Beyond Comprehension

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
³⁵"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen." Romans 11:33-36

Do you ever just stop and think about how incomprehensible God really is to man? These verses this morning are just that reminder to me. Who can really and truly know God? And then when you really think about the enormity of every facet of God, it kind of makes yourself seem really, really insignificant.

And yet God created you, and He created me. *Smile.*

As I read that first verse, and it mentions the depth of wisdom and knowledge of God. Think about all those people you may have ever heard speak, or that you read their books, that you would consider to be wise people. There definitely are people on the planet who are wise, and full of knowledge. There are many preachers and ministers who are just blessed by God to be knowledgeable and wise. And yet these people are like a drop in a very large bucket- even if you combined all their wisdom and knowledge together, it would be incomparable to the wisdom and knowledge that God has.

Who has known the mind of God? Well, each one of us has the opportunity to at least try to get to know the mind of God. That would be the purpose of our quiet time with Him. When we spend time in our Bible, we are spending time reading God's Book, and seeing what knowledge we can take away from it. But it's really in those quiet moments where God may reveal some mystery to us- a revelation that can only come from Him.

It's verse 35 though that really made me think this morning. Who has given to God that God should repay him? This just made me think of all those people who have issues with giving to the church today. Over the years I've heard so many different arguments about why people shouldn't give so much, or why certain forms of giving (like tithing) are obsolete. But the fact is, giving really comes down to one simple word. Obedience. Giving is all about obedience. Think about this. As we're reading these verses about the enormity of God, it's understood that God can and will do whatever He desires. (If He desired, He could reach down and squash me like a bug right now!) So when you think of that, do you really think that God needs our money? Ever? Do you really honestly think that God NEEDS any of us to give money? He's God! He doesn't need our money at all- but when the time comes to give. When the offering basket goes by, God wants to see where your heart is, so He gives you the opportunity to give.

Where are our hearts? Do we give sparingly, because our hearts are with the importance of building a savings account? Or do we give generously, because we understand the Biblical truth that God will provide for ALL our needs. The fact is, we don't really NEED money either. The unfortunate reality is that the world has us all swindled- the world has us believing that with money we will find happiness, that money will give us security and will solve all our problems. Probably the hardest lesson for anyone to learn is the lesson that loosens the hold on the checkbook. When the time comes to give, do we just skim off the top? Do we pass along that twenty dollar bill, because, really, it's just twenty bucks. We could use it, sure, but it's big enough that we can give ourselves a small pat on the back, yet it's small enough that in the grand scheme of things, we won't miss it. OR do we empty our wallet at every opportunity we have?

God wants to know where our hearts are! Are our hearts still in love with money? That we need to save, save, save. Or are our hearts in love with God, and when He presents an opportunity to give, we give everything we can, knowing that the God we love, who loves us in return, will take care of meeting our needs.

I know we still have a long way to go in the arena of giving. We've had our moments, but every once in a while the practicality creeps back in, and we forget that with God, all things are truly possible. God has never let us down. And I, of course, have an example for you of how we gave, and God gave back to us.

I have no idea how this turned into a money discussion today. But here it is anyhow. :)

Last fall, October, specifically, we had a conference that we attended where one of the speakers was someone we were quite familiar with. In fact, we've given specifically to his ministry before, and we find ourselves often thinking of him and praying for the success of his ministry. God has just placed him on our hearts. Anyway, last fall, we had an opportunity to give to this man's ministry again. The thing was, this was a specific donation. He was in need of the finances to finish renovating a building he'd purchased for his ministry. Oh, as soon as we heard this we wanted to give! But this was the end of October, and Andy had already been off work for several weeks and finances were extremely tight. Beyond tight, actually. But we really felt like we needed to sow into this man's ministry. And yet, it was much more than that.

What I really felt in my heart was that by giving to this man's ministry on this particular day, we were actually giving into this man's home for his ministry. Interestingly enough, we were also finding ourselves in need of a new home. This just seemed like one of those times, where we felt that if we could dig deep and give to the home of this ministry, that God would see that, and He would remember us when the time came that we needed a new home. So we gave. And as we gave, we prayed that God would multiply the small gift we could do- and that He would make our widows mite seem a grand amount when it came to supplying needs for this ministry. Seven months later, God honored our gift by providing us with a wonderful new home.

Now, could we really afford what we gave back in October? No. On paper, we certainly couldn't afford to be giving anything. And yet, as different needs came up through the winter, God took care of those needs. We had food, clothing, shelter and our basic needs were met time and time again. Had we trusted the checkbook that told us we couldn't give, who knows if we would be in this house today. I shudder to think of that.

God loves His children! Every single one, but He wants to know that we love Him more than we love money. He wants to know that we love and honor Him more than that financial program that tells us to save. He wants to know that we love Him and will obey Him.

God gets the glory forever! And He gets the glory for everything that happens in our lives. I love it when people ask us how we're settling into our new home, because it was home before we moved in! God blessed this house before we even arrived, and we've never had to settle. It's just been home. And it's a home of peace and tranquility and joy- and that's all because of HIM! It's nothing we did to deserve it, we definitely don't deserve it. But God remembered us, and He remembered when we gave into another man's home, and when the time came, God was able to really bless us, because we had obeyed so long ago.

God really doesn't NEED anything from us. But what He wants is our hearts. He wants fellowship and companionship with us. God is God- He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, except for one thing. He can't make us choose Him. That comes from our own free will, and that's what He ultimately wants from us. He wants us to choose God first, above all else, because everything else, compared to God, is nothing. If God really wanted us to have a million dollars, He's God. He could literally just drop it in our bank accounts, and that would be that. God can do whatever He wants! I think one of the problems we really have today as people is that we don't remember that. We think that God is bound by the same laws of earth and physics that we are. God knows no boundaries- He is God! He created the idea of boundaries!

God is just so great, and His goodness is fresh and new with every day that I wake. Every day begins anew, with a new opportunity to see what He has in store for us, and new opportunities to share that goodness with everyone we cross paths with.

