The Lord has need of it...

Jesus told 2 of His disciples: 

“Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” Luke 19:30-31

This passage in Luke came to my mind when I began to think of some opportunities that have begun to open up for me lately in regards to sharing my testimony and my faith in God with others. It seems like we always start to question God when He asks us to tell someone about Jesus or give an offering that seems too big for our faith or pray with someone who desperately needs it.

He wants us to step out. To be bold for Him. He wants us to spread the gospel and tell others of His great love. And we shouldn't hesitate.

Why? 

Because the Lord has need of us. 

So my question to you is this...will you loose your voice, your time, your talent, your finances, your life (which really isn't your own anyway for "you were bought with a price" 1 Corinthians 6:20) for the Lord?

Because He needs it.

Will you let His presence ride upon your shoulders into the streets wherever He asks you to go?

The Lord has been speaking to me about releasing my testimony now more than ever and I believe He is asking many of you to do the same.

He wants to use you for His glory.

Will you share your story of how God has delivered you, healed you, saved you, protected you, blessed you, cleansed you, restored you??? (...and the list of course goes on and on because He is such a good God!)


Why? 

Because the Lord has need of us. 

He needs us to point others to Him so that fellowship can be restored with the Father. Will you be a willing vessel for the Lord? Will you be carrier of His presence for all the world to see?

What are you waiting for? God is counting on you to carry Him into the streets so that others may see His glory and encounter His love.

Be bold. Be humble. Be a carrier of God's presence. Wherever you go.

We have lots of work to do and He needs every one to do their part in spreading the good news that Jesus gave His life for them so that they may come back to their Heavenly Father without the stains of sin! They need to know that Jesus makes all things new! We were born for such a time as this! The fields are white...the harvest is ready!

Be blessed!

Peace&Love.
Emily Rose

Just not now...

Those three words seem to be the words I have had to say quite a lot over these last several months. And I am not a fan of having to turn down opportunities, especially when they seem so right, so perfect.

But the timing may not be...

Sunday morning before church, I was reading Psalm 37 and I think the Lord was trying to prepare me for a decision I was going to have to make later that night...

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV) tells us to:

"Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart."
[The Hebrew word translated “delight” (עָנַג, pronounced aw-nag) literally means to be delicate or feminine (Strong’s, עָנַג.)  It carries the idea of being pliable or sensitive.  In this particular context, it means to be dependent upon God and to derive one’s pleasure from Him. ]

When we read this verse, we usually picture the word delight meaning to enjoy God, which in a way it does. But as I went deeper researching the Hebrew meaning of the word, I realized the verse almost seemed to be a command to us.

The Lord is trying to tell us that He will give us the desires of our heart once we FULLY DEPEND ON HIM AND HIS WAYS. When we have a full revelation of who God is and what His ways are like, we can take genuine pleasure in Him. Not because of what He can do for us, but just because of who He is.

We see in Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV):

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."

When we understand this, or at least ATTEMPT to understand this statement from the Lord, we see that God's plans may be difficult to comprehend for us humans because they will always be higher than our's.

So how do we walk through life when we have to be the ones making the decisions?

TRUST IN THE LORD. WAIT UPON THE LORD.

"But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
"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." Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

And of course...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths." 
(Proverbs 3:5-6; NKJV)

Then the Lord really hit me with this one in Habakkuk:

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry." (2:3 NKJV)

There are opportunities in your life that have yet to completely unfold and there are promises that the Lord has spoken to you that have yet to manifest, but before you give up or take matters into your own hands, trust and wait. The Bible says that God's promises are YES and AMEN (so be it). If whatever you're believing for, praying for, hoping for is supposed to happen. It will. In GOD'S TIMING. 

You may find yourself saying, "just not now..." but know that the Lord has not forgotten about you. He knows exactly what He's doing. He holds your precious life in the palm of His hand and He won't let you fall. If you lean on Him and depend on His ways, You won't be able to help yourself finding delight in Him and the desires that He placed in your heart will unfold right before your very eyes. 

He is ready to give them to you. All you gotta do is....WAIT. :)

Peace&Love.

Emily Rose

Believing and Trusting

Believing in something seems to start in your head. You make your mind up to believe and that's that. But there comes a point when you let that belief settle down in your heart and it becomes stronger. It starts to go deeper and take root in your heart. You then begin to trust in that belief and it takes a lot more to break that trust because it has gripped your heart.

