To know me is to know that I’m reserved. I really don’t publicly share my testimonies. However, as I’ve matured in Christ, I’ve realized that holding my testimonies hostage is selfish. Testimonies are another way to share the Good News, right?

So here goes my first public testimony…

For many years, my father was not present in my life. As Paul would say, my father had a few ‘thorns in his flesh’. For years, he battled with alcoholism and drug abuse. During that time, those influences prevented him from being a father.

When I was 19, I met my father for the first time. I relate the experience to the story of Lazarus’ death in John 11. Standing before me, I saw the man who should have taught me how to ride my first bike; I saw the man who should have taught me how to drive; but more importantly, I saw the man who was ill.  And instantly, I felt like Mary and Martha when they sent this memo to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” I, like them, wanted Jesus to instantly heal him.

But God waited, just as he did with Mary and Martha. He allowed me to see him ill, not because I had the solution to his problem, but because God had a better plan.

During my waiting period, I believed, I prayed, I loved and I forgave. I remembered Jesus saying in John 11:11, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” I knew that the man and father God created was just asleep. But God would wake him.

On December 1at 4:36 p.m., my father rose from his slumber. God woke him up. Let me tell you how good God is: my father, the one who’s been an alcoholic and drug abuser for 20+ years, is now alcohol and drug free! My father, the one who dropped out of school, started classes today (December 5, 2011)! My father, the one who didn’t know the Lord, is now at church every Sunday and bible study every Wednesday!

“Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” –John 11:43

Now, my father and I talk pretty much every day. We committed to talking at least twice a week. And the most amazing part is that God never allowed me to harden my heart toward my father. While he slept, I never lost hope. So every time I talk to him I feel like a little girl. It doesn’t feel delayed, because God’s timing is perfect.

In sharing my testimony, here’s what I hope to you walk away with: God will take away the stone. If you have a family member, friend or spouse that’s asleep, don’t give up on them, pray for them (I will even pray with you). Believe that God’s promises are guaranteed: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” –Isaiah 55:11

God bless,

Ciara

1. Last month, I started a faith column “Fishers of Men” on Qcitymetro.com. Every Monday I share new devotionals that strengthen and uplift, not only the body of Christ, but our community-at-large. Please continue to help me spread a positive faith-based message by supporting Fishers of Men.  You can find today’s devotional on the Qcitymetro homepage (www.qcitymetro.com).

2. Early in my walk with God, I took a class called: Walking By Faith 4 Life. And this class changed my life! Now, I know that may sound cliche, but really this class literally changed the direction of my life. For 12-weeks, I learned everything I possibly could about faith and living victoriously in Christ. I was given the spiritual tools essential to maturing in Christ way after the class ended.  So when my spiritual mentor, the instructor of the class, mentioned that he was teaching the class again, I RSVP’d immediately! But here’s the greatest part of it all, you too can participate in the class!  If you have a thirst for God, a thirst for strengthening your faith, I promise you’ll be richly blessed by this experience! The January 2012 class is in Monroe, NC. However, if your church or organization is interested, Walk by Faith 4 Life will come to you!  Check out the information below:

Central United Methodist Church in Monroe, NC presents the
Walking By Faith 4 Life™ Seminar beginning on January 8th, 2012.

Classes will be on Sundays from 4-6pm at the church located at 801 South Hayne Street, Monroe, NC 28112

Walking By Faith 4 Life is an approximately 12 week, in-depth, non-denominational bible study which teaches step-by-step instructions on how to develop and use your faith in the Word of God to overcome every obstacle, and triumph over every situation in your life.  Past students refer to this seminar as a “Holy Ghost Boot camp”.

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and living from one crisis to the next; want answers in these trying economic times; or you want to see God move in your life in a powerful and dynamic way, this seminar is for you.

Reservations for this seminar are required.  Deadline for reservations is December 26^th.

The “Walking by Faith 4 Life” book and Study Guide are both available on Amazon.com  The book is $14.95 and the Study Guide is $9.95.  Both are required for the class. Discounts for early registration.  If you register between December 10th and 18th you can get them both at a reduced cost.  The cost will be $20 for couples, which includes one book and two study guides,  and $15 for individuals which includes one book and one study guide. 

To make a reservation simply call 704-906-4606 and leave your name and phone number.  Someone will call you back to confirm your registration.  Be sure to include if you are registering for a couple or individual. You can pick up and pay for your books on the first night of class.

