Get to Slicing

by Habibah Sulayman

I love New Year's Eve!! There is something so exciting and exhilarating about being on the cusp of 365 days of the unknown!! I am a nerd at heart so I feel the same way about opening a new journal--I run my fingers across the crisp pages imagining all of the great stories I will write--my triumphs, challenges, secrets!! So exciting!! I woke this morning in a really reflective mood and had my-heart-to- God's Heart conversation!! God spoke to me about a couple of things and then confirmed them through a wonderful text from my twin in all things spiritual. The book of Joshua is an amazing story--it tells of how God's people entered the Promise Land. The place of rest, abundance, and peace. A home for a people who were homeless. Freedom for a people who had spent years in bondage. A place that I think each one of us can relate to. The book starts off where Deuteronomy ended--Moses--God's chosen leader--has just died. He was originally called to lead the children of Israel to the Promise Land but due to his own issues--God allowed him to see it but not enter into it. He actually died right outside of Canaan (that is a note for another day) and God appointed Joshua to take over as leader of His people. God had killed off most of the adults who He rescued from Egypt because of their grumbling & complaining (a note for another day). So in the 5th chapter of Joshua—God instructs Joshua to prepare the people to enter the Promised Land by circumcising the males. The people entering to the Promise Land were born during the 11 day-turned-into-40 year trip. After they were circumcised and had remained in the camp until everyone was whole & ready to go—the Scripture states the following: And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. The word “reproach” in Hebrew is taunt, scorn upon enemy, resting upon condition of shame, disgrace. Circumcision is the art of removing unnecessary skin from the male genital. God had requested that Joshua help the children of Israel remove “the unnecessary” in their lives in order to prepare them to move forward. In order for the children of God to walk into what God had already prepared for them—they had to voluntarily remove all of the mess that they carried in, on, and with them from their place of bondage We are a sum total of all of the experiences we have been exposed to and I am okay with admitting that most of mine have not been the best. I had and sometimes still allow some of those experiences to hold me hostage. I kept all of my mess in a handy backpack as God made the Red Sea part to allow me to escape from my own personal Egypt. I stood on the shore and watch while He closed the sea on those “Egyptians”—the naysayers, abusers, liars, etc—while telling me that I would never see them again. It was true that I had been rid of them but I wasn’t rid of the mess and the messages. God had done His part and it was time for me to do mine. I believe that New Year’s Eve is just that—it is the opportunity to circumcise yourself from all the mess/messages that you have picked up along the year. The mess that you have been carrying from your childhood, adulthood, relationships, that no longer work. The tapes stuck on repeat in your head singing the lies that the enemy sold you while you were in your “Egypt” When you finally decide to put down your “Egyptian” ways, words will, and walk—you can finally “walk” into what God has for you! There are battles ahead that you need to have your head, heart, and hands free to pick your “Promise Land” equipment/battle gear! See I would have loved to tell you that they walked into the Promised Land and all was peaches & cream---wrong!! The Bible tells of the numerous battles that they faced before they truly settled into their Promise Land. You need to prepare the future by letting go all of the mess from your past!! So I invite you to join me as I get to slicing….Slicing away the old way of thinking, slicing away the old way of speaking, slicing away all of my old habits that have never gotten me where God wanted me to go or be or see! Be blessed Habibah © Habibah Sulayman 2011

For my Sisters...

End of Myself

by Habibah Sulayman on Friday, December 30, 2011 at 8:45am

I almost didn’t write this note—it felt too raw to share. But I thank God for the angels that He has placed in my life that encourages/pushes me the right way at the exact moment that I need it.
If I had to describe what 2011 has meant to me—I would say hands down it has been the BEST year of my life. I have experienced the miraculous in every area —

• I came face to face with my dark place—my abuse—and I beat it!! I survived!
• I transformed my body in a way that still shocks me sometimes.  I released 57 lbs of excess baggage and all of my hair along with it.
• I began to finally accept and walk into my calling—Minister, Writer, Encourager—Woman of God! I preached for the first time and it went really well.
• I shared my testimony with those closest and in rooms full of unfamiliar faces.
• When I least expected it—love showed up at my door. I opened my heart and life to him—I was present, honest, open, and vulnerable in way I had never been before. I shared me—all of me—good, bad, or indifferent with someone who truly cared about me. Someone who supports, encourages, and values the woman that I am.
• I became a buck stopper!! Two of my babies grew up into wonderful, powerful, and strong young women who have started their own life journey. No babies out of wedlock—God decimated that generational curse.
• I conquered my lifelong fear of deep water—I dived into the Atlantic Ocean as a scuba diver!!

