Teaching Jesus in a Santa Claus world….
“The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers”
Our second biggest celebration has been hijacked… And we’ve allowed it. Not by Santa & his elves, not by our families nor by the shopping phenomena or the decorations. Our celebration, our joy has been taken because we are distraction from what it is all about…. The birth of the One Who is the Living Word of God, Who brings salvation to all mankind. 
Christmas is not exhaustion. Christmas is not debt. Christmas is not stress. Christmas is not overworking, overdoing. Christmas is not productions and busyness. Christmas is not Santa Claus. 
Christmas is Jesus Christ, His birth and His redemptive power. 
I love Santa and who the original Santa was and what he stood for and did for children in need. I love the Spirit of Santa, but our children (my child) cannot be more excited about a man who brings them gifts instead of the One that created the gifts.  

what do i want to remember and take with me from my twenties AND what do i want to see happen in my thirties?

these are the true questions i ask.

my twenties: my junior year at UT-Knoxville studying in public relations.  college graduation.  my engagement and later marriage to my best friend.  my first full time job.  the first time i ever turned in a two week notice.  my first adventure to nyc.  the death of an amazing father-in-love.  the deaths of all of my remaining grandparents.  the many years of infertility and deep sadness, mourning even.  asking GOD why i wasn’t worthy of HIM creating life within me.  a deeper connection to a human than i ever anticipated to have, my husband.  realizing that HIS timing is perfect, because that is all HE can be.  moving into an industry working with the greatest generation.  becoming a publisher.  becoming thankful that i can remember my name.  ten years of youth ministry coming to a close.  my first mission to southeast asia.  my second mission to southeast asia.  my life being utterly interrupted by my GOD because of southeast asia.  realizing that my GOD really is holy.  my first time visiting the sweet women in the red light districts.  when GOD taught me how to pray for my sisters wearing chains, physical & spiritual.  going to my first passion conference in atl.  my first time stepping on the same land where my savior stood, Israel.  understanding that i do not know my GOD as much as i though i did.  becoming free in worship, anytime & anywhere.  learning what cleft lips and cleft palates are.  asking GOD why HE chose not to completely heal my baby girl’s cleft lip and cleft palate.  experiencing natural childbirth for 27 hours.  having those 27 hours end with a c-section.  loving every minute of those 27 hours of labor.  experiencing the Hand of the FATHER through my humble husband leading me and guiding me.  asking GOD why i had to have a c-section.  asking GOD why i couldn’t breastfeed my baby girl.  learning that asking GOD why is okay and didn’t condemn me to hell.  resting in the promise that HIS ways are not our ways and HIS thoughts are not our thoughts.  seeing the love of JESUS in my sweet Georgia girls smile.  seeing the room light up when she arrives.  watching my husband become the father HE was always designed to be.  learning one of the greatest lessons of my life, only the LORD is to be worshiped.  HE does not share HIS glory with anything or anyone.  asking GOD why i couldn’t have learned that lesson another way.  walking hand in hand in the valley of the shadow of death.  fighting for restoration.  deciphering who GOD is and who HE made me to be.  realizing that HE knows exactly what i need, even when i don’t.  watching HIM remind me, repeatedly, that my battle is not against flesh and blood.  the excitement of learning how to walk in HIS freedom, walk in HIS liberty.  the ever-present knowledge that this is not my home.  the joy in earning money so that i can give it away.  the peace in walking as JESUS walked, with the least of these.  the honor of discipleship.  the fulfillment in fighting for my flock in prayer.  the drive to surrender every ounce of who i am for HIS purpose and plan.  the passion to be a vessel for the sole purpose of chain removal.  

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

coming next, the thirties….

“Then the ten scouts who had incited the rebellion against the Lord by spreading discouraging reports about the land were struck dead with a plague before the Lord.  Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.”      Numbers 14:36-38.

Why do we think that sin is only when we do something bad?  Sin can be good things, great things even.  Sin is whenever we do something that is disobedient to what the Lord has told us to do.  So can eating be a sin?  Yes, if He has told us to fast.  So can singing in the choir be a sin?  Yes, if He has told us to stop.  So can sharing the complete facts about a piece of land that you have been told to go an explore be a sin?  Yes, if you cause everyone around you to doubt the Hand and Word of God and encourage them to flee and disobey instead of trust.

These spies were not bad people.  They didn’t lie about the land, they did not even mislead the people about what or who was there.  They said that the land contained strong people (giants) and large, fortified cities.  These statements weren’t untrue… however, they forgot one game changing fact: the Lord had said it was already theirs for the taking.

The Lord God had called His people to faith.  The spies were stated to have “incited a rebellion” and were “spreading discouraging reports”.  Have you been known to spread discouraging reports among the people of God?  Even if what you were saying were true to the physical world…. were your words true to the spiritual side?  Yes, giants lived in the land.  Yes, the cities were large fortified cities.  Yes, in the physical realm it would have been impossible for the Israelites to overcome the people living there.   But God called them to have faith.  God called them to trust Him, even when all looked lost and all looked dark.

