Purchased, Downloaded, and Activated!

 

The other day I noticed a charge on my credit card statement that I didn't recognize.  After a little research, I found that it was a yearly renewal of virus protection software.  After a little more digging, I found the email I had received when I signed up for the service, and to my surprise, I realized that I had never actually downloaded the software!

Not only that, but in the process of downloading the file, there was a final step that asked me to activate the software.  That's right - I purchased something that I never downloaded, and once I downloaded it, I still had to take another action to activate it.

It only took a few minutes for the Holy Spirit to use that little episode of computer business to get my attention.

Our salvation has been purchased with the very blood of Jesus.  It's paid for; it's ours; it's settled in heaven with our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  The problem is that sometimes we stop right there when there is so much more included with that "salvation subscription", but only if we take the proper action.

We have to receive a download from heaven and that includes so much.  We have access to the baptism of the Holy Spirit and all the wisdom of the Word of God.  We have guidance, power, the fruit of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit. We have everything available to us that pertains to life and godliness.  His Word tells us about all of that and more.  Some of us download all of that through studying the Bible and praying, while others neglect those disciplines.

However, even if our minds know all about the elements of the download, we don't see changes in our lives or results from our prayers if we don't learn to activate the download.  On my computer, it was as simple as clicking a button on the screen, but activating the things of God takes a bit more intentionality.  We activate the Word by speaking it in faith.  We allow the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives when we surrender to Him.  We develop the fruit of the Spirit by walking with Him daily and renewing our minds.  We exercise the gifts of the Spirit by seeking them and learning to listen to His voice guiding us to release those gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ.

Without all three of these things happening in our lives, we can't reach the goal that the Apostle Paul talked about in this scripture. 

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

How often do we just count on our salvation relationship to carry us through things, without specifically activating faith in any given situation? Just because we know Him and we are hoping for a thing to happen does not mean we are activating our faith.  We don't walk in power in our ministries just because we know things - we must activate the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  

It's so easy to coast in this Christian life sometimes.  When circumstances are difficult, it's tempting to just operate in the "realm of overwhelm" and forget all the tools we have at our fingertips that God has provided to help us navigate those hard paths.  

I'm experiencing a lot of "overwhelm" right now and the Holy Spirit used this crazy credit card charge to remind me of all the things I should be activating in my life.  My mind knows what to do but my spirit-man has allowed the enemy to keep me in "download only" mode.  I'm determined now to activate it. How about you?

Move Toward the Light

 

We have an outbuilding on our property that we call the "Prayer Shed".  Sometimes I also call it the "Escape Room" because it's the only place I can find where I can truly be alone, unobserved, and unheard.

I was there tonight, reading the Word, and praying.  The prayer was difficult.  So much is going on in the life of our family: health issues, uncertainty, financial pressures, and relationship challenges.

Because of all of this, I've been pulled in many directions lately. and I've been expected to fulfill many different roles. In times like these, it's easy to get spiritually weary and discouraged.  Sometimes I feel so dry and so inadequate for the tasks set before me. 

I got brutally honest with God because He already knows my questions, my not-so-holy thoughts about things, my frustrations, and my resentments.  I'd love to say that the shed lit up with holy light and angels came to minister to me and now everything is perfect, but that didn't happen.  I turned off the desk light and plunged the little room into total darkness.  

It's only a few steps to the door of the building and on the other side of that door were the lights of the patio that could lead me to the house. As I took those steps, I heard, "Move toward the light".  God wasn't giving me directions to my house.  He was reminding me that in the middle of the most difficult situations in our lives when we are tempted to turn into our own emotions and wall ourselves off from God in desperation, the only wise thing to do is to move toward Him instead.

In John 6:66-69, many who were following Jesus turned away from Him and deserted Him because of offense at some of His sayings which they misinterpreted.  He asks the twelve disciples in His inner circle if they would also leave Him.  Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.  We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God."

I still don't understand all the "whys" of this situation. I still face the same uncertainties and the same challenges, but where else could I go?  Who else could I seek for help in this difficult time?  He is still the answer and the light of the world and I'll continue to move toward Him and not away so He can lead me where I'm going.

God and the Clogged Drain

 Can a problem in your life become a solution in someone else’s life? I believe it can after I had this experience.

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter-in-law asked my husband and me to come upstairs because she needed help with a clogged kitchen sink. We tried the typical homeowner solutions but did not get results. Fortunately, we have a warranty on the inside plumbing, so we called the company for some help. Unfortunately, it took several days for them to find a plumber to pick up the job.

