A life well lived

These past few weeks I have been thinking about how we take life for granted...well most of us anyway... Those of us who are happy and healthy do for the most part. We wake up and get on with our life as is and how it always has been. Life filled with activities, family, food, and fun. But is this all that God has for us? I believe He loves watching us enjoy the life He has given us and He enjoys watching us use the gifts He has given us (if we are using them for His glory) But are we missing moments along the way of life and not living our lives to the fullest? I mean, most of will say at this point in my post, "Tiffany, my days are quite full, there is no way I could fill them any more!" But that's my point exactly! We are full of filling...but are we living like we are called to live...a life worth living for our Savior! What is our focus on? What are we stressing about? What are we forcing, pushing in our lives to make it full? And for what? For who? And for why? Jesus said that He came to give life and give it to full, not - give life so we can fill it up and be full of our stuff. Are we filling our moments and hours through out the day with the fullness of Christ and what He desires of us? Or are we just filling our days...with what we feel the world demands of us... This past week I talked with my teens about how we compartmentalize God all the time...we fill our time with school, work, activities, and family etc. But we have even more things to fill our time...it's no longer just TV, it's every App available our there is Cyber world, so that our minds never need to focus on Christ and Christ alone...because there is no more "alone" time...we are always being filled with something... I have had teens in last couple of weeks tell me they are deleting social apps because they feel consumed and overwhelmed with the constant pressure to "social network." One student even told me she was adding up how much time a year she is wasting based on the # of minutes she may spend a day on social networking, when she could be spending that time with God! Way to go teens!! Jesus tells us to, "fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Why would we want to fill our lives with anything else but Him. So today, I challenge you to ask yourself, what are you over filling your life with instead of filling it up with Jesus! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omFQJEAAVc

Dead Come to Life

A few weeks ago I was speaking to my teens on a series I am doing, “Dead Come to Life.” The Lord placed a vision of a pig’s pen in my mind. Now, I have never been to a pig’s pen, nor do I ever want to be near one, but from what I have heard, it is one of THE smelliest places to be, even worse than being around cows. The Lord gave me 5 different locations in which to speak about. The pig pen being the first, the second was a field cows, the third was of a beautiful peaceful duck pond, the fourth was of the ocean, and the last - refreshing rain. The passage of scripture in which this vision was born from was Ephesians 2:1-10 1-6 “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” I read that passage to the teens from 3 different biblical versions, the ESV, the NIV, and the last which I have above, The Message. I think it is important to read more than just one version of scripture to get a better read, feel, take, historical accuracy, etc. on what is exactly being said and also for more texture. (For those who know me, texture is very important to me in almost all things, ha ha.) The vision came especially from the first verse. “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin.” I hope and pray the following encourages you, challenges you, and spurs you to take an honest look at your own life and where you might be in your walk with or without the Lord. God Bless The Pig Pen: Represents those who are willfully rejecting and defying the Lord in their lives. Either as one who has never come to the Lord, or one who has turned away and is running full throttle in the opposite direction. Just like the Pin Pen which is filthy, so too the heart of an unbeliever. Evil is rampant and darkness rules the mind and heart. Sin has a stench that causes us to no longer be able to distinguish between filth and a pure pleasant aroma. The Field of Cows: Represents those who are not believers, but consider themselves good people. These people are those who don’t need God, because, well, they are already “Good People.” So, if you are good, who needs God to help you? These people live in a life of continual sin, chewing their own cud of sin, day in and day out without seeing their need for God’s living bread and His life giving water. They have the inability to digest their need for confession of sin and repentance. The Duck Pond: Represents those who are the “Church” goers. These people go to church, dress the part, sit in the pews, sing the songs, might even pray out loud if asked, might even be an elder, but have no genuine heart, mind and soul transformation in Jesus. There has never been a genuine repentance that has taken place and there is no relationship with Jesus, just religion, just tradition. This is a very scary place to be in life, because behind the pretty picture of their religion, they are still filled with a bacteria of sin festering within them and do not see it, because they have so beautifully painted the picture that is on the outside. If you look at most paintings or children’s books where “Duck Ponds” are painted, they are beautifully surrounded with flowers, lily pads, butterflies and cute little duck families with baby ducks swimming joyfully within their surroundings. Yet, if you really look closely at the duck pond, it is a stagnant body of water where bacteria and unclean living creatures are breeding within it, and all sorts of impurities float about that your eye will never see unless examined under a microscope. Just like these people’s hearts and minds, unless closely examined by God, one might never know how truly impure their hearts are, because they live a “Good life and they are The Church Goer.” The Ocean: Represents those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, and have made a genuine commitment to follow and serve Him. We would call them, “Born Again Believers.” Yes, these are the ones who are very active in their faith, in their church, bible studies etc., but they are still concealing, struggling and dealing with very personal sin areas in their lives that they fear being exposed or that they are simply unwilling to let go of. There is comfort in sin at times even though it may bring shame and self-condemnation. Just like the Duck Pond, at first glance, The Ocean can seem so beautiful, breath taking, refreshing even - until you run in and submerge yourself tasting the water - forgetting it is not fresh water, but very salty, bitter water. There is a sting of displeasure even in the midst of such great beauty and power. Just like that coveted sin we are holding onto, there is a sting of great shame and guilt that keeps us from living the abundant life that would allow to swim freely in Christ Jesus. The Rain: Represents those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, and have made a genuine commitment to follow and serve Him just as The Ocean People, but the difference with these people is simply this; they want to be honest in their relationship with the Lord and desire the Lord to help set them free from their addictions, secrets, fears, strongholds, weaknesses, etc. They are willing to seek help if needed and then to do something about it. They are willing to let God be Lord over all areas of their life. They are willing to let Jesus’ shed blood on the cross purify them wholly and completely, inside and out. So today, just as I told my teens, I challenge you with the same questions: “You reside in one of these locations spiritually. Where are you in your walk with Christ? What are you filling your life with? Are you being honest with yourself and with God? Stop, “letting the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. (Stop) filling your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaling disobedience,” surrender today, “Instead, (embrace His) immense mercy and His incredible love, (because) he embraced us (first). Let me close with a Psalm. Psalm 40:1-10 “1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. 4 Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. 6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” 9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know. 10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.”

