Swiper NO Swiping

Does it ever seem like simply letting go is just so hard? Is it really that simple that as humans, we over complicate it to an extremity? As you ponder these questions, you may also be wondering why I keep blogging about overcoming the past and to be honest, it's because this is an area God has been developing me in over the past 10 months and one of the next blog's I post will be all about where I used to be and ALL God has done in my life...behind the scenes edition!

((God Loves. He Heals. He Delivers. He Redeems.))

Anyways...there are so many times we are crying out to God in regards to a specific situation and God is saying, "why are you crying about spilled milk?" I have already taken care of it...I have already cleaned up your mess...it's time to MOVE ON! Ever made a mistake and asked God to forgive you 50 times? I know I have, however, He forgives us the first time we ask for it. Now, I am not saying it's okay to just go and live however you want making your own ways and plans and then ask for forgiveness, it needs to be from a place of genuine repentance and trusting God to do a work in your heart from in the inside out...with repentance comes     change!

When I first became a Christian, I didn't know what it meant to repent. I spoke with my lips: "God, I repent of every wicked way!"...however, I didn't know that I had a part to do in changing. I didn't know that repentance literally meant that my thinking and actions needed to change. So, I "repented" and went along my merry way!

Disclaimer: I am not saying God is INSENSITIVE to your hurts, your pains and your struggles. But He cares TOO much to ALLOW us to keep wandering around the same mountain. Eventually, He told the Israelites..."look you've been wandering around the same mountain for 40 years and it is time to move on, otherwise you can never walk in the purpose and destiny I have called you to or enter the promised land!" In Deuteronomy 1, God literally tells the Israelites to break camp and move on, they had their share of          stay at Mount Sinai.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans for a hope and a future"

God has a plan for my life and for your life, however we must make a choice to move forward from our past and leave that baggage at the Cross, because our past can't come into our future, just like old wine can't be poured into a new wineskin (Mark 2:22) It is impossible to walk in the purpose God has called us to if we refuse the forgiveness of Christ in our life, dwelling on the past sins, failures and mistakes thinking we are no good. Christ has already forgiven you and cleansed you, so it's time to forgive YOURSELF. Take yourself out...go get a mani or pedi, go LOVE yourself and who God created you to be. Don't let your past swipe your joy! Tell the the devil, "SWIPER NO SWIPING!" because he would love to SWIPE your joy. After all, Satan only comes to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus came so we could have life and have it more abundantly and actually ENJOY it (John 10:10). Jesus didn't die for a phony religion, He DIED on the Cross to put us in a RIGHT relationship with God, the Father, because like any good Dad, He DESIRES His children. He desires the one's He created, the one's He planned before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:4) Maybe you're reading this and are thinking you didn't have a good Dad, maybe you didn't have a Dad at all, maybe you had a Dad who didn't know how to love you, maybe your Dad passed away and your longing for the love of a father, maybe you have like 2, 3, 4+ other siblings and always got the short end of the stick...I don't know your situation, but what I do know is that there is a Dad who is out there loving you right now where you are, drawing you closer and closer to him so you come to know His son Jesus. Can I be honest? I have WASTED so much TIME allowing the devil to SWIPE my joy simply by having me focused on all my past failure and mistakes. We should learn and grow from them, but not stay stuck on them or fear them. (Check out this previous blog: Don't Stay in Sodom)

SWIPER NO SWIPING!

We aren't meant to carry the heavy weights of our old sins when God assures us we are "new creatures in Christ Jesus and the old has PASSED AWAY" (2 Corinthians 5:17) That tells me that my past...is dead and that I need to "throw off every weight and sin that so easily entangles me and trips me up as I press on toward the finish line of this Christian walk" (Hebrews 12:1) 

In Exodus 14:15-16 Moses is crying out to the Lord about what to do and how to bring the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt...God literally responds to Moses and says, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to MOVE ON. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." So, what are you crying out to God about that He is simply just telling you to move on...it is impossible to move forward if we are living in a mental state of the past. God has not called us to remain stagnant and stuck with one foot forward and one foot backwards...here in Exodus, God was trying to get His people to simply move forward and put one foot in front of the other.

If we don't keep driving but instead place the car in park, there's no way for us to switch lanes. God wants to shift some of our lanes but He can't because we are busy parked over on the side of the road having a pity party with our emotions. We invite depression and anger, and they invite their friends insecurity and doubt, and they invite some more emotional friends. 

Trust me, I have been to PLENTY of these pity parties and I still get invited ALL the time, but God is helping me to learn how to shut down those emotions that scatter me in 5 directions at once.