I was ALIVE—not just surviving or existing or pretending!! I was experiencing and participating in my life for the first time EVER and it was wonderful!
So one would think that I would be on top of the world right now—with all of undeniable evidence of God’s love/favor over my life—how could I not be?

Well I must admit that I am not—to be honest I am struggling right now to just keep my head above water. I am in the midst of a battle unlike any I have faced before. I am exhausted—beyond exhausted—I am wiped out, empty, barren.

While I started off on track at the beginning of this year—I must admit that I am ending it feeling the total opposite.

• My eating has been out of control and I have gained some weight back and also lost some of the strength I acquired due to an almost 2 month break from working out.
• I took my eyes off of God and began to look at me—which of course led me to begin to question had God made a mistake calling me? He couldn’t possibly use this flawed vessel for any good could he?
• The relationship that brought me so much joy—I became afraid—I was just too much work, did he really know what he signed up for by choosing me, I just have too many issues, I am too damaged for any man to truly love me--and pushed him away.
• The babies that are gone now—began to question if I truly prepared for what awaits them in this world. Was I a good mom and an example for them? Would they be ok?

I messed up so badly! No coming back this time—I was tired. Tired of fighting—most of my life has been a fight and I just didn’t want to anymore. This mess was too big for me to fix—no snappy comeback or triumphant rise like the Phoenix. What would people think of me if they knew this was what really behind the beautiful smile? This can’t happen to me—I am the person who encourages everyone. I am the person who is constantly applauded for the risk I take every time I share a piece of my pain---I am too strong to get discouraged. Too anointed to ever get tired! I am a child of God and that means that I can’t get depressed.

One of the many things that I love about my Abba Father is the angels in flesh aka my friends and family that He sends just in the nick of time to minister to me.

After another night of restless sleep—I called my twin in all things spiritual and finally shared all of what I had been feeling. She, being the wise woman that she is, listened to me, let me cry, and then pointed me to the Word.

In 1 Kings 17-19 tells the story of the battle between Elijah the prophet and King Ahab—it was really a battle between Good and Evil (Hint—Good won!)

The Lord directed Elijah, he followed God’s direction, and Ahab was defeated. In 1 Kings 18—Elijah challenged Baal’s prophets. It was dynamic—400 evil prophets against Elijah! He not only challenged Baal—he challenged the people of Israel to finally choose who they would serve--God or Baal! After God performed the miraculous and the people came to their senses—they murdered the prophets! Elijah then brought to an end a drought in the land! Victory was gained!! Ahab ran home and told his crazy, evil wife Jezebel and she put a hit out on Elijah! Elijah stood his ground and faced her—wrong! Elijah ran away defeated and discouraged. So much so that when he finally stopped the Bible says the following:

“Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” (1 Kings 19:4 NLT)

How does one go from the highest mountain to the lowest valley so quickly? What does it say about their walk and faith in God? Elijah had experienced God’s best—he was fed by ravens, defeated the enemy, and got prayers immediately answered. Then for him to be so discouraged that he prayed that God would end his life—doesn’t make sense.

So how did God answer Elijah’s request to just let him die—He allowed him to rest and fed him.

I love how intricate God’s choice of words in these passages--one of the Hebrew definitions of the word rest is chadal—which means to cease or come to an end and the word fed is ‘akal—which means to eat, devour, burn up, and feed.

God sent an angel to speak to Elijah two times—the first time the angel woke Elijah he provided him with a meal but the second time is my favorite part of the whole story.

In verse 7 it states—“Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you”

I—like Elijah and many of us—had come to the end of me. The end of the measure of what was needed to do the great accomplishments I had over 2011. The end of my own strength and abilities. The end of “me” was right back at the feet of my Father resting.

Rest is very important to God—so much so that He set the precedent way back in Genesis. After He created the world and all that was in it—He rested and called it good.

I have been guilty (convicted and sentenced by my friends) of pushing myself too hard. Going hard in all things is what I do—I am a woman! But like all things that are hard—I broke! So I challenge myself and ask you to join me in seeking to spend more time at Abba’s feet resting—in His presence, resting in His Word, resting on the promises that He has given you in this next year. He promised great things to those who rest in Him.

The other part of this story came in the second time the angel woke Elijah up. God didn’t say to Elijah “Listen here you coward—this mess is too big for me to use you anymore! How could you run from those crazy people? How dare you quit on me or question my Hand in your life? That is it—game over!” God told him to get up and eat this meal or the journey ahead would be too great for him.

