Loved and Protected

Recently I was talking to a friend in California and he said something stunning–something I hadn’t heard before. He said that farmers in Southern California have been forbidden to irrigate crops to protect a tiny fish called the Delta Smelt that ecologists say is endangered. (Keep in mind the fact that at the same time Southern California rainfall rates for 2007-2009 are the lowest in many years.)

You may also recall me mentioning that David Wilkerson warned a year ago that the U.S. would experience a huge drought/famine the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Great Depression. Well, last night the Lord actually put these facts together and told me to warn anyone who would listen–to stock up on food and clean drinking water.

The protection of the Delta Smelt has forced farmers to stop producing crops and leave their fields deserted, as in dry, arid desert. THERE IS NO FOOD CROP this year coming from that large growing region, so here’s what I see happening. First of all food prices will skyrocket. In fact, I just visited the grocery store a few days ago and already saw surprisingly higher prices. Well, now it all makes sense, when we know that because of a tiny, protected fish, certain crops will not be in the marketplace.

Having said that, I will give you the link to the article: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/366070/california_cuts_water_supply_by_a_third.html or you can type the words Delta Smelt into your browser for more information and news articles.

The Scripture says that we who are informed should warn the wise so they can prepare themselves for what’s coming. That means you and I need to tell our friends and loved ones to stock up on groceries, especially things like rice and beans, foods that don’t need refrigeration or electricity to preserve them.

I suggest that we who know Jesus and have access to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, pray and ask Him how to prepare.

I also mentioned earlier the fact that most Americans will not respond to warnings to prepare for hard times. Most let these things fall on deaf ears believing the government or someone else will jump in to help. But we who know the Lord can be forewarned, thus forearmed, as we listen to the warnings of the spirit, so we don’t have to be dependent on others for things we can do for ourselves. We can, in fact, reach out to others during such times.

God has never left His people unwarned, but it’s up to us to take heed and be wise. Much like the fable regarding the ant and the grasshopper, you and I have the opportunity to stock up not only for ourselves, but for those for whom this will be a wake-up call, those who will be open to the gospel perhaps for the very first time. We can not only give them a small plate of food, but share the salvation message during the window of opportunity this will usher in.

In another instance of God revealing things: A friend recently attended a prophetic conference where the leadership had fasted and prayed long and hard for revelation from God, and they heard there would be people coming to our doors just as they did during the Great Depression, people who would be hungry. My friend said the Lord told them to pray before opening the door to a stranger, for a confirmation or a check in the spirit, revealing whether this person was truly a seeker or merely a scam artist looking to get something for nothing. She said we are not to open the door to scammers, those who will not be open to the gospel. That will be tough for some of us who have the gift of mercy, but we must know we open ourselves to being scammed, and not just for food, if we don’t obey the Spirit of God.

I’m blown away by the way God is revealing things we need to know. So take heed, brothers and sisters and stock up on as much food as you can afford. Also, remember that David Wilkerson said to stock up on medications and other necessities and put aside money to pay bills for at least one month…more if you have it.

I’m giving this warning knowing that some of you will wave it off, refusing to believe, but do it at your peril. A word to the wise is sufficient.

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Jesus is the One who deserves all our praise and glory. He is the One from whom all blessings flow. He is the One who redeemed us from the pit of hell and bought us back to life abundant on earth and life eternal with Christ. I don’t think we actually get it–the fact that Jesus is the only One who deserves glory…

But guess what? He shares it with us. Not only did we not deserve to be redeemed, but we also deserved the worst penalty sin could bestow–hell and eternal separation from God. Why am I saying this? Because it’s vital that we see exactly what we’ve been given–what we’ve been saved from, and what an incredible, gracious gift our salvation really is.

It’s much like someone innocent and pure taking the place of a condemned criminal, someone who was facing the electric chair for serial murder. Then exalting that serial murderer and also blessing him with wealth and honor and love and a huge inheritance before he even considered repenting for his sin.

You and I can’t even fathom doing that for someone, especially someone who wasn’t repentant. But Jesus took our place while we were yet sinners, because He loved us that much.

