Category Archives: Current Events

What happens in Rome…

We all know the story, or at least many of us do. You know, the one about what everyone thought Jesus had come to do, when in fact He hadn’t come to do that at all. Conquer Rome. Free the Jewish people from an oppressive government and restore to them a kingdom that was rightfully theirs.

We can all see it now. Jesus had something else in mind. Something no one imagined.

Jesus barely even mentioned Rome. Don’t you find that odd? That the biggest issue in the lives of His people at that time isn’t even addressed? That they were being taxed to death simply brought “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”. He showed zero indignation toward Rome. There was not a word mentioned of Jewish rights as the people of God, no talk about protesting what was happening, no call to resistance.

I assume you know where I’m going with this. We are the people of God. Just for giggles, let’s call our government Rome.

I know some people can rattle off perfectly good reasons (in their mind) that the Church needs to be involved in politics, needs to have their finger on the pulse of culture, needs to push back for our “freedoms”. There’s a lot of talk about taking back the seven mountains, taking back the government, standing up for righteousness, but the problem I keep running into is this: I can’t find it in scripture. I can’t find that part where Jesus told us we have rights and freedoms and that we are to dictate the culture of the world. I see this…

A scribe approached him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Matthew 8:19-20

Jesus isn’t saying “if you choose to follow me, it could get uncomfortable”. He’s saying that when we choose to follow Him, we relinquish our right to have a place to call home here on earth. No right to a roof over our head.

In Matthew, chapter 10, the first time He sent out His disciples on mission, He sent them with no provision. He told them they would be beaten and imprisoned for His sake, that they would be brought before people in authority, but they were to be His witness in that situation.

In other words – unfair and unjust treatment is not something to fight against, it is to be used as an opportunity to be His witness.

When I read the gospels, I do not see rights. I do not see a call to resist or a call to take something back. I see a laying it all down, a giving it all away.

I see “sell everything you have and give it to the poor and follow Me.” (Matthew 19:21)

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me”. (Matthew 5:10-11)

It is clear from the scriptures that the people of God do not have a “right” to comfort, to fair treatment, to be respected, or to be treated kindly or justly (except by the other members of the family of God. There are big expectations in that category).

Beloved, we have not been tasked with conquering Rome. Frankly, that is a far too narrow a vision. Our assignment is simple, but has profound eternal consequences – love God with everything we’ve got, and love people as ourselves. Carry the gospel to all the nations. Make disciples (not just converts). Trust God in all things. Fix our eyes, minds, and hearts on heaven, not on earth.

We are a people called to lay down and give away, not demand and take back.

I know it seems radical and uncomfortable and goes against so many things ingrained in us as earthly citizens of this nation (or any other free nation). But we have something so much bigger on us than constitutional rights and allegiance to political parties. We have a call to allow the Holy Spirit of God to pursue the hearts and salvation of people, through us. A call to co-labor with Jesus to build His Kingdom, not a political kingdom with political power and authority. That is way too small and narrow. We are increasing the territory of the spiritual authority and power of heaven, on the earth. But that power and authority is not against men (flesh and blood), it is against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6)

Our battle is not with Rome, it is with hell.

It is a battle fought through prayer, and through our obedience to the Word of God. It is fought best by those who are fully aware of who they are in Christ, and what they are actually fighting for – the souls of men. Not their political views or their opinions on current cultural issues. We are fighting for their eternal destinies.

The days are getting darker, and nothing in scripture tells us that evil will be vanquished or that the darkness will recede, until Jesus returns, no matter how bad we want it. That is not our fight.

Our fight is to pillage the darkness with the gospel that can save the souls of men and women held captive there, and to love one another while we do it.

#followJesus #betheChurch

Covid, Revival, and the gaze of the church

It was Wednesday morning, August 19th, and I woke up with a headache and feeling like I had a chest cold. By the next day, it felt like full-on flu, but unlike any flu I had ever had. On Friday I got tested and on Sunday that test came back positive for Covid-19.

The next week was the sickest I’ve ever been. It was the flu on steroids. My joints felt like they were full of broken glass. I had horrible night sweats, a constant headache, a cough that would not quit, and less than zero energy. I couldn’t even think straight. I had more than one serious thought that I might die from this virus.