Celebration Day!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14

I've been eyeing up today for weeks- as I saw today was creeping closer and closer, I wondered if I would do something special today or not. It seems I may not do anything in particular but think about this verse up above, but I did want to share what it is that makes today a special day. Today marks the day of the 1,000th post here at Heart & Soul. What started as an experiment so long ago has finally reached an age where maturity begins. Does that really make me a mature Bible blogger? Eh, I have my own doubts about that, but it is incredible to me to think that there are now 1,000 posts on this blog about scripture.

When I first started this blog, I actually had a team idea in mind. That team idea simply didn't work too well. I was the only one of my little team who actually had the time to do the blogging, you know, college and med school will do that to a person. Once it was apparent the team concept kind of fizzled out, I really thought about just stopping the blogging here. I just wasn't sure that people were reading what I was writing, and I also didn't feel that I was qualified myself to be spouting off about what I was reading in the Bible. But there was something inside of me that told me to keep going. Keep digging into the Word and see what your Father has to say to you. That one thing alone kept me going, and keeps me going today.

A few changes have been made here at Heart & Soul. At one time, I kept track of how many people visited here, and it would fluctuate incredibly, but I found myself being discouraged when I saw low visitors for a time. So I actually stopped tracking- something a blogger never does. So I have no idea if I have 2 readers or 200, and I like that better, because another change that I've made, is that I just write what I read. I used to get an idea in my head and use that to scour the Bible for verses, but now, I let the verses lead me. Given some of the many e-mails I've gotten over the years, by doing it that way, I'm letting the Holy Spirit gently guide me, and sometimes He tells me to write about something that someone specifically needs to see. I love it when He does that.

Like this verse today. We all know this verse, and it's one of the many I have memorized and locked away somewhere deep inside of me, but how many times do I actually say it? How many times to I pull it out and recite it and remind myself of it? I need to do that more often. Because as I read this verse I thought about how it just screams of irony to me. It's one of those verses we learn in Sunday School as a young kid, and I think about how many times we read this verse and it makes us smile. And then we turn around, and while one minute we are calling something God created blessed, in the next breath we are doing the very opposite. We're cursing that driver in front of us who doesn't know how to step on the gas. Or we're calling someone an idiot because they didn't do what we wanted them to do.

God's works are wonderful! Every single one! That includes you! You are a wonderful work of God, and that person driving in front of you is also a wonderful work of God.

Now think about when you work really hard at accomplishing a task. Whether it be building something with your two hands, or making a craft project, or giving a room in the house a face lift. Maybe you've made a wonderful dinner, or a time-intensive dessert. Whatever it is, think about how you feel then when someone comes along and sees this thing that's taken you hours upon hours to complete and they tell you it looks like garbage. Or it looks terrible- like a two year old could have done it. That would feel pretty suckish- wouldn't it?

It's the exact same thing when we say or even think all kinds of horrible things about God's creation. God thinks every single person He has created is beautiful and wonderful. God calls every single person beautiful and blessed- and we need to start thinking in the exact same way. When we start thinking like God thinks... Wow, just think about that! When Jesus was here on earth, we don't see any indication that He called anything garbage. He loved everyone who crossed His path. He spent time with prostitutes and tax collectors! People that everyone else would scorn and despise, and yet Jesus loved them all the same. Jesus showed us exactly how He wants us to treat everyone around us- with a loving heart and a caring hand.

Every single being in God's creation is fearfully and wonderfully made. As you go for a walk through the town you live in, think about that. Every single person that you walk past was made specifically by God- exactly the way He made them. When you walk into a grocery store- every single person in there is blessed of the Lord- it's just that some of them don't know that yet, and their souls are crying out for someone to show them that God truly does love them.

And so as we move forward here beyond the 1,000th post here at Heart & Soul, I want to encourage you to challenge yourself to think more like Jesus. I want to challenge you, the next time you catch yourself thinking un-Godly thoughts about someone, or saying something negative aloud, to really think about what God would think of that person. We can change our thought processes- but we have to do it one thought at a time. God's works are wonderful! Commit this verse to memory, and when you find yourself thinking something contrary, recite this verse and remind yourself just how wonderful God truly is. Because He IS wonderful in all He does, has done, and will do.

God Alone

"Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

²³ By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.

²⁴ They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone
are righteousness and strength.' "
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame." Isaiah 45:22-24

Every time I read these verses in Isaiah, there are two lines in particular that make me pause. I read them over again, and I really see what the words there are saying. In verse 23, He says "every knee will bow and every tongue will swear" The key word there is every. And I think God truly means Every. Single. Person. Ever.

Think about this for a second. This means, that all those people who have chosen poorly in life, all those people who chose to follow themselves or to deny the existence of God will one day be on their knees, bowing in obeisance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Even the worst dictators ever to walk this planet, Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon, will bow and acknowledge that HE is Lord over all.

Kind of makes you think a little more about what it is we're doing while we're here on earth. Because at the end of the day, what really matters is God. Who He IS, and what we can do for Him this day. There is no other like God! There are people who spend much of their lives wishing they could make a difference- wishing they could do something of importance. When the reality is, the most important thing that we could possibly do is acknowledge God as our sovereign Lord. Once we bend our knee, and make that choice, we are marked for life. When we bow our hearts and our minds to God, and accept the sacrifice of His Son, we become His for all eternity. But first, we have to make that choice. We can choose to bow now, to give Him our life, such as it is, or we can choose to go our own way. But in the end, we will bow anyway- won't we?

It's almost the ultimate in irony! If we choose our own path, not only are we choosing to suffer in torment for all eternity, but in the end we have to bow to the very being we are trying to ignore while we are here on this earth anyway.

So we can make the choice to follow Him, and then we can be a living example for all those around us too. That just seems to me to be the wise decision in the first place. There is no other God! The thing is, by choosing to serve Him now, rather than later, not only are we placing ourselves in a better scenario for eternity, but we get the benefits of being one of His while we are here. We get to walk through our everyday, carrying the love of God with us everywhere we go. And when people ask us "how on earth did you get through that?" We can look them square in the eye and say that "In God alone, we found strength."

