I Raise a Hallelujah

I heard the story behind Bethel Music’s anointed song, “I Raise a Hallelujah”. A few days before Christmas, 2-year-old, Jaxon, was airlifted to intensive care and the church began to fight for his life. A symphony of prayer rose up. Two weeks into the fight, Bethel songwriter, Jonathan Helser, received a text from the dad saying they weren’t sure Jaxon was going to make it through the night. As Jonathan read the text, he said, “A giant of unbelief stood up in front of me. All of a sudden, this song came out of my gut and the unbelief began to fall”:
“I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies.
I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief.
I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody.
I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me.
I’m gonna’ sing in the middle of the storm.
Louder and louder, you’re gonna’ hear my praises roar."

Joel Taylor, Jaxon’s father and CEO of Bethel Music, recounts his experience, “God’s timing often doesn’t make sense until you look back to see that mountains were climbed and canyons were crossed on no strength of your own. In the battle for Jaxon’s life, the global church community rose up like a mighty army and joined us in prayer and worship all over the world. Our son was miraculously healed and today is perfectly healthy.”

I have my own “raise a hallelujah” story that began 15-years-ago when a young couple in our church had just given birth to their third child. This couple weren't just casual church attenders. They were all in! They served. They gave. So, when we received the word that little Owen had lung and kidney complications and his situation was very “touch and go”, we felt an urgency to go and encourage them in their faith -- to "raise a hallelujah" with them. After that first night, we continued to go regularly to encourage their faith. After leaving the hospital, Owen continued to have issues with his kidneys and lungs and underwent many surgeries and many hospital stays.

I’ve watched Owen grow in more will and determination than thought possible. We’ve “raised a hallelujah” many times in his life. Now, here’s our miracle “raise a hallelujah” story. This last weekend I went to Tulsa, really on purpose for several reasons. To see my dear mother-in-law, and family, see my niece play soccer, spend time with my best friends, and to see this precious family because it’s birthday month for all four of their children. My godson, Owen's recent medical reports, are at a level of 80% for his one kidney that survived and his lungs, which were only at 40% capacity before, are now at 75% capacity because he took up swimming. He has thrived in his swimming and his team will be going to State for Bishop Kelley High School in just a couple of weeks.

I saw him compete on Friday and Saturday in his regional competition against sophomores, juniors and seniors. He medaled 5th place. He is freshman. His mom showed me this text message between her and him: She texted him “Swim like the shark is chasing you.” He replied “I am the shark!” The will and determination of Owen, his family and all who are "hallelujah raisers" are standing for his complete wholeness. We won't quit. We will continue to “raise a hallelujah” for him as he continues to thrive. BTW – godmother’s little boast: He is also a straight-A honor student – excelling in so many ways.

I “raise a hallelujah” today because these stories aren't isolated incidents. They're the stories of so many who truly “raise a hallelujah” to God in spite of their circumstances. These two boys both faced death, but they both survived and thrive today. Who is “raising a hallelujah” for you today and who are you “raising a hallelujah” for? Let’s sing in the middle of our storms. Louder and louder, may our praises roar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awkO61T6i0k&vl=en-US

Proven Way to Get Your Way

Oh my. This girl. She. Cracks. Me. Up.
On the way to Beavers Bend a couple of weeks ago, my granddaughter was working her daddy over to stop "pleeease" stop at a Chick-fil-A so she could get a biscuit. We were already running behind in our schedule. And she could have easily gotten herself one at the nearby Chick-fil-A where she works at not too far from our homes, but she wasn't hungry then. This day, and time, you would think that she was an "expectant" mother with her craving for a Chick-fil-A biscuit. Nothing seemed to work for her in her appeal for her dad to stop, even though she used every tactic imaginable. He was bound and determined to catch up on the time we had lost. After all, those fish were just waiting for us to catch them!

Then, our drama queen applied a Russian accent along with a proposition he couldn't refuse "Dad, I'll buy you a biscuit also if you'll stop for me." Needless to say, he couldn't refuse and it just so happened, within a few blocks, was a Chick-fil-A. Pleading her case in that Russian accent sealed the deal. It was a hilarious moment for all of us.

I started thinking about Alexia's "begging" strategies, and it made me think about how we plead and beg God for answers to our prayers. Alexia knew her dad's faithfulness. We know our Heavenly Father's faithfulness. Our faith gets bolstered when we ask and we receive. His love is unfailing. But sometimes, we desperately need God to prove His faithfulness and His unfailing love in our lives RIGHT NOW!

A story is found in Mark 9:14-27 about a man who brought his son to Jesus’ disciples because an evil spirit possessed his boy. Unfortunately, Jesus’ disciples couldn’t drive the spirit out. Jesus was away at the time, and when He returned, a large crowd had gathered for a theological discussion. Seeing the crowd, Jesus asked what they were arguing about. The father told him how awful life was for his boy and how Jesus’ disciples failed to help. Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith then focused His attention on the boy. As the evil spirit acted out, the boy’s father prayed, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us”. Jesus heard the father’s desperate plea and picked up on one tiny, two-letter word: if. “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes” (v. Mark 9:23).

