I'm in that mood to talk to you. God has stirred my heart so I thought I would share some thoughts. This blog won't have any awesome picture God gave me, no loves notes from him really, just some convictions he is cementing in my heart and some spark of an all consuming fire.
Ive been reading some good books lately. Just finished Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris as well as A Heart Ablaze by John Bevere. Both good, both convicting. (Both I suggest to you! :p )
When I look back at the last bit of my life, not that I've lived the majority, but I've lived an important chunk of it. I'm 18, going to be 19 in a seemingly small 7 or so months. I feel like I am just now grasping some really important daily used principles. And just in case any of you are in the same boat as I am, I am going to try and share some of those ramblings.
I have lived for God all my life, came to a point where it became real for me, and from there I've been striving to figure out what he wants me to do. I have just come to grips with all that matters is my KNOWING him. All else falls into place. Now somethign that he has laid heavy on my heart as of late is using every moment he gives me. "Sure," you think, "heard this shpeel a good 90,000 times." Yeah I've heard it just about that many time to-we all have, so here is a question I pose to you. You've heard it time and time again, use the time you have. Its so short-don't take advantage of it, ok, so why are you?
I have to. I only have a year and a half of my teenage years left. What have I done with them? I've stressed out over school, the future adn the present much to much! So what now? I'm going to TAKE THE MOMENT AND RUN WITH IT.
We often sit and watch the beautiful sunrise and sunset and say, wow what a unnessay beauty the sun's coming and going produces. Yes its beautiful, and yes God wants us to enjoy it-he paints it for us but let me pose another thought for you. We may be up early and marvel at the suns beauty as it comes, then later in the middle of the day we find ourself thinking thoughts like "hmm, sure is hot now. Wish the sun would just set so I wouldn't have to deal with it anymore." Next thing you know it does. We sit around admiring the sun...while it comes..while it goes. Yet when is it in the most stable point of its cycle? In the middle of the day. This is when we have the most opportunity to work, to do whatever it may be we do.
Our life is passed the rising of the sun. We have rose, if you're able to read this blog- you are old enough to realized a few years have passed in your life, whether you used them to the best of your ability or not. The setting isnt here yet, the part we say is so beautiful. But WHY do we sit in our moment we have right now and think of how nice it was BACK THEN. Or wonder what it will be like in the future-when the pretty colors are across the sky, when our sun is setting.
Take the time you have now, take the moments, the oppurtunities, to work all your hours you can while the sun is still up. We can't be stuck in the future or the past so much so that we miss out on the HARD THINGS WE CAN DO NOW. Yes, I'm rambling but stick with me.
How many times do we allow the eaier road to get our attention only to realize all the influence we could've had on the other side. We have to stop living for ourselves, stop living for what benefits us. Don't you think that enough generations have come and gone with that mind set. Even today, I look back and think of how I may have impacted someone today. Even if you plant a seed in the heart of someone who needed a thought of God-that would be worth it, but what did you do today?
Did you get to wrapped up in scolding your kids and forget to tell them that they are royalty worthy to inherit all of the world? Did you get to mad at your family member and forget that loving someone is one of the most precious things a human can do? Did you get to frightened of the future that you missed the opportunity to comfort someone who was loosing their grip on life during the here and now?
I know that I can live harder, I can do better, I can't sit here and be okay with living a good life. I need to live THE life God planned out for me. We may rejoice in the thought that God has every moment of our life written down, which is indeed an awesome thought! I love it! But heres the thing- He has it all written down, he has when the scenes play and the perfect timing. So you th, all I have to do is ask to live by that script hes written and I'm golden. Not quite, you may ask him to read it to you and he will-but you need to know the script.
You can't act out this divine adventure and romance in perfect timing with out knowing the script. You have to take your time on stage, you have to live in the heat of the day. The morning and evening are the most calm moments of the day, but noon is when the most people are awake. The most people are walking by you-how many have you reached out to? Right now is the noon time of this generation. Its our time to step out and speak to those around us. Its the time for us to read the script and act it out, memorize it and work hard to take every moment we get.