On day 10 the turn around came. Not a huge turn, more like a slight curve, but enough to give me hope. My joints stopped aching so bad, and I was able to come out of my room for a bit and walk through the house. One walk-through and then I had to go back to bed, but it was something. With each passing day it has gotten better, and today, my only symptoms are some shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, and a narly brain fog that sometimes makes it hard to focus, hard to communicate well, and hard to remember things. The cough is rare, if ever, now. No body pain. Some occasional congestion. I’ve read that it could be months yet before I feel back to normal. That’s ok. I honestly feel lucky to have survived it at all. I am very fortunate to have a husband who took such good care of me, even though he too tested positive. His symptoms lasted a day and then were gone and he was back to normal, except for the fatigue.

I also have a lifegroup of women who cared for us both for the first two weeks, by dropping off a meal every day. I usually find it very difficult to accept help like that, but there were days that I don’t think we would have eaten if not for that meal. I could barely stand up for more than a couple of minutes, and both of us were too fatigued to move much at all at times. I am so grateful for a community of women who jumped in to do what they could, dropping off food at our doorstep every day. Oh, another symptom that is still with me – I cannot taste or smell things. Actually, the taste seems to be improving. If something is tart, tangy, or salty, I can taste that. Otherwise, I’m just eating because I need to eat. I also struggle with bouts of nausea and stomach pain. This thing is a circus full of fun.

But, I had (have) a lot of people praying for me, including my family, and I believe with all my heart that those prayers moved heaven on my behalf. So thankful.

Ok, that’s my Covid ordeal. I survived and I am recovering. But lemme tell you the good stuff.

Before day 10, I couldn’t do much more than mutter “Jesus, help me” numerous times a day. But once symptoms began to subside, the tide turned. Covid often made it hard for me to sleep at night, so I began having lots of late-night worship sessions. Those sessions turned into prayer times, as I climbed back up on the wall to take my post as an intercessor, albeit a weakened, sometimes nauseous one. And then, my appetite returned with a ferocity I hadn’t seen in a while. Not an appetite for food, but for the Word of God, as I began a renewed search for the heart of my Father. I found my gaze had turned from being consumed with Covid, off of what’s been happening in the political arena and in the streets of our nation, and back to Jesus.

All of this had actually begun before Covid threw me against the rocks. Now, it’s rising up like flames that just hit the kitchen curtains. Spreading, growing. Because God used Covid to fan into life an ember that had only begun to burn. While my body was surviving, my soul began to thrive and that means God had His way and the enemy did not. Any way you turn it, it’s good.

I did not start the flame. I did not will myself to want more of Jesus or to seek more of His heart or to re-engage in intercession. It was not by my own strength or persistence that I came out of the worst part of Covid with a revival going on in my soul.

God is on the move.

And oh my gosh haven’t we all just been waiting for it? As chaos increases and lawlessness is more brazen than ever. As the deception grows thick and rage is running the streets, we’ve waited for God to pull back the curtain and reveal the truth and put everything right. But what if we’ve been looking in the wrong place for the move of God? What if He wants to do it in us, instead of out there? Perhaps the shaking starts with us, those who are called holy and righteous and belonging to Him. What if we’re the ones with the curtain and the need for truth in our innermost parts?

What if Jesus is turning the gaze of the Church away from what’s happening in the darkness and fixing it on Him who dwells in unapproachable light?

There is not one thing going on in the world right now that is outside of the sovereignty of God. Not one thing is thwarting His plans or altering His purposes in the earth. He is who He says He is. He will do what He said He will do. He has built His Church on the truth of the Gospel, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He will neither slumber nor sleep. He is making ready His Bride, to present her to His Father.

Turning her gaze back to Him. Making a way in her wilderness and streams in her desert. Allowing the sifting and praying for her, that her faith will not fail. Calling her to return to her first Love, to choose the better thing, to love Him with all her heart, soul, mind and strength.

We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

Hebrews 12:2 – The Passion Translation
What is God doing in you right now, in the middle of what you’re going through?
How is He attempting to turn your gaze to Him?

something is changing and we need to hear about it

Sit for a minute. I want to share what God is doing in me, because I bet He’s doing something in you too and we need the stories of what He’s doing, don’t you think? Because there is stuff going down all over the place and we’ve chased that storm long enough and now it’s time. Time to fix our eyes on Jesus and see what’s shifting on the inside.

For me, it’s become late night worship sessions that leave me face down with a desire for more. For closer. For deeper and wider and just more. As much as I can get. Remembering that His presence is better than anything else and I am made for this presence.

It’s remembering the cry of my own heart for over 25 years – “Where are You going and what are You doing and can I come with You?” What happened to that cry? Where did my desire to be with Him go? I wonder if responsibility took it. Or weariness. Could have been self-sufficiency. I don’t know, but what I do know is God has been shifting things in my heart and I feel shaking happening and I think whatever took my overwhelming desire for His presence has been forced to give it back. I’m becoming consumed again and it’s so good, so painfully good.

