I deal with rejection. Big time. I think if we are all honest, we can say that we all deal with rejection issues. We all have this need to be liked, wanted, friend requested, as a sign of acceptance and of worth. So when we are not liked, wanted or are defriended it sends us down this slippery slope into rejection.


You would think that after years of loving God, being loved by God, having faithful friends and family, that I would not deal with feeling rejection. But I do. And this morning I couldn’t even sleep because of asking myself “why” over and over.


Why don’t think like me? Why did they reject me? Am I really that awful of a person to be rejected ? Do you ever have those thoughts ?


So while I was laying in bed, lamenting over this I heard that still small voice, “you aren’t rejected”. That’s great God, you don’t reject me, but then why do I feel this rejection ? His answer; “because you keep picking it up”.


Here is what I am seeing. Rejection in it root word is reject. or REject. In the Latin form,(taken from Websters 1828) it means the act of throwing back. The act of casting off or forsaking. A refusal to accept.


But if someone offers you Kool-Aid, you don’t have to drink it. God is saying that you don’t have to pick up the gift of rejection that someone is hurling at you. It only becomes my rejection if I choose to accept it. So in the mission impossible theme – do you choose to accept this mission ? Because it is an impossible mission. Rejection is a mission that is not ours to accept or carry, or give out.


If I pick up the rejection, then I have to carry it. And it is so so heavy.


My value is not based on the approval of others, but on what God’s Word tells me is true. If I pick up rejection, then I have to lay down what is truth. And the truth is it doesn’t really matter what others say or do to me, because God likes me. He loves me. He calls me His very own.


We all fear rejection. But perfect love cast out fear, because there is no rejection in Him. Robert McGee puts it this way: Rejection is a type of communication. It conveys a message that someone else is unsatisfied with us, or that we don’t measure up to a standard. Sometimes rejection is a will-full act used to manipulate or control someone else. It comes as a social snub. It communicates disrespect, low value and lack of appreciation. Nothing hurts quite like the message of rejection. Without lifting a finger, we can send the message that our targeted individual doesn’t meet our standards. This is how rejection enables us to control the action of another human being”.


Going back to my earlier finding, I can only feel rejected if I pick it up. I can only feel rejected if I am trying to meet others standards, or others value. Why do we hold others esteem for us in such a high regard ? Maybe rejection isn’t really about me, but more about the other person? I need to stop accepting the rejection thrown at me. When someone throws a ball at you, you can step out of the way before it hits you in the face.


Today, I choose to lay it down. Again. Lay down the feelings of being a reject, or being cast off. I lay down the power of rejections pull and I pick up the light and easy yoke of love and acceptance of my Father God. I. am. accepted. The I AM accepts me.

I need prayer. Not I need people to pray for me, but I need prayer. I need to to pray.
I need to be a pray-er.
How much of our lives have we thought we were praying but we really have been giving God a list of things we think He should do ? And then we are surprised when these ‘things’ don’t show up at our door.
What does it look like to be a pray-er?
I know that many are screaming for revival, but are we really praying ?
Perhaps if we spent more time actually praying we would see revival.
I know from study, revival only comes from prayer, and God only does things in response to prayer. So again that brings the question – if I am not seeing what I am praying for, then am I really praying ?
In June a bunch of us began reading the Psalms for the summer. We are reading 5 chapters of the Psalms each day and this has wrecked me. Did you realize that Jesus and the disciples were Jewish? And that their very life was a life of prayer. They prayed the Psalms. They prayed Isaiah. They prayed the Word. They prayed the very promises of God.
What would happen if we in 2014 were to go back to the original attributes of prayer, and prayed the Word.
In James it tells us “we don’t have because we don’t ask, and we don’t have because we ask miserably”. Now I know that seems odd, because we are asking – for many many things. So it confuses our minds when we think we are praying and then we don’t get what we just picked out of the catalog. Even writing that it makes us seem so very selfish.
Back to the disciples. If they were Jewish and their very lives were based in praying the Word, what difference did they see in Jesus as He prayed that they begged “TEACH US TO PRAY”.
I believe and submit to you, that Jesus prayer life, was based in praying the living Word back to His Father where the disciples were just repeating lines. Do you see the difference ? The living breathing Word of God, spoken back to God causes my heart and mind to change, creating a prayer life not of this world!
The Word is alive and active, dividing the soul and spirit, so when I pray the active and alive Word is does what it was created to do.
What we pray really matters.
And I need prayer.
I need prayer in my life to live.