For more information about the ministry and seminar, to read Charlotte Observer article about the class, or to read “In Their Own Words” a collection of past graduate testimonies on how this seminar changed their lives, please visit us on the web at www.wbf4life.com

So I’m listening to a sermon and my Spirit quickens me to study the significance of “sheep” in the Bible. Why did Jesus refer to us (believers) as his sheep?

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” -Psalm 100:3

What’s so special about sheep, right? Now, I was taught very little about sheep in school. However, I recall learning that sheep are extremely passive- they’re known for being followers. Still, I felt as though God was encouraging me to further my sheep studies. So I did, and I want to share with you two interesting facts I learned:

1. It is true that sheep are followers. But the other part that’s worth mentioning is that sheep aren’t conditioned to be that way. It is a natural instinct. 

Here’s something to graze on: God says we’re His sheep, which would make Him our Shepherd. And sheep follow their Shepherd, right? Now, I’m dealing with a new generation, so let me clarify this one thing: as sheep, we are not to follow God on Twitter; that’s not going to cut it; God doesn’t even have a Twitter account. Instead, let’s examine the Hebrew meaning of the word “follow”: “Akevot” means to follow in someone’s footsteps. I don’t have to exhaust this point, I’ll just leave you with this one question: who’s footsteps are you following?

2. There is a certain strain of sheep called Leadersheep. These sheep are highly intelligent animals that have the ability and instinct to lead a flock home during difficult conditions. 

“3: Then Jesus told them this parable: 4: Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?”  -Luke 15:3-4

Here’s something to graze on: Don’t think it’s a coincidence that “leadersheep” sounds so similar to “leadership”. Leadersheep will do whatever it takes to get the entire flock back home (to the shepherd). When I read this, I thought about how we react when our fellow sheep encounter difficult conditions (unemployment, depression, etc.). Do we practice that same camaraderie? Do we lead them back home to our Shepherd? Maybe you’ve been among the wolves that Jesus warned us about in Matthew 10:16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves…” by deceiving them with insincere prayer and concern?

So what’s the point? 

If you’re a basketball player, you should be the best basketball player you can be. If you’re a doctor, you should be the best doctor you can be. If you’re a sheep, you should be the best sheep you can be. But how can you be the best if you don’t practice? How can you be the best basketball player if you don’t know the rules of the game? In the same way, we have to understand our roles (being a sheep is just one) and evaluate our performance as believers to ensure that we’re living the life destined and bought for us.

God b(aaaa)less,

Ciara

Well, that’s what inspired this post. After thinking about the fears that were holding me back from achieving God’s best for my life, I was motivated to combat those fears. Of course, I know I’m not alone in this. We all have experienced fear at some point in our lives,  so I figured I would try to help others identify and combat those fears.

To aid this message, I’m going to pull from Exodus 14. This chapter is the climax of the Israelites’ grand escape from Egyptian slavery. After second thought, Pharoah has decided that he’s made a mistake in letting them go and he’s now eager to re-enslave them.

“10: As Pharoah approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11: They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12: Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.”

PAUSE…

Let me take a minute to make this important point. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites, he told him to send forth this message:

“6: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7: I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8: And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hands to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’” (Exodus 6:6-8)

Let’s Resume… 

So now we know that the Israelites had received God’s memo, but there was something that made them forget everything God had said; that something was FEAR. Once they saw Pharoah (Massa) and his Egyptian army, they were stricken with fear. All courage and faith disappeared. Instantly, they started questioning Moses. They didn’t care about what was behind Door 1, forget about the land of milk and honey, they were ready to surrender.

But here’s the part that really caught my attention.

“Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert.” 

First point: From the beginning, The Israelites wrestled with the idea of leaving Egypt.

Second point: And right at their moment of victory, they were willing to go back to the familiar.

This reminds me of something Harriet Tubman said, “I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves.”

The Israelites cried out to God for Him to rescue them, but when he honored their requests, they were reluctant to leave!

Let’s give a modern-day example of this…

So it’s July, I’m at the pool enjoying the sun. I decide to jump in the pool for a swim. I know I’m not a strong swimmer, but at 24-years-old, any flotation device isn’t a good look. So I start at 3 feet and I conclude that’s lame! I notice all the fun is happening down by the 8 ft. mark. So I swim/tip-toe to that side of the pool, but I notice the water is way above my neck. I’m in trouble! I scream, “HELP!” The lifeguard runs over to me, I’m panicking, he/she throws me a lifebuoy and, in my moment of rescue, I throw it back and say, “Oh, it’s okay! I asked for help, but just kidding. This whole drowning thing is pretty cool!”

