Shhh! Please Don't Tell Me a Secret!

Please don't tell me a secret. It's just so hard to keep it to myself. I have been known to give away a surprise party before the party in a careless moment of unintentionality. I may have been the kid that went into stealth mode and opened all my Christmas presents and rewrapped them unbeknownst to my mom.

So, I'm in good company with those who couldn't keep it to themselves about Jesus healing a deaf man AFTER He told them to keep it quiet. I would have been one of those, I'm sure. So, while I hope I’d do better than the guys who were healed by Jesus if I were in their situation, I can surely relate. “He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.” (Mark 7:36)

There were times when it didn’t matter to Jesus if the news was publicized – all the better! But there were good reasons why He didn't want His miracles publicized some of the time. The leper couldn’t keep the good news to himself when Jesus healed him. Mark 1:45 says: “It was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places.” If the broadcast of the miracle would draw people in to hear His teaching, all to the good. If the broadcast of the miracle only caused a mob scene who misunderstood His mission and purpose, it was useless. (Mark 8:36).

Jesus didn’t come to be an earthly king. He knew that the more famous He became, the more jealous those in power would become. Jesus seemed to be good at "stealth-mode". He kept the full Truth of His divine identity mostly quiet (despite the bad secret-keepers) until God’s plan of Jesus’ passion and resurrection could be realized over the events of Holy Week. We're into week two of Lent -- and I can't keep it a secret about my Savior and the price He paid for me.

We awkward secret-keepers don’t have to worry anymore. With the resurrection, we are witnesses not to just a small piece, but to the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation. Secrecy is no longer needed. Now we can shout it from the rooftops how Jesus has healed us from our own blindness and deafness and invisible inner leprosies. It’s all too good to keep to ourselves. Whew! That’s good news for me…..and the good news I endeavor to shout from the rooftops (er…social media) every day!

At last…I don’t have to keep it a secret, but God bless those who still have to keep this Good News to themselves in many countries in our world. Lord, I pray for those in harms way because they don’t want to have to keep YOU a secret any longer!

Faith Crisis? Don’t Stop Now. You’re Almost There.

I have many friends who are facing a faith crisis -- some in their health, their finances, their relationships and/or simply fear for what the future holds. After all, if we watched and listened to the news long enough, and believed it – we could all take a tail spin.
It's not that we don't believe in God or believe His Word. It is that our symptoms are speaking louder than our faith. Let's stop and consider that there is nothing too difficult for the great "I AM" Who is our Lord God. Let's strengthen our resolve to truly believe Him for complete restoration in His perfect timing. Let's be strong and immovable! Let's just BREATHE and have FAITH that God is working out everything for the best!

We know that this isn’t the end of our story. It’s a chapter in our story, and there are other chapters to write after this one. Our Savior isn’t a cold-hearted cosmic judge disconnected from our pain. He’s a loving Father and Friend who is walking with us and even carrying us through life’s most difficult times. Jesus said, “Never will I leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

On this side of eternity, we don’t always see how God takes the broken pieces and creates something beautiful with them, but we can have the assurance in knowing that He will redeem the circumstances somehow in His perfect timing. Perhaps some of the good He'll bring is using the pain to bring us closer to Him. At the end of each day, we can still proclaim: "God is good. All the time. And, all the time, God is good!" So don't stop now. Just breathe. Keep having strong FAITH that everything will work out for the best. You're almost to your miracle!

Psalm 107:19-21 "Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And He saved them from their troubles. He gave His command and healed them. He saved them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles He does for his people."

Being Willing to be Interrupted

It’s been a long, tiring day. You’re almost to the end of it and you just want to chill – flip on the television to escape to another world. Aw! It feels so good to get off your feet when — just like that — the phone rings. The caller ID tells you that it’s that one friend who always seems to have a pressing issue. Do you answer the phone? Or do you let it go to voicemail?

There may be good reasons to disregard the call. It may be that you need to be able to clear your mind and you had reserved this time for quiet prayer and meditation. You just want to steal away with Jesus. After all, who should take priority over Him?

I think you know where I’m going with this. If we purpose to follow Jesus’ lead, we’ll say a quick prayer -- and take the call. Isn’t that what Jesus did? “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34) He was always allowing needy people to interrupt His plans.

Jesus’ plan had been for the disciples to rest after returning from their preaching mission. He wanted them to get away from the crowds and recharge. But when he saw the crowd awaiting them on the shore, “He had compassion on them” and He changed plans. His “time off” became an opportunity to teach the crowd. And everytime -- there were miracles that took place.

