Insecurity is insurrection not resurrection!!

Ever been insecure...that's a rhetorical question!! LOL! Truly, our insecurities are a direct lack of Faith in the Lord! Ever had a best friend?? Is His name Jesus??? Our Lord pointed something out to me that I'd like to share with you...!! I'm insecure...God doesn't make mistakes...He made me...and I'm insecure....and the devil whispers my name..."Did God really make you enough for Him?? Did God really mean to make you that way? Are you really lovable?? Isn't God obligated to love you because He's God...it's not because He thinks your wonderful or sufficient!!"  Guess what...it's time to shut the door and keep out the devil....!!! Hasn't He done enough to you and absolutely nothing for you???

True: God made me and God doesn't make junk!!
True: God wants me to say Yes to His Yes to my life!!
True: God made me for a purpose!!!
True: God made me specifically in His image!!
True: God knit me together on purpose for a specific purpose!!

False:  Insecurity means I don't think I'm enough....or I just don't think that I'm perfect or very special!!

No, Insecurity means that I don't think that God's plan for my life is enough...that His creating me was not good..that His Love cannot save me...so I have to rely on things that fail or try to do it myself because God's plan wont work...Insecure means insecure in the Lord!!!

How's that working for me?? It's not!! It doesn't work to believe the lies of the prowling lion....!! Lord, your plans are the best..Lord, you are more than enough...Lord Jesus..I need thee every hour!!! Lord, you have never failed and I know it's never been about whether or not others think I'm enough or perfect or whether or not I have sinned...Lord..It's about the fact that there is still a plan and a Savior and He's still inviting me to move..to act in His perfection in the purpose He still intends for me...Oh Lord...write my story...Lord let me Love as you do!!

^{Galatians 2:15-19:}

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles ¹⁶ know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸ If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”^[e]

^{Oh Lord...the truth is that you did not die for nothing...I'm not nothing and you are still everything....Be everything...Be thou my life..my vision...my security in you is secured with} resurrection power and energy...My faith be in you..no matter my boat..my lot...my call...my failings...Let me fall and let Christ reign...Let God be true and every man a liar....Lord, you are my king!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the God that made me and makes me secure in you alone!!

Next time you are feeling insecure...pray that the Lord will forgive you for listening to the enemy who leads the greatest insurrection against love of all time.  In stead...pray for the resurrection power of Christ to move you to Love...His perfect love.

Colossians 1:24-29

²⁴ Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵ I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ²⁶ the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

²⁸ He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Pray for His comfort and strength..the truth is He died to give it to you in abundance...!! Lord Be thou our vision

Oh Brother Jonah!!

Have you ever had one of those days???? Have you ever thought...Oh brother...!! Have the ideas of your heart been tossed aside in light of the Sovereignty of God and you thought..."seriously??" Instead of thinking Praise the Lord His plans are in motion and not mine...we think...no no no..I don't want things His way...Again we are choosing death over life and sacrificing so much when God values our obedience more than sacrifice!! He already sacrificed for you!! Reap the benefits not the whirlwind!!!

The clouds began to roll...the rain began to fall and the wind began to howl...all of these signs that the Lord had been told, no by one of His children..His children by love and by design...!! Close your eyes and smell the salty sea...feel the wind bring powerful resistance...Watch the darkness cover the light of the sky..Hear the sounds of the thunder burst forth in warning...See the lightening split the sky...Jonah saw this...I, Jennifer saw all of this happen under the sun of my youth..of my conflict with letting God be God and every man a liar....

Jonah 1:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

I've often wondered how many times and in how many ways that I have gone below the deck and fallen asleep..or wait a minute..let's back up...!! How many times has Jennifer, Jonah's little sister, jumped on board a ship heading for Tar shish, away from the presence of the Lord, and thought it would all be ok with smooth sailing??? Oh brother Jennifer!! Oh Brother Jonah..come and see what the Lord is doing...do you not perceive it???

2 Timothy 1:9

New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Perhaps instead of falling asleep because you are too afraid of His perfect love to carry you and change you and make you free to serve Him fully...Perhaps it's time to be awake???  Wake us up oh Lord that we may do your wonders and in turn wake up this world to your perfect Love!! 

