Hey, Sweet Things!
I’m writing this post to you on Saturday night from the seat of a gigantic United Airlines plane on my connect flight from DC back to Houston. The Living Proof Live team and I had the tremendous privilege of serving in Providence, Rhode Island and God worked in such a distinct way that I will remember it for many years. I hope forever. God is doing something different this year at LPL. I don’t quite know how to define it but I have been flat-on-my-face grateful that He is not only still in it but stirring the pot. Not one of us on the team wants to be there a moment longer than Jesus is. We don’t even want Him to make an obligatory “appearance” because He loves us and feels sorry for us after we’ve scheduled all of this. We want the event to be proactively Jesus for His own sake and for His own glory and because it is a delight to Him and because He looks forward to it. Nothing less than that and, if it’s not that, we want Him to move us each elsewhere.
It’s so strange. We began this year looking back to the previous 15 but, by our 3rd event, it was like we all fixed our faces forward as if nothing in the world mattered but what was in front of us. No “yesterday’s plan.” No “yesterday’s work.” This is today. Something is up. Something new to us. There is something liberating and also a little frightening about just saying to Him, “Do what You want, God. Anything You want. We’re in it with You or we’re not in it at all. All bets are off.” Anyway, I’m not sure why I went off on all of that. God just really has my eyebrows high on my forehead right now wondering what He’s doing.
I have a group of about 30 of you Siestas fresh on my mind because we met up quickly after the event for our group picture. These were your northeastern sisters and the cutest things you can imagine. Well, just like all of you are. All ages and types, with this one glorious bond: the lively love of Jesus Christ. I am so crazy about you guys. I cannot fathom the grace of God to have stirred up a community of encouragement in Christ where relationships really do seem to have some substance to them. It’s an anomaly that still isn’t wasted on me.
You have marked my journey of faith. You’ve encouraged me and made me want to keep running my race energetically and earnestly. You’ve helped me get back up even at times when you didn’t know I was down. You have been a harbor of joy, peace, and laughter in an online Christian world that can be astonishingly fractured. You are a corner of courageous gentleness in a culture that has lost its manners.
And, good grief, you guys have impacted my Scripture memory life so dramatically that I hardly have words. After every Living Proof Live when we meet up for our (clandestine) Siesta picture, I always ask, “Will I be seeing any of you in January at our SSMT celebration?” Invariably there are those who answer with infectious enthusiasm, “YES!” It makes me so happy. The previous celebrations have been like a family reunion on steroids. I hope so much you’re staying up with your Scripture memory, saving your money, and planning to head to Houston that weekend. We aren’t really a beautiful city but we’re a happy one and a hospitable one, I believe I can confidently say. And we can offer you Tex Mex at virtually every four way stop. I mean, what more could you want, people?
The verse I’ve chosen this time around is one God seemed to lift from the page of my early morning Scripture reading last Monday. I continued to say it and pray it throughout the week and referenced it several times this weekend in Providence. It’s easy to memorize and it puts a concept in a nutshell that is as vital as breath to us in this believing life we’re living. Here it is:
Beth, Houston. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV
God is using it to remind me that this thing isn’t about incessant chatter and nonstop Twitter noise and learning to speak fluent Christianese. It’s not tantamount to Bible banter and doctrinal debates and holy hair-splitting. It’s not about getting together at church and threatening week after week to live changed lives and think renewed thoughts. It’s not about getting all lathered up and sweaty-headed at events over theories of effective, influential, and abundant lives. This Christ thing to which we’ve been called is about actually doing it and through an unction not remotely our own.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He comes with power.
Where the Holy Spirit goes, He goes with power.
Whom the Holy Spirit infiltrates, He infuses with power.
Our lives were meant to be powerful. Less talk. More demonstration. Through things like a love that we know good and well is utterly beyond us and a faith that emerges in tact from a minefield soaked in blood and strewn with flesh. We were meant to be able to do what we can’t, like who we don’t, bless who we’d curse. We were promised strength in weakness and extravagant grace in our deprivation.
We were meant to wonder what has derailed or gone awry when a season of our lives persists in powerlessness for weeks on end. We were promised more than this. We’re not meant to write our own personalized chapters in a revised standard version of The Emperor’s New Clothes so the world could have a harder laugh at us. We who have placed our trust in Christ Jesus, the living, breathing-on-us Son of God, have been clothed with power from on high. (Luke 24:49) And it’s supposed to show.
Every limb of our lives where we welcome the Holy Spirit can be infused with strength not of this world and, yes, even in continued weakness or infirmity, should that be the case of our present calling. The coexistence of the two is the mystery of it. We’re not superwomen. We’re a long shot from perfect. But we were meant to be vividly powerful through the One who saved us and made Himself at home in us. Let’s not forget that today. Let’s not be satisfied just to talk about it. Let’s not just clap and cheer during that part of a service when a pastor or teacher tells us we’re called more than conquerors. The New Testament is not the theory of Christianity.
You may feel powerless right now, Sister, but, if you are in Christ, make no mistake: you are not. Get some backbone back in your prayer life if your spiritual spine has deteriorated. With reverence for His holiness and with the boldness He said we could bring to the Throne of Grace, read to God from His Word where He promised His people victory as they looked to Him alone…
…and where He promised to clothe us in power
…and where He said He’d make Himself conspicuous through our spiritual gifts and through supernatural works in His Name.
