All The Time In The World...

So this morning as I was riding into the office, I heard a quick snippet about the “leap second,” scheduled for this evening.  Apparently tonight, just before 8 pm, we will have a minute, made up of 61 seconds in order to accommodate the slowing of the Earth’s rotation.  This phenomenon struck me because I had never heard of the “leap second.” As I began to float off into my own thoughts about what I just heard, I began to recall instances in my life where an additional second in all of the minutes that have made up my life, would have been life-changing.

When you think about it, one second before blurting out something hurtful, would change so much in the hearts of loved ones.  One additional second of reaction time before a car accident would eliminate terrible collisions and damage.  One more blink of an eye in a minute before having to part with a loved one would be amazing.  One more second of a much needed embrace, certainly would make the difference, and one additional second before having to hit the alarm button in the morning would delight both adults and school children alike. 

I was thinking about all of the things you could do, say, eliminate, add, improve, demolish, or create, with just an additional second in one minute of a day.  The more I thought about this additional time, I finally decided that this “leap second” is simply an extension of what we already have… time.

I am saying all of this to say one simple thing.  Many have begun to diminish God’s providence, by unilaterally giving credit to the universe, saying that “the universe has conspired” to provide them with their destined end.  I submit to you that way back during the creation of man, God (who not only governs but created the universe) gave man dominion over the earth and everything in it, including time.  With this thought in mind, I urge whoever may be reading this to take one of your precious seconds to thank God that He has given each of us all of the time we need to get in alignment with His wonderful plan and purpose for our lives.  We have all the time we need to BE GREAT!!!

Let’s be intentional about using some of these precious seconds, be it the sixtieth or sixty-first, to glorify God with our lives!  

No Further Delay!

This morning I was heading to work and discovered that I had locked my keys in the car.  As I stared through the driver's side window, I saw that my extra set of keys were lying on the passenger seat of my vehicle, further complicating the morning.  With both sets of keys locked firmly inside the vehicle, I began to quickly scan through all of my options and lamented over the minutes lost while problem solving.  It was at the height of my brainstorming, that I noticed that the driver's side door was not completely closed.  I grabbed a few random items handy in the garage in an attempt to physically pry open the door; all to no avail.  

I knew that I could make a quick call to my insurance company and ask them to send a technician out to my home to open the door at no cost to me, but this option would place me too far behind schedule for today.  Just as soon as I resigned myself to exercise what appeared to be my last and only remaining option, the Lord reminded me that I had a few wire hangers in my laundry room and prompted me to try just one more time to unlock the door myself.   

Having retrieved one wire hanger obtained from the dry cleaners, I re-shaped the hook and made a few attempts (of varying shapes) to unlock the door.  Having unsuccessfully reshaped the hanger, I finally went back to utilizing the original hook of the hanger and was able to pull up, release the lock and open the door!  Eureka!  

I quickly said, "thank you Jesus," hopped in the car and was off to work with a looming deadline and a full day of tasks ahead.  Just before arrival, the Spirit of the Lord began to minister to me about exactly what had just occurred, back in my garage.  Because I am no more special that any of you, I feel compelled to share this bit of encouragement with you today.  Although I was seemingly locked out by my own fault, error and oversight, God allowed there to be just enough space for Him to utilize the unconventional thing to gain access and open the door so that I would have no further delay! 

Listen, you may have accidentally or maybe even purposely locked yourself out of some vehicles meant to carry you to your destined place. But now is a great time to begin to seek the Lord about the unconventional tools that you already have (in your possession) to access, open, and walk through any locked doors to get everything God has promised you without any further delay.  The next part of this great illumination is that although there are many logical resources and people that you can call upon that will not "charge" you anything for their help or services, the Lord does not want anyone to be able to say that they had a hand in doing this particular thing for you.  These doors will open only by the work that God Himself does through you, for you... with no further delay!  

Hysterical Blindness: It Might Look One Way Right Now...

