Let Freedom be your new name....

If you've ever been victimized, in any way, you no doubt have carried the weight of that trauma for far too long and if you're like me you've branded yourself a "victim."  The problem with the label of victim is the mentality it breeds and the strongholds it forges in your soul.  Years after the trauma, the "victim" is still tethered to and identified by the very crimes and offenses they're trying to escape --you live each day of your present a slave to the past.  THIS is not freedom!

A victim mentality will contaminate everything it touches and every life it comes in contact with, eventually tainting and putrefying all that it encounters, leaving behind a stench of rotting flesh.
From one former "victim" to the many others who may relate, THIS is not freedom!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."-Galatians 5:1 Accepting anything less than freedom is accepting less than what Christ came to give you and me.  Accepting the title of victim-- allowing it to shape and define who you are, letting it influence how you act, and giving it a vote in the choices you make--is CHOOSING to live enslaved. Again I say, THIS is not freedom! Paul's declaration, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief."-(1 Timothy 1:15) resonates with me, with a slight variation...I often think of it this way-Christ Jesus came into the world to save VICTIMS, of whom I've been the chief. See, I don't type from a soap box of self-righteousness and finger-pointing, but from humble gratitude for my rescue from bondage.  I once was lost and now I am found.  I was once blinded by the cataracts that years of being wounded and mistreated, abused and violated left behind, and now I see.  I was once bitter and jaded BY CHOICE and I believed the lie that the world and everyone in it was out to get me and out to hurt me, and that they somehow owed me. Today I am healed, I am whole, I am restored- I am a brand new creation!!!  I was once a victim and now I'm a Daddy's girl, a beloved bride, and a treasured princess-- THIS is freedom!!! I urge you, if you are wearing the label of victim, letting it sabotage the life and liberty that God has for you and keep you from knowing TRUE peace and healing, lay it down and invite the Truth to set you free. Be free. Be completely free.  "It is for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore KEEP standing firm and do not be entangled with a yoke of bondage!" -Galatians 5:1 "For, whom the Lord sets free is free indeed!" (John 8:36)   Let yourself lay down the label, the title, the identity of victim--recognize, it only victimizes you more!  "Victims" can never be free.  Victims can never be more than slaves. Go ahead. Make the choice right now to be free. Say goodbye to Victim and let Freedom be your new name...

Guard the Drain!!!

Washing dishes today, my spirit was suddenly flooded with a picture I knew was for a beloved friend, but quickly realized what a great lesson for us all.

I saw an over-flowing  bathtub and a hand then reaching in to pull the plug and empty the water.  It was a slow but steady leaking out at first, but then soon, as quickly as the water was being poured in it was being sucked down and out the tiny drain.

God began to show me that we are those tubs, He is the Ever-Flowing Fountain pouring in His presence, His life, His provisions and blessings, His strength, His peace, His love...
This hand of the enemy came subtly and swiftly, often undetected at first, reaching in to drain us of all the goodness of God that surrounds us, leaving us sapped and drained of all that is meant to sustain us.

What God is constantly and lovingly pouring into us is ours to receive and soak in.   In his sneaky and intrusive schemes, satan comes to steal, kill, destroy.  Be alert!  Don't fall asleep in the tub!  The Lord has come to give us life and life abundantly, to saturate us in all His fullness, and then to let that life spill over and onto all those in our bone-weary and dehydrated worlds.

Soak the entirety of your being in the over-flowing goodness of God today--get good and wrinkly in it!!!  And then refuse to allow the enemy of your soul to pull the plug.  Don't let your peace go down the drain!  Don't watch your health, finances, hope, faith, strength, and life spiral down and out of your tub!  Immerse yourself in the cleansing, invigorating, and revitalizing waters and then whatever you do, guard the drain! 

(Psalm 36:9- "For You, Oh Lord, are The Fountain of Life!")

feast...

I read a devotion today that has me picturing the emotional state of far too many of us.  I began seeing humanity flooding the street corners of life, downtrodden and filthy, holding up tattered bits of cardboard that read, "will_________ for love."  The blanks are filled with verbs as diverse as the faces that hold them, expressing the desperate lengths that this love-starved population will go to for this precious and crucial commodity. 

I myself have panhandled for love.  I have crouched in gutters and approached perfect strangers hoping for crumbs of approval and acceptance, when just beyond my blurred sight, a banquet had been prepared for me. Perhaps you can relate. 