Oh Lord..you are Holy...Let's just stop and worship Him in His perfection..in His holiness...Wholly given over to Him and to His perfect plan...remembering that all Good things come down from above from the Father of Heavenly lights..Sing to the King of Kings and give him your life and every part of your timelines and plans... 

When we focus on His perfection, we are less afraid of our weaknesses...

I was focusing on my weakness and my failures and scared to death of what might happen if God truly rocked my boat...It was at this time that I went to Haiti as an on-call missionary when I was 21 yrs. old!! More on this story in the next blog...for now...think about the last time you were afraid of failing...??? I know for me that I was afraid of not being accepted if I failed..afraid of not being loved and afraid of being alone...!! I did not know that God was enough and that His perfect love would never leave...and that's why His perfect love that called me to surrender looked really scary...I thought that if I had to let go of a picture that I'd come to know as a sure bet for love, for not being alone..then I'd better have a plan that was better...Sadly, I didn't know or accept that the Love of God was the best love..the perfect love that I really needed...!!!  Grow up Jennifer, finish college, get married and find love...have children and serve the Lord in righteousness!! Ok! Too bad that all of that plan was completely out of order...The Lord had walked with me and he had talked with me...as we have read together in my story..he had even called me...touched me with His love...but I had no idea what it meant for His love to be enough for me...that it was worth giving up any boat I'm in or any picture that I have...or any position in ministry that God had given me...

Please worship with me again and I hope you keep reading, for we are about to go to Haiti together....The setting, Nampa, Idaho on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University..The mood?? Excitement and joy mixed with fear of the unknown and major misconceptions about what it means to follow the Lord in surrender!! 

Perfect Love scares the Hell out of me!!

Ok..I admit that the title might have some of you thinking, "what"?  Well, if you really stop and think about it, the title will make perfect sense to you!!  Hell is not a good thing, right!! Hell is something that we'd never use in a positive light, right? In fact, we'd love to get as far away from such a place as hell as possible, right?  Well, in truth, there is no mistaking the meaning of this word...!! Hell is a terrible concept and there is nothing good about hell!  Furthermore, not one of us wants to go to hell and be separated from God...!! Yet, when we sin..we choose our love over His and our ways over His and our sin over His life and victory!! 

To be separate from the Love of God is Hell!! 

Verily I say to you that we separate ourselves from His perfect love all the time when we choose our ways over His..our will over His!! Yes, we have purchased our tickets to tar shish and we have literally chosen to experience hell, or life without His plan, will, and Love. Sin separates us from the Lord and His Love, His perfect love...and places us through hell all the time!!!  When sin is full grown it gives birth to death and Hell!!  

James 1: 13-15 clearly lays out what happens when we choose to sin, 

^"13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

So what do good Nazarenes everywhere have to say about that?? Get rid of all sin and Let's sing, and rejoice... Ha..Ha Ha...!!! Cum by Yah anyone???

Let's get real for just a second and think about why we cannot sing that song during a storm without itching and squirming just a bit!! Well, maybe if you are comfortable in your life right now and tragedy has escaped you for the moment..you are singing that song....!!  Don't be deceived!! Did you really get rid of all sin??? Are you in full agreement with the known will of God for your life...???? If you interpret good times or the apparent lack of storms with being in God's will then

  I'm not happy for you...no offense!! I'll explain more about that below...!!  FYI...I'd be happy for you if you were singing sweet victory in Jesus in the midst of a storm due to full reliance on the Master...but that's not where we are in my story and since this is my blog..we'll dive into that in God's time!! 

But for now, let's talk about when tragedy strikes??? What about when the pain hits you blind sided and you are shocked by each wave???

What do you do when comfort is 50 feet in front of you on a dark and stormy night, looking like a ghost and walking across the water?? Feeling the conflict???