Believing in God and believing in His Word allows your mind to grasp it, but it can be a struggle every day. Paul wouldn't have called it a fight if it wouldn't be a daily battle to hold onto our ability to believe:

"Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12 (NLT)

This tells me that there is a struggle for our faith. If the enemy can take away our ability to believe in God's Word, then there is no way we will ever be able to trust God. 

In Mark 9, a father had asked Jesus to deliver his little boy from a tormenting spirit. He proclaimed, "I do believe; help my unbelief." (vs 24: ESV)

We can declare all day long that we believe God's Word and let that belief stay in our minds, but the enemy's easiest access into our lives is in our mind. He will try to distract you with thoughts and send other people to speak into our lives things that go against God's Word. We live in a fallen world (in which Satan is the god of) and we are going to come across something at least once a day that goes against God's Word (unless of course you become a shut-in and do not turn on your computer or TV or answer your phone). 

That's why we have to CONSTANTLY stay in the Word. The Word purifies and cleanses our minds of all that junk that enters it by what we see and hear throughout our daily lives.

Psalm 1

¹ Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

When we meditate on the Word day and night, our faith grows and takes root in our heart and we then begin to trust God. And like Psalm 1:3, we are like trees planted by streams of water. It takes a lot for a tree become uprooted, especially when it has been planted for many, many years. 

med·i·tate  (md-tt)

v. med·i·tat·ed, med·i·tat·ing, med·i·tates

v.tr.

1. To reflect on; contemplate.

2. To plan in the mind; intend 

(thefreedictionary.com)

I want the Word to go so deep down in my heart that no matter what happens in life, my trust for God is never broken and my faith is never affected or decreased. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The enemy will try to damage our faith and destroy any ounce of it we have, but keep reading the Word! Meditate on it. Let that belief take root in your heart and your faith will strengthen and grow such a strong foundation of trust towards God and His Word.

Meditate on the Word so much that it moves from your mind down into your heart. And remember to keep watch over that too! 

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

Lord, help us learn how to trust You. Keep us hungry and thirsty for Your Word for it strengthens our faith and help us fight off the enemy's tactics. Thank You for never leaving us and always loving us even when we fail. You are forever faithful and forever good. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Peace&Love.

Emily

Created to Worship

Did you know that everyone was created to worship?

YEP.

Worship is giving something or someone worth. It is what you devote your time, your devotion, your affection, your finances, your heart to. If you allow yourself to really reflect on this, you will know in your heart where all of those things in your life are going to.

If you worship anyone or anything besides God Almighty, the Bible calls those people or those things idols. And when it comes to God, He doesn't want you to give yourself away to anything or anyone but Him. He's not egotistical or prideful, He just loves us SO MUCH and wants us to see the world and people like He does. Worshiping God creates an atmosphere in our hearts that is conducive to letting God mold us into His image. It becomes a breeding ground for selfless love to be produced in us.

2 Samuel 16:7 says:
"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (NIV)

When we allow the Lord to mold us and change our hearts, we will be able to love others with the Father's love.

In prayer one day, the Lord dropped this song down into my heart:

Cultivate the ground of my heart

Til it yields a harvest of lasting fruit

For Your purpose

For Your plan...

How does God cultivate the ground of your heart?

By worship.

By worshipping God Almighty and surrendering your life completely to Him. And worship is not just singing to the Lord (although that's important). It is denying yourself and saying "yes" to Him every single day of your life. From seeking Him in prayer or telling a stranger that God loves them by praying with them or giving them a hug, every "yes" to God is worship. When we love God with all that we are, our hearts can't help but overflow with His love for others. 

So it is true. Worship IS a lifestyle. It is constantly telling God "More of You and less of me." EVERY DAY. And every time we obey God and say "yes" to Him, we give Him glory. We give Him worth because He sees us growing up and maturing. Every Father wants to see their children mature and succeed their love walk.

So who or what do you worship? Yourself? Your plans? Your job? Money? Nice clothes? Everything in this world will pass away, except for Love. Let God speak to your heart today and see if there are areas in your life that you are holding back from Him. The more we say "yes" to God, the more He can molds our hearts and they will overflow with His perfect Love. 

Give God worth today. Even in the little things. :)

Peace&Love.

