other strands (the details of the lives of others) until it fits perfectly into His plan. This plan of His is the one that brings good into your life. That is a promise to those who are willing to say ”...not my way/will but Yours God”.

Romans 8:28 is your invitation to embark on a wild ride...an exciting journey...an expedition of epic proportion!

This is the way of Green Gumball Faith.