Category Archives: Blog

Being Truthful Doesn’t Mean Being Unkind

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Ask God to help you communicate in love.

Ask God to help you communicate in love.

Why is it so easy to blurt out something unkind in the guise of telling the truth? We think we have to tell people the truth no matter what, but we forget to do it in love. All we end up doing is making a mess messier. We haven’t helped anything.

The first rule of truth-telling is to stop for a bit and think about what needs to be said, and how it can be said in kindness. You can still get your point across, even a very sharp point, but it doesn’t have to leave people bleeding and in pain.

The Holy Spirit is there for you. Ask for help. He will know exactly how to give you the words and tone to communicate effectively and bless the other person without hurt. It’s easier than you think, but you have to pray into it first. If you have a heart to love the other person, you can say what needs to be said truthfully, but kindly.

Too much damage is done when words are said in haste and emotion. Don’t create a reason for division. God can fix anything the enemy has broken. Just take it to Him first.

It takes A Lot Of Strength To Be Meek

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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Keeping Your Peace May Take Some Work

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Don't allow the enemy to rob you of your peace

Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of your peace

Peace belongs to you. When you have the Holy Spirit in you, He comes fully loaded. Everything that is His is yours. It’s totally cool. But you have to receive it and keep it. Think of it like receiving a birthday present. Until you unwrap it and use it, it doesn’t benefit you.

The enemy also knows of your gifts in the Spirit. He will work tirelessly to rob you of your peace, joy, love, etc.  Don’t let him. When stress starts to creep into your life, claim your peace. Be active about it, because the enemy is active in trying to rob you. Rebuke stress. Tell God that you are claiming His peace. Release it into your life.

You may have to do this over and over again until the enemy gets the point that you’re not going to give in. It will be awesome to go through the situation in peace instead of stress. You will function with calm instead of fear. You’ll be able to hear the Holy Spirit advising you when you’re not stressed out.

If you claim your peace and it doesn’t seem to be working, do it again, and again. It’s yours. Don’t be robbed. It’s a precious and amazing gift, so hold on to it.

Why Live In Stress When There Is Rest For Your Soul?

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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You Can Do All Things Through Christ, But Should You?

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Doing what God has not asked will make you stressed.

Doing what God has not asked will make you stressed.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4.13) This is a great promise to remember when you’re faced with a situation you just don’t think you can manage. God promises to be there to give you everything you need when you need it. But what about when you’re trying to do stuff God hasn’t asked you to do?

Everything done in the name of “ministry” isn’t sanctioned by God. We do an awful lot because we think we’re supposed to. Even good things. But even good things can take us away from what God really wants us to do.

Don’t be guilted into doing what seems right if you don’t feel God’s peace in it. It may be busy work the enemy has to keep you from being far more effective somewhere else. If you think you’re on the wrong path, listen with your heart. Ask God to confirm His will. See if you feel uneasy about something that’s taking up your time. Maybe you need to let it go.

Be honest with God. Don’t drop everything because you don’t feel like working, but be sensitive to do what is right for you. Don’t allow the opinions of others rob your time.

Another post on trusting God: Avoiding The Big Mistakes

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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A Servant Heart Understands Humility

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Find humility and you will find God.

Find humility and you will find God.

Living in the kingdom of God is not for the faint of heart. You can’t do this on your own. You can only do it with God. Living the “Christian” life without the Spirit of God leading you only creates religion. God calls for true humility, and that can only come from Him.

The disciples were horrified at seeing Jesus kneel down and wash their feet. They didn’t understand what He was doing. They respected Him as their leader, they didn’t expect Him to be their servant. And they really didn’t expect to copy Him. Our ego always wants to be raised up, not pushed down. But Jesus said to serve others in humility–willingly, out of love.

Ask God to show you His love for people. Get a glimpse of His compassion, and you’ll serve others easily. It will be a joy to bless. And when it’s hard to do, God will bless you for doing it in kindness. Look for opportunities to be a servant and you’ll find the heart of God.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God.” Mat 5:8.

Another post on humility: Gotta Love Stinky Feet

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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God Is Nicer Than You Think He Is

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The problem we have in relating to God is that we only have a human perspective to work with. We view God as we view other people, and that’s not fair to God. Powerful people are often portrayed in the media as arrogant and self-centered. It’s wrong to assume that, because God is powerful, He is arrogant and self-centered as well. And because He is all-powerful, He must be super arrogant. Also wrong.

The stereotype of an angry God looking to smite us with lighting bolts comes from two places. One is the Old Testament. God was often angry with His people, but for good reason. They continually turned to idol worship and neglected the God who saved and blessed them. The other source of misinformation is the old stories of Greek and Roman gods who tormented people for their own pleasure.

The gods of mythology acted like miffed humans because humans made them up. Go to the Bible and see what God has to say for Himself. “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying, Yes I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn you.” Jer 31:3. Yes, an Old Testament quote about God’s loving kindness, because He is far more kind that you think.

Another post of the love of God: How Much Does God Love You?

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

We Are All Family For A Reason

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Family will be there when you need them.

Family will be there when you need them.

In the kingdom of God, we are all related–sisters and brothers with one Father. We are meant to be connected to each other. That’s why we’re also referred to as a body. A body needs all its body parts in good working order. If a toe gets stubbed, there are body parts that know to take an aspirin and apply ice.

That’s the awesome part of being connected. When we work as a body, we are connected with people who know how to take care of us. And believe me, we will all need it. The first time you go through depression or discouragement, you’ll want someone around who knows how to break that off and bless you.