We, as believers of Jesus Christ, are called to live in the spiritual truths of life.  God calls us to have faith and to believe in Him.

Today, will you be struck with plague to never enter into the fullness that the Lord has in store or will you live in the freedom of trusting Him to do what He said He was going to do?  The choice is yours.

Indelible.  in·del·i·ble  adjective

1. (of ink or a pen) Making marks that cannot be removed.
2. Not able to be forgotten or removed

“We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it……..But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring him into the land which he entered and his descendants will take possession of it.”  Numbers 13:30 & Numbers 14:24

The Lord told Moses to send spies to go and check out the Promised Land that He had already declared theirs.  Why?  The Lord had already given it to them as an inheritance.  He repeatedly reminded His people of His Promise throughout their entire journey, beginning with Abraham.  So why now, does He ask them to go and see what the land was like?

Couldn’t He have just led them straight towards Canaan and allowed them to follow the cloud and the fire in the sky?  Couldn’t He have just opened up the earth and placed the Canaanites and Amalekites under the earth like He had done before?  Why send the spies?  Why give the people another reason to doubt His power, His plan and His purpose?

Some people say that we shouldn’t ask why, but I believe we cannot truly get to the heart of our Saviour without asking questions to open our eyes to the plans and the truths that He has so beautifully placed within His Word for us to see.

He wanted their complete trust, even when He did not act like they thought He should.

He wanted to make a mark on their hearts that only He could make, an indelible one.

Caleb had surrendered everything to the Lord.  His heart, his mind and his very will to the Lord who so faithfully led him.  Caleb had allowed the Lord to make that mark on his heart.  The mark that cannot be removed or forgotten.  The mark that changes everything.  His entire DNA was new.  And with this newness, it brought him to a place where he could stand alone with the power and the boldness of the One who created the heavens and the earth.

The Lord says “because he [Caleb] has had a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring him into the land.”  Caleb was different.  Caleb was recklessly faithful to the Lord.  Recklessly faithful.  A paradox.  By the world’s eyes, Caleb was ignorant to say that the Lord would deliver them from giants and trained warriors.  By the Spirit’s eyes, Caleb knew that no matter what happened to him, the Lord was faithful and worthy of ALL of our trust.

Is it possible to live in the year 2015 and have such an indelible change to allow us to live recklessly faithful to the Lord?  If so, I want to be the one.

“Walk along here, feel you move somewhere in front of me.  I can’t place you with these eyes for the doubt I can’t see.  How could someone so beautiful feel something for me?  Hold me and love me and touch me again, and show me why I believe.  That the first time I see your face, everything else around me will fade to the background.  And I’ll be struck full by the truth in your gaze, as you work an indelible change in me.  All I have and all I am and all I think and do, can find it’s purpose and meaning and life only in you.”  Indelible by Brooke Fraser

Why do we speak when we know the things that we speak are not true?  Why do we feel empowered to share things we know with others who we know do not know the things we know?  What is the glory in all of these things?  Why do some people completely fabricate things just to have something to say?  What is the point and spiritual ramifications of all of these actions?

Do we not understand that our words have power and consequences and can have destruction?  What is the real power of words?  Why are they important?

It was with the spoke word that God Almighty created the heavens and the earth.

And if we are made in His image, then what does that mean for us?

Should we slow down long enough to stop our words from exiting our mouths?  Or maybe even to stop our neighbor’s words from coming from their mouths and penetrating our ears and then dragging our minds through the filth?

James chapter 3

The Tongue Is a Fire

3 Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a ^[a]stricter judgment. ² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in ^[b]what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. ³ Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our ^[c]life, and is set on fire by ^[d]hell. ⁷ For every ^[e]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^[f]race. ⁸ But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. ¹¹ Does a fountain send out from the same opening both ^[g]fresh and bitter water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce ^[h]fresh.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitterjealousy and ^[i]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, ^[j]natural, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and ^[k]selfish ambition exist, ^[l]there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, ^[m]reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits,unwavering, without hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the ^[n]seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace ^[o]by those who make peace.

The battle is on. You can choose to be in it, or let the enemy run over you? What will you choose? Will watching this TV show help you fight in the battle? Or will it help you be defeated? Now is the time to act. 
Take your thoughts captive. Those around you are needing you to fight and intercede for them. The Lord desires you to get involved. Face your fears, get up, and get moving. But moving is more like sitting…. Be still and know that I am God. Those whose minds are stayed on Him live in perfect peace. 

The paradox is that we are the most effective when we are still. Stop running, stop rushing, stop being busy. Your busyness for the kingdom is not effective. Your busyness keeps you from being still and spending time with Him. When you’re busy you can’t hear him speak, because you don’t know His Voice.