Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Don't Miss His voice!


John 20:14-16

New International Version (NIV)
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Mary Magdalene knew Jesus.. She was someone that walked with Him and talked with Him.. She learned from Him, her teacher.  Mary M knew the sound of His voice.  She was also there to watch Him be crucified.

My Point is Mary had a relationship with Jesus she KNEW HIM..

Mary was the first person Jesus came to after his resurrection.  Mary M did not recognize His voice at first.  She was having a conversation with her Teacher and she didnt even know it at first.

What could Mary M have been going through to not recognize His voice?
Mary M had watched Jesus's Crucifixion.  She probably could hear Jesus when He said "it is finished".  She probably thought It was finished.  She probably thought He was dead and and she would never hear His voice again.  She probably felt DEFEATED.

How many times do we as believers feel defeated?  We have sat and learned and worshiped Jesus.  Many of us feel we know His voice.

However when we get bogged down with defeat and whatever is going on in our lives do we really KNOW HIS voice?  If it happened to Mary M then it can happen (and does happen) to me.  (and you if you are honest)

I can get so caught up in the negative things going on around me I may forget the sound of His voice and not even listen to him.

There are many of us that have "promises" from the Lord.  Promises we are waiting for.  Promises maybe we dont fully understand.  Jesus was fulfilling His promise.  He returned!  I never want to miss seeing the fulfilling of His promises because I am so defeated I forget all together what His promise was in the first place.

I want that faith that is in spite of my circumstances!  I want faith that hears the sound of His voice at the first sound I hear.  I NEVER want to miss when He is speaking because I don't know it is Him who speaks.

We need to tune our ears to His voice!  So that even in the mist of our desperation we are not desperate! We do NOT fear!

We have emotions and sometimes they get the best of us.  Do not listen to your emotions or you will miss HIS VOICE.

Lord help me not be lead by my circumstances but by your word and your promises.  Help me always know the sound of my Saviors voice!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Locking Arms

A new command I give you; Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another... John 12:34

A story from my Devotional by Jennifer Landrith:

Once there was a wheat farmer and his wife who had a young son. One day the son went out in the yard and later they couldnt find him.  They searched everywhere but the wheat was much taller then the little boy.  Frantically and as a last resort, they called the neighbors in to help.  They locked arms and walked out across the wheat field.  Eventually they found the little boy but he had died of hypothermia. The mom and dad were heartbroken.  When they were interviewed, they said, "we wish we had joined arm in arm with our neighbors earlier."

What a tragic story!  This is something the church should really hear.  If the Church as a whole locked arms and joined forces we would be unstoppable.! So many people just attend church, but they dont want to be involved in reaching the harvest.  They don't want to work.. Church it is time to RISE UP.
It is time to forgive and forget things that have heart your feelings.  It is time to become the warrior in Christ you were called to be.  If that means walking in a field arm in arm to find someone lost then that is what we do.

As you can see I have not written a blog in almost a month.  It has been a crazy couple of months.  I have to say I would not have been able to get through the last month had it not been for people standing arm in arm in the gap for me. So many wonderful Christians praying and believing for me. (when I couldn't)  People giving me a spiritual pep talk when I needed it.  I have to say the church united is POWERFUL.

So rise up and Unite!