Do we get that? We deserved nothing, and even now deserve nothing in ourselves, but are blessed beyond measure simply because God loves us.

So when we take credit and begin to let it go to our heads, we are headed for a great fall. Scripture says this: “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

You and I have been extravagantly blessed, crowned with glory, taking our undeserved place as brothers of Jesus and sons of the living God.

If we have the right heart we will never lose sight of the extraordinary nature of such a sacrifice, and we will esteem our God at every opportunity, basking in His great love, asking, “How do you want to use me, today, Father?”

And He will then complete the circle, by showing us the way and enabling us to do it. He IS the circle. We just fit in by our obedience. And in the process we are blessed, used, comforted, filled up to overflowing, and hopefully we become passionate and fall in love with Jesus, yearning to please the amazing Author and Finisher of our faith…

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Daily I’m learning just how amazing God is. His covenant with Adam and Eve was totally one-sided, in that He knew they would fail, but He promised to be faithful anyway. In our case, it’s still one-sided, that is, God is faithful to us, and it takes Him responding through us, to even get us on board. Isn’t that incredible!

But that’s not hard for God! With great enthusiasm He woos and wins us by proving His love, offering His protection and maintaining His commitment to us for the long haul. And even when we’ve walked away He still sees potential and wants us back.

Recently I’ve also learned of the power of our words and even more than that, the power of our words when spoken in obedience to God. For instance, they say we become what our parents and other influential people say we are, good or bad.

That’s exactly what God does with us. He speaks words of life, encouragement, blessing and affirmation even while we’re far away. And in so doing He draws us like a magnet. “We love Him because He first loved us.” And that should be a lesson for us. We too need to love people first and speak words of compassion and mercy toward them so that they are drawn to Him like that magnet.

We need to remember that in our “old man” state we had little of value to offer, and neither will those we witness to. We can’t expect them to clean up their old man before the Holy Spirit transforms them. The thing is, it takes the undemanding love of Christ flowing through us and us letting go of expectations to show tender love that will woo them.

So you and I have a huge assignment. We need to tell people that God loves them just as they are, and then we need to love them, too, by the power of the Spirit. There’s nothing quite as transforming as mercy we don’t deserve or the power of someone envisioning us as more than we are today.

Let’s show others the kind of love God has for them, speaking life words and envisioning their future anointed and transformed by the power of our amazing God. Then watch and see how that love draws them. Wow! Cool assignment, huh?

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Christmas is my favorite time of year, cold weather aside. Even at my age I look forward with great anticipation to the season, because of what it means in my life.

I just can’t get over the fact that the great God and Creator of the universe takes a personal interest in me–in each of us as individuals. That’s what Christmas really means to me. It makes me cry to grasp the truth, that His love is so overarching, so unadulterated that no matter what I do to stifle it, He still loves me and has my very best interest at heart.

But not only does He love me, but also He allows me to go through things that He knows will mature and grow my faith to the level it needs to be to get through what comes next. Much like a parent who takes a child to the emergency room to get a broken bone set, Mom or Dad knows the pain of the moment will be worth it in the end.

But do we trust God that way? Do we really believe He knows what He’s doing? Or do we second guess Him because we can’t see what’s ahead? It can be very daunting not to know what’s coming, but if we have total confidence in our Abba (the Hebrew word for Daddy) we should be able to rest, knowing He’s crazy about us.

It really helps me to picture this scenario: Like a little child, I run to Him, and He leans down and holds out His arms, urging me to run into them. And all the while He’s smiling that indulgent smile of affection that only children of loving parents understand. Wow! And to think that of all the amazing things God is and can do, His greatest desire is to have us call Him “Daddy.”

Many of us can’t think of Him that way at all, do we? If you’ve been taught He’s a harsh and vindictive God who loves to crack the whip you may struggle with the “daddy” part of this equation, so here’s what I propose: This Christmas take time to ponder that the “daddy” part of God gave His most precious gift–His beloved Son, Jesus–just to show us how deeply and personally He loves us. Meditate on the truth–that because He created you He knows exactly how you “tick.” He understands the things that hurt you, and He feels deep compassion toward you.

