114

Ephesians 6:12 (New King James Version)

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

I think it's important to remember that every battle you face down here on earth - any situation you're facing and trying to win - may be spiritual. On the surface, you're fighting people that make you want to scream with frustration. Or perhaps the person fighting against you leaves you crying from the heartache of a broken relationship. But the Bible says here that we do not fight against the actual people in front of us, but against the enemy and his legions of demons behind the fight. It sounds scary and weird, but it's very simple. If the Holy Spirit is in you, you are full of light and goodness. The opposite of light and goodness is dark and evil. And that's what you fight every single day of your life if you love and follow Jesus.

I don't know what situation you're up against right now. I don't know what family heartache, work drama or person you're "wrestling" right now. But I honestly do believe that when you're a child of the King, things are no longer what they seem at face value. Things got spiritual when you gave your life to Jesus, and it's no longer about the person in front of you. It's about dark powers and an enemy who hates the Jesus in you more than you can even fathom in your mind.

Be encouraged. When the battle is raging and you feel like the world is against you, remember that you have the victory in Jesus. You don't fight "flesh and blood" standing in the form of a person in front of you, you fight the devil and his angels whose only purpose is to destroy your life and anyone who matters to the Father. Fight to the finish! Don't back down!

113

Deuteronomy 7:9 (the message)

"Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations."


I must believe this with all of my heart. I must believe that as the generations pass by, and the state of the world seems to be getting worse and worse, God simply gets stronger and stronger and more faithful and more faithful. He is God. He is the one you can rely and depend on. He is not a liar and He does not choose to love and bless only some people who love Him and not the others. It's nice to know that if I pray for me and my family, my children and my children's children, He is faithful to look after them and protect them. He is a generational God, He sees the big picture of our lives and sees the big, massive plan. We sometimes get caught up in seeing the 'now' and what is or is not happening as we seek Him and ask Him for help. His love and His ways and His thoughts are higher - much much higher - than ours.

When it's all going great and when it's all falling apart, either way, know that you know that you know that you know that God is the God He says He is, and He is on your side. He is dependable and reliable and He will love you and love you and love you and love your children and love your grandchildren and love your great grandchildren and love your great great grandchildren. You get the gist. His love is forever... a thousand generations is more than you can even fit into your head. And His love goes even longer than that. Don't panic - He is someone to trust.

112

Psalm 34:17-19 (The Message)

"Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath. Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time."

I was thinking today that life truly is a balancing act of holding on and letting go. I find myself in this constant tension, honestly I do. Sometimes it all gets too confusing for our hearts and minds to cope with: we must hold on to the people who love and cherish us, and try to let go of the ones who break our hearts and walk away from us. We must let go of the people who have said mean things to us and about us while still working in the same environment as us, or, worse yet, live in the same family as us. Maybe we have to hold on to the memories of someone we adored who left the earth too soon, as we then try to let go of the idea of having them in front of us. It's a constant tension that the whole human race is faced with on a daily basis.

Yes, the human heart gets overwhelmed trying to cope with the concept of love and loss on this earth. Holding on and letting go. Ask the Holy Spirit in you to show you what you need to hold on to, and what you need to let go of. It could be a person you have to let go of, it may be a dream you have to hold on to and clutch on to with all of your might because you feel it slipping away. It might be a friend who needs to be cherished more, and you need to hold onto them and never let them go. It might be a child, a parent, a spouse.

Jesus died on the cross as an act of not just holding on to you, but gripping on to you and your heart with everything in Him. He let go of your sin and death once and for all, and holds onto you always always always. You may have been let go by someone here on earth, but you will NEVER be let go by Him.

111

Hebrews 12:14

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord..."

Don't worry about building kingdoms and empires on this earth. After a week of tragedy and loss in this lives of my dearest friends, plans falling through, and in general things and lives not working out how we all thought they would, I have come to realize that nothing I build here on this earth which does not involve building the human heart and soul, matters. It will all fall to the ground, and if I haven't built into the lives of people, showing them the love and peace of Jesus Christ, I have done nothing at all worth while with my life. I will lose it all, and I will be left alone.

Pursue peace with all people. Fall in love daily with the Holy Father that is above all other gods we, subconsciously or consciously, end up worshipping here on earth. You will get glimpses of the beauty and splendor of the King all day long.

110

Psalm 26:8 (the Message)

"God, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory."

