Tune In

I co-pastor a church with my husband and a question we hear probably the most often is, "How do you hear God's voice?" I think it is a very common struggle for most Christians at one time or another in their lives. I also think that it is one of the most important and life changing things that we can learn to do-hear God speaking to us.

A few weeks ago I remember God speaking to me very clearly. I was driving into town and had come to a busy highway where I had to turn left and cross two lanes of traffic. I had been sitting there for what seemed like a long time and began to get impatient. Can anyone else relate? Finally, a car that was in the right hand lane gave a turn signal indicating they would turn right where I was waiting to pull out. So, I started to pull out. I got as far as part way in to the right hand lane when I heard God say to me on the inside, "STOP!!" Just then a car speeding by at 65 mph zoomed in front of me in the left hand lane. God could see what I couldn't and preserved my life that day! I am so thankful that I knew what the voice of God sounded like and that I obeyed!

Maybe you won't ever be in a life or death situation where hearing and obeying God's voice will save your life. BUT, what I do know is that we all need to hear from Him. We need to hear from Him about relationships, "Should I marry this person?" Or "God, my children are heading down the wrong path, how do I reach them?" Did you know that God even cares about decisions like what car we purchase? Yes! He absolutely does! God knows everything and He knows if the car you are about to purchase is a good car or a lemon that will drain you of your resources of money and time.

Remember back in the "olden days" before cars had digital tuning for the radio? You had to turn a dial instead in order to be able to listen to your favorite radio station. And as you were tuning and almost to the right frequency, you would begin to hear bits and pieces of what was being said or played. But, if you weren't on the exact spot of that frequency, you had to fine tune your dial in order to pick it up clearly. See, hearing God's voice is the same way. If we aren't hearing Him clearly, or not at all, we need to adjust our receiver, or the dial. He is speaking to us, we just need to tune in!!

It's not hard at all, we just may need to adjust some things in our lives.

John 10:3-5 - "The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

You see, it is in those sheep to hear their shepherd's voice. They were created to hear his voice, they don't struggle with hearing it. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. We should EXPECT to hear His voice if we belong to Him. If we aren't hearing Him then we need to take a look at maybe why we aren't.

First of all, we have to BELONG to Jesus. If our lives aren't fully surrendered to Him, then He isn't our Shepherd and we won't recognize His voice.

Once we belong to Him, one way He speaks to us is through His word, the Bible. Since His word is one way He speaks to us, we need to know what it says! God gives some instruction to Joshua about this, and it would do us well to listen to what God told Joshua.

Joshua 1:8 - "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

The word "meditate" is translated from the Hebrew as "murmur" or "mutter." It literally means to say it with our mouths out loud. There is something about saying it, muttering it, that helps to get it down on the inside of us. Romans 10:8 says, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart." It needs to be both places! Psalm 119:11 says that we are to hide God's word in our hearts so that we don't sin against Him. We can only meditate on and hide God's word in our hearts by memorizing His word. I'll be honest, it is work! But I promise you will never regret one moment you spend memorizing His word, hiding it in your heart and muttering it to yourself. It is one of the keys to hearing His voice! Begin by memorizing one scripture and then add others on to that. Pretty soon, you will be quoting the word of God left and right! I like to put up scriptures around the house, on the bathroom mirror, by where I do the dishes or cook in the kitchen. Translated - where we ladies spend the most time ;0) That way I can read the Word and hide it in my heart while doing mindless tasks. Gotta do them anyway, might as well be putting the Word on the inside of us at the same time!

I read about a way to help your children do this as well. As a family, put one scripture up all over the house, maybe on 3x5 cards, wherever you and your kids spend a lot of time. For my family, that would be the bathroom, kitchen, and dining room-where we do our homeschooling. Then once everyone has memorized that one scripture passage, change it out for another one. We are going to begin with scriptures that pertain to areas of our lives that need adjusting and growing in godly character. That is what will bring about true change in our lives.

Then we must obey His word, every time. I don't know about you, but I want all I do to prosper and succeed! Remember Joshua 1:8? In the hard things and in the not so hard things, we must obey, every time. I don't like the obeying part in the hard things, and believe me, He will ask us to obey in the hard things. But when we do, He can truly bless our lives.

The other way that God speaks to us is through the inward witness.

Romans 8:14 - "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God."