When you can see Him this way you’ll begin to fall in love with Him all over again, because tender mercy only draws us to Him. And Tender Mercy is His middle name.
Oh, what an amazing God we serve. Get to know Him in a new way, and picture Him laying His hand gently on the top of your head and singing a song of rejoicing over the day you were born. If that does’t warm your heart, nothing will…

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Have you ever thought about the phrase “the truth and nothing but the truth?” It’s an interesting notion, but rare in our world today. The truth is now molded, spun, tweaked and slanted to someone’s advantage most of the time, not the least of which is our liberal government who has its own agenda.

But that shouldn’t surprise us. In a land as wealthy as ours (to say nothing of other countries, whether wealthy or poor) those in charge take from those they are supposed to serve.

But a day of reckoning is coming, and God is shaking things exposing deception as never before, so people can see that the things they’ve relied on aren’t necessarily what they seem. Nor are those they elected, apparently.

So where can real truth be found? In God. In His Holy Word, the Bible, which never changes. God never changes. In fact, absolutes can be found in Him when everything else is tainted and adulterated. God is holy. He is perfect, and His standard is righteousness. He will not let slip anything less than perfection, so we can trust that at any time He is telling us the truth. Where else can you get the real thing these days?

We’ve all grown accustomed to listening to slanted news and advertising claims that are blatantly untrue, but it’s time to evaluate what we’re hearing and demand the truth in every area. To stop falling for the company line when we know better.

In our personal lives, it’s time to get real. If we can’t afford that new car, or house, or dress, or diamond ring, we need to tell ourselves the truth–that buying it will only lead to heartache, sooner or later. And anything less than the truth will come home to roost in painful ways, like homelessness or bankruptcy.

Who on earth lives in lala land and keeps his head above water? The wise man lives within his means and tells himself the truth, while doing the best he can to work hard to become a man of integrity. Anything less is wrong and God hates it.

Even believers have fallen for the lie that they can live beyond their means, in a kind of never-ending fantasyland without a day of reckoning. Unfortunately, many families who have lived beyond their means are realizing that day is here. When the job fails they can’t pay their extravagant mortgage payments, can’t feed their families, and end up living in their cars, until the finance company comes to repossess them.

Does anyone see the danger of this kind of behavior? It’s time to get real, to budget our money, to pay our debts and live within our means. It’s time to restore wisdom to Washington DC and let integrity rule the day. Anything less will fall and the aftermath will be devastating. Look around.

Let’s get serious about Jesus, become the Christian nation we say we are, and be light and salt for people who need to know there are absolutes. Jesus is coming soon and there’s no time to waste!

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Are you anxious for the Lord’s return? I imagine this is especially true of those who are suffering, persecuted for their faith.

So the question we might ask if we are anxious is: When? As we know Scripture says no man can know the day or the hour. Even Jesus doesn’t know. Only God knows.

So how do we cope with such an unknown? We trust God. Since time began there have been evil rulers and harsh laws that made life miserable for saints of God, but He was always there to comfort, provide, minister hope, and joy, especially if they bowed their hearts to Him completely, and let Him be the end all and be all of their existence. At that point the words “For me to live is Christ” took on new meaning.

I’ve found a little secret to staying on fire for the Lord, for getting into that secret place and basking in His love, letting Him change me–stirring up the fire inside me. That secret is asking Him to remind me every single day what I’ve been saved from. In response He shows me His incredible sacrifice to redeem me from not only hell for eternity, but also from emptiness, loneliness, powerlessness and boredom here on earth. There is nothing like being intimate with God to spice up life on earth.

In fact, I believe that if we really let go of our agendas–the junk that anchors us to Planet Earth, and let God fill us, the glory consumes us, and we begin to function as ambassadors of God, ministering, healing, doing miracles, loving with agape love, giving words of knowledge, declaring the words of God, and seeing people delivered on the spot. Wow! This is the way God intends us to live, though until now, I’d never seen it.

I always wondered if I was missing something intrinsic, something really important, in my understanding of the Christian life, and now I know that I was. Not sure why it took me so long to get it, but I’m excited to be part of the program of the ages that will turn the world upside down, as I merely do my tiny part with a passion for Jesus.

