All posts by : Sanctioned Love

When I was at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, I had the opportunity to work with some amazingly anointed women on a book project. The class was called Kingdom Creativity, and the book was called Beauty.  It is a collection of photography and poetry that celebrates the beauty God has placed all around and inside us.  A couple of days ago, I was flipping through the pages and wanted to share a few of the poems and what inspired them. 

I had little experience writing poetry then. Many of these pieces, however, seemed to come to me through ‘supernatural download.’ The five ladies I had been partnered with for this creative project were all photographers, and I was the only writer, which seemed a little daunting at first. However, I felt the Lord gently whispering words of hope and celebration. All too often, we miss the small moments, the tiny bread-crumb trails of beauty laid out for us to see. You only have to open your eyes and appreciate what Father God has put right in front of you. 

Ring the Bells!

Throw open the windows and ring the bells!

Bondage has relinquished its powerful spell. 

No more will you keep us from flying, dancing!

The chains have been broken, completely freeing. 

Swing open the gates and let us run!

Sadness has melted in the light of the Son. 

No more will you keep us from laughing, singing!

Eyes have been opened to the joy of His coming. 

Ring the Bells came to me at the kitchen island of the house I shared with ten other girls while attending Bethel. (You may be slack-jawed right now at the thought of eleven women sharing a five-bedroom house, but it was one of the best experiences of my life sharing the day-to-day with these amazing women of God.)  This poem came from the section entitled “Joy and Freedom.” The pages were filled with smiling children, people dancing in the rain, and sunlit meadows. As I wrote this poem, I thought of what my life was like before I knew Jesus, like the dark void before God spoke life into existence. I had a vision of what it must have looked like at the tomb on the third day, with darkness covering the garden, and then to see the light bursting out from behind the stone as it was rolled away and our Savior was revealed. True freedom looks like surrender–surrender to a loving God who wants nothing but the best for us. It is only in His Light we can experience true freedom and joy. Sadness and despair melt in the Light of the Son. The verse that kept playing over and over in my mind as I wrote this poem was Revelation 7:17

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd; ‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ 

This is a promise for each of us who call Jesus Lord and Friend. A lot of injustice goes on in this world, but thankfully, we have His Light inside us. We are called to not only live in the freedom that He paid for on the cross but to spread the Good News of that freedom to others. 

The next section of the book was entitled Hidden Beauty. In it were close-up photos featuring a rusty old car, a wagon wheel, and a chipped teapot atop a stack of dusty books, to name just a few. There is hidden beauty in things that are old or abandoned, yet often it is a matter of perspective. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the good in different situations of our lives, but I was reminded that God can turn even the worst of these circumstances for His good. 

Hidden 

Slow down. 

Look around. 

The treasure is within your grasp–

Disguised. 

Pass through the door into a world

Waiting just below the surface. 

Full of color and culture and delight–

Unseen. 

A flash of light around the corner. 

A distant laugh carried in the wind, 

Embedded in mystery and suspense–

Concealed. 

The beauty is in the journey, 

The splendor in perspective. 

Who will find the extraordinary–

Hidden. 

I pray that if you feel like you are walking through an impossible situation, God will give you His eyes to see and give you a perspective shift. It doesn’t mean that things will magically get better or turn out the way you want. Rest assured, He is with you through it all. “Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear Your voice, even when we cannot see or understand the why.” 

This last poem I want to share came from the section we called Architecture. I have always been fascinated by architecture and ruins from ancient cultures. The pages of this section were filled with photos of beautiful buildings–some old, some new. As I was writing this poem, I was thinking of all the people who have gone before; the heritage the children of Israel left us; and how we, as grafted-in children of God, get to be a part of that. I thought of the Heroes of the Faith like Amy Semple-McPherson, Billy Graham, and so many other evangelists, teachers, apostles, missionaries, and just ‘regular Joes’ like myself that have left a beautiful legacy.

 I thought of my Grandma Jean, who was a first-generation Christian in her family. She changed the course of our entire family because of her choice to follow Christ. I think of my Grandpa Tim and Grandma Eula, who loved Jesus and prayed for my siblings and me. She taught me that worship is not just about a song but about your heart. I think of my parents and all the countless hours they spent praying and interceding for me. I am so incredibly thankful for their examples. I wanted to pay tribute to the legacy I get to enjoy because of other people’s sacrifices, both those I have had the pleasure of knowing throughout my life and those who have impacted my life whom I have yet to meet. Their ceiling became my floor, and someday, I will meet them on the other side of eternity. 

These Walls Could Tell You Stories 

These walls could tell you stories

You would not believe

Of Kings and Queens of long ago–

The wisdom that they leave. 