Now that I have your attention with that title, let me define Hysterical Blindness.
"Hysterical Blindness, is a type of conversion disorder or psychological condition in which trauma from an injury or illness renders an individual unable to see temporarily."
There are many causes of this disorder, but most of them point to some type of anxiety or other psychological trauma that triggers temporary blindness. As Christian believers we MUST keep eternity in mind, in order to maintain our spiritual eyesight and balance.  When we focus entirely on ourselves and most assuredly when we focus on a negative personal situation, those things become the greatest driving force in our lives. Concurrently, God's providence and daily influence in our life begins to shrivel. We have to consistently practice looking at all of life's circumstances through the lens of our faith.  By doing this we will truly begin to  understand that we are partakers of the FINISHED WORK of our God.   We are delivered from any lingering entanglements and are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, even while we presently sit in a painful situation! When the world diagnoses hysterical blindness, they often prescribe counseling, psychoanalysis, or hypnosis to address the emotional causes of the condition. A spiritual 'one-two' punch to a case of spiritual blindness or emotional turmoil is found in prayer and by serving others whose particular situation is worse or at times may even be equal to your own.  There is a song that took the world by storm many years ago that simply says "open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see you."  These lyrics are a great expression and serve as a spiritual barometer. You are VICTORIOUS right now because of Christ!  There is absolutely NO-THING seen or unseen that can stop you from reaching your goal and realizing destiny.  Be Encouraged and by all means continue to fight the good fight of faith!

With Love,
Pastor Meghan

Holy Taste Buds...

"How sweet are your words to my taste." Psalm 119:03

Christianity cannot ever be reduced to an itemized list of Do's and Don'ts.  It isn't a matter of what we can sacrifice. The Word of God explains that "obedience is better than sacrifice.” (1 Sam. 15:22)  It is a matter of what we take pleasure in, what we truly love, or simply, what tastes good to us.  

When Jesus came to the world, humanity was seemingly irreparably split into two camps, based solely on what they loved.  The Light came into this world because man over time developed a taste for darkness to the neglect of all things light. (John 3:19).  Those seeking to live the right way (the righteous) and the wicked were separated simply by what they took pleasure in.  Some actively sought the revelation of God while many others actively chose the ways of the world. 

If you are reading this blog post and asking yourself and/or God exactly how you can consistently find gratification in the Word of God and wholly desire the plan of God for your life. My response to you would be to continue your conversation with God in prayer, and ask for new taste buds on the ‘tongue’ of your heart and soul (mind, will, emotions).  Secondly, delve wholeheartedly into the Word of God and convince yourself of all of the great promises God has made to His people.  By focusing on the massive ‘spiritual feast’ that God has laid before each of us it will surely change our appetites. 

Let me be clear, not one of us naturally has an appetite for the things of God. (Rom. 3:23)  The miraculous work of God is that the more we spend quality time with Him and seek to gain the wisdom of God through His Word, those things that we used to do simply won’t satisfy us anymore.  

Disagreement... The Original Trick of the Enemy

Recently, FlowRivers got a great comment/question from one of the readers. I thought it was such a great question that I wanted to devote an entire post to it. One of the things that is so evident is the enemy's first and most consistent trick, which is to separate humanity from God. One of the methods that he uses frequently is disagreement. He introduced just enough doubt in the mind of Eve that she chose to move in a manner that absolutely opposed God given instructions. Because much of what the Kingdom of God is built upon is love, unity and agreement, the enemy consistently moves in areas of disagreement. By creating and perpetuating variance and incongruity among believers with not only the Word of God and its application, but also with our interaction with each other and God, we are held back from truly coming together as one (John 17:20-23). If I can isolate you and get you to stand firmly in a fragmented and disorganized place, then you will not ever come together as one body of Christ. It is our hope that this question prompts all of us to deep thought about what it really means to be a Christian today. Feel free to comment...

