Handkerchiefs and Aprons

Last week I was thinking and praying about what I wanted to share with the new baby thetas at our first week of Freshman Biblestudy, and the Lord brought me to Acts 17 verses 24 through 28. It says this,

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the bounderies of their lands... for in him we live and move and have our being."

With a new semester and hundreds of new students, I think this is our wake up call. We serve a God who is so powerful and brilliant that he created the whole world and every single thing in it... He created each one of us to inhabit the earth at this very time. It isn't by chance that I'm here in 2012 at OU, or that you are sitting at that new law firm or recruiting nurses for a hospital or bringing hope to families every day while they sit alongside their dying loved ones... He is so mighty that he doesn't need any of us. However, he created all these things so that we might search for him, and reach out for him... He is so fond of us. If that doesn't pump you up to wake up in the morning and walk in all that the Lord has for you, maybe this will...

Move on to chapter 19 of Acts. Now, Paul is talking to the people of Ephesus. Verse 11 is where it starts getting wild...

"God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them."

....what???? This is like Jesus status people... Paul was obviously not Jesus. He was fully man. He was sinful like any one of us, but he was determined to fulfill his calling, and he desired to walk in all that the Lord had for him. The Holy Spirit was so heavy upon him that he literally sneezed, and anyone who touched that hanky was healed....

I've been thinking about this all week, and I just can't let it go. I don't want to let it go. Do you understand the weight of this story? Paul was mere man, just like you and me. He wasn't special in any way. He was called and chosen by God... just like you and me. He responded to God, and millions of people have been impacted because he said "yes".

Man, my hearts desire is for the Holy Spirit to be so heavy upon my life that who ever I come in contact with will be healed and set free instantly. Isn't that what we are here to do? To be the hands and feet of Jesus? I guess he wasn't kidding when he said, "whoever believes in me will do the same and even greater things than I am doing" (John 14:12)

Please, I am begging you to say "yes". I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we have that same power that Jesus and Paul had at our fingertips. If we would be bold enough to tap into it, to even ask the Lord to set his spirit ablaze inside of us... we would have no other choice than to watch this city or nation or even world turned upside down.

This has to drive you to do something. You were not placed on this earth, and appointed this time frame in history to simply live and die. You were created to come alive and light this world on fire for Jesus.

Please, please say yes.

Train Tracks

I've been wrestling with God these past few weeks about what my future is going to look like... Which is clearly a silly thing to do, because He has written it all out and it's been that way since the beginning of time. I guess, mostly, it's been a battle of insecurity about what I'm studying and what "exactly" I plan on doing with my major. You see, people don't ever ask what you want to do with your life, they ask what you want to do with your major. I have big dreams of working with women and sharing the love of Jesus throughout to world... I can't really get a degree for that at the University of Oklahoma. So you might ask, "why didn't you pick a Christian college and major in Missions or Women's Ministry?" Good question. The answer is that I know OU is exactly where I am supposed to be in this season of my life. I've been surrounded by women who constantly pour into my life and teach me things for now and my future that I could never learn in a classroom.

Beyond that, I know OU is where I am at because I spent long hours praying it out, and I walked onto that campus for the first time with the peace that it would be my new home for the next four years.

The Lord constantly reminds me of how I got here, and the fact of the matter is that through the course of a series of unfortunate events, I was so broken and confused that I asked Him to step in and truly take over for the first time. He did, and He began to breathe these dreams and ideas into my heart bit by bit. Big dreams. Dreams to see women and children and their pimps and their govenments set free from the bondage and captivitiy the enemy had wrapped around them. He is giving me ideas to see these dreams come alive, and He is putting people in my life that I can connect with. People who have the same heart as me, and who are passionate to see this world turned upside down by the grace and power of the Almighty God... Fierce men and women who are not afraid of what the enemy has plotted against them; men and women who have the very heart beat of God and will go into the depths of hell on earth to rescue these women without stopping to consider the impossibilities.