These towers could show you views

You have never seen, 

Of cobbles streets and rooftops–

In golden light they gleam. 

These ruins could tell you histories

You would never know, 

Of people who have gone before–

So we may learn and grow. 

People come and people go

But these monuments remain,

Showing us where we have been

And the future we could claim. 

To me, this section of the book was really about honoring those who have gone before and remembering that we are not put on this earth for our own selfish pleasures. If we are wise, we will build our lives on the Rock (Jesus), as it talks about in Matthew 7. We build our lives on Jesus, not only for ourselves but for the generations that will follow. I want to build a legacy that my children and my children’s children can look back on and think, “Wow! She walked with Jesus.” 

Exodus 20:1-6

And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments. 

That is the kind of legacy I want to build, one that will send an impact trickling down throughout the generations. 

Blessings,

Nicole Boyd
Poetry Copyright – Nicole (Davenport) Boyd, 2011.

Samctioned Love

Mercy is Compassion in Action

I have been thinking about compassion lately and the lack thereof.  I see compassion fatigue everywhere I look!  The busyness of life and our “to-do lists” can exhaust all of our human resources.  Today I want you to think of the two most important commandments,  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself”  Luke 10:27. If we are to give out of what we have, yet we are depleted of the very thing we need to have, how are we to do what we are commanded to do?  And that is to love.

When Jesus walked on the Earth in the flesh, He was tested and questioned a lot by experts of the law of Moses, which God had given.   He walked in holiness and was Love itself.  He did all He saw the Father do and said all He heard the Father say.  It amazes me how often He was tested and ridiculed by those who adhered to the Law of Moses. 

One day, an expert of the religious law asked Jesus, “What should I do to inherit eternal life?” 

Jesus answered him, saying, “What does the law of Moses say to do? And how do you read it?”

The man answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Right!” Jesus said, “do this, and you will live!”      

So the man wanting to justify his actions, asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

I find it interesting that the man wanted to justify his actions.  What actions?  He must have been thinking of people he considered his neighbors and those he did not.  Probably even thinking of some he had shunned.  I do not think we need to justify any of our actions if we truly walk in love because I believe that we do not think more highly of ourselves when we are walking in love.  

This is where I want you all to be, right here—thoughts about Law or Love, Compassion or the lack thereof.

Jesus answered the expert in the law of Moses with a story.   It was about a “Good Samaritan.”  Knowing how this man already felt about Samaritans.  They were an unclean breed.  They have mixed relations.  I’m sure you know the story, but let’s refresh our memory. Read Luke 10:25-37

Here we have a Jewish man who had been traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was jumped by some robbers.  They did not just rob him; they beat him up terribly within an inch of his life.  Then they left him lying there to die.

The first person to pass him on the road was a priest, which today could be anyone who teaches the Word of God, such as a pastor or a teacher.   As he  walks up to this Jewish man lying on the ground, who had been beaten within an inch of his life, what does the Priest do? He crosses the road to the other side.  Why?  Because the Law of Moses forbid him to touch anything unclean, and if he touched him, then he would not be able to do what he was supposed to do that day.  You know that “to-do list!”  

Next, we see a Levite who comes up to the Jewish man laying the road.  He would or could be anyone who serves in the church.  Co-leaders in the church, deacons, etc.  What does he do?  Surely he is not as busy as the Pastor; surely, he could get a little dirty to help this man? Nope, he, too, crosses the street because he does not want to become unclean; otherwise, he would be unable to do all he had to do that day–you know, his “to-do list.” 

Sadly, I cannot tell you how many ways this scenario is repeated to this day, but it is. 

Finally,  Jesus says, and I quote,  “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,  telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

Wow, interesting.  Not only did it cost him time, but it also cost him money.  The Samaritan probably had a “to-do list” that day too.   I’m sure of it.  But something was different about him.  I am not sure he felt he was going to be unclean.  Why? Because he was already considered unclean–by the Jewish people. 

Jesus asked, “Now, which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” 

The religious expert on the law of Moses replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

 “Yes”, Jesus answered, “now go and do the same.”

It’s interesting to me that Jesus used a Samaritan man in His story to help a Jewish man who was hurt.  Samaritans were hated by the Jews because of their mixed ethnicity and their disregard for Jewish beliefs.  I always say, “Jesus does and says everything on purpose, with a purpose.”  When Jesus speaks, we should pause and listen intently.  So what was different about the Samaritan and the Priest and Levite?  What was the key ingredient?………………

It was compassion.

AND                            

Without compassion, we would not show mercy, 

AND

Mercy is love in action!

