The Beatitudes: Blessed Are The Meek

Matthew 5:5 KJV

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Ephesians 4:32 KJV

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Titus 3:2-7 KJV

2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

James 1:26-27, 2:1-13 KJV

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Our Ministry is called Help the Hurt Ministry because that is exactly what we strive to do. We want to help those who are hurting, whether they are lost or saved, old time saints or backslid Christians, rich or poor. Because whether or not you find yourself on a bar stool or church pew, one fact is true: you are a sinner in need of a Savior. 

In the past week and a half, this fact has become glaringly obvious in my life. It is a fact that Brandon and I cannot seem to get away from. This obvious truth, that no matter our circumstances, we are all the same: wretched and vile sinners. Christ came to save each one of us. Not just those who are debt free and wealthy, not just those in designer clothes and expensive cars, not just those with mansions and perfectly manicured lawns , not just the beautiful, talented, and famous. He came to save me and everyone like me who is up to their eyeballs in bills and living paycheck to paycheck, wearing hand-me-downs and driving upside down gas-guzzlers, living in itty, bitty fixer-uppers with ain't-had-time-in-two-weeks-to-mow lawns, sleep deprived, can't sing a note, unheard of selves. For God so loved the WORLD. The world y'all! He didn't just pick the cream of the crop to give eternal life to, He picked us all and we only have to believe in Him. 

And if our Creator, our Father, our Lord and Savior, didn't just pick those He deemed worthy, because let's face it, none of us would have made that list, then we ought not to either. We don't get to pick and choose who to love and who not to love, who to share the Gospel with and who not to, who we deem fit to darken the doorways of our churches and who ought to go back to where they came from. We all have sin in our lives, each and every one of us. None of us are perfect and none of us can claim to be. There are people all over this world, dying and going to hell because Christians will not take the time to witness to them, to share Christ's love with them because of the clothes they're wearing, the color of their hair, the piercings or tattoos on their bodies. Somehow, we Christians have become Pharisees and we are driving away the lost and the hurting in hoards. 

Please note that I am not talking about the "wolves in sheep's clothing" that we have all encountered at some point within our churches, I am talking about the lost and dying, the Christians who are backslid and walking afar off, who are in need of our love, our help and our Savior. I am not so naive to think that everyone who sits on our church pews are there for help or to praise and worship our Lord. I know that there are dangers, that there are those who would come in to flaunt their sin and to mock us but I believe the Lord gives us the discernment and the knowledge to deal with these situations as they arise. 

The scripture says it all, says more than I ever could. Blessed are the meek, the kind, the humble, the loving, the giving, to all men, for they shall inherit the earth. Pure religion and undefiled is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. We must go to them, where they are, when they are hurting and cannot come to us. We've got to roll our sleeves up and get a little dirty once in a while. Sitting on a church pew service after service, never doing anything for God, never telling of His love and the blessings He has bestowed on you, causes a dangerous self-deception. When we do that we forget what we came from, we forget what God delivered us from, we forget that we are just as dirty and rotten as those we catch ourselves passing judgement on. We lose our meekness, our humbleness, our kindness, and our love for our brethren and for the world. We forget that we can be in the world, witnessing and sharing our Savior's love and still remain unspotted and not of the world if our faith and our hearts are where they should be. 

If we tear down the proud wall of judgement we've built around our hearts and we remember that in the end, none of us are worthy to be called His, that we've all been offered mercy and grace by the Master and King of Kings, then perhaps it won't be so hard to extend that same mercy and grace to those around us. 

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth...

Revelation 21:1-8 KJV

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Fruits of the Spirit: Gentleness

Galatians 5:16-25 KJV

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gentleness Is:
An attitude of humility (James 1:21) stirred by a grateful spirit (Numbers 12:3) revealed in a tenderness towards other (Ephesians 4:2) sustained by a growing trust in God (Matthew 5:5).

To avoid spoiling watch for bitterness.

Imagine yourself living in a house.

God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and fixing the leaks in the roof and so on. You knew those jobs needed doing and so you were not surprised. But presently, He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts and does not seem to make sense. 

What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of...throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage.

But He is building a palace.