"Yes I am a Christian but what does that really mean today as so many fundamental ideologies have changed in the church's viewpoint of right and wrong?"

~Anonymous

Hello Anonymous,

Your admission of being a Christian is a great place to begin. Being a Christian believer means that you have made a choice to submit your life to God. In doing that, we must allow Him to guide our daily walk and lifestyle. You are correct in your assertion that there are many fundamental ideologies that have changed over time. Humans will often have varying points of view and/or interpretations of the bible which are at times diametrically opposed. In light of that fact, it is our responsibility as believers to pray and ask the Lord to help establish a few non-negotiable tenets or foundational beliefs of our faith that are in line with scripture. There is always plenty of room for discussion about specific issues relative to lifestyle but there is much less wiggle room when we are talking about the life that Jesus lived and asks all Christian believers to exemplify. We must all work through the interpretations of what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century through the lens of the first church of the New Testament. We find that there were many occasions even back then, where there were disagreements about how to live a life that is pleasing to God. In short, we have to really practice to not major on the minor points of contention in our understanding of God’s plan. Ultimately the church’s varying viewpoints of right and wrong cannot be used in our defense on judgment day. God will most certainly be concerned with how well we lived our lives in accordance to what we ABSOLUTELY knew He required. By working on being consistent with the things that seem basic or primary such as establishing a prayer life daily and studying the word of God, I know that whatever side of the argument you land on will be a safe place. Be encouraged anonymous, you have made a great decision to live a life of submission to God! You may grow frustrated with the church’s inability at times to come together, but you will never regret the decision to connect and develop a true relationship with the Lord. Be Blessed!

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

One More Minute

Recently I had to undergo a MRI scan for my back. I have had this done before on another area of my body with no issues.  This history, coupled with the fact that I did not have an issue with tight spaces, eliminated any fear moving forward with the procedure. Upon my arrival I was given a brief synopsis of the procedure and informed that I would need to lie completely still for about 30 minutes. If I was unable to lie still for the duration of the scan, I would have to repeat the entire procedure. Essentially, any movement would negate all of my initial investment of time and we would have to restart the clock and begin again. As a precautionary measure, in the event of an emergency or if I needed additional assistance I was given a call button. Now having what I believed at the time was adequate knowledge, I was ready to complete the MRI scan. I positioned myself on my back in what I thought was the most comfortable position and shortly thereafter the technician began to operate the machinery. I was lying on the table with approximately 85% of my body in the MRI scanner. No sooner than the technician informed me that she was starting, I realized that this position was not only incorrect, but additionally, it was quite painful. Now I immediately began to pray asking the Lord for the strength to endure this process. I did not want to have to begin again since I already was pushing the limits of my pain and endurance threshold in this first go-round. I closed my eyes and attempted to disassociate myself from the pain by "singing" worship songs in my mind, then I started a new conversation with the Lord about how far He has brought me and how I wanted to totally depend on Him to see me through this hard time I was presently having. Now I knew that I was deep into the scanning process by this time and I desperately wanted to avoid a do-over, but my pain exceeded my desire and I found myself pushing that call button at the height of my suffering. It was then that I expressed what I thought was my utter inability to complete the scan. The technician responded to my cry for relief by informing that I only had one more minute until completion of the scan. That bit of information all but eliminated what seemed to be insurmountable pain and I completed the exam with no movement. Now during that last minute, I started to feel some guilt about pushing the button and not “allowing” God to bring me through the situation. That feeling of guilt was quickly overcome with thanksgiving. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see the truth of the situation - I came through that difficult and painful time with VICTORY! Scripture tells us that in all of our getting we must get an understanding (Proverbs 4:7). I thought that I had clearly surmised my situation but it wasn't until I came to the end of myself and reached out for help in the form of a call button that I realized how close I really was to a victorious result. What I am saying is, if you are in the midst of a difficult, trying or even painful situation, hang in there, don't move and please don't quit. Reach out in another way and allow the Holy Spirit through whomever or whatever to show you the truth of the entire matter. It may be that the only thing between you and your next victory is one more minute!