You know, as I read these verses again, I see where it says "be saved all the ends of the earth." Do you know that God wants all of us to choose Him? He doesn't look down on the earth and say "no, I don't like them too much, or them to much, and oh, no, she is a bad egg, I don't care for her either." The crazy thing about God? He loves every single one of us. He loves that wacky neighbor, and He loves that guy going into the adult bookstore. God wants every single person on earth to choose Him for no other reason than that He loves them! God loves every single person that He creates.

And He summons each one of us by name.

"For the sake of Jacob my servant,
of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
and bestow on you a title of honor,
though you do not acknowledge me.

⁵ I am the LORD, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I will strengthen you,
though you have not acknowledged me," Isaiah 45:4-5

How much more will God do for those who acknowledge Him? We know that God can use all things for His purposes, and if He will bless those who don't even acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior, how much more will He bless those who do?

There is no other God! The world can lie to us and try to create all sorts of other gods for us to follow, but the truth is that there is only one God. There is only one Creator, there is only one Lover of our souls, and I make the choice to bend my knee now, and love Him now. I choose to acknowledge Him as my Lord, come whatever may.

Warfare Wednesday

"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:27

I have been remiss in my Warfare Wednesday posts. While every once in a while I put in a particular note to pray for our Vice President, most often, him and his family get left out altogether. It is true that the main focus, and the main thrust of my Warfare Wednesday posts are a reminder to specifically pray for our President, but as I checked the headlines this morning, I found that I have been checked- and I need to remember to add Vice President Joe Biden and his family to our weekly prayer time. After all, he is number two in our country. While he may have a quieter, less public job than President Obama, he is still an integral part of our national government, and we should be praying for him every week as well.

Specifically this week, I want to pray prayers of protection for the Biden family, for Joe and his wife Jill, and for their three children, Beau, Robert and Ashley. Beau specifically this week. He is attorney general for the state of Delaware, and suffered a mild stroke. He is expected to make a complete recovery, and I am going to pray that God will give him a supernatural recovery, and then will protect him from any further stroke issues. May God protect this family and keep them from harm- and may He bless them for Joe's willingness to serve his country. May God grant Joe Godly wisdom as he helps to make important decisions on Capital Hill. As vice president, he presides over the Senate. He also serves on many committees and has a very vocal voice on many of the issues facing our country today. May he listen to Godly words and understand just how much God loves him.

I am also praying this morning for the state of Oklahoma. This past Monday, deadly tornadoes made their way through parts of the state, wreaking havoc and destroying homes. So many people have lost their homes and have much cleaning up and rebuilding to do. In addition, weather forecasters are predicting another round of storms and potential tornadoes to come through yet this week. May God grant mercy to the state of Oklahoma (and nearby Kansas). May He spare these people another round of terror and disaster, and may He give them peace- abundant peace and joy, where they may have none.

An interesting side bit about Oklahoma. The name Oklahoma means "red people" in the Choctaw language. Many, many Native Americans have come to call the state of Oklahoma home, 67 official tribes call it home. Many of those people are there because they were forced from their homes many, many years ago. May God forgive us for the horrible things we did to these Native American people. And may the people forgive the United States for its actions as well. When forgiveness is finally found among the Native Americans, the blessings will abound, and much of the hurt this nation has experienced over the years will finally fade away. May God bless those tribes, and may He protect them from the coming storms as well.

Inexpressible Joy

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9

I had a strange dream last night. I don't remember a lot of details, but I do remember that I was with my church family. We were all together- and not just our normal Sunday morning church family, but our extended church family- people who visit once or twice, or come for conferences. We were all together, and we were marching together, as if coming home from a war. We were happy and joyful and thrilling in our fellowship with each other, actually. And then there suddenly was enemy soldiers intermingled with us. We wanted to be rid of them, so we marched over to the church doors and threw them open. The praise and worship going on from the inside sent them away immediately. After that, it was one joyous party as we celebrated our togetherness, and our God. We were so joyful, people were doing flips and cartwheels, and running up and down the aisles.

That's what I remember upon waking the most. I remember the joy. The inexpressible joy that made me want to start doing flips and cartwheels. Joy that felt that if I didn't let it out, it was going to burst inside of me, and I needed to let it out. I have felt that joy before- the glorious joy that comes only from the Father in Heaven. I confess that I've been experiencing joy often in these past few weeks. Every day as I walk through my house, I am filled with joy, and I just cannot stop thanking God for bringing my family here. Even this past Sunday, this past Mother's Day, we had a church service unlike any we've had yet (and that says something!) and I left church practically giddy with joy. That giddiness- that inexpressible joy has been with me all week. Something that is funny just strikes me as beyond funny, and I can be found laughing hysterically at something that was only a little bit funny.

God gives me joy. He does! That's the only thing I can come up with.

"Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." Psalm 43:4

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Let me tell you about delighting in the Lord. It's not some great big grand secret, it's as simple as finding joy in the things that He has created. And then thanking Him and praising Him for it. Over the last few weeks, as I've been outside working, I've been completely delighted by the birds in the yard. Yesterday as I worked pulling weeds a pair of cardinals sat in the trees above me and literally accompanied my work with singing. It made me giggle! And I thanked God for creating such a delightful bird, and putting them in my yard. As I walk past a flowering bush in the yard, every single time, I take a moment to bury my nose in the fragrant blossoms and marvel at the beauty that God created. I am delighting in God's creation- enjoying every second of it that I can, because I know the seasons are never-ending, and it won't be long before the heat of summer causes the blooms to cease.

And when I hear a story of God blessing a friend of mine, I express my great joy and my thanks to God. I rejoice with them, and I delight with them, and I thank Him over and over for blessing my friend in such a wonderful way. I have to confess that I live for those moments. I love hearing the stories of blessings- and I love seeing God work in the lives of those I love dearly. It literally fills my heart with more of that inexpressible joy!! Delighting in God is not the mystery that I once thought it was. It's simply opening up your heart and your mind to the wonders of God! It's rejoicing In Him! How can I not rejoice when every moment of every day I see evidence of His Goodness and His Love?

When I dwell on God's Goodness, I am almost instantly filled with joy.

