GOD IS… November 28, 2011

This is a repost of something I posted about two years ago this week. I was reminded of it recently and thought I’d share it again. Be blessed!

“God is…” -  by Mary Held

God is….

God is a person, the absolute authority…

…He is all-powerful and all-knowing even more is He.

Ever-present, He’s where you are, but always He is here with me…

…not unaware of anything, even things we say “How can this be?”

He is the Source of everything, Creator of the breath we breathe…

…Author of our destinies, Composer of the songs we sing.

He choreographs our dance of life, through peace and strife…to refine our life…

…He puts us under the knife…of Love that bites…But carries healing…

…by bringing us down to a place of kneeling,

…when even in the midst of our squealing…

…He is peeling and revealing…. (to read the rest, click HERE)

Heed the Watchman November 10, 2011

Ezekiel 33

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, ³ and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, ⁴ then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. ⁵ Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. ⁶But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for^[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. ⁹ But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

¹⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of^[b] them. How then can we live?”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ ¹³ If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. ¹⁴ And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— ¹⁵ if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. ¹⁶ None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

¹⁷ “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. ¹⁸ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. ¹⁹ And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. ²⁰ Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

Jerusalem’s Fall Explained

²¹ In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!” ²²Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was on me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.

²³ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ²⁴ “Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’ ²⁵ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? ²⁶ You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’

²⁷ “Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague. ²⁸ I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them. ²⁹ Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’

³⁰ “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. ³² Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

What a RADICAL walk with CHRIST will GET you… October 24, 2011

I’ve been pondering my life’s journey lately and been overwhelmed by the sovereignty and faithfulness of God in spite of myself. While I didn’t even know Him (or care to know Him), He was still strategically orchestrating things on my behalf…all designed to bring me to a place of knowing and desiring Him. WOW!

Once that happened in my life, it happened in a BIG way. I didn’t just decide to start going to church so I’d have somewhere to “belong” on Sundays… I didn’t just decide I should go to church or be a Christian because it was the right thing to do… I didn’t just decide to alter my behavior to line up with what the Bible says pleases God. No… I was RADICALLY CHANGED ON THE INSIDE, which continues to MANIFEST DAILY ON THE OUTSIDE. (you can read my full testimony here:  http://www.maryloveslife.org/about.html )

In 2006, God told me to start blogging my journey. The RADICAL journey He began to take me on back in January 1999 was now going to be recorded for others to witness. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that others can learn from what I go though. The bad thing is that there is a price for transparency.

In recent days I have been thinking about what it means to be SOLD OUT for CHRIST. What does it mean to be RADICAL? I have often quoted the definition of RADICAL in my blog posts (departing markedly from the usual or customary; extreme) and today I want to list SEVEN THINGS a RADICAL LIFE FOR CHRIST will get you. Of course it requires us to SURRENDER many things, but here are some things you will GET.

(I’m sure there are more, but here are seven I could think of off the top of my head – in no particular order. This blog post has not come from any particular experience, but many. It’s something I’ve found myself pondering often over the years and thought I’d share.)

