Jesus has always reminded me of His great love. I'm forever grateful that He does, because it's the greatest feeling you will ever encounter. I continually pray that Jesus pours down His love on me everyday. It's just something that I crave. It's beautiful. He's beautiful. This entry though isn't about Jesus.
Lately God has shown me a lot about Jesus' mother, Mary. What a woman of God. She was just a young girl when an angel of the Lord came to her and told her that she was going to bear a child. She had found favor with God. Wow. He chose her, a teenage girl to carry the Savior in her womb. Am I the only one that thinks that is just crazy? She had to have been fearful. Who was going to believe her? "Yeah, the Holy Spirit came upon me and now I'm pregnant." I'm sure people replied with, "Yeah right, this girl is crazy." In the first chapter of Luke, Gabriel comes to her and tells her the BEST news. A Savior is coming. His kingdom will have no end (v33). What I love too is that Gabriel even talked about Elizabeth to Mary. Just to let her know of another miracle, because Mary could have been doubting, like any of us would have. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth-even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God. Then Mary calls herself a slave to God's plan. WOW. I want to be like Mary.
Then Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. Wouldn't you? A relative of her's. One of the only women that probably believed her. Elizabeth was so encouraging to her too. I pray to be encouraging like Elizabeth. She tells Mary in verse 45, She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled! This is something that I read yesterday, and that I definitely needed to hear. God's promises never fall void. NEVER. He might fulfill these promises in ways that are mysterious, but isn't that what makes life so much fun? God promised the world a Savior. A young teenage girl is holding the Lord of Lords in her womb. People weren't expecting that. They were expecting something extremely magnificent. God works in mysterious ways. Maybe you're going through something and you're waiting on the Lord. Blessed are you for believing in the promise God has for you. Just believe. That's all He wants.
I love in the story when shepherds and angels have an encounter. The angels are just so excited. They're singing! What a glorious sound to hear. I can't wait. Anyways, the shepherds told Mary and Joseph all the great things that the angels have just told them about their newborn son. Verse 19, But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.
God has told you a promise. He's not going to let you down. When the promise came through, Mary treasured up all the wonderful blessings people were speaking over her and this Son of God that she was blessed to have. When God unveils His great promise to me, oh how I'm going to treasure and meditate on every detail that He set up to lead me to that moment.
Mary, what a woman. Jesus, what a Savior. God, what a divine planner. The only one I want to plan my life.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
He Speaks
I go to an amazing church. Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. The pastor is Robert Morris and he is one of the greatest teachers of the Word I have ever encountered. I could talk about how awesome my church is, or you can look for yourself at gatewaypeople.com
Anyways, I bring that up to say that the series we just finished up on was called "Frequency." It's all about tuning in and hearing God. Yes, hearing the Creator of the universe. Shocking to some of you I'm sure, but not shocking to all. It's biblical to say that God speaks to us today. We're even told in Acts 2 that we can all prophesy. Alright, before the "Frequency" series I had heard God. There have been specific times in my life where I know that I know that I know. I heard Him. But, when we started this series, it was like Satan turned it around to discourage me. I was believing lies. "You can't hear God like these older people can. You're too young." "You aren't hearing God all the time like the pastor." "You'll never get there." Those lies were shut up when I was told by someone that hearing God is a learning process. You're in a relationship. In a relationship you talk to this person everyday, right? You also are there to listen to them. Then I started thinking, am I taking the time to listen? Am I tuning into the frequency of God's voice?
About two days ago, I tuned in.
I have been praying for God just to show me something. Anything God. Like I said before, I had seen things and heard things from God, but it has been forever since He's spoken to me. I felt like He was listening to me and then there was nothing. No response. "What the heck God?! I have spent time with You everyday and still nothing?" Silence.
I was sitting in a McDonald's and having my quiet time and lunch with God. I started thinking about all the things God has done in my life. I started thanking Him for what He was doing in me and through me. I had just a rush of love overwhelm to the point of tears in this McDonald's. It's like I tuned in. "Imagine how that feels all the time." Wow. God? Did I just hear that? God spoke to me in a McDonald's. A 24/7 kind of love. Thanks for reminding me.