So take your moment today. Let yourself take the harder path so when you get to the other side you can look back and say, "wow-what I would've missed had I not tried hard." Know the script, work hard at noontime and hear the voice of your divine lover saying come! The time is now! Rise up and seize the moment.
Dont let this day go by without having done everything you know how to do to live for God. To reach out, to make a difference. To make an impact in at least ONE PERSON's life today.
God help us to live moment by moment according to what you have for me, and help me to choose the hard things you have for me. Let me not miss a single thing you have for me. In this noon time may I step out into the beating down sun and offer water to those who are thirsty. May I step out in the noon time and not dwell only on the coming rest, but rather say GOD here I am, I am working for you- whats the next line???
The next line in the noon time
A Word for the Weary
I blog about different things God reveals to me through His Word, or some awesome thing he did and just ways he is working in my life. This particular subject is something that I didnt know if I was going to blog about-but he said do it, cause someone else needs to hear this. So here I am, you should read it, because this might just be what you wanted God to speak to you-so here it is. God can speak through your crazy friends to ya know. :D
During my devotions the other day God just seemed to keep telling me to 'not grow weary.' Which seemed a little weird because, at this point in time-I dont feel weary! But then as it kept coming up this one morning I decided to listen to what He was trying to say-after all God knows what we need before we ask. Which means he most certainly knows what we need before WE even know what we need. So I starting thinking, maybe its not so much telling me at this moment to not be weary, maybe its God giving a warning against becoming weary. Cause I've fallen into that pattern in the past. As I was thinking about all this a song came on my mp3 play by Phil Wickham entitled "Fall Into You" (LISTEN TO IT!! follow the link to a page that displays a little player where you can listen to the awesome song!) One of my favorites- it paints this picture of utter dependence on God and letting yourself just fall into his arms, admitting your weakness. God had given me a few verses to meditate on, which seemed to go with this theme he was bringing up, this was one of them-
*"The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8
After I read that I was praying and God gave me this picture..
Im running down a hallway that seems to never stop. There is nothing to decipher how long I've been running, how far I've made it. My breathing grows heavy and my legs become so weak. I collapse-tears streaming down my face. I was running so hard FOR my God-why couldn't I endure?? I lift my eyes to see my Saviour standing just ahed. He calls to me. I must go to him! But I'm so weak! He is my strength, I must embrace him. I struggle to stand to my feet, I stand, I move forward but fall. I'm so close, a piercing pain through my heart, I feel his very heart ache as I struggle-just two more steps-I hear him say. I move on and he is now within reach. I want to stand tall and be strong FOR him. But my legs begin to buckles. As I strive to keep my balance he whispers, "let yourself fall, fall into me, I am your strength. Yes this is what was missing in your striving." Yes, this is what was missing. I fall into his arms and am immediately overcome with his love. I am barely able to utter the words "I have need you to be this close, I am so very weak. I need you, OH, I need you!" As my Saviour's eyes well up with tears at my weak words he sees my heart's desire to please him. He whispers to me- "all this time you've been trying to run this race, fight this fight, FOR me. My beloved! Wont you run it WITH me? I have all ready endured this struggle in your stead. Come now, take my hand, let me be your strength and your guide. When it seems that weariness shall overcome you, I'm here just fall into me."
Then I read this scripture in Isaiah 40:28-31
*"Have you never heard or understood? Don't you now that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will five up. But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on the wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Awesome right? Now I know this is a bit lengthy-but there is more that I read that day that God used to cement his point. I've been reading an excerpt from "Journal of the Unknown Prophet" every so often, its a book with some things that God spoke to this one woman over a period of time, and guess the title of that day's entry-*To Those Experiencing Weariness* and this is what it said-
"Dearly beloved, I know you are weary: I see you so worn down with the cares and the pressures of each day that you have almost lost sight of My hand upon your life. O beloved, as you enter the end of the age, so shall the pressures increase, so shall your need for times of refreshing become more desperate. For you see, without Me you are nothing.