And then the father responded with one of the most honest prayers I’ve ever heard: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

How many of us, if we were really honest, pray as this dad did. “I do, believe, Lord, but please help me with my doubt.” My favorite part of this story is the next part. Jesus helped this dad with his doubt by answering his prayer. I love that!! Just like the father who brought his son to Jesus, we also really know that God hears our prayers, is intimately aware of our needs, and that He has the power to solve our problems. It’s one thing to profess a distant belief in the faithfulness and love of a faraway God but quite another to experience His faithfulness and love as it intersects our desperate heart's cry. It is quite all right to beg God to answer our prayers quickly. Begging is OK. Not that we have to beg God, because his tender loving-kindness is for us and to give us what we need the most. But coming to Him and asking in whatever accent we are using, we can expect to receive. His Word says "Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9).

If you're there needing a NOW answer, please pray with me: "Dear Jesus, I do believe! Help me with my unbelief! I have this need [tell Him all about it], and I desperately need You to help me." I set myself in agreement for your prayers to be answered and if the answer doesn't come right away, God is simply replying "Just a minute! I'm working out a plan that's better than RIGHT NOW!"

Enjoy the antics of my granddaughter and remember that God’s ear is always open to us. Maybe try your best accent. Now, back to my "multi-lingual" granddaughter and this video. The last night at Beaver's Bend, Alexia and I stayed back at the cabin while the others fished more. We were sitting on the cabin deck when Alexia noticed we had new neighbors. She picked up the broom and started to go into motion with her Swedish accent about how we need to help them sweep their porch and rid themselves of the bacterias of this world: hate, sin, and unicorns. Go ahead. Laugh along with me. It's good medicine for what ails you!

https://youtu.be/fvLzVXtOTyk

How Does How Does YOUR Garden Grow -- With Pretty Flowers or Pesky Weeds?

After a week away from home, I was overwhelmed when I saw the weeds that had popped up in my flower beds in such a short period of time. Whew! Dear God, why did you create weeds to grow so well and oftentimes grow so much healthier and stronger than the beautiful flowers and plants that have difficulty growing?

I remember reading a friend’s post when she asked for advice for getting rid of weeds in her garden. Some of the comments and recommendations from others were: “Put newspaper around the plant – it will suffocate the weeds”; “Put grass clippings around the plant”; and I loved this one “Don’t plant a garden!” LOL!

Those garden weeds caused me to think about the weeds that may have grown in our heart’s garden – weeds of selfishness, pride, self-centeredness, laziness, bitterness, anger, envy, doubt, unbelief, sadness, fear, etc. I don’t know about you, but I recognize those weeds that creep into my heart’s garden when I haven’t watered my heart with prayer enough or focused enough on God’s “Light” (His Word).

As soon as I sense THOSE heart weeds, I get out my “weed eater/annihilator” out and I:
1) First, cultivate the soil and add a good mixture of fertilizer (prayer).
2) Plant the seeds of God’s Word (Bible reading, meditating and speaking the words) into my heart.
3) Give the plants (my heart) plenty of sunshine (speaking the light of God’s Word over the situations that may be troubling or concerning me)
4) Give the plants plenty of water (thanking, praising, trusting in God’s goodness and mercy to complete what He started).

It was a beautiful, cooler and rainy morning here in Frisco yesterday. I made up my mind that as soon as the rain would stop, I’d go out, while the soil was wet, to easily pull the weeds out of my flower beds and herb garden. I did. No doubt, those little weeds will show up again one day soon, but, no problem – I’ll be the weed eradicator once again. And in the same way, I’ll keep monitoring my “heart” garden and I’ll make sure it is “weed” free so that an abundant harvest of sweet and beautiful fruit shows up daily. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.......” Galatians 5:22,23

St. Paul said it so well. Once we plant the seed…..God will make it grow! "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." I Corinthians 3:6,7. God is the Master Gardener, and what He plants, always yields a great harvest!

We Will, We Will Rock You

Have you ever felt like your circumstances were looming over you like a huge GIANT who was fierce, beyond your capability, bigger than life, and he was throwing every negative word of doubt and unbelief, imaginable, your way -- taunting, harassing, smack talking -- and, your faith was challenged like crazy?

If that sounds like some things you're going through right now, then the story of David and Goliath, is worth thinking about. David faced the giant, Goliath, who was taunting, harassing....and even smack-talking young David and the armies of Israel. I Samuel 17:37 & 46 describes young David's attitude toward the giant "Who is this Philistine that he should defy the Lord my God?" "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down...." David didn't allow Goliath's size, or words, get in the way of what he knew his God could do through him. He took on Goliath with just his sling and a stone and the giant was destroyed. The giant, and everyone else, was saying “He’s too big to hit”, but David was saying “He's too big to miss!"

That story, and David's words, speaks loud and clear to me: "What is this giant that could defy the words of my God?" I shake off those words of defeat and loss and replace them once again with the words of the maker of heaven and earth and the maker and healer of our bodies and our circumstances -- God's Word that says in Luke 1:37 "For nothing shall be impossible with God."

Now, let's get fired up and with God’s words of faith as our sling & with Jesus as our Rock, we face our giants TODAY, and say.....“Move out of our way or .....WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!"