TerryLema

I got together last Thursday with a couple pastors from Middleton to pray. We spent a few minutes just talking and the subject at one point turned to Revival. I related what the evangelist had told us on Pentecost Sunday. I even told them how I wrestled with the heaviness of the first message, that God would honor “Pastor Terry’s desire” for His Presence and bless all those with that same desire.  Then I conveyed the second part of the message – the part that I had to reconcile – that Revival would be different than I expected.  It was in the telling that I found my peace.

The night before, I had wrestled with God over my expectations of what Revival would look like. I heard God ask me if I would still love Him if He brought it through a different church. The Way is probably the smallest church in Middleton, in both population and building size. And we all know the rap against small churches – that we must not be doing something right or we would be growing. My expectation of what Revival would look like definitely centered at The Way.  So, could I rejoice if it came through another church after all the praying we’ve done? At the end of prayer on Wednesday I had not yet settled that question in my spirit.

But Thursday afternoon, as I sat with these precious pastors I could feel the same yearning in their spirits – they, too, want to see the Lord’s Presence in their churches, they want to see their people alive in Christ, they want healing and harvest. I knew I could rejoice with them if Revival came through them. The minute I resolved that in my spirit, I knew what the evangelist meant when he said that Revival would be different than we expect. It’s going to come to all of us in this little town!  Instead of through one church, each church that is praying for life will get it. Each pastor seeking the Presence of the Lord will receive.

There will be no jealousy or envy, we will rejoice together. It will matter not our denomination nor theological alignment. We will see the One who will unify us all, Jesus our Lord and Master, and when He comes, walls are going to come down!  The last great spiritual awakening in our land will not be denominationally led or owned, it will be led by pastors who have grown hungry in the dry and lean years and who are now crying out together for the rain.

The evangelist that brought a message to us on Pentecost Sunday said two things, that God would honor the desire for His Presence, and that Revival would come but would be different than we expected. As I wrote yesterday, I wrestled with the first part of that message for a good week, but finally gained a peace. I hardly thought about the second part of the message, mainly because I never fully outlined my expectations of what Revival would look like.

That changed Wednesday evening. I was the only one at prayer. All alone I felt led to not even turn on the worship CDs but to just walk around the church and listen and pray about what I heard God speak. To say I was stunned would be an understatement. The second part of the evangelist’s message came to me – that revival would come but be different than what I expected. I realized in that moment I do have an expectation about Revival – one only – that it would through our church. I heard God ask me, “will you still love and serve me if it comes to a different church in your city?”

I began to wrestle and weep. I knew I would still love God and serve Him, no matter what. But would I be able to rejoice and be glad that Revival was here. I picked up my Bible and turned immediately to Philippians 1 and began to read verses 12 to 20, especially verse 18: “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice…”

Paul was in prison and might possibly be condemned by Rome to die. Others were preaching the Good News – some from good motives, others hoping to make things even more difficult for him. As he thought about that he rejoiced in the fact that no matter what, Christ was being preached and he could rejoice.

If revival comes through another church, if it begins in a different church, could I rejoice like Paul. To be perfectly honest, I was still wrestling with that when I left for home.

Decades ago I began the practice of journaling. I followed “ACTS,” Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. I also added an “L” for Listening. As I finished each day’s entry I would put my pen down and simply listen. Then I would write down whatever popped into my head. Sometimes it was a Scripture, or its address. Other times it was a word, a sentence, even a paragraph. That process greatly enhanced my ability to hear and recognize God’s voice from all the others.

I no longer journal, now I write daily devotions. I realize writing the devotions often has the same effect on my life as journaling did all those years ago. In the devotions I often wrestle with my will and aligning it with God’s.

I’ve been wrestling in my spirit with the message the evangelist had for us on Pentecost Sunday. The first thing he said was that God would honor “Pastor Terry’s desire” for His Presence as we have pursued Him in prayer, and those who have joined in that pursuit would also be blessed.

“Pastor Terry’s desire.” That was the first thing that shook me. “My desire?” A heavy burden fell on me at that moment. I was flooded with questions. What if I grow weary and stop pursuing? What if I lead incorrectly? What if I miss “what the Spirit is saying to our church?” What if I take my congregation to the “North Gate” only to find that Jesus has entered the “South Gate?” What if ….?