I said to my husband the other day how much I love living with him. There is nothing like his around-ness. Just being near him, waking up to him, doing the day with him - the mundane and the fireworks - is the best part of marriage. Well, it is marriage. When he isn't in the house, I miss the space he takes up. Doing life with God - walking and talking with Him, waking up to Him, sorting out the day with Him - is what knowing and loving Jesus is all about. It's simple. It's simple, but when you start to get closer to Him you realize that He is the most beautiful one to live with. His glory brings you peace, joy, comfort, security, hope and a love so deep no human's love for you can match it. It's meeting Jesus, knowing Jesus and loving Jesus. It's holding His hand and discussing things throughout the day. It's His around-ness that keeps you wanting to stick it out with Him in this life on earth. He is so great to be near - when you are near Him you realize that there is nothing and no one like Him at all.

Treasure the every day with Jesus. It's the best part of this whole thing.

109

Romans 5: 2-5

"...And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."


At what point is it too much? At what point does life break our hearts and spirits and permanent damage is done? But I don't think we read this scripture and hear that God is saying to pretend to be happy. Life is painful and the situation we're currently facing sometimes feels like hell on earth. I don't believe in being fake happy Christians, coyly smiling at a dying hurt human race. No one needs that. What they need, what we all need, is hope. And that is what the scripture is saying. The only thing we all need from trials and suffering is hope. Our character evolves through perseverance and we are left with hope. Immediately after the verse says, "rejoice in our sufferings," it says that we get perseverance, character (both painful to gain) and finally, praise Jesus, we have hope. The only thing that doesn't disappoint us in this life is hope. Hope. Hope. Hope. Without the hope that Jesus' love brings into the depths of our hearts, things will break us beyond repair and the little pieces left from a shattered heart would be too teeny tiny and scattered to put back together. His hope repairs our loss and the damage caused from our pain and brokenness.

This hope is what keeps our minds from breaking under the pressures of our lives and all it's outside forces. If you're facing something that is too much for you to take, don't give up, and when you have the energy, and the tears stop flowing, let it build character in you. Take heart and smile because you have hope for tomorrow.

108

John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Jesus is such a good man. The words He spoke made so much sense back then, and even more today. It seems as though the earth and it's people have been crying and searching for peace since the beginning. The peace He left on the earth is the peace that the human race really needed then and needs (more than ever) now. It's not as the world gives peace: the world gives peace and security via cash, job security, a few properties, prettiness, people liking you, et-cetera. He left the kind of peace that lasts. The kind of peace that no earthquake, economic crash, bad choices or people-leaving-you-alone can take away. He left the kind of inner peace that, when all else falls away, leaves the human heart and soul solid as a rock. He gives peace through comfort, company, support, friendship, lordship, relationship and love. He looks after you and says that your times and heart are in the palm of His Hand every moment of every day of your life.

Don't choose the fake peace over the legitimate peace. Go after the dreams in your heart but remember the only peace that lasts, the only peace that is stable and eternal is the peace that Jesus Christ left with humanity.

107

Luke 16: 10-12

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?"

To anyone who has a dream, and to anyone who dares to believe that the things for which they hope in their hearts and souls can actually come to pass, Jesus spoke these words. While you're on the way to your own dreams coming to pass, serve another man's dreams. Lay down your goals and serve someone else's. Don't be discouraged working as the assistant to the person who has the position you know you are called to have. Don't give up doing good to the person who seems to be living the life you have dreamed of since childhood. Work hard for the company you're working for and keep in mind that someone, whether your heart is in it or not, started the company and someone believes in it. Love and pray for the baby that your friend has. The one you've been waiting years for... know their is a reason for the wait.

Work hard to be where you want to be. Serve another man's dream and stay faithful with every ounce of energy you can find. Stay faithful and you will be trusted with you own! Your miracle is coming.

106

Psalm 130:5 (New King James Version)

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope."

Sometimes I think I'm a patient and laid back girl, but then I catch myself breaking down inside (and outside) because I feel like I'm running out of time. I'm scared of being mediocre, not being remembered for anything worth anything and deep down being unhappy with my life and work. Some of the things I thought I would have achieved by this point have not happened, and my heart and mind and everything in me feels small and I get a little bit panicky. Then I start to think that the dreams in my heart and what I can see for my life when I close my eyes won't happen, and I get confused in my head and feel blue and discouraged about it all.