--C.S. Lewis

So has been my journey of motherhood. I didn't mean to turn this series into one on parenting. And it may not continue to be so after tonight's post. But I suppose the Lord knew that this was the direction that I needed to go in the most. Aside from Him, I've never wanted anything more than to be a Momma. So on the days when being a Momma is the hardest thing I've ever done, on the days when I crawl into bed crying from exhaustion and fear that I'm doing more harm than good, on the days when I wonder how on earth I'm going to make it until Brandon gets home, on those days it is difficult to remember that my boys aren't a distraction from more important work, they are the most important work. They are the most important work because their souls hang in the balance (Proverbs 15:11). I have the promise that the Lord will become their Salvation if they but believe on Him. The most important job I have as a Momma is to point them to Christ in every single thing I do. I must live Him, breathe Him, walk and talk Him. They must know that He is the answer for every problem that they face.  

And just like the house that C.S. Lewis talks about, Christ is moving in and tearing down the walls I've built around what I think being a parent looks like. 

I struggle with being longsuffering and patient and in that same regard I struggle with being gentle. I am hasty to dole out discipline in the midst of frustration and anger. I have seen my boys flinch when I raise my voice, I’ve seen them cower in fear. Is this how I want to raise my children? In fear? With a broken spirit? How do I walk that fine line between instilling respect and causing true fear?

I choose gentleness. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fists, may it be only in prayer. –Max Lucado

In Jesus Christ’s three and a half years of preaching and teaching, not once did He turn away someone in anger or frustration. The only time we see Him raise a hand in anger is to turn the tables over of the moneychangers and cast them out of the temple because they had defiled the house of God, they were profiting off of the sins of God’s chosen people. (Matthew 21:12)  Instead, He gently rebukes them and tells them to go and sin no more. (John 8:11)

1 Peter 3:4 tells me that a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God a great price. To be meek not only means to be quiet and gentle but to be obedient.

I am not gentle by nature but I can be gentle by obedience. –Lysa TerKeurst

If I want to be a Godly Momma, I have to learn gentleness. I have to have an attitude of humility that is stirred by a grateful spirit. Grateful that God has chosen me to be the Momma to my boys. Grateful that He has blessed me with 2 of the most beautiful and magnificent blessings I could ever hold in my heart. I must reveal a tenderness towards them that is sustained by a growing trust in God, a trust in God that believes that He will guide me in pointing them towards His Son. A trust in God that puts my skill in parenting in His hands to be taught love, joy, peace, longsuffering and gentleness. And I must turn to God with any bitterness or resentment that I may feel on the difficult days to avoid spoiling my gentleness. If I let those take up residence in my newly built palace then it will crumble around me. I may not ever be a perfect Momma, but Christ covers my flaws with His own gentleness.

In His gentleness, He gives us grace.

Grace has a face. It is the face of compassion, of comfort, safety, and acceptance. It is the face of unconditional love. It is the face of a parent. Grace has a face…It’s yours. –L. R. Knost

Who Am I Lord? : You Are Mine

Song of Solomon 2:16 KJV

My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

Isaiah 43:1 KJV

But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

John 17:23 KJV

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Who Are You, Lord?

While Praying One Day A Woman Asked, 

"Who Are You, Lord?"

He Answered, "I Am". 

But, Who Is I Am? She Said.

And He Replied...

"I Am Love, I Am Peace,

I Am Grace, I Am Joy,

I Am The Way, Truth, And The Light ...

I Am The Comforter,

I Am Strength, I Am Safety,

I Am Shelter, I Am Power, I Am The Creator,

I Am The Beginning And The End,

I Am The Most High".

The Girl With Tears In Her Eyes Looked

Toward Heaven And Said,

"Now I Understand. 

But Lord, Who Am I?"

Then God Tenderly Wiped The Tears

From Her Eyes And Whispered,

"You Are Mine".

Mine. I hear that word countless times a day. "NO" and "MINE" are a toddler's favorite words I do believe. At 2 and 3 years old my boys understand the fierce possession that "mine" means. They're ready to brawl at the drop of a hat it seems like some days if one thinks that hat is his and not his brother's. But as possessive as they are over toys, sippy cups, or last week's chicken nugget found wedged under the car seat, they're even more so possessive of the people they love. One of Kieran's first fully formed sentences was "My Poppa. Baby get." when he thought that Nanna ought to hold Devlin so that Poppa could hold him.

But I am not sure more thrilling words have ever been uttered than these, "you are mine," when you know it's the Master and Savior whispering them to you.  And that is exactly what we are, His. He has chosen us, He has called us by name, we are His beloved, and He is in us and God the Father loves us as He has loved His only begotten Son. 

