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Golden Plates

Last April, seven of us from Sanctioned Love went to the coast to pray. We were praying about an event we were going to do in October. It was an awesome weekend full of seeking, listening, and preparing. One of the prayers I prayed came to me with a picture and an idea. It had lots of powerful revelations woven into it. Revelations of God and His love for us.

I saw a broken vessel that had been put back together by an ancient art form the Japanese use. It’s called Kintsugi or Decoupage. This old art form is a method that is used to restore the value of a favored broken pot, bowl, cup, or plate. This is done by repairing the cracks with flakes of pure gold. The scars of the broken vessel are no longer signs of destruction but become beautiful veins filled with the radiant glow of gold. This repaired vessel becomes more unique, more valuable, and even stronger than it was originally.

Each piece was chosen and hand-selected by the artist rather than discarded or tossed into a recycling bin. Every pot, bowl, cup, or plate that is re-stored becomes a sign of the artist’s investments, the investments of his time, labor, energy, and financial costs. But the artist does not mind because he takes delight in the new masterpiece he is creating. Each piece is unique, making it more interesting and beautiful to behold.

As a team, we all decided that this prayer needed to be shared and shown to the individuals that would be attending the event by displaying an example of what a Decoupage piece looks

like. I knew then that I was going to be knee-deep into a huge project. I also knew I might not be able to do this ancient art form exactly like they do in Japan, but I believed I could try, and at least, get the truth of its meaning across to them. So off to Goodwill and the craft store I went.

First, I would need to find some small plates with different designs, ones I could break. I would also need a good bonding agent, and of course, lots and lots of gold glitter.

When I got home, I set up a craft station on my old box freezer and went to work. It took me several weeks to complete this project, much to the frustration of my husband. The gold glitter made its way onto almost everything, from the floors to his clothes and even onto the kitchen counters. It seemed to multiply as the days went by, but to me, it was great fun and well worth the mess in the end.

    The process went something like this:

·         First, I selected a plate, then set it upside down and covered it with a towel.

·         Secord, I took my hammer and gave it a good whack right at the center.

·         Third, I carefully removed the towel to reveal the broken pieces.

·         Fourth, I took one small broken piece at a time and applied the bonding agent. The time-consuming part was standing there minutes on end without moving a muscle until the two broken pieces became one. Then the third piece was bonded, and then the fourth. You got the idea.

·         Fifth, I traced the cracks with glue, poured the messy glitter all over it, waited a few seconds, and then blew the excess glitter off. (This was probably when the glitter did its traveling.)

·         Sixth, I used gold paint and stickers I had collected to give each plate a different look. This, for me this was the best part of the process. I got to enjoy the creativity of designing the uniqueness of each dish.

I began to notice that each plate had meaning, and I could feel the love of God wash over me as I worked with Him on this project. Even though I knew it would all come out great, I was a little undone by how blessed I felt. I loved listening for His voice and watching how the plate would end up saying something wonderful and loving. But it was not all peaches and cream! I could feel the pain of the hammer fracturing the small plates and had the “knowing” that it was the Lord who was showing me how the pain, abuse, addiction, rejection, and abandonment were like the severe blows I had made. The world’s hard hammer is designed to hit in just the right spot to bring its fracturing into our lives. Yes, I, too, have known some of these troubled hardships. But even though I could still hear the smack of the hammer on the plates, God wanted me to concentrate on the beauty of how He so lovingly puts us back together. The only requirement is we have to be willing and allow Him access.

Our God is not worried about brokenness because He is in the repair business. His specialty is to take our brokenness and make something beautiful out of it by His love and healing power.

I do have a confession, though. While working on the project, some of the plates were difficult to put back together so, I thought I would just toss them and go on to the next plate. I heard the Lord pressing me with a solid “No.” He was saying, “No, Melissa, I need you to be more creative and find a way to use the broken pieces because that is what I always do. I am the Lord, and I don’t let anything be wasted. Remember, not one hardship goes unnoticed by me”. So, I didn’t throw any of those plates out. I used each shattered plate, knowing they were precious to Jesus; each one having a significant meaning to the Lord. Oh, how He loves to make something beautiful out of you and me.

                 Psalms 147: 1-11

 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

    How beautiful it is to sing praises to our beautiful God,

    How delightful and how fitting.