So, what happened with those Israelites? Well, they obeyed and broke camp. They left Mount Sinai and God brought them to the promised land but they REFUSED to enter. They disobeyed God simply by rejecting what He was trying to give them...a land flowing of milk and honey, a land where they would never lack...the promise land didn't look so PROMISING. To an extent, it kind of cracks me up because the hard part is usually leaving all you know behind and the Israelites trusted God to leave, but then wouldn't accept His blessing of a new start? They saw some mean old giants and grew so fearful even though God promised it was a good land. They basically rebuked their blessing. Ever get a gift that wasn't wrapped in the package you expected it to come in? Looks can be deceiving which is why God encourages us to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7) It's like moving from a tent on the side of a mountain into a house with running water, a bed to sleep in and food in the refrigerator... but you get afraid because you got some crazy neighbors...so, you go back to your tent with the bugs and squirrels!

Don't rebuke your blessing!

Love,
Beth

Me and some of my friends and sisters in Christ at the Hillsong Concert!

Expired

About two months ago, my little sister graduated from high school and my parents threw a graduation bash at our house...with that being said, there was some CLEANING to do. So, as I am going about cleaning I decided to take a peak into the refrigerator and cabinets, and boy, there was some very long, overdue EXPIRED food in their...immediately, I started thinking about how bad it would be to eat that food...in other words, it HAD to go...so, I was tearing through the shelves looking at all the dates on the food, bagging it up and throwing it out.

Saints, when you GIVE your life to CHRIST, God and all the angels throw a huge ole' bash up in heaven..for YOU...just for YOU! And then, the cleaning begins. God begins to tear through the shelves of our hearts showing us all the soiled, expired food lurking around sitting in there and gosh, it HURTS. Our past is dug up and some things need to be removed in order for us to heal and to make room for the new things God longs to give us. He is throwing away the old furniture not comfortable for a Holy God, and restoring it with new furniture so our hearts become HIS home. A home is a place of comfort, is God comfortable living in your heart? Granted, we will never be perfect until the day we meet Jesus face to face, but God grows us and matures us while we are here on this earth to conform into the image of His son. This is a question I had to ask myself also, and I know that God is continuing to clean out my heart from the clutter of this crazy world.

My little sister and I at her graduation bash!!

So, what expired food is sitting on the shelves of your heart? Let God throw it out...if it sits in there, it will only weigh you down and if you choose to eat it, it will just make you straight up sick. Eating food that is expired will make you sick and too many Christians are feasting on the food of their past. Is it anger? Unforgiveness? Rejection? A past hurt? Maybe it's something so small that you don't even realize it is there...sometimes there are things in our hearts we totally, completely forget about because it's just been there for SO long and we, "brushed it under the rug"...I remember a while ago just going about my business, and an old experience popped up out of NO where...in high school, my geometry teacher told me in front of the whole class I was a clown and belonged in the circus...although it was funny then and I brushed it under the rug and remembering it didn't bother me a whole lot, God allowed me to understand that those "small" things take up more space in our hearts than we think...so, I forgave him and let God throw it out. In order for some things to be thrown out, we need to let them go. Someone will always try to tell you who you are or where you belong, but, I am a Child of God...not a clown...I belong in HIS KINGDOM...and not the circus! Maybe there are some labels sitting in the shelves of your heart that need to be peeled off and thrown out...ask God to search your heart and show you the things that need to be thrown out! You are not a failure, you are not that past fornicator you used to be, you are no longer all the labels the world gave you. You belong to God and HE loves you, cherishes you and adores you!

And not only are there cabinets with expired food to clean out in our hearts, but closets as well. There are some old clothes that just don't quite fit any longer that God needs to get rid of, so stop trying to wash and wear them. Make room in your closet so God can give you a new spiritual wardrobe...he's trading out those stanky, sad clothes rotted and filled with holes for a brand new wardrobe (potential blog for another day, but...)

Isaiah 61:3 "To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory"

God is giving us NEW clothes for our spiritual wardrobe...He is giving us clothing that stands out...dare to be different...don't be afraid to be that kid that gets picked on because of their clothing...you are set apart, called to stand out and God is giving you a wardrobe to make you look more like HIM. Not only is He giving us new clothes, but accessories...my favorite part of this scripture is that God is giving us as His own a CROWN to wear...a crown of beauty instead of ashes...so, its time for some of us to do some spring cleaning because our season has changed and our clothes and accessories are out of style.

Alright, lets take a moment and look at Phillipians 3: 12-14 (MSG)

"I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back."

