Testimony Tuesday - Community

My experience with community and friendship is different then most women’s, at least most women that I know. Not that that is a bad thing; just is what it is.

I grew up in a pretty open and honest home, and my personality is one that I tend to easily make friends. So, as I got older having community and finding people to be vulnerable with was not necessarily hard for me. Where I tended, and honestly can still struggle, is not feeling like I am responsible for the people in my community. I tend to take on their struggles and feel like I need to be their holy spirit, like I need to fix it, and like it is my fault. Lies, to keep me distanced; because really nobody can handle all that pressure - that would be why it is God’s job. I have/am learning to trust God with other people. To just set back and let Him work, some times He uses me in their lives and sometimes I get to just see the miracle and blessing in others lives.

I have gained a group of people that are comfortable and safe to be a mess in and grow. They encourage and support each other and me where they are at. They also show love not just for me but also for my family. It is also a place for Godly advice, encouragement, accountability, and prayer.

Jo Lee

God's Beautiful Reminders

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. (Psalms 19:1 NLT)

 

Everywhere you look it's beautiful, white, clean, pure, still, calm....

Trees take on new shapes. Their bark contrasts so vividly against the brilliant white snow that outlines their delicate branches. 

If you go outside you may notice the quiet that comes with the stillness of the snow. It muffles sounds so it seems even quieter! It's a gentle, peaceful, soothing quiet.

Much like the Creator of the snow. He comes and blankets us with His righteousness. Covering us with His sacrifice, we look pure and beautiful. 

His Presence brings a gentle, peaceful calm. A stillness unmatched by anything this world can offer. We look different. We feel different. We are different. All because our Savior comes and makes us new.  

And then He reminds us of this through the physical world He's placed us in. Truly the heavens declare the works of His hands. 

Are You Doing or Supporting?

As a pastor’s wife, mom and a leader of a ministry, I’m sometimes overwhelmed by the many assignments and visions God gives me for the future.  How do I see it accomplished?  I certainly don’t have the many gifts required to teach, train, encourage, serve, cook, bless, create, organize, listen, watch and complete these assignments. 

I wonder if Moses felt the same way after God spoke to him about the Israelites.  As I’ve been reading through Exodus I’ve been struck by the many specific instructions the Lord gave Moses about the tabernacle, the priest’s robes, the Ark of the Covenant and more.  So many details!

How could Moses possibly accomplish all that God was instructing him to do?  I mean he’s just a shepherd.  Sure he grew up in the palace surround by incredible craftsmanship and beauty but he spent much of his life shepherding.  How is he to do the intricate work required for making these things?

Thankfully we have a God who thinks about such things!  Here’s what He did:

Exodus 31:1-7 "Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft! “And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make: the Tabernacle; the Ark of the Covenant; the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement; all the furnishings of the Tabernacle; the table and its utensils; the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories; the incense altar; the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils; the washbasin with its stand; the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests; the anointing oil; the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.” "(Exodus 31:1-11 NLT)

Wow.  You mean He places His Spirit in His people to accomplish it all?

Most definitely!  He knew Moses couldn’t do everything He was telling him to, so He told Moses whom He had lined up for those jobs.  Bezalel and Oholiab and the gifted craftsman weren’t just random people wandering in the desert; they were given the Spirit of God who gave them “wisdom, ability and expertise in all kinds of crafts.”  I love how God has orchestrated this!

He still does this today!  There is no such thing as a random person wandering around the River Church or the Body of Christ.  God has given us His Spirit to accomplish absolutely everything He has put in the hearts of His people.  We’ve been given the “wisdom, ability and expertise” necessary. 

What happened to the people who weren’t Bezalel and Oholiab or the gifted craftsman?  Amazingly God thought of that too.

Exodus 36:1-7 "some were called to work on the temple and some brought gifts and offerings for those who work on the temple"

If they weren’t doing, they were supporting.  I believe this is true of each and every one of us.  There will be times of doing and there will be times of supporting.  Our responsibility is to know what God is assigning to us and then being obedient to it.  If we are in waiting then we are supporting those who are doing right now. Notice He doesn't mention spectating...

So are you doing or supporting or spectating?