There’s a fresh urgency to prayer. To stand on the wall and in the gap and to stay awake and pray. To declare His Word and hear His voice and sense His presence in the place of prayer for those around me. It’s the pressing of the Holy Spirit to prioritize prayer. Stop putting it at the end and put it at the start. The throne room is holy and grace and mercy are flowing from it. The One who sits on that throne has all power and all authority and He inclines His ear to hear us speak. He’s telling me to pray like that’s true again.

Things are changing and shaking and shifting and I am waking up from a sleep I didn’t know I had fallen into. Shaking off what has distracted and distressed and detained me. Laying down lesser pursuits and running back to my first love. There aren’t enough hallelujahs. Not nearly enough.

I don’t know what God has been doing in your heart lately, but I can tell you what He hasn’t been doing – He hasn’t been making it fearful. Or anxious. Or hopeless. He has not made your heart believe that evil is winning.

Unbelief is doing that.

Stop chasing the storm and just sit with Him in His perfect peace. Let Him reveal what He’s doing in you. Let Him call you back from the chaos and stoke the flame in your heart for Him again. Let Him remind you that you are not in danger, you are fiercely loved by the God of heaven and earth and you belong in the consuming fire of His presence. Let Him give you back your voice, not so you can shout at the world, but so you can declare His truth and His praises and so you can prophesy to dry bones so they will live. Let Him shake you awake.

And then tell us about it, because we need to hear it.

…It’s not meant to be a secret.

this pandemic: finding what is true

Pandemic. Something (a disease) that is prevalent over a whole country, or the whole earth.

Maybe you’re thinking the title to this post says that I don’t believe there is a real pandemic going on. That would be untrue. I 100% believe that Covid-19 is real, it is deadly, and it is a threat to all of us. That part is very clear to me. After that, it gets a little murky.

I recently posted a video on my Facebook page called Plandemic, the interview of Dr. Judy Mikovits, a scientist. In the interview she basically asserts that corruption in high places muzzles the research of scientists who’s discoveries threaten agendas. She also dances around the assertion that Covid-19 was manufactured and released on purpose.

I received a lot of feedback from posting that video. I discovered that a LOT of people are thinking what I’m thinking and that is that something is afoot. Something doesn’t smell right to us, not just about this pandemic, but about the response to it. I also got other feedback using words like propaganda, and conspiracy theories. I received articles from a number of people that refute Dr. Mikovits, and I read them all. Somewhere in all of it, there is truth and I think only God knows what that truth is for sure. Maybe Dr. Mikovits’ story was missing some facts. That doesn’t mean that researchers are not being muzzled by corrupt people in high places. It also doesn’t mean that Covid-19 was intentionally released upon the world.

Maybe I’m just part of a generation that is naturally suspicious of big government, big medicine, big things that lean toward serving their bottom dollar or need for power more than they lean toward our best interests. Or, maybe I’m part of a generation that has seen its fill of corruption and greed and lies coming from people in positions of power, so we don’t fall for every sincere statement they make and when something stinks, we know something is rotten.

Somewhere in the middle of the ones who believe that things are what they appear and that fear is the appropriate response, and the ones who are refusing to be herded off the cliff they think is just up ahead, is the truth. But after having a few days to ponder all of this, I’ve decided it’s not that particular truth that I want.

The truths of man won’t bring peace to my soul. Only God’s truth will do that. So here is what I know:

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” {2 Timothy 3:1-5}

This world is not going to become a better place. The darkness will grow darker – that is an absolute truth and I will not be moved to believe otherwise.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” {Ephesians 5:15-16}

I have come to the conclusion that the best use of my time is not trying to convince people that the world is evil, but rather in reminding people that God is good. No matter how much power men wield on this earth, it cannot compare to the power of God, and it is God’s power that gives me comfort and strength.

I do believe we are called to expose the deeds of darkness, but not necessarily by posting a video that I cannot know with absolute certainty is completely true. It was my natural suspicions being confirmed that prompted me to “expose” the darkness by way of posting that video. But my suspicions, even the valid ones, are not what God has told me to put on a lampstand. The mistrust so prevalent in my generation, even when valid, is not what God has given me for making sound judgments.

It is the Holy Spirit within me and the Word of God that will enable me to speak truth amidst the swirling myths, half-truths, uncertainties and suspicions that are thick in the air around us right now.