But you also have responsibilities as a family member. You need to ask for help when you need it. Don’t assume that everyone else is perfect and you’re the only one with a problem. Be honest and open. Connect with people who love you and support you. Allow them to do what they are good at.

And then be there for others. Friendships take time, and more. It will cost you to be connected in this family, but God will bless you for it. And you will always get more than you give.

Another post on the body of Christ: Don’t Isolate Yourself

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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Two Hundred Words Of Praise To God

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Not enough words to praise God.

Not enough words to praise God.

God is good, kind, wonderful, amazing, special, amazingly special. He is love. He is loving. He’s a lover. He is sweet, generous, thoughtful, and giving. He is merciful, forgiving, and forgetful (of my sins). He is big—really big. He is bigger than my imagination. He is powerful and strong. He can do what no one else can do. And He can do it every time.

Jesus is amazing. He is the greatest King, greater than all kings rolled into one really big king. He is magnificent and humble. He is beautiful and joyful and happy. He is Lord and sovereign over all things. He is savior and healer and deliverer. He is the first and last and everything in-between. He’s a flower and a lion and a lamb and a star. He is the Word and the Wisdom of all the ages. He is the best big brother and the closest friend.

The Holy Spirit is a genius. He is funny and quirky and cunning and sly. He is compassionate and thoughtful and delightful. He is helpful and the very best teacher ever. He is modest yet highly skilled and talented. He is the Spirit of skill and talent. He is awesome.

God is above all—so high above all that all can not come close. And I love Him.

Another post on praise: Don’t Let The Rocks Outdo Your Praise

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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Wait On The Lord, And He Will Be All That You Need

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Good things come to those who wait.

Good things come to those who wait.

How hard is it to wait on the Lord? Really hard. We can let our impatience get the better of us. The enemy will whisper that nothing is going to happen, so give it up. We see other people being blessed in the same area we are waiting in and feel frustrated. The wait seems intolerable. But don’t let it.

Pray for patience. Yes, I know what they say, but they are wrong. Patience is a gift of God and a weapon against the enemy. With patience, the time of waiting will be far easier. If you know impatience is a problem for you, repent and ask for patience. God has everything you need for your growth.

If the enemy is whispering that it’s never going to happen. Rebuke him. God would never say that. If your thoughts don’t agree with the word of God, then you need to change your thoughts. Repent for agreeing with them. Rebuke the lies and speak the truth over yourself. If you don’t have faith in what you pray for, you’ll never sees them answered. Once you give up, you let the enemy win.

What about when you see other people being blessed in the exact area you’ve been waiting for, and longer? You join them in thanksgiving. You bless them and thank God for answering their prayers. Be genuinely happy for them. If you can’t, then something’s wrong and you need to deal with it. Confess it to God. Give your disappointments to Him. He understands, but He doesn’t want you to carry around the wrong attitudes. Ask for more of His grace so you can bless others.

The time of waiting is God’s way of looking at how serious you are in His ability to answer. How badly do you want this? Bad enough to wait as long as it takes?

  • Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart. Psalms 27:14
  • Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way. Psalms 37:7
  • For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Psalms 37:9
  • And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. Psalms 39:7
  • I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. Psalms 130:5
  • And I will wait on the Lord, who hides His face from the house of Jacob and I will hope in Him. Isaiah 8:17
  • But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31
  • The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:25
  • It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:26
  • Therefore I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Micah 7:7
  • Therefore wait on Me, says the Lord. Zephaniah 3:8

Yes, Lord. We will wait.

Another post on waiting on the Lord: Yes, God Answers Prayer

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Go Cross-Cultural

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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego go cross-cultural

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego go cross-cultural

I do a lot of writing, for this blog and for my novel, but recently I did something a little different. I have a friend who writes a blog for his cross-cultural daughter, Mia Mei. Mia Mei’s dad is Caucasian and her mother is Chinese. The blog is about growing up in a cross-cultural home and parenting a cross-cultural child.

I was challenged to write a blog for this genre. No problem. I can do that. It took a bit to think through how I would write a God-themed post for a cross-cultural child, but then I got it. I wrote about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being taken from their homeland and forced to grow up and be educated in another country.

The greater challenge was the two hundred word limit while story-telling. I like story-telling, so it was hard to not make it longer than it was. But it did speak to me. When I consider what those young men faced and how they stood in their integrity and faith, I’m humbled. Would I have the where with all to do the same thing? I hope to never be faced with that test.

Anyway, if you’re interested in how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the fiery furnace on Mia Mei’s blog, check it out. Tell her hi while you’re at it.

Another post on great faith: Oh You Of Great Faith!

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart

 

Stop Looking Back When You’re Supposed To Go Forward

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Your road is in front of you, not behind.

Your road is in front of you, not behind.

God will never make you feel badly about your past. Once He forgives you, He forgets. The only ones who remember your past are you and the enemy, and you have control over both.

Whenever you start to feel guilty about sin you’ve already confessed, rebuke the guilt and claim your peace. Thank God for His forgiveness and enjoy your freedom. The enemy will always try to drag you back and get your eyes off of your future, but you don’t have to fall for it. As long as you are looking back, you’re not paying attention to what God is doing for you now. You’re prevented from growing, and you need to grow.

Guilt isn’t the only thing making you look back. Fear is also a trick of the enemy. Maybe you feel that you’re not ready for whatever God is calling you to. Rebuke that. If God has called you, then He will equip you and you’ll be fine. There’s nothing in your past that’s any better than your future in the Lord.

You have a destiny and a hope that is extraordinary in the kingdom. God has blessed you with a future that He’s waiting for you to walk in, so get started!

Another post on destiny: What Will God Do With Your Tomorrow?

 

Read the first chapter of my book Crucible Heart
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