I believe most would have expected the Priest or the Levite to help.  I mean, it was their own people lying on the ground.  Not only that, they were loving people, right?  After all, it is what the law of Moses commanded them to do,  and they followed the law to the T.  I do not want to sound condescending, but I do want it to cause us to ponder as to why they did not stop.  What prevented them from feeling compassion for a fellow Jew?   

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”  -John 13:35

In Compassion, Mercy and Love,

Jen Meyers

Seed to Soil            

Have you read chapter thirteen in the book of Matthew lately? It’s about seeds. It’s about soil. It’s about fruit. 

Matthew 13:1-9 1. That same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down while all the people stood on the shore. 3. And He told them about many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5. Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.         6. But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings. 8. Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold. 9. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Often I have used this passage as a sword when praying for those who don’t know the Lord—asking, and petitioning with declarative prayers that those individuals would receive and believe in Jesus, so the enemy of the Gospel would not be able to snatch the seeds away. It was always about the lost or those who were deaf to the truth. So when the Holy Spirit used this chapter to speak to me the other day, I was taken aback and received a revelation. Let me set the stage.

 I was in my prayer room seeking and asking the Lord for His counsel in my life. I needed Him to speak to me about an issue I was struggling with. I was asking for a kingdom perspective to quiet my human emotions. I was in need of His help, so I read the chapter again all the way from verse one to the very end. Pausing, here and there, to listen and receive.

Matthew 13:18-23 18. “Therefore hear the parable of the Sower:       19. When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21. yet he has no root in himself but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

After I read verse twenty-three, I came to a sudden stop as words were jumping off the page, and I could hear Him whispering to me. “Take notice; My answers are hidden in My Word.” I then knew I had a “knowing” around two specific thoughts. Two stop and pay attention to highlights. One was in verse nineteen, “when anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom.”

I immediately started to investigate “Word of the Kingdom” meanings and found to my surprise, it was not just about someone receiving the salvation message as I had always thought. It was so much more. It includes these meanings, His truths, His knowledge, His Gospel, and the full counsel of God. Ok…wow…so now, asking for His counsel in my prayer room became about me receiving the “Word of the Kingdom.” It was me asking for His seeds!

The second highlight was in verse twenty-three, “but he who received seed on good ground” Again, another wow, as I knew I was being given a great thought. I was the one who needed to be receiving the seed—emphasis on receive. The word “receive” means to be given something, be presented with something, or to be paid something. It’s to come into possession of or to acquire something.   (Oxford Dictionary)

Suddenly these passages were not about others but about me.  They became so personal as I was the one who was asking for the “Word of the Kingdom.” I was the one asking for His Kingdom counsel. I was the one who needed to understand, and it would be up to me to reach out with both of my hands and receive His good seed. But it did not stop there; there was a whole other truth, it’s about the soil of the heart–my heart, my soil, my feet, my ground. 

As I received my petitioned prayer for Holy Word seeds, I had to be determined that I was standing on good soil. I knew from the verses above that I was to guard my seeds and my soil. I knew I did not want to be a ground void of growth or a soil that was not healthy, rich, or deep enough to keep the robber away. The kind of soil the enemy visited with his evil attempts to snatch away opportunities for fruit. 

See, we are promised fruit if we receive and understand while tilling our good soil, some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. I want to bear fruit, don’t you? I want to be good soil too, don’t you? I want to receive His kingdom seed and guard it deep in my heart, don’t you? So let’s till together, plant together, and together bear a harvest for our Lord. 

By Melissa Norris

 Sanctioned Love

RESILIENCE

Resilience is not about how many times you get knocked down; it is about how many times you get back up.

It is the ability to rebuild our lives and bounce back.  

Webster defines resilience as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, the ability of a substance (faith) or an object to spring back into shape.  

There are many things in our lives that can cause us to be knocked down; for example, health, death, loss, family issues, jobs, finances, disappointments, setbacks, failures, and trauma.We all respond differently to any one of these stresses. Many of us respond with unhealthy coping strategies like putting up walls of self-protection or falling into despair and/or hopelessness. But how can we bounce back without responding in unhealthy ways?

I am glad you asked! By renewing our minds, as I spoke about in my last blog. We have to be able to shift our thinking; change our focus.   

Colossians 3:2–3 says to   Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Philippians 4:8 tells us  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me, put it into practice.

So “bouncing back” is a choice, not a reaction. We can react with fear, anger, resentment, or a “religious response.” We can also skip over change by denial or by stuffing it down.  Or, we can choose to respond from a place of intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Phil 2:13 says    For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.

Zechariah 4:6   Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord.