We can be led by God's Spirit! It is awesome to me to think that when I give my life to God, that His Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of me! The Almighty Creator of the universe makes His home on the inside of us when we are His children! Some people have told me that when they think God might be speaking to them that it just sounds like them, like their own voice. And I would say a resounding, "Yes!!" What happens is that God's Holy Spirit on the inside of us speaks to our spirit, the part of us that lives forever-the person that we really are. So, it will sound like you, because it IS you-your spirit speaking!

Nothing that God ever tells us through the inward witness will ever go against His written word. That is why it is so important to know what His word says. It is so vital to hear God through the inward witness. It is how we receive specific instructions for our lives. When I was seeking the Lord on whom to marry, I couldn't just open up the Bible and expect to see the words, "Kim, marry Tom, this is my will for your life." No! It's not there. But I knew that I knew through the inward witness that God was leading me to marry Tom. And we are getting ready to celebrate 20 years of marriage this March! It has been 20 wonderful years! I am so glad I knew to listen to that inward witness.

We have had people tell us, "I really think that God is telling me to marry this person." Then our first question to them is, "Does he/she love the Lord?" If they say, "Well, no..." Then we have to speak the truth to them in love and tell them that at this point in time, that it is not God's will for them. Why? Because God will never lead us to do something that goes against His written word. He tells us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). Now, maybe AFTER that person surrenders their life to God and has been following Him consistently for a LONG while, then and only then should they consider marriage with him/her.

As we begin this journey of listening to and hearing God's voice, He will begin to speak to us about little things-the little things in our lives or our families. Most times, that is the place where He will begin to speak to us. It is a safe place. There is not much "risk" to it if we happen to not get it right. The biggest mistake we could make is to never step out and do what He speaks to us. God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. The Holy Spirit will teach us (John 14:26). He will bring us along one step at a time. As we obey the written word of God, in all things, our ability to be led by the Spirit of God through the inward witness becomes sharper and clearer. Get to know His voice by spending time with Him, in prayer, in worship, in the Word. Then as we recognize His voice just like we do the voice of our best friend and we are quick to obey, He will begin to speak to us about weightier things. He may even ask you to speak into the lives of others to be a blessing to them. Will we make mistakes? Yes! And that is okay too. I have made mistakes and I have lived through to tell about them. But, oh the joy of hearing my Lord speak to me; there is nothing else like it! So, be encouraged, tune in, and expect to hear the voice of God speaking to you!

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The Ultimate Comforter

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going shopping with a dear friend and spending a few hours just having fun. One of my "shopping goals" was to find a new comforter set for my bedroom. After browsing a few stores I found a beautiful set in burnt orange, cream and brown with what looked like an Asian inspired stitching of trees and leaves. The store was out of stock in the size I needed, so I ordered it to be delivered to the house a few days later. My husband called me at work to let me know the day it arrived and that evening I came home and had some fun pulling out all the decorative pillows and shams, etc. that came with the set. It was a perfect fit for our room. Mission accomplished!

It wasn't very cold back when I first bought the set, so I mainly enjoyed it for the vibrant colors it added to the room. Now as winter has finally blown into eastern North Carolina, that comforter and I have become the best of friends for more important reasons! As the temperature continues to drop, I know that comforter is there waiting for me to jump into bed and snuggle down underneath and it will tuck me away from the drafts that try to invade even the most well insulated homes at night. While I appreciate it's beauty, it is really the warmth and protection from the night air that bring real meaning to it's name of "comforter."

Most everyone has experienced what we could call "dark" times in our lives when it seems circumstances around us have turned cold. Knowing Christ does not exempt us from dealing with the tests and trials of life. Scripture is clear that we will experience these things, but it comes with a precious promise of victory!

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Jesus encourages us to keep our chin up and our joy active because He has already overcome and made us overcomers along with Himself. One way that He did this was by being sure that when He left the earth, we would not be left alone. It had to be a hard pill for the disciples to swallow to know Jesus was going to be taken away from them to return to Heaven to the Father. He was the miracle worker, the one who calmed the winds and the waves when the storms rose up. What were they going to do? Who would they turn to now that the Master was going away? I am so glad you asked!

In John 14:16 Jesus let them know that no matter what, they would never be alone. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever."

Who is this Comforter Jesus spoke of? He is the marvelous Holy Spirit - the third person of the Godhead on assignment to assist the believer in their walk here on the earth. Even though this world is not our home and we are not "of the world", because we are in it there are times when the "night air" of the darkness around us will try to invade our hearts and bring fear along with it.