But then I remember what Jesus Christ did for me. His life, death and life again made my life not mediocre. And I remember how I must simply wait for the promises He gave me. I must open my Bible, get on my knees and beg Him to help me be patient and to simply wait for what He promised me He would do. His Word says He does not lie. His Word says He will fulfill all my purpose and give me the desires of my heart. His sacred, precious Word says He knows me better than I know myself. Okay, I must wait, I can trust Him, and He is my hope always and forever.

105

Acts 9:31

"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied."

Fear and comfort. It seems like such an odd formula to success. Yet the church is currently desperate for peace and unity like never before. We need a little touch of what we read of in Acts. We need an incredible time of revival and revolution. The disciples, at that time, were beginning the church movement and things were working well. And now, many pastors and leaders around the world are programming themselves to tears just trying to find the key to peace, edification and multiplication. But here it is, straight from Acts: a little fear of God and the handing of all of our broken hearts over to the Holy Spirit for all the comfort and peace we need.

What worked for the apostles should have a place in our lives. Let Him work in and through you to build the part of the kingdom you've been assigned to here on this earth. Life will get exciting when you do.

104

Isaiah 44:8 (New King James Version)

"Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”

What a relief - such a perfect, beautiful and extremely overwhelming relief! I am studying the book of Esther right now. Since a child I have always loved that girl. From her beginnings as a little Jewish girl in a Persian empire, she married the King and became a history maker. She is incredible, and since reading about her over and over across the course of my lifetime, she has come off the pages and become very alive to me. The book of Esther is an incredible reminder of the splendor, grandeur, and awesome character of our God. Esther's story of the prevented Holocaust reminds us that there is none like Him. The name of God is not written once throughout the entire book, but more than ever we see His mighty, strong, "none-other" hand at work through the obedient, faithful lives of His people. We watch Him empower a young girl to, against all odds, risk her life to fight evil. He proves that there has never been one like Him, and will never be one like Him throughout all of history.

Even if you don't see Him at all in this season of your life, there is still none like Him. It doesn't matter how much money is in the bank, how gifted you are, or the family you were born into. The only thing that is certain and stable is the fact that life is unstable and uncertain, and we need Him. There is no one to rely on but Him. There is no other rock for your unstable, uncertain life here on earth than Him. Don't be afraid: stand up for Him, there is no one like Him, there is no other Rock that you can stand on but Him.

103

1 Peter 5:7

"...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Sometimes the burdens of our lives are way too heavy for our hands and heads and hearts to hold. More often than not there is at least one care in my world my heart finds too heavy to carry alone. So here, when Peter says that our sweet Jesus offers to take them all- all the cares we are currently trying to handle- and carry them instead of us, it is a relief. It's hard to get on with life - your purpose - and the call of God when your hands are tied up with the brokenness of family, marriage, sickness, trying to make ends meet, provide for your family, and be the person you know you can be. And there is no greater joy on the earth than having a friend, spouse, parent or relative who truly cares about you and wants to carry it for you. Knowing that that person is only human, try now to fathom the King on the throne taking time and energy to sit with you and take all those cares when you hand them over, because He wants to. There is no greater joy for Him to take them and carry them for you.

When you sit with Him today, write at least one of your cares on a piece of paper. Read it out loud and then say, "here it is, Jesus." Hand it over, and every time you think of it remember that it is no longer your concern to carry it. You may never have been "cared" for in this life by someone close. You may feel very ripped off and alone. You are not alone. Right now Jesus is with you, ready to take every care you are carrying. Selah.

102

Acts 4:14
"And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it."

This verse beautifully sums up "evangelism." Actually, I haven't said or written the word "evangelism" for about ten years. I kind of think it's a weird concept because evangelism shouldn't be a separate entity from walking and talking with Jesus and loving the world full of people. You won't need to talk too much if your walk with Jesus is bearing rich and solid fruit in your life. A perfect example of good "fruit" from your life with Jesus is people's lives being changed and healed. It's simple. Peter and John had just healed a forty year old handicapped, homeless, begging man. He hadn't walked for years, and then, with Jesus' authority these two guys told him to get up and walk. So he did. And now He could walk. And, ironically, people weren't happy for him. In fact, they were annoyed and upset that things were changing. They didn't see the good in it at all. They wanted to argue that the power of Jesus shouldn't be preached, and that it wasn't a good thing that the revolution had begun. But then they saw the man healed and standing on his legs and feet, and they had nothing negative to say. Their mouths had been shut.