So, you think after that I could say, "alright, that's all I needed to hear." Um, absolutely not! I want more and more is what I got. On Halloween night, two of my friends invited me to go see a Shane and Shane concert. The last song was an old hymn. I sat there on the lawn next to my friends and just shut my eyes. It felt so good outside. I sat there and just imagined that one day, this will be what we'll be doing for eternity. Then I started to pray for my friends. I prayed for the Lord to show me something for my friend...Something encouraging for her. While I was praying God gave me a vision. (Oh, we can also see visions according to Acts 2). I saw my friend with her arms up and spinning. While this was happening she was looking up and gold was showering done over her. She was shining. Then she began to act goofy and silly, and God told me, "That's what I love about her." I saw it all so quickly and just had a smile on my face. I asked God for an opportunity to tell her and right at that moment He did. I began to tear up while telling my friend the encouraging vision I just saw. She teared up too.
God is so cool. It gets better... The next day I decided to look in my Bible for some kind of confirmation of what God showed me. He brought me to Isaiah 60:1-7.
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD shines over you.
2 For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.
The other verses are all about God's blessings for those radiant people. God then told me that He's wanting us to "arise" from our circumstance, our low point, our struggles, our worries, our to-do lists and "SHINE." Arise from the lowness and sit at Jesus' feet. It's like the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet while Martha was consumed with all she had to do. Arise and let Jesus' light shine on your face.
God speaks. He speaks to an 18 year old college student just like He speaks to a pastor of a mega church. He speaks. You just have to tune in.
Blessings!
Samantha
P.S.
There was so much I learned from this series. You can watch it online at the site I gave you in the sermon archives under media. :)
Anyways, I bring that up to say that the series we just finished up on was called "Frequency." It's all about tuning in and hearing God. Yes, hearing the Creator of the universe. Shocking to some of you I'm sure, but not shocking to all. It's biblical to say that God speaks to us today. We're even told in Acts 2 that we can all prophesy. Alright, before the "Frequency" series I had heard God. There have been specific times in my life where I know that I know that I know. I heard Him. But, when we started this series, it was like Satan turned it around to discourage me. I was believing lies. "You can't hear God like these older people can. You're too young." "You aren't hearing God all the time like the pastor." "You'll never get there." Those lies were shut up when I was told by someone that hearing God is a learning process. You're in a relationship. In a relationship you talk to this person everyday, right? You also are there to listen to them. Then I started thinking, am I taking the time to listen? Am I tuning into the frequency of God's voice?
About two days ago, I tuned in.
I have been praying for God just to show me something. Anything God. Like I said before, I had seen things and heard things from God, but it has been forever since He's spoken to me. I felt like He was listening to me and then there was nothing. No response. "What the heck God?! I have spent time with You everyday and still nothing?" Silence.
I was sitting in a McDonald's and having my quiet time and lunch with God. I started thinking about all the things God has done in my life. I started thanking Him for what He was doing in me and through me. I had just a rush of love overwhelm to the point of tears in this McDonald's. It's like I tuned in. "Imagine how that feels all the time." Wow. God? Did I just hear that? God spoke to me in a McDonald's. A 24/7 kind of love. Thanks for reminding me.
So, you think after that I could say, "alright, that's all I needed to hear." Um, absolutely not! I want more and more is what I got. On Halloween night, two of my friends invited me to go see a Shane and Shane concert. The last song was an old hymn. I sat there on the lawn next to my friends and just shut my eyes. It felt so good outside. I sat there and just imagined that one day, this will be what we'll be doing for eternity. Then I started to pray for my friends. I prayed for the Lord to show me something for my friend...Something encouraging for her. While I was praying God gave me a vision. (Oh, we can also see visions according to Acts 2). I saw my friend with her arms up and spinning. While this was happening she was looking up and gold was showering done over her. She was shining. Then she began to act goofy and silly, and God told me, "That's what I love about her." I saw it all so quickly and just had a smile on my face. I asked God for an opportunity to tell her and right at that moment He did. I began to tear up while telling my friend the encouraging vision I just saw. She teared up too.
God is so cool. It gets better... The next day I decided to look in my Bible for some kind of confirmation of what God showed me. He brought me to Isaiah 60:1-7.
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD shines over you.
2 For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.
The other verses are all about God's blessings for those radiant people. God then told me that He's wanting us to "arise" from our circumstance, our low point, our struggles, our worries, our to-do lists and "SHINE." Arise from the lowness and sit at Jesus' feet. It's like the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet while Martha was consumed with all she had to do. Arise and let Jesus' light shine on your face.
God speaks. He speaks to an 18 year old college student just like He speaks to a pastor of a mega church. He speaks. You just have to tune in.
Blessings!
Samantha
P.S.
There was so much I learned from this series. You can watch it online at the site I gave you in the sermon archives under media. :)
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