Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Wotif we changed?
Our lifes sure have been a journey lots of ups and downs, We have had our share of heartache, brokness, tears. But we love our God he is always with us and we wouldn't be who we are today without it all and Him. Hayden and I got married in our teens and I was pregant with Courtney at the start in our marriage it was a hard time we where two young kids really starting a family and we where both carrying alot of baggage!! That's for sure, we both fell right away from God and the church through a lot of hurt and judgements that where thrown at us. It was such a dark time and we just couldn't do it alone anymore so we reached out to God our life's where a mess!! and so we decided we needed our God . We have never looked back. We have walked through alot over the years it sure hasn't been a easy road but in that God is keeping us real. We are on a journey and we know God is challenging us and wanting to change us in a whole new way it's exciting but kinda scary too because we know it's guna cost alot and thing's may never be the same but we have been far too comfortable .
My Husband tells me my England is not the best (haha!) Thats what happens when you leave school at 15 I suppose. But I hope you understand what I'm trying to say and hear more importanly my heart.
I started writting over the last few months and decided to put what I had been writting into a blog. It has been a journey and will continue to be. But I am excited in what God is doing. I hope I will never be the same and that I can be the Change. But to be the change I have to change.
What I have written here has been challenging me to my core. I am so not there yet but really think we need to ask these questions and really think about what can I do what can I change in my life for the sake of others. I really am nobody special I have no degree's I'm not a Pastor or a great teacher but I have a longing to be someone that would be willing to lay everything down for the sake of the broken dying world that I would know God in a new and powerful way that nothing would hold me back anymore. That all my fears etc... Would fall away. I really feel God is saying so much but we have to be willing to listen but more importanly to do. What if the church really was the answer finally!! What would that look like? I believe there is a shift coming I hear the rumblings I think we God's people are slowly getting it. Where GRACE and LOVE flows out of us on a whole new level. That we put others ahead of oursevles.I don’t have all the answers at all but know I have to change I JUST HAVE too!!!!!! So here goes.........Brace yourself !!!
Like wotif we really where Christ-like and what would that look like?
Am I really Christ-like? Do I die to self daily? Do I?
Why do we want to fit into the world soooo much? Why?
Am I wearing the right clothes? Or even the right labels for that matter?
It seems in the world all we are here to do is to grow up get a high-paying job!! And the more we earn the better we are? But are we? What is our purpose? Is it to earn as much money as we can so we can wear the right clothes? Buy as much as we can for ourselves to have the right look in order to be popular and in the “in crowd”, to appear successful in every way? But sadly this has crept into the church. It is so easy to get caught up in it, and YES I am so guilty. But why? Why have we let so much of the world creep into the church and into our lives, why? Are we wanting to fit in? Be in the in crowd? Acceptance?
Have we lost the reason Jesus came? To be a Christian is to be Christ-like, but am I? Jesus came and smashed the boxes that the religious leaders thought he should fit into. He came to save the lost, to bind up the broken hearted and to set the captives free!!!!!! And he hung with the most unpopular people, the people the world had written off! Everything he did was for others it was never about him, it was about SERVING the least of these. Our Pastor Shane shared this amazing message and he said that sometimes we think if we serve enough we might get promoted but he said we have got it wrong. Because the promotion is to serve!!!!! WOW that hit me. Jesus CAME TO SERVE. How have I gotten so off-track? Why and for what reason am I different than the world really? Am I different than the world? Am I Christ-like? I actually think I am not and far from it. But that’s just how AMAZING our God is. He loves us through it all. Even when I stuff up every day. His Love and Grace covers me. But he is also showing me where I need to change and it seems like it will be never ending as I die a slow death to self. I’m a work in progress!!! I need to die daily and its guna be hard and its guna hurt. As I see I am far from been Christ like. And it will take all I have and I think I am ready, but am I really?
Why is it that I have to buy, buy, buy? WHY? Why do I want, want, want more and more? Do I have to go to the shops and spend, spend, spend? I see the sales and think I just can’t miss that one!! The problem is there are sales everywhere!! What if I didn’t buy what’s in fashion? What if I didn’t have to keep up? Nothing wrong with looking good but I only buy to make me feel better so I fit in and like others comments to reassure me that I look ok! What if we didn’t buy labelled clothes? Why do we wear labelled clothing? Is it so everyone can see that we could afford the label or that in some way it tells others I’m cool? What is up with that? I’m thinking why have I brought labelled clothing, shoes, jewellery or sunnies etc? Does the label really change me? What does the label make me? Have the labels changed who I am? We live in a culture of labels. Labelled clothes, shoes, coffee, food, jewellery, restaurants, mags, cars and in some way or another we want to fit or to be accepted? Some say we want to buy it for quality, but at the cost of what and who? Others? It’s been said that if we have two coats then we have someone else’s coat. Have you considered that?