In December I went to a movie theater alone with my husband for the first time in years on a date night. As we were entering the theater where our movie was showing I suddenly began to feel uneasy as thoughts of a tragic shooting that took place in a movie theater in Colorado a few months ago began to float through my mind. I found myself looking around at others in the theater to see if anyone looked suspicious, and in an instant a battle in my mind had begun. In that moment I had a choice to make - stay out in the cold night air of darkness or jump in under the Comforter, the Holy Ghost! As quickly as the thoughts came, I began to cast them down and intentionally yield to the "peace that passes understanding" that can only be found in the Spirit of God. Within just a couple of minutes, the warmth and glory of God filled my heart and mind and I went on to enjoy my night out with no thought at all of fear or distress.

My friends, we live in what the Bible calls "perilous times." It doesn't matter what country you live in, how much money you have, or what your title or position is - we are confronted daily with the works of the enemy in the world around us. Now more than ever we must wrap ourselves tightly in the Word and the comfort of the Holy Spirit and trust God like never before.

If your find yourself dealing with a "cold draft" of fear or doubt in your mind, I encourage you to take comfort in the powerful words of Psalm 91. These are words that I personalize and confess on a regular basis in the first person - something like this:

Psalm 91

1 I dwell in the shelter of the Most High
and rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save my family and I
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He covers me with his feathers,
and under his wings I find refuge;
his faithfulness is my shield and rampart.
5 I will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at our side,
ten thousand at our right hand,
but it will not come near us.
8 We will only observe with our eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 I say, “The Lord is our refuge,”
and we make the Most High our dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake us,
no disaster will come near our tent (home).
11 For he has commanded his angels concerning us
to guard us in all your ways;
12 they will lift us up in their hands,
so that we will not strike our foot against a stone.
13 We tread on the lion and the cobra;
we will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Wow!!! To me this Scripture is the perfect way to jump in under the Comforter of the Holy Spirit. As I confess these Words, He bears witness to them in my heart and every doubt and fear leave as the faith of God rises up and dispels the darkness. Rejoice my friend - no matter what happens in the world around us - we have overcome the world through Christ! Don't allow the "night air" to overtake you - become best friends with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to be to you what He is to me and so many others - The Ultimate Comforter!

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Such As I Have, Give I Thee by Alexandra Fleege

Such As I Have Give I Thee

We have been living in France for the past 2 years, and when Tony and I decided to move here my main concern was how I going to bring up my kids in a country I know very little about? I was homeschooling at the time and really enjoyed the homeschool community and activities and life etc..... Then I realized it's not really what comes from without that your children grasp most, its what comes from within. That they actually become more of who you are, the 2.0 upgraded version. If you love the word of God they will, if you praise the Lord they will, if you love clothes (probably applies more to girls:) she will also. I call her my little fashionista now because her love for style has grown from wanting to put doll outfits together to actually taking a couture class in school and making a beautiful skirt that I would love to wear. What is important to you becomes important to them, even things that are unsaid. The process of osmosis in some things really does happen with children in some areas. My daughters dream is to take a trip around the world with her cousin Max when they are in their twenties, and for the most part I believe it will happen. If you are happy and content, they will be also, you transmit something to them, simply by being with them, and a lot of it unspoken. They know when you are sad, when your hurt, when you are happy or want to laugh at something but not to tell them what it is, what Peter and John said to the blind man at the temple those words hold so true- such as I have I give. I can’t really teach my daughter a love for cooking, when people ask me if I like to cook, for the most part I respond with the answer well Tony likes to eat:) I find what I esteem and hold as important and valuable , they are starting to do the same thing and especially my daughter, Juliana. She loves having fun,animals, funny things etc Jonathan loves music, all kinds of music, its happening. One of Juliana’s favorite things is to sit down and ask me all sorts of questions about the end times, the rapture of the church ,the second coming of Jesus , the antichrist etc.... At first I thought is she just trying to please me? but it has happened enough to where I realize that this is actually something she is very curious about. I use to look around at other mom’s and really feel like I did not measure up. There are so many things I have never done in terms of being a home maker, I have never made a pie much less anything with pumpkin in it, as I was looking at all the delicious recipes on this site it dawned on me, I don’t for the most part even eat pumpkin pie but I know Tony loves it, and someone actually gave me a pumpkin this year so I thought I would at least try a friend’s recipe for pumpkin bars (thanks Mary;) But on the other hand my son Jonathan’s favorite food is Japanese and Juliana loves Brazilian food and will actually turn on channels in portuguese just to listen to portuguese. I don’t really have many traditions for any holidays, Tony is gone right now in America and will be until December, he is the pumpkin pie guy: but as I am navigating through this journey of motherhood I really believe God entrusts each child to the parent that He knows they need. So I decided that as for the day that we actually set apart to give thanks, known as thanksgiving we will watch a movie or a play about pilgrims who came to what was then known as the new world in search of religious freedom, and that this will be something that may be we can do throughout the years- love the story of Squanto, how he helped the pilgrims survive and learn to plant and to hunt, and that those pilgrims that actually survived the first winter instead of sadness for those who were lost set 3 days apart for giving thanks that God had brought them to the new world and for he bounty that he blessed them with. So while I will not be getting any awards from Betty Crocker, I am thankful for what I have and what I can give, and for the opportunity to impart into these two little precious eternal beings such as I have, and in the wise words of Madame Blueberry (veggietales star:) We have sung the thankfulness song many many times to stay complaining and murmuring and any other downer attitude, a thankful heart really is a happy heart here are the words to the chorus: Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! I'm glad for what I have, That's an easy way to start! For the love that He shares, 'Cuz He listens to my prayers, That's why I give thanks everyday!