If you don’t know where those places are, go hunt them down. (But you could start in Romans 8, Luke 24, Acts 1, Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12 and Hebrews 4.)
Tell Him you’re going to ask for it and ask for it and ask for it in His great Name and for His glory until He gives it to you and frees you from whatever this present powerlessness is. And then DO IT. Ask and ask and ask and tell Him you will do whatever it takes to cooperate and mean it! Throw your hands out to receive. And, then, when He gives it – and He will – don’t take credit for it. Appreciate it. Thank Him and thank Him for it. Know that it’s grace. Use it audaciously to bring Him attention.
Sister, you cannot fulfill your foreordained purpose without power. Go back after it but, whatever you do, don’t try to get it without Jesus coming with it. Power for power’s sake will blow you up. God-given unction isn’t meant to just come and go with periodic personal revival. We were meant to live powerful lives. Let’s get to them. If you’ve got an area of carnality that is quenching it, I promise you it’s not worth it. Believe me, I’ve been there. Repent, turn from it and get on with it. You’ve got a calling. And it takes divine power.
You mean so much to me. Hold tight to Jesus.
Tags: Scripture Memory 2013
“For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The LORD always keeps His promises: He is gracious in all He does. The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.”
Psalm 145:13-14 NLT
Lydia- Nampa, ID
“If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 (MSG)
Having a powerful prayer life is so crictical to my walk with Him! Thank you for this reminder of What, Where, Whom and How! Today I commit to schedule a ‘day with Him’ on my calendar. I do not want to be walking on fumes…I want His power, grace and mercy to be guiding me as I trust Him for where and what He is, and has called me to be and do! All for His glory and honor!
Would love prayer for July 23 that I could hear and surrender to a deeper trust and obedience in Him…because He loves me and I love Him!
Leanne
Mississippi
The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
Psalm 34:19
Jane Williams, Van Buren, AR
“I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11 (ESV)
Revelation 19:8-9 ESV
…it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure,” for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Carol Midland,Texas
You are my hiding place; you will protect
me from trouble and surround me with songs
of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7
Kristi,Piedmont,Al, Song of Solomon 7:10
I belong to my beloved,and his desire is for me. NIV
Theresa from Tenaha, Tx
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
1corinithans 4:20NIV
Lezli, Columbus, GA “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” Psalm 3:3, NASB
Nancy, Sanger TX
1 Cor 6:12 (ESV)
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything.
Beth, North Royalton, OH
Colossians 4:5&6 RSV
Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one.
Psalm 40:2-3 (NIV)
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.
For the kingdom of God is mot a matter of talk but of power. I Corinthians 4:20 NIV
Shaci- Aztec,New Mexico
Romans 8:37 NIV
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Meagan, Bedford, TX
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12 NIV
Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the Lord and cultivate faithfulness.” NIV
Cherie – Pocatello, ID – “Then the Lord says, ‘I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch you. So don’t be like a horse or a donkey that doesn’t understand. They must be led by bits and reins, or they will not come near you.'” (Psalm 32:8-9)
Ephesians 2:9 (NIV):
Not by works so that no one can boast.
The Eungard fam
Brad, Gwen, Adam, Eleanor, Amelia, and Owen
Schweinfurt, Germany
Lisa S, Plano TX
(07/15/13)
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NIV)
Nancy, Lufkin, TX. And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 NLT
1 Corinthians 1:20
For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes: therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
Ellen
TN
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
II Corinthians 5:21 NASB
Psalm 91:1 (NIV)
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Katy
Frisco, TX
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.”
1 Peter 5:6 [NLT]
You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
Blair from Harrisburg, NC
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NIV
From DFW, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8 NIV)
Annette, Stouffville ON Canada
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. NKJV
Marky, Pocatello, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 NIV
Mariposa Sivage, Albuquerque New Mexico
The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tounge of the wise brings healing. Probverbs 12:18 NIV
Missie, Marble Falls, Tx
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16 ESV
Debbie, White Lake, MI
“Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” Isa. 43:19 KJV
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. “(Romans 12:12, ESV)
Kelly Haigler, Wingate NC
Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him. Psalm 62:5 NLT
Sandy Deming, NM
He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Mark 2:12
Elizabeth, Pittsburgh, PA.
John 15:1-2, NIV: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
Amy Storms
Joplin, MO
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and YOU have been given fullness in Christ, who is head over every power and authority.
Colossians 2:9-10, NIV
Colossians 1:9-10 ESV …we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing in him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Wendy, Plano TX.
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Ps 42:5
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and
whose trust is the LORD.” Jer. 17:7 NASB
Susan from Clinton, MS
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30 NIV
Whitney Janzen. Edmond ok.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NIV
Sue M in Grand Rapids, MI
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19 ESV
Susan, Durango “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14, NIV
Jill from Houma, LA
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
Prov 31:30 (NLT)
Brenda – Jordan, MN. “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20 ESV
Misti, from Kingwood, TX
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
1 Timothy 6:17 NIV
For the Kingdom Of God is not a matter talk, but of power.
1 Corinthians 4:20
Tammy
Cincinnati