Emily

The Blood Speaks

I thoroughly enjoy reading in the book of Hebrews. Tonight these few verses captivated my attention:

"But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks." ~Hebrews 12:22-25 (NKJV)

Then my attention was brought to this verse in Genesis:
"The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." ~Genesis 4:10 (NIV)

Then these lyrics popped into my head:

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD 

BY: MATT REDMAN

Your blood speaks a better word

Than all the empty claims I've heard upon this earth

Speaks righteousness for me

And stands in my defense

Jesus it's Your blood

I'm just saying, something went off in me when I read that scripture in Hebrews. I have read that passage many times before, but tonight verse 24 just gripped me and I couldn't stop meditating on it.

Jesus' blood speaks... 

just as in Genesis 4 tells us that Abel's blood was heard crying out to God from the ground after Cain murdered him. 

Jesus' blood speaks on our behalf. It stands in our defense. The Father not only SEES us covered in the blood of His Son, but He HEARS us in the blood of His Son. When we are covered in His blood, God hears the voice of our "Mediator" (vs 24). Our prayers and our cries are filtered through Christ's blood. God responds because of the powerful sound that Jesus' blood makes. When we are in Christ, the Father hears our every word and it is righteous to God because Jesus is our righteousness. 

I will leave you with this tonight:

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."~John 14:6 (ESV)

When we enter through Christ, God sees us and hears us every time and He is faithful to answer our prayer. Let Christ speak for you and do not refuse Him who speaks.

Refiner's Fire

Refine me like gold.
Purify me until I shine like the Son.
Purge my heart of all that does not belong...all that doesn't look like You.
Take me through the fire and consume me with Your love.
Refine me like gold.
Gold is a symbol of Your divine character.
When I am refined like gold,
I am shining with Your divine nature, Your glory.
Pure and spotless
without blemish
Like Your Church
Like Your Bride.
You will return soon
coming on clouds with fire
Your Bride will meet You
And we will reign with You forever.
We must be refined individually
as members of Your Body,
Your Church, Your Bride first
before we shine as a whole.
So stir up a desire in all of us
to be pure
and spotless
and holy
like You.
Refine us like gold.
Cleanse us with Your Blood
until we shine like You.

(written on 8/6/2012)

Here I stand, Lord.

It's been an intense 2 months. A lot of transitions. A lot of pruning. A lot of growing.

When Paul and I decided to to step down at Wrecked and become more involved at Church in Action, we didn't know that the Lord would need us to dive in so quickly. But what I have been hearing consistently lately is "the harvest is great, but the laborers are few." God needs us to get serious and not waste a moment of time.

I could move whenever a door opens, but that would not be wise at all. So I have been waiting on the Lord and trusting that He will position me exactly where He needs me. There can be no room for comparison or questioning God's timing or ways. Who am I to question the Creator the Universe? I can read Job to see the rebuke he got from God when he did. No, I must stand firm and boldly say, "Here I am, Lord. I will go, Lord. Lead me and I will follow."

 

I am starting to understand the body of Christ more and more each day. As Jesus reveals more to me about His body and His bride, I begin to see my purpose more clearly as a member of it. I may not confidently know if I am a hand or a mouth, but I do know I am called to love and make disciples wherever I am, even if it doesn't look like I can in a medical office answering phone calls and verifying insurance benefits. He has me EXACTLY where He needs me. I don't need to know why. He's God (I am not), and He says so, that's why! Until He tells me to go, I must stay put and "work at it with all of my heart for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). If God wanted me to move or to constantly travel from country to country, then He would tell me this and make a way for that to happen. I would know without a shadow of a doubt that I have been chosen to proclaim Christ to the nations as a traveling missionary. But He has not told me to. I have recently realized that my husband and I have been called to be a a part of the wallet for the body and this season is focusing on it now more than ever as we get closer to being out of debt. Praise God! We have jobs in the secular world to help propagate the gospel and send missionaries to places outside of St. Louis.

