To The Highest Bidder

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding." -- Proverbs 23:23

Truth, integrity, discipline, understanding ... all these things come with a price, and each person determines that price. Some have sold their integrity for as little as a dollar; with others it takes more.

The great thing about God is that He will give you many opportunities to determine your selling price. Wisdom cries out ..... 

SOLD .... to the highest bidder!

The Bucket List

"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? -- John 4:11

I looked and the well seemed deep but there was nothing to draw out the water. I was thinking about deep wells the other day and how our life parallels. Romans 11:29 states that God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. If we compare our gifts and calling to deep well water, but we haven't developed the character or integrity to accompany those gifts, then we become like a deep well that has no bucket.

I've heard it said that your gift will get you in the door but your character and integrity will keep you there. Oftentimes we just need to repair our bucket, so I've put together a short bucket list from God's WORD:

Repair your bucket with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Cry Mercy!

"Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning. I put my hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." -- Excerpt from Psalm 130

"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" -- Matthew 9:27

Oh that we would not join ranks with an enemy who cries out for judgment and condemnation, but instead would turn to our God and cry out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" Have mercy on my brothers and sisters! Have mercy on my family! Have mercy on my pastors! Have mercy on this city! Have mercy on me!

We Cry Out lyrics

Oh Lord, we cry out
weve been lost
we need your mercies Oh God
we repent for our ways and
we turn to You again

Oh Lord, we cry out
weve been lost
change our hearts to Yours
Oh God we repent for our sin and
we turn to You again

Oh God we cry out for your mercy
Oh God we cry out for your grace
Oh God we cry out to let us free
Oh God we cry out once again
once again

oooohhh yeaaa
we cry out to You God
cry out to You
cry out to You
we cry out to You God
yeaa yeaaa yeaa
oohhh yeaa

Oh God we cry out for your mercy
Oh God we cry out for your grace
ohhh wooah
oooooh God we cry out to let us free
oh God we cry out once again yeaa

we are a chosen generation
hey
we are a chosen generation yeaaa
mothers and fathers
sisters and brothers
daughters and sons
we are
we are
we are
a chosen generation ohh yes
a generation
thats free
a generation
thats free
a generataion
thats free
a generation
thats free
free yea woooo
freedom
freedom
freedom

oohhh God we cry out for your mercy
Oh God we cry out for your grace
Oh God we cry out to let us free
Oh God we cry out once again

Redemption Island

"He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever-- holy and awesome is his name." -- Psalm 111:9

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." -- Psalm 130:7

Survivor, the popular tv series premiered in May 2000, and this season added a twist: ousted players are sent to Redemption Island. Once ousted a player can expect to hear these lines: "The tribe has spoken. You may now go to Redemption Island."

Have you ever been ousted? by friends? by family? by co-workers? by your church?
The good news is that Jesus will never turn his back on you. He is all about redemption. He won't send you to redemption island for a chance to earn your way back into the game because He's never gonna take you out of the game. Jesus paid for your redemption.

Survivor is all about tribes and challenges, merges and dissolves, hidden idols and exile twists, tribal council, and the jury .... sounds like real life to me.

Jesus has spoken. You have been redeemed from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13)

The Light

"Nations will be drawn to your light, and kings to the dawning of your new day." -- Isaiah 60:3

Even the animals, His creation, are drawn to the light. :)

We have these two cats. I think they tolerate each other most days, but they certainly display their share of jealously when it comes to their human master (which by the way is not me). They pick on each other, chase each other, and often hiss at one another. But there is one thing that will bring them together. That thing is the LIGHT -- They will lay side by side in the sunlight.

Brothers and sisters, let us therefore come together in the LIGHT of His presence; putting aside our strife. Let us throw off the deeds of darkness and pick up the weapon of light (Romans 13:12).

Empty Nest

"He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." -- Mark 16:15

My husband and I are about to be "empty nesters" and as I begin to reflect on that term I can't help but think about the spiritual significance of all of this. Our children are launched and at the same time the ministry that I'm called to is being launched. Oxford House of Prayer (OHOP) has gone mobile -- no longer meeting in the same place from week to week. We're taking it to the streets and out into the world. Taking worship and prayer to the people; living out Mark 16:15 ...


As I ponder this new adventure I have to smile at God's design for his children. He never called for us to sit in the nest. What happens when baby birds get too big and crowded in the nest? They begin to peck at each other! And God in his wisdom does a little shoving himself and launches those baby birds out into the world to "go and preach the good news to all creation." 

Finding my wings .... ;)

Bridge of Hope

"If you want to be a bridge of hope then you must be willing to be walked on from time to time." -- Matthew Barnett

Bridge:  a structure carrying a road, path, railroad, or canal across a river, ravine, road, railroad, or other obstacle.  

Matthew Barnett, co-founder of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, dreamed of a church that could be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; a church that would bring hope to the hopeless. As Christ-followers we are that church, called to be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We're on duty 24-7 .... or we should be.  I think we sometimes get into the mindset that we can hang a sign out on the doorpost of our life when we don't want to be on duty. Signs like "closed for lunch" or "closed for construction," but in reality we are never closed. The world is ALWAYS watching. 

I have a hope, I have a future
I have a destiny that is yet awaiting me
My life’s not over, a new beginning’s just begun
I have a hope, I have this hope

God has a plan, it’s not to harm me
But it’s to prosper me and to hear me when I call
He intercedes for me, working all things for my good
Though trials may come I have this hope

Chorus
I will yet praise Him, my great Redeemer
I will yet stand up and give Him glory with my life
He takes my darkness and He turns it into light
I will yet praise Him, my Lord my God

My God is for me, He’s not against me
So tell me whom then, tell me whom then shall I fear
He has prepared for me
Great works He’ll help me to complete
I have a hope, I have this hope

Goodness and mercy, they’re gonna follow me
And I’ll forever dwell in the house of my great King
No eye has ever seen all He’s preparing there for me
Though trials may come, I have this hope

Bridge
There’s still hope for me today
‘Cause the God heaven loves me  

Just Visiting

"For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come." -- Hebrews 13:14

It is human nature to hate change. We get settled in a certain geographical location, a job, and even a church building. And then God does something that rocks our world and He asks us to move. I'm convinced that God has to scatter His people from time to time to keep us moving forward. Think about Abraham, asked to leave his native land and his relatives (Genesis 12), but God made him a great nation. But also think about the story in Genesis 11 of the Tower of Babel. God had to scatter those people because they decided to build a name for themselves. God scatters for many reasons, but when He does, we must remember that our assignment here on earth is to "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." (Mark 16:15). 

I had a dream recently in which I was asked to walk away from something that I had poured my heart and soul into for about 11 years. As I was leaving to get into my car, I noticed my car was in the visitor parking space. Immediately God impressed on my heart that I was only visiting. This season was over. New things were about to begin. I just hope and pray that I remember this lesson well and don't dig my heels in if and when God says it's time to move again. We are just visiting.

Signs

We need to be able to discern the signs...

"... the men of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do." -- 1 Chronicles 12:32

"And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream." -- Numbers 12:6

 IF YOU SAY GO, lyrics:

If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come

Your ways are higher than our ways
And the plans that You have laid
Are good and true
If You call us to the fire
You will not withdraw Your hand
We'll gaze into the flames and look for You