A RADICAL LIFE FOR CHRIST will get you…

1. CRITICIZED. You will be labeled as being “overboard,” “extreme,” “weird,” or “too religious.”
2. LONELY. Let’s face it, not all Christians are ready for RADICAL. You may even stand out among “church-folk” as being extreme…lol. Others should be excited for you and wish they were as radical, but sadly, some get convicted and criticize you. Don’t worry… God will be faithful to bring you other RADICAL friends so you don’t feel so alone, but in most larger church gatherings, you’ll be a loner.
3. A RADICAL SPOUSE. [FOR THE SINGLE FOLKS] It may take patience to wait for them, but RADICAL attracts RADICAL and is attracted to RADICAL. You can’t match up a SOLD-OUT believer with a LUKEWARM believer or you’ll be miserable. (So FYI…you won’t likely find your RADICAL spouse in a WORLDLY place. ~ CAUTION: RADICAL often attracts non-radical too because they secretly admire your “radicalness” and secretly desire it for themselves. They can roll with you for a while, but in the end, they may not be willing to lay it all down. Make sure you test the fruit! YOU WILL KNOW THEM BY THEIR LONG-TERM FRUIT!)
4. OFF THE INVITE LIST. There are plenty of events that friends, family & church-folk won’t invite you to because they know you “won’t go there” or your presence will make them uncomfortable while they have their fun…lol. It’s just as well. It saves you from having to decline the invite. Not being included can be considered an honor in many cases.
5. PHONE CALLS DURING LUNCH BREAKS OR AT MIDNIGHT. Okay, so they think you’re “extreme” or “overboard” but that’s only when things are going good for them. Let them have a crisis or tragedy and you’re the first one they call for prayer and counsel. They know the real deal when they see it and truth be told they’re glad you’re there ‘just in case’. (Oh, and they secretly hope you’re praying for them too. Make sure you are!)
6. PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING! There is nothing like RADICAL OBEDIENCE to Jesus Christ. When the whole crowd goes left and God says go right, you may feel left out for a brief minute, but the PEACE that floods your soul is priceless!
7. JOY UNSPEAKABLE! As you embark on an unusual, extreme journey that departs markedly from the customary, you will come to know and hear the Lord in an incredible way. Your relationship with Him will BLOSSOM and BLOOM and become more intimate than you could ever know.

ARE YOU READY TO BE RADICAL FOR CHRIST?

Luke 14:33 – In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

2 Cor 6:17 – Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

Matt 16:24-26 – If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

John 17:14-15 – I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Better Get Ready… PREPARE: Adjust and Align August 26, 2011

God has been showing me some things about this topic lately through some books He has led me to read, but when I woke up this morning before my feet hit the floor I heard this loud and clear:

In 2012 God is going to realign church government for those who have ears to hear. Proper governmental alignment is necessary for the next release of POWER. Preparation has already begun.

He spoke to me about ALIGNMENT a few weeks ago. (Click here to read that word: http://maryloveslife.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/prophetic-alignment/)

The call for PREPARATION is a call for ALIGNMENT, just as it was before:

A voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” Matt 3:3

Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, allowing him to ADJUST and ALIGN us in proper biblical alignment so we the church can be useful vessels to reveal His glory. Tradition, status quo and normal have to go. We must be open to RADICAL ADJUSTMENTS if we want to see RADICAL POWER. (Read more about making adjustments here: http://maryloveslife.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/caution-total-surrender-to-christ-may-cause-controversy/)

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.” Joel 2:28-32

Prophetic Alignment July 21, 2011

Luke 3:1-2

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar-when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene- during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

While many things seem unrelated or unplanned, God is very intentional about PROPHETIC ALIGNMENT. There may be things you are waiting on that just don’t seem to come to pass. There may be various aspects of your life and circumstance that seem unrelated and random. You may even think you missed God on some issues.

But hold tight!

SUDDENLY… one day you will see that ALL ALONG, God was intentionally lining everything up for a manifestation of His greater purpose.

Luke 3:1-2

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar…

…when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea…

…Herod tetrarch of Galilee…

…his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis…

…Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene…

…and during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas…

THEN… the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

Be patient, my friends. The Lord is at work in your midst, lining everything up for His glory.

Jer 29:10-11

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

Terry K. – A Testimony of God’s Love July 17, 2011

I’m still weeping over watching God move in the life of a client on Friday… 52yr old Terry, who looks 72, has been homeless for 20+yrs. He has major health issues including diabetes. In the four weeks he’d been with us, the ambulance was called three times, the last of which he ended up hospitalized and could have been fatal. He’s been rejected from numerous housing opportunities over the yrs & we too had to put him back in the care of hospital social workers to find him appropriate care. On Thursday I prayed with Terry and told him he would be leaving us on Friday and that God said to tell him He had something big for him.