Man HOW and WHY have I (we) let this happen? We have to have the latest this or that, but why? Really, why? As I am typing this I am so grieved and tears are in my eyes. How did we get here? How did I? Why do we want soooo much, when others have nothing!!!! Am I a Christian? Really, am I? Is it just something I say or am I? Or does my life SHOUT it? What if I went without my wants so others could just have a meal!
Recently I have been so moved by what God is challenging me with. I don’t want to get to heaven with so many regrets. Standing in front of my creator saying, “well I spent my life paying off my mortgage, you will be happy to know it’s all paid off. I had the latest cars, which I had a bit owing but nearly paid them off. I had all the latest gadgets and my house decor was amazing, all the latest colour’s etc... I paid my tithes and I gave away money but not at a great cost to me, there was always plenty left for me and my family. I wore the latest clothes and labels made sure I looked the part. I wanted to fit in of course and that’s so important!! I went and talked to some of the odd people at church, so I did my part. I served as a host at church and greeting people with a smile. I read my bible every day and even sometimes read the word for the day too. I had a sponsor child in Africa so I could tick that box. I went on a two week mission trip to India to see the poor. I feel good that I did that because I got to see how the poor live. Best of all I have saved up a great nest egg for my children. Plus all the houses I have brought and the business I have built up are very successful, so I feel so good knowing that my family will be looked after. And I have ticked the boxes and feel good with what I have done with my life.”
Then the question would be was my life worth dying for? JESUS? Was it? I look up and all I see is tears rolling down his face as he looks at me with so much love and says, “My child, nothing you do can make me love you more and nothing you have done can make me love you less. But you have lost your way. It was never about ticking the boxes to make you feel good. My life of sacrifice was to show you how you should live; for the sake of others. Did you go feed the homeless and clothe them? Did you love them? Did your life shine My name? Did you give sacrificially so others would see me in you? Did you go without for others? And I’m not talking about giving up your wants for the sake of others but even sometimes your own needs, for the sake of others. Did you go without a meal to give someone in need more than you? Did you take in the homeless? What about the widows and orphans? Did you give away your best? Or just the old stuff you didn’t like anyway? Did you bring justice for the least of these? Did you serve them like they where Me? Did you help the sick at the risk of your own health? All you have you can’t bring with you, my LOVE. The world deceived you and crept in and has slowly overtaken you.
“I said to you GREATER things will you do than I, in My name!!! Did you not believe me?”
“But I just wanted to fit in Jesus.”
“But you where never meant too. You where created in My image, to fit into my GREAT plan. But you somehow got lost on the way my child”..
“How did I let this happen Jesus? HOW?”
“You where so distracted with so much else that you missed me. You walked past me sitting on the street homeless. You drove past me with disgust as I was going through I rubbish bin on the street. I lost my children because I was high on P and you looked down on me and thought shame on her! I was so depressed and broken and had nowhere to turn and wanted to kill myself; you looked in pity and said they just want attention. Maybe I did, maybe I needed some long overdue attention, to know that someone does care for me dispite what I done.
“I said in my word to serve others as unto me. To serve without your judgements and to see the broken, lost people as mine. To serve with compassion, mercy and LOVE!!!! Would it not have been greater to have less and maybe not fit in? But to have left a legacy of something so much greater and that your eyes had been on the things above and not on the things of this world? The things of MY KINGDOM!!! Could you have sold all you had and given it all to the poor? Could you?
Could you have given it all up? Your nice home and all the latest gadget’s? Your flash cars? Your holidays? Your latest clothes? Your regular trip’s out for coffee? Even your income and high paid job’s? What consumes you? What have you let consume you?
Is God’s word just a story? Or is it alive in us? Are our life’s shouting it? Are we really living it or have we got a bit of track? I am so moved in what God is starting to do in my life and others. I believe we are about to come into something so new and powerful to actually dying to ourselves. The world has been longing to see. True Christian’s!!! Christ like. To lay down it all down for the sake of other’s. To die daily to self. It’s not going to be easy at all but we have to step up. It will be hard but I know it will also be so worth it.