I have looked forward to writing this blog since we began the Who Are You Lord? series, and now that I am, I am simply speechless. I'm not at all sure that I can do it justice. I am not at all worthy to be called His.  Nothing I have ever said or done, or could do or say, can make me enough, save one thing. Making Him mine. I am His beloved and He is mine. Choosing Him means that His blood covers my weakness and my failings, covers my sin and washes me white as snow, makes me worthy in the sight of my Father. Knowing that I am His is, more often than not, the only thing that keeps me going, keeps me putting one foot in front of the other, keeps me from burying my head in the blankets and refusing to get out of bed. Because He is in me I can face another day full of the stresses of life and all that that entails. But sometimes it gets to be too much. There are times when I am overwhelmed and I can feel the panic rise in my throat and the tears spring up in my eyes and I know that the dam is about to burst...and then it does. And while I am falling apart He is picking up the pieces. And then I feel Him, so powerfully that He may as well be here in the flesh lifting my head up and giving me the peace and comfort,the strength and shelter, and love that I need so much.

For all that He has done for me, what can I do for Him? How do I repay Him? I must live for Him, to make Him proud of me, to worship and honor Him, to help others come to know Him so that they can be His too. Because we are bound to give thanks to Him always because He chose us from the beginning, He knew us before the foundations of the earth were formed. He knew who we'd be, what we'd do, and He chose to call us His anyway. 

My Beloved is mine and I am His.

Since I Am Thine, Lord

 H. W. Flickinger

Since I am Thine, Lord, and Thou art mine,

Purchased and kept by power divine;

Tho’ so unworthy, O let me be

Conscious that Thou art living in me.

Since I am Thine, Lord, and Thou art mine,

Tho’ but a branch whilst Thou art the vine;

Prune me and train me, that I may be

Fruitful in service, Master, for Thee.

Since I am Thine, Lord, and Thou art mine,

Oh, that through me Thy glory may shine;

Filled with Thy Spirit, grant me this plea:

That all shall see Thy likeness in me.

Since I am Thine, Lord, and only Thine,

Joy thrills my soul, for now Thou art mine;

Thou art in me and I am in Thee,

Thine all the praise and glory shall be.

Since I am Thine, Lord, saved by Thy grace,

Oh, how I long to see Thy dear face;

Help me to serve and patiently wait

Till I pass through the heavenly gate.

Who Are You Lord? : I Am The Most High

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV 
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

Psalms 7:17 KJV 
I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high. 

Psalms 83:18 KJV 
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

A knowing woman who is like the Lord at the break of day.  What an amazing aspiration. I want to be that woman. I want to be a knowing woman, a woman who has the heart knowledge and the head knowledge of her Jesus so that she can be like Him, not just at the break of the day but all the day long.  Kendra Michelle Dawn literally means to be a knowing woman who is like the Lord at the break of day. My parents must've been party to divine inspiration the day they decided on my name. I can aspire to be this woman because I know that He has a plan for me.

     " Known unto God are all His works, for known unto Him are all His thoughts (Acts 15:18) and His works agree exactly with His thoughts; He does all according to the counsel of His will. We often do not know our own thoughts, nor know our own mind, but God is never at any uncertainty within Himself. We are sometimes ready to fear that God's designs concerning us are all against us; but He knows the contrary concerning His own people, that they are thoughts of good and not of evil; even that which seems evil is designed for good. His thoughts are all working towards the expected end, which He will give in due time.  He will give them to see the end of their trouble; though it last long, it shall not last always. When things are at the worst they will begin to mend; and He will give them to see the glorious perfection of their deliverance; for, as for God, His work is perfect. He that in the beginning finished the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of both, will finish all the blessings of both to his people. When He begins in ways of mercy He will make an end. God does nothing by halves. He will give them to see the expectation, that end which they desire and hope for, and have been long waiting for. He will give them, not the expectations of their fears, nor the expectations of their fancies, but the expectations of their faith, the end which He has promised and which will turn for the best to them." --Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 29:11

The Most High has a plan for me, an expected end, and I must have the expectation of faith to see it done.  I must sing His praises in all that I do and all that I am so that every man may know the He is The Most High.  I did something tonight that I have never done as an adult before.  I wrote about my Savior in a school assignment. I recently enrolled in an online university and I am very excited and very apprehensive at the same time.  Our goal has always been for our ministry to grow into something concrete. A physical place where those who are hurting can go to for comfort and guidance, a place where they can go to hear the Gospel given in a truthful but loving way, without casting them down.  Our long-term goal is to open a Christian counseling center in our community. To do this the Lord burdened my heart with going back to school for my Bachelor of Psychology degree with a concentration in Human Services so that I will have the knowledge I need to help people from all walks of life.  Brandon will also be, Lord willing, beginning his Theology degree in the Fall.  These are major life changes taking place in our lives and I believe they are part of our expected end.  