Fear entered my mind. It took me a very long week to remove that fear and trust that as God has led me to this pursuit, He will lead me to the place at the right time when His Presence comes (Revival!). I have nothing to fear.

Ps 56:4:  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? [NIV]

There is one occurrence of that lovely word “always” that appears in every translation I checked.  It is found in the Great Commission that Jesus gave His disciples shortly before He ascended into heaven.  Matt 28:20:

“and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [NKJV]

“and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” [NIV]

“and remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.” [Christian Standard Bible]

“Lo! Idou (id-oo’) in the Greek and is variously translated as “be aware, behold, consider, see, be sure, tell, and understand.” Always, remember, means “at all times” and “forever.”

Be aware that Jesus is with us at all times and forever. Consider that Jesus is with us  at all times and forever. Be sure that Jesus is with us at all times and forever. Understand that Jesus is with us at all times and forever.  Always – even to the end of the age.

We should never doubt that our Lord is always with us. He gave us a great work to do (read Matthew 28:18-20), He gave us the power to fulfill that work (read Acts 1:8), and He promised that “LO!” He would be with us always— at all times and forever.

We are never alone in this Christian walk or work.  Our Lord and Savior is right beside us – even to the end of the age. Amen and Amen!

Yesterday’s thoughts about “always pray” and “always seek the Lord’s face” left me thinking about that word “always.” Merriam-Webster tells us that always means “at all times” and “forever.” Probably just what you thought it meant.

1 Corinthians 13 is known as the “Love Chapter” in the New Testament.  In that chapter Paul reminds us that while we should desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we gain nothing – even should we have all the gifts flowing through us – if we have not love. He then goes on to describe how love should operate in our walk. Most of the translations that I looked at translate Verse 7 like the NKJV does: “[love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

But I like how the NIV uses the word “always” in Verse 7 to describe love. “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Love protects at all times and forever. Love trusts at all times and forever.  Love hopes at all times and forever. Love perseveres at all times and forever.

I do like that word “always.”

Monday morning, Memorial Day, I was all alone, well, except for Miss Molly Magee who was enjoying her first morning siesta. Bob was gone. All the windows in the house were open to let in the cool morning breeze. The neighborhood was yet to awaken, and I was enjoying the quiet. I realized when I came home from church Sunday afternoon that I was under-prayed! Last week was busy and I had only one good session of prayer on Tuesday. By the time Sunday arrived, I was struggling to hear the Lord. That isn’t where I want to be.

I put on a worship CD and I walked around the house and prayed and worshipped. It was a start. I have found that if I want my walk to be consistent, my prayer life must be consistent. Jesus reminded his disciples when He gave them the Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Judge that they should “always pray and not give up.”  [Luke 18:1 NIV]

The psalmist reminds us that we should always seek God’s face.  “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”  [Ps 105:4 NIV]

Always pray. Always seek His face.  Just another way of saying that we are to be consistent in prayer.  It’s a simple truth of God…praying is conversation with God. Through prayer I not only learn how to express my deepest needs (which are often far different than my ‘wants’), but I also learn how to hear His responses.  To keep my walk true to Him, I must be consistent and true in prayer.

Father, I have learned the more I pray, the more I want to pray. Help me to keep my prayer times with You.  Amen.

Warm weather is here, many add “at last!” to that remark.  For me it means I need to do my outside walking much earlier in the day, usually after breakfast. A new road has also opened that allows me to completely encircle my subdivision without having to backtrack. It’s a 2-mile route, so perfect for my long walk of the day.

As I walk, I listen to worship music on my MP3, and I praise and worship. I think, and I pray. Last week, I had barely begun walking when the battery in my MP3 player quit. I had forgotten to re-charge it. I decided that for that one morning, I would simply listen. Perhaps the hardest thing in life is to calm our thinking, stop our talking and simply listen.