Consider for a moment Matthew 14: 22-33, 

"Jesus Walks on the Water

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

³² And when they , meaning the Lord and Peter...climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

What if you have to get out of your boat to go and meet the Lord..and at 3am?? What happens when the God of all comfort calls you out of your comfort zone soooo far that you are scared to death that you are going to drown??? What happens when God created your boat..and you're in it and your are safe from the waves and then the same God that called you to get in the boat..calls you to get out of it?? Awkward!! Conflict!! 

My wonderful Nazarene pastor pointed something out to us this last Sunday...!! When you come into conflict it's always because you see the Lord in front of you and you take a look at what He seems to be calling you to do...Yet, you see your plans..plans you have made..plans He might have even called you into...and your conflict is that you think your plans are better than God's..more comfortable...more pleasing...

When you are too close to having things your way and when you see God's call on a one or two dimensional level, you will resist his plan!! When we are not close enough to the creator of the things, and to the God of every call, then when God calls you will feel backed up against a wall.

In short...God's call will scare you to death...!! And God's Love will make you run!! That's right:

Principle: When the world's comforts condition you to expect that love is always like the Love boat...God's perfect love will definitely conflict with the show!!  Good news for you:  Hope in Him floats...and God walks on the waters of your life for even the wind and the waves obey the Lord!!

Do you think for even a moment that Jonah thought it possible that God might call him to Nineveh?? This was more than just a case where Jonah thought he was better than Assyria!! Yep, yep, yep... this was not just a case where Jonah thought that he would be in danger!! 

Truly, this was a case where Jonah thought he already knew the end of his story!!  Jonah was God's mouthpiece to Israel..plain and simple...!! Jonah didn't want out of the boat God had fashioned for him...!! I'm like that too! God gives me something and I don't want anything else...because I'm comfortable with what I've grown to know..!! Personally, when God puts me in a boat, it's my hope today that I'm willing for Him to ask me to leave that boat as well!! 

 Moreover, perhaps this was a case where Jonah just didn't know God well enough beyond the present part of his personal story!!! You see, God is eternal and we are stuck in time!! We forget that don't we?? God is already in the future..waiting to show you even more than we can imagine about the story He's writing for you!!! Are you stuck in time today?? Has God given you a life and now you have left Him on the shelf while you run it?? Which book are we going to leave on the shelf?? Which book are you reading???  Most importantly, is God the author of the book you're reading??? 

Principle: When the master calls and you resist...you've forgotten that you are His!!

If you are like me and you had a plan...a plan that had the appearance of wisdom and love...but God had other plans that just flew in the face of your plan, then it's time to listen and it's time to understand....!!

 Hear this: My thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways says the sovereign Lord...!!!  My timing is not your timing and my love is not your love...!! Don't be surprised when God's perfect love for the world comes calling for you to be a part and your comforts and your plans are blown out of the water...!!!

Why does God's Perfect love scare the hell out of me??? Because God's perfect love drives out the comforts and the conveniences and the misconceptions about God straight out of my life...!! God's perfect love drives out my sin and lets God's will be more important than mine and God's light shatters...that's right, it shatters every bit of my darkness...!! 

I don't want to shatter your illusions..that's God's job...but I will be honest with you...honest about my personal experience with God's will and His love: If you want God's will...be prepared for His love to be radically different than yours...!!! Be prepared for His call to be far far different than planned!!

If you are in conflict tonight with God's call...then let me ask you again...Who is the author of your story?? Are there whales in your story?? Are there waves??? Is there a Savior...?? In the next blog..we will hear what happened when Jennifer was called to go to the edge of nowhere and how it conflicted with her plans...Until then, I hope you end your conflict with the declaration that God's story is the only story that will ever be right for you!! Let Him write it??? Let Him calm your storm??? Let Him call you??? Listen to His voice??

I leave you with this beautiful song about Faith by Brit Nicole, 

Perfect Love does not disappoint us!! Love saves us!!

Sometimes we have seasons in our lives that try the soul!! Ha! Sometimes?? Ever had the never ending storm...??? The Jumping Tornado...??? The Earthquake with endless aftershocks and the flood ??? Oh the flood of trials that never seem to end and the rain just keeps pounding??? Sometimes??? Ever thought that you knew God loved you, but you weren't quite sure if you'd ever feel it?? Could it be dear ones that your view of God, as we mentioned in the last two blogs, has been shaped by your human experiences of man or woman?? Ya think?? Rather, we ought to have our experience of God and the truth of God we read about in His word...shape our view of man, woman and ourselves, but that's just not the way we roll is it?