"Like beggars we go from person to person with our empty cup crying, 'can't you add anything to my life?' They might throw in a coin or two. But when we shake the cup, the tinny echo reminds us how empty we remain." (Beth Moore)
 
Today, we have this promise-- God is Love.  His love fills.  His love satisfies.  His love is freely given and ours for the taking- not as pathetic, scrounging paupers, but as His beloved sons and daughters who are invited to come boldly before Him and receive!

Hear His invitation, "Come to My banqueting table. My banner over you is love, see it waving wildly overhead?  It's there to cover you, to protect you, to provide and satisy you.  While here, get a good taste of who I am--have your fill!  See??? I AM GOOD.  My love never fails, never leaves, never disappoints, never ceases for you.  You are My Beloved.  That is your new name, your identity.  You are My Beloved, and I Am yours.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, can separate you from My love, so rest in that and allow Me to teach you to trust in that.  Turn from your former vagabond ways and let Me be your shelter."

Feast on Him today and find your fullness in Him. Raise your cup up to be filled with Living Water and thirst no more.  Raise your cup to be filled, and then turn to the needy and love-starved right next to you and invite them to do the same--rest assure there is plenty for everyone.  He is the Love that never runs dry!

"Until we allow Jesus to fill our cups daily, we simply subsist. Sooner or later, God will make sure we confront the poverty of living on the alms of others so that we may learn to feast on Him." (Beth Moore)

Let's toss the signs aside and feast friends...

^"He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love for love waved as a protecting and comforting banner over my head when I was near Him." (Song of Solomon 2:4 AMP)

"What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are." (1 John 3:1 MSG)

^" For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ( Romans 8:38-39 NIV)

In the aftermath...

The dictionary defines aftermath as, "the resulting consequences of an event of great magnitude." It's one of those words reserved for moments of disaster and devastation, when lives are left in ruin and it's clear that things will never again be the same.

I, like far-too-many, was born in aftermath. I was raised in aftermath. I am a survivor of aftermath

And it was in aftermath that Jesus found me, buried beneath a lifetime of ruble.

One forgets the smell of fresh air when they've inhaled soot and shame their entire journey.

People always say, " and I've never looked back" and I get it. It's crucial that we live pressing onward and living free from our pasts. If I'm being brutally honest, however, I do look back from time to time. I see the smoldering ruins and wonder what life would have been, who this child of aftermath would have become.

It's the gripping reality of the magnitude of His rescue that ever-stirs me to love Him more. It haunts me in the most glorious of ways.

"In that moment of glorious surrender,
Was the moment You broke the chains in me.
Lifted out of the ashes
I am found in the aftermath." (Hillsong United- "Aftermath")

Wake up and live...

   Recently the Lord has unearthed a long-buried dream in my heart. Despite having "died" to this desire a few years back, God has made it crystal clear that the resurrection of this hope (that I had begun denying even existed) is in fact the work of His hands. He has awakened this lifeless dream and has done nothing short of reviving and unleashing this dreamer.
 
   It is in this "divine awakeness" that I have learned a thing or two about guarding these dreams,these treasured "yet-to-be" destined moments of God, as well as protecting the vulnerably hopeful dreamer.

1.Allow yourself to be excited!
Give yourself permission to be unapologetically and unashamedly excited! There is enough in this world that, by design of the enemy, steals our enthusiasm and unabashed joy. If God stirs and awakens a dream- NO MATTER HOW SEEMINGLY ABSURD-permit yourself to experience the bubbling anticipation that comes along with it.   

2. Find yourself some "Dream-Breathers".
"Dream-Breathers" are those who are proven trustworthy and love you in such a way that they are committed to seeing you have and enjoy the abundant life God has planned for you. "Dream-Breathers" hear the often irrationally sounding God-desires of your heart and come alongside you in a way that communicates, "your dreams are sacred and safe with me. I see that too, I agree, I will walk with you into the fruition of that destiny."

"Dream-Breathers" are a rarity to be treasured--their words, their prayers, their confirmations and affirmations all cheer you on and release the life-breath of God into the fertilizing atmosphere of faith that surrounds you and your fragile dream seeds. If you identify "Dream-Breathers" in your world, position yourself closer in humility and transparency, share and keep sharing the precious dreams of your heart, invite them into your expectancy and allow them to celebrate the awakening with you.

3. Hold tight to the joyful expectations no matter what comes along!!!
The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy and his blood-thirstiness can easily sniff out a newly awakened dream or dreamer.  Be aware and alert and vigilant.  REFUSE to forfeit your God-given excitement, joy, and expectancy at all costs!  These are more than merely "nice" emotions, these are the power-infused components of faith that escort a dream from the "yet-to-be" place to divine fulfillment.  Again, giving yourself permission to be unapologetically and unashamedly excited about the stirring hand of God is crucial to the well-being of  both the dream and the dreamer.  Therefore, hold tight and don't let go of your joyful expectations.