I heard the distant sound of a train whistle crossing the tracks a couple miles away. I heard many cars on the interstate as it was during the morning commute.  I heard killdeer, doves, and noisy red-winged blackbirds. I heard the laughter of two boys heading to school on their bikes. I heard the breeze as it rustled the leaves on the trees.  I heard the roar of school buses heading up the street to the elementary school I would pass.

And I heard the peace of God in my soul. I wasn’t wrestling with any great sin that morning. I wasn’t upset or worried—not even about my kitchen being in disarray or wondering where the deductible would come from in our tight budget. I wasn’t debating anything or trying to arrange any bargains with God. My soul was quiet and at peace with my Lord. It was well with my soul.

Philippians 4:7:  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [NIV]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HffdyLd0c&list=RDE8HffdyLd0c&t=19    “It Is Well With My Soul”

I am overwhelmed by how much God loves us.  I know, you’ve heard me say that before, many times in fact. And you will probably hear me say that again. I can pretty much guarantee that’s going to happen!

There have been many times over the past weeks when I’m at prayer that I’ve been overtaken by God’s love. After I’ve walked around and shouted God’s praises, worshipped, spoken my requests, confessed, cried (sometimes with my face planted on the carpet), I’ve simply stopped, sat down, and soaked up God’s love. When that happens, I cannot say anything, I cannot even think anything, I can only sit in silence and let His love flow over me and through me.  I am overwhelmed.

The evangelist that ministered to us on Pentecost Sunday said that God gave him two things to tell us. That God would honor our desire to pursue His Presence, and that “revival” would come, although it may look differently than what we expect. That message reinforced my desire to pursue God’s Presence; it reaffirmed that we are on the right track. We seek not the gifts (but will be blessed by them when they come), we seek the Giver of all good things.  We want to see Jesus, experience His presence, live in His fullness.

I think I’m getting a taste of what that is when those moments overtake me in prayer. When I sit quietly and cannot speak, when I sense His love overflowing me. It breaks me every time.  Why me, Lord? How can you love one such as me? I get no answer from Him, still His love remains.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [Rom 8:38-39 NIV]

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  Many think it is National BBQ or National First Camping Trip of the Year Day. It’s not.  Memorial Day is the day we honor all those men and women who gave their lives so that others might be free.  My husband, the former Marine, will get up early and head down to the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery.  He’ll park his truck and ride the shuttle up the hill to the cemetery grounds and participate in the memorial service that is held there.  He’s proud of his service, as he should be.

There is something in all of us, a God-given desire to be free.  Yet, like many God-given desires, the enemy of our soul often perverts that desire into something God never intended it to be.  Paul issued a warning to the church in Galatia about using our freedom other than how God intended.

“You, my brothers [and sisters], were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” [Gal 5:13-15 NIV]

We are not to use our freedom to indulge our sinful nature, our “flesh” as the KJV calls it. We are to use our freedom instead to serve others. Paul says that can be summed up in a single command, to love our neighbors as ourselves. Then he warns us that if we don’t serve each other in freedom, we will end up devouring and destroying each other in sinful living.

Remember: sin always kills something when it is given reign in our lives. It not only harms the sinner but harms those close to them.  Love serves; and through service, it sets free.

The church of Jesus Christ is under attack; we would be extremely foolish to deny that. One attack shouts that we aren’t doing enough social good, that we should get moving, spend our time and money to eliminate poverty and need. Another attack tells us to shut up, sit down and stay out of their business.

Perhaps the greatest attack, however, is the one that is seeking to silence the truths found in the Word of God. I can understand why. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” [Heb 4:12-13 NIV]

That’s a scary concept if you aren’t living according to the Word. No wonder people want to silence God’s Word.

Every day I fail to live up to the Word of God. Still, by the power of God’s Spirit in me, I seek to know and honor it. I don’t want anything in me that dishonors God, so I ask God to show me my heart’s thoughts and attitudes, uncover and expose anything that hinders God’s Presence in my life so that I might repent and receive forgiveness and experience His Fullness.

Do I always like this process?  No, but I’ve been called to live up to and testify to the Word of God, not re-write or edit it because its truths hurt. Paul reminded Timothy to testify about our Lord Jesus Christ. His words are a good reminder for us also.  “Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.” [2 Tim 1:8-9 NIV]