Had God given up on Elijah even though Elijah had given up on himself? No! Had God denied that they journey ahead would be tough or great? No! Did He deny the feelings that arose in Elijah’s heart—God I am scared, this is too much, I can’t go any further? No!

What He said was the following:

1)      I am going to use you—yes I know you are tired, scared, and a mess—but I am not changing my mind. My gifts & callings are non returnable, irrevocable—I don’t change my mind about who I called you to be! You ARE what I said you are in spite of what your actions are!

2)      What you are facing is great—but I am greater!

3)      Yes you are tired—but I never tire!

4)      No mess is ever too big for me to work out—I saw it before you saw Me and I done already re worked it to work out for you!

So today, I encourage you like I do myself—to spend the last days of this year resting at Abba’s feet and eating the perfectly God-prepared balanced meal that He has before you so that you can face what He has called you to do in 2012.

Thank you for being such a wonderful part of this year’s journey with me. Your support and encouraging words about my writing means more than you know—every like and comment lifts my spirits, abolishes my fears, and pushes me to keep digging deep to find what God placed in me.

I look forward to where God is taking me in 2012—Prayerfully my book “From Broken to Beautiful: Finding Your Purpose from Your Pain” will be completed next year!

I love you all and may the Lord bless & keep you!

Be blessed

Habibah

© Habibah Sulayman 2011

Your Legacy by Habibah Sulayman

During my most recent Sacred Sojourn--I had a number of miraculous interactions with God and His blessings in human form aka people. One of the best came in with meeting a trio of wonderful women. Since I was traveling alone--At dinner I was placed at the table with a wonderful group of women--Grandmother Catherine, daughter Gail, and granddaughter Gracie. They were originally from Canada (Grandmother & Mother) but now reside in Kentucky. We couldn't be more different--they lived in a very rural town and I was Ms City girl herself. They were Caucasian and I an African American. They were wealthy and I am in the process of getting there (Smile). But what linked us together was so much more important that what divided us--we were women. For seven nights we shared of ourselves--stories about who we were, what brought us to Puerto Rico, etc? But the most interesting facts were shared in my watching their interactions with one another.

One of the things we had in common was our love of traveling and Gail shared with me where her love started. When she was 8 years old--her mother took her to Hawaii and introduced her to the wonderful world of snorkeling. She fell in love with the ocean and all that lived in it. At the age of 15, she was taken to the Caribbean and she learned how to scuba dive. It opened her to desire to explore--so when she finished college she spent 6 months traveling the world visiting all of the great snorkeling/scuba locations--the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and a number of other places. When she got married and gave birth to her children she vowed to pass that same love onto her daughters. Which is what led us to meet when we did--this trip was introduce Gracie to God's world beneath the water with the hope of waking the same desire that laid in the heart of her Grandmother and Mother. Over the seven meals we shared I watched Gracie's love for travel blossom and I also saw the joy in Gail and Catherine's eyes in seeing the connection being formed between their generations.

It got me to thinking about what legacies we as Christian women inherited and what we are leaving behind for our daughters.

I come from a long line of strong, self sufficient, self sacrificing women. And while some may find that great--let me speak of the unspoken legacies that I inherited. I learned that everyone else's needs, thoughts, and desires were more important than my own. I learn that self care was selfish--the true mark of a good woman is to give to all in her life until she is empty by never holding anything back. I learned that love was created for everyone else but me and that true love was to love another who was not only not worthy of my love but abused me in the process. Work, work, work--you don't have a right or deserve to rest. Give, give, and give until there is NOTHING left--especially for you. The pain and hurt that you never spoke of to anyone about--just keep smiling while you were slowly dying inside. Secrets and shame was okay. Freedom was for everyone else except you. There were so many unspoken messages that I carried from my childhood into my adulthood that impact my life still today. And sadly enough, if I am totally honest I have shared those same messages with my own daughters.

I did some research and found that some of the leading causes of natural death in women--heart disease, cancer, stroke, and respiratory infections--can be deterred or even stopped by better self care. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. The causes of our spiritual deaths is even greater--anger of past hurts, bitterness over lack of reciprocity in our families, the attacks we suffer because we are beyond exhausted, etc.

But I rejoice because I serve a God of newness--beginning, legacies, and messages.  When I decided to say Yes to Jesus many moons ago--I became a new creature and old things--including those dysfunctional legacies--passed away. I have the power to now write a new legacy for not only me but for all the present and coming generations of women in my family.

I have a whole new appreciation of the speech you get when you fly--they tell you that in case of a flight emergency--when the oxygen mask comes down--place the mask on you first THEN place the other mask on your child.