Hayden and I were in the car the other day coming home from been away. And I started to share with him about all that had been going through my head. I said you know how we all get into dept in the western world to have more to have the latest. We get bigger mortgages in the hope to get ahead. Ahead of what? Ahead of others? We borrow up to the eye balls for our mortgages, cars, gadget’s and holiday’s etc... But yet there are people down the road finding it hard to put a meal together or who can’t afford to buy their own baby formula. And we borrow on the security of our jobs so we have to keep trying to earn more so we can get more. How did we get here I said HOW? I just had so much racing through my mind. I’m not saying we all need to sell up and live on the streets in rags but shouldn’t we be sharing more of what we have at a new level. We just have to!!! People we haven’t even met yet are relying on us to step up to be more Christ like to sacrifice for the sake of them.
Wouldn’t living a life like that be more of the legacy we want our children to have. I am very aware of my part to play in my children wanting more and more because that’s what I have gotten caught up in for too long. But I think there has to be no greater legacy for my children to see me sacrifice for the sake of others without one compliant but seeing it as an honour for me serve others and my motivation is pure. That would speak volumes and could change so much in generations to come. That others would come to know God through us serving them as though they are worth it all. Because Jesus didn’t just die for you and I did he? He died for them too. How could we hide what we know? How have we? Jesus said to bring GOODNEWS to the poor. And to look after the widow’s and orphan’s. Not if it’s covenant? Or if it fits into your busy life? Or if you can afford it. It was a commandment not a option.
We have somehow turned our excellence in to excess!!! We keep going consuming more and more while children are dying of starvation!!! We NEED our coffee and chocolate we buy our fav ice cream, chips, and cheeses. We buy organic while others starve. How did we get here? If we know what’s happening around the world what are we doing? We have all seen footage of complete devastation from around the world we are moved to tears and grieved but we have to action this don’t we? I’m reminded of a song Brooke Fraser sings now that I have seen I am reasonable! But what are we doing? Is it easier to block it out? Do we really think that it really not our problem? Or it’s just too big for me to do anything! So we do nothing? Is sponsoring a child enough is it? Does that ease us to feel we have done our part? But have we? Every word I am typing another child dies and another! Another child is orphaned NOW!!! And NOW!!! We do our token jesters but is it enough is it? What moves us to action? But what if it cost us all we have? Are we really ready are we?
We toke our kids to the movies the other night we all went as a family for the first time. But as I was sitting there thinking how much it cost something drop into my spirit I could have saved someone with this money. I know it sounds heavy and we talk ourselves out of this because we like to somehow justifie what we do with our money. Do we say that we can’t live in that guilt and condemnation, but what if it was not that but a conviction that the Holy Spirit was dropping into our hearts but we turn the voice down and think it’s the enemy trying to make us feel sink because we maybe haven’t done enough so we block it and shut it down. Or is it maybe JESUS speaking to us but we dull the sound because the thoughts overwhelms us what would we have to give up? Because that would mean giving up so much. We say that’s just what we do in the western world. But have we missed something? Some outfits we wear we could probably feed a small village for a week! But do we want to hear that or is it just too hard? How have we turned our backs for the sake of our wants! There are needs all around us, can we see them or do we choose not too? I know the need is so GREAT and it is sometimes so overwhelming. I know I have felt like all I have seen so much and feeling the need is so big it moves me to the overwhelming need to do something but feel I just don’t know when or how to start. Or wanting to make lots of money so we can do something big but you know what God is saying use what’s in your hand. We might not think it is much but we just need to use it and step out in FAITH! But we need to action it we have too!!! We think we don’t have much but we do. It’s going to take a cost of a lot to sacrifice. Putting down our wants and even our needs for the sake of others. God is waiting for us to step up and out!! Can we do it can we? FAITH is a powerful thing so powerful!!! God is with us he’s cheering us on! YOU CAN DO IT!!! UNTIED you could do so much!!! What if it means not buying the latest this and that and we even gave up a meal for the sake of someone. I’m not saying we can never have or do anything but come on we do have so much!! I have so many shoes and so many clothes that I just had to have at the time and have maybe worn once or not at all. My wardrobe is full my children’s drawers are overflowing with clothes and boxes of toys!! We have 3 meals a day and snack in between we just have so much but we always want more and more!!!!! What’s wrong with this picture? The pull of the world is so strong it’s telling us to keep up! If we want to be successful we have to keep UP!!! Why is the pull so strong WHY? Why have I let it overpower me? I am realising the world has its roots deep into me the more God is showing me I am so much more aware of myself and my selfishness. When I actually look at all sin in my life the worst I have found is my selfishness it has somehow be taking over me. When was it all about me? I’m so sad to say yes that’s how I have been living. But God is doing something in me that it is hard to explain in words but he’s highlighting my darkness with his LOVING light. He’s getting into my dark corners of my heart my selfishness my judgements of others my wanting