Times are looking grim these days / Holding on to everything It's hard to draw the line Shut the …., get up… I can't wait to rip my eyes out and look at you / Peace through pain is precious 'specially when it's done by you / Itching is a pulse inside creeping out to come alive / It's just doing what it's gonna do Times are looking grim these days holding on to everything / It's hard to draw the line / And I, I'm hiding in this empty space / Tortured by my memories of what I left behind…” Read more: Korn “Get Up” These lyrics describe so many today… “I am clearly broken and no one knows what to do” Followers of Jesus…I ask you, how deeply do we care about these ones? Many, we see them and feel sorry for them, the broken, the homeless, the abused, the forgotten... IF we are followers of Jesus THEN there must be a response in seeking HIM how to help them. How often do we pass by them with s slight smile, or words of encouragement…words of hope …they are clearly broken…and have no answers to their pain and no one to turn to for answers of hope and freedom…yet we do... Precious ones screaming in the silence of their rooms with their blades and dripping blood… “Peace through pain is precious 'specially when it's done by you, Itching is a pulse inside creeping out to come alive” Followers of Jesus…these are the broken…many who walk among you…hidden are their scars, both inside and outside of their skin. What are we doing to reach these ones, love these ones, save these ones…Jesus has called us to be His hands to hold them, His feet to go to them, His mouth piece to speak love and truth to them, hope and freedom to them, His ears to listen without hate or condemnation to them, His shoulders to them to cry on, His heart to love them… “Times are looking grim these days holding on to everything” Followers of Jesus, these precious ones are grabbing on to whatever they can to find a false comfort... Many of us meet in bible studies and churches and we do our church thing…we may even talk about the hurting…but what are we doing for the hurting…. Let me encourage you today…that even though you are not a trained “somebody” Jesus is their answer…and prayer is the beginning for these precious ones…Prayer for their freedom, healing, and prayer for us to be willing to step out of our comfortable lives and be willing to hurt alongside them…with them…and in the midst of this…see and experience the Power of God…move in theirs and your life.. Matt. 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 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.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 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.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