As women--we must place the oxygen masks on our lives--physically and spiritually--and teach our daughters to do the same before we create another generation of women who are slowly killing themselves before they even truly begin to live.

As we head into this holiday season--there are so many gifts that we can give our daughters. We search high and low for the perfect gift for them to open on that one day but I am challenging you to examine the gifts that they receive from you every day-- your legacies--both inherited and transmitted. I pray for wisdom, discernment, and guidance from God to help you write some new legacies that will speak life into the lives of your daughters and all the women to come.

Be blessed
Habibah
© Habibah Sulayman 2011

Living Life with a Broken Leg

"Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,


My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.


Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." ~ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message)

Well, we're back!
It's been an eventful vacation, and the souvenir we have left over to show for it all is a BROKEN LEG.

Broken legs are often necessary in the transformation process. It is an extraordinary process! We look forward to the outcome, but often we underestimate the pain involved to get there.

As was noted recently by Elder Ted Reed, many of the principles of God are progressive. God has a goal (a plan) in mind for each of us.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me , and I will listen to you.You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV

He has a plan, but it doesn't happen overnight. He knows what it will take to get us there. Nothing he uses, or allows, to accomplish His plan is wasted--not pain, not frustration, not tragedy, not loss.

Our job is to keep in mind the promise of an expected end, and to keep our focus on Him as He sets the path for our destination.

God is a keeper, and He is faithful. He uses the leg-breaking process as a time for us to accept our weakness and rely wholly on Him for strength. As we stay in His Presence, our broken bones can set properly, and we can walk with Him intimately toward our eternal destination.

To Be Continued...

Hi Blog Readers,

First, I'd like to thank you for your patience over the last couple of months. Life has been making some very sharp shifts for me lately, which have caused me to "be still and know". Unfortunately, the blog was one of the shift casualties...but only temporarily.

I plan on coming back stronger and more in tune with the Holy Spirit as God brings me through. Stay tuned for more CANDACE SPEAKS...VERY SOON!!!!

Resting in the Presence of MY Daddy,

Melissa

Everlasting

Guest Blogger: Habibah Sulayman

I have a confession--I LOVE to box! Not Mike Tyson ear biting type of boxing but I like to box as a form of exercise. It makes my turkey wings aka my arms :) look and feel great.

My trainer, who has to be one of the most creative women I know, has created a section in her gym/basement, where she has set the punching bag on a chair and tied it to a standing column with two exercise resistance bands! Told you she was fabulous :).

She knows how much I enjoy boxing and since I am on a cardio kick--she lets me box myself silly sometimes.

On the front of the bag it states the following:

"EVERLASTING--THE CHOICE OF CHAMPIONS"

What most people dont know is that exercise has become a time of worship for me. I am fully aware of God's power in me when I work out because I know there are things that I am able to do then--dips, running on a treadmill among others--that I cant do in my own strength. So I usually meditate on a thought or two when I am exercising. I have little chants that I say in my head when I finally get a rhythm going--My trainer has this exercise I do while boxing--I squat and punch the bag as I come to a full stand. It is usually done to a 6 count. So my fav chant during that is Your will, Your way, Your Word or something like that. It is a time that I can drown out all of my busy thoughts and just focus on Him.

Yesterday, one of my favorite Worship leaders Theresa Noye (luv her and her family so much) sang a song called Everlasting by Chris Tomlin and some of the lyrics are as follows:

Our God, You reign forever

Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God

The everlasting God

You do not faint

You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak

You comfort those in need

You lift us up on wings like eagles

As I sang--I got a big picture. I began to reflect on God's everlasting presence in my life. How He never grows faint in His love for me and my loved ones. How He didnt grow faint when He pursued me all those years before I said "Yes" in my heart to Him. How He never grows faint in extending me more and more mercy & grace knowing full well how bad I am going to blow it. He never grows weary of hearing my cries as it is written "

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them." Psalm 145:18-19 (NIV)

So even when I call on Him in TRUTH of my mess, weakness, shakiness--He NEVER grows tired of answering me. I just began to meditate on ALL of the things my mind could pull up that He doesnt faint or grow weary in when it comes to me and my heart was full.

This weekend's false prophecy made me sad more than anything because there are so many people who grew weary and almost fainted because they put their all in a man--who did exactly what we do in our own power FAIL. I know how that feels and I grieve for them all.