Process Over The Product

I read an interview recently of a famous actress, and during the interview she mentioned that the general public is far more concerned with “embracing the image over the artistry”.  Per usual, this took me off into a massive brainstorm about all of the areas of life in which we are consumed by what I would describe as the product rather than the process, or our expectations over His creation.  It seems that when we are reminded or initially informed about the promises of God, whether it is during our time of prayer or in the written Word of God, we get fixated on making it to the “promised land.”  There is an immediate push to get "there" quickly, without any of life’s inconvenient postponements.  Oftentimes I have found that I will linger on my shortcomings, because I view them as a delay of my promise rather than a teaching tool or an indispensable part of my formation.  I have been taught for many years to praise God in advance, and to be in expectation of all that He has for me, yet, I must have missed the instruction on how to enjoy and praise God for His process while I am still presently in it.  When I think about viewing a life from God’s perspective, I can imagine that He takes great pleasure in watching every segment of our life’s progression and potential growth.  Inasmuch as He knows the end from the beginning, it must certainly be gratifying for Him to recognize his handiwork as we  live out our purpose.  Paul touches on this in Romans when he wrote “…all things work together for good...”(Rom. 8:28)  Whenever I read this scripture in times past, I got excited about the good and didn’t spend adequate time thinking about the “working together” part.  Our relationship with God has already been set up for greatness. We know that we have an eternity spent with Him to look forward to.  The church has done a great job in recent years of moving from a focus on the great "by and by" and retooling our minds to look for the promise of God right here on earth (cue the background music for “Heaven on Earth”).  I am simply saying, let’s take this thing a step further and really acknowledge the fact that today, in fact this very moment, is all a part of my promise!  Easier said than done, yes, but I submit that this will not be an additional burden in our lives, but will prompt many believers to a level of freedom and “abundant life” that for a time has only been an ideal found in the pages of John’s gospel. (John 10:10) 

 

For example, the accident that produced excruciating pain in my body, formed an increased level of sensitivity (on top of what I thought I had) to not only sympathize but identify and speak directly to the pain in someone else’s life.  Now most critical minds would rebuff this thought by saying,  “Meghan, why in the world would God have to inflict pain in order to change your mindset, couldn’t he just do it during your time of prayer or better yet just change your mind on His own?”  Well, I must admit that I would have responded to my thesis in like manner, but thank God, I now understand that this is the way that the Lord allows us to actively participate in our own development.  It is still our choice to become better!  I shared this truth with a family member of mine. After some time passed, they sent me a text message saying that they are actively working on enjoying the process! It was so poignant the way they described life before making the decision to extol the process more than the promise. “It was like I was holding my breath waiting for something to happen and it already is!”  Can I encourage you today by reminding you that God’s hand is presently on your life and he wants to actively engage with you on the way to your next victory!

  I am concerned that if we do not take the time to not just praise God, but participate with Him in our respective development, that we will find ourselves guilty of what is described in Hosea 13:6, “…but when they had grazed, they became full, they were (ful)filled, and their hearts were lifted up; therefore they forgot about me.” It is a distinct possibility that if we don’t get involved in the process of our lives and become active and grateful participants with God in our development that we could potentially be found working against our greatest Advocate and Helper. A gift’s value and subsequent appreciation is greatly diminished without any understanding of the efforts made to provide it.   

There must be a decision made to consistently acknowledge and appreciation God's creative work in our lives.  I challenge each of us to think about all of the ways that we have lessened the value of where we are presently, and begin to praise God for the process over the final product!

2013- Laid Bare...

