Five Smooth Stones...IJS

When hearing the story of David and Goliath I have often asked the Lord, "Why five smooth stones?"  Why not one, sharp branch, thrown like a spear or one, huge boulder rolled down a cliff? I mean really, the Bible does not record either that David stopped to pray about taking down Goliath. He did not march around him like Joshua and the walls of Jericho or fast about the situation like Queen Esther did about the evil plans of genocide by Haman. No, this giant was defeated quickly and strategically by a confident, forward attack in the sure hand of a shepherd with staff in one hand and five smooth stones in the other. Bam!

Okay, but why 'five' stones? Perhaps each stone foretells of the 5-fold ministry? For instance, there are five ministry expressions listed in Ephesians 4:11, ...he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Also, are we not defined as 'living stones' in the Body of Christ? It says in 1 Peter 2:5, 'Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.' And further in Ephesians 4:16, 'from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love..' we are defined as a unit.

Still, the question remains, why 'smooth' stones? Answer: smooth stones fly accurately! These stones had been in the river long enough to have become smooth. They had undoubtedly been jostled, knocked about and been broken in the river. For a long time they bumped against other stones in the water, becoming chiseled, accurate weapons for a future coming king.

Beloved, I believe we are those five smooth stones. We are being jostled, bumped, and broken in the water (the Spirit) chiseled to be smooth and to be accurate. We are designed and purposed to work together to be an effective and apparently a lethal weapon against our common enemy but also for the loving support and vitality of one another. 

Let us accept our shape (function) and our part on the team. Let's not forsake the smoothing process. Let's stay in the river. I'm just saying...

1 Samuel 1:40 

Relax, Everything is Coming Together!

Can you believe it? Another year is just about over and a new one is right around the corner! My thoughts begin to swirl as I focus on the upcoming holidays and how I want to "do them right" this time. It's at these moments I get a little 'antsy' and anxiously determine to do next year what I did not get done this year. 

Thankfully though, by God's grace His Holy Spirit reminds me it's not in the doing that makes a perfect life worth living but its in being His Beloved at the center of His will.

I want to focus on that. Not preparing the moistest turkey (even though I hope it really is juicy!) or the most elegantly decorated tree or perfectly chosen and wrapped gifts, but on Jesus' unfailing love. 

Yes, I am going to relax - God's got this!

“I, Jude, am a slave to Jesus Christ and brother to James, writing to those loved by God the Father, called and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way!”

‭‭Jude‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!” 

Jude 1:20:21 MSG

God's Great Power

Each week as my daily routine of work, commuting, household chores, and ministry commitments unfold, I often feel tired and sometimes overwhelmed.  I think about all the things I have to complete and haven't done yet and where will I get the resources and energy to accomplish everything I have on my mental to-do list. It can be exhausting!

It is at these times that I forget about how God's great power lives in me. For instance, I once led a life of drug, alcohol and physical abuse. I was alienated from my family and I was far from the Lord. One day though I prayed to God that He would resurrect me from the grave of my sins because in me I had that same Spirit that raised Lazarus from the grave. I also believed, in spite of my sin, that the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lived me as well. So, I asked God to do for me what He did for Lazarus and for Jesus. And he did. By His great power He raised me, and He saved me, and He restored my soul.

Now, even though the dishes aren't always done and I could use a few extra hours of sleep, I am an overcomer and I have God's great power living inside of me to do the most important thing, and that is to know, to love and to live for the Lord Jesus Christ!

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.”


Ephesians 1:17-21 NIV

Occupy

Question: Have you ever felt like you have been waiting on what seems like forever on the Lord? Is there a  dream and hope that you've been holding close to your heart? Have your prayers sounded something like, "How are You going to make this happen God and what do you want me to do?" I can honestly admit this has been my request and constant plea before the Lord. 

For a long season I have had certain desires in my heart that I have prayed for, fasted over, and cried about in an effort to move the hand of God. But, the only thing I accomplished were calloused knees, a smaller dress size and smeared mascara. Can I just get honest here?! 