needing approval of man my pride to look like I have it all together. It has somehow overtaken my heart and God is wanting to take it back. We get so hang up as Christians if we do not swear, get drunk, smoke, sleep around we have somehow made it as a Christian. But how did and how have we thought that? Who said and what made us think that? My heart is so full of so much more you know even doubting at times how much God loves us is a sin, I have for so long been seeking the approval of others to build myself up. But is not GODS acceptance and LOVE enough why do we crave more why do have to long for acceptance from man to feel valued? Is that not sinning too. God is showing me that so many things that used to excite me like shopping it made me feel good why? When was ever all about me feeling good? I don’t want to go to the shops shopping to make me feel good any more. Food is another thing with all that I had been going through food had become my comfort how? Why? Once I am now choosing to turn from myself and in all my selfness it will be a battle but I have to fight it. Our lives need to be burning with the FIRE of God that we cannot see a need and not stop! What if we pulled together with all our gifts, money and talents imange what we could do together! It would be a powerful thing but not for just each other but the people around us in so much need. Money we have placed in such a high regard for so long. What if I gave away half my clothes as a start could I do that? Could I invite someone around who has nothing and take them to my wardrope and say help yourselve. What if they picked my fav clothes, shoes and jewerlly how would I respond? Or has my clothes my things I have more important? Than clothing and feeding someone who has nothing! The passion has to start to burn in us and then out through us to our community around us to the world. You and I can really choose to do something so powerful and let the pull of the world die so then we can bring life for others. Love is the key if we have not LOVE we have nothing. We can do so many amazing things but without LOVE it is nothing!!! 1 Cor 13
I have been reading Matthew 5 over and over and it is like screaming at me!!
Matt 5: 19-24
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where is your treasure is, there heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are un-healthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money!
What can I say it is so clear! I feel like my glasses I have been looking out of are somehow so distorted and I feeling that my eye sight is getting better as I’m slowly lifting my glasses off I realise my eye sight is clearing but some reason I was wearing these distorted glasses but not needing them at all. My eye sight is clearing what I read over the years is getting clearer and coming to life. God is giving me new clear eye sight. As I am reading this now I think how did I not really get this. Somehow I was blinded from the truth. But the truth is starting to set me free.
I am guilty I am. I have stored up a lot. I have baby clothes things I think I might wear again stored up in boxes. Why have I stored up LORD? When others have nothing. I have extra that can’t be right. Continue to open my eyes so that darkness of self will fall away.
I realise also I have been serving money. I somehow thought if we had enough we would be successful. Wanting to do so much for others but somehow thought I had to wait until we were rolling in it to really make a difference. What a lie! His word says we CANNOT serve both God and money!!!
I think I am getting it! He just needs us to be willing and able to say here I am Lord use me. With a willing heart to lay it all down for him.
Matt:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes?
See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first HIS KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will given to you as well. Therefore do NOT worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What can I say WOW do I get it do I really GET IT? There it is why do we get so caught up in what we wear what restaurant will we go to tonight. It’s a whole new way of doing life. It’s the Kingdoms way!
What if we actually lived like this? I believe we can.
As the world sinks into a recession I think it is no accident. God is taking away our securities in our jobs and money and his shacking us up where does our security lie really where? In our jobs? In our money? What if we didn’t worry so much and it all just came from him. What if we didn’t just store up stuff but gave more. What would that look like? It’s shaking us to the core where do we turn do we lose heart? Do we lose focus? Or do we thank God for everything he is doing. Let’s praise him as he strips down our securities of the world. He is longing for us to lean on him and him alone. To step out of our comfort zones. To not fear but to trust Him with everything even when so much might be falling around us. We need Him to be our security He is longing for that. Trust is what we need to do Trust God with everything. Sometimes it seems so hard to trust God when we are not sure whats really happening and everything is not going to plan and so much seems out of our control. But we need to remember God is the plan and whatever we have to walk through we need to and actually have to TRUST him with everything and lay it all down at his feet. And I know in this world trust has been something lacking as there have been many broken hearts broken promises and trust has been abused in every way but we need to work through our trust issues because God is so far above the people who have broken trust in our lives. His trust is pure it is real and He is saying trust me.Lord help us to be more like you. Let our hearts feel what you feel. Let our eyes see what you see. Let our feet go where you would go. Let our judgements fall away!!! Let our insecurities fall. Let our selfishness fall. Let our fear fall. But let your MERCY fall on us. Let your GRACE cover us. Let our FAITH rise. Let your LOVE change us. I am so humbled by your great love. Your love is so pure you are so holy Lord you are.