I Love You, Too

In one of Beth Moore's teachings (I have to give credit where credit is due - I love Beth Moore!) she tells a story (and I'm repeating what I remember of it) of how God was showing His glory to her after a long exhausting trip.  She was on her way home from the airport and in awe of the incredible sunset.  She was worshiping God and giving Him thanks and praise for all He had done at the conference and telling Him how much she loved Him.

And then He stopped her with this verse.

He said you love me because I loved you first.  

He wasn't meaning He didn't love her praise or her thanks or her love, He was just reminding her that it's because of His great love for her that she can love Him back.

I've been so struck by that story.  There are times when I, too, am overwhelmed by my love for God.  It feels like I can't tell Him enough, show Him enough, express just how much He means to me.  And then I'm reminded that essentially I'm saying "I love you, too" because the truth is, He's already said I love you over and over and over.

In every breath I take and beat of my heart.  Every sunrise, sunset, sunshine or rain, laughter with my loved ones and friends, every scripture I read, worship song I sing, every tear I cry, every day I am on this earth - the ultimate gift of His Son.  With all of this and infinitely more He says to me,

"I love you!" 

So I reply back, "I love you, too"

God's Manna is Good for Today

Exodus is one of my favorite books in the Old Testament.  I love the story of Moses and His friendship with God.  I also love how God shows His people compassion over and over again.

At one point when the Israelites were wandering in the desert (because of their disobedience) they were grumbling and complaining about the food (or lack their of).  God heard their cries and faithfully sent manna for them each day, except for the Sabbath.

¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.  ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer^[a] for each person you have in your tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

This was a lesson in trust.  If they took too much it was rotten in the morning.  

I see this as our daily bread - the Word of God - in our lives.  God asks that I eat of His manna each day.  He doesn't want me to try and "store up" extra manna to last for days on end.  He wants me to come to Him daily and get what I am hungry for.  Sometimes I need a lot, sometimes I don't need as much, but each day I gather just as much as my heart craves.  

And the funny thing is that while God's word is eternal and powerful and plenty, I need it every single day. Every day it's essential to eat His Word, read it with the Spirit's revelation, absorb it into my very soul.  He is so good and faithful to provide exactly what is necessary each and every day.  No more.  No less.  It's just right.  

He knows my need.  He knows my hunger.  He knows how to meet me there.  My lesson in trust comes daily as I go to Him, to His provision, knowing that He will provide and His manna is good for today.

Testimony Tuesday - Your passion and calling

The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.

. Fabienne Fredrickson

Someone posted this on Facebook a little while ago. It really put in words some things that have been going on in my life over the last 8 months.

I work as a horse trainer and in April of last year I left my trainer job of 7 years and went out on my own. It was a huge step both financially and emotionally. I now needed to make sure I had enough work to help support my family but also to further my career.

So I talked to God about it. One thing that happened was that one day when I stood brushing a horse I thought to myself that “ I really would like a horse like this” (this particular horse is probably one of the highest quality horses I’ve ever worked with, really nice high dollar horse) but then the next thought in my head was” but what if it would get injured?” At that moment I heard a voice (can’t say if it was audible or not) say “ Why would I not bless you?” It hit me really hard. Did I not have faith that God would also take care of my horses? It brought me down a new trail of thoughts and prayers. Was I allowed to pray about my job working with horses? I have ridden since I was little and it was always my dream and goal to be a professional trainer. But I don’t think I ever really prayed about it much, especially not for God to bless me in it. I only did it because I had fun and loved doing it.

You also need to know that I have many times in my life seen God move mountains in all kind of areas. I have always believed God had a calling on my life that I one day would fulfill which is how I ended up here.  I came to the US to work with troubled teenagers and horses on a Christian boys ranch. There was suppose to be horses but the main thing was to work with the kids. It ended up never happening. I did administration work instead. 

Anyway here I was realizing that God actually wanted to bless me in the work I am doing. WOW! All of a sudden the words I started out with totally made sense. To be a horse trainer is my life’s passion but also my life’s calling. It is what I am supposed to do. And as one of our pastors so well talked about a while back, it is about seeing dry bones come to live one at the time and be intentional in our relationships and we will see people revived.  To be a missionary doesn’t only mean to leave your home and country and do something totally foreign (even though I tried that to and am very thankful I did) but it means to do God’s mission wherever he sends you.  And in my case it means to serve him as I train horses and teach people to ride.