Instead of judging or mocking them--I began to look at my own life to see if I had any false prophets or idols I had been placing my everlasting faith in--It could be in the form of the job we think is our provision, the whispered promises of an illicit person who swears to never leave if we only give in, or could it be the talent/abilities that God has given us that we place faith in instead of the Giver of All? If we are all honest--we all have some small or big "false prophet" in our lives that we must renounce our agreement with (another Min Theresa Noye nugget of wisdom)

But guess what--there is Someone who doesnt--Someone who is EVERLASTING in His promises, power, mercy, grace, andl LOVE if you just say yes.

He is the EVERLASTING God--and choosing to say yes to Him will make you a champion. He is waiting to show each and everyone of His tired and weary children how much He loves them.

So today my prayer is that we begin to place our faith and hope back into the EVERLASTING arms of the only One who it belonged to all along...

Be blessed

The Esau Syndrome

Have you ever, in desperation, settled on something only to later realize that God had (or may have had) something better?

Have you ever fretted over your situation so much until you finally convinced yourself to come up with your own solution to "fix" it because God was taking too long?

In this race, we experience all types of emotions -- including being tempted to take a shortcut. These shortcuts often seem to be the only way to appease some emotion with which we are struggling, like hunger, thirst, loneliness, frustration, etc.

In Genesis Chapter 25:29-34, Esau came to Jacob, after a day of hunting, and declared that he was so hungry he was about to die. Jacob had been preparing some lentil stew, which probably smelled great to Esau. Esau exaggerated his condition to make a point, but it just gave Jacob a glimpse at how vulnerable Esau was, so he made a plan to take advantage. Esau's desperation cost him his birthright, the inheritance that was his because he was the first-born son.

Hebrews 12:16-17 warns us against making the same irreversible mistakes.

Often, as Christians, we feel desperate in our situtations. Our focus on how we feel, and not on God and his ability to know what's best for us, drives us deeper into our emotions. For example, we feel lonely. We begin to focus on our loneliness, which is very real and painful. We start to think that God is taking too long to relieve this anguish, and we can't take it anymore. We consider ways to "take the edge off" that we know, or believe, are not pleasing to God. We convince ourselves that we have no choice if we are going to continue, if we don't get relief we will "surely die". We pray for God's grace in our decision to sin, and veer off on the path of COMPROMISE.

Once we realize what we have done, we (hopefully) experience immediate conviction and remorse, but it's too late. If we repent, God will guide us back to the right road, but there will be consequences on the way, some more painful than what we first experienced.

One of the saddest scenes in the bible occurs in Genesis 27:32-40, where  Esau goes to Isaac and realizes that he indeed has lost his inheritance to his younger brother, Jacob.

Today, as believers, our inheritance of eternal life is sealed at salvation, however we cheat ourselves of God's best and have to deal with the unnecessary pain of the consequences of our decisions when we succumb to sinful shortcuts. We take these kind of shortcuts in our finances, our relationships, and our career choices, to name a few. There are other scenarios as well.

If we find ourselves overwhelmed by our unmet needs, and we are tempted to take a shortcut, we would be wise to remember Esau, and to look to God to strengthen us to endure while waiting for His best.

A Collective Bride

If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing.
1 Corinthians 12:26 (MSG)

In the Body, we are nothing without each other.

The Word speaks about one bride and one bridegroom. Although we are individuals with differing personalities and varying gifts, in God we are considered one.

collective: denoting a number of persons or things considered as one group or whole, like a flock
(according to Merriam-Webster dictionary)

In order to advance, we have to run as one. All of the parts are important. Nothing can be considered insignificant, or less important.

It is tempting to leave the slower runners, or those who have veered off the path, behind. The Word of God in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 makes it clear that this is NOT AN OPTION! It could be compared to showing up to your wedding with part of your dress missing.

"Weeds of discontent" can grow in even the most beautiful garden. We have to be sure they are picked while they are young and easier to pull. In a race, discontent causes lost focus, unnecessary grandstanding, and quitting.

The church must be a place where we take time to care about the "sick" parts of the body. We cannot just keep running past them, hoping they'll catch up (get well on their own) or forfeit (disappear entirely). We have to slow down to assist them with encouragement to stay in the race and keep running. We might have to sacrifice what we see as a successful lead to spend time ministering to, and serving each other. We have to show care to one another. It can be exhausting.

If we are to grow spiritually, and reach the finish line to be joined to our Bridegroom, it's going to be an all or none type of  deal. By the time we get  there we may feel bruised and battered, but Christ will embrace us as one cherished bride, collective, glorious and holy without spot or wrinkle.

Loving Discipline: Training vs. Punishment

Today, the city of Philadelphia hosts the final day of the 2011 Penn Relay Carnival,  "the longest uninterrupted collegiate track meet in the country".