he had 4 daughters who prophesied. this is what it tells us in Acts 21.  It was common for women/daughters to be in ministry. and to be telling prophecy.
what I also notice is that prophecy and evangelism went hand in hand. they prophesied in the streets to those who didn’t know Jesus or the resurrection. and their churches grew daily. DAILY. not just after an event. but daily.
not after a training, they just prophesied because it was part of their DNA.
why?
they already knew what they were to be doing.
It seems to me, we keep prophesying around the inside of our churches and asking how do we evangelize?
do you see the difference ?
they prophesied AS evangelism.
they didn’t need ‘another word’ inside the church setting, because they already knew what and who they were.
we keep running everywhere to get words to find out what we should be doing ?
they already knew and accepted the mission of following Jesus and were doing it.
They knew that they were a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood set apart for Him, to show forth His glory .
we keep trying to hide all the glory in our four walls and they were bursting forth on the streets with it.
Think of the women at the well. Jesus prophesied to her, evangelized, then she went and evangelized her whole town and they all believed !
it is time to stop hiding under bushels (the walls of our buildings) and let our light shine
it is time to start living out the mission, that has never changed
Ana Mendez Ferrell says in her book “Seated In Heavenly Places” that the very essence of prophecy does not consist of telling each other about the beautiful things that God has for us, but its objective is to reveal the multiple facts of Jesus himself.
So if the spirit of prophecy IS the testimony of Jesus then wouldn’t it make sense that prophecy was for telling of Jesus – just like these 4 daughters in Acts did.
maybe that’s why Paul said “I wished that you all would prophecy” because it was prophecy was bringing the revelation of Jesus into the world and isn’t that what evangelism should be ? bringing the revelation of Jesus into the world?
let’s go my friends, let’s begin to speak out the testimony of Jesus !

I am reading this book by Don Nori called “The Power of Brokenness”. Very intense little book about how brokenness is a mystery, who brings healing instead of accusations and builds and does not destroy. So this afternoon I have been pondering the question “what if brokenness was an actual person”. would we recognize her or him? would we respond to her ? {I’m sticking with ‘her’}

what if those times when we felt the holy spirit nudge us, it was the brokenness part of the holy spirit trying to coax us into a life of brokenness.

what if those moments when I think it is judgement, it is actually a covering of brokenness to bring about the character of ‘blessed are the broken’ ?

do we even know what brokenness looks like any more?

would we recognize the voice?

would we treat brokenness like we treat everyone one else, the opposite of love and forgiveness.

maybe we need to live a little more broken, a little more repentant, a little more loving instead so that we can hear the cry from brokenness calling us deeper into heart of the Father.

what if brokenness spoke gently tried to bring pain that brought healing

would we respond ?

do we respond ?

brokenness isn’t weak, or angry or hopeless

brokenness is full of hope because of our position as sons and daughters, to live a life free and in total hunger for the one who created us. we are all His creation, but not all sons and daughters, that is for those who have chosen brokenness as a companion.

there is blessing in brokenness

there is live vibrant color there. I think the color of Heaven is the color of brokenness.

so brokenness waits for us, with all her wisdom and all her healing for us to respond

if brokenness were a person, would we be friends?

Release – action
the word release just brings an action to mind. a cause and effect.
Re – lease
it means:  to set free from restraint, confinement, or servitude <release hostages> <release pent-up emotions> <release the brakes>; also :  to let go :  dismiss <released from her job>

how about we release some forgiveness. think about it. when I hold someone in un-forgiveness,  I am holding them in restraint, or hostage. when I hold someone in un-forgiveness it confines me and burdens me or bring oppression to me.

 

it is time to release the captives that we have been holding. To relinquish control over someone by not forgiving them and release the claim on them.

 

The word tells us that what is bound on earth is bound in heaven. did you ever think that you could be holding forgiveness bound in heaven by not releasing it here on earth. You are basically binding forgiveness by not releasing it. ouch !

 

so let us be people of release – release the brakes and let go – let go of hurt, disappointment, things people said or did. it doesn’t excuse their behavior or make what they did ok. not by any means. but you deserve to be free. you deserve to lie in release.

Doesn’t the word spoken just begin to bring freedom to you.

 

like tons of weights being taken off your back, or hundreds of balloons of cares just floating away.