I believe it’s time to look critically at our lives and ask what’s stopping us–hindering us from taking our rightful place as hands and heart of the living God. What is it that we hold onto that prevents us from going all the way into the throne room and sitting at His feet then going out an ministering in power?

Let’s get rid of those things and draw near, for the filthy rags of the flesh, which we hold onto so tightly, do nothing that counts for eternity.

Because of His great love,
Nancy

The church has, unfortunately, earned a reputation for killing its wounded and showing less than grace toward unbelievers. As I mentioned a while back I felt as if the vestibule of the church had a flashing neon sign over the sanctuary door that said, “Leave your sins outside. We don’t want to know.”

And that was for believers. Unbelievers weren’t welcome at all and they knew it, which is why we never saw any. This must break the heart of God. His heart is a heart of mercy. If it had not been, where would you and I be now?

More than anything, I believe the Lord is telling the church to look at the world with the eyes of compassion. If we go back and give it some thought, we will recall that as sinners we didn’t just get up one morning and say, “I think I’m going to go out and sin today.” Rather we put one foot in front of the other and did the next thing, and often the next thing was the result of unmet needs in our lives.

In fact, think about it. You and I were drawn to God by His tender mercies, His deep compassion and invitation to grace. That’s what was so magnetic about Him. And yet, if we’re not careful you and I can lay a guilt trip on the lost, so that they run as fast as they can in the opposite direction. What kind of witness is that?

In the end, it will be those who communicate God’s tender mercies, who impact the lives of others. Mercy heals wounded hearts, yours, mine, and even those of the unreached. So let’s lay aside our prejudices, stifle the need to look down or criticize others, both fellow believers and unbelievers, and let the love of Jesus minister to them through us. Only then will we truly be Jesus with skin on to those who need to feel His touch. Look for opportunities to touch others who are so badly hurting during this holiday season and tell them God loves them and wants to heal their hurts. Ask if you can pray for them. Then hug them. That’s what Jesus would do.

Because of His great love,
Nancy

The Lord revealed something that more about man-pleasing that I hadn’t thought of in quite that way before. He showed me that man-pleasing is idolatry. In this sense: God said we cannot serve two masters, that a doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.

I’ve never seen myself like that. Rather, I felt like I was deferring to others, being kind, compassionate and gentle. But that’s not how God sees it. He says we either love and please Him or please other people; we can’t do both at the same time.

Think about it. If we’re afraid of offending people we often put off until tomorrow vital things that should be done or said today. And that hinders us immensely. We can get stuck in a bad place for far too long, much longer than God wants us to be, if we’re too afraid to declare God’s words and change things even when we know His will.

When He has a word of knowledge for me to give and it’s not exactly good news, does He want me to fiddle with it, tweak and taint it, so it’s more palatable for the recipient?

Absolutely not. The Holy Spirit doesn’t need our help. He needs our obedience, to do exactly what He says. He knows what He’s doing; He’s been at it a good long time, and Scripture says, “Open your mouth, and I will fill it.” Let me repeat: He only needs us to obey and follow His lead.

The reason why our world is in the state it is today is because people have tweaked the gospel and tried to make it more palatable. So now it’s become watered-down and has lost much of its effectiveness. It’s, in fact, so watered-down that it’s scarcely recognizable as the same gospel. It isn’t the same gospel after we’ve messed with it. When we do that, we’re actually preaching another gospel, and it’s not the gospel of salvation anymore. In reality, such a message is called ear-tickling–saying what people want to hear so they can stay in their sin. Wow! What a revelation!

It’s a weak and ineffective shadow of its former glory. And it saves no one; it has no impact. In reality, it becomes a stumblingblock preventing people from coming to Christ.

So what’s my point? Well, just this: God knows exactly what He wants to say to transform lives, and He just needs pure, willing vessels He can pour through.

Lately He’s been giving me words of knowledge, tons of them, and I’ve been sharing them with the most incredible results. Realize, it’s not me speaking, but what God puts in my heart I give, and people are being delivered, encouraged, set free from besetting sins, turning back to God, and finding their way back to Jesus!