A couple days ago I needed to be reminded that the future does not play out on my watch, rather on God's. Though it is important that I am fervant in seeking answers from the Lord, it is just as important that I speak those dreams and ideas into action through prayer. There is power in thanking the Lord in advance... for the lives that will collide with the grace and healing of Jesus; for putting the right people on my path that will help me get from point A to be point B; for ordering every single step that I take; for using me to bring the Good News to all Nations...

My friend spoke these wise words to me, "Like a train that cannot go where it's tracks have not been laid out, your life cannot go where it has not been prayed out."

Pray your dreams and your ideas into action. Speak life. Do not let a single negative thought or worry come out of your mouth. The words that you speak are laying the foundation of your future. You have the power of life and death, people. Choose life.

"I have put my words in your mouth, I have covered you with the shadow of my hand." Isaiah 51:16

"...But even if He doesn't..."

Have you ever thought about fear? I think it's safe to say that we all battle fear in certain areas and seasons of our lives; let's face it... we aren't superhumans. Fear creeps up on us in different forms. For example, you might be afraid that you're never going to start your career and instead you'll find yourself stocking shelves at Reasors with three different degrees, and a boat load of debt. Or maybe you're afraid that your parents are about to get a divorce and you blame yourself for not being "good enough" for your dad to stick around. Or maybe you're afraid of living a mediocre life, and never truly making an impact anywhere or on anyone. Maybe you're afraid that you'll never find the man or woman of your dreams, or that you'll end up with the wrong person. Maybe you want to see God in a new way, but you're afraid that if you lay hands on someone and pray for them that God won't heal that person and you'll end up looking like a fool.

There are billions of different fears that each of us deal with; however, I find that they are all a lack of trusting that God has the very best for us and that He will provide it for us at the appointed time.

This summer I am a nanny for a sweet family here in Tulsa, and my little kids are 2 years old and 4 years old. Each morning when I arrive to their house, they see my face and instantly assume that my arrival means that Mom is leaving them. As you can probably infer, this causes an emotion of panic to rise up in both of them. The mom is pregnant and at home on bedrest due to some complications, so she stays home every day; however, the little ones still plead to her each morning "Mommy, please don't go!" They are afraid that she is going to leave for work regardless of how many times she says that she's not leaving.

I think we sometimes act this way toward God in our seasons of fear. We see the face of a challenge before us, and we can't help but assume that we are facing this one on our own. We allow ourselves to believe the lie that the presence of hardship means the absense of God. This is one of the greatest lies the enemy will ever try to tell you. God is trying to convince us that He isn't going anywhere... He's never going to leave us.


There's a story in Daniel chapter 3 about three boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they were living in Babylon among other men and women under a man named King Nebuchadnezzar. The King had created a giant gold statue and the people were told that every time they heard the sound of music they were to stop what they were doing and bow before the statue, and whoever did not bow down would immediately be thown into a blazing furnace. The three boys, however, did not serve the King. They served a higher King, a King they believed to be the King of all Kings. They paid no attention to King Neb, and refused to serve him or his gods. When King Neb heard of them, he was furious. So he called for the three boys and asked them if what he had been told was true. Here is their response: "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing fire, the God we serve is able to deliver us and He will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if He doesn't, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have set up."

"...But even if He doesn't..."

We are given a choice: Trust God or doubt. Too often we choose the latter. We don't immediately see the fruit of our prayers, so we fear that God is too busy and He's about ready to leave us. But at what point do we decide to relinquish our fear and our doubt and truly trust that God knows what He's doing... He is able, and He will... but even if He doesn't - will you trust that He is always good? That he hand picked you to be here at this time? That he planted those dreams and those passions and talents inside of you for a specific and important reason?

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. -Isaiah 40:26

He hasn't forgotten about you. Choose to trust Jesus, rather than fear your circumstances. He isn't going anywhere. He's on your team, and you can do ANYTHING through Him.

Liar

With Easter just behind me, I have been reminded over and over again that I am more than a conquerer in Jesus. I see the fiery darts of the enemy every time I turn around, and I'm tired of it. He thinks he's brilliant. He knows the weakness of the human battle. He sees our mistakes, our fears and our insecurities and he has made a game out of it. He's doing everything in his power to destroy us. He's made up the most ridiculous lies... depression, for example. It's a lie from the pit of hell. It's a trap that has been set up to hold us captive; to make us believe we are alone, or that no one has ever experienced our situation.