That’s crazy, right? Well, just how crazy is it? When I read Exodus 14, I was quick to judge them. But the chuckling ceased when God started revealing some of our similarities. You see we have the promises of God laced throughout the Bible (Deuteronomy 28, Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 33, Matthew 6, etc.). There are promises of prosperity, healing, restoration and so much more; but how often do we remember those promises when our bill collector friends call? Or when we’re handed that pink slip at work? Or when our physician delivers a poor diagnosis?

We, too, have a tendency to let the fear blind us. I would argue at the moment the Israelites gave in to their fear, the shackles were placed back on them. They didn’t need Pharoah, fear enslaves.

How many of us are walking around in fear-influenced shackles?

Bringing it home… 

So this would be the part of the movie where you stuff your mouth with popcorn and grip your seat. Did the Israelites give up and turn back with Pharoah? Did Moses exit stage left? Did God send their prayers to voice mail? Absolutely NOT!

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.” (Exodus 14: 13-14)

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22: and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.” (Exodus 14: 21-22)

And just in case you’re wondering what happened to Pharoah and his army men:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.”  Need I say more?

We have a habit of living with our fears, but imagine how different the story would have been if the Israelites did the same? What would fear have stolen from them? We cannot give our fears permanent residency if we, too, want God’s best.

God bless,

Ciara

A Closer Look At Moses’ Instructions

• Do not be afraid- You may experience fear, but it should be a fleeing emotion.

2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of self-control.”

• Stand firm- Be courageous. Don’t let your circumstances defeat you.

Ephesians 6:13: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

• Be still- Remain prayerful, obedient and spirit-led. Invest the effort you’d put into fighting your battles into trusting God. I’ve learned that thinking I need to help God is thinking to highly of myself.

Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  ²⁹ “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said,“why did you doubt?”  ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.” -Matthew 14: 27-32

Most of us are familiar with the scene depicted in the scripture above. We may have read or heard it a thousand times, but our focus is always directed to the fact that Peter became afraid and started sinking. Today, I was introduced to another perspective.

It is true that Peter became overwhelmed with fear, which we all can identify with that experience, but how many of us can identify with Peter’s first action: taking a step?  It required courage, it required faith, it required taking a risk. Is God requiring the same from you? Are you in a storm with raging circumstances surrounding you; you know God’s there, but you’re afraid to leave the comfort of your boat to follow him?

If this describes your situation, be like Peter and take a step. You may be afraid, but find comfort in God telling you, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” You may step out and meet a plethora of obstacles, but just as God immediately rescued Peter, He’ll be there with an extended hand to save you as well.

So trust God, take that step (even if you have to crawl) and never look back!  You will soon find that one step changed the course of your entire life!

God bless,

Ciara

“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” -Galatians 6:9

During my morning meditation, I was reminded of the following safety warning engraved on the  passenger rear-view mirror: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Unsure of the connection between this safety warning and my topic of study at the time, God laid the following on my heart, “Your blessings are closer than they appear.” 

If this doesn’t excite you, there’s more… 

We all know that God spoke and continues to speak in parables. It’s his way of explaining things in a way we all can understand. With that said, there are reasons God chose the safety warning on the passenger rear-view mirror. The obvious reason is that it’s a common image, we’re all familiar with it.

But, when I started researching more about it, I realized the safety warning is ONLY on the passenger rear-view mirror. Now, there are logical reasons for this, but there’s also a spiritual lesson to be learned.

Think of your life as a car. As believers of Christ, we understand that God owns the title deed for our lives (cars). Secondly, we understand that God delights in guiding (steering) our lives (cars). So if God’s steering our lives (cars) that makes him the driver and us the passenger.

Okay, Ciara, what’s the significance? 

If God is driving our cars, he doesn’t need the safety warning on the driver’s side! Jeremiah 29:11 tells us why, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

How does this apply to my life? 

I think, as passengers, we’ve all fit into one of those categories:

1. Maybe you think you’ve been in the passenger seat too long and you’re trying to exchange places with God. (read John 15)

2. Perhaps you’re tired of going 25 mph, you have a need for speed. (read Romans 8:25)

3. Maybe you’re feeling that God has abandoned your car (read Hebrews 13:5)

But here’s the spiritual lesson:

As we travel on Life’s highway, God will steer our lives in many directions. He’ll stop at pulpit stops to ensure we receive our routine maintenance and when we ask, “God, are we there yet?” He’ll point to our rear-view mirror that will say, “Your blessings are closer than they appear.”