So we carried plastic dishpans of dirty dishes downstairs to the kitchenette in our part of the house for several days so we could hand-wash them there. Finally, the company informed us they had assigned a plumber to the problem and help was on the way!

The plumber, Marc, came in and got straight to work. We chatted a little as he was diagnosing the problem and he noticed a dirty cup to the right of the sink on the countertop. It was a cup with a church name on it - the kind that is often given to visitors as a gift. It wasn’t from the church where I attend and serve, but it started a conversation.

He told me he had been in this area for several months, but hadn’t settled on a church home for himself and his family. So I told him about my church, Covenant Fellowship, and invited him to visit.

I watched for him in the church lobby that Sunday morning, but I didn’t see him come in. The service that morning was alive with the presence of God. It was a Celebration Sunday. On those Sundays, new members join the church, parents dedicate their babies to the Lord, and the service ends with water baptism after the sermon.

As I observed the baptism, I felt a tap on my shoulder. There was Marc, in the borrowed clothing we keep for people who didn’t come prepared for baptism, but who wanted to be baptized. He had been so touched by the sermon that morning that he felt a prompting of the Holy Spirit to come and be baptized.

Marc has returned to church on several occasions since that first Sunday.  I don't yet know if he will make it his permanent church home, but if he does, the church will provide a place for his gifts and talents to flow and flourish. He will have fellowship and develop friendships. He can receive spiritual nourishment here - all because our sink got clogged up.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” What good did that clogged drain do me? Anything that strengthens a brother or sister in Christ also helps me. Any benefit to my church is a blessing in my life.

Did I enjoy carrying dishes up and down the steps for three days? Not really. Was it worth it for the outcome? Absolutely!

When life brings challenges and difficulties of any magnitude, that’s an opportunity to trust God. It may also be a divine setup for a totally unexpected result.

You'll Find It Where You Focus

My husband and I are reorganizing, redecorating, and reconfiguring our living space to make some major changes. We’d like to do that while spending as little money as possible. One way we do that is to look for second-hand items in thrift stores, antique malls, and junk shops, as well as an occasional retail store.

When we go to the shops, we’re very single-minded.  He starts on one side of the store and I start on the other. We cruise the aisles quickly and meet in the middle, looking for all the possibilities for that one item we are seeking, like a loveseat.  We don’t take time to examine all the other interesting things in the booths because we are on a mission.  If no vendors have a loveseat, then we’re on to the next store.  There’s no time to browse when you have a target in mind.

After one such day of searching, we ended up purchasing a loveseat and getting it home and in place. As the room arrangement progressed, we realized we needed another table lamp. Neither of us could remember seeing lamps at any of the places we had visited, though we knew there were probably some there.  Why didn’t we remember any lamps?  Our focus was on loveseats and that is all our brains would let us process.

I saw this kind of thing happen several times in our weeks of searching for various items, and then the Holy Spirit used that realization to remind me of something. Just as I blocked out all other distractions while seeking that loveseat, I can focus on my pursuit of God with tunnel vision. I don’t have to allow anything the enemy throws in my path to interfere with my fellowship with Him.  

If we focus on the things of God first, we will find them.  Jeremiah 13:10 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Matthew 6:33 says it this way, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

You will see what you are trying to see if you maintain your focus.  All other things will move into the background of your life. They are still there, but they are not the objective.  Jesus is and always will be the primary focus of the soul that is sold out to Him.

That's Not My Name!

Last month, several packages were delivered to my house that had my exact address but bore the names of other people. An online seller that I ordered from has stolen credit card information from three other people. For some unknown reason, he is charging them for items, but sending them to my address. Law enforcement is investigating, and it’s been an interesting and annoying few weeks.

I realized today that the enemy of our souls does this all the time. He sends things right where we are. They are things we didn’t ask for. They don’t belong to us. I haven’t accepted the merchandise that has overwhelmed the front porch of my house, and I don’t have to accept what he sends my way either.

These physical packages just needed to be returned to the store that shipped them, but these bogus packages the enemy tries to unload on us need to be dealt with in this way:

“Sorry, devil. This package isn’t mine. Oh, I know it has my address on it, but you’ve got the wrong person. My name isn’t Defeated or Unloveable or Broken. My name is Overcomer, Beloved of God, His Masterpiece. I don’t want what you’re sending. Take your fraud and your lies and go somewhere else. I will only accept good and perfect gifts - the ones sent by my Abba Father. He provides everything that pertains to life and godliness - not some counterfeit that leads to heartache and moves me away from Him.”

