The Simplicity of Following Jesus

We had Jonathan David Helser leading worship this weekend at the Branch. It was an intense time of worship, and I found myself back in that place of just loving Jesus. I kept thinking to myself, that this is what it's all about - loving the One who first loved me.

I love times of intimate fellowship with my Father. The only commandment He has given us is to love Him and love others. It really is that simple. God just wants our heart. We can so easily complicate things. I want to get back to that place of just sitting at His feet. Everything we need is found in Him. We need direction - He's got it. If we need finances - He said He would provide all that we need and more. If we need peace - He is the Prince of Peace. He really is our all in all.

Matthew 6:6 says, "Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace."

It is vital that our focus shift from ourselves to God.

Living for the Glory of God

The last few days I had really been struggling with some people who had gotten offended with me (or the church) because of a complete misunderstanding. I found that it was the first thing I thought about when I woke up, and the last thing I thought about before sleeping. I knew this was wrong. I knew that I needed to let it go and just trust God. But I just could NOT shake it. I would pray, but it was still lingering thought in my mind.

Until this morning... I sat down to read a daily devotional by Joseph Prince. An excerpt from today's date says the following:

When you live life above the sun, your thoughts are heavenward and you become Christ-occupied. You live for Him because you know that "all things were created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). When you live for His glory, your life takes on a new meaning and purpose.

Wow- that's exactly what I needed to hear (or read) this morning. God is always faithful to meet us right were we are, right when we need it most!

How often, when we are faced with a challenge, we become challenge-occupied rather than Christ-occupied. It becomes the only thing we think about. God is telling us, to look unto Him. He wants to take these weights and concerns from us, but if we can't let go of them - He can't do anything with those weights.

I truly want to live for the glory of God. It really doesn't matter what others say or think, the only thing that matters is that my Father is pleased with me. How freeing it is - to live for the glory of God and not the glory of man!

You Confront- Let God Enforce

The following is a repost of an article by Jimmy Evans:

This is something all wives need to know: the number-one need of a man is honor. Ephesians 5:22, when it says, "Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord," and the way a wife can serve her husband in this way is to honor him.

First, though, I want to clear up a popular misconception. Often people read Ephesians 5:22 and get the idea that it's saying men are superior to women.

That's not the case. The verse right before it says, "Submit to one another in the fear of the Lord." Submit to one another. So women are not spoken of as unequal or inferior to men. All of us are to serve each other, in the name of Christ.

			Another way to honor your husband is to confront him, when necessary, in love. But when you do, let God be the enforcer.

So submitting in this way "as to the Lord" is not to be put down, but to be given the key to your husband's heart. As a wife, the only way you'll ever relate to a son, a father, a brother, or a husband is to recognize his need for honor.

We live in a very dishonoring society. The culture around us is rude, disrespectful, and smart-alecky. It's all over television and the movies. In fact, the worst thing a wife can do is treat her husband like she sees husbands being treated on TV.

The question wives need to ask themselves is "How would I treat Jesus?" Literally, if you were married to Jesus, how would you treat him?

The most common answer to that question is "Well, if my husband acted anything remotely like Jesus I would treat him that way."

That's a good point, but men are sensitive in their egos. They are very aware of whether or not they are being respected or made to feel significant. Honor is oxygen in a man's world. He will gravitate to the place where he has the most honor.

In the same way, he will move away from the place where he does not receive honor, because it's painful for him.

How do you show honor to your husband? One way is to allow him to fail. I'm not talking about self-destruction, but simply about allowing your husband to get some things wrong without shaming him and nagging him.

A lot of people--women included--have a need to be right, which means they can't let an instance of wrongness pass by without correcting it. We're all human. Every husband is going to make some mistakes. But if you're in the habit of pointing out every single mistake your husband makes, the way you treat him is severely lacking in honor.

Let a few of his failures escape without comment. What's more important: being right or being happy?

Another way to honor your husband is to confront him, when necessary, in love. But when you do, let God be the enforcer.

As your husband's equal, you have the right to tell him anything you want to tell him. But it's not your job to brow-beat him and constantly make his life miserable until you get your way.

Say what you need to say, then let the Holy Spirit take over from there. Pray for him. Ask God to change his heart. But don't take it upon yourself to punish him.