The fact is – we are little Jesuses if His light shines brightly in us. First we read that "He is the light of the world" (John 8:12), but He boomeranged that back at us when He said "You are the light of the world." (Matthew 5:14). Like Jesus, we should all get in the habit of choosing compassion. Like Jesus, we should be open to the possibility that some-thing or some-one will come along and disrupt our plans. Jesus' example for us is to stay flexible and open to the Holy Spirit, no matter what we have planned or scheduled for any day. It’s this openness of heart that allowed Jesus to feed the five thousand on His day off, and it’s the same openness that will make us more available to the people around us who need our attention and care.

We all make plans. Our lives are busy, and we often feel annoyed by interruptions. But Jesus wasn’t annoyed. “His heart was moved” with compassion. Our plans should always take second place to God's plans. It can be tempting to deflect interruptions or brush people aside because we want to guard our private time or finish our to-do list. But if we do that, we could end up missing an opportunity to make a difference—even a dramatic one—in someone’s life.

So go ahead, and make your plans! Just don’t be surprised when God interrupts you with an invitation to love. “Holy Spirit, move my heart with Jesus’ compassion so that I can respond with love at any moment.”

Happy 2020! Let's Be Front-Liners!

I am amped up about this new year! I share these words that I texted my children yesterday. Since I’ve attained the “wiser, older” status with all these years under my belt, I get to pour it on -- believing they are words straight from heaven-central:

“Praise God. I am so excited for 2020. I see it as a year of overcoming, many victories won, and what the enemy meant for evil, God is going to bring about so much good (Genesis 50:20). I see dreams and visions coming true for my family. I see above and beyond all we can ask or think according to the power that works (God’s power) in us (Ephesians 3:20). So, let’s power-up! Miracles upon miracles, blessings upon blessings, I decree and declare over my family in Jesus’ name. I have something stirring inside me that believes and sees it for all of my family – from the youngest (Bryson) to me, the oldest. There is an anticipation building inside me that this is going to be a miraculous year for our family. God is setting up His people for a powerful, mighty move of God. Let’s agree together to not settle for less than His power working in us this year – being instruments of His peace everywhere we go and we see others through the lens of Jesus and we encourage them, give them words of life and peace. They will leave our presence with new hope and expectation for their lives. I decree and declare it so, in Jesus mighty name. Amen. I love you so, so much!”

I encourage you to stand up strong and take faith-filled words and declare them with fervent belief over your families. Display and live out holy, righteous boldness in faith this year.

Some of us are skeptical about 2020 because 2019 was such a rough year. We can take the woe-is-me approach to this new year OR we can be a front-liner on God’s team and we can let Him strategically position us for a major harvest of blessings – and while we’re being blessed – we’re positioned in His army for bringing in an army of lost souls to His saving grace, too! We’ve been in boot camp, so to speak, and we graduated with flying colors. I have holy butterflies fluttering inside me because I'm determined to be on that "front-liner" team.

I sense, for those who are willing, that God is opening our eyes with 20/20 vision for our assignments this year -- having depth of perception, skills that discern the enemy with the ability to take him out with precision. I'm believing for now-moments where God will download breakthrough strategies for this year.

I sense that radical faithfulness to standing strong in the heat of the battle in 2019 was seen by God. Despite what we went through, we trusted God. He was and is watching us TODAY – this first day of the new year. I believe He has been singling out front-liners and I'm raising my hand! Pick me, Lord!

I sincerely believe this will be a new year of such closeness to God that we’ll hear His heartbeat and we'll see through His lens for His people. He is giving us 20/20 vision and we shouldn’t be afraid to step out boldly in faith. Remember Moses and his fears? “Then Moses said to the Lord, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant. But I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who made the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you must say" (Exodus. 4:10-12).

I believe that in this new year and new decade, we will respond to God's nudges and His whispers to stepping up and going where He sends us. We will conquer because He goes before us. He is our Father and will not leave or forsake us. So, won’t you join me and be a front-liner this year?

The WONDERS of our WONDER-ful God

On their daily EMnation YouTube video, my daughter held up a loaf of Wonder Bread and mentioned that Alexia, her daughter, prefers her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white bread. Obviously nutrition wasn’t the topic of Larry and Staci’s video, but the “Wonder Bread” story was. In 1921, the Taggert Baking Company of Indianapolis was planning to launch its 1.5 pound loaf of bread. Elmer Cline was charged with finding a name for the new bread. Inspiration struck while he was visiting the International Balloon Race at the Indianapolis Speedway. He was awestruck by a sky filled with hundreds of colorful balloons. To Elmer, the image signified a sense of “wonder,” and Wonder® Bread was born. Notice all those balloons on the packaging! Now you know the rest of the story. You’re welcome!