It has nothing to do with me. In effect, I’m just the mailman. But the question is: can He trust us with the message, or are we inclined to soften or tweak it rather than speaking it as He gives it?

The power of the gospel is in its clarity, its simplicity, and its truth. It’s absolutely life-changing, transforming in its power. It doesn’t need our help. And the idolatry thing hits the nail on the head in a very powerful way. We either please God or man, but not both.

If that’s the case, we’d better be pleasing God, loving Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds, letting Him be everything to us, consuming us totally, so that we can live and move and have our being in Him and Him alone.

Let’s seek to be that kind of obedient. Let’s seek to let Him be everything to us. Let’s live as if this the last, best day of our lives, because it may well be just that.

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Last night I was watching one of my favorite old movies, White Christmas. You know the one, the II World War story of patriotic veterans who gather after the war to encourage and turn around the fortunes of their honored ex-army general.

It’s easy for me to wish I’d been born one generation earlier, watching how our country got behind their military and people worked hard and generally respected each other.

But you know what? That’s not the generation I was born into. I was born into this generation, for a very specific purpose, though at times the reason escapes me. I often feel like the square peg in the round hole, never quite fitting in. Have you ever felt like that?

Scripture says we are pilgrims and strangers here on earth, only temporarily passing through. We aren’t really supposed to fit in, never were, because if we’re pleasing the world we aren’t pleasing God.

Christians are to be “peculiar people.” For years I felt bad that I didn’t fit in and did all I could to change that, thinking it was me who was the problem. But we aren’t the problem. We need to realize that and grab hold of it for all we’re worth. We may never fit in, probably won’t, in fact, if we’re living in sync with the Holy Spirit of the living God. And if we’re hot for God seeking Him with all we’re worth, we won’t give a hoot who does or doesn’t like it.

As I see it now, the good ol’ days are merely a figment of someone’s vivid imagination, intent on selling nostalgia for money. And I’m sure it works. But it’s also the devil’s trap for us to get stuck thinking and wondering about “what might have been.”

We have the best of all worlds, living now, and living in the secret place of the Almighty. Let’s get excited and stir up the fire within us, letting go of the old things that hinder us from living each day to its fullest. We were born for such a time as this, and we have things to do, places to go, and people to talk to about Jesus!

Because of His great love,
Nancy

Think about those words. We say them, we quote that scripture; we know it by heart, but is it really true? I’m not sure we as Americans quite get this concept. We love Christ, are grateful for salvation, and thankful for provision. But I’m not sure we as a people group grasp what it means to live only for Christ. Why?

Because those of us who have much have a tough time focusing on God alone and discounting materials things. We have comfort and blessing, and yet we want more. Are we content with what we have? Could we give much of it away and not miss it?

Half of our problem is that we love getting and having things whether we need them or not. Then when we get them they often sit unused and unappreciated, in truth, totally unnecessary to life.

Well, this is the day we must let go of those things. We must open our hands to God and say, “If these things are making me stumble, I will give them away.” Now some things we need, like a vehicle to get us to work, but who says we need a Cadillac or a Hummer? Who says we need the best and most expensive?

Do we really need five carat diamond rings or designer clothes? Do we yearn after such things? If so, why? Because we think we become like those who have them. But think about this. God says that we either seek Him in spirit and in truth or we go after other gods. Is this what you want in your life?

I recently cleaned out some cupboards and closets and took to auction everything non-essential, and I was surprised at how cathartic it was. Things have a way of encumbering and chaining us down, consuming our space and wasting our money.

And worst of all, we can spend all our time wishing things were different, but for what purpose? If it’s true that for me to live is Christ, I need to take my attention from the distractions that consume me and focus on Jesus, because there’s no time to waste. I need to fall in love with Him all over again, stirring up the fire inside me, and setting aside every weight of sin and every distraction.

I want to make every moment count. I want to be delivered from everything that doesn’t please Him, and I want to love as Jesus loved.
What about you? It’s time to be able to say, “For me to live is Christ…”

Because of His great love,
Nancy