May God sake your world up too in a whole new way. For His GLORY and His ALONE!!!!
God bless ya
Carlee
My Husband tells me my England is not the best (haha!) Thats what happens when you leave school at 15 I suppose. But I hope you understand what I'm trying to say and hear more importanly my heart.
I started writting over the last few months and decided to put what I had been writting into a blog. It has been a journey and will continue to be. But I am excited in what God is doing. I hope I will never be the same and that I can be the Change. But to be the change I have to change.
What I have written here has been challenging me to my core. I am so not there yet but really think we need to ask these questions and really think about what can I do what can I change in my life for the sake of others. I really am nobody special I have no degree's I'm not a Pastor or a great teacher but I have a longing to be someone that would be willing to lay everything down for the sake of the broken dying world that I would know God in a new and powerful way that nothing would hold me back anymore. That all my fears etc... Would fall away. I really feel God is saying so much but we have to be willing to listen but more importanly to do. What if the church really was the answer finally!! What would that look like? I believe there is a shift coming I hear the rumblings I think we God's people are slowly getting it. Where GRACE and LOVE flows out of us on a whole new level. That we put others ahead of oursevles.I don’t have all the answers at all but know I have to change I JUST HAVE too!!!!!! So here goes.........Brace yourself !!!
Like wotif we really where Christ-like and what would that look like?
Am I really Christ-like? Do I die to self daily? Do I?
Why do we want to fit into the world soooo much? Why?
Am I wearing the right clothes? Or even the right labels for that matter?
It seems in the world all we are here to do is to grow up get a high-paying job!! And the more we earn the better we are? But are we? What is our purpose? Is it to earn as much money as we can so we can wear the right clothes? Buy as much as we can for ourselves to have the right look in order to be popular and in the “in crowd”, to appear successful in every way? But sadly this has crept into the church. It is so easy to get caught up in it, and YES I am so guilty. But why? Why have we let so much of the world creep into the church and into our lives, why? Are we wanting to fit in? Be in the in crowd? Acceptance?
Have we lost the reason Jesus came? To be a Christian is to be Christ-like, but am I? Jesus came and smashed the boxes that the religious leaders thought he should fit into. He came to save the lost, to bind up the broken hearted and to set the captives free!!!!!! And he hung with the most unpopular people, the people the world had written off! Everything he did was for others it was never about him, it was about SERVING the least of these. Our Pastor Shane shared this amazing message and he said that sometimes we think if we serve enough we might get promoted but he said we have got it wrong. Because the promotion is to serve!!!!! WOW that hit me. Jesus CAME TO SERVE. How have I gotten so off-track? Why and for what reason am I different than the world really? Am I different than the world? Am I Christ-like? I actually think I am not and far from it. But that’s just how AMAZING our God is. He loves us through it all. Even when I stuff up every day. His Love and Grace covers me. But he is also showing me where I need to change and it seems like it will be never ending as I die a slow death to self. I’m a work in progress!!! I need to die daily and its guna be hard and its guna hurt. As I see I am far from been Christ like. And it will take all I have and I think I am ready, but am I really?
Why is it that I have to buy, buy, buy? WHY? Why do I want, want, want more and more? Do I have to go to the shops and spend, spend, spend? I see the sales and think I just can’t miss that one!! The problem is there are sales everywhere!! What if I didn’t buy what’s in fashion? What if I didn’t have to keep up? Nothing wrong with looking good but I only buy to make me feel better so I fit in and like others comments to reassure me that I look ok! What if we didn’t buy labelled clothes? Why do we wear labelled clothing? Is it so everyone can see that we could afford the label or that in some way it tells others I’m cool? What is up with that? I’m thinking why have I brought labelled clothing, shoes, jewellery or sunnies etc? Does the label really change me? What does the label make me? Have the labels changed who I am? We live in a culture of labels. Labelled clothes, shoes, coffee, food, jewellery, restaurants, mags, cars and in some way or another we want to fit or to be accepted? Some say we want to buy it for quality, but at the cost of what and who? Others? It’s been said that if we have two coats then we have someone else’s coat. Have you considered that?
