Difference between Doing and Being…

I awoke this morning thinking about Christ,  how he fulfilled the Law. He paid the price for our sin, freeing us to live by the Spirit and begin “being” who we really are rather then trying to do until we have become someone.  

         As we prepare to look at the Fruits of the Spirit we need to realize Paul is trying to help us understand that there is a difference between walking as Jesus walked and gratifying the desires of our own sinful nature.  Jesus was focused on God. He wasn’t trying to do what a King did, a Savior did or a Teacher did, because he was secure in the knowledge “He was” all those things and more. That is what being is all about.       

 GAL 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit (being), and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (doing). 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.          

          It always seems that doing is in conflict with being. Doing focuses on something, the goal. Being allows us to focus only on God himself, secure that we have nothing more to prove. Living by the Spirit begins by realizing we have nothing more to prove. Only when we have this clear understanding of Grace can we begin being! 

Let’s Pray…         

     Today I lay down every area in my life where I have fooled myself that I am not good enough, not being secure in who I am. Father, I allow Christ’s shed blood to cover that insecurity. I speak to that insecurity within me and say to every anchor of insecurity, “you must leave in Jesus Name. You are not welcome here.” I welcome the Holy Spirit to live within me to a depth which floods my every insecurity with Peace. I am secure knowing I have nothing to prove to anyone in this world. Thank you Jesus! 

Mikki

Why Jesus Came…

As I prepare for the series of Fruits of the Spirit which begins tomorrow; I am coming to realize things about God and Jesus that I never did before. The whole being verses doing things is revealed as we look at the Law and Jesus. They are in opposition of each other and yet they have commonalities.

We need to know what to DO but without knowing how to BE; everything is lost!

God gave us the law in the Old Testament which we couldn’t do by ourselves. We failed miserably! We needed someone to show us how to be. God has always been all about relationship, beginning in the garden through today. Go figure, how rude that he would be so consistent.

Jesus came to show us how to BE not how to DO. The Jews were looking for a King to deliver them. He came and they knew him not for what they needed to be delivered from was not the world, but rather themselves.

Jesus, my heart is to BE a christian not to do Christianity. I come to you prepared to change who I am so that I can BE who you created me to be.

Hope you will take the plunge with me in BEING a Christian rather then Doing the Christian thing.

Mikki

On My Bookshelf…

 

I laugh today as I do my quiet time (where I spend time with the Lord), I looked on my book shelf (the picture) and saw the five branches of Complete Joy, empower, equip, restore, release, and mentor which I labeled each of the shelves to remind myself of the branches of this new ministry and my life. I laugh because of the things on the shelves above the words.

     Above the word empower are four books, one on prayer, one on rest, one on personal growth and the last on memory. As I looked at the other shelves I saw that the things above them each spoke to that topic. I looked again at how does God empower the His people, empowerment begins with relationship; getting plugged into the power source prayer a driving force in a relationship with the Lord to my amazement the first book! Empowerment continues as we rest in the Lord, being recharged the second book. So often Christian stop here and don’t understand that only as we grow in the Christ can be continue to have his empowerment, the third book. Finally remembering the truths that He has grounded in us allow us to continue to run the good race, the final book.  

     Wow, what an amazing thing, it was all by chance… ya right. God knew what he was doing when he drew me to first arrange the shelves, then days later to put the labels on each of the shelves. I am not that bright to have arranged things in such an amazing way. I looked farther and what did I see?  

     The next shelf, equip I see books on the bible and how to study it better. The bible if we allow it will equip us with all that we need in life. We need to look deeper into the bible to equip us rather then running to and fro to man. It is great to reach a chapter a day, to connect with our God in this way, but if we don’t allow him to equip us we go into our lives without the depth of his love, protection and understanding equipping us for everything situation we will encounter as we walk throughout our lives.  

     This is where I usually end… taking just a quick look at a subject to get you thinking but I think if you will go with me… I will look at the whole bookshelf! 

     I was amazed as I found my church birdhouse sitting above the word restore. I think the church is to be a vehicle for the Lord to restore his people. Many churches see the call of being a hospital but few walk into the destiny and the restoration the Lord has for them. There are several books on revival next to the church, reminding me, revival needs to happen in the church not outside of it. It is through the church that revival is to be happen. God is knocking on the door of the church, will they allow him to come in and restore his bride. Not into what was is the past, but the church of this current age!

     The next shelf is labeled release, this one is curious, above are no books, rather it is here that I see a statue of the hand of God around his child and then a cup with a flower coming out of it. I am reminded God wants us to be released from every bondage, every hurt and trauma so that his spirit in us can be released to its fullest. It is God not man who brings the release of his spirit. Oh how I desire to see His power released in the children of the risen God. It doesn’t matter how big or small I am nor does it matter the trauma I have experienced, God wants to release his spirit into the world through you and I.