Psalms 119:28   Strengthen me according to Your Word. 

So you see, it is not through our own ability or self-strength that we bounce back. No, it is by choosing to shift our thinking, which is done by renewing our minds in Christ. Our minds are transformed as we get into and focus our thoughts on God’s Word, then His thoughts become our thoughts, and in His power, we are able to “bounce back” well!

Blessings,

Lynda Renne

Sanctioned Love

If you’ve been set free from sin and bondage and been given an amazing gift of a new life, maybe it’s your turn to give someone else an opportunity to hear about it.

Galatians 6:1 says,

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

This can be a very slippery slope for some, who might think “Oh I got this!” No you don’t! But God does. If God goes before you, then Go. Just an admonishment to those who don’t feel like they can, if He calls you to it He’ll anoint you to.

In Isaiah 61:1-3 it says,

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;1 he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, wand the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning,the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Why? The Lord anoints us to go…

“You can’t keep it unless you give it away.”

You must give away what you have, it’s like the story of the talents. You have to share. Give and it will be given unto you, good measure pressed down and running over. All Things!

It’s Jesus’ desire that we share what we have. He doesn’t expect us to go at it alone! He’s anointed us with the Spirit of God.

Remember..

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4 But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love,5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. Titus 3:3-7

I believe we have to remember where we came from. Jesus modeled humility. We need to be humble.

Romans 12:3 Because of the privilege and authority[a] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This power that comes from the Holy Spirit allows you to stand strong for the things of God.

There is one added scripture in this place of scripture, Jesus adds… “And recovery of sight to the Blind” Before this place, people couldn’t see. They were blind. But through Christ we see now, and through Christ in us and upon us, others can see too!

Living for God

1 Peter 4:1-5 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.[a] 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

4 Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5 But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.

So my prayer for you today is to be ready to be used by God, that your eyes would be wide open for opportunities to share the gospel, that you’d allow the Holy Spirit to use you.

Blessings,

Jen Meyers

HUMBLED BUT HUNGRY

The word humbled is marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit. Showing deference or submission. Where hungry has its meaning in wanting or needing; a craving or a ravenous desire. These two words speak of the many facets of the Holy Spirit. One has to marvel at the layers of the Divine nature of God and our limited human minds to understand Him. He is all that is holy, and we are mere men, yet He has called us to know Him and walk with Him. Two opposites—flesh and Spirit. We are His paradox to the world; dying to gain, lost but now found, confessing to cleansing, full but never satisfied. 

This poem from my book Messy Poems and Not-So-Private Prayers is a piece that speaks of my journey in laying down my flesh and picking up my cross to follow after Him, humbled but hungry. 

LORD, I COME TO YOU AND DROP TO MY KNEES.

TO CLIMB DOWN THE MOUNTIAN OF MY OWN MIND AND TO ADVANCE UP THE MOUNT OF YOUR HOLY THRONE.

HUMBLED BUT HUNGRY.

BRINGING MY BUNDLE OF PRAISE AND EMPTYING MY BAG OF SUPPLICATIONS.

TO ASK YOU HOLY SPIRIT, TO OPEN MY EYES, SO MY FOCUS IS CLOSED TO THE WORLD AND FIXED ON YOUR GAZE.

THIS IS WHERE I DROP TO MY KNEES.

HUMBLED BUT HUNGRY.

TO WAIT UPON YOUR SOVEREIGNTY, LORD, WITH AN ACTIVATED FAITH.

SUBMITTED TO NOTHING LESS THAN YOUR WILL. STANDING IN HOPE, NOT DEFERRED.

HUMBLED AND HUNGRY

YOUR HIGHWAY MAKES MY CROOKED ROAD STRAIGHT, YOU’RE THE NARROW WAY JESUS, TO THE MASSIVE DIMENSIONS OF ETERNITY.

MAY I GIVE YOU MY LIFE OF EMPTINESS SO THAT I MAY RECEIVE YOUR ABUNDANCE. YOUR MERCIES ARE TRUE.

MAY MY INADEQUACIES BE EXCHANGED BY YOUR FILLING, HOLY SPIRIT. YOUR POWER CONVERGING WITH MY WEAKNESS.

I COME HUMBLED AND HUNGRY.

MY FLESH FRESHLY FASTED FOR THE SATISFACTION OF EATING THE BREAD OF LIFE.

 Galatians 5:16-17 

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 

Psalms 25:8-10 ESV

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore, He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Psalms 107:4-9BSB

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell. They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He led them on a straight path to reach a city where they could live. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men. For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

BY MELISSA NORRIS

Sanctioned Love