Then write on that package in permanent marker “RETURN TO SENDER! Addressee unknown!”

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no shadow of turning." James 1:17

"...as His divine power has give to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue," 2 Peter 1:3

There's More!

 

On Christmas morning, I went upstairs to join my son, his wife, and my granddaughter Bella for a few minutes before they left the house to go to a brunch with my daughter-in-law’s family.  The plan was that they would empty their stockings before they left, but would save the opening of gifts under the tree until they returned in the afternoon.

Bella joyfully drew out small gifts, one after another; getting more excited the deeper her arm disappeared down the stocking.  She had candy, and hair accessories, and gift cards to her favorite places to eat.  At one point she squealed, "This is the best morning ever!”  

I’m glad she was so excited and grateful for what she had received, but the day held so much more for her.  There were gifts at her Pappy’s house and gifts right back here at our house that afternoon. Not only that, but there would be another gift or two the next day when she and her parents were going to another family dinner.  She had only scratched the surface of what she would receive this Christmas. She stopped short of realizing all that was about to come to her that day.

She was much like many of us are as Christians.  We are excited and grateful for the amazing gift of salvation that was bought for us by the blood of Jesus, as we should be, but God never meant for us to just stop there.  He has so much more prepared for us once we have joined His family and kingdom through being born again.  We shouldn’t quit when we’re just getting started!

God is showing us gift after gift that is available to us after we take that first step.  There are experiences and levels of understanding and depths of fellowship that we don’t even realize are waiting because we just open the stocking of salvation and declare that this is the best thing ever.  Jesus is the best thing ever, but He’s just getting started.  Look at what God says about this life that He gives us.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

We are born again, but our transformation is not just a one-time thing.  There’s so much more coming as we continue this walk with Him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Eventually, this season, Bella’s gifts will stop coming. She will have received all that people have chosen to give her and she’ll settle into a life of enjoying the good things she has now, but with God, there is no end to what He is pouring out on the lives of His children. There is no end to His season of giving.  It’s more than we could ever imagine.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

So as the world packs the Christmas decorations, throws away the used wrapping paper, and forsakes the holiday food for the new year’s diets, please remember to keep looking for and expecting the gifts and plans that God has for you.  Be thankful for what He has already done, but don’t get comfortable there.  There is always more!

Connecting When It's Not Easy

 

In a recent church service, we could feel the tangible presence of God.  The sense of peace that swept over the congregation was heavy and sweet. The Holy Spirit moved among us and ministered to all who had a heart that was listening for His words.  I wrote on the church’s Facebook page I wished every day was a Sunday.  That time together with each other and with Jesus was deeply meaningful.

Then I realized how easy it is to praise with the praisers and worship with the worshippers.  Prayer comes more effortlessly when you are praying with others who agree with the word of God.  There’s nothing wrong with the feeling that God is more accessible when we are together, but there is something wrong if that is the only time we connect with Him.

If you search the internet, you’ll find prayer notebooks, Bible study guides, and spiritual journals to help you in your time of personal devotions. There are ideas using colored pencils and illustrating the verses you are reading. There are suggestions for background praise music to set the atmosphere for your meeting with God. The websites that talk about these things paint a lovely picture of you surrounded by your Bible and your spiritual tools, sipping on coffee or tea, looking out the window at a beautiful view of God’s creation while you spend time with the Lord.  There’s nothing wrong with that either, but if they took all those tools away from us, could we still connect with God? 

In some countries today, there are Christians that don’t even have a Bible or have only a few pages they value as the most precious possession they own.  The persecution in those places means they don’t have easy access to worship music or podcasts or sermon videos - all the things that so easily are available to us. If we were in that situation, could we still bring praise to God? Could we get in His presence without all the tools that we enjoy?  Could we connect with Him if they threw us into jail because of our faith?

Because of our freedoms, the worst persecution we’ve ever faced is usually no more traumatic than someone calling us a holy roller or a Jesus freak.  Our pastor has been talking about being disciples; being the “disciplined ones” who follow God wholeheartedly.  Considering all these thoughts, I’ve been examining myself more and more to see if I’m prepared to stay in fellowship with God when it’s not easy anymore.  I pray that kind of persecution never comes, but the setup for it is already in our culture.  I’m asking that you give this topic some thought as well.  In difficult times, we need that connection more than we need our next breath.