     Finally at the top of the bookshelf sits the word mentor. Above this word I see the bookend, it has been knocked over but the years of use have brought it to be something I just couldn’t part with even through it is chipped. That is how many people who are the greatest mentors are, they show the wear and tear of life but they have such a wealth of the presence of God that we don’t care what the package looks like. That bookend holds books by Florence Littauer someone who has so deeply influenced my life. Her book “Lives on the Mend” sits next to the bookend, reminding me that a mentor helps people whose lives are on the mend. Those I mentor are not perfect people but people that God himself is perfecting in his image. I rejoice in this truth.  

Let’s pray… God I thank you for teaching me with everything in my life, even the way I have arranged the books on the shelf before me.  I give you all the right and privilege of controlling my process, of how it looks and what it is constructed of. As I walk I rejoice that you will teach me as I take the time to look around. Let your hand guide me this and every other day of my life. Please empower, equip, restore, release and mentor me into the child of God you created me to be!  

In Christ,Mikki

In the Throne Room…

Today is Sunday and again I can’t go to church. I guess it isn’t until you can’t go to church that you miss it the most. For me it is the time of fellowship joining with others in worship of our God. That time for me is so sweet. There is not a care in the world for me there, I don’t know about you.        

     My spirit soars up into the air meeting God in his throne room and before him with the multitudes I worship my king. I can do this when I am by myself, yet when I am with the family of God worshipping; there is a depth to which I can not go by myself. It is as if the gates of heaven open and for a moment I am there as I will one day be forever. It is amazing to be in that place where I am gathered with others as they pour themselves out as a praise offering unto the Lord.

     I am a worshipper. My heart is to worship. I can and do sing yet when I dance and move before the Lord there is where I am gathered up to him. That is why I miss church so much. Yes, the sermons are good and even when then are only marginal God points something out that I can bite into to encourage me for the week. I enjoy fellowship with the body visiting with friends, my sisters and brothers in the Lord but these are a side benefit to why I am there. For I am there to worship my king and join others in that offering of praise!  

     Let’s Pray… Father in heaven, be with those who worship you no matter the venue, let the gates of heaven open that we might go inside to worship our God and King! Increase our praise offerings to you today. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Nailed to the Wall…

     Well in the last week the Lord has really been nailing me to the wall about this whole being a pitcher vs. being a fountain. I see a picture in my mind of a pitcher when I begin doing and stop being. God asks me, “Which do I want”? I always remark I want to be the fountain. I didn’t realize the last two entries were all about the same thing. First it was the picture, second the lesson.

     This being isn’t easy at all. In the past, being was like a rich piece of chocolate that I would steal a bite from and feel that I didn’t deserve. Now I am realizing that I can have the whole piece and that in fact it has been sitting there just for me! Does it have anything to do with my self-worth, probably but do I care right now to get all technical… no I don’t. Rather I am realizing it is why people like the idea of “being a pitcher” for it is all about doing something.

     I am getting ready to open I Corinthians 12 and the fruits of the Spirit. I know that the Lord is drawing me closer to himself and into the whole being thing. All these fruits are about being… they aren’t doing. I will be looking at them next month, I hope you will join me.

     This is such a change of perspective that is going to change my whole life. I see now that when I am doing I am used up because I need more to be poured into me. When I am “being me” I can rest knowing God’s presence is always “coming out of me” for he is “in me”! There is not refilling required. It is amazing this being! What freedom I have to relax.

     I love the song, “To God be the glory great things he has done… I am so excited about this whole being instead of doing. I have been an expert do-er, I don’t know if I will ever be an expect be-er. I know someone who has an long history of being… Jesus and I can learn from him.

I pray that every Christian would learn this and rest in the being and retire from the doing!

Blessings in being!

Mikki

Called into being…

        Today as I begin my day I find myself walking into a deeper level of intimacy with the Lord as He reveals himself creator in Genesis chapter one. When we embrace Yahweh as creator we put the power for life and death in the proper hands. We allow Yahweh to line us up in proper alignment. We need to have a “proper understanding of who Yahweh truly is”, to be the people He has called you and I to be.    

        I can look at the story of creation and be amazed at the creation of the earth, the fish and birds even the animals, but do I marvel at the one who created them. It is easier to worship the created rather then the creator. Focusing on what Yahweh did rather then on who Yahweh is. Doing is so much easier to focus on then being.        

     So many changes have taken place in my life in the last several months, going from being church staff to beginning new ministry, it is easy to focus on doing and forget about being because “there is so much to do”.        