"for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

The joy of the Lord is the strength we need to overcome any obstacles that we may encounter. Honestly though, when you are filled with the joy of the Lord all the time, those obstacles almost seem ridiculous. The devil tries to come at you with some crazy scheme, and it's the joy of the Lord that enables you to laugh at the devil and tell him to shove off. When HE is your focus, inexpressible joy will accompany.

Lessons From Mother's Day

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

This was the lesson I got to work on yesterday. You know how sometimes something comes along that you can't help it- you just worry about it. A lot. And you really dwell on it, and it almost makes you ill, you just keep thinking about that problem or that issue, and try to come up with possible solutions. Sure, you pray about it, but then you think about it some more- it practically consumes you, you are thinking about it so much.

I had to recite this verse to myself several times over last night, because I was there. I was thinking about something that came about yesterday and I was trying really hard to not be upset, because this time, it had a twist. It was something that directly affects my kids, and that made my thought processes even worse, as I tried to come up with a solution in my own mind that was not going to cause hurt to my children. I'll tell you, there is very little that is worse than being a mom, cherishing your children, and knowing that you are going to have to tell them something that will make them upset and sad. Thankfully, I can at least postpone telling them until I have to, and that gives me time to talk to God about it more.

Because you know what? There is nothing that goes on in my life, and in the life of my children that God doesn't know about. And HE knows what is best in every situation. I spent some time talking to God last night, and really, what I was talking to Him most about, was that I was questioning Him, because the whole situation is just strange to me, and I just wanted understanding. I didn't get understanding, but you know what I definitely got, I got peace. Because God is in control. He knows, and He holds my children's hearts in His hands, and that I have to trust in most of all. The absolute last thing a mom wants to see is her child's heart break. I'll tell you, when we moved a few weeks ago, we were so excited-all of us- that there wasn't any bit of sadness about leaving where we were until one particular moment. When my kids went next door to say goodbye to their best friend, and then walked out and straight to the van, my mommy heart just broke for them. My kids are old enough that they will remember this friend for forever- I know I still remember my best friend when I was six years old. I prayed to God as I walked to that van myself that He would make this transition easy for my kids, and so far, He seems to be coming through, as they LOVE our new house.

So I remembered that last night, and I remembered these verses above, and I basically had two choices. One, I could lay awake all night, rolling things around in my mind, coming up with solution after solution that really wouldn't do anything except sit in my mind anyway. Or, I could just give the entire thing to God. If it comes to pass, I need to believe that God has a reason for it. But I have to really and truly give the issue to Him. I can't just think on it all the time- because all that will do is rob me of my daily joy, and it will also rob me of sleep- which these days I feel like I already don't get enough. There's nothing the devil would like more than to see me lose my cool and become short with my family, and he would love to see anger and division in our household.

Fortunately for us, we are a Godly household. The very day we moved in, our home was blessed, and it will remain blessed, and no enemy can tread here. So as situations come along, like the one that sprang up yesterday, I need to remember and I need to trust. My mommy heart needs to trust that if this needs to happen, that God will protect my children's hearts and not allow hurt to enter and fester. He will prepare them accordingly for the challenge, and He will cradle them in the palms of His hands. Because as much as I love them- God loves them even more. That boggles my mind daily, because I love them so much that I feel as though most days my heart will explode. But God loves them so much, that He can't wait to spend eternity to with them.

As I've given Him my children to protect and watch over, I trust that He knows what is best and will take care of them in the times to come. I will not worry, and I will not be anxious, because that serves no purpose other than to drive me batty and make me unpleasant. Instead, I take the whole issue, fold it up and tuck it in a box, and hand the box right over to God. He can have it, and He can take care of it as necessary. If the box needs to be dealt with, He'll prepare the little hearts that need caring for. If the box just happens to vanish, that will be His answer as well. God's got everything under control, and I will trust in Him with all my heart.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5

Postscript: I don't usually do this, and I save the praise reports for a completely seperate post, but since this issue was on my mind this morning, I thought the praise should go right here. After thinking on it a while, I was promptly distracted by school. But once school was over, I was STILL dwelling on the problem, and I was wondering if I should actually pull Abigail aside and talk to her about it and get her thoughts. I decided not to yet, but just a short while later, I was in the shower when God dropped a very clear and awesome solution into my mind. It literally came from nowhere, and I know it was God-inspired. The answer is, of course, perfect, and takes care of any hurt that could be perceived on either end of this issue. Thank God for His timely answers in our times of need.

Evacuation

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." Matthew 24:36-41

I've spent my extra spare time this week reading a fictional book about what "the end of days" could be like. It's been presenting things in a way that I've never encountered before. Most accounts of the end of the world and the rapture are dark and gloomy. Many a book or a movie has capitalized on the doom that happens around the time Jesus will return for His people. This account that I've been reading, presents it in a much more positive light. Yes, the groanings and moanings of the earth signify that time draws near, and the wars and rumors of wars are indeed signs of the end. And yet, while we Christians look forward to the idea of the rapture- of being caught up with Christ, most of us are a bit frightened of the idea, because of all the horrible events that are rumored to take place along with it.

But when we think about God being a loving God, it changes the perspective a bit, and makes the whole idea a little less frightening to me. Because God is a loving God- He loves mankind so much that He sent Jesus to die so that every single person ever born has the opportunity to choose to follow Him. And the reason the end of days has been so long in coming is that our Loving God wants to allow as much time as possible for as many of us as possible to make that eternal decision.

But the day will come, when Jesus will return for His children. But rather than paint a gloomy picture of natural disasters and wars and bombs, lets think of the rapture in a completely different light. Lets think of it as an evacuation. The devil and all his fury is going to be released on the earth for a time of tribulation, and it is our Loving God who want to see His Children evacuated to safety to escape all that the devil may dish out. Think about that for a minute, and really let it sink in. Think about the idea of the rapture actually being a relocation of God's Children to safety- a way to escape all the doom and gloom we read about in Revelation and Daniel.

Now that's just plain cool and exciting! The truth is, that all the scholars in the world can dissect those books of the Bible and try to give us an account of how things might happen, but until they come to pass, we don't really know what could happen or how things will actually occur. But we can rejoice in knowing that our Loving Father in Heaven has provided a way for His Children to escape the worst of the fury being unleashed on earth. He will send His Son, His Champion, and our King to gather us all together and relocate us to a safer, more peaceful place. Every single person on earth who has made the decision to follow Jesus will be evacuated to a heavenly location.