Your job isn't to change your husband. Your job is to honor him.

Let the Lord Be Your Defense

This is taken from the Joseph Prince "Destined to Reign Devotional"

Psalm 94:22 - "But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge."

Imagine being a poor widow, a stranger in the land and holding one of the lowliest jobs in society. That was Ruth's situation, so it would have been easy for her to feel vulnerable and defenseless. But because she trusted the Lord (Ruth 1:16), He placed her under Boaz's protection.

Boaz, the owner of the field she worked in, commanded his young men saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her" (Ruth 2:15). What he was saying to his men was this: "She might be a gleaner, but because I care for her, treat her with respect and make sure she is not put to shame."

Boaz is a picture of our Lord Jesus. If you are feeling vulnerable and defenseless right now, imagine Jesus commanding His angels, "Watch over this one who belongs to Me. Make sure he is treated with respect and not put to shame because he is someone I love and someone whom I died for."

God's Word tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31.) No one who has set himself against us can prevail because when God is for us, His protection is upon us. That is why I have never answered any of the poison email messages which I have received in the course of my ministry.

My attitude is this: Jesus is my defense. If He does not defend me, it means that there are things in my life that are not to be defended, and I would be glad to find out about them now rather than later. On the other hand, because I take the Lord as my defense, and He defends me, what can those who are against me do to me?

When you defend yourself, you have only your two hands and your own human resources. But when you let Jesus take up your defense, He defends you with His nail-pierced hands and His legions of angels! The results will be amazing.

Beloved, the Lord is your defense and refuge. Trust Him to defend and protect you!

Quit Trying to Please Everyone

The following is a repost of Rick Warren's blog:

“It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you” (Proverbs 29:25 GN)

When we worry about what other people think, we let them control us. We waste a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what other people want us to be. Then, we waste a lot of time and energy trying to become like that rather than just being what God made us to be. You're manipulated and controlled by somebody else. Worrying about what other people think is dangerous because we’re more likely to cave in to criticism. It means we don't always do the right thing; instead, we do the thing that everybody wants us to do. And we’re in danger of missing God's best because we're so worried about what other people what us to do that we can't stop to think about what God wants us to do.

• Fact #1: You cannot please everybody. Even God can't please everybody. One person prays for it to rain; another prays for it to be sunny. In the Super Bowl, both teams are praying that they will win. Who is God going to answer? God can't please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do. You can't please everybody.

• Fact #2: It's not necessary to please everybody. There is a myth that says you must be loved and approved by everybody in order to be happy. That's just not true. You don't have to please everybody in order to be happy in life.

• Fact #3: Rejection will not ruin your life. It hurts, sure. It's not fun. It's uncomfortable. But rejection will not ruin your life unless you let it. Quit trying to please everybody! Remember that nobody can make you feel inferior unless you give them permission. The Apostle Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 TEV) This means we can think like this: ‘God likes me, and I like me; if you don't like me, then you've got a problem. If God likes me, who cares that everybody doesn't approve of everything I do.’ Remember, nothing you ever do will make God love you less. Nothing you ever do will make God love you more. He loves you completely right now.

Dreaming Again

Many times, we get caught up in just doing life; going around just taking care of our responsibilities but not really living. I have gotten caught in that place at times. I get tied up in other people's problems, helping them, giving everything I can. I also realized that, at times, I have been just trying to get by. That was never the way God intended us to live.

We are here for a purpose. Each one of us has been put here for a reason - Jeremiah 29:11 says it best, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

The Power of a Lemon

I found this on the Real Simple website and thought you might find it handy.

Sure, there's a million-dollar industry that thrives on offering all-natural cleaning products for your home, but did you realize you could get one of the most natural cleaning agents in the fruit section of your local market? Lemons are acidic and packed with antibacterial properties; here's how to transform the fresh fruit into a universal cleansing solution:

Cut one lemon into two halves, sprinkling baking soda on the first half. Use the lemon itself to scrub dishes, countertops and sinks. Next, squeeze the second half into a clean bowl to mix with vinegar for a natural cleansing spray. Clean your appliances and wooden cabinetry with the solution.

When finished, simply drop both lemon halves down the garbage disposal for a fresh scent that will fill the kitchen. Amazing, right?

So, when life hands you lemons - clean your house:)