People will watch your life and pay attention if there is something they can't argue against. It probably won't be what you say and argue that will silence the mouths of cynics and doubters. People will quietly believe, or even shut their mouths and think, just because of how you live, how you love, and because of the changed/healed people who follow you and your Jesus around.

101

Acts 4: 13
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."

And they realized that they had been with Jesus. The high and mighty religious men of the day were furious that Peter and John had begun the revolution. It was crazy: they were spreading the name of Jesus everywhere, people were getting their broken bodies and hearts healed and set free. Everyone everywhere was worshipping and adoring Jesus. The status quo had already been disturbed by Jesus' time on earth, His murder and His resurrection. Not only that, He had left the earth, and left a few men in charge. Things were getting extremely shaken up and some people were not happy. But they realized that they had been with Jesus. Perfect.

I hope my life is like that. I hope that no matter what I do and no matter what I say, there is something about my life that says to the world, "that girl has just been with Jesus." I want people throughout the day to ask me what is different about me..."And then they realized that they had been with Jesus." Maybe it's being with Him in the secret place. Taking time to sit with Him in your bedroom, like the gospel of Matthew says. It's just about sitting with Him and simply being with Him. Talk to Him like you would a friend. Worship Him like you would a King whom you adore. He starts to rub off on you, and you become like Him. People may love you or hate you because of this Jesus you love and in whom you believe, but the one thing they can't deny is that you have been in the presence of the King. They will marvel at the things you say and the things you do because you are like the sweet savior and servant king, Jesus.

100

Psalm 37: 25, 26

"I have been young, and now am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed."

Hold onto this. When nothing makes sense and it feels like you're never going to get ahead, remember this old person. This precious soul has walked with Jesus for days and days and months and months and years and years. He has held the hand of Jesus in the mundane and in the fireworks. They have lived through the ups and downs, the good times and the bad times. They have seen the hand of God cover their lives and their families lives throughout the years. Believe me, He is faithful. He is faithful, He is faithful. You're going to be looked after because He promises He will.

Take God at His word. He may not always do things and intervene in the ways you think would be best, and in your timing. Remember, you don't know much, and He is way smarter than you are. His mind and ways are way higher yours. The bottom line is, you won't go hungry, your children won't go hungry. He is gracious and compassionate and His heart breaks when your heart breaks. Don't let go of His hand when the minutes and hours and days and weeks and months get rough. He will be there always. You are blessed.

99

Acts 2: 41-47 (the message)

"That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers. Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved."

What a beautiful description of the early church. Jesus has just left them and I can only imagine how much they must have missed Him being around. I have friends that I talk to and see every day - I adore them - and I simply cannot imagine them not being around me everyday. Even more, Jesus had come and changed their hearts and lives from the inside out. He had come and answered the deep questions that generations before them had been asking. He gave them reason to live. He taught them, He healed them, and He showed them the answer to life. Some of us know what it's like to not have someone around anymore, and I'm sure they must have missed Him - terribly missed Him.

But they knew what they had to do. They had to start the revolution. He had left them on the earth with the humanity He died for in their hands. They were to fix and heal them in His name. But they needed some tangible help, the help He had promised them. Then, after waiting and praying for the help, the Holy Spirit descended on them in their prayer meeting and the revolution, post Jesus on earth, began. It was crazy. People were everywhere - excited, unified and joyful. All Jesus' believers were radically changed. They loved each other and they shared their possessions. They were always in church together, sat around food (as all good friends should) and ate as they talked and laughed and praised Jesus. I can imagine the joy and laughter of friends washing and wiping dishes together! They were full of the joy that came from lives that had been changed because of Jesus. I get super excited when I realize that church is made up of people who have been touched by Jesus, and it's pretty simple and sweet.

98

Psalm 27:6

"And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. "

This psalm is full of incredible promise. It talks about the security we have in our strong and mighty God. It gets down to the nitty gritty of what our deepest prayers should be, and it also gives the best imagery of what a life of victory and defeat over the stupid devil looks like. No matter how hard we try to beat him, to silence him, and to not listen to His toxic voice, some days He manages to get in there and we are left feeling two inches tall. Then we read this beautiful picture of our heads being lifted up above the enemy of our soul. It's like flying high, above it all.