Buckle up. Put the sunroof back. And anticipate those blessings while the wind blows your hair.

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” -Numbers 23:19

God bless,

Ciara

“Do not consider his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” -1 Samuel 16:7

Could God really use me? I don’t have experience in that field? I’m too old to do that! I didn’t go to college! 

Our list of excuses are endless. As humans, we’re always ready to meet a challenge with an excuse. But as I read 1 Samuel this afternoon, God started speaking to me and this post is the product of our discourse. Let me start with discussing the events prior to 1 Samuel 16.

The Israelites were determined to have a king. This is after the Lord answered their cries for freedom from Egyptian control. After he provided every meal they ate, after he extended new mercies despite their unbelief,  even after Samuel delivered a message from the Lord about how big of a mistake it would be, they were STILL convinced that a king other than the Lord was required.

Scripture states in 1 Samuel 8:19-20, “But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20: Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”  

Quick break… 

“Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight out battles.” This really jumped out at me, because how many of us are guilty of asking God for carbon-copied assignments? We see what our friends are achieving, we see the luxurious lifestyles of various celebrities and we’re quickly dissuaded from what God is calling us to do. I remember as a child, I would ask my mom for all the trendy apparel, and she would say, “Why do you want that?” My response was, “Everybody else has it.” In return, she would say, “Well, you’re not everybody else.” At the time, I didn’t understand the relevance of that statement, but it’s a nugget of wisdom that has framed my life. And as children of God, we, too, have to remember, “We’re not everybody else.” 

Let’s resume…

So Samuel consults with the Lord and he’s instructed to give the Israelites what they’re demanding- a king. Samuel appoints Saul as their king and things started unfolding just as the Lord predicted. Now, let’s fast forward to the end of Saul’s reign. Saul has rebelled against the Lord byway of disobedience and he’s now getting the boot. Who’s going to replace him? You’ll have to read on to find out.  So, the Lord sends Samuel to Bethlehem where he’s to anoint the chosen leader.

When Samuel meets Jesse, he’s introduced to his first son, Eliab, and he’s convinced that Eliab is the one God has anointed. 1 Samuel 16:6, “When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But Samuel thought  wrong. We, too, cannot allow our thoughts to sway us from fulfilling our assignment. God says to Samuel, “…Do not consider his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

The scripture says that Jesse sent seven of his sons before David. It’s safe to assume that Jesse was bringing the cream of the crop, but none of them were chosen. So Samuel says, “Are these all the sons you have? (1 Sam 16:11)” And Jesse replies,“There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep. (1 Sam 16:11)“

Quick break… 

As I was reading this particular chapter, God reminded me of the Cinderella tale. In that classic tale, the evil stepmother presents all of the sisters except Cinderella. She never thought Cinderella was worthy of the prince’s attention. I mean she was a slave basically, who would be interested in her? She didn’t look like a princess; she didn’t have previous experience with being a princess; but in the end she was chosen.

Let’s resume…

David was the Cinderella in his family. He was overlooked, undervalued and least likely to “wow” the Lord (according to his family), but when he walked into the room, the Lord immediately spoke to Samuel stating, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one. (1 Sam 16:12) And we all know that David turned out to be a brave and devoted leader for God’s Kingdom!

So how does this apply to my life? 

When God calls you to accomplish a specific assignment, he’s not concerned with how things appear on the outside. He’s not looking at your physical attributes, he’s not concerned with your résumé, you can toss those letters of recommendation; God looks at your heart. Whatever he’s asking you to do, wherever he’s sending you, do not question his direction. The Israelites focused on what they could see, that’s not faith nor is it trust. When God chooses you, understand that he’s aware of your age, your IQ, your experience and your past, and it’s just not relevant to Him!

So hold tight to your assignment, trust the journey and exchange those excuses with one powerful truth, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phillipians 4:13)”

God bless,

Ciara

A few days ago, I found myself asking God to remove the thorns from my side- those uncomfortable and inconvenient situations and circumstances. And God brought this scripture to mind.

I started thinking, “How often in our walk with Christ do we ask Him to remove the thorns from our flesh, instead of latching onto His grace?