    While it is true that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, the rivaling and far more powerful promise of God is this- that He has come that we may have and enjoy an abundant life!

Experiencing the abundant life happens when you wake up and begin to dream again. There is a fog that lifts, a clarity, and an unrivaled excitement-the kind that keeps you on the edge of your seat holding your breath,every inch of your being poised with expectancy. You function at a newly-found and heightened sense of awareness that something life-altering and mind-blowing is "just around the corner". Butterflies in the pit of your stomach keep you alert and vigilant, looking and listening intently for any sign of movement. You are awake and alive in the truest ways.  And if you pause just long enough perhaps you'll hear the words I heard, "Beloved, wake up and live!"

"To be" list...

I am a self-confessed lover of "to do" lists. I love everything about them, maybe too much. I enjoy the calculated thought process almost as much as I enjoy the actual act of putting pen to crisp paper, but I love nothing greater about them than the feeling of drawing a line of completion through each individual task. Anyone who can relate is sure to have a great number of notepads and Post-Its nearby, as well as plenty of pens always handy. List writing is a continual,rotating process as there is always a non-stop flow of things to do and things done, but a hardcore list-maker finds this productive not frustrating.

Driving to a meeting Monday morning, I began to mentally make one such list for the week ahead. Midway through my thought process, I was interrupted by a Holy Spirit thought..."what if you began today not with your "to do" list but a "to BE" list. As I allowed this word to settle in my spirit, something in me was stirred to respond, "Today, I plan to BE...selfless, loving, generous, peaceful, joyful, life-giving, content, inspiring, obedient, attentive and responsive to the voice of God, and on, and on, and on...

Because of this brief Monday morning encounter,my days this week have started and ended differently . And although I will forever be a maker of "to do" lists,writing them will no longer be #1 on that list,for as we're often reminded, we are human BEINGS before we are human DOINGS. So,that said,what's on your "to BE" list??? Selah...

He delights to heal...

A little too much "Power Yoga" and I found myself left not quite so bendy. A little ice, a little recouping and I went from sore to in serious pain. I have been no stranger to back pain and have a diagnosis that is less than stellar when it comes to the medical state of my back. I do not deny the reality of this, but I do chose to, however, walk in the healing already attained for me through Christ. So to find myself in severe pain and slightly disabled yet AGAIN left me frustrated and angry...with myself...

As I said, I fully believe in the completed work of the cross and I know that it is by His stripes I am healed. I walk by this faith and have experienced His manifested healing in my own body more times than I can count (many times my back) and have witnessed literally thousands of people at a time receive miraculous healings. God is The Healer and He STILL heals...these things I know. My frustration came in feeling that I keep making myself "unhealed" and seriously wondering if this frustrates my Healer. I know, in retrospect, this sounds ridiculous but the only "dad" I knew always seemed bothered/frustrated by my existence so I can STILL revert to wrongly associating my Father with what I've known. Honestly, I didn't even really realize I had been grasping onto this "stinkin thinkin" until it was revealed to me, not through a correcting/condemning word, but through an affirmation of His love...

I decided I had tolerated enough of the pain that I had "earned" through my zealous working out and asked Him what to do about it. There are many good and practical things one can do for a back injury and believe me throughout the past eight years I have tried many (ironically including the working out to lose extra weight)and so I was prepared for whatever direction He gave. He led me to His Word-"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up" (James 5:14) As a "mature Christian" my pride and foolishness began arguing with God that I should be able to "get healed" on my own...(I later wondered where it says THAT in the Bible). Now, I'm not saying we can't be healed alone, we can, I have...but if God's Word leads you to an act of obedient faith, especially after asking Him to do so, we (I) ought to learn to pay attention. So I did...

After a meeting at my Pastor's house I humbled myself and asked for prayer. They anointed me with oil, laid hands on me and the first words out of my Pastor's mouth were, "He delights to heal you". Not, "He is frustrated with having to heal you AGAIN"..or, "what a bother you are to be asking AGAIN"...or, "can't you for once keep the healing I already gave you???" As I exhaled and repositioned my body, all pain melted and audible "pops" were heard as He began readjusting my body and my mind. To Him be all the glory!!!

He delights (enjoys and takes pleasure) in healing me. He delights IN US, His children. He delights to heal YOU...TODAY. And as Bill Johnson likes to say, He gives you permission to be healed right... NOW!