Man HOW and WHY have I (we) let this happen? We have to have the latest this or that, but why? Really, why? As I am typing this I am so grieved and tears are in my eyes. How did we get here? How did I? Why do we want soooo much, when others have nothing!!!! Am I a Christian? Really, am I? Is it just something I say or am I? Or does my life SHOUT it? What if I went without my wants so others could just have a meal!
Recently I have been so moved by what God is challenging me with. I don’t want to get to heaven with so many regrets. Standing in front of my creator saying, “well I spent my life paying off my mortgage, you will be happy to know it’s all paid off. I had the latest cars, which I had a bit owing but nearly paid them off. I had all the latest gadgets and my house decor was amazing, all the latest colour’s etc... I paid my tithes and I gave away money but not at a great cost to me, there was always plenty left for me and my family. I wore the latest clothes and labels made sure I looked the part. I wanted to fit in of course and that’s so important!! I went and talked to some of the odd people at church, so I did my part. I served as a host at church and greeting people with a smile. I read my bible every day and even sometimes read the word for the day too. I had a sponsor child in Africa so I could tick that box. I went on a two week mission trip to India to see the poor. I feel good that I did that because I got to see how the poor live. Best of all I have saved up a great nest egg for my children. Plus all the houses I have brought and the business I have built up are very successful, so I feel so good knowing that my family will be looked after. And I have ticked the boxes and feel good with what I have done with my life.”
Then the question would be was my life worth dying for? JESUS? Was it? I look up and all I see is tears rolling down his face as he looks at me with so much love and says, “My child, nothing you do can make me love you more and nothing you have done can make me love you less. But you have lost your way. It was never about ticking the boxes to make you feel good. My life of sacrifice was to show you how you should live; for the sake of others. Did you go feed the homeless and clothe them? Did you love them? Did your life shine My name? Did you give sacrificially so others would see me in you? Did you go without for others? And I’m not talking about giving up your wants for the sake of others but even sometimes your own needs, for the sake of others. Did you go without a meal to give someone in need more than you? Did you take in the homeless? What about the widows and orphans? Did you give away your best? Or just the old stuff you didn’t like anyway? Did you bring justice for the least of these? Did you serve them like they where Me? Did you help the sick at the risk of your own health? All you have you can’t bring with you, my LOVE. The world deceived you and crept in and has slowly overtaken you.
“I said to you GREATER things will you do than I, in My name!!! Did you not believe me?”
“But I just wanted to fit in Jesus.”
“But you where never meant too. You where created in My image, to fit into my GREAT plan. But you somehow got lost on the way my child”..
“How did I let this happen Jesus? HOW?”
“You where so distracted with so much else that you missed me. You walked past me sitting on the street homeless. You drove past me with disgust as I was going through I rubbish bin on the street. I lost my children because I was high on P and you looked down on me and thought shame on her! I was so depressed and broken and had nowhere to turn and wanted to kill myself; you looked in pity and said they just want attention. Maybe I did, maybe I needed some long overdue attention, to know that someone does care for me dispite what I done.
“I said in my word to serve others as unto me. To serve without your judgements and to see the broken, lost people as mine. To serve with compassion, mercy and LOVE!!!! Would it not have been greater to have less and maybe not fit in? But to have left a legacy of something so much greater and that your eyes had been on the things above and not on the things of this world? The things of MY KINGDOM!!! Could you have sold all you had and given it all to the poor? Could you?
Could you have given it all up? Your nice home and all the latest gadget’s? Your flash cars? Your holidays? Your latest clothes? Your regular trip’s out for coffee? Even your income and high paid job’s? What consumes you? What have you let consume you?
Is God’s word just a story? Or is it alive in us? Are our life’s shouting it? Are we really living it or have we got a bit of track? I am so moved in what God is starting to do in my life and others. I believe we are about to come into something so new and powerful to actually dying to ourselves. The world has been longing to see. True Christian’s!!! Christ like. To lay down it all down for the sake of other’s. To die daily to self. It’s not going to be easy at all but we have to step up. It will be hard but I know it will also be so worth it.
Hayden and I were in the car the other day coming home from been away. And I started to share with him about all that had been going through my head. I said you know how we all get into dept in the western world to have more to have the latest. We get bigger mortgages in the hope to get ahead. Ahead of what? Ahead of others? We borrow up to the eye balls for our mortgages, cars, gadget’s and holiday’s etc... But yet there are people down the road finding it hard to put a meal together or who can’t afford to buy their own baby formula. And we borrow on the security of our jobs so we have to keep trying to earn more so we can get more. How did we get here I said HOW? I just had so much racing through my mind. I’m not saying we all need to sell up and live on the streets in rags but shouldn’t we be sharing more of what we have at a new level. We just have to!!! People we haven’t even met yet are relying on us to step up to be more Christ like to sacrifice for the sake of them.