Tonight, as I was completing a practice assignment for my orientation course, I took an opportunity to talk about my Savior.  It was a practice assignment to walk us through submitting our future assignments in the online classroom, so I honestly don't know that it will even be seen by another person.  But that wasn't the point of it.  It was for me.  The assignment was to write a one page essay on the academic, emotional, and practical challenges and opportunities that being an online student presents. This week while going through the many tutorials and resources that the university provides new students, I quickly came to realize that I may very well be out of my academic depth and most certainly my comfort zone. The fear and the anxiety naturally began to well up inside of me.  But in writing this essay tonight, the Holy Ghost came by, and whispered His sweet peace to me.  This is the paragraph from my essay:

Second I must overcome the emotional challenge presented to me, fear and anxiety about being a new student in such a different atmosphere.  I am no longer fresh out of high school and the lessons I learned in English about correct citations in my writing as well as my grammar are no longer as sharp in my mind as they were almost ten years ago.  Knowing that I am not up to speed, that I am by most accounts, rusty, is a fearful thing. This knowledge creates a lot of anxiety that intrudes upon my goals of attaining my degree and setting an example for my sons.  For me overcoming this challenge is spiritual.  I rely first and foremost upon my Lord and Savior and it is to Him that I must turn over my fear and my anxiety.  His Word tells me in Philippians Chapter 1 Verse 6 that “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a goodwork in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” It is through Him that I will conquer my fears and anxiety and grasp the opportunities that being a new student at Walden University offers me.

The Lord Most High not only has a plan for me but He has begun a good work in me and His Word tells me that He see it through until the day He returns to take me home. What better comfort and encouragement could I ask for?  If I aspire to become a knowing woman who is like the Lord at the break of day I believe I will meet my expected end.

Who Are You Lord? : I Am The Creator

Genesis 1:27 KJV

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

Deuteronomy 32:15-25 KJV

15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.

17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

18 Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

19 And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.

20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.

24 They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

25 The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

Isaiah 40:28-31 KJV
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.


When I was in the 8th grade we had a substitute teacher one day in our English class. Instead of the lesson that day he took it upon himself to have a debate of sorts.  His topic? Evolution. He was for it. I was against it. I proudly and confidently told him that evolution was hogwash.  I couldn't open a science book from 1611 and have it give me the same version of how the earth began as I could my King James Bible.  I couldn't even take a science book from ten years prior and have it give the same account as a current textbook.  But I could, under no uncertain terms, open my Bible each and every time and know without a shadow of a doubt that God's account of creation was infallible and unchanging.  It wouldn't matter if I opened my Bible 100 years from now, Genesis chapter 1 would say the same thing: In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth. He quickly forfeited the discussion and we went back to our English lesson. I think it surprised him that a 14 year old girl could be so adamant about her beliefs, but I was, and have always remained so.  But it hasn't always been easy.

Genesis also tells us that we are created in His image, meaning that we are made to be personal, rational, and moral beings. This however is not always so.  Our lives are full of impersonal, irrational, immoral situations and people.  There have been many times in my life when I've strayed from my beliefs, not in disbelief, but in rebellion.  Rebellion is a slippery slope.  I got myself into some situations that I never should've been in.  It was my Savior who kept me from harm.  I look back and am so thankful that I was saved at an early age because I realize that had I not been, my rebellion would have led to an eternity in hell.  Deuteronomy 32 warns us what happens when we forsake the God that made us, when we lightly esteem the Rock of our Salvation, we provoke His jealousy and we kindle His anger and the results are terrifying and disastrous. If they were a forward generation, children without faith then, then what are we now? It is happening all around us, every single day.  Legal abortion, gay marriage, recreational drug use, underage drinking, premarital sex, pornography, a new religion worshiping a new false god every day. Where have our morals gone? Where has our faith gone?

My life is not perfect. I am not pointing out another's sin as worse than my own.  But what I am saying is that in a generation of people who do not have Christ as their Rock, their solid foundation, we have a generation of people who turn everywhere but to God to cope with the illness, the suffering, the misery and doubt, the trials and tribulations that this life is overrun with.  In my darkest hour, when I lost Lachlan, I never once uttered to God that I hated Him.  I was afraid to.  I didn't hate Him but I didn't turn to Him when I needed Him the most either.   Even with that solid foundation of Salvation in my life I faltered. So without it, I wouldn't merely have stumbled, I'd have all out rolled right down that slippery slope of rebellion straight into the fiery pits of hell.