Lift up your head. God makes you confident. You have all the confidence you need to fight the enemy and the mean world that tries to keep you insecure, afraid and defeated. You're such a winner. You have this confidence because of the Holy Spirit in you. So, praise Him always. Praise HIm because He lifts your head up above all your enemies: at work, in the family (everyone has them in the family), certain friends who aren't really friends, and even your own demons and insecurities. Then praise Jesus with all the joy in your heart. Even if you have to force out some joy. Sing a song to Jesus and praise Him because He is so present, so perfect, and so in love with you.

97

Psalm 126:1

"When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream..."

God is good and incredibly kind. He takes our lives, He restores us and He heals us. He takes our hearts and minds that have been stolen by the evil one, and lets us dream again. It's no shock that sometimes life takes us to places far away from home, in every sense. In some seasons of life we find ourselves placed so far from where we belong - in foreign places emotionally, spiritually, mentally and sometimes even literally. In those times our dreams can get shattered, our hopes may get broken, and we forget the purpose we once had. We even forget the simple, innocent, childlike dreams that were once hidden in our hearts. But then God captures of our hearts, and brings us back home... The beautiful, restoring and faithful God we have brings back to life the dreams in our hearts that died in the lost years of our lives. He heals our hearts that have been broken and violated and enables us the strength and freedom to dream again.

If your dream has died, start dreaming again. If you've never even let yourself be honest and dream, start right now. God has brought you home, and He wants you to dream. You can fly with the things God has placed in your heart to do on this earth. Get a pen and paper and sit down with His sweet Holy Spirit. Tell Him every dream you have ever had in your heart, and ask Him to make His dreams for your life your dreams for your life. Get ready and dream! Things are about to happen!

96

Hebrews 12:2 (the message)

"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God."

Don't stop looking at Jesus. All day every day - whatever you find yourself doing at the moment - keep your eyes on Him. He is the one who will inspire you always. He has been before you in every possible life situation, every circumstance and every emotion you can imagine could fit into your heart. Fix your heavy eyes (heavy from life, heavy from being broken a time or two...) on the sweet saviour king who began and finished the battle for us.

Anything you're doing right now, whatever "cross" you're enduring, whatever "shame" you're experiencing, He has been there, felt it, put up with it and beat it. He pushed through and didn't give up. With everything in me, I beg you to not give up when it gets painful and you're sick of the whole thing. Jesus didn't lose sight of his purpose. He made it home and is now sitting next to His Dad in Heaven on the throne. Jesus is alive. He made it home, far above this earth, and you will too.

95

Romans 6:8 (the message)

"He (Christ) didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him."


You see, I don't believe we will ever fully understand the love of God and His Son while we are sitting on this side of eternity. This love we have received is too precious, too big and too ridiculous. It's too much for our finite minds to grasp. We don't understand such love. It doesn't matter how much you think you love a person here on earth - your child, your spouse, your parent, your best friend - no one has ever displayed such beautiful and severe sacrificial love for someone who may not ever fully get it, and really doesn't deserve it, as Christ.

Worthy is the Lamb that was murdered for us. The Lamb is Jesus, and He was murdered for us so that we wouldn't have to be murdered for our sins. So that when we die we will be with Him in a paradise, the final destination of our dreams. It may sound ludicrous to you, but it makes all the sense in the world to this broken heart who has been given a second chance because of the cross. His Love rescued and saved you and me.

94

John 13: 3-5

"Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."


Our servant king was like none other. Everything He did was incredibly perfect and sweet and smart. He walked and talked with the people, He didn't care about the level of hype around Him, and He served humanity in the finest form. He was a rock star with no regard for Himself. He didn't care about status or hierarchy. Before He left his disciples and friends, He washed their dirty, messy stinky feet with grace and style. More than that, He was about to let one of them betray Him to be murdered. What a beautiful, selfless king we have.

Maybe the reason He was able to do this was because He was confident in His place in the Kingdom. The intimacy and adoration He had for His Father in Heaven was the driving force behind His passion and love for humanity. I can see Him now. An hour or so earlier He is at the well collecting the water, making sure He has enough water to wash 24 feet. And now He has finished His meal (the last one with them before He goes to the cross) and rather than thinking about the pain ahead of Him, He takes the time to perform one last act of service (other than the ultimate one about to happen, of course...) for these men that He has raised up to go and change the world with the message. He gets on His knees with the bucket and pours it over the first one's feet. I'm sure they feel a little uncomfortable. He is Jesus! We should be washing His feet! But He does it. How humble and precious. I'm sure they never forgot it. And I'm sure Judas was tormented for the rest of His life...

Our Savior King was the servant of all. Imitate Him.