I wish I could make you understand what a revelation this was to me. I have ridden and trained horses since I was a kid.  But to realize that this is what God wants me to do with the rest of my life, He is the one that put that passion in my life, and He wants me to use it for his glory. I’m blown away.  Now I feel like I can pray for my job, my clients, my future with a whole new level of faith. Now I pray With God instead of To him.

This gives me a different strategy for my future and a feeling of security that is pretty cool!

Blessings!

Daniela Leidy

What Are You Watering?

Have you ever felt like you’re doing everything you know how to do, with all your might and nothing is actually getting accomplished? The Lord reminded me of a word picture He gave me a few years ago when I was feeling this way yesterday. I wanted to share it with you because I’m confident that there are ladies out there who feel like I do.

At our old house Mark and I had planted 2 sets of new trees, a small vegetable garden and a little patch of grass. It was our attempt at landscaping the “desert” we lived in. Sadly, the house we lived in had only one spigot for attaching a hose for watering. Our projects were so far away from each other that in order to water them we would’ve had to spend several hours moving hoses each evening.

The solution we found was an attachment for the spigot where we could connect 4 hoses, each going to the area that needed watering. God told me that the only way that attachment worked well was to shut down three of the hoses and water full blast out of one at a time. If all the hoses were in use at the same time, everything would be watered but none of the areas would receive the necessary water. There would only be a trickle coming from the hose. Much like my life.

If I am so busy doing good things, than it’s very difficult to do the God things that He has assigned me. If my assignments are something like my relationship with God, my husband, my children, women’s ministry and writing (a new thing He speaking to me), and I’m trying to do all at the same time…well none of them get the water and attention they need. If I’m trying to write an email and teach my children, communicate with Mark and squeeze in a quiet time you can imagine how loved everyone feels! I’m pouring out all my energy but nothing is getting done well. I am learning how to set aside specific times for each thing with as few distractions as I can; a difficult assignment to be sure, but a necessary one in order to each area to get the required attention.

If you feel like all of your faucets are running at the same time take a few moments to shut down three and speak to our Sovereign God. Ask Him what needs to shut down when, how to move through the assignments, and even ask what assignments aren’t from Him? There may be something God would like you get involved in that you’ve said “I just don’t have the time”. You may not have the time or energy because you’re spending it doing something God has not asked you to do.

Lord show us where our focus needs to be and help us to discipline ourselves to better accomplish the things you’ve set before us. Amen!

Are You Enough?

Last week was the biggest event in football - the Super Bowl.  Did you watch the dramatic ending?  Or were you more focused on the commercials?  I admit to both.  I enjoy watching a good game and the good commercials are always fun.  There was a lot of drama surrounding this year's game and personally as a Bronco fan, I didn't really care too much who won.  I'm not a fan of either team.  But something hit me when I heard the news about the Patriot's homecoming celebration in Boston.

They had delayed the big parade because of the weather, which still wasn’t great the day of the parade but the fans still showed up in huge numbers to cheer on the Super Bowl Champs.  As I was listening to the radio news describe the event, the broadcaster remarked at how the Patriots were holding up four fingers to the fans, representing the four Super Bowl victories they had won since 2002 under the leadership of Bill Belichick.  A pretty remarkable feat no matter how you feel about the team.

What surprised me, and made me a little sad, was what the broadcaster said next.  As the Patriots held up four fingers, the fans held up five – signifying they wanted five wins now.  Wow.

As if four wasn’t a great accomplishment in and of itself, the fans wanted more.  Four is great but five is better!  Almost immediately I heard the Lord remind me, “The world will always want more.  You can never do enough or be enough to satisfy them.”

How true.  I have encountered this more times than I’d care to admit.  How many times have I tried harder, worked longer, made up my hair/face/clothes to match the magazines, read the blogs on being a better wife, mom, homeschool parent, friend, pastor’s wife etc… All to no avail.  I fall flat when I listen to what the world wants. 

You didn’t yell at your kids today?  Good for you.  Now make sure they excel in sports and education.  Cooked a gourmet, organic meal?  Eh.  Grow your own veggies if you really cared about your family.  Went on a date with your hubby? Make sure that your body looks like the model on the magazine or he’ll look elsewhere. 