That word, “wonder” is what inspired me most. There’s something about children that God wants us to see. If you want to witness a natural display of a sense of wonder, just observe a child. A child's whole world is viewed through the eyes of wonder and excitement. A child has no judgments of why things are so, but rather a child is in awe of life and views life through innocence, purity and curiosity. You may have often heard the term "be childlike," referring to our adult self to let go of the adult ego and be more open and curious. The truth is that we lose our sense of wonder as we become adults.The future is wide open for them, and they seem to know it. Their wide-eyes of wonder are easy to recognize. Wide-eyed with wonder, filled with potential, children are ready to try new things and build new possibilities. Unhindered by the past, they are free to chase after whatever the future holds. And you know what? That’s the childlike spirit that God wants to give all of us.

There is no theme park or even the seven wonders of the world to compare to our “wonder-working” God. Think of it: The one true God is a God of wonders. The Bible is full of accounts of the great acts God performed for His people. Psalm 77:11–14 says: "I will remember the deeds of the Lᴏʀᴅ; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples." God’s wonders are supernatural acts beyond human understanding. Through extraordinary signs, the God of wonders demonstrates His limitless power, His inescapable presence, His divine protection, and His sovereign purposes. In each instance, God’s wondrous works are designed to draw people to Himself. Through His most stunning of all miracles, the God of wonders revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, overcame the power of sin and death, and redeemed His people for all eternity.

So, when you are “wondering” about your mistakes, that you are too old, too wounded, too limited, too whatever……I suggest that you remember --- with wide-eyed wonder -- about our loving and faithful God Who is up to something WONDER-ful in your life. None of us are so bound by our past that God can’t open new doors for us in the future. Our Father has great plans for us. He has a future full of hope laid out for us. Now it’s up to us to run into that future with all the confidence of a little child Whose Dad is the WONDER-worker and miracle-maker.

He Had Me When He Said: “When You Pray….Say”

Can you imagine walking, talking, eating and laughing with Jesus day in and day out? I believe He had to lighten up and laugh with those misfits He called to be with Him 24/7 for three-and-a-half years. And, as we do with those we love, we have to tighten up when it comes to leading by the example of our "walk AND talk". They knew where His strength came from so of course, they asked: “Lord, teach us to pray.”

What would it be like to have an up-close-and-personal relationship with Jesus every minute of every hour of every day and experience even the most mundane details of life with Him? I thought about how in shock-and-awe the disciples must have been when Jesus kept surprising them with His tactical moves. He’d go where no Jew would go (to Samaria and visit with the Samaritan woman); He’d heal a blind man by spitting on mud and rubbing it in his eyes; He’d bring a dead boy back to life for his grieving widow mother. His ways were scandalous, reckless, mouth-dropping miraculous and, oh my goodness – He would forgive anyone from a woman caught in the act of adultery to “The Rock” (Peter) who denied Him three times. He kept on pointing out how to best handle situations in love.

Every aspect of Jesus' life and ministry is worthy of hours of discussion, yet it wasn't His preaching or His miracles that the disciples asked to be taught. We don't see one recorded time where they asked Him, "Teach us to preach or teach us to heal." After spending those years with the Son of God, witnessing His daily/nightly life, they asked Him, "Teach us to pray."

They wanted His prayer life. They connected the dots and knew that Jesus' public life of ministry was the result of His private life of prayer. He emphasized prayer. Luke 5:16 states, "He often withdrew and prayed." It was the very bone, marrow, and DNA of His life. Not only did He teach on prayer.....He prayed.

They watched Him pray, watched God, the Son, talk to God the Father through God, the Spirit. They saw the intimacy and the intensity that came from Him as He prayed, emptying Himself of all of His divine privileges, giving Himself fully to the Father.

My own desire is for that same intimacy with God. Intimacy comes from a tight relationship that comes from spending time with Him. It was the key to Jesus’ survival – even to death. We know that from the times we read “He went away to pray.”

I've begun to ask myself:" Is my life provoking others to say, "Teach me to pray like You do." I need to work on it, but rather than my prayer, I'll take the lead from our Master Pray-er and suggest you and I both to pray His way (Matthew 6:9-13):
"Our Father Who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

I believe it's time for us to interact more with heaven. This next generation desperately needs mothers and fathers to take them by the hand and introduce them to the most beautiful and glorious Person, training them in His glorious school that we never graduate from -- the School of Prayer.