On Friday I packed him and all his belongings [everything he owns, packed in numerous garbage bags] into my car to take him back to the social worker but it turned out they dropped the ball and had no place for poor Terry. We unloaded his stuff at one place only to be rejected and told he could not stay. So we reloaded my car and I was supposed to drop him at the social workers office where they said “We have no idea what we’ll do with him. We have no options for him. Just drop him off and we’ll have to figure something out.” I couldn’t just drop Terry on Friday afternoon, unsure if they would let him fall though the cracks again. [they were supposed to have found him a personal care home while he was hospitalized and technically he wasn't supposed to have come back to our housing in the first place.] I couldn’t bear the thought of him facing the street yet again. INFURIATED, I refused to participate in treating him this way. I called my boss in tears and though Terry is a medical risk and our housing is not appropriate for him b/c we have no staff to monitor him, my boss agreed to let him stay the weekend. I would take him personally to this social worker on Monday morning while they found a place for Terry.

Once I stopped crying, I called the social worker to let her know I wasn’t bringing him, when she said she found a personal care home that would take him immediately! (THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN EVERY DAY! Usually there are applications and red tape… a real process to get in one of these places) Turns out it is a Christian personal care home for disabled men. He was supposed to have income to stay there, but the woman took him in! I said to Terry “TERRY! Look what God has done!” and he said “Yeah, and we prayed yesterday too, remember?” I HAD FORGOTTEN! LOL! I told Terry… GOD has moved mountains on YOUR behalf because of his great love for you. No matter how many people have ever rejected you or left you … GOD NEVER WILL! The look on Terry’s face in my rear view mirror was priceless. He had the look of “WOW, God really did do this… for ME.” TERRY SAW GOD THAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I explained to Terry that we were never trying to “get rid” of him from our housing, that all along the reason he had to leave was to go somewhere that could serve him better, it’s just that they failed to find him a place. Now this new place will have medical staff, cook his meals and not put him on MARTA to take care of all his own business, but actually take him to his appointments. Terry said “WOW! Someone will really care for me. This is good because I tend to get confused a lot and seem to always end up in a bad way.” TERRY FELT VALUED for the first time in a long time… if ever in his life. Wow. You could see it on his face.

After getting Terry settled he said “You’re going to come visit me, right?” I said “ABSOLUTELY!” Then we joined hands to pray before I left. As we stood face to face praying with our heads bowed, Terry leaned forward and pushed the top of his head/forehead against mine and began to shake. After we prayed he said “I felt something going up both of my arms when you prayed!” I told him “That was the presence of God, Terry! HE LOVES YOU AND IS RIGHT HERE WITH YOU! HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU! I inquired if he had ever asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior, and he said OH YES. But TODAY, Terry experienced God’s love for him like never before.

Within 30 minutes of dropping Terry, I got a call that Terry had been approved for his SSI back on MARCH 1 but they could not locate him! SO NOW TERRY HAS INCOME AND WILL BE ABLE TO STAY AT THIS HOME INDEFINITELY!

GOD YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥

I Yield, oh Lord. May 22, 2011

TO YIELD:
to give up possession of on claim or demand: as to give up (as one’s breath) and so die:
to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another:
to hand over possession of:
to surrender or submit (oneself) to another:
to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit:
to relinquish one’s possession of (as a position of advantage or point of superiority):
to give up and cease resistance or contention:
to give way under physical force (as bending, stretching, or breaking):
to give place or precedence:
to acknowledge the superiority of someone else:
to be inferior:
to give way to or become succeeded by someone or something else:
to bear or bring forth as a natural product especially as a result of:
to produce or furnish as return ..:
to be fruitful or productive:

I YIELD myself to you, Oh Lord my God. I completely surrender myself, my ideas, my plans, my desires and my will to yours. I desire to walk in your ways Oh God and not that of my own. Lead me Oh Lord down ancient paths, that I may know you as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew you. May I know you Lord and feel your tangible presence as the disciples did in the upper room. I know Lord that to know you this way requires less and less and less of me, so I YIELD to you Lord!

