All posts by : Sanctioned Love

I went to bed praying for you last night and woke up this morning praying for you again!  I am praying, and I’m asking for a word specifically for you, one that will encourage you and lift you up.  A “right now” word. 

Do you remember how I said something to you about the pictures hanging in your front room? I just thought of a Scripture that pertains to them.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. 

Isaiah 40:31

Don’t you think it’s funny how we could go 31 years without seeing each other and then cross paths again? I believe God has something to do with it.  I believe He’s got His eye on you!   

I believe it is “for such a time as this!”

I love you, friend! You’ve been tucked into my heart by Jesus, and I believe it is because you are on His mind, and He loves you!
Yes, you’re right, I have changed a lot. Let me try to explain why.

I don’t know if you had ever heard about Jesus until now or not, but it’s all because of Him. When you knew me, I wasn’t so bad. I was just a young girl, barely 16, and living life. You didn’t know this about me, but I went to church when I was a little girl. In church, I heard all about Jesus. How we have all sinned, how God sent His Son Jesus into the world to save us from the consequences for our sins.  

It is these scriptures I heard over and over again.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

John 3:16 

“God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation”.

Romans 10:9,10

“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 

Romans 10:13

And then, one day, at the age of 7, I heard this message again, and it hit me differently than it ever had before. I knew I was a sinner and that I needed to be forgiven. So, I asked Jesus for forgiveness for all my sins and asked Him to come into my life. I gave Him my heart. It was the best feeling in the world. I felt like I had been cleaned inside out!  Until I was 16……

I don’t know if you’ve ever given your heart to Jesus or not.  Maybe you have, or maybe haven’t, or……..maybe like me, you’ve taken it back from Him. 

It was at the age of 16 that I turned my back on Jesus. That is when you met me.  You see, God isn’t a controlling God. He gives us free will, and I took my free will and lived it up! From age 16 to 27, it was “party hardy!” Girl, my life was a wreck, a total mess, and I had made it that way!  

At the age of 27, I hit rock bottom, and there was nowhere else but up to look, and I started to turn back to Jesus. 

I didn’t think there was any way He’d take me back. Yet, when I asked Him for forgiveness for the way I’d been living and turning my back on Him, He forgave me! 

I was absolutely wrecked!! The love of God wrecked me! By “wrecked,” I mean a very good thing, not like before. All my fears were taken away. My fear of punishment was wiped out. My guilt and shame gone! 

Every once in a while, I get fearful about things, but when I do, I turn to God, trusting Him with my fears, and He gives me an exchange of perfect peace. My relationship with Jesus has grown a lot. I’m talking about a friend-to-friend relationship. I’m not talking about religion. Religion is what my relationship grew into as a little girl, and that is why I walked away. I don’t believe God is into religion either.

I believe He is about restoring the relationship He had in the beginning with man. I did the religion thing when I was little, and it didn’t help me at all. It was the relationship with Jesus that made the difference. 

In 1 John 4:8, it says, “God is love.” He IS perfect love, and it was that love that totally changed my life!

I now give my heart to Him daily. By reading His Word and talking with Him, my mind is being transformed. I’ll get up in the morning, and sometimes I say “Good morning, Jesus” or “Good morning Holy Spirit.” 

By the way, the Holy Spirit is Who you welcomed into your home when I asked you, “Is the Holy Spirit welcome here?” You said yes, and I said, “Then tell Him that!” Remember the feeling that came into your home when you did? That was HIS Spirit!  The Holy Spirit! He is a gentleman and waits to be invited in. He is our comforter. He is also the One who comes to stay in our lives when we ask Jesus into our heart.  

After Jesus rose from the grave, He told His very close friends (the disciples) that He had to leave; it was so that His Father could send the Holy Spirit to those who are His. That’s us!… if we have invited Him in. The Holy Spirit is the helper, comforter, friend, advocate, counselor, the very Spirit of God! He’s so many wonderful things. That is Who you invited into your home, and He wants to come and make His home inside of YOU!

It is the very Spirit of God that is placed in your heart when you invite Him in. He will come in and clean it up like He did the very atmosphere in your living room that day.  You will become brand new! It is where you begin to trust in the Lord. It’s where you find new strength. It is where you will soar high on wings like Eagles! It’s where you run and not get weary.

If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to invite Jesus into your life. He loves you! Ask to be cleansed and forgiven, and you will be. I promise you won’t regret it! 

Fly High, My Beautiful Friend, See You Soon!

Jen Meyers

To gain influence in the world, you have to prove you are something. To gain influence in the Kingdom of God, you have to be obedient. – Natalie Davenport

The Israelites wanted a King “just like all the other nations had.” (1 Samuel 8:5b), so God gave them Saul to be their King. Saul began his reign by seeking God for instruction and guidance. As time went on, though, he started to make decisions based on his own reasoning. He wanted to prove how great he was to the people of Israel rather than giving complete obedience to the instructions of God. 