2013 thus far has been the perfect illustration of me at both my best and my worst as a writer; one terrific and terrible run-on sentence.  What I really mean is that I blew open the door to this year with a frantic trip to the emergency room that would lead to 2 procedures, a surgery, a car accident, some residual scars, a neck brace and a whole lot of pain coupled with an entirely reworked diet consisting mostly of pureed fruits and veggies.  Needless to say right about now it would be a delight to be consumed by the love and presence of God.  I know that it is only in that secret place that this sense of emptiness that I am experiencing would be trumped and completely overshadowed by the purpose of God in all of this. With that being said, I cannot say that I am completely unraveling or even disturbed presently, but I have over time allowed compliance and complacency to take root in my heart and I know better than to trust Meghan most days.  There is an unspoken sense of indifference that I strongly war against because I also have an unswerving faith and trust in my Best Friend.  I guess my neglect of the incomparable relationship as I knew it, left me feeling dejected and even aloof.  These feelings of disconnection have only been heightened by the solitude that I have both cultivated and perfected over time.  Because I have secluded myself so thoroughly, I have at times also excluded myself from the only true safe space I have ever found. My communication with God has become one-sided to the extent that I don’t purposely seek out a meeting place or a set-aside time of prayer.  My communication with God has become centered on myself, certainly due to circumstance and definitely due to pain.  Because of this, my prayer life that I once loved, has been relegated to a kind of stream of consciousness, unspoken, and at times unintentional communication.  On countless occasions the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my spirit to get quiet(er), or to make new entries in my journal and I have elected to blatantly disobey for a myriad of reasons ranging from physical pain to mental fatigue and decided to just do NOTHING.  Nothing has become my consistent place, so much so, that in the past 4 months my response to 75% of the inquiries I have received has been “nothing.”  “What are you doing?” ‘NOTHING.’  “What do you want to eat?”  ‘NOTHING.’  “What did the doctor say?”  ‘A whole bunch of NOTHING!’  The list of incomplete and unfinished projects and books are innumerable and this fact has become an unwelcome guest in the place that my character dwells.  To be complete, to reach fulfillment, or even to experience a belly that is full have all effectively escaped my grasp in 2013.  I have painstakingly laid bare the shortcomings of this self-professed over-achiever, and I must begin to conclude this brief writing with the thread that has been present throughout all of this.  Simply put, God was there with me, God is here with me, and God has gone before me.  What I really mean is this; it is and has all been necessary for my formation.  My hyper-sensitivity, the awareness of my shortcomings, and even in the midst of my deep sea of NOTHING, I have affirmed the truth that both within and outside of my being, my anchor, sustainment and yes even my hope is in God. So if the cost of the misery that has been 2013 was to solidify this fact for me, I would gladly do it all over again.  My prayer and hope for this unfiltered and transparent submission, is to unhook anyone chained to guilt as a result of seemingly losing fervor and spiritual vitality in any hard place. I believe with all of my heart that we will come out of this thing BETTER!    

As usual the bible says it so much better than I ever could… check out Philippians 3:7-11

^7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

^10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. (MSG)

A Self-Starter

It seems lately that in order for me to write, I have to hear, see, or touch something inspiring.  My lack of “worthy” subject matter in recent weeks is an indication of my less than positive perspective, rather than a lack-of stimulating material.  This same apathetic attitude can and has been adopted by each of us from time to time in our respective spiritual walks.  How many times have we each experienced a lull in our prayer-life, devotional time and overall service to others due to what can best be described as a lack of motivation?  There is something I find extremely valuable in the workforce as a manager, and that is a self-starter.  One who does not need constant direction and is consistently in pursuit of an area of need in order to eliminate or minimize that need.  Although it is clearly and explicitly stated throughout scripture, that God loves and expects our dependency on Him.  He may be just as pleased if not more, when we move, take a step, or launch out in some areas without a strong Divine prodding.  It is clear that as we mature, there should be a systematic elimination of reminders to take care of ourselves and others.  In fact, every parent I know takes great delight in eliminating these kinds of rudimentary directives as their children grow.  Reminders to brush your teeth, keep your hands to yourself, or not to stick fingers in an electrical socket, are certainly unnecessary as we age.  Likewise, an earth-shattering, goose bump-inducing message from our Creator should not be a requirement to study the Word of God, love and assist our neighbors, or to continue to do the things that we know we were told to do.  Therefore, until I am given a directive to stop writing these blogs, I cannot let myself off the hook, with dismissive notions claiming a lack of inspiration and motivation.  I am actively working on consistently being a self-starter in both the secular and spiritual areas of life.  Will you join me? 