I know it won’t be easy. I know it won’t always seem fair. I know I won’t always agree. Yet…I YIELD every fiber of my being to YOUR plan. May I hear your voice at every turn and may I have the boldness to obey your every command.

May any command you give that is illogical by human reasoning be boldy obeyed without hesitation. May fear, anxiety, worry, doubt and unbelief be bound up from me and may FAITH overwhelm my being and propel me instantly into bold, radical obedience. May the criticism of man not move me. MAY NOTHING MOVE ME BUT YOU LORD! I YIELD to you Lord! I YIELD! CONSUME ME! IGNITE ME WITH YOUR HOLY FIRE! BURN AWAY THE CHAFF! GIVE ME DOVES EYES MY LORD MY KING!

Lay me on the altar as a burning sacrifice… MAY SAVED SOULS AND SOLD-OUT, COMMITTED CHRISTIANS STAND IN THE WAKE OF THE SMOKE OF MY BURNING FLESH… A RESULT OF THE DEEP, INWARD WORK THAT DRAWS ME CLOSER TO YOU.

I bow humbly before you now, my God, my King.

Have YOUR way.

(originally posted by me on May 13, 2009. ~  always worth revisting )

Seeing the Hand of God… In the Moment May 11, 2011

Many times in hind-sight we can look back and trace the hand of God in a situation. We can see how He was divinely choreographing every step and orchestrating the sequence of events that eventually led to resolution of that circumstance. We also look back and see how we were so diligent to seek Him during that time of uncertainty, and how we felt so helpless without Him.

But too often, while still in the midst of it all, we feel alone or like He has forgotten about our situation. We get upset when things happen differently than we expected, we get impatient when certain doors stay closed and we think they should open, we look for instant gratification and resolution to our situation, and instant answers to our questions/decisions. And we find ourselves saying “Why isn’t anything happening in my situation?”

Truth be told… IT IS. Today, God wants you to begin looking for Him… IN THE MOMENT. He is so busy around you but you may be too preoccupied with the “final outcome” that you’re missing out on journeying with Him in the moment.

He wants you to begin to live “GOD-CONSCIOUS” every moment of the day. How often do you consciously focus on His Presence around you in the midst of your hectic day? HE IS THERE! That interruption to your schedule earlier today… It may have been a divine opportunity sent by God… perhaps to open a door in your life or a “Holy Ghost set up” for you to bless someone else.

So today… begin to look for the Hand of God moving in your midst. Don’t miss the JOY of the JOURNEY. His timing is PERFECT, His ways are HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, He is PERFECTING THE THINGS THAT CONCERN YOU….

Stop waiting for Him to “answer your prayer” and recognize that YOUR ANSWER IS IN PROCESS ALL AROUND YOU!

REJOICE IN THE MOMENT for the character, endurance, patience and perseverance that is being built in you through the process! HE MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE ON PURPOSE SO YOU CAN KNOW HIM MORE!

…for in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret… Ps 37:7

Be still, and know that I am God… Ps 46:10

The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever… Ps 138:8

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deut 31:8

Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isa 30:20-21

Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand… Jer 18:6

Experience Is A Brutal Teacher… February 23, 2011

“Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” — C.S. Lewis.

Today I was reminded of an experience that happened to me about this time of year in 2006. I repeatedly had a dream that I was on a roof and Jesus was on the ground. I am terrified of heights but he was telling me to step to the edge and then JUMP…trusting he would catch me. I had no idea how I could possibly obey but THIS WAS GOD asking me! Either I trusted him or I didn’t… the rubber was literally hitting the road.

Just as I got to the edge, he said “Wait, turn around and fall backwards and trust I will catch you EVEN WHEN YOU CANT SEE ME THERE.”… WOW!