Why oh Why can we not understand that our thoughts are not His thoughts..Our ways..are simply not His ways...Hear this: When we trust in our fantasies, the fantasy of man, we fall dangerously far from the glory of God's original plan!!

 Friends, if you would like to over come..if you would like to get out of the belly of a stinky whale...you've got to start seeing it God's way...but the only way to the Father is through His son, Jesus Christ...!! Submit therefore your thoughts to Him..the author and perfecter of your faith...Faith is not Belief...Faith is ASSent.....!! Look up child of God and let His glorious light shine upon you...!!!

Principle:
If you don't look up, He wont fill your cup!! 
Therefore dear children set your minds on things above..not on earthly things....That's where our lives are to be hidden safely in his plan..resting in His perfect hands!

Oh..be careful..Christian...Be careful who you listen to and what you see...!! Already we are told in several areas of the Bible that we are not to trust ourselves...Jeremiah 17..let alone anyone else...!!  We Trust others "In Christ"..but we must remember to trust In Christ alone...!!! 

Otherwise..Mushrooms look like hamburgers and snakes look like satin ribbons and spiders look like hands of mercy...!! In fact, a ministry to Israel looks like a sweet deal...!! Whoa...wait a minute...you say!! Jennifer, are you telling me that ministry to Israel is wrong?? "God is really using me"...cries Jonah..!! "God called me to do this, Jennifer"!! Jonah explains...!! Yes, God called you Jonah...but His call is not one-dimensional and is definitely not stagnant, but rather moving and expanding to levels we cannot know or understand....!! Jonah..the answer to you is "No"...Ministry to Israel is not wrong..!!  But however, making that ministry more important than God's voice calling to you in the night is wrong...!! When was the last time all of you said no to God...because you were already busy serving Him??? Hmmmm!! It's an interesting question isn't it?? Well....Do not harden your hearts!!! Remember that God can send us to Egypt and then deliver us to the Promised land....!! Trust not where you serve, but the God that calls you to serve!! Hebrews 4 warns us that

Amplified Bible  Hebrews 4:

4 Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered

 [today], let us be afraid [^[a]to distrust it], lest any of you should ^[b]think 

he has come too late and has come short of [reaching] it.

² For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as 

truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from 

bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them,

 because it was not mixed with faith (with ^[c]the leaning of the entire personality 

on God in absolute trust and confidence 

in His power, wisdom, and goodness)

by 

those who heard it; ^[d]neither were they united in faith with the ones 

[Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe).

³ For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) 

do enter that rest, ^[e]in accordance with His declaration that those

 [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, 

They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been

 completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the 

foundation of the world.

⁴ For in a certain place He has said this about the seventh day: And God rested 

on the seventh day from all His works.

⁵ And [they forfeited their part in it, for] in this [passage] He said, They shall 

not enter My rest.

⁶ Seeing then that the promise remains over [from past times] for some to enter

 that rest, and that those who formerly were given the good news about it and

 the opportunity, failed to appropriate it and did not enter because of 

disobedience,

⁷ Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity

 of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words 

already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not

 harden your hearts.

⁸ [This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For

 if Joshua had given them rest, He [God] would not speak afterward about another

 day.

⁹ So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for 

the [true] people of God;

Don't be deceived...Run..Run...Run to the Lord...Oh Jonah...you were deceived...!! There is a rest for you...there is a plan for you..and no matter how opposite it seems to the original path upon which God placed you...You must walk in ways that are not your ways if you are to serve God and not man..if you are to rest solely on His plan...You thought that Being God's prophet to Israel was God's gift to you...and also to your nation!! So, you ran to protect anything that would harm that gift...No No No!! Oh no you didn't!!! No! Oh Jennifer...you were deceived too!!...You exchanged the truth of God for a lie...for a gift...and ran in order to protect it...!!!