So, I finally asked the Lord, "How do you wait?" I mean, how does one really 'wait on the Lord'? The Lord answered this prayer. He said, "Occupy." Hmm, what does it mean to occupy? Although I've   heard that term a lot recently like 'Occupy Wall Street' or 'Occupy the 99%', I decided to look up the term and found these definitions:

*To engage the attention or energies of or to take up (a place or extent in space). For example, 'This chair is occupied.' Also, to take or hold possession or control of. For instance, 'Enemy troops occupied the ridge.' Or to fill or perform the functions of like to reside in as an owner or be a tenant of. Finally, to garrison, annex, subjugate to colonize, overrun, and to hold.

Whoa, this is groundbreaking to me. There is a parallel here in what the Lord is revealing about receiving His blessings. Even more importantly, how this affects our faith and recognizing who we are in Christ. Thus, I believe this command to "occupy" is more than natural but it's supernatural. We're not only to occupy and subdue the earth but to occupy and subdue the supernatural realm. We are to literally inhabitant the promises of God! 

So, I will decree, I will declare and I will say His Word. I will fill, be in, have and hold down a place once held as a stronghold in my mind and emotions by occupying my thoughts with memory verses related to peace and the promises of God. In doing so the region of my heart heart once occupied by fear and doubt is now claimed, captured and colonized by the power of God in me. I enlist with Christ to take possession of, hold, garrison, and inhabitant the vision and the promises which testify about the future He has planned for me! Can I get an "Amen!"(Jeremiah 29:11)

What 'territory' or promise has God spoken in your heart? What area of ministry do you sense a gifting in and an authority to steward? You may have a vision to start a school or business; to write a book or to travel and spread the Gospel. Perhaps the Lord has cast a vision in your heart to have a healing ministry or to start a family, naturally or through adoption - whatever it is, have faith and occupy it!

I declare today, that you who are reading this, will be fruitful in that which the Lord has spoken to you. You will be made to multiply in it, fill the earth with it and have dominion in and subdue it. That very vision and hope that God has given to you is yours, in Jesus' name, Amen.

“...be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion...” (Genesis 1:28).

Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

For we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10)

#godspromise

*Merriam-Webster

Let the weak say, "I am strong." "When We Honor God, The Storms May Come But We'll Still Be...

She Wields A Sword: Ministry of the Innkeeper

She Wields A Sword: Ministry of the Innkeeper: I recently read the parable of the Good Samaritan and have come to the realization that the Lord could have been speaking of mankind and Him...

Ministry of the Innkeeper

I recently read the parable of the Good Samaritan and have come to the realization that the Lord could have been speaking of mankind and Him. I mean that all of us at one time or another have fallen prey to the enemy's wiles and have been robbed and beaten out of our joy, peace, or health or finances, or know someone who has, as we've made our way along life's journey. Now, I've always considered the priest and the Levite the "bad guys" of the story being perhaps preoccupied with position, decorum and cultural tradition, or maybe just a schedule to keep, to stop and help.
However, what really caught my attention this time was the thought, am I like them? Have I been too preoccupied with schedules to keep, a sense of pride or even fear to stop and help another in need?

Well, we just heard a message last Sunday that ministry can be messy - and it's inconvenient. But, thank God for Jesus. Like the Samaritan, He took pity on me and bandaged my wounds - our wounds - the emotional wounds and more importantly the spiritual wound. He's poured His oil of gladness and the Holy Spirit's anointing upon me, and with the wine of new life has rescued me. So He's already done the inconvenient thing; at the Cross.

I suppose we can place ourselves in the position of any of these characters whether it be the man robbed or the Levite, the priest, or the Samaritan or even the Innkeeper, and then do as Jesus would have us do.

So my question is not so much anymore am I like the Levite or the priest or can I do like the Samaritan, but can I be like the Innkeeper? Can I take the denarii or the gifts He's bestowed and entrusted to me, to love and care for those He has rescued until He returns?


“In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:30-36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

“Tend (nurture, guard, guide, and fold) the flock of God that is [your responsibility], not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonorably motivated by the advantages and profits [belonging to the office], but eagerly and cheerfully; 1 Peter 5:2