He has taken beautiful pure things and twisted them. Sex-trafficking. He has planted evil in the minds and the lives of men and women - he's made people into objects, and created the business of selling them. He doesn't stop there. Once these girls are rescued and out of the industry, he thinks he can keep them in bondage. He lies to them. He tells them they're worthless, used, unlovable.

What pisses me off the most is when he takes good things like non-profit organizations and ministries to put an end to these injustices and makes the public believe that these organizations aren't doing anything to help anyone. Or when the idea of "finances" builds a wall around the fact that people are being rescued and set free. He says, "don't buy into what these people are doing... the problem is way too big for them to ever do anything about the issue. Plus, they aren't doing what they should be with their money... so instead of finding your place in the "body" of Christ and "dying" to yourself just look out for #1."

Satan doesn't restrict himself to making up random lies, he takes the truth and barely twists it. He doesn't want the body of Christ to work together. He knows that we have the power - so he finds little issues to separate us. Maybe these will sound familiar: once saved, always saved vs. lose your salvation; charismatic vs. baptist; whether or not spiritual gifts are still relevant today; pre tribulation vs mid tribulation vs post tribulation... All of these are issues that we, as christians, get so worked up about. We disagree with one another, and separate ourselves from "those" believers.

This is the plot of the enemy.

People. Pay attention. When you get this, you'll walk in freedom. It will change your life forever.

Sickness, disease, injustice, depression, hatred, bitterness, selfishness etc. were destroyed and defeated at the cross. They no longer have power over us. We deal with these issues because we live in a fallen world, and sometime we have no control over whether or not they strike us or our loved ones; however, we do have authority in the Name of Jesus and it is time that we rise to the challenge and claim that power.

"Lifted up, defeated the grave, raised to life - our God is able. In His name, we overcome. For the Lord, our God, is able." - Hillsong

Because Jesus went to the cross, bore our sins and diseases, and rose again from it, we are no longer bound to sin. We are now more than conquerers in Jesus. We are victorious and we have all authority under Heaven. No weapon that Satan plans to destroy us can prosper (Isaiah 54:17) The report that the doctor presented is full of mere facts, and facts are subject to change. We serve a living God who has given us His Truth, and the Truth will set you free (John 8:32). We are called to come together as one - we are no longer separate people, but a team under one kingdom, one God and one common goal. We are to encourage one another, and build each other up (1 Thes 5:11). The scriptures warn us to not argue with other believers; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen (2 Tim 2:14).

We do not have time for fear or defeat. It's time for us to rise up and claim the authority that has been given to us through Jesus. Satan should be terrified of us - after all, We are on a mission to rob Hell.

Forty-Five Seconds

Have you ever been somewhere, or seen something, that completely opened your eyes to the immensity of an issue that before you had barely even acknowledged the existence of? I returned to Norman this past Sunday after an outrageous and thrilling week on the streets of LA. I went with a group of girls from Journey Church to help at the Dream Center during our spring break - I went with audacious prayers, and came back with am even bolder faith and dreams. There is a strangely different dynamic on mission trips within the US and ones outside of our borders. These people had heard the name of Jesus before, there was no language barrier, and they weren't ashamed to ask difficult questions.

St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the gospel at all times, use words when necessary."

I will never forget the importance of living that quote each day while we were in LA. If I wasn't willing to love them in a way that made them wonder what was different about me, I wasn't presenting Jesus the right way. You see, Jesus made people feel like they were important to him... I would go even as far to say that he made everyone feel like they were his best friend. If I do not leave people with a feeling that they are of value to me, I am absolutely wrong.