Apart from Me you are able to do nothing. In your own strength, in your own power, you will be continually frustrated and unable to accomplish all you have need of. For it is only in a vital, continual union with Me that you shall survive.
And so, I am drawing you to a place where I will be your very breath, where communion with me will be your very reason for existence each day, where nothing less will sustain you. I am drawing you to a deeper place in the Spirit where your need for my presence will be so consuming that unless you draw close to Me, the cares and the stresses of life, even of My call upon you, will overwhelm. For you see, beloved, I called you to abide in Me. The Father and I seek for those in these times with whom We can make our abode. We seek worshipers in spirit and in truth. We seek those who hunger for our fellowship."
All these things God brought to my attention in one sitting. So what do I close with? I say to you who may be weary, and as a warning to myself- when you feel weary, be quit and feel God's strong embrace holding you up. When you cant see threw your tears lift your face to see God's eyes welling with tears for your struggle, and when all you can think of is how you've failed the race, hear God whisper to you "Stop running FOR me, come take my had, run WITH me!"
The Everlasting Orders of the Father King
"Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command and they came into being. He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked." -Psalm 148:5-6
I came across this verse during my devotions this morning. I had read today's devotion in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers as well. In that devotion it was talking about how God's purpose for us isnt an end goal but the process of trusting him and walking with him everyday. Our purpose isnt for the future but today. Good stuff- so as I read the above verse I had purpose and calling on my mind.
At God's command all things were created-at God's command you and I were created-just like that. When he created us he had a specific purpose in mind. He didn't created you then think..hmm how will I use this silly little person? No-he created you with the thought-"Here, now this beautiful child can have this personality and I'll give them this talent so they can perfectly do THIS as I want them to." At his command we came into being with a purpose and divine calling over our lives.
Verse 6 says "He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked." So what are these orders?? As I was thinking about that God just gave me this thought-the orders and the orders he placed on our lives. As we are soldiers of this ALMIGHTY KING he has given us orders. Orders, things to carry out. The order he gave you is your purpose and calling. How awesome right? But even more-he says these orders will never be revoked.
To many times those who profess to be Christians fall away. It happens so often for a myriad of reasons. By God's grace many come back to Christ and realized the error of their ways. But as they come they are usually weighed down by guilt and shame, and by the thought that they have done to much to be used by God any more. But what does this verse say?! God's orders are first-established forever! Secondly they are NEVER revoked. When a lost child comes back to God their calling is there waiting!
God does not look at them and say "I am sorry, I have removed the calling on your life because you messed up so badly. I can't use you for what I wanted, so no longer do you have a divine role to play in my plan." NOT AT ALL!!! He instead looks at you and says the words just like the father with his prodigal son "My son was lost but is now found! Look my child, I have held onto this, your divine purpose, while you were away. It is still here waiting for you to pick it up and carry it out. These are my orders for your life and I wouldn't ever take it away from you!"
He will not remove the calling over your life. While you could walk away from it. When you don't walk in his perfect will you can't accomplish all he wants you to do. You must be seeking him and the orders over your life will be played out. Never think that you dont have an important role to play in God's master plan. You do! He created you with that exact role in mind. He taylored your every personality trait, your family, the time you live in and they people you know.
You were created at God's command. God's orders are established and here to stay forever. His orders for YOU won't ever be revoked. Do you hear him speaking to you? Do you hear him saying "Now is the time for you to rise up and make this your own." ? His orders are here forever, the question is now, whether you will carry out your Father King's orders and play the divine, one of a kind, role that he created just for you.
"Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
-Esther 4:14
Crossing the line in the Domincan Republic
How do I begin!!? This blog has needed to be written for a week or so now.
I just recently went on a mission trip to Barahona, Dominican Republic. 39 of us from my church went. The very first day was great, we went out and invited people to the mass crusade that was going on the next four evenings. But we didnt even understand what was about to happen. Wenesday evening we had a prayer time right before we got ready for the crusade....it was powerful. But it was nothing like what God had in store for us that evening.