How often do you find yourself being asked for complete obedience from God, only to realize that the sacrifice will cost more than you think you can give? Maybe you feel you will be viewed as that “crazy faith person” by the people around you. Or perhaps you won’t fit in with the “popular crowd.”

If you feel you have been asked to be obedient and sacrifice more than you ever imagined you could handle, you are not alone! The sacrifice is far better than losing your promise or influence in the Kingdom of God. King Saul thought he could get away with practicing “half obedience” but ended up losing his Kingship. When confronted by the prophet, Samuel, King Saul defends himself, exclaiming, 

“What are you talking about? I did obey God. I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So, the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal–what’s wrong with that?”  Then Samuel said, “Do you think all God wants are sacrifices–empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to Him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said no to God’s command, He says no to your Kingship.” 

1 Samuel 15:20-23 (MSG)

Just like that, Saul’s Kingship was taken from him. I pray that I would constantly choose the sacrifice over the chance of walking in the consequences of my foolish choices. A quote that I learned from my friend and fellow Sanctioned Love worship leader, Megan, is,

“What you don’t sacrifice, you will lose.”

It is better to assess the cost of your sacrifice and do things God’s way. When God asks you to give something that seems too important for you to lose or He asks you to be obedient in an area that seems too risky, God will always reward it with something far greater than you could have ever imagined. Maybe God is asking you to give away something to someone else that means the world to you, but yet, it would be a greater encouragement to them. Maybe He’s asking you to leave a second job because He wants you to make yourself more available for the call He has placed on your life while showing you that you can rely on Him to bring in the finances needed each month. Maybe He’s asking you to let go of bad habits because He has a healthier, more stable life for you to live. It makes me think of the picture with a little girl holding a small teddy bear. God is asking her to give it to Him. Little does she know, God is holding the biggest teddy bear she could only dream of, but first, she must be obedient. She must let go of what she currently possesses to gain the great thing God has for her. 

I’m living this teaching out right now in many areas of my life. Many things I can’t go into detail until God has brought the full picture into focus. But I want to encourage you. If you are struggling to let go because you are scared you will go without or that He is asking too much of you, don’t let that keep you from receiving the full measure of what God has in store for your life. 

Obedience is worth the sacrifice.

You may not gain influence in the eyes of man, but you will gain influence in the eyes of God. If He can trust that your heart is obedient, He will increase your influence in the world. It will be a Godly influence, not tainted by greediness or the scratching and clawing to get the top. But in the right season, your influence will be known in the Earth for the sake of the Gospel and all for the Glory of God. 

As for myself, I choose to surrender all!

Natalie Davenport

Well, here I am AGAIN, standing in my shower with the water washing over me and giving each one of my children to God for the hundredth time! 

I have been a believer for 60 years, and there’s just something about our children that makes it difficult to entrust them to the Lord completely. I have four adult children, and three of them have their own children. I have witnessed miracles in each of their lives, but the need to give them over to Jesus never seems to go away completely. I seem to specialize in giving them over….and then taking them back!

It started the day we found out we were pregnant with our oldest son: “Jesus, we give this baby to You. We trust Your help and guidance ’cause we certainly don’t know what we’re doing!”  Then, that day arrives when parenting becomes a reality, and the prayers begin to flow. Prayers of thanksgiving one minute, and pleas for sleep the next!

Then starts the walk-through childhood, then adolescence, and teen years: 

“I am trusting You, Lord, to bring this fever down; take away nightmares; heal her ears; help him stand up to bullies; help me know how to discipline; deal with broken hearts of first-loves, but most of all, I am trusting You to make Yourself known to them!

Adulthood lands, and parenting does NOT come to a tidy finish line! By now, many other voices have influenced those ears that were once mostly ours. The influence continues as higher education, jobs, and spouses come into their lives. The “evidence” of their connection to God takes on changes. Their own “journeys of faith” are being set into place. I find myself concerned with what I see and hear, but then He reminds me…. AGAIN that He’s got this. So, into the shower I go (that seems to be my “tent of meeting”), and I prayerfully hand them over one more time. He is faithful to remind me of His promises regarding my children and their children. My favorite verse is Proverbs 22:6, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they’re old, they will not turn from it.”  He doesn’t promise their doctrines will look and sound just like mine, but their hearts will be His. I see the great testimony in the way they love and tend to their parents. We feel very honored by them.

There are so many wonderful scriptures regarding God’s covering of our children.  No matter how long you’ve been in this parenting gig, I encourage you to look them up and be washed over, encouraged, and re-set in His Divine Security.  

Marcy Johnston

One day after a particular week of distractions and demands, I plopped myself down in my prayer room and said to Jesus, “Today Lord, I am going to do this, I am going to give you my undivided attention and seek your face! How Lord do you want me to come into Your presence?”

“With clean hands and a pure heart,” He answered.

“Yes, Lord,” I said and went straight to the passage in Psalms 24:1-6 

         A Psalm of David.

1The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, 

the world and all who dwell therein.

2For He has founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters.

3Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?

Who may stand in His holy place?

4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to an idol

or swear deceitfully.

5He will receive blessing from the LORD

and vindication from the God of his salvation.

6Such is the generation of those who seek Him,

who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. 

I love this passage of Scripture as it lays out the Lord’s sovereignty.

I thanked the Lord for His Word and sat in His presence. The minutes ticked by slowly as the Holy Spirit and I sat there together. This is what came to the surface as a simple revelation to my soul. Though it is as basic as bread and butter, it’s a good and humble reminder meant for encouragement.

This is what the Holy Spirit spoke to me:

“Because of Jesus’ blood sacrifice on the cross, Jesus has done ALL the preparation that is needed for you! His love has blazed the trail to His Holy Hill for you! He did all this so that you could receive a Golden Invitation from the great I Am. You, Melissa, have been given the opportunity to RSVP with your “yes.” 

You do need to make the journey to climb up My Holy Hill, and when you reach the top, what then, Melissa?

I responded. “Well, Lord the passage says. Who may stand in His Holy place? “

“You are correct, Melissa, but though this is in a question form, I want you to see it as a statement of privilege, a gift that has been granted to you as a beautiful opportunity to attend.” 

I was now overwhelmed with thanksgiving as the completion of the revelation unfolded. The revelatory truth that I was in a position to stand before Lord’s presence.

My heart could only respond with a trembling voice, “Wow, Lord, I don’t have to be perfect? I don’t have to do all the work or plead? I don’t have to labor once I walk there; I get to stand there?”

“Yes, you get to stand in My presence with Me on My Holy Hill.”

“Oh, Lord! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!”

At the beginning of this writing, I told you that this truth was as simple as bread and butter. But this passage of Scripture, this revelation, this gift wrapped in love shifted the whole process of seeking Him for me.

Here is a practical example to help in the ponder of what I am sharing.

I am currently on my way to a wedding in Reno, Nevada. I have packed my bags and loaded the car. I have purchased a gift and some new clothes. But this was all I had to do to respond, with my “yes” to the RSVP.

Meanwhile, over the last few months that I have talked to my friend by phone, she would share with me the extent of the wedding preparations for her daughter. All the thoughts and decisions, the selection of guests, decorations, accommodations, the financial output for each person attending. Detail upon detail was debated in an effort to honor the bride and groom, family, and friends.

 I did not have to do all this work; I was simply selected to be one of their guests. They are the ones allowing me to share in their celebration. My efforts to show up compared to their labors was humbling. I was not doing them a favor; rather, they were honoring me by extending an invitation.

Maybe the next time you go to your prayer room to seek the King, you will take your Golden Invitation. Hold it in your hand as you travel up His Holy Hill and rejoice that you were selected to stand in this place reserved just for you. I hope this humble perspective is helpful to you as you seek Him. So put on your new wedding outfit and shiny new shoes and walk the brightly lit path to the chapel of your King.

ENJOY THE WEDDING MY FRIEND

In His Matchless Name,

Melissa Norris

The prophet Isaiah referring to the Israelites exodus from Egypt, says:

“Do not remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it, and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:18-19 

When you study it out in Hebrew, you will find that:

A “new thing” means something God has never done before in our lives or on the Earth

To “know” means to know by observing or by experiencing. 

To “give heed” means to pay attention, watch, awaken your heart to see.

The stories of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt were told over and over again, down through the generations, reminding the people of what God had done. Yet now through the prophet, Isaiah God is saying,

“Don’t revel in the past or spend all your time recounting the victories of days gone by. Watch closely: I am preparing something new; it’s happening now, even as I speak, and you’re about to see it. I am preparing a way through the desert; Waters will flow where there had been none.” — Isaiah 43:18-19 (The Voice)

We can remember what God did in the past, but don’t let it keep you from missing what He is doing now. Sometimes we focus and recount the victories of the “days of old,” forgetting to watch for what God is doing now.

Yes, remember what He did, but don’t let the old way God worked keep you from missing the new supply, the miracle He is doing in the world now. 

It takes faith to go and lay hold of your future-pressing on into the new, leaving the past behind. We trail-blaze into the future by faith, not by sight.

Sometimes the greater barrier to the “new thing” God is doing is not the devil but the miraculous things God has done in the past. We can get caught up in thinking God only works one way, putting Him in a box.

His past miracles, past deliverances, past victories are to be remembered and passed down through the generations as assurance, as comfort. But watch for the “new thing” God is doing in your life and on the Earth. You must “learn Him” in a whole new way, not keep Him locked in the same old box. He wants to bring water to your deserts, to your wildernesses, where there has never been water before, and refreshment to your soul in ways you never imagined.

Yes, it may look like a wilderness. It may look barren, but God says He will make a way in the desert, and waters will flow where they have never flowed before.

How exciting to be a part of what God is doing on the Earth now! But…….we must have eyes to see and hearts that are seeking and listening.

“Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” — Jeremiah 33:3

Lynda Renne