One night about seven of us went out to the streets of LA in the middle of the night to love on the prostitutes in the area. One of the men that we went with had created this specific ministry thirty years ago and had since been building relationships with the girls and their pimps as they came in and out of the industry. It all began when he saw a girl on the street and pulled over to talk to her. While he was asking her questions and listening to her responses, her pimp walked up and told him, "if you're not going to buy her, you need to go." Pastor Clayton continued to talk to the girl, and then started a conversation with the pimp and by the end of the night both of them had asked Jesus to come into their hearts. He didn't think he was doing anything great, other than being obedient to the direction of the Lord. Little did he know it would shape the course of his life.

While I was talking to Pastor Clayton, he told me that he usually gets about 45 seconds to talk to a girl before her pimp will intervene. Forty-five seconds. Forty-five seconds to make someone feel important. Forty-five seconds to plant a seed. Forty-five seconds give her hope. Forty-five seconds to make her wonder, "what is so different about that person?"

The way I see it is that on average we get about forty-five seconds or less with each person that we run into on our way to class, or in the halls of our workplace. We are way too consumed with our own lives and schedules... until we realize the importance of being present and knowing when to intervene in the lives of others. Once we realize that, everything changes.

I want you to first watch this video, and then to show it to one other person.

The purpose is not so that you'll live in fear, but that you'll realize that this could be any one of us. We are called to stand up for the ones who cannot stand up for themselves, but in doing that we must first be able to recognize the issue that is so plainly before us. We are given roughly forty-five seconds in passing to acknowledge and help the people around us. What are you doing to put an end to this issue? What will it take for you to stop what you're doing for someone else?

All Authority

I was listening to Francis Chan online a couple nights ago while he was preaching at the Passion Conference in Atlanta to thousands of high school and college students, and he began his message by highlighting the importance of taking God literally. It seems that this is a somewhat common argument among different groups of people within the Christian community, and I believe that Francis' stance hit the nail on the head.

A new idea on Heaven and Hell has surfaced among a couple big name preachers, and they have begun to emphasis that a loving God couldn't possibly send anyone to hell... implying that they believe there is no hell.

"This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

The writer blatenly states that there will be a punishment for those who choose to not know God, and that punishment is eternal seperation from Him; being seperated from God is absolutely hell. When I think on the stories of the bible, I find it impossible to not take God at his exact words, because He has followed through with all that He has said. Follow me to Genesis 6...

Background: The earth had never experienced rain when God instructed Noah to build the ark... God was so angry at the human race that he was ready to wipe out every single living thing; every person, every animal and every plant. However, there was one man that was righteous and blameless and God went to him and told him exact instructions...

God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! - Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout the interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat- lower, middle and upper. Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat- you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal- a male and a female- into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals." So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

This is just one example of taking God literally. He said He was going to wipe out the whole earth with a flood, and instructed a simple-minded human being to create a boat that would protect his family and all the animals. Noah, who had never seen rain, was quick to move. He didn't try to manipulate and pick apart the things that the Lord had told him, or try to figure out exactly what he was supposed to do. He simply did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

Think about it...

We don't usually hear about God speaking audibly to us with instructions, not that he is incapable, or that he doesnt; but we do have the word of God before us, and we believe that it is living and active (Hebrews 4:12).

A few commands come quickly to my heart as I write this...

Speak up for the those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. - Proverbs 31:8

This scripture commands us to act out for others. It is our duty and our responsiblity to protect all who cannot fight on behalf of themselves- unborn babies, victims of domestic violence, women and children held captive in the sex trade... It means to literally use our voices to fight for them. It means to get out of our comfort zones and to make a scene - to go into the depths of hell on earth to snatch those babies out of the darkness.

I also believe it's important to take this scripture and apply it to our prayer lives. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, and the authority we have over Satan and his schemes. It is our duty and our responsibility to intercede on behalf of the men who are enslaved by evil and who keep the sex trade in business - the traffickers, the clients, and the government. We should be on our faces for these men; taking authority over the evil in our world and loosening the binds of satan.

"Then Jesus said to the disciples, 'Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've recieved it, it will be yours." - Mark 11:22

You can pray for anything.

"Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them." Luke 10:19

We have authority over all the power of the enemy.

He has given us distict instructions, people. To speak up, to give thanks in all circumstances, to walk humbly, to pray without ceasing, to rejoice always, to never repay evil with evil, to pray for those who hurt us, to flee from all evil...