30,000 people were there that night, and every following night. After an awesome message from Dominic they transitioned into some worship. Then we got the signal to begin praying. Our team went out and you could feel the presence of God! People began to be healed right away! It was honestly the first time I had been able to be a part of someone's healing. It was awesome!! While the language barrier was hard at times it got easier every night. The people were so ready to be healed and expected it!
Every day the momentum was building as was our faith. The drama's we performed in the area towns were powerful and we saw people get saved and healed after every one! God was getting these people's attention! It was a great expirience to share with all the people from church. We all got closer I feel and became more unified and all caught the same vision to bring this same expectancy and presence home with us.
One great thing was that God wasn't only touching these beautiful people of the DR, he was touching and healing our own team! One girl on our team has been having migarains for a year! And she came to a few of us and asked us to pray-RIGHT there-she was healed. She has had NO problems since!
One afternoon two other girls and myself were being prayed over by one of the interpreters that became a great friend of ours and God touched each of us in awesome ways! He began to speak to personal situations in each of our lives and his presence was so heavy that we ended up on the ground laughing in the spirit for nearly an hour!! I know that it was a needed refresher in my life!
Each night people were conitnueing to be healed-blind people seeing, paralyzed people walking. Deaf ears opened. Simple aches and pains touched and instantly healed! God was moving in such HUGE WAYS! It hard for me to tell you what it was like. Our youth Pastor was talking about the only difference between the power and healings we saw there and the level of power we expirience here is expectancy. These people were expecting God to move-we here in the states often have a hard time expecting God even wants to heal us from our physical pains-I once didnt get it either! But not now!
We crossed the line. The line where expirience and an encounter meet. You walk away from an encounter being changed-not just remembering a good time. This line between an expirience and an encounter is expectancy. We crossed it! The last eveing was so amazing. The healings were still happening in the hundreads and God came in with such a heavy presence! You could feel the enemy getting mad over the souls he was loosing-this was an encounter I would never forget!
Sunday was our free day-we thought we weren't going to have any 'intense God times.' God had other plans. There was a group of us getting ready to say good bye to the same inturpreter who prayed over me and two other girls earlier. And we wanted to pray over him. So we did. Then he says I want to pray over you-this man is very annointed so we welcomed it for sure!
Soon people were weeping, and some were laying on the ground! The presence of God had a work to do in each of us that day. I myself, had a lot of things confirmed. God just convicted me. As you might have read in my blog before this-I have decided to be a full time zealot for God. No matter what I'm getting ot know God and am going to tell everyone else about HIM on the way. Well there are a few people God has watned me to pray over in the past that I see a lot, and I havent done it. God just began to show me-he said "You see the annointing this man has? You can have the same. I am with him just like I am with you. Let me work in and through you." I used to be afraid that if I prayed for a sick person-that they wouldn't be healed. God helped clear that up for sure! I have had it cemented that its not about me at all-its all about God. He is the one who is doing the work and the presure is on him to show up. One thing God showed me was the certain people I was to pray over. He then began to show me how HIS heat hurts for these people. Why they need a touch from him. I was crying uncontrolably as I felt God's pain and his longing for these people. I also got a glimpse of the pain they had gone through. How some may have asked God to show up but didnt understand why he hadnt in a certain way. God said "once you pray over them, they will see me move!"
No longer will I be medicore. I will be different. The tangible presence and power we saw moving in the DR WILL be seen in Michigan. In Battle Creek. In my school and work place. I know now with out a shadow of a doubt what I saw and witnessed down there. I witnessed desperate people meeting with their loving God who had been calling them by name since they were born. God has been calling YOU since you were born. He's been calling everyone around me to come to him-now I will be one to help point the way. I will step out in obedience when he urges me to pray over someone. I know his power-I know he never turned away someone who came to him for healing, so why would he now? According to Hebrews 8:13 he is the same yesturday, today and forever. God is a God of now. Not just tomorrow-he doesnt want you to do big things for him tomorrow, he wants to move NOW. In this moment, in this day-let him use you. Step out in faith and EXPECT him to come in and do a powerful work.