Honestly, thinking about it in those terms, it makes me wonder why we don't have people lining up at our church doors, begging to be shown the way to Christ! It also makes me look more forward to the event myself, and maybe it makes me a little more bold. I mean, why wait until the boat is actually sinking to form a rescue plan? All we have to do is say YES to Jesus and the plan is in place. Our rescue plan is cemented, and then it's up to us to get as many people on board that boat with us as we can. With a 100% guarantee of survival, who would want to pass that up?

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. ³¹And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. " Matthew 24:30-31

I, for one, like the idea of being evacuated. I like the idea that before it really gets bad here on earth, Jesus will arrive and we will be rescued and transported to Heaven. Thinking in those terms just makes the whole concept of Jesus' return that much more wonderful and pleasant to me. The evacuation orders are in place, He's just waiting to be told "Go." And then there will be much rejoicing as we are relocated to live with The King.

Figs On My Mind Again

"Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.

²¹Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. ²²If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:19-22

I know I talked about the fig tree not that long ago, but it's on my mind this morning, so I must need to talk about it again. Actually there are a few things on my mind, but they are all similar, and all related to Jesus cursing the fig tree.

See, the other night we had our first real storm of the season- tornado warnings and all. Our church body has been spending a lot of time learning about the power of our words. Had Jesus experienced a tornado in his time here on earth, no doubt He would have looked at the tornado and commanded it to dissipate. Well, many of our church members got to put that into practice. One of these tornadoes, in particular, the national weather service has indicated that it actually didn't happen, because they can find no evidence of it. But the truth is, friends of ours watched this tornado forming from their front yard, and commanded it to dissipate, and it did that very thing. The damage caused by other tornadoes in the area was very minimal, because so many pointed to the sky and commanded the storm to go away. And that it did. It moved very quickly off to the west, leaving no damage in its wake.

But what makes me think of the fig tree withering is the fact that I have a massive garden full of weeds. And not just any weeds, an invasive, vining variety that is all but impossible to kill. It has taken me literally hours to weed just a small portion of it, and I have a long, long way to go. Last night as Andy and I were discussing our options for trying to rid ourselves of this horrendous Bishop's Weed, these verses about the fig tree came to mind. Now, I did manage to use some weed killer on one small 3-foot section of the weeds. They promptly began to wither, but then I ran out of the weed killer. I couldn't help but think last night about my success with blessing my tomato plants. If my words could cause plants to grow vibrantly and bear abundant fruit. Can my words not also cause plants to wither?

I intend to put my words where my mouth is. Literally. Later today, as I head out to the garden to pull more weeds, I intend to use the very same words that Jesus did, and curse the weeds that are trying to take over my yard. Now, I know I'll still have to go around and pull all the weeds out, but by cursing them, and using the faith I have in me, I know that I can cause those weeds to never come back. I won't have to worry about little root pieces hanging back and creating new weeds, because my words have power! I do not doubt that I can cause these weeds to let go of my yard. After all, my garden is blessed, God put it there just for me, and He didn't put it there so that I can watch weeds take over. He put it there for me to enjoy, so that I can grow wonderful vegetables and other edibles.

Jesus says right there that I can do exactly what He did to the fig tree, and then so much more. While I may not be looking to cast any mountains into the sea today, I do intend to take the baby steps and cause my fig tree to wither. With faith the size of a mustard seed, I can do that very thing.

Warfare Wednesday

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Right now I am so thankful! I am so incredibly thankful that the car bomb in NYC was thwarted and discovered. Times Square is one of the busiest places on the planet, and a car bomb going of there would certainly cause many to lose their lives. But worse, it would cause fear in the hearts of the American people. May the people of New York, and other major cities be encouraged that this plan for disaster was thwarted, and the suspect has now been arrested. The last thing we want is for fear to take over the lives of the American people. We will not be afraid! And I pray that God will continue to protect the people of this nation that He loves so much.

And I am praying this week for much wisdom for President Obama. He has so much coming at him from so many directions, I pray that God would give him the energy he needs to give each and every matter his full attention and consideration. And may He consult with God on these matters of importance. May he realize that he can not lead this country alone, but that with the help of God, He can take this country in the direction it needs to go.

I am praying for the situation in the gulf coast with the oil spill. I am praying for all those men and women who are working on the scene, trying to contain the oil- I'm praying for their safety, and for supernatural energy so that they can get the job done. That leak is 5000 feet below the surface- hazardous at best. May God keep these precious people safe from harm while they work around the clock to contain this disaster.

But speaking of disaster...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

While we may not see it yet, I believe that God has something for His precious children that will come as a result of this disaster. He uses all things for good... just as He used an earthquake in Haiti to get the nation to come together in prayer and repentance, God can use this disaster for something awesome. I pray that He does just that. I pray that He wows the people of this country, and of this earth by using what the enemy would like for harm, and use it for something absolutely wonderful.

A Day of Rest

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Genesis 2:2-3

God knew what He was doing. I could probably just leave it at that and be done for the day, but in recent months I've really learned first-hand that God knew what He was doing when He rested on that seventh day. He was giving us an example, by resting Himself, He was letting us know that rest is indeed an important part of life. Rest is important- if you don't get enough of it, your body gets run down and sickness can come upon you much more easily. We've kind of unconsciously adopted the idea of a day of rest, and I cannot believe how much of a difference it truly makes for us.

We happen to take Sundays as our day of rest- not on purpose, and not specifically because it is Sunday, but it sort of worked out that way on accident. With church services in the morning and evening, it very much limits the amount of activity we can get done during the day. So we started using Sundays as our lazy day. Watching sports happens sometimes, or spending part of the day catching up on e-mails or phone calls. I like to spend the time reading a book without feeling guilty for doing it. Often we find ourselves caught up in a family board or video game. It's just become a day where we don't tackle the big projects, and it makes such a remarkable difference in so many ways.