In the scripture, we have Paul, who prior to his conversion was known as Saul. As Saul, he committed to the persecution of all Christian disciples in Jerusalem. Long story short, God convicts Him, he repents, God changes his name to Paul and he becomes a prophet. Now as Paul, he’s radical for Christ- the man’s responsible for 2/3 of the New Testament! Throughout his ministry, he experiences severe persecution- he’s beaten, he’s incarcerated, he’s rejected; but the message in his heart never dies. He never gives up on fulfilling his mission.

Understanding his past, we can now focus on the scripture for this message. Paul is in Corinth ministering to the Corinthians. And he’s speaking of the great revelations he’s received from God. But the intriguing part is that Paul also speaks of the method used to ensure his humility- …”to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” 

Interesting points: 

1. The word “messenger” is from the Greek word, “angelos”, which means “angels”. We know that Satan has a legion of fallen angels.

2. Some translations use the word “buffet” as opposed to “torment”. The word “buffet” means to “strike blow after blow”. How many of us have experienced what appeared to be blow after blow- in our finances, in our relationships, etc.?

“8: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  Therefore I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10: That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.“

Interesting points: 

Have you ever wondered why the scripture emphasized the number of times Paul pleaded for the thorn to be removed? I did, so I studied the biblical symbolism of the number three. Here’s what I found: the number three represents divine completion and perfection. Check out these examples: Jesus prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter denied Jesus three times, the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), the attributes of God (omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent). Three also represents a resurrection- Jesus rose on the third day.

Based on these findings, I believe it indicates the completion of Paul’s test. He had completed his begging and God was ready to answer him- just not with the answer he expected.

“9: But he said to me, “My grace is the sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.“

Interesting point:

1. Grace derives from the Greek word “charis” (Strong’s #: 5485) meaning “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, good will, loving-kindness & favor.”

So God told Paul, “My joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, good will, loving-kindness and favor is sufficient for you.” If that isn’t enough, God goes on to say, “For my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Imagine you’re Paul- God didn’t take away the thorn in your flesh, but He’s given you a better a solution. While Paul cursed his weakness, God used it to manifest his power.

“Therefore I boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10: That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

How does this pertain to me?

I asked earlier, “How often in our walk with Christ do we ask Him to remove the thorns from our flesh, instead of latching onto His grace?

Occasionally, we like Paul, focus on the thorn. We focus on our areas of weakness and our circumstances. And we never realize that in our weakness, God’s grace chokes our thorns. We never realize that in our weakness, God’s power rests on us.

In life there will be thorns, Satan is one big thorn all by himself, but the key is to understand that God’s grace and power trumps the thorn’s discomfort. Wherever you are in your walk with Christ, whatever thorns are poking you in your flesh, understand that God has you covered. Start delighting in your weaknesses, in your hardships, in your persecutions and in your difficulties; because…

When you are weak, then you are truly strong! 

God bless you,

Ciara

“Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? It’s important because it’s the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you “my beloved daughter,” “my beloved son,” “my beloved child.” To pray is to let that voice speak to the centre of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in your whole being. -Henri J.M. Nouwen

After reading this quote, I immediately made a correlation between this quote and Moses. Yes, Moses from the Bible. The point of similarity is within the opening sentence, Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? The Book of Exodus highlights the life of Moses. For this particular message, I’ll focus on chapter 33 and 34 solely as points of reference. In these two chapters, we have Moses spending quality time with God on top Mount Sinai. He’s chiseling The Ten Commandments 2.0, he’s receiving sound instruction, he’s even asking God questions and scripture (Exodus 33:11) states, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.”

How awesome is that? We are God’s friends. 

But naturally, we’re wondering why Moses went alone? Why was it important for it to be just Moses and God? We know that the Israelites would spoil the mood, I can hear them now, “Moses, you know these sandals weren’t made for hiking!” So it makes sense that they were left behind, but what about Joshua (Moses’ assistant)? He was going to take Moses’ place of leadership anyway!

To answer this question, I’m going to expand on the insightful thought of Mr. Nouwen,  ”…It’s important because it’s the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved.”

But first, I want to address the mountain top metaphor. Surely, Mr. Nouwen isn’t implying that we all need to stand on a mountain top to channel our connection with God. If that were the case, well that’s insignificant. The answer to the metaphor is found in the Bible. Mount Sinai was a sacred place- a safe place.

It was alone in this sacred place that God was able to talk to Moses as a friend. Moses didn’t need to bring his family, the Israelites, his pet (I doubt he had one)- just himself. And God expects the same from us. We must be willing to step away from the familiar, briefly step away from our loved ones and find our sacred place to just listen to what our Father has to say.