2 God Almighty, builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers up the outcasts and brings them home.

3 He heals the wounds of every shattered heart.

4 He sets his stars in place, calling them all by their names.

5 How great is our God!

    There’s absolutely nothing his power cannot accomplish,

    and he has unlimited understanding of everything.

6 God Almighty supports and strengthens the humble,

     but the ungodly will be brought down to the dust.

7 Sing out with songs of thanksgiving to the Lord!

    Let’s sing our praises with melodies overflowing!

8 He fills the sky with clouds, sending showers to water the earth

    so that the grass springs up on the mountain fields

    and the earth produces food for man.

9 All the birds and beasts who cry with hunger to him

    are fed from his hands.

10 His people don’t find security in strong horses,

    for horsepower is nothing to him.

    Manpower is even less impressive!

11 No the Lord Almighty delights in those who are devoted to him,

    those who wait for his tender embrace.

 Melissa Norris

Sanctioned Love

The Woman at the Well

In John 4:1-26, it says,

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, His disciples did), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So, He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” for His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” for Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband, for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that, you spoke truly.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet…………………..”I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”       

 Jesus is telling the story of a woman He met outside of the city of Samaria. She had been married 5 times and was now living with a man she wasn’t married to. As I was thinking about this woman, I started wondering about her heart. How did this woman get to where she was? I wondered if it was because the society/culture was so accusatory of her. I wondered if she felt the pain of rejection as she had been abandoned in her life. In those days, men were the only ones that could request a divorce. Some speculate that it was because she could not have children that she had been divorced so many times.

In the story, it says that Jesus literally went out of His way to go to Samaria, where she lived. He encountered her at the well outside of town, where He asked her to get Him a drink. This was unusual because Jews and Samaritans did not speak to or “friend” each other. Why did He do that? Because He knew the thirsty places in her life that were dry from disappointments and rejection. He knew the pain she felt, and He wanted her to know that she was seen and valued by Him, that He was the answer, the “Living Water” she needed.

I started thinking about my own life, and I have had the very same questions. As I looked at my life, I literally asked myself, “How did I get here? What brought me to this place? Why did I make the decisions I did?”

Jesus never shamed or accused me. He just spoke to the deep places of my heart. I allowed Him in and allowed Him to love me where I didn’t even love myself. I didn’t know what true love really was until I met Jesus.

The same thing was true for this woman. Jesus spoke straight to her heart with love and kindness. Never shaming or accusing her. He just loved her. Jesus does the same for us. He speaks straight to the deep places of our hearts. Why? Because He sees and knows how deep and painful our hurt is. He wants to take that pain from us, from you, and replace it with His love. No shame. No accusations. Just love….. BUT, we must allow Him access and let Him love us.

The woman dropped her water jar she was carrying and ran to town-the town that had shamed and accused her-with the freedom Jesus had given her.

Jesus does not characterize us by our mistakes or our failures. He does not outline our future with ink from our past. Who you were or the things you still battle aren’t what gives definition to your life. Only Jesus does. He will never restrict or punish you by making you live in a box of shame and regret. No, He only calls you to a new life with Him

He has all the healing, freedom, and love we need and is willing to pour it out on us at any time. He is just waiting for us to be open and willing to receive it.

 Lynda Renne

Sanctioned Love

Years ago, I read a story of a man who went to heaven. St. Peter stood at the pearly gates. “Come on in,” he said, motioning for the man to enter. “I’m guessing you would like to see God first,” said Peter. “Head straight down this street, until you reach two large golden doors, that will be God’s throne room. You will find Him there”. So, off the man went.

As he was walking merrily along his way, the man began to notice that no one was on the road but him. This got his curiosity up, so he started looking around as he walked. The houses were empty, the playgrounds empty, where was everyone?

As he reached the golden doors, they seemed to open all by themselves. Stepping into the throne room, he was blinded by the light coming from the throne. He dropped to his knees and covered his face. After, what seemed to be a long time, He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a voice say, “Get up, my child. I’ve been waiting for you”. God had been waiting for me?! God motioned for him to come.

Standing before God, he had so many questions, yet the one that was now plaguing him the most was, where were all the people? What about everyone he knew that had died and gone to heaven? Where were they?

“Anything you like to talk about, My son?” asked God. “Any questions?” This was his chance, he thought.

“Where is everyone?” the man asked. “Everyone?” asked God quizzically. It seemed like forever before the answer came. “Everyone………??? Where is everyone, you ask?”

Did you not know that on Earth, it was only you and Me?”