I don't know about you, but this passage of Scripture is super encouraging...Paul is saying, "Hey I know I am not perfect, but the God I serve has great things in store for me so I am giving my past an expiration date and leaving it right there where it belongs, I am pressing in to all God has called me to be so that others may also know him...I am moving forward, taking steps, strides and leaps...some steps may be smaller than others but I am moving forward and I won't stop"

Friends, God is calling us to do the same thing...he is BECKONING us ONWARD, not BACKWARD...to beckon someone means to: "make a gesture with the hand, arm or head to encourage someone to come nearer or follow" aka it's an invitation to leave what's behind and simply move on and draw closer to Jesus..it can be HARD, but that's why God is there encouraging YOU and ME...Lord knows each and every one of us needs His encouragement. So, like Paul, let's give our past an expiration date and leave it there! Stop sitting on that old wooden stool in your heart that is giving you nothing but splinters and start sitting on the big ole' fluffy couch God has given you. At the end of the day we all have a choice and no matter how long we have to push, we need to keep pushing. 

So, anytime you feel like hold up, somethings not right, which direction am I going in?

RE-EVALUATE

1. Take a deep breath and STOP

2. Pray and ask God for wisdom, discernment and direction

3. Adjust and make the switch to turn around if needed

4. Continue to walk and and trust GOD to order your steps

And, like Paul.....I do not consider myself to have it all together, I just have been given the opportunity to share the wisdom God has given me as I move forward on this journey and leave the past in the past and allow God to use it for HIS glory.

Love,

Beth

Don't Stay in Sodom

The other day I was searching for bible verses in regards to disbelief...during the storms of life when everything is flipped upside down it can be so easy to forget the truth and be bogged down with a heavy spirit of disbelief...too often we allow our emotions and our feelings to counteract the truth of the word of God. We allow what we see to get in the way of what we know.

Sometimes our own disbelief is rooted in our limited expectation of how WE think GOD should handle a situation in our lives. We make assumptions and then cry when we don't get our way or see God do what WE expect him to do. Goodness, I know what that is like...I have been around that mountain and to be honest, when I find myself caught up in my emotions I can still find myself going around that mountain...when we see the exact opposite of what we know and believe, its an opportunity to jump to a new level of faith, but that does not discount the OPPOSITION we will face.

Moving Forward....(literally)...

So...on this quest for scriptures to fight disbelief I came across a website that said this:

"What was Lot's wife's sin? She did not believe. It is that simple. She died for her lack of faith, which was revealed in her direct rebellion against the messengers of God. She looked back. The root cause of her rebellion, of her worldliness, was her unbelief. Due to her unbelief, she was not prepared to leave Sodom and did not really obey the command to leave." (Genesis 19)

Genesis 19:26 
"But Lots wife LOOKED BACK as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt"

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OK...now take a deep breath because that can seem a little harsh when you first read it. After reading it my mind was blown with this truth:

Some of us aren't prepared to leave our "sodom" aka our past because we are too busy LOOKING back. When the angels of the Lord appeared to Lot and his family telling them to run for their lives and NOT look back, Lots wife LOOKED back and was turned into a pillar of salt...what?! It doesn't even say that she WENT back, she simply just LOOKED, but simply looking was enough. Like Sodom...our past...our old ways of living...our old ways of thinking....all of who we used to be in the world is destroyed and washed away by the blood of Jesus. Some of us are choosing to live in a land that has already been destroyed, sitting on heaps of old broken down walls and picture frames of what used to be.

How can we move forward if we keep looking back? You are going to run in the direction in which you are looking. If you keep looking at the problem, you are going to run into it. If you keep looking back, you will start running back. So, what are you looking at? In Christ, we are called to move forward. God has already called you to pack up and move into the land of the free. Why continue to sit on dust and ashes? Ask God to help you to stop looking back to that past hurt, that past relationship, that past sin that you have already been forgiven for but can't seem to let it go, that past traumatic experience that has your mind going like a carousal making you dizzy. Ask Him to help you PACK UP and leave your Sodom. When we look back, we may not be turned into a pillar of salt like Lot's wife but we sure do open up those wounds and dose ourselves with the salt of discouragement and despair. Sometimes to fully heal, we may need to face our past, deal with it and then...leave it there! 

So...stop waiting for an invitation, you already RSVP'd at the foot of the cross! Just because you're late doesn't mean you won't make it in time...we serve the Author of TIME. He's waiting for His children who are looking back to start looking forward to ALL that He has called us to!

And...if you do happen to look back, thank God that you're not where you used to be! This is an area I struggled with for a WHILE...and honestly, sometimes I still do but it does get better and is a daily journey and challenge! 

Love,

Beth

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