HE’S BUILDING A BUILDING

Recently I sat across the street from a huge building project in our nation’s capital. From the ground level it just looked like a huge twist of steel and concrete, but from the window of my fourth story hotel room, I began to see more. Workers, technicians and tradesmen were scurrying about; each one using his or her level of expertise to move the project toward completion. It was a beehive of activity everywhere you looked. There were the construction workers who hooked the needed steel bars to a chain above their heads and there were the steel workers who were welding and screwing them in place. Atop them all, towering high above the activity was a gigantic crane that moved the steel beams and everything else to its intended destination.  It was like a cornucopia of people, from the construction manager who appeared to be barking orders to everyone else, to the workers who were busy cleaning up the unimaginable mess that is left in the aftermath of a construction zone. Everyone had a place and everyone played a part. It was like a little community working together to make something useful out of many pieces that by themselves were pretty useless.

 I was in the middle of my quiet time when I sensed that there was a word that Papa had for me about this “pre-building”. So I turned my chair so I could see and sat in the relative silence of my room. As I watched the construction I noticed that some areas in the building were far more finished than others.  And I began questioning the practice of moving ahead to a much farther degree in some places when other areas were so far behind. And Papa God  spoke to my heart and said “Sandy, this building is indicative of your own life. You have some places that are advanced and well-appointed and others places where you are just at the beginning stages. And this is acceptable; for I am using your life’s circumstances, your relationships and the time you spend in My presence to build you into a habitation that is fitly framed for Me, a place that My glory can shine forth from. Though you feel a sense of discouragement over the places that are at beginning stages, you must know and trust that I, your eternal Architect am still in charge and I will fulfill all in My time.”

I got very quiet and I sat in the hotel, watching the flurry of activity and I wondered how this profusion of steel, brick, concrete and wood would ever be something useful, functional or attractive. I wondered about the building but I also pondered about the beauty or the lack thereof in my own life. But the precious Holy Spirit reminded of Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”  And the dim bulb finally came on! Who began this faith walk anyway????  It was He who at the tender age on nine had powerfully called me to accompany Him on this journey and since He initiated it...He was entirely invested and completely faithful to do all the work in me that was needed. So He who began it was ready, willing and very able to bring it to completion! Halleluiah!!!

And the same is true for you! Perhaps today you have places in the construction site of your life that are well established and have been and are being used to showcase your heavenly Architect-then praise God for those strong places! But what about those places where you are just at the beginning stages? You know the places that seem sooooo far behind your areas of strength? I’m talking about those nagging areas that always seem to slow you down or trip you up. Enter…the GOOD news!>>> Please know that for every facet of your life that has not been developed fully, it is still under the care and jurisdiction of the One who not only functions as the all-seeing Architect who drafted the vast and detailed blueprint of your life, but He is also the foreman who sees to it that everything gets accomplished correctly and on time!

It’s not about pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps or through our own efforts making ourselves into what He wants us to be…it is He who has the passion, the wisdom and the ability to fashion and form us into a proper dwelling place for His Spirit and His glory and grace! (Ephesians 2:20-23) And He who called us to this journey is more than faithful! Our job is to surrender to His workings and trust in His loving heart. HE’S BUILDING A BUILDING and we are it!  

Father,
Our lives are such a construction zone! We have areas where we have been built up in You, but we also have places where little work has been done. We need You heavenly Architect to construct in us all that Your heart and perfect plan dictate. We are thankful that because of your great love You created a beautiful blueprint and a plan to build us into a temple where Your great glory, mercy and love can shine through. We praise You Lord that You who have begun this work in us will be completely faithful to keep working, to keep building us until You present us faultless before the very throne of God! Today we choose to trust in Your workings and in Your loving, active faithfulness to us. We are Yours, please keep building us! Amen.

                                
 

Believing But Not Filled

Once a month I write a sermon inspired devotional for my church and I often share its non-abbreviated version with the rest of my blog readers who are not a part of my local church family. I pray that your heart is both challenged and encouraged.

My pastor, Shawn Franco shared this Sunday from Acts 8 about Simon the sorcerer who came to believe in Jesus but then grappled with his own relationship with the Holy Spirit. He even tried to buy the ability to endow believers with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Admittedly it was an outrageous request and it makes Simon an easy target that we are quick to criticize…but just perhaps there’s a little bit of Simon in all of us.