First of all, it truly makes us less crabby and irritable. When we don't get enough down time, our fuses get short. We relate to each other sooo much better if we get that one day where we all consciously make the effort to relax a bit. Secondly, it really makes a difference physically. I definitely noticed this last week. Since we moved on Friday and Saturday, that Sunday was not a day of rest. At all. We worked hard at unpacking and cleaning, and were so incredibly exhausted as a result. We didn't take our day of rest, and last week it almost was like pulling teeth to get the kids to settle in for school. We just didn't want to do it. But this Sunday, we rested, and yesterday morning we started school nice and early and got so much accomplished- it was wonderful. And it was a direct result of that day of rest we took.

But as I read this verse, and I thanked God for His example, and for our decision to take that day of rest, I really noticed the second part. See where God blessed the day of rest and made it holy? I like that. Corporately, as a church, we do celebrate our holy day on Sunday- we set it apart for God. But I happen to think that if your day of rest fell on a Wednesday, or a Friday or a Saturday, God would bless it equally. If you can purpose to set aside some time to rest, relax and get rejuvenated, God will bless you physically and spiritually for following His example.

Proper rest is just so important! It's so important to our bodies that God Himself rested. And maybe for some people, an entire day of rest just isn't possible- that's okay too, but eagerly take what rest you can. When the kids go spend some time at the park with Daddy- don't take that time to get some work done, take some time to rest. Relax, run a bubble bath and spend some time talking to God. God certainly understands that for some of us, work as a parent never stops, and sometimes that day of rest doesn't seem so restful at the time. But God sees our hearts, and He sees our precious children, and He will bless us all the same.

I challenge anyone reading this morning who doesn't specifically set aside time to relax to do so for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference. Now, I know everyone has different ideas of what resting is, and I'm not going to debate what activities or chores would be permissible for a true day of rest- that will change from person to person. But I challenge you to look at your calendar and simply set aside some time to rest- more time than simply laying your head on a pillow every night. If you find it difficult to just sit around and home not doing much, go to the movies or take in a Saturday afternoon baseball game- a double header where you will just sit and relax for hours at a time. Find the time to rest, and God will bless you for it. I know we've been immensely blessed, and I'm so glad that we make the decision to rest as often as we do. It makes our productive time that much more productive. And that's just really cool, and a wonderful gift from God.

Press On

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

There is always going to be more. Until the day that we are called out of these earthly bodies and into our heavenly bodies, there is always going to be more that God wants us to do while we're here on earth. There is always going to be another person to encourage, another area of ministry to tackle, or another completely new ministry opportunity to come your way.

You know, it would be very easy for us to be content right now. We've been living here for just over a week, and every single day, as I walk around my house, I am truly in disbelief. I cannot believe that God gave us such a wonderful place to live. I look around and I am just amazed with My God who gave us this house to call our home. It really does have everything that we could have wanted. Yesterday we had our first official company over for a meal, and what a joy it was to dine in our screened in porch! God made this house possible for us, and now that we are here, now that we are in the miracle that we had been trusting Him for, it would be very easy for us to say okay, we've arrived, and now we're going to take a little break for a while. We're going to settle in and relax and enjoy our home, and we'll get back to the God stuff in a little while.

Except that as much as I am in awe over our new home, I am even more in awe because I know that God has great plans for us- plans that required us to be in this house in the first place. As I drive around this city that we've come to love, I can feel its heartbeat. I can feel such a desire for seeing this city give its desires to God. Imagine the possibilities if a whole city turned to God! It would have such an impact on the world around us. We've often seen whole communities come together after disasters to work together for common goals- but just imagine if that common goal was simply the adoration of God!

And you know, when I say that I know that God has great plans for us, I don't mean that we specifically are going to do anything that one would deem super special. It could be those great plans are simply to have us spending time in prayer. Prayer for our new neighbors and our city. It could very well be that we are to simply live here- to show everyone around us that loving God and accepting Jesus as our savior doesn't instantly turn us into something freaky and weird.

Regardless of our purpose here, we will not sit back and relax and "take a break". We will follow Paul's example, and we will continue to press in for the prize. We will continue to spend time discerning God's will for us. When even Paul says that he has not yet taken hold of the prize, we know we've got a long way to go before we can even come close. And so we will continue to strive. Right now, I have to admit, I feel like I'm in a season of compassion. For so long it seems that we've been so focused on our own needs and desires, but I think I personally am to a point where I've seen God's provision so much for us that I just know that He's going to take care of us. And while I can pray and ask Him to help us to meet our expenses and take care of our needs, I know He'll already do that. Instead, I've been focusing my prayer time on others who I know are going through their own struggles. My heart breaks for so many people these days, and all I can think is that it means that I am to commit them to prayer for a time.

I press on! Because God's will and desire for my life is ever-changing! He is always going to want more from me- and I am going to keep on giving it my all. And as I do that, my all will increase. I will find more abilities, more energy within me to keep me going. Really, it's a lot like a job. When I was in the retail world, the people who worked the hardest were always the ones who had goals for the future. They wanted to move up the ladder of success, so they would work hard at being a stocker, in the hopes of moving up to helping run a department. Those who ran a department did so with such vigor because they had hopes of managing a whole area of the store. Those managers worked hard because they had an eye on an assistant managers job, and the best assistant managers had dreams of moving up in management.

Pressing on for God's goals is no different. As I give Him my all every step of the way, my abilities and my knowledge will increase, and as each promotion comes along, there is always time for rejoicing, for relishing the advance, the greater responsibilities and the rewards that come with it. But then the work must resume, but at a higher level than before- there are added tasks and responsibilities, but the desire within me to do the very best I can do is also still there, so I work hard and do my best, learning as much as I can every step of the way. I have my eye on that ladder of success- the difference is that my ladder does not ascend within a company or a corporation. My ladder ascends all the way to God's Kingdom, and I intend to climb as far up this ladder as I can. I will press on, and when the devil comes a calling and tries to knock me down a few rungs, I am going to hold on with all I can and then triumphantly take two steps forward for every one he tries to take from me, because God is my source and will give me what I need to be successful and victorious.