 

Although it doesn't seem as exciting, I know that I am doing MY PART to help fulfill the mission of advancing the Kingdom of God. I cannot wait for the day when I get to write checks to missionaries to take care of their financial pressures. I get even more excited when I think about meeting others' needs by feeding them, clothing them, and helping them get out of debt (my heart is for the student who has bought the lie that you HAVE TO GO TO COLLEGE EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT TO STUDY SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT EVEN FIND A JOB DOING WHAT YOU STUDIED and is strapped with thousands of dollars of debt before they are even 25). How can we advance the Kingdom if we are all in horrible debt? This is an epidemic in America and we are so blinded! This will be a part of our ministry, I know it.

 

Another part of our ministry that God has been revealing to us has to do with justice. I know that when you take a stand for something that is wrong, there will be 10 other people who want to tell you to shut up and sit down. Now when you bring God's name into it, sadly, there will be thousands more people who do not want you to speak up at all and will attack you. This is because the devil wants to silent us and take our authority by deceiving us into thinking we have none. He doesn't like it when light is shed upon the dark things he has worked so hard to create in our world. But we must shine bright!

 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

 

I will shine bright for you God!

 

3 more days until JUSTICE PRAYER GATHERING and I can't wait to gather with a group of radical Christ followers to pray for our city, nation, and world. And as we speak, people are attacking it and me. But we must stand firm and be BOLD. In the end, it will all be worth it!!!

 

Peace&Love.

Emily

Unity and Love.

The Lord really has been hitting me over the head with one topic that He has had me studying for the last few months. LOVE. Every sermon I hear (most times unexpectedly) and every scripture passage that I feel led to read has had something to do with love. Walking in love. Enduring difficult situations and transitions and remaining in love. The definition of love. I can't seem to study anything else. And I really don't want to.

I can't tell you how many times I have read 1 Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter." And every time I read it, I see love and God, who is Love, in a deeper way. Last night I received a greater revelation to this love walk that we Christians must endure.

"[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, ENDURES all things..." 1 Corinthians 13:7 NKJV

So if we are truly walking in love, we ENDURE through it. What if relationships begin to fall apart? What if people are spreading lies about you? What if the ones you care about disappoint you? What if those you care about hurt you? It doesn't matter. Love endures. Love stands firm through it all.

And guess what? We must love ALL PEOPLE. No matter wh

at!

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." Luke 7:32 NKJV

What if fellow believers are not living a righteous life? Is it our job to point out their flaws? NO!

"[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." 1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV

So here is my ultimate question...why are we keeping a record of wrongs against The Church? I am so tired of hearing sermons and remarks about how screwed up The Church is from other believers. The Church is Christ's bride. He loves her unconditionally. He loves Her so much He died for Her and for others who He wants so badly to believe on Him and become a part of Her. If I was caught up in sin, my husband would be concerned, but would never stop loving me. And if he heard another bad-mouthing me, it would hurt his heart to hear it, but He would stand up for me. I can only imagine how Jesus feels about us bad-mouthing The Church, His bride and His body.

"And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually." 1 Corinithians 12:26-27 NKJV

"For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones." Ephesians 5:29-30 NKJV

When we speak ill of the body of Christ, we are speaking ill of Christ. He is the head and we are the body. He is a part of us and we are a part of Him. If we are members of the Church then why do we constantly point fingers and poke holes in the Church's behavior? I am not saying that there aren't flaws, I just choose to cover them in love and build up and not tear down because the Bible says to.

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 NIV

Last night at CIA, Pastor Rochelle brought a powerful message about the Lord's Supper and Pastor Darnell highlighted something that I never thought of before regarding this

verse:

"Take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 1 Corinthians 11:24b

We can take the words "remembrance" or "to remember" and break it a part into RE-MEMBER=to put something back together. To re-assemble. Pastor Rochelle and Darnell made it a point to let us know that every time we partake in the Lord's Supper, each member of the body of Christ is coming together in unity to form the body of Christ. We are "re-membering"

ourselves. In unity. In love.

I am reminded of this:

"I see your Church, all rising up in power

Laying down their lives in unity and love

I hear the sound of every tribe and nation

Giving glory to Jesus Christ the Son.."

(lyrics from the song "Do It Lord")

Are we going to lay down our lives for one another (there is no greater love) or are we going to point fingers just as the Accuser wants us to as he dismembers us? We know together we are stronger! Are we going to choose to build up or tear down? Let us re-member and remember what the Lord did for us as He laid down His life for us so that we may have everlasting life forever with Him in heaven together.

Be blessed.

Peace&Love.