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Strength Will Rise As We Wait - Really?

Yes....those were my sentiments as we sang those lyrics Sunday in church.  

  Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, 
                as we wait upon the Lord, 
                as we wait upon the Lord!

Let me tell you, I have been waiting...a LONG time for some things the Lord spoke to me.  And I felt anything but strong as I walked into that church.  Frustrated, irritated, and discouraged were much better descriptors for me.  

So as praise and worship started and this song, "Everlasting God" was led, and we sang these lyrics, I knew something was not right in my heart.  If strength was supposed to come in the wait, I had missed it....BIG time.  

I went home and begun my research.  What did the Bible say about being strong in the wait?  Here's what I found:

     Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall 
     mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and 
     not faint."

There it is - doesn't get much clearer than that....those who wait shall renew their strength.  Why then, do we become weary in the wait?  As I dug in more, I came to understand that weariness and frustration comes when we begin to do things in our own strength.  

    Isaiah 30:15 - "For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: 'In returning and 
    rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.'  
    But you would not." [emphasis mine]

In this scripture, God is telling Judah how it could have worked.  If they had trusted Him they would have had the strength they needed, but they would not.  They became frustrated and irritated so they devised their own plan.  And because God is a gentleman, He let them.  Our God offers us a good plan, but He will not force us to take it.

In Genesis, we can find another account of the frustration in the wait.  In the 16th chapter, we find that Sarai has been waiting for several years for the son promised to her and Abram.  In desperation and weariness, she suggests to Abram that he lay with her servant Hagar and a son will come forth.  Abram did as Sarai suggested and Ishmael was born.  And oh, the heartache that developed when strife arose between Sarai and Hagar.

We know the rest of the story, that God did in fact bring forth the promised son Isaac to Sarai and Abram.  But Isaac didn't come until 20+ years after the promise was received.  

Friends, the reality is, I did the same thing Sarai did.  She began to focus on what she could see with her natural eye - she was too old to conceive according to the natural mind.  Perhaps she thought that Abram didn't hear God correctly, or that God had forgotten His promise.  She may have even thought she did something wrong and now God would not honor His promise.  These are all thoughts that our mind could entertain.  And they are not accidental!

That's right - those thoughts are there on purpose!  They come from the enemy.  His desire is to get you focused on the natural.  If you are focused on the natural, then you are not focused on the faithfulness of God.  The natural realm will cause you to believe that God is not being faithful.  Once you believe that bait, then weariness and frustration creep in.  And the downward spiral begins.  We step into our own strength, which brings minimal success, and frustration and weariness continue mount.

Is. 30:15 says that in quietness and confidence we find our strength.  To avoid frustration and weariness in the wait, we have to remain confident in God.  We have to stay focused on Him.  In Romans 4:19-21, the Apostle Paul writes about Abraham's faith:

    "And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since 
    he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb, He did not 
    waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving 
    glory to God and being fully convinced that what He had promised, He was also able 
    to perform." [emphasis mine]

Abraham stayed strong in faith by ignoring the natural - he did not consider his own body.  He was strengthened in faith by giving glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God would perform what He had promised.  