Why don't we turn to Him when we need Him most?  Is is shame, weakness, humiliation?  He is the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, The Creator, He knows all and sees all. Satan sees our shame. God sees His Son if we've been washed in the precious blood of Salvation.  Isaiah tells us that He never gets weary of us, there is no end to His understanding and that He will renew our strength and we will run and not be weary, we shall walk and not be faint. He is the Rock of All the Ages and we must stand upon what never changes.

WHAT NEVER CHANGES

I've seen things along the way,

I've seen trouble in my short days.

But Through it all, I had no fear.

See, I had a Friend who was always near.

If the sun were to fall,

If the oceans were to dry.

If the mountains were to crumble,

I wouldn't bat an eye.

For I stand upon the Rock, He’s the Rock of all the Ages.

No matter what may come,

The storm around me rages,

I stand upon what never changes.

Sometimes the way seems bleak,

But we're just human, and we are  so weak.

Take it from me, If the road gets rough

He'll be there to pick you up.

And if the sun were to fall,

If the oceans were to dry.

If the mountains were to crumble,

I wouldn't bat an eye.

For I stand upon the Rock, He’s the Rock of all the Ages.

No matter what may come,

The storm around me rages,

I stand upon what never changes.

And if the sun were to fall,

If the oceans were to dry.

If the mountains were to crumble,

I wouldn't bat an eye.

And if the sun were to fall,

If the oceans were to dry.

If the mountains were to crumble,

I wouldn't bat an eye.

For I stand upon the Rock, He’s the Rock of all the Ages.

No matter what may come,

The storm around me rages,

I stand upon what never changes

I stand upon what never changes

Ministry Is...

Ephesians 4:1-16 KJV

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Each one of us is called by our Lord to serve Him.  Our duty is to see that we become one in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.  Our duty is to edify Him, to build Him up, to speak in truth and in love, to lead all those around us to Him.  And we must walk worthy of the vocation of which we have been called.  To do this we must first understand what Ministry is.

Ministry Is...

Listening, when you'd rather fix the problem.

Searching for the joy, when it's easier to say "it's not fair."

Helping, when you feel like you're the one that needs help.

Telling God, "use me", when you'd rather ask to be rescued.

Encouraging, even when you don't understand God's reasoning.

Hugging when it feels awkward.

Saying, "let's pray right now", instead of "I'll pray for you."

Serving, when you doubt you have anything left to give.

Comforting by being the flicker of light in other's dark caverns.

I took each of these points and I searched for scripture to back them up.  I wanted this to be real, to be steeped in the Holy Ghost, to inspire us to do more, to live our Ministry, to know that even the little things are important and are a reflection on our relationship with Christ Jesus.

Listening:

Ephesians 4:29 KJV 

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

We must listen more and speak less.  Too often I find myself halfway listening to the person talking to me.  I'm more interested in putting together a reply than really listening to their problem.  I want to rush in and fix it, give them my advice and my solution when what they really need is just someone to pour their heart out to.  And when we do speak we must be careful of what we say, we must use our words to build up, not to tear down. We must let our speaking as well as our listening minister grace to those who turn to us for help. If our Lord was only partially attentive to our prayers, rushed in and cut us off with His idea of a solution, well, we wouldn't pray very often would we?  Like Christ sometimes we just need to listen with love.

Joy:

Psalms 30:5 KJV

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Life isn't fair.  We all know that.  Bad things happen to good people.  Bad things happen to Christians who are faithful and love the Lord.  Saying "it's not fair" to someone who has turned to you for help is taking the easy way out.  You are doing a disservice to them and to the Lord because you've either lost an opportunity to witness to a lost soul or lost the opportunity to support your brother or sister in Christ.  Walking worthy in your Ministry means searching for the joy even when it is difficult to find. Letting that person know that yes, we may be weeping now, but it will only endure for the night. Our joy will come in the morning.  Perhaps not in the literal sense but we have the promise that our joy is coming. Whatever the situation may be, it will not last forever, with the Son comes our joy.

Helping:

Mark 9:14-27 KJV

14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

Everyone comes with baggage. Find someone who love you enough to help you unpack.  How much more baggage could a person have than a demon possessed son?  And what did the father do?  He took his son to the disciples first and they could not help him.  We must always remember that not everyone can help us, not everyone wants to help us.  There are those who simply want to glean the gossip from your troubles and carry them as fast as they can to whoever will listen.  You must find someone who loves you to take your problems to.  You must be the person who loves another enough to help them unpack.  The father in Mark 9 had to turn to Jesus, had to believe that Jesus would and could heal him, before his son was healed. Who loves us more than Jesus? No one.  To help others we have to love as much like Jesus as we can and when we can't love them enough we must point them to Him.