A Shift In Thought

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:15-16

One of the things I think that we may struggle with from time to time, as Christians, is how to correct someone who may be doing or saying something wrong. Or not even correct them- how do you tell someone they are doing something wrong- without having them get upset with you or offended, and that can lead to a broken friendship.

This type of thing used to keep me up at night. I would lay in bed at night and play these imaginary conversations in my head where I would bring up a problem to someone and try and tell them how to correct it. Surely I'm not the only one who has imaginary conversations in my head that don't ever really happen? Well, a while back I was in a place where someone maybe needed correction about an issue, but I just wasn't so sure that I was the person to do it- so do you know what I did? I prayed about it. I first committed the whole problem to God. I asked Him for wisdom, and I asked Him to keep my mouth shut if it needed to stay shut. But the most important thing I asked God for was to help me love that person the way he loves them. Then I started playing a little game with myself. Instead of thinking about this problem, this area that needed correction, I started thinking to myself all the different reasons why I love this person- reasons why I consider them a friend.

And do you know what happened? Over time, I stopped focusing on the issue at hand, and just focused on the person. I sought them out to give an encouraging word or a hug, and then the most crazy thing happened. That problem? They came to me asking for advice about the situation. I was able to offer a gentle suggestion, in love, along with a promise to commit the matter to prayer- which was truth since I'd already been doing it. Then, later on when the problem was resolved we were able to rejoice in it together!

The thing is, each and every member of the body of Christ is joined together- we are one with each other, and when we allow things to come between us, it strains the whole body- not just the person or two it is involved with. Think about the physical body. When I have a headache, it doesn't just affect my head. It affects my performance in everything else, it affects my reaction time, and my mood. It's much more than just a headache. Somewhere along the line we've been fed a load of garbage that tells us that there will be troubles and problems with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's like we almost expect that there will be people we just don't get along with- because that's how it's always been. I think many of us spent time in churches where that truly was the norm, and now maybe we think it's just part of being a member of a church.

But it's not!!! We are to build each other up in love! When love is the first thing that comes out of us, those disagreements and those arguments we may have begin to melt away. Those walls that we build up to keep people out start to fall down, and a body united is a body that will be unstoppable for the kingdom of God! When we truly grab hold of this idea and begin to lift each and every one of our fellow Christians up, instead of looking for reasons to pull them down, we will experience a whole new era of brotherhood. Instead of focusing on what we think are the flaws, we need to focus on what we love. Focus on what God loves. The next time you find yourself rolling your eyes about someone or thinking about how much you really don't like a person, start telling yourself that God loves them. God loves them and created them to be exactly who they are.

And that mindset extends beyond the boundaries of the body of Christ. God loves each and every person that He has created. Every. Single. One. Think about that the next time you are thinking unwholesome thoughts about that driver who cut you off. You're sitting there fuming and swearing at one of God's precious creations... maybe it's time for a shift in thinking?

God IS Love

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." 1 John 4:7-11

Every spring when we would drive around and see all of creation waking up and turning beautiful, there would be one kind of tree in particular that would catch my eye. Beautiful flowering crab-apple trees that would turn a stunning color of fuchsia would just take my breath away, and I would see them, and say to Andy that some day, we would have one of those trees. Some day we would have one of these beautiful trees that God created.

And every spring as the kids and I would go walking around town, we would stop and smell different flowers along our route. We would go visit someone who had lilac bushes and I would stop and literally bury my nose deep in the blossoms. There is no fragrance like a lilac, and it is one my absolute favorite flowers- always has been.

And then there is the honeysuckle. The honeysuckle is my absolute favorite fragrance of spring. I can identify a honeysuckle from far away by simply closing my eyes and inhaling. That sweet, sweet fragrance, that I know that God created just for me, sends my senses into overdrive. It fills me with a euphoria of sorts to smell that honeysuckle in the spring.

I tell you all these things this morning to tell you just how much God loves me. He loves me so much, that 15 years (or so) ago when the people living in our house were landscaping, He had them put in these very plants. He looked ahead to the future, and He saw me living here, and He decided that He was going to put flowering crab-apple, lilac, AND honeysuckle all in this yard, just because all these years later, I would be living here, and I would enjoy them. God put these very plants here in this yard because He knew just how much they would delight me.

My flowering crab-apples are just beginning to blossom and they are nothing short of stunning. I wake up in the morning, look out my bedroom window, and all I can see are branches loaded with beautiful fuchsia blossoms. How can I not see that and think about how great God is to put that tree there for me? How can I not look around my yard and thank God every time I glance towards the lilac, or giggle at the thought of that honeysuckle getting ready to open up it's blossoms.

God is love! And like a father preparing to give his child a gift, He has been preparing this house for me and my family to live here! And it was with His perfect timing as well. Had we moved here in the fall, like we originally planned in our moving desires, the crab-apple trees would not be flowering and they would be making a horrible mess with their fruit and leaves, and we may very well have decided to have them removed. But God knew. God knew that I would be smitten with these trees. God knew how much these blossoms would fill my heart with joy, and He wanted me to move here just as they were about to explode.

I just feel so blessed and so incredibly loved. Every day, every few hours, I look around and I practically have to pinch myself because I can't believe how good God has been to us. It sometimes seems kind of cliche to say that we praise God when we win and we praise God when we lose, but then when you really and truly are at a high point- it feels like the praise we do is simply not enough. Our praise just doesn't seem adequate for thanking God for how blessed we really feel right now. And the thing is, now that we're here, now that we are totally delighting in God's provision, there is also the big part of us that is wondering what is next. Why did God bring us here? We know He wanted us here because we wanted to be here, but what is our purpose here? We're excited to learn that too.

But today, I'm feeling the love. I've been feeling the love since the day I unlocked the door and stepped in for the first time. God is truly in the house, and all I want to do is share that. I feel so loved that if I don't share that love, I feel as if I am going to burst. And isn't that the point really? As I read these verses above in 1 John today, that's exactly what it is telling me. That God loves me, and He loves my neighbor, and it's up to me to share that love with my neighbor if they don't know that love yet. And when I really and truly love God, I won't be able to help it. That love will just come out, and I'll have to share it with everyone around me. But do you know what the greatest thing about feeling God's love today is? He doesn't just love me. He loves you. And He loves your neighbor, and He loves that girl behind the checkout counter, and that guy crossing the street. And He loves that quiet co-worker who stays in their cubicle most of the day. How are you going to show God's love to them today?