Wouldn’t living a life like that be more of the legacy we want our children to have. I am very aware of my part to play in my children wanting more and more because that’s what I have gotten caught up in for too long. But I think there has to be no greater legacy for my children to see me sacrifice for the sake of others without one compliant but seeing it as an honour for me serve others and my motivation is pure. That would speak volumes and could change so much in generations to come. That others would come to know God through us serving them as though they are worth it all. Because Jesus didn’t just die for you and I did he? He died for them too. How could we hide what we know? How have we? Jesus said to bring GOODNEWS to the poor. And to look after the widow’s and orphan’s. Not if it’s covenant? Or if it fits into your busy life? Or if you can afford it. It was a commandment not a option.
We have somehow turned our excellence in to excess!!! We keep going consuming more and more while children are dying of starvation!!! We NEED our coffee and chocolate we buy our fav ice cream, chips, and cheeses. We buy organic while others starve. How did we get here? If we know what’s happening around the world what are we doing? We have all seen footage of complete devastation from around the world we are moved to tears and grieved but we have to action this don’t we? I’m reminded of a song Brooke Fraser sings now that I have seen I am reasonable! But what are we doing? Is it easier to block it out? Do we really think that it really not our problem? Or it’s just too big for me to do anything! So we do nothing? Is sponsoring a child enough is it? Does that ease us to feel we have done our part? But have we? Every word I am typing another child dies and another! Another child is orphaned NOW!!! And NOW!!! We do our token jesters but is it enough is it? What moves us to action? But what if it cost us all we have? Are we really ready are we?
We toke our kids to the movies the other night we all went as a family for the first time. But as I was sitting there thinking how much it cost something drop into my spirit I could have saved someone with this money. I know it sounds heavy and we talk ourselves out of this because we like to somehow justifie what we do with our money. Do we say that we can’t live in that guilt and condemnation, but what if it was not that but a conviction that the Holy Spirit was dropping into our hearts but we turn the voice down and think it’s the enemy trying to make us feel sink because we maybe haven’t done enough so we block it and shut it down. Or is it maybe JESUS speaking to us but we dull the sound because the thoughts overwhelms us what would we have to give up? Because that would mean giving up so much. We say that’s just what we do in the western world. But have we missed something? Some outfits we wear we could probably feed a small village for a week! But do we want to hear that or is it just too hard? How have we turned our backs for the sake of our wants! There are needs all around us, can we see them or do we choose not too? I know the need is so GREAT and it is sometimes so overwhelming. I know I have felt like all I have seen so much and feeling the need is so big it moves me to the overwhelming need to do something but feel I just don’t know when or how to start. Or wanting to make lots of money so we can do something big but you know what God is saying use what’s in your hand. We might not think it is much but we just need to use it and step out in FAITH! But we need to action it we have too!!! We think we don’t have much but we do. It’s going to take a cost of a lot to sacrifice. Putting down our wants and even our needs for the sake of others. God is waiting for us to step up and out!! Can we do it can we? FAITH is a powerful thing so powerful!!! God is with us he’s cheering us on! YOU CAN DO IT!!! UNTIED you could do so much!!! What if it means not buying the latest this and that and we even gave up a meal for the sake of someone. I’m not saying we can never have or do anything but come on we do have so much!! I have so many shoes and so many clothes that I just had to have at the time and have maybe worn once or not at all. My wardrobe is full my children’s drawers are overflowing with clothes and boxes of toys!! We have 3 meals a day and snack in between we just have so much but we always want more and more!!!!! What’s wrong with this picture? The pull of the world is so strong it’s telling us to keep up! If we want to be successful we have to keep UP!!! Why is the pull so strong WHY? Why have I let it overpower me? I am realising the world has its roots deep into me the more God is showing me I am so much more aware of myself and my selfishness. When I actually look at all sin in my life the worst I have found is my selfishness it has somehow be taking over me. When was it all about me? I’m so sad to say yes that’s how I have been living. But God is doing something in me that it is hard to explain in words but he’s highlighting my darkness with his LOVING light. He’s getting into my dark corners of my heart my selfishness my judgements of others my wanting needing approval of man my pride to look like I have it all together. It has somehow overtaken my heart and God is wanting to take it back. We get so hang up as Christians if we do not swear, get drunk, smoke, sleep around we have somehow made it as a Christian. But how did and how have we thought that? Who said and what made us think that? My heart is so full of so much more you know even doubting at times how much God loves us is a sin, I have for so long been seeking the approval of others to build myself up. But is not GODS acceptance and LOVE enough why do we