God is good and He is in control and He will use everything for His glory. I have nothing to fear and He will lead me and guide me through this or around it, whichever He chooses. He will be who He has always been, regardless of who men have become. If I have come to a place of trusting no man, I know I can trust my God. He does not lie, He does not deceive. I never have to wonder about His intentions or His motives. He remains faithful, merciful, and full of compassion. He is light and in Him there is no darkness.

The Word of God tells me that I live in a fallen world that will progressively become darker, but even so, I have a great hope in heaven, and a great purpose in this world. I need not try to make sense of what is going on in the dark, but I do need to be alert, fully awake, and praying.

It is not the schemes of men that God has admonished me to recognize.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” {Ephesians 6:11}

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” {1Peter 5:8}

So for all of those who raised fists in the air in agreement with my suspicions, thank you for your solidarity. And for those who pushed back, thank you for your willingness to do so. It is because of this push and pull that I sat down with God to seek what is true and received His staff and His rod repositioning my heart back where it belongs. In His word, in His truth. Fighting the right battle, and the right enemy.

Because we are growing ever nearer to the end. Will it be in my lifetime? Maybe, maybe not. The time is not for me to know. But I can know the signs. I can know that wading into the muck and mire of what is happening in the physical realm, will not equip me for what is needed in the spiritual realm.

Keep praying, always. Stay alert, keep watching, don’t get distracted. Stay thankful.

me and this pandemic

Just typing the title to this thing is surreal. Pandemic? Did not see that coming. But here it is and all of our normal just went away to we don’t know where. Everything is shaking and everything keeps changing, and this is all just so weird, right? It’s weird. Bizarre. But it’s our life right now so I’m trying to roll with it. Some days I roll better than others.

I’m fortunate to be able to work from home, but it has been an eye-opening experience, to say the least. Here are a few things I’ve noticed:

I should not be allowed to remain in my pajamas all day. It messes with my mental health. Causes me to shuffle my feet and not wash my hair. I’ve finally compromised with myself. Real clothes on top, pajamas on the bottom. Besides helping me feel more human, I can Zoom with confidence. Again, something I never imagined myself saying. Ever. But here we are. Zooming in my underwear and a blouse.

My friend told me she walked for 2 miles today. Yeah, well, I made 647 trips from my office (bedroom) to my refrigerator, so right back at ya, sister. You know how there are certain animals that you can’t give an unlimited supply of food to, because they’ll just eat themselves to death?

Seriously though, I’m in need of an electric fence around my kitchen, so any recommendations for whoever installs those would be much appreciated.

I need structure, apparently. Did not know that about myself. Before the whole world got sick, I would have described myself as a seat of my pants, roll with the changes, whatever, kinda girl. Like, hippie-ish, only fatter. And less smiley.

Turns out, I am nothing of the sort. I’m more like an accountant, without the math skills. I need the ship to be tight and I need sharpened pencils. I need to-do lists and color coded spreadsheets and timely responses to my emails so that I don’t become overwhelmed and spend an inordinate amount of time in therapy and by therapy I mean eating all the food.

I am an introvert. I didn’t just learn that, I’ve known it since someone posted the symptoms on Facebook one day and healed my world. My general dislike for being around people became a legitimate thing. So naturally, I thought to myself “social distancing? lots of alone time? people can’t touch me or stand too close to me? Step aside ma’am, and let the expert through. I can shelter in place all.day.long.”

And now I’m waving at the mailman like he’s my person. Him and the UPS guy. And random people walking by my house.

A pandemic changes you.

But it does not change God.

While something is literally changing the world, He remains the same. Still near. There remains a peace that cannot be explained. A knowing that things are being handled from the throne of heaven, a power far greater than this virus, a plan that has not been thwarted or defeated in any way. A purpose that is from the beginning and to the end.

This is hard, this thing we are all going through. We’re all experiencing some kind of loss and it can become the only thing we see. But this truth still remains:

In the middle of a pandemic, the people of God are still the people of abundant life. Don’t let the devil try to convince you otherwise.

this virus and what we know

(Disclaimer: that title is misleading and for that, I apologize. This post is not about what we know about Covid-19. It’s just that I wrote most of this post last night, had a fitful night sleep and have had nowhere near enough coffee this morning, so…it is what it is.)

I can’t pretend to understand this virus thing. How it started, or how it took over the world. It feels like we went from 0 to 100 in about 6 seconds, right? We heard about a flu virus in China and then toilet paper started flying off shelves like snicker bars at fat camp. I panicked, not because of the flu virus but because I was low on tp and there was none to buy and suddenly things got real.

Schools are closing and spring break could turn into spring-see-you-in-the-fall. I know. Far fetched. And yet, they bought.all.the.toilet.paper. Anything can happen. The gloves are off, apparently.