It’s enough to make you crazy and feel like you’re a hamster in a wheel.  Running and running but never really getting anywhere.

But then I tune my ears to God. I seek Him first and I measure up every time.  Not because I am perfect but because He is.  I'm always growing and changing but it isn't to please the un-pleasable, it's submitting to the One Who knows me intimately and wants the best for me and my family. Opposite of the cookie cutter, impossible to achieve expectations the world gives us. 

Feeling like just when you get ahead you discover you're actually far, far behind?   Who are you listening to?

Testimony Tuesday - Being a part!

Many probably remember how Pastor Mark began 2014 with a sermon series called the “Measure of a Strong Church” where he encouraged us to read the first few chapters of Revelation and throughout the series we were to assess ourselves – as individual Christ followers and as members of the body.  I was thoroughly challenged especially since (1) I had feared reading Revelation because I was afraid, specifically of the end times, and (2) our life group had recently read through it with ambivalent results.  One of Pastor Mark’s requests from the church body was to seek God as we read through Revelation and ask God to reveal to us specific things about the River Church.  How did we (as the church) measure up?  Which of the seven churches (or a combination thereof) did we resemble?  
 

The described seven churches are Ephesus (the lacking love church), Smyrna (the persecuted church), Pergamum (the compromising church), Thyatira (the corrupt church), Sardis (the dead church), Philadelphia (the faithful church), and Laodicea (the lukewarm church). 

Reading through this opening part of Revelation again was different because I asked God to open my heart and my eyes – I wanted to please God regardless of my feelings.  I wondered if our gracious and merciful Savior knew that others would be just like me and so He provided a blessing for those who read it:  Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near (Rev. 1:3).  God is all-knowing!  He knew I would be afraid.  Part of my fear is the brilliant and rich figures of speech; the language amazes and startles at the same time, and honestly I didn’t position my heart to read it.  I know now that the enemy was using that fear to block me from receiving God’s blessing.

How I completely missed being in God’s glory because I did not position myself to hear Him!  For me, positioning myself involves several things: praying for God to reveal to me the inner depths of my sin, to repent of that sin, and to expect to hear God’s voice every time.  I love hearing God’s voice – from hushed whispers to thunderous booms.  He is faithful every time.  My part of the faithful equation is much harder to keep.  I did eventually write a list of comparisons between the seven churches and ours.  As I looked at the list of qualities, I asked God what to do with this finding.  At this time, the corporate fast was in progress so I just prayed about the list for a few days.  Then, I prayed for all the church leaders by name and specific area corresponding to the list.   Then, I prayed for the church body as a whole and then individually.  Then, I prayed for myself to find my part in the church body.  So I did what God wanted me to do, but I did it alone (which was never God’s intention) all year long! 

Throughout the year, my desire to know God, read God’s word, study God’s word was growing but I did it alone.  I knew I was disobeying God.  I asked for forgiveness.  I asked for grace.  And of course, God gave it all, including favor and provision.  May it be said that 2015 was a year of revival in the River Church – and needless to say I will be part of it.  So it is with great mercy that I ask all who read this to consider joining me in a new ministry.  I am calling it the Study Guide team.  Just as God revealed to that I am not the only one who was afraid to read through the book of Revelation, I am certain that I am not the only one who desires to know more of God through the weekly sermons.  I do believe that God is leading Pastor Mark to guide our church so as part of the body we need to be positioned to receive and apply God’s word.  I shared my idea with Mark and Jill and they commissioned me to move forward.  I did already speak to a couple of folks, but we definitely need more folks involved so we will have enough on the team to rotate throughout the month.  Thus, the call out for the Study Guide team. 

WHO: All those whom God calls

WHAT: A committed group of believers who will serve 1^st and 2^nd service to collectively write a Study Guide based on that morning’s sermon

HOW: The assigned Study Guide team will attend 1^st service and take notes, and then the team will meet together during 2^nd service and type out a Study Guide for life groups to use during the week

WHY: We our called to study God’s word (and apply it), to fellowship with other believers, and it makes God happy

My heart is what Pastor Mark preached recently on Isaiah 58:6-8.  By providing our church body with a guide to dig deeper into God’s and apply it to our lives, we will see the untying of “the cords of the yoke” and “light will break forth like the dawn.”  Please email with questions: arroyoarte@gmail.com