So Lord, as you know I have been recently thinking about the Church. After having several conversations with Christians of other denominations and knowing much about their "doctrine" and having experienced much from being with and studying about all denominations, I continue to see the Hand of God in all Christian denominations Lord. As you know...this confuses me. They have your Hand in all of them, yet at the same time...I see all of them far off from you???? Like the Catholics take for example, their focus on sin and confession, I wish more Christian church's focused on sin and our need of confession and their focus on praying for the government and their passion for the saving the unborn, or the Missouri Synod who has this very protective spirit of their people, to guard the Church against anything unholy or unbiblical. The Baptist for their conservatism, the Evangelicals for their desire to go out and reach the lost. The Assemblies of God and their openness to the move of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the Power He can bring. I am frustrated that Godly churches have parts of You...but not as a whole...what have we done? Where have we gone wrong? How did we get here??? I want the real church of God! I want the real deal Father! I don't want just church...I want you...and I am frusting....So what do I do...and where are in our churches today.... I really don't see a lot of You...glimmers...yes....but You....do I really see You?? Do I really Hear You??? You know I am not saying You are not moving in the church today....I just don't know how? Or maybe better yet...How much?? Father...help me see and know what Your will is for myself, my family, and our church, and the Church in general... Something needs to change....I love you Lord....Thank you for listening....always...

Matt. 13:18-23 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” So, who out there loves to garden? Or…who out there loves to farm? In the last couple of years gardening has become a bit more exciting for me…though I hate weeds and bugs…ha ha ha…but I love the harvest of fresh veggies n fruit! Don’t you?!? Let’s look at how God and gardening have similarities… In the spring we must till the soil, correct? Sometimes it is really hard, crusty, dry-almost rock-like soil correct? That tiller is just a digging and grindin and cutting through all that deeply packed soil to get down into the good, fertile moist soil down deep…right? There is something so beautiful about a freshly tilled garden…it’s so clean and fresh and just ready for those seeds to be planted!! So exciting!! This is what our spiritual journey is like with God…He desires to till up the sin in our lives to dig down deep into our being where He can begin to plant seeds into a fertile soul…but if there is a hardened heart towards Him, just like if you just started dropping seeds into a garden that was not tilled…it would not grow because it’s hard and dried up…and the seeds would not take root…they would just blow away. Tilling is not always very easy…it can be tough work at times…like us in our lives…sin has so hardened us, we build up these tough exteriors to keep God out and keep sin in, and when we do this…we dry up and God’s tilling gets tougher and tougher…Today…won’t you allow God to do some tilling in your life, so that the seeds of His truth can begin to take root and begin to grow and bring about fresh life into your walk with Jesus? I pray you will. “Father God, I know You are the living water and the Giver of Life, and that I need nourishment and life from You, and You alone…help me to hand over the control of the tiller in my life to You, so that You can begin to cut out the sin of selfishness and pride, etc… Lord, that You can begin to fertilize my soul with the Power and Love of Your Holy Spirit, so that I can begin to bear Your fruit. Amen.” May you all begin to find new life this Easter Season!

They will look on me, the one they have pierced

So, it has been some time since i have posted...time is limited, but that does not stop my mind from reeling with all the comes our way in this life... It is as if daily, God stops moments in time for me to capture the progression of time in this world and what is to come in accordance with scripture...moments when I feel He says, "you know that scripture that says, this...this is how this is going to happen, very subtly Tiffany, do you see the direction we are moving?" The apathy of our nation, the indifference to pain and suffering, our buying into the subtlies of this life...it is like slow motion in my mind at times...constant little yellow flags, becoming darker shades of oranges into deeper reds... I cannot put into words the heaviness of my heart and the constant motion of life in which I see in slow motion...snap shots of God's direction for my life and how He desires me to pray and disciple those around me...my precious little ones He has given to Troy n myself to love and raise...is a scary world for me to let them go into times...yet even though I have been walking with the Lord for many years...He grows ever bigger and ever more powerful to me daily...He must increase and I must decrease His word says...it is a hard lesson at times...but as I learn slowly...it is the greatest truth...the less of me...means the more of Him...and this is what the world needs...is Jesus... We fight, argue, bicker about many things...but He is Lord. And there is no other... Last night I was reading in scripture and the verse from Zacharia literally hit me in the chest and knocked the wind out of me...the verse is..."They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn" Zach. 12:10... One day...I will stand before this great and mighty God who so beautifully loved me, and I will have to stand before Him, He knowing all things, will gaze back at me, knowing all of me...oh how this shames me to think of who I am, and who I am not...for Him... This is only another verse that spurs me to run the race that the Lord has set before me...not slowing or ever quitting...because I have been bought by unexplainable sacrafice...oh that we would see Him...and run to Him in all we do and say...