The Scriptures tell us that Simon believed in Jesus and was baptized…it does not qualify his conversion so we cannot automatically dismiss it. Although he was apparently a believer he struggled with embracing some kingdom conflicts or tensions that would have been ushered in if he were to allow the Holy Spirit full access to his life. These kingdom conflicts held the power to change his life in four critical ways:

Position Simon held a prominent position that commanded fearful respect that he was reluctant to lose.

Power He wielded significant power and all who were need of an authority greater than themselves were relegated to his “jurisdiction.”

Profit He routinely used his position and power to financially profit himself.

Pain He was filled with bitter pain that colored and drove everything he did.

It seems clear that he was interested in the Spirit’s filling, but he resisted the change that the Spirit’s overflow would bring. At first glance this may seem odd, but sometimes people choose to stay in painful, broken places because the fear of the unknown is greater than their pain and brokenness. Fear of the unfamiliar looms heavy in the hearts of many today…but all of our days that are yet unveiled, lie safe in the hands of our heavenly Father and giving up the veto power over our lives should not bring fear or trepidation, because as the apostle Paul stated II Timothy 1:12; “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him...” In other words, we can be at peace because the heart of our Father can be entirely trusted with every place this life’s journey will take us!

Let’s compare a few of the changes that an overflowing of the Spirit can bring to our lives:

Position Although Simon’s position demonstrated his individual persona; the Spirit calls those who want a kingdom position to become the servants of all. It should come as no surprise that God’s Spirit would bid us to follow Christ’s example of servitude.

Power Simon’s power distinguished his community standing and while the Spirit most certainly brings a power beyond our capability-it is to be used to empower the defenseless in our world and not to enhance our personal standing. Simon used his power to enhance his own life, but God’s Spirit empowers us to better the lives of those around us.

Profit Although Simon’s profit determined his lifestyle; God’s Spirit enriches us today so that we can bless the poor and vulnerable among us. We are blessed to be a blessing!

Pain  Although Simon’s pain defined his every action; The Spirit does not come and take away all of our pain, instead He redeems it so that those very places where brokenness once reigned supreme; God’s hope and life can usher in hope and healing for those in our sphere of influence.

But Simon’s is a sad story. He was too invested in his former life to give up control. We shake our heads in disbelief but these very kingdom conflicts lie at our doorstep as well. We too, must choose where we will “draw the line” at the Spirit’s access to our lives. Simon was all for Jesus when it benefited him-but when sacrifices loomed, he balked. What about us? Do we relegate the Spirit to certain areas of our life, giving Him free access here and there, but then hang up “Keep Out” signs in those places where we prefer to keep some ruling rights?  I mean Jesus is welcome when we’re at church or when we need a “favor” but when He starts pointing out sacrifices that will be needed to fully walk His narrow path, often we cry foul.

Let’s be honest, we want to be filled with the Spirit but still maintain some semblance of control, because giving anyone else unhindered access and unbridled control can be scary. Now the Spirit won’t push His way in, but He’s not looking for partial access either. So today Simon’s choice is ours as well. But what will actually happen if we relinquish our position, power, profit and pain to the Spirit’s regulation?

That will look different for each individual’s life, but some common areas will be a redefining of our position with Him at the helm, a restructuring of where to exercise our God given power, a redistributing of where we invest our life’s profits and a redeeming of how we not only perceive our pain but transforming into a powerful place of life, hope and even beauty in the lives of others.

 And here are three more areas that can be transformed if we choose to open the floodgates of our lives to the Spirit’s control:

Perceptions In the Spirit’s overflowing our perceptions get altered and we start to see the world through God’s eyes. We will begin to perceive people, places and situations through His lens of love and compassion.

Passions When our perceptions are altered it will enact changes to our life’s passions. We will exchange our “me-mentality” that continually seeks its own betterment for a heart that actively, passionately loves the world, by giving our energies, time and talents to showcasing our Lord through loving those that He is passionate about!

Purpose Radically changed perceptions and passions will surely transform the foundational purposes for which we live out our days. And if we as God’s children will see our own foundational purposes transformed then we can’t help but bring fundamental changes to our culture and world!

Today, may we grant the Spirit unimpeded entry to every facet of our lives, holding nothing back for “safe-keeping” thereby exchanging our “self-regarding” lifestyle for one that’s patterned after our Father’s sacrificially loving heart. Come, Holy Spirit Come-We welcome You in this place!

Note: A sermon by my pastor; Shawn Franco of Cornerstone Assembly of God was the original cause and inspiration of this devotional. I encourage you to listen to his message at http://www.cornerstone.ag/ 
You will see the Media link near the top right of the site, click there, then on Listen To Sermons, then select the November 10 sermon.