It is time to take God literally... We have the authority to defeat any plot from the enemy. All sickness, disease, depression, bitterness, rage, anger, jealousy must go in the name of Jesus. Stop being afraid to ask God for what you need - from His very lips came these words, "You can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've recieved it, it will be yours."

He wasn't kidding. 

All Things New

I think we could all agree that we are getting tired of making New Years Resolutions that we never stick to... Every year around New Years facebook and twitter explode with people tweeting about how silly New Years Resolutions are because "you can change you ways any day of the year". Maybe you want to lose weight, or go to the gym everyday, or not drink as much, or laugh more, or learn how to do a something new, or study more, or say yes more often, or treat yourself to some "me" time. Maybe you have a list of things you want to put into action in the year 2012...

Whether you're one of those who don't believe in New Years Resolutions, or you're one that thrives off of them - consider these thoughts: Although it may be true that we can make adjustments to our lifestyles any day of the year, there is something about January 1 of a new year that paints the picture of a pure slate. 2012 is brand new. This year you can do whatever you want to do. You can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. What are your dreams? What is your vision?

This year for Christmas, my mom got each one of us a notebook and on the inside she had written Habakkuk 2:2-3...

Then The Lord answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it, may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it, for it will certainly come, it will not delay."

If you don't have a vision for your future or even for this year- ask the Lord for one. If you do... Write it down. The Lord has put dreams and passions and desire and a vision inside of you for an extraordinary purpose. You are here in this city, on this day for a purpose. No one else was created for the exact same reason you were. You are so important and you play a vital role in this place. Open your eyes, pick up your pen, and write down your vision. What do you want to do with your life? What do you feel the pull towards? What tugs on your heart?

 Write it so plainly that a runner that rushes by will be able to read it. Keep it in front of your eyes, so that you do not forget it. Do not let the enemey rob you of your vision. If you don't see the fruit of your vision instantly, wait earnestly upon God... He turned water into wine, divided the red sea in two, knocked down the walls of Jericho, healed countless people, set captives free. He can surely handle your dreams. In fact, He is the one who gave them to you.

 This is important people:

 Do not ever be afraid to dream big. There is no such thing has dreaming too big. Jesus himself says that we must become childlike in our faith to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Do you have an imagination? Use it!

 Maybe your vision of 2012 is choosing every single day to forgive that person who tore you apart, and turned your world upside down... maybe your vision is to work for the FBI. You are fully capable of pursuing those dreams, because the bible says that we are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus. In Him, all things were created, and through Him ALL things hold together.

My vision for 2012 is to speak life into women in whatever form or fashion that takes on. I live in a sorority house with 85 other girls, and on a campus with thousands of students and hundreds of professors. There is no way that I'm here by accident - I have a vision, and I'm going to keep it before me to remind myself why I'm here.

My vision for life is to go into the very jaws of hell and rescue the souls of the women trapped in the Red Light Disctricts around the world. I want them to know that they were created to dance in white dresses, and that they have a reason to sing. I want to tell them about Jesus and the way that He delights in them, and that He longs to hold them and sing over them. I want these women to know that Satan does not get to lie to them anymore. I want them to know the Truth. I want to show them how grace works, and play with their hair, and teach them how to sustain themselves by working in different ways. I want them to know that they were not created to be enslaved to lust and rage and bitterness and depression and hatred. I want them to experience redemption. This is what makes me come alive. I have no idea how long it will take me to get there, or how much money I'll have to raise, or who I will be going with... If I'll find myself a million miles away, or on the streets of Los Angeles; but I do know that when I keep the vision in front of my eyes, and I walk in the way of the Lord, he will take me to where I need to be... every single day.

What makes you come alive? 2012 is a new year - it doesn't matter what you've done in your past, or the heartbreak that you hold onto. This year is brand new, and you have the opportunity to do whatever you want. Ask God to show you His vision for your life... Make this year a masterpiece. Your very own picture that proclaims the goodness of God for the world to see. This is what you were created for.

Find your passion, and pursue it. The world needs people who have come alive.