 

I release forgiveness over {insert name or names here}. I relinquish control over {insert the situation here}. I set myself free from the restraint of un-forgiveness.

 

I think this is the only word that the cause and effect are the same – freedom.

 

that’s what I am praying for you today friend as you experience release. I would love to hear from you as you seek release today. leave me a note or comment.

 

just release.

 

 

 

 

I have noticed something as we served a lunch at city gate lancaster.
we are missing a generation of laborers. not sure where they are.
 I know they love God and love worship and attend many amazing events. but I am curious where the laborers are.
as I looked around those serving the free lunch in the city, I noticed that I was one of the youngest workers. and I am not young by any means, mid 40’s (or 40 is the new 30 so let’s go with 28). but I am curious where is the next generation of servers.
could it be that we have replaced serving for sitting? sitting in services ?
while people on the street really just want a sandwich?
maybe to some serving looks like holding a worship concert. which isn’t bad, its a good thing. I am a worship leader, so I am all about worship nights and loving on God, but it still doesn’t get the homeless guy his meal. or relationship. or shoes.
I think we have had some really good moves of prayer, worship and services, but that still doesn’t replace the actual act of serving someone.
so I am praying. to the Lord of the harvest. to send the workers. we need the next generation to rise up not only in worship and prayer, but in serving.
so maybe we need to redefine what serving is?
what a servant does?

here are what others say about serving:

“Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service. Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment. The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time … We are all God’s children so it is important to share His gifts. Do not worry about why problems exist in the world – just respond to people’s needs … We feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but that ocean would be less without that drop.“- Mother Teresa

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” – Martin Luther King Jr

Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things – things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. – Oswald Chambers

In Matthew 25 it tells us:

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom<sup class="crossreference" value="(E)”> prepared for you since the creation of the world.<sup class="crossreference" value="(F)”> ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,<sup class="crossreference" value="(G)”> ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me,<sup class="crossreference" value="(H)”> I was sick and you looked after me,<sup class="crossreference" value="(I)”> I was in prison and you came to visit me.’<sup class="crossreference" value="(J)”>
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’<sup class="crossreference" value="(K)”>
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,<sup class="crossreference" value="(L)”> you who are cursed, into the eternal fire<sup class="crossreference" value="(M)”> prepared for the devil and his angels.<sup class="crossreference" value="(N)”> ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

This always makes  me cry.
why? because I see the least of these every day in the city. at every meal we hand out. with every pair of sneakers we give. and you know what happens after we give to the least of these. they want to meet Jesus.

maybe evangelism needs to look more like serving ?
maybe I am a Moses looking for the Joshuas ?

I just want to be found serving, not sitting

today at City Gate Lancaster, we give out a free lunch to over 200 people. these are the hungry, the hurting and the hopeless. not all are homeless, most just hurting and hungry. looking for a friend, relationship, somewhere to be accepted.
Isn’t that what we all want?
it makes me think of how hungry am I ?

am I really hungry for the presence of God? do I ‘eat’ his word like I am commanded to ?
I think sometimes, we as believers come across arrogant, like we have it all together, and ‘they’ don’t. so we need to save and fix ‘them”.
when really, even on a good day, I am just as hungry as they are
I am just as needy and hurting as they are.
we just act like we aren’t, or we don’t realize the amount of time we spend outside of God’s presence.
we have become to good at, and use to living in a man made environment, where we do many things to make us feel good, and think that is his presence.
I am so hungry for a true manifestation of His glory and His presence as never before.
I am one of the hungry

there are so many times in our lives when a word wrongly spoken stings. even after apologizes have been offered or people have moved on. the sting remains. or the pain. pains and stings. it is hard to not let them take over or control us.
it tells us in proverbs that a scoundrel’s lips are like scorching fire. maybe that is why the pain of words sting.
it’s funny that way.
it really doesn’t matter the amount of time you have given, the amount of life you have shared, or what the friendship or relationship was like prior. it not just stings.
the lesson in this is to watch what you say. we want our words to ‘rightly spoken so they are like apples of gold’. full of the love and compassion even in the midst of the pain.
proverbs is a challenge for all of us and I am sure we can see ourselves on both side of the sting or the stinger.
my heart is that we would begin to take the word and apply it to our hearts, to our wounds and to our mouths.
what would it be like if we only used the word of God to speak?
what would it be like if we chose to bless instead of curse?
would the stinging and the zinging stop?
maybe