crave more why do have to long for acceptance from man to feel valued? Is that not sinning too. God is showing me that so many things that used to excite me like shopping it made me feel good why? When was ever all about me feeling good? I don’t want to go to the shops shopping to make me feel good any more. Food is another thing with all that I had been going through food had become my comfort how? Why? Once I am now choosing to turn from myself and in all my selfness it will be a battle but I have to fight it. Our lives need to be burning with the FIRE of God that we cannot see a need and not stop! What if we pulled together with all our gifts, money and talents imange what we could do together! It would be a powerful thing but not for just each other but the people around us in so much need. Money we have placed in such a high regard for so long. What if I gave away half my clothes as a start could I do that? Could I invite someone around who has nothing and take them to my wardrope and say help yourselve. What if they picked my fav clothes, shoes and jewerlly how would I respond? Or has my clothes my things I have more important? Than clothing and feeding someone who has nothing! The passion has to start to burn in us and then out through us to our community around us to the world. You and I can really choose to do something so powerful and let the pull of the world die so then we can bring life for others. Love is the key if we have not LOVE we have nothing. We can do so many amazing things but without LOVE it is nothing!!! 1 Cor 13
I have been reading Matthew 5 over and over and it is like screaming at me!!
Matt 5: 19-24
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where is your treasure is, there heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are un-healthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money!
What can I say it is so clear! I feel like my glasses I have been looking out of are somehow so distorted and I feeling that my eye sight is getting better as I’m slowly lifting my glasses off I realise my eye sight is clearing but some reason I was wearing these distorted glasses but not needing them at all. My eye sight is clearing what I read over the years is getting clearer and coming to life. God is giving me new clear eye sight. As I am reading this now I think how did I not really get this. Somehow I was blinded from the truth. But the truth is starting to set me free.
I am guilty I am. I have stored up a lot. I have baby clothes things I think I might wear again stored up in boxes. Why have I stored up LORD? When others have nothing. I have extra that can’t be right. Continue to open my eyes so that darkness of self will fall away.
I realise also I have been serving money. I somehow thought if we had enough we would be successful. Wanting to do so much for others but somehow thought I had to wait until we were rolling in it to really make a difference. What a lie! His word says we CANNOT serve both God and money!!!
I think I am getting it! He just needs us to be willing and able to say here I am Lord use me. With a willing heart to lay it all down for him.
Matt:25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes?
See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first HIS KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will given to you as well. Therefore do NOT worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What can I say WOW do I get it do I really GET IT? There it is why do we get so caught up in what we wear what restaurant will we go to tonight. It’s a whole new way of doing life. It’s the Kingdoms way!
What if we actually lived like this? I believe we can.
As the world sinks into a recession I think it is no accident. God is taking away our securities in our jobs and money and his shacking us up where does our security lie really where? In our jobs? In our money? What if we didn’t worry so much and it all just came from him. What if we didn’t just store up stuff but gave more. What would that look like? It’s shaking us to the core where do we turn do we lose heart? Do we lose focus? Or do we thank God for everything he is doing. Let’s praise him as he strips down our securities of the world. He is longing for us to lean on him and him alone. To step out of our comfort zones. To not fear but to trust Him with everything even when so much might be falling around us. We need Him to be our security He is longing for that. Trust is what we need to do Trust God with everything. Sometimes it seems so hard to trust God when we are not sure whats really happening and everything is not going to plan and so much seems out of our control. But we need to remember God is the plan and whatever we have to walk through we need to and actually have to TRUST him with everything and lay it all down at his feet. And I know in this world trust has been something lacking as there have been many broken hearts broken promises and trust has been abused in every way but we need to work through our trust issues because God is so far above the people who have broken trust in our lives. His trust is pure it is real and He is saying trust me.Lord help us to be more like you. Let our hearts feel what you feel. Let our eyes see what you see. Let our feet go where you would go. Let our judgements fall away!!! Let our insecurities fall. Let our selfishness fall. Let our fear fall. But let your MERCY fall on us. Let your GRACE cover us. Let our FAITH rise. Let your LOVE change us. I am so humbled by your great love. Your love is so pure you are so holy Lord you are.
May God sake your world up too in a whole new way. For His GLORY and His ALONE!!!!
God bless ya
Carlee
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