As you witness over 20,000 contestants from around the world participate in a variety of track and field events, you realize that a very  necessary part of their lives has to be discipline. They could not have made it this far without it.

The problem with discipline for many of us is...it hurts.

Discipline involves pain, sacrifice, sufferering, pressure, and rejection.
These are things that we don't often associate with God, but as the ultimate parent He knows they are invaluable to training a peak performer. God's Word doesn't promise a life without pain until we reach eternity.To grow and move forward, we have to stop trying  to avoid pain.

Hebrews 12, teaches us about God's discipline. It says it shouldn't be confused with punishment, but must be considered "normal" in the life of a believer.

Heb. 12: 4-11
Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves.
Would you prefer an irresponsible God?
We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live?
While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best.
At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain.
Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

The source of God's discipline is His love. He cares for us, so He allows whatever is needed to to mature us into living as the priests we were created to be, here and forevermore. The goal of His training process is spiritual maturity.

Many seek to be spiritually mature, but fail to understand the pain that is needed for that to happen.
In nature, maturity takes irritation, pressure, crushing, fighting, and heat. It's similar in the spirit realm.

God has given us the desire to take off this flesh, the old man, and die to self in order to live in Him. To do that, we must take up our cross daily. Remembering the cross, it was a place of shame and suffering.

Romans 8:16-18 says,
For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

Advancing to God's glory requires training and discipline. Both of these may feel like punishment as we go through. We must accept each, and focus on the finish line, the loving arms of Christ our Bridegroom, in order to endure.

A Shot of Adrenaline

In a long-distance race, runners sometimes feel like they need a shot of something to make it to the end.

Forget about strong coffee, caffeinated soda, or a powerful energy drink; they just cramp you up.

In Hebrews 12, the writer suggests our "rejuvenation" comes in the form of recalling the agony Christ suffered prior to, and while on, the cross.

Rejection by His Own: Matthew 13:53-58 and Mark 6:1-6
Rebuff of His Teaching: John 6:66-71
Rebuke of His Identity: Matthew 9:2-6; Mark 2:7; and Luke 5:21
Rebellion by His Closest Followers: Matthew 26:14-16, 45-50; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6; Luke 22:47-48
Ruthlessness of His Abusers: Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20
Repudiation of the Father: Mark 15:34
Regicide in Spite of His Innocence: Mark 15:12-26; John 18:33-40

It's not just for Ressurrection Sunday. To remember His sufferings, we are reminded of His glory-past, present, and future. That is enough to make us keep running.

Why it is Important that Jesus is Seated at the Right Hand of God

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?] Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?

Romans 8:33-34 (AMP)

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Mark 16:19 and Luke 24:51, we are told that (after appearing to over 500 people over 40 days) Jesus was taken back up heaven and now sits at the "right hand" of the Father.

In the book of Job 9:32-35, Job in the midst of his trials cried out for someone to mediate between Him and God:

 “He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him,
  that we might confront each other in court.
  If only there were someone to mediate between us,
  someone to bring us together, 

  someone to remove God’s rod from me,
  so that his terror would frighten me no more. 

  Then I would speak up without fear of him,
  but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Now that Jesus has ascended to the Father's side, we are assured that we do have such an advocate that intercedes on our behalf so that we are never alone in our storms.

God'd right hand is a place of power.

God's right hand is a place of authority.

God's right hand is a place of justice.

God's right hand is a place of victory.

God's right hand is a place of grace.

It is here that Jesus sits patiently pleading for our mercy to the Father, and for the chance to come back and claim us as His Bride.

Thank You Jesus for standing in the gap for us, advocating on our behalf. You do not sit idle, but having prepared a place for us, You act as the filter through which God sees us who believe in You as Savior and Lord. And one day You will return for us and take us where You are to live eternally with You and reign with You forever. We love You Jesus and bless Your Holy Name. Amen.

The Shame of the Cross

Like a young plant or a root

   that sprouts in dry ground,

   the servant grew up

   obeying the LORD.

   He wasn't some handsome king. Nothing about the way he looked made him attractive to us. He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, "He is a nobody!" He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well.

    All of us were like sheep

   that had wandered off.

   We had each gone our own way,

   but the LORD gave him

   the punishment we deserved.

Isaiah 5:2-6(CEV)

Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

Running experts give the following reasons to run with your head up:

• When you have your head down the weight of your head is in front of your center of gravity, which will tire your neck, back, and rear end muscles.
• You should scan the area in front so you don't step on something, but also look far ahead so you can keep track of the course.
• Let your gaze guide you. Look ahead naturally, not down at your feet, and scan the horizon.
• You can breathe easier, too, as your lungs will be able to fully expand.
• You'll be able to keep contact with other runners and close gaps when necessary.
• "Once your head and eyes go down, you're no longer racing, you're surviving."-Ed Eyestone

These are all great reasons to keep your head up in a physical race, but don't sleep on the spiritual metaphors.