That's the key friends - we stay strong in the wait by giving God glory for the promise and His faithfulness.  In addition, we must keep our mind on Him all the while ignoring what the outcome looks like to our natural eye!  Is it easy - no!  But as you set your heart to focus on the faithfulness of God, you will emerge fully convinced that He is well able to perform what He has promised!  And that conviction brings an amazing amount of strength!

Strength will rise up as you wait - I promise!

Be blessed and be strong!

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"My Name Is Hope!"

"Do you know my name?" The sweet, bright voice came out of the blue while I was waiting in an express check out line at Walmart the other day. I had just finished a REALLY long shopping trip for groceries, field trip items, etc. and had somehow gotten out the door with some batteries not paid for. So, back in we went to the shortest line we could find to make things right. While I was waiting, the sweet voice came from a little girl sitting in the front seat of the cart in front of me. "Do you know my name?" It startled me slightly in a comical sort of way, but I am rarely at a loss for words when it comes to kids, so I answered her, "No, but you do. Are you going to tell me your name?" With a big smile she piped right back with, "My name is Hope!"

From there we had a silly, sweet conversation that only last 3 or 4 minutes about everything from the cool stuff she got for Christmas, to the fact that my twins' names (Esperanta and Esperancia) also mean 'hope', and that she and the twins both had sisters named Elizabeth. Hope smiled the whole time we chatted, and gave me a few moments of pure joy just from interacting with her for that short time.

When I first pulled in behind her dad's cart, I had noticed briefly that Hope suffered from some sort of illness that had kept her body from growing properly. Her body seemed to small for her big, beautiful face and her speaking ability. Once we got to chatting, I asked her and Hope told me she was seven years old. I knew for sure then that this sweet girl had a disability of some sort - but had I not been able to see her, I would have never known it at all. She had the spirit of a champion in every way - outgoing, positive, full of life and laughter - and best of all willing to share it with me.

When I came home, I told Pat about beautiful, little Hope and our conversation. As I did, I almost started to cry and realized that she had made quite an impact on me for an express checkout length conversation. The words kept ringing in my heart - "Do you know my name? My name is Hope!"As they did the Holy Spirit began to minister to me about how we are to go into this new year. We need to go into 2013 knowing the beautiful name "Hope!"

Although there many who can testify to the goodness of God manifesting in glorious ways in 2012, there are also many that faced great trials and battles last year. If they are honest, those folks were happy to see the year end as they work to regroup and move forward. From different places around the world, there were some awful tragedies that we watched on our television and computer screens that affected many of us deeply and caused us to cry out even more fervently to God for Him to move and bring revival to the nations.

Though the pain of these things is truly felt and cannot be made light of, it is of utmost importance that we never, ever lose track of of the sweet, bright voice of Hope. Even in times of turmoil, the believer must remember that when things are at their worst, God is at His best! We cannot always control the choices of people, or when and how the attacks of the enemy will come - but what we can do is take control of our souls, anchor ourselves in the Word of God, and make an intentional choice to keep our eyes on our Redeemer, knowing that no matter what - He has not forsaken us or let us go!

One of my very favorite hymns is It Is Well With My Soul. Here are just a couple of the verses.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
 
Refrain:It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

This beautiful song was written by Horatio Spafford (1828-1888). He was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day. Over the course of 2 to 3 years, Mr. Spafford lost all five of his children to terrible tragedies, as well as losing most of his personal fortune in the Great Chicago Fire. He wrote the words to this hymn while he was on his way to meet his grieving wife in England after the tragic loss of his four daughters in a shipwreck.

I do not believe that any one of us would have condemned Mr. Spafford if he would have had a fit of anger, or even a time of questioning his faith after so many tragic occurences in such a short space of time. It is unthinkable to lose even one child, but all of your children? To see God bless you with great prosperity, only to see it destroyed before your very eyes? Yet instead of despair, Mr. Spafford anchored himself in the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ and wrote one of the greatest and most encouraging hymns of all time. He found the strength to trust God and say "It is well" in the toughest of circumstances.

No matter what losses we may have faced in 2012 - we must not forget that we are more than conquereors through Him who loves us! My heartfelt prayer is that you will not allow any loss, no matter how great, to cause you to lose hope in Christ. He is our everpresent help in time of trouble, and will guide us through the storm to safe haven if will contiue to place our faith and trust in Him. No matter what lies behind you, there is a future and a hope waiting for you in the arms of a loving Father. Don't ever run away... always run to Him in the time of the storm. He is your rock and your fortress forever!

Can you hear her voice now too.... "Do you know my name? My name is Hope!"

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:10-12

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