Remember that your Father knows how to give you good gifts...!! Remember His ways are the eternal promises of God, not the temporary circumstance of your present world...Go for the Glory..Go for the things of God that will never pass away...Say yes and walk in His ways...

Matthew 7:11
If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

Ask Him for His gifts for you today...and surrender all things from yesterday!!

Perhaps we look at the gifts to know if we are loved...and we neglect to see the gift giver...the true treasure..?? Perhaps that's why we fail to receive the Love that will sustain??? Please read the following excerpt from Charles Spurgeon..and ask yourselves this morning...Do I take the gifts as love and when the storms rage wonder how I lost the love..the acceptance, the promise??? Or, do I love the gift giver above all else...?? Do I even really know Him personally as the greatest love of my life...???

"We have here crowning mercies, suggesting special and crowning thanksgiving. All the year round, every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us; both when we sleep and when we wake, his mercy waits upon us. The sun may leave off shining, but our God will never cease to cheer his children with his love. Like a river his lovingkindness is always flowing, with a fulness inexhaustible as his own nature, which is its source. Like the atmosphere which always surrounds the earth, and is always ready to support the life of man, the benevolence of God surrounds all his creatures; in it, as in their element they live, and move, and have their being. Yet as the sun on summer days appears to gladden us with beams more warm and bright than at other times, and as rivers are at certain seasons swollen with the rain, and as the atmosphere itself on occasions is fraught with more fresh, more bracing, or more balmy influences than heretofore, so is it with the mercy of God: it has its golden hours, its days of overflow, when the Lord magnifies his grace and lifts high his love before the sons of men. If we begin with the blessings of the nether springs, we must not forget that for the race of man the joyous days of harvest are a special season of excessive favour. It is the glory of autumn that the ripe gifts of providence are then abundantly bestowed; it is the mellow season of realisation, whereas all before was but hope and expectation. Great is the joy of harvest. Happy are the reapers who fill their arms with the liberality of heaven. The psalmist tells us that the harvest is the crowning of the year."

For meditation: Consider the common grace of God to all people (Psalm 145:9,15–16; Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17). Do you take the gifts and ignore the Giver? Or do you receive his gifts with thanksgiving as one who believes and knows the truth (1 Timothy 4:3)?

Sermon no. 532

27 September (Harvest Thanksgiving 1863)

Oh my heavens...So,...what do we say about Who God is??? Who do you say He is this morning?? More importantly..who do you know in your heart He is this morning?? 

God Loves you..and Loves you perfectly..!! He made you in His image just so that you could personally relate to Him...Run to Him...talk to Him..!! Ask Him to teach you all about perfect Love...!! Ask Him to Love you with the gifts of today and surrender the gifts of yesterday into His eternity!! He'll say yes, every time...! He promised you a beautiful ending and He created you for a beautiful purpose!! Remember that God always finishes what He starts...!! It's never too late to  wait upon the Lord's truth..to enter into His rest!! The Lord's love, the Lord's mercy is all yours child of God!! Remember..He died to set you free..Look up to Jesus..In faith..REach out and let Him know that you've believed in another kind of love..a love that failed..!! Perhaps like me, you've been trying to earn the Lord's love...looking for it through the blessings...the tangibles..the good times..!! Now, you're ready to love the gift giver..the miracle worker..the Pearl of Great Price...the Lamb of God who takes aways the sins of the world...the one who is waiting to hold you and protect you...!! Look!!..the lamb of God who takes aways the sins of the world...Run to Him..you wont be disappointed...

Whether there are gifts we can touch or nothing but pain, a right relationship with God showers unending love like sunshine through the rain.

Won't you run to the Perfect Love that has nothing to do with man that fails and everything to do with God loving you? Pray with me?? Lord, you are Love...and You are Good..fix my eyes on your Love Lord! We are not of this world and this world is not our home...I surrender my heart in full to you Lord..Take it...Fill it with Love that does not fail...and from now on...I seek to know you..that your light and your goodness and I want your love to define what's true for me..no more do I want a poor imitation.