Use Me:

Colossians 3:22-24 KJV

22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Forget about the self altogether. Your real, new self will not come as long as you're looking for it.  It will come when you're looking for Him. --C.S. Lewis

In our Ministry we have to remove all thoughts of ourselves.  We should not be ministering or helping others to make ourselves feel good, to look good in front of others, or for any reward.  We help, we minister in the singleness of heart, fearing God.  All of our actions should point to Him.  Everything we do in our Ministries should glorify and honor God, even when we feel like we are the ones who need to be rescued because sometimes that is when God can use us the most.  I have gone through many terrible things in my life.  I've had 2 miscarriages and a stillbirth, we've lost all our worldly possessions and home in a fire, we've lost jobs and nearly our home, gone 8 months with very little income, lost family members because of our faith...It would be so easy to hide in shame, in pain, because of what I've had happen in my life.  But that would be selfish.  I am not proud of the sins in my past, I'm not seeking pity for the losses in my life, but I do want to use my life to be of service to Him.  I want the Lord to use me, to use my experiences to bring glory and honor to Him, even when there are still so many times when I just want to be rescued myself.

Encouraging and Serving:

Philippians 2:1-5 KJV

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Let's stop pretending things are ok when they're not, so we can pray for each other and know that we're not the only one who struggles. --Renee Swope

Let's stop pretending.  Let's stop plastering fake smiles on our faces.  Let's stop telling everyone that we're ok. Let's ask for help.  How can we help one another if we're hiding all our problems.  Hiding them doesn't make them go away.  Pretending they don't exist doesn't fix the problem.  We don't need to air our dirty laundry but if we open up to the Godly women in our lives, who may have gone through the exact situation we're in right now, then we can minister to one another.  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory...not even our sufferings.  In fellowship of the Spirit we ought to be able to be candid with one another, be likeminded and having the same love for one another that Christ has for us so that we can serve and encourage one another.  I struggle every church service with keeping my boys quiet and still.  They've just turned 2 and 3 and Brandon sits on the front pew with the other preachers, as is his place.  So often I find myself alone, in the back of the church feeling like a hindrance, a distraction, a nusiance.  If I would open up to the women around me, the seasoned mothers, then perhaps I could gain their wisdom and encouragment?  Because if I don't then the only one suffering is me. If I continue to pretend that everything is ok Sunday after Sunday and I don't ask for the prayer of my sisters in Christ, then it is I who will suffer in vainglory and won't glean from the Pastor's message the things I need so that I can be of service to someone.

Hugging and Comforting 

Psalms 69:20 KJV

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him. --C.S. Lewis

Sometimes all it takes is a tender word and a hug to show Christ's love.  I am a touchy feely kind of person.  I need to hug and kiss and caress those that I love. And I understand that not everyone is comfortable displaying that kind of affection. I certainly am not as affectionate with a stranger as I am my family. But sometimes in our calling we have to do things we're not comfortable with.  Sometimes we encounter people who are desperately searching for comfort, people who are filled with such a heaviness that we can't understand.  Sometimes, even if it's awkward, we need to wrap our arms around them as the Father would and give them our love and comfort because it's not about us.  Ultimately it is about Him.  If a hug can convey His love for them, then I'll hug every stranger I come across.  We must be that flicker of light in other's dark caverns, we must shine so that others see Him in us.

Praying:

James 5:16 KJV

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Prayer is the most powerful weapon against trials. The most effective medicine against sickness. And the most valuable gift to someone you love.  So why don't we do it more often?  If you ask me to pray for you, I will absolutely agree to.  But then life gets in the way.  I am a Momma to 2 small, demanding boys, I have a husband to take care of, a household to run, I have commitments to our Ministry...I am human so sometimes I may forget a prayer request.  I know that we hear a dozen or more throughout the day and we cannot always remember them.  So what is the harm in taking the time, right then, and saying a prayer?  None, no harm at all.  If we took just 60 seconds to pray when someone asks us to can you imagine the results?  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  To be effectual, to be fervent, it cannot be forgotten. 

Ministry is so many small but important things.  There are so many ways to be a witness, to convey His love for others, but we must take the time to do them and to do them for the right reasons.  We must walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called.