Large gatherings are now prohibited. Events are being canceled. Sports have been canceled. Sports. No spectators for March Madness. I don’t even like basketball but I felt that one. Both the church I attend, and the one I work for have suspended Sunday worship services. I have never seen these things happen before. It feels like we’re way off course and there are no familiar landmarks. No one seems to know how or why or what to do next, except buy toilet paper. All of it. Because we don’t know what’s happening, but having enough toilet paper makes us feel safer.

But, there are some things we do know.

We, the Church, are built for this very thing. We have been discipled by selfless love, a love that teaches us to go unafraid into uncharted places. A love that never leaves us stranded.

We know the Waymaker through this thing and we know that in any crisis, any storm, He is drawing people to Himself. And we can help them get there, because we know the way.

We know what it looks like to put someone else first, to lay down our rights and go low. We are disciples of the King who washed the feet of those who were with Him, so we know what it looks like to serve instead of needing to be served.

We know fear is a liar and Truth is a person and we know which one to follow. We know where our help comes from and that our Father is good and always gives us what we need, and we know that all things, all things, serve Him and every storm will obey Him. So we know not to be afraid.

We know the need for community and unity. He taught us that we are not loners, we are family and when we come together in love, bearing one another up, forgiving offenses and urging one another on toward greater faith, the world sees Jesus.

There’s a lot we don’t know, but we know enough.

The catch? People don’t need to know what we know. They need us to do what we know and to be what we know. To be people of peace in the chaos, people of sacrificial love in an every-man-for-himself season, people unafraid, filled with the Spirit of wisdom, with self-control, patience, and kindness. The people of God, lighting up the dark.

Right now, there is a shortage of more than just toilet paper. This is not the hour for the Church to hoard what the world needs.

our culture of death is killing us

This is a follow up to my last post on gun control. Since that time, I attempted to purchase a rifle. Filled out the online form at the store, and assumed they would tell me there was a waiting period while a thorough background check was done. I figured it would take at least a few days. It took 10 minutes. I could have walked out of the store with my rifle less than 1/2 hour after walking in. The boy was confused when I told him I had changed my mind, but he could not have been more confused than me.  So I checked my state’s laws on gun purchases. No waiting period.

No time for a person to cool down. No space for someone to change their mind about killing their spouse, neighbor, teacher…whoever. And that’s just what I found in a very quick internet search. I’m sure there is much more that just wouldn’t make sense to me.

So yeah, I’m a Republican and a supporter of the 2nd Amendment. And I want some kind of gun control.  But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that guns are only a very small part of the reason kids are shooting up their schools.

There is an argument about other countries who have tighter gun control laws, and lower incidents of gun shootings as a result. But surely that isn’t the whole story. So I want to ask questions about those countries that people talk about.

What is their abortion rate? How many of their cities have gangs, and children who witness murder, whether by gun or some other form on a far too often basis? What kind of television shows and/or movies are their children watching on a regular basis? What are the typical video games are people playing?

Do those countries have the same culture of death and desensitization to murder as the United States? Are their young people being raised with the same disregard for human life as ours?

While I do believe there needs to be some kind of gun control other than what currently exists, I do not believe that guns are the entire problem. And I don’t believe that gun control is the solution we think it may be.

The problem is our culture. And until we are willing to admit that, and take steps to change it, kids will continue to kill kids.

Unless we are willing to say that killing unborn children is wrong, our kids won’t believe it’s wrong. Unless we are willing to stop the barrage of violence that entertains them, they will continue to find death and murder to be primarily entertainment. They will not understand that you can’t just start the game over, as though death didn’t happen.

So the easy access, almost non-existent mental health checks, and various other loopholes in gun laws is a huge problem, and immediate change is needed. But it is just a floating piece of ice that looks easy to maneuver around. Because we don’t see the iceberg that is below the surface, and that iceberg is what will ultimately sink us.

I believe the Church can shift a culture. When we stand on truth and refuse to back down. When we choose to live counter-cultural lives. When we raise our children in a Kingdom culture. When we take the culture of the Kingdom of God into our workplaces. When we move into the spheres of this culture, bringing light with us into government, education, healthcare, the justice system, and the entertainment industry, to name a few.  When we choose, at every level, to live counter to the culture around us, including what we allow to entertain us. A culture is shifted when a stronger culture begins to move in. We have watched this happen in our country, to the detriment of our country. But I will always believe that the Church has the power to shift atmospheres, shift cultures, and shift this war that is threatening the next generation.