God bless,

Ciara

Imagine you’re in Abram’s (soon to be Abraham) sandals. You’re 75-five-years-old, married, pretty much settled I would say and God tells you to leave everything familiar: your family, your friends, your pets, everything. Like Abram, you have a choice, you can say, “Forget about it!”, “Try back in a few days!” or you can mirror Abram’s decision and obey God’s instruction.

Why was it so important for Abram to obey God’s instruction? 

Because obedience activates the promises of God.

As I read this particular chapter, I’m reminded of the television show Deal or No Deal. See in verse 2 & 3, God proposed a deal that stated, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be bless through you.” 

Scripture says in verse 4, “So Abram left, as the Lord had told him…”  And do you blame him? He had a sweet deal!

So what’s the big deal? 

I’m glad you asked. This particular text hits on so many relevant points- I’m going to focus on two.

Point 1- We live in a generation where society has esteemed rebellion and defamed obedience. It’s not cool to obey your parent(s), it’s outdated to obey our spouses and we’re convinced that all authority figures abuse their power. Furthermore, I believe that rebellion nestles in the comfort of familiarity and fear. And while we’re enjoying the routine of our lives, we’re deaf to God’s call. Think about it, how many times have you felt like God was asking you to leave your current job to pursue other endeavors? But because of our economy, you ignore God’s call to secure your paycheck.  Hey, maybe God’s asking you to leave your relationship? You know the relationship is over, but you’re afraid of being alone, so you ignore God’s call.

Here’s the amazing thing about obeying God. You know only what you can see, if you leave your job, the paychecks aren’t coming in. If you leave your spouse, you’re single. That’s what you can conclude. But God knows our stories from beginning to end. So while you’re looking at the natural, trusting your paycheck;  God’s seeing that by you leaving your job and trusting his instruction, you’re going to sign paychecks. By you leaving your dead relationship, God sees that marriage proposal in your future.

So here’s the big deal- when you obey God, you always reap more than you sacrificed.

When Abram obeyed God, he became Abraham- a father of many nations. The scripture reveals that Abraham lacked no good thing, and he continued to see the blessings of God until his dying day. In his day, it wasn’t cool to rebel. I mean let’s think about this- Why did Lucifer fall from heaven?

Point 2- Abram was 75-years-old when God called him. There are some of us in our thirties, forties, fifties and sixties that feel like it’s too late to fulfill God’s calling for your life. You’re saying, “my routine isn’t changing, it’s too late.” Let me repeat this: Abram was 75-years-old! Do not think for one second that it is too late to obey God. If God’s calling you, obey! God is not restricted by age, time or any other factor. If he calls you at 45, obey. If he calls you at 68, obey! After Abram obeyed God, he lived to be 175-years-old.

How do I know God’s going to bless me for being obedient? 

Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t seek a reward for obedience? Isn’t God great enough to deserve our obedience without a prize? I liken it to treating God like a box of Cracker Jacks. We don’t really want the caramel popcorn, but we’ll eat it to get to the prize. But, boy, if there’s no prize in the bottom of that box!

But God knows his children, he knows our hearts and he can discern the authenticity of our obedience. For those who are pure in heart and intent, here’s how to know that God’s going to bless your obedience- God says it in Deuteronomy 28:

¹If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. ²And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you heed the voice of the Lord your God.³Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. ⁴Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock. ⁵Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading trough. ⁶Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out. ⁷The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. ⁸The Lord shall command the blessing upon you in your storehouse and in all that you undertake.  And He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you.  ⁹The Lord will establish you as a people holy to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. ¹⁰And all people of the earth shall see that you are called by the name [and in the presence of] the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. ¹¹And the Lord shall make you have a surplus of prosperity, through the fruit of your body, of your livestock, and of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. ¹²The Lord shall open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.¹³And the Lord shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day and are watchful to do them. ¹⁴And you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

I will not lie to you and say that obedience is always easy, but I will promise you that it’s always the right decision and it’s always worth it. God is too good to receive partial obedience. He didn’t give us partial life, did he? So let’s make a decision, a promise to God, that when he calls us we will obey.  As Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Take that step, obey His command and watch the blessings flow.

God bless you,

Ciara

Prayer requests: I’m growing, you’re growing; I’m learning, you’re learning. We’re all trying to live the life God called us to live, so why not uplift each other in prayer? I don’t know about you, but I subscribe to the PIP (Power In Prayer). So, if you have a prayer request, I would love to pray for you! You can send any prayer requests or questions to Ciara_Lilly@live.com!