As long-distance runners in this Christian race, as described by Paul in his epistles, we have to keep our heads up. This is not just advice to keep a positive attitude, but to keep our eyes on the goal, on Christ.

He not only runs with us, but waits for us at the end as well.

We know the story of Peter walking on the water (found in Matthew 14). When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink. He focused on the wind and the waves, which represented the storminess of the natural situation, and not the Lord, the supernatural One who controls the situation.

As we run, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus. We have to recall Him in the Word, as well as in our past circumstances. Remember how He was there for us, giving us the comfort and peace needed in stormy situations.

By keeping our eyes on Christ, we are reminded that He is the One who saves -- not our own ability, not others (though He might work through others), and not world-based organizations.

As Ed Eyestone states above, let's get out of merely surviving, and start racing to win!

Staying Spiritually Fit

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me."
Mark 8:34

One thing about spiritual fitness is that it is a daily choice.

And because it is a daily choice, we can make a decision each day to do something that helps us to shed the "spiritual fat", mentioned in Hebrews 12:1, that begins to weigh us down unnecessarily.

Physical fitness continues over a lifetime. Although there are some basic exercises that just plain work (like sit ups), what works today may change tomorrow. Different areas need more attention from time to time (today it's your hips, next week it's the back of your arms). What we do impacts the lives of those around us, your decision to live a healthier lifestyle over time usually has benefits that affect the whole family.

Spiritual fitness has some basic exercises that work: scripture reading with application, prayer, fasting, giving, anf fellowship are just a few.

Overtime, God will reveal the "flabby, out-of-shape" areas in our lives at different times. And what we do spiritually definitely has an impact on our families, to the third and fourth generations and beyond.

Also, like physical fitness, spiritual fitness can get routine, mundane, and ineffective without the help of a personal trainer. Our personal spiritual trainer is the Holy Spirit of God, the person of God that dwells inside of each one of us as believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is concerned in us meeting our spiritual ideal. He will help us to take off that excess baggage, showing us where unrepentant sin is weighing us down. He will design a custom fitness plan to transform our soul and spirit. He will  direct us on which equipment will be most effective for our condition.

BUT, we have to show up!

Many of us have hired personal trainers in the attempt to meet our physical fitness goals. We might have had the best intentions of working hard at following their instruction to transform our bodies. But if we didn't show up to train, nothing changed. It's the same spiritually.

There is no magic quick-fix, no miracle pill, no fat-melting potion that will get us fit physically, and there is no hocus-pocus make-a-wish method that will get us fit spiritually.

Paul says, in 1 Corithians 9:25-27
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Following Christ is a "strict training" that requires discipline and commitment. It order to get the most benefit, we have to do our part daily -- commune with God (the earlier in the day we start, the better), meditate on the Word to apply it to our lives, renew our minds (Philippians 4:8), watch and listen for the guidance/teaching of the Holy Spirit, and practice the principles of confession and repentance-- SHOW UP FOR TRAINING!!!!

By doing this regularly, there is NO WAY we will stay the same...we will advance.

The Urge to Quit

What a gift life is to those who stay the course!

Advancing is demanding and requires perseverance.

Moving forward against obstacles when so much is trying to pull us back is hard.

Sometimes we just get tired.

What do we do when we just don't feel like going any further? What if our legs are getting weak and we're starting to lose our breath? What if the feelings of loneliness that sometimes encircle a long-distance runner are beginning to overtake us?

James 5:10-11(The Message) tells us to:

"Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail."

When we get overwhelmed by the urge to quit, we have to remember why we got in this race in the first place.

As we reflect back to the beginning of our walk with God, when we first decided to "give Jesus a try", what was it that made us know that this was a race worth running? Sometimes we lose sight of the events that moved us in God's direction. We forget what brought us to the point of realizing, "God's way is better than my way".

Taking a moment to look back, but not stay there, can be the "adrenaline rush" we need to keep moving forward.

Don't Quit.

Childhood Doesn't Last Forever

When we were children,
   we thought and reasoned
   as children do.
   But when we grew up,
   we quit our childish ways.

1 Corinthians 13:11 (CEV)

As daughters of Zion, we don't stay infants forever. We have to move forward, and grow in God.

In the beginning of our walk, we often feel like God is right there. His movement and direction in our lives is so immediate that faith in Him is almost effortless.