REDIRECTED… by “The Switch”

Recently, I began to hum an old song sung by Tremaine Hawkins and recently released by Chrystal Rucker entitled “Changed.” After a brief musical introduction, the psalmist begins the song by expressing the following: “A change, a change has come over me…” I began to think about the concept of change in the life of the believer, and just how we can participate. As I pondered this concept for myself, I began to summarize this process as being REDIRECTED.

“I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. I will hurry, without lingering, to obey your commands.” Ps. 119:59-60 NLT

“When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed. I was up at once, didn’t drag my feet, was quick to follow your orders.”  Ps. 119:59-60 MSG

In my studies and meditation, I came across an interesting natural concept that I think will illuminate some truth for all of us. I have heard it said by individuals who give their lives to the Lord, that a light bulb came on and they were able to see clearly. This is certainly in line with scripture especially throughout the book of St. John in which, Christ is described as Light, able to not only navigate through but also eradicate all darkness. (John 1:4-5; 8:12)

This thought took me deeper into a study of light switches as it relates to the flow of an electrical current. According to many dictionaries, a switch is an electrical component that has the ability to open, close, break or change the connections in an electric circuit. This switch is also able to interrupt the current by diverting it from one conductor to another.

In light of this understanding, allow me to look at these truths within a spiritual framework. Let’s collectively envision The Switch as being representative of God and The Conductor as either the Spirit of Truth or the Spirit of Error. (1 John 4:1-6) Firstly, in order to call ourselves Christians there are a few nonnegotiable items that should be established. The first and most important is a submission of one’s life to the complete authority and dominion of God. If God is truly operating as the Divine Switch in our lives, this means that we have abdicated our power as the decision-maker. We have given God control to govern the flow of our lives continuously, permanently, non-stop and without interruption. If we really were to give an honest estimation of this relationship, we may find that we have relegated God in our lives to play the role of a momentary switch that is temporary, brief, and often interrupted depending on our comfort and perceived need at any given moment. The focus of many Sunday morning sermons is centered on the state of our personal relationship with God and just how much control and/or governance He has in our lives.

Taking this idea a step further, I would like to examine the notion of how our relationships with each other are greatly affected by the level of autonomy and authority we give The Switch in our lives. In each of our lives The Switch has one or more sets of electrical contacts, which are in one of two possible positions either “closed” meaning the contacts are connected and electricity can flow between them, or “open” which means contacts are separated and The Switch is not conducting or is rendered inoperable. By giving The Switch momentary authority in our respective lives, we have opened ourselves up to numerous unholy connections. Being open in this manner, interrupts the heavenly flow of power and direction, and disconnects us from our brothers and sisters, who are dependent upon us for their own healthy conduction and movement in the earth. To make this idea perfectly clear, our constant and unfettered connection with God and the comforting governance of the Holy Spirit, affects not only our own lives but also the lives of every believer! In addition, when we take control of our own proverbial switch and play the role of God and decision-maker, we leave ourselves open figuratively and literally to the influences of the Spirit of Error and all of the consequences and hindrances that accompany ungodly influences.

This is a lengthy set of thoughts that I know may be a bit too dense to attempt to summarize in this forum, but I thought it so imperative to examine the notion of authority and how a weak connection with God thoroughly affects the body of Christ as eloquently summarized in Ephesians 4:16.

"...from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Take a personal survey and list the areas that you know changed for the glory of God. When was the last time you allowed God to examine the state of your connections not only to Him but others? Have you been redirected; or are you still in control or your every move?