The line between a memorable expirience and a life-changing encounter is a line of expectation. Wont you cross it with me?
"I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. Who can forget the wonders he persforms? How gracious and merciful is our Lord!" -Psalm 111:1-5
HIS willing hands,
Cassie
Diving into glorious misery of self dissatisfaction
Diving into glorious misery of self dissatisfaction...read that carefully..sounds like a crazy depression party right? By no means-this title is my weekend and a commitment in my life-in a nutshell. This past weekend my church had the awesome blessing of hosting the Desperation Youth Conference. It was amazing!!! Absolutely amazing, and I can't even try and explain all the awesome things God did so I am going to tell you about one particular seminar that pierced my heart. David Perkins, is an amazing man of God, when I look at him I see many characteristics that I want to strive for in my life. Saturday afternoon I was able to go to a seminar David was teaching entitled Zealots. He centered it around the scripture found in Romans 12:11- I like how the NIV says it best- "Never be lacking in zeal, but have spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
He spoke so plainly and passionately about what it looks like to live as a zealot for God. To live a life that is centered around KNOWING God. Not just knowing about him, or who he is, or even knowing him a little-but your life goal and purpose is to KNOW God. David spoke all about standing up for what is righteous without a second thought. Stand up for what is righteous when those around you aren't able to, when they aren't strong enough to do so. When they look at you and begin to feel uncomfortable they will say "you think you're better than us!" NO! Thats not is at all. Just say that you are standing up for what is right for you and for them. After all, Jesus most certainly offended people. He didnt live to offend but he lived to KNOW God, and if that offended people-tough! The abandoned lifestyle that David described was one that he could testify to having lived. And if he lived it, I want to follow.
He gave some points on how to get there and the one that most resonated with me was-
To Get dissatisfied with yourself.
In order to strive to live zealously you can't be okay with where youre at. You must long to KNOW God more. And a great way to want more is to get really fascinated with Jesus. When youre focusing on him you will more clearly see how Jesus' heart worked and begin to live accordingly. He also said to get around someone who brings out the best in you-some spiritual leader in your life that is somewhere you want to be. Being around those people who are so on fire and so desperate create in you a GLORIOUS MISERY. You become so dissatisfied with where you are that you will try to get all you can out of these leaders in your life. Read what they read- listen to what they do and take their advice.Take their hand and lay it on your forehead ans say "I want what you have! Pray for me!!!!" You look at where you are and where they are-you become dissatisfied with where you are but encouraged to see that you can get so much closer to GOD!!!
Another thing that was a GREAT encouragement to me was how he said that you don't have to know what youre called to do-long before that you must know what you were created to do- and that is to KNOW GOD. Live to KNOW him and let the chips fall! Be abandoned in the way you seek to know your living Lord. "I give you permission to be a zealot, to live out loud." By the time David was concluding his seminar I was near tears, God had come and stirred my heart so deeply with a longing so REAL..it felt physical, OH GOD I WANT THAT!!! I was screaming inside-Lord I dont live that way but SOOOOOO want to! GOD I WANT THAT!!!!! I WANT TO KNOW YOU!
"Never be lacking in zeal...." NEVER. Not just 'be zealous when youre at church, when your on a mission trip NEVER BE LACKING IN ZEAL!" Thats not me..not yet....
So here I am, ready to dive into a state of glorious misery where I am dissatisfied with myself. Imagine what that would look like- an entire generation that cared for nothing else but to KNOW God. How would you do that? What would it look like....it would look like zealots who have spiritual fervor. Abandoned now and always, as a zealot living to KNOW God. If you-whoever you are- ever see me straying from this state-straying from living to KNOW God and GOD alone- come along side me and then smack me! And say "Would an abandoned zealot do that?" Thats what I want to be, thats where I'm headed. Lets throw all else aside and live to KNOW God-ask me what I'm going to 'do.' Know God, what about you??
yours truly,
an abandoned zealot in glorious misery
-Cassie