 OOOOUCH!!! That hit me like a 2 X 4 right between the eyes.

 I mean, I knew the Christian life was about walking with Jesus, but…. all the sudden, I realized I kind of thought of it as a “group effort.” Like I did my Christian walk with others. We all went to church together, prayed together, did Bible study together-you get my “drift.”

I have continued to grow in my walk with Jesus, Him, and me. In January, however, Jesus said, “Rheyma, this is the year of you and Me. Not you and Sanctioned Love and Me-just you….and Me. Are you ready to ‘go to the next level’ with Me? I have truths and treasures I want to reveal to you, requiring you to go into training with me. I want to strengthen Our relationship, grow your faith, and show you more of Myself. Are you willing, Rheyma?” My response was, “Yes, Lord, I am.” 

I mean, on Earth, Jesus didn’t depend on His disciple’s faith or their prayers to have a relationship with His Father. No, Jesus’ relationship with His Father was His own. Just Jesus and His Father. One on One. So, what makes me think I can live on others’ faith? Other’s comment? Other’s relationship with the Godhead.? No, my walk with the Godhead needs to be my own. One-on-one. Just the Godhead and me.

In his book, INTIMACY with the ALMIGHTY, there are many wonderful and profound quotes by the author Charles Swindoll. But one of my favorites is:                                                                                   

“Some of God’s best truths, like priceless treasures, are hidden in depths most folks never take the time to search out.”

When Jesus told me at the beginning of this year that it was going to be about Him and me-if, I was willing-this quote immediately came to mind. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was going treasure hunting, and I was going by myself. This was NOT a group thing. I was going to have to do the work myself. No one could do it for me. And Jesus? He’s right there beside me, encouraging me, supporting me, and loving me.

Blessings,

Rheyma Oosterman

Sanctioned Love

“But at midnight, there was a cry. Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!”

Matthew 25:6

Do you ever stop and wonder about this cry? A lovesick cry, a cry full of anticipation, and a cry that has been resounding through the ages, from a heart that is yearning?

HE’S HERE! HE’S HERE!

Finally! The lover of our soul is here.!

In Genesis, it started with a marriage union. In the Gospels, Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding. In Revelation, the crescendo of all time, we will celebrate with our Bridegroom at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

This is true love! This was God’s plan from the beginning! Communion-Co-union with us! 

We became betrothed to God as we made a vow to Him in faith when we said, “I receive You as my Lord and Savior Jesus.” 

We are married to Him. He lifts us to Him in the air and gazes into our eyes, face to face, and kisses us! 

“Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, for Your love is more delightful than wine. Kiss me and kiss me again, for Your love is sweeter than wine”.

Song of Solomon 1:2

There is an expectancy in the air. There is a beautiful aroma that permeates the atmosphere. The sound of glory is coming our way! We are waiting for our Prince of Peace, the King of kings, riding on His white horse, coming to sweep us off of our feet. Yes, a divine romance is coming to its full fruition!!!

“My beloved is mine, and I am His; He grazes among the lilies.” Song of Solomon 2:16

What a glorious day that will be when our Bridegroom Jesus comes for His bride and carries us over the threshold. A beautiful bride, clothed without spot or wrinkle, in her elegant white gown.

These are the days of the Bridegroom. A revival is coming that will leave us longing for the Bridegroom, and we will cry out, 

“Maranatha!” 

“Come our Lord Jesus, come quickly.” 

Maranatha!

Joy Pharo

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

 We have all heard the song…

“She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes. 

She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes. 

She’ll be coming around the mountain, 

She’ll be coming around the mountain, 

She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes.” 

A childhood tune. A catchy repetitive tune. A tune, for some of us, that represents some of the adulthood choices we have made. Have you ever thought to yourself, “Why am I circling the same mountain…..again?” or “Why does this scenario feel familiar?” or “Same script, different cast?” We all have had a mountain or two in our lives. We all have had obstacles come whether we were expecting them or not. How we choose to handle the mountains and circumstances is entirely up to us. Do you have people in your life that you watch who make the same choices over and over? It’s like they never learn their lesson. Or maybe you are that person, and you feel like you’re circling in thesame circumstances over and over.