However, for many, the longer we walk with Him, it seems to get more difficult as we attempt to live more independent of Him. We struggle between satisfying the desires of our flesh, navigating our way in this now-foreign world, and obediently following our Father. We question His ways against the ways that make sense to us. We make decisions without consulting Him first.

If we're not prayerful and diligent in nurturing our relationship with God, we risk hindering our growth. We prolong our role as infants, immature in the faith, stunted and out of position.

The goal of being a daughter of the King is to prepare to be a part of the Bride of Christ, free of the power of sin, and fully dependent on our Bridegroom, not an undeveloped newborn. We must learn to quit our "childish ways" and grow up, advancing in God.

The Call to Advance

ADVANCE: To cause to move forward; propose or suggest; aid the growth or progress of; promote; cause to occur sooner; increase; go forward or onward; move against another, as when attacking; make progress; improve; rise in rank, position, or value.

Strip down, start running—and never quit!

No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it.

Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever.

And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed!

So don't feel sorry for yourselves.

Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either.     
It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.

God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out.
He's treating you as dear children.

This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children.
Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves.
Would you prefer an irresponsible God?

We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live?

While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best.

At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain.
Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
 
So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet!
 
Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! Work at getting along with each other and with God.
 
Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity.
 
Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.
 
Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite.
 
You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
 
Hebrews 12:1-12 (The Message)

Father of the Bride - Part Two

Art used by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992. To order prints visit her "Revelation Illustrated" site, http://revelationillustrated.com.

 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Revelation 21:7

As mentioned earlier, one of the responsibilities of the Father is to prepare the Bride, the Church, to meet the Bridegroom, Jesus the Christ.

Earlier this month, we looked at some of the parallels between the natural preparation of a Hebrew girl to become a bride and the spiritual preparation of the children of God to become the unblemished Bride of Christ. Here are even more details:

• It was customary for the father of the bridegroom to choose the bride, not the groom, himself. A friend or trusted servant (agent) would meet with the family of the bride to make the arrangements. The bride often did not even know what the groom looked like, but she knew once she agreed to the marriage, she would be with him forever! It is the Heavenly Father that has chosen us to be the Bride of Christ. The Holy Spirit acts as the agent to speak to us on behalf of the prospective Bridegroom today. We, as the prospective Bride, have a choice to accept Christ's love and this eternal relationship.
• The prospective groom would travel from his father's home to the home of the bride. The father of the bride and the groom would negotiate a price to purchase her as his bride -- a bride-price.The bride-price always reflected the value of the bride. A hefty bride-price has been paid by our Prospective Bridegroom. He paid for us with His life. In doing this, He paid the cost for all of our sins that was demanded by our Holy Father in order to dwell with him eternally. (Romans 5:5-9)
•  Upon agreement by the father of the bride, the groom, and the bride, the betrothal, a type of "engagement" began. At this time it was understood that the bride was consecrated, set apart, for the groom. This would be symbolized by a shared cup of wine between the bride and groom at the time of agreement.Our consecration begins once we accept Christ's death as a gift of salvation, and it is symbolized by our partaking of Communion. (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
• Following the betrothal, the bridegroom left the bride to go and prepare a home for them to share. This separation gave the bride time to prepare for married life. During this time, the groom would be exempt from military duty while he prepared for his bride. Christ has promised that he has gone to prepare a place for us to come and dwell with Him.(John 14:1-3). At this time, He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. After He returns, He will come ready for battle for the final defeat of the enemy.(Revelation 19:11-21)
• Once the groom's father decided it was time, the groom would return for his bride. A shofar would be blown and, often in the middle of the night, the bridegroom would come to "snatch" his bride. The bride would not know ahead of time when the groom would return. When God, the Father, decides (and only then), following a trumpet blast, Christ will return for His Bride, like a "thief in the night". We, the Bride, don't know the time when He will come, so we must prepare and be ready. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; Matthew 25:1-13)

We have looked at how much of this preparation is done in the early years between a father and a daughter, as he pours into her. As the child grows, she becomes  a little more independent of the father and has to make more choices and decisions on her own, hopefully influenced by the lessons learned from her dad.

As we grow in Christ, there are choices we must make based what has been poured out by our Father. This month, as we continue to unwrap our identity as daughters of the Most High God, let's look at how we "ADVANCE" as CANDACE, "courageous and noble daughters" of God.

A Father Who Delights in His Child

He brought me out into a spacious place;
   he rescued me because he delighted in me.
Psalm 18:19

More than anything, I wanted my father's approval...

One of the