As I looked out my window at those beautiful flowering trees, I felt God's love just sweep into the room and gently envelop me. And I thought to myself, okay God, help me share this today. Maybe that's where it all begins. Maybe it begins with a willingness to be a vessel for that love- to carry it with us and share it whenever the opportunity arises. There's a commercial that has been on TV for a while now that shows people helping people in different circumstances, and then someone else sees that help and gets inspired to help someone else on their own, and it becomes a cycle of sorts. Imagine the cycle that could be started if we all walked around sharing God's love! Imagine the possibilities if instead of the idea of "paying it forward" we just ran with the idea of "giving it all away!" Because I suspect that if we purposed each and every day to give away all the God-Love we have in us, that God would fill it right back up again. Seems to me that would be a good problem to have.

God. Is. Love.

Warfare Wednesday: Are You Praying?

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

It's that time of week again. It's the day where I set aside time to specifically pray for President Obama, his family, and other political leaders, both local and abroad. I found this morning that as I read this very familiar verse in 1 Timothy that the solution to actual world peace may actually be found within. The simple act of praying, of intercession for our leaders- for all in authority- can produce peaceful and quiet lives. That sound a little like world peace doesn't it? The power of prayer is absolutely incredible- it can change lives, and that is what I pray for each and every week.

I pray every week for that real change that we were promised all that time ago when the presidential campaigns were crossing the country. The difference today is, the change that I am praying for may not exactly be the change the present administration had in mind. I am praying for a great awakening- a return to "One nation under God" and all that may imply. One nation under God may sound idyllic, but imagine- if the power of prayer is so huge and so strong- imagine the power if every God-fearing person were to turn their hearts to heaven and pray for this president. The awakening would be earth-shattering indeed.

In recent weeks I've been very disappointed to read little quips and quotes that mention praying for the removal of President Obama. How could anyone ever wish that on our president- regardless of politics? So this week I am coming against all those wishers and foul words and I am praying extra protection over President Obama, and his wife Michelle, as well as his daughters Sasha and Malia. May the angels of protection encircle them and protect them from all harm that may threaten. May God give them supernatural protection, and may He protect their delicate spirits. May He give them courage when they need it most, and may He give them hope for the future- real hope. Hope that can only come through Jesus Christ.

I believe that world peace really is possible- if we follow our Biblical principles and begin to really pray in earnest for our leaders. Peace is possible on every level- even within our small communities. Peace is possible, if only we will hear the call to pray.

Saving That Which Was Lost

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Luke 19:10

As I read this verse this morning it literally crawled off the screen to me. It was almost as if the words took on a life of their own, marched over to me like ants, crawled all over my skin, and then sunk in and became a part of me. As I read it a second time, it was like I suddenly understood that this verse was not just talking about what we always think it's talking about.

So what was lost? The obvious answer is that man was lost. When Adam and Eve sinned, that relationship between man and God was lost, and Jesus came to redeem that relationship. Jesus came so that God could once again have fellowship with the race of men, whom He so loves and cherishes. When I think about just that... then I try thinking about what it may have been like to be living in Old Testament times. I can't imagine trying to live without the assurance of God right there all the time. I can't imagine trying to live without the breathe of the Holy Spirit guiding my every move and thought. And I certainly can't imagine a life worth living without the assurance of eternity without the presence of God at all times. Jesus certainly brought that relationship into reality, and every day I am reminded of how grateful I am for that.

But there was also something else lost when man fell. We have to go all the way back to Genesis 1, to see how God truly designed things to be here on earth, to see what it was that was lost.

"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

²⁹ Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so." Genesis 1:26-30

God had given man the earth all those years ago. He specifically said to rule over it and subdue it, and when Adam and Eve sinned, that dominion was lost. And even though Jesus came over 2000 years ago, we are only now beginning to really understand these gems that are hidden throughout the Bible. We are supposed to have dominion over the earth! We, each and every one of us, have been given the earth and all that it contains.

I wanted to see this put into action, so I conducted a little experiment over the last several months. Way back in January, I started a few tomato seeds. I planted them and nurtured them until the sprouted and grew enough to be transplanted in bigger pots. I had three plants, and I separated them. One I transplanted into a larger pot and moved into a window on the first floor of the house. The other two I blessed as I planted them. I re-potted them, I gently brushed their leaves, and I commanded them to grow and bloom, and bear abundant fruit. I called them blessed, and I commanded them to grow "in Jesus' name". I did this just twice. Each time I had to transplant to a bigger pot, I again commanded and blessed the plants.

Now all three plants grew. I watered, fertilized, and tended all three plants at the same times every day. They all grew in the same south facing windows, just on different floors of the house, but I'll tell you, the ones that grew on the second floor were incredible plants. They grew and grew and were so prolific, and abundant. They just kept shooting out new growth after new growth, they grew all the way to the ceiling, and there were literally hundreds of blossoms on these plants. The one downstairs was a good three feet shorter than the other two. It was also blossoming and bearing fruit, and doing well, but it was like night and day- it looked like a completely different plant.

Now one could ask if my blessing and commanding really made the difference. My experiment was not scientific enough to conclude with absolute certainty. But boy, do I believe it made an immense and amazing difference. In the weeks to come my thoughts and attention are going to turn to the annual vegetable garden, and you can be sure that as I am planting my garden, it is going to get blessed, and I am going to command it to bear abundantly.

Because God gave us the earth! He made it for us to enjoy, He made the earth for us to inhabit and dominate and to utilize it to its full potential. And since Jesus came to restore to us that which we lost way back in the garden of Eden, I intend to do my part to reclaim that which was lost. When I think about the mere potential here, I get shivers. Just imagine the possibilities if simply blessing and commanding fruit to grow caused an increase in production! Where companies are trying to manufacture super seeds and special fertilizers to maximize growth, we can do the exact same thing with mere words. With the words of our mouth we can fertilize the very cells of the plants that were ours to command in the first place.

Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Now it's up to us to make the most of that which is now found.