There is no argument that life happens unexpectedly,taking us by surprise. However, I would argue that how we choose to handle the unexpected is up to us. Things happen to us, but we can choose a different outcome. People say and/or do something to us that strongly affect our lives. How we choose to handle them is up to us. Sometimes we find ourselves experiencing the same circumstances over and over and wonder why we keep circling the same mountain with no result. God has granted us free will. I am not talking about the expected happening. I am talking about our decision to make different choices to get off the mountain or reach the top. 

“Life Mountains” can be a blessing. Learning is a blessing. Recently in my life, I went through a very difficult “tunnel”that led me to a “life mountain.” The tunnel revealed a lot about me and a lot about those around me. The “life mountain” represented surrender. I remember telling my friend, “I feel like I already went through learning about surrender. I don’t understand why God would want me to learn this again.”

You can ALWAYS learn something.

When you approach life thinking, you will only have to learn about something once; you have already set yourself up to be discouraged. To gain the most out of your choices and “life mountains,” you must ask yourself, is there anything else I can learn in this?

Is there anything I am missing or missed last time? We can circle a mountain on purpose, but the scenery changes as you go higher. In my example, I had to learn in phases how to surrender things to God. He knew He could not teach me in one 15-minute message that I need to surrender it all and have this jaw-dropping, life-altering moment. There were different stages of surrendering I had to learn. There were different things I needed to surrender at different times in my life. I was willing to learn, which is why I did not have to circle that “life mountain” for a long time. 

Don’t make excuses as to why you are on the mountain.

 In today’s society, it is always easy to look at and point out all of the reasons or people that are why we are, where we are, on the mountain. If we choose not to evaluate ourselves, or our choices, or even our dos and don’ts on this “life mountain,” then we will, for sure, be stuck circling, not learning what God wants to teach us.

Someone may have hurt your feelings, and now you haveto learn to forgive on this “life mountain”……AGAIN. Now,if you continually think about how they hurt you, why they didn’t say I’m sorry, how you are going to get even, and why it’s not your fault, you will be going around that mountain, again and again, not learning what God has for you.

We can experience deep pain on a “life mountain,” yet we still need to look internally and ask, am I supposed to learn something about myself or others? That question is different from making excuses and/or blame-shifting. Questions are always a great thing to ask God. He wants us to ask Him questions because He wants to give us His answer. 

 Always be listening for God to speak.

 When we find ourselves ready to learn, ready and willing not to make excuses, then we need to be listening and ready for God to speak to us about this “life mountain.”Sometimes God will reveal something that we saw coming from our friend, Holy Spirit. Other times we may feel like it came from left field, and we had no idea that that was something we needed to hear from God. God’s timing is always better than ours. God’s ways are always better than ours. We must be ready when He speaks so that we can grab ahold of it and not toss it aside. When God speaks and provides direction, and we choose to do our own thing, guess what will most likely happen…. “She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes….” God speaks on purpose and in purpose. We must be ready to listen and pay attention. I have circled mountains due to my own choices and due to God presenting it again to me. I now always try to be ready to learn, not blame shift, and listen attentively for Him to reveal something to me about this “life mountain.”

We are human, and we will not always get it right. We will make mistakes. We will not hear right, or we will hear right from God and still choose to fuel our flesh. God’s grace and mercy come into play and provides an opportunity to re-learn it again. Yet, who really likes to learn the same lesson over and over and over again? Can you imagine going to school and learning the same lesson plan every single day? It would drive you crazy, and rightfully so. But what would you choose to do in that scenario? Strive for the A+? Would you see if there is something you missed the day prior during that lesson? Or maybe blame the teacher for not having enough good material? What about “bashing” the teacher to your friends because they gave you a C+ when you felt you earned a better grade? There are so many scenarios that could play out here. 

What would you choose?

What do you choose to do on your “life mountain”?

What will you choose to do now on your “life mountain”?

The most important thing to remember is that God isALWAYS for us! He wants us to succeed in life. He wants us to be blessed. He wants us to have joy. But He also wants us to listen to Him. As a parent wants their child to listen the first time, so they do not have to be disciplined or learn the hard way, so God wants for us, His children. Circling the mountain is not always a bad thing, it is how we choose to deal with it that is the key. 

Albert Einstein once said,

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Let’s not be those people, but if we do circle the same mountain, let’s learn what we are supposed to so that we do not have to keep circling it, again and again, more than we have to. 

Proverbs 16:16 

How much better to get wisdom than gold and good judgment than silver!

 

Isaiah 41:9-10

“I have called you back from the ends of the earth saying, ‘You are my servant.’

For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am yourGod. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.