 

 

 

                                                      Guest Post-Hearts At Home

                                                              By Mary Paitsel

 

Hello! I had previously promised that I would be including guest posts from ministries that could serve to bless my readers. Today is such a post. I want to connect you to ministries that can strengthen your daily lives and this special lady’s ministry can do just that. Her name is Mary Paitsel and her ministry is called Hearts At Home. I know Mary personally and have tasted from the good fruit of her life and have been blessed by her heart for women and I hope that you too will be encouraged and strengthened!
Sweet Blessings,
Sandy

 

 

“Thirty years ago I was a young mom with three small children at home. I also had a big mess on a daily basis. I have a lot of unpleasant memories from those days many of which include mold and mildew. I remember grocery bags full of papers and other stuff hidden in closets and rooms. I remember always getting an extension for my taxes. I remember laundry baskets full of unmatched socks and clothes that needed to be ironed or mended. I remember opening the door only wide enough to talk to the person there and rarely inviting them in.

 My mother never taught me to care for a home and family because her mother never taught her. I read in Titus 2 that older women are to teach the younger women but I did not have an older woman around to teach me. After more than one humiliating experiences I decided to get organized. I began to read everything about home organization and time management I could find especially by Christian women like Emilie Barnes. She shared her experiences and related it to the Word of God. I found answers in the Bible like beginning my day the night before from the fact that in Genesis day begins the night before. So I started to do what I could the night before to prepare for the next day.

 I crashed and burned many times but bit by bit I began to see progress.  Let’s face it, we did not get where we are in one day. Doing a little bit each day consistently will make a difference. I hope not to use “I” quite so often in the future but I want to make the point that what I know I learned by raw experience and you have no need to be embarrassed by your mess because mine probably matched or exceeded it.

 One of the first things I resolved was to show people my home.  When someone visits for the first time I show them through my home. This includes times when everything is not in order. I wanted to be accountable and have an incentive to keep things pleasant. I do not keep my home clean for others. This is an accountability device.

 Our homes are not museums, magazine layouts or furniture showcases. Our homes are the canvas for our family’s lives. Our purpose goes beyond cleaning toilets, dusting, laundry and all the other mechanisms to keep the Health Department or DSS from condemning our homes. My purpose is to glorify and love God, and love and honor my family, my friends and the people God places around me.  After I learned to care for my home and family I determined to fulfill the charge Titus 2:3-5 gives us—to live in a way that honors God and to teach the younger women. I began a small group at my church and then began to blog several years ago. My purpose for My Heart's at Home  is to help us find solutions to the challenges that prevent us from keeping our homes lovely and functional. Doing this puts legs to loving our spouse and children or whoever makes up your household at this stage of life, including yourself.

 If this interests you, then there are things I want you to begin to do each day:

v Get dressed and take care of yourself. You can do this by moisturizing your skin, brushing your teeth, and putting on real shoes.  Real shoes tell us it is time to go to work. Real shoes are a foot saver when you get locked out of your house or have an emergency outdoors.  I fought this tooth and nail. I was a barefoot girl. Now my toes don’t get stubbed and I haven’t cut my foot in forever. 

v Consider how you dress.  When we look pulled together we feel pulled together.  People treat us with more respect when we wear clothes that are not holey, stained or wrinkled.  (Maybe it shouldn’t be that way but that’s the way it is.) Simple clothes like a pair of slacks with a top and a jacket can be inexpensive.  If you are wearing clothes that are not fit for Goodwill, take a good look at your closet and start wearing clothes that look and fit better. Often we have better clothes but are saving them. More about closets and clothes in the future. I wear a cover-up when I am doing something that may stain or soil my clothes.

v Pick up after yourself.  When the children were small, every day at least once or twice we would have a “5 minute pick up” I would set the timer and we would see how much we could get done in that amount of time.  The children enjoyed it and it improved the condition of the house.  Good times for the pickups are just before Dad gets home and right before bed.

v Challenge yourself to treat others with love and patience.”

 Hugs,

Mary P

Mary resides with Roy, her husband of 38 years; they have three adult children, and share 6 step-children, more than 30 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mary is active in the Prayer Shawl Ministry and as a MOPS Mentor Mom. She has created and currently leads a new believer’s course at her church, as well as women's leadership and Bible study. Through her “Hearts At Home” ministry; Mary is also involved with mentoring young wives and moms, as she deeply desires to help them avoid the mistakes she made prior to her commitment to Jesus Christ.

For more information, you can contact Mary at mj8849.wordpress.com