At that point my feet left the edge…

I’d love to say I floated effortlessly into my Savior’s arms, but I kicked and grabbed for anything I could hold on to… but there was only His promise. Then I woke up before he caught me.  I had this dream about 5 times over a few months and then finally he told me to quit my job and walk by faith.

So I gave notice on my job and 1 month later on February 28^th, 2006 I did it. I walked by faith for a season whose length I had no idea… daily I had to trust for every need to be met. God met every need and humbled me greatly, as my flesh was burned away at record speeds…lol (I think I recall rug burns on my knees, elbows and forehead from spending so much time on my knees…lol) After 4 (long) months he walked me right into full-time ministry @ a new non-profit where I worked for the next three years.

During that 4 month season I read this from Streams in the Desert devotional, and it has never left me:

Streams in the Desert: June 11^th entry -

“Today many people are attempting to use their mental capacity and logical thinking to obtain sanctification, yet this is nothing but a religious fabrication. They believe that if they just mentally put themselves on the altar and believe the altar provides the gift of sanctification, they can then logically conclude they are fully sanctified. Then they go happily on their way, expressing their flippant, theological babble about the “deep” things of God.
Yet the heartstrings of their old nature have not been broken, and their unyielding character, which they inherited from Adam, has not been grounded to powder. Their soul has not throbbed with the lonely, gushing groans of Gethsemane. Having no scars from their death on Calvary, they will exhibit nothing of the soft, sweet, gentle, restful, victorious, overflowing, and triumphant life that flows like a spring morning from an empty tomb.” G.D.W.

My prayer is that you allow yourself to experience God so that the heartstrings of your old nature can be broken and your unyielding character ground to powder. And while this is one experience in my life there have been many more. I also pray that I will never cease to let Him have His way in me.

I’ll say it again: “Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn. My God, do you learn.” — C.S. Lewis.

Luke 9:23-24

 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Understanding Seasons of Transition January 23, 2011

Numbers have symbolic meaning in the Bible. Since it is now 2011, I researched the biblical significance of the number eleven and here’s what I found:

11 = transition. You know, that place in between here and there? You’ve left one place but not yet arrived at the next? It also represents disorder, disorganization and disintegration. These certainly don’t sound pleasant, but nonetheless, they are guaranteed byproducts of transition. Unless you plan on staying exactly the same for the rest of your life, these things cannot be avoided. SO STOP TRYING TO AVOID THEM!

I’m learning that God never lets us get too comfortable! lol…. what I mean is just when we think we have “settled in” and adjusted to the last “transition”, here comes more transition to take us to the NEXT level. THIS IS GOOD! But it doesn’t always feel good. It comes with its own set of challenges. The time in between here and there can definitely be disorderly and disorganized, but I’m not sure about that other descriptive word I mentioned above: DISINTEGRATION. What’s that all about?

The actual definition of disintegration is: to break or separate into basic elements or parts; to undergo a change in composition. Ahhhh! This is what needs to happen to our flesh during transition! So disintegration (aka: dying to self) is necessary so we can be prepared to enter the next level.

Transition does this:

• Keeps us in a position where we MUST TRUST GOD
• Causes us to EXPERIENCE GOD and KNOW HIM MORE INTIMATELY
• Causes us to GROW & MATURE so we are able to maintain once we reach that new level
• Gives us the opportunity to PREACH CHRIST through our circumstances

And that is the goal: to PREACH CHRIST through your transition. Yes, it may look disorderly and disorganized as your flesh disintegrates… and some may say you must be “out of order” somewhere in your life or it would be smooth sailing. But the bottom line is that persecution will also come as you transition toward that next level.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Phil 1:12-18

I am praying for you, friends, to find peace in the midst of your transition, knowing your God is with you wherever you go! Meanwhile, let not your hope be deferred, but worship Him with gratitude and thanksgiving right in the middle of your current “nowhere-land.”

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Prov 13:12

The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. Deut 31:3

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11