Emily

I have been asked to lead a prayer meeting at my new home church!
Totally excited to see what God is gonna do when a bunch of radicals cry out for God's justice to reign!!!

Standing in AGREEMENT.

These last few weeks can only be described in one word: battlefield.

I have been pulled in so many directions emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. It seemed like everywhere I turned, something or someone was demanding more of me. I found myself disagreeing on more topics than agreeing. It seemed like I was ready to fight at the drop of a hat. In complete defense-mode, really. All I could see was chaos around me.

I always thought I was a peace-maker. I never realized how passionate I can become if something I love is messed with. Whether a person I care deeply about or even the truth I stand for is attacked or tested...I get territorial. I begin to search for the truth to stand against the deception and lies. Whatever it takes, the truth will shine forth!

I realized very recently how much more I can accomplish when I begin to agree instead of disagree. Instead of pointing out what is wrong, I need to speak life over the situation to see how it can change for the better. If I am continuously looking at what is wrong with something instead of what it could look like if it was right, I would probably live without a lot less stress and frustrations and my relationships would remain strong.

This kind of mind-set is really centered in faith. Cutting through all of the mess with words of hope that begin to change things.

"God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did..." -Romans 4:17

When life throws you a curve-ball, sometimes you swing, miss, or you get hit in the head. Instead of screaming at life or even the "curve-ball" for hurting us, why don't we pick up our bat, stand firm, and take another swing at the next pitch? We could stand firm and believe the next pitch will be different.

The beautiful thing is, God gives us new "pitches" every day.

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They [His mercies] are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22-23

I want to stand firm on God's word and be in agreement with what it promises. As believers, we could stand in our similarities instead of looking at our differences. We could stand in agreement of the scriptures instead of dispute and disagree. Even if we do not fully understand everything God is doing, we can all agree and know that God is good and God is faithful.

I'm learning to read the scripture to find truth for myself and not to point out another brother or sister's flaws.

I must "work out my OWN salvation with fear and trembling" as Paul says in Philippians.

It really is about speaking life or death. Building up one another instead of tearing down.

I choose to agree from now on.

And I hope you can stand and agree with me that GREAT IS GOD'S FAITHFULNESS!!!

Peace&Love.

Emily

Consumed by Your Love.

You, Lord, are a consuming fire.

A fire of Love.

A holy fire of Love.

And You are Love.

And Your Love casts out all fear and darkness.

Consume us with Your perfect Love.

We will never be perfect but we are clothed in the Perfect One.

Therefore, in Christ, we are able to reflect Your perfect Love to the world.

And we are able to receive strength through Jesus to walk in holiness.

But we need Your holy fire, that is Your Love, to consume us

so that all we know and all we are is Your love.

You ask us to be holy because you are holy.

We cannot reach holiness and purity on our own and in our own strengths or actions.

(We could never pray, fast, or read enough to achieve it)

We need Christ to cleanse us with His blood.

We are made holy and pure when we come washed in the blood of Jesus.

We repent and You cover our sins in the blood and You see Jesus-the Holy One.

Jesus, the Perfect One.

We please You with our faith in Christ and in the cross, not with our works alone.

We need faith to empower us to do great works for Your Kingdom.

But we can do NOTHING if we have not LOVE.

Faith will pass away.

Hope will fade.

But Love will never fail.

Your Love Remains.

Consume us by Your unfailing Love.

First Time for Everything!

Dated: March 5th

I taught last night at Wrecked Ministries for the first time ever. Not just the first time at Wrecked, but I mean, first time EVER. Can I tell you...it was intimidating! I had been studying for a little over a week, but it really was a topic that has been on my heart for a long time.

I have to admit that it was nothing like leading worship, but still oh so awesome to feel God using your voice to speak to His people. I was on such a high right after worship that it made the transition into speaking a little easier for me. Worship leaders: that's why it is SO important for you to understand the weight that your worship set helps carry...you are stirring up an atmosphere for The Holy Spirit to continue to move and not only speak through the teacher, but speak to the hearts' of the people. I'm so grateful and thankful for the band for their commitment during worship last night (and every night)! You guys were amazing at allowing God to use you all in such a mighty, powerful way that helped prepare my heart to speak and the congregations' hearts to receive! Thank you! :)

It was an intimate group last night, but I truly believe those who were supposed to be there were. I had a young girl, who had never been to a Wrecked gathering before, come up to me after the message and let me know that God spoke to her heart about His plan for her life. She had confirmation come and there is no greater feeling in the world than to know that The Holy Spirit used you to get a word to one of the Father's children! God is so good!!!