        The question now is where do I want to focus? Doing is focused on me. Can I take my eyes off of myself and re-focus them on the one who deserves all of my attentions, will I afford myself the pleasure of “taking the time to just be in God’s amazing presence”. That for me is what being is all about. My answer is a resounding “Yes”. How about you, the choice is in your hands!  

Let’s pray…       

         Yahweh you called all things into being by your word. You are creator. I confess my focus has been more on what and how you created rather then on who you are. Today I choose to re-direct my focus upon being with you, rather then on the doing for you. I speak the truth that my being with you is more important than any doing for you will ever be. Let this be a life giving change for myself and my family. In Jesus Name 

Blessings & Peace,

Mikki

Being a Pitcher verses a Fountain of God’s living presence

As I look at today I am struck by this statement from the devotional: My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers which got me thinking. “The picture Our Lord gives is not that of a channel but a fountain.  Often I have thought about being like a pitcher that the Lord pours out with the good things he wants to pour forth through me. I have always thought of God holding the pitcher and that I released myself to him to have the freedom to direct me as he desired to do. I was a beautiful milkglass pitcher that was a beautiful thing for God to hold. In the last 6 months I have become uncomfortable with that picture and didn’t know why.      

     Today I have come to see that I am not to be a pitcher that is a container, but rather a fountain that splashes the presence and goodness of God where I am. I am not in control of the flow or where the presence of God lands. I am to be the fountain.  I think of the old drinking fountains that I saw on the street corner, they flowed in the morning and at night without end.  I loved the ones that were a group of four, their only job like mine was to flow.      

     Oswald goes on to say, “We are to be centres through which Jesus can flow as rivers of living water in blessing to everyone. Some of us are like the Dead Sea, always taking in but never giving out, because we are not rightly related to the Lord… and in the measure He is not pouring out, there is a defect in our relationship to Him.” These are very profound statements that we need to allow the Lord to use and change us.      

     I realized that any area of my life that is stagnant as the Dead Sea needs the Lord change, regardless of the whys behind the stagnation. So often today we look at the pool of standing water and complain rather then getting our hands dirty to get rid of it. When a pipe is backed up we see it and tell people that it is backed up, but unless we get some drain cleaner or call a plummer nothing will happen to fix the stagnation, so you and I need to get the drain cleaner and fix the stagnation so that we can flow with the living water of God once again!      

     It is scary to go from a pitcher that sits nicely on the counter to the fountain that is sitting out in the elements having no control over the flow, but I believe it is worth it. I believe that with all that water that splatters around, the world will be a better place because more of God’s presence will be in the world. We as Christians need to stop trying to perform and be spontaneous and just “Let the River Flow” as the song goes!

     Let’s pray… Father we come to you and ask that you break down all the dams that are quenching your presence and flow in my life. I give up needing to look or sound good embracing instead the sounds of your ever flowing spirit within me. Father let me be a river of your living water flowing as you created me to flow splashing your presence all over the place! Amen

Abundance in the face of want or need

Today as I awoke the Lord put on my heart to study the story of Cain and Abel from Genesis chapter 4. I will set the stage.

     We take up the story at verse 2 where we learn that Abel was the keeper of the sheep and Cain was a tiller of the soil (NKJV).  Next both Cain and Abel brought a first fruits offering to the Lord. This is where the story gets a bit touchy. We see that Abel’s animal offering finds more favor with God then Cain’s grain offering did with God.  (NKJV uses the word respect while the NIV uses the word favor) When this happened Cain got angry. God tried to help Cain to get to the root of his anger but Cain wouldn’t have any of that so when he and Abel were out in the field Cain killed him.

     What does this have to do with a journey to complete joy I asked myself? As I studied deeper looking further into the commentaries and praying about it more I found our wants and needs stand in opposition to God’s ability to supply us with His abundance. God wanted Cain to be filled with presence as he wants us to be filled today; but when our wants or needs turn to sin as with Cain they stand in opposition to the abundance the Lord desires us to have. This principle goes beyond his presence into every area that God desire to give us abundance in especially joy!

     I wouldn’t so so far as to say that want and need are demonic but sometimes our want or need can kill, steal and destroy our lives so we need to keep our eyes focused on Christ and allow him to reveal and heal; removing the root of sin in our lives so that our joy can be… complete!

     Father, we ask that you would break the powers and principalities who rule and reign over the sin in our live and give us freedom to see that our wants and needs stand as barriers to your wonderful abundance in our lives. (Let’s make it personal)   I come to confess and repent of allowing myself to focus on my want and my need instead of you, forgive me and heal me, restoring me into the abundance of life in you! In Jesus we pray, Amen