I don't want to promote myself in any way, shape, or form but only point those straight to Jesus. HE deserves all the blessing, honor, and glory! I just wanted to share with you something that God put on my heart to speak to His kids about. If you are having difficulty dealing with moving on from your past into a life full of God's best for you, the message I spoke last night may be for your heart. You can click on this link and it will take you straight to our recorded live stream from last night. May God bless your heart today!

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13093518

"All I want is You to have Your way

You are the Potter and I am the clay

All I need is You to have Your way

You are Creator and I'm what You've made

Finally I Surrender

You are God, I am man, You are sovereign!"

-Misty Edwards Finally I Surrender

Have a blessed weekend!

Emily

understanding your call

Dated: April 14th, 2011

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has called me to lead His people in worship. But if we are not careful, we can put too much focus on our calling and not enough on Him. In every aspect of life we have priorities and choices. But we must ALWAYS choose to seek Him first in all that we do. Even if our calling involves being in ministry for Him. His face needs to be the most important prize we seek, not approval from leadership or your mentors. It is His face that you should long for.

We must be seekers first, then our calling may follow.

This has been on my heart more than ever lately and I'm trying my best to live a life of worship both in the secret place and in public.

I pray that for each of your lives as well. May you hunger after His eyes and His affection in the secret place. May you come to know Him on such an intimate level that your calling becomes your way of life and not just your constant focus.

Focus on His face. It is worth it.

Peace & Love,
Emily

Shine on!

Dated: May 21st, 2011

Trying to take some time to write in here consistently, but it is much harder than I thought. When life picks up speed, things like blogging isn't found on the priority list unfortunately.

But then God puts something on your heart and it seems like one must find a way to express it. And since one of the best ways I know how to do that is writing, here we are! :)

At Wrecked Ministries, one of our leaders, Chris, has been teaching on being a light for Christ. We've been taught that since we were little ones. You know, "This lil' light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..." Although that is a cute, catch song for pre-schoolers, we must take the truth in it and expand our thinking. We cannot allow our light to be little and expect others to see it. No, our light must be set ablaze within us. We must burn so hot and bright for God that people around us catch the fiery passion for Christ too.

The lamp of the Body

³³ “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. ³⁴ Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,^[g] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,^[h] your body also is full of darkness.³⁵ See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. ³⁶ Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

-Luke 11:33-36 (NIV)

To remain a light for Christ, we must protect what our eyes see so we may keep ourselves pure and full of light. Any unpure thing causes darkness. But where there is light, darkness HAS TO FLEE! In Chris' teaching, he spoke on John the Baptist going to the wilderness and burning bright for God. He went to the wilderness away from the debauchery going on in the world (which is still true today) and kept his eyes from seeing darkness. This kept his whole body full of light just as Luke 11: 33-36 talks about. He burned so hot and bright that people came to him to be baptized and be made pure and holy in God's sight. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus' 1st coming by preaching "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Now that is a bold statement for the Lord!

We are seeing signs of the end times unfold right before our very eyes (read Matthew 24) and although it is not the end of the world yet (for only the Father knows the time and the hour), Jesus said when we see these signs, the end is still to come. So we know that the beginning of the end has started. We must remain in faith, resist fear (which is full of darkness), and prepare the way for Jesus' second coming!

How do we do that? We preach repentance and burn bright as a light for Christ! God is so awesome that He has already given us a guideline to be the forerunner for Jesus...we are to be a John the Baptist generation!

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. -John 6-8 (NIV)

Jesus is the light and when we seek Him, He will fill us with light. We will burn bright for Him for all to see. People will then be drawn to us like moths to a flame. They will see something different in us that cannot be found in the world. A love and a peace can be found in Christ that world cannot and does not offer.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. -John 9-13 (NIV)

John prepared the way for Jesus and we are to do the same. Shine bright for Him and do not let your eyes see any dark or unpure thing. Keep your eyes fixed on things that are pure and Holy. Keep your eyes fixed on God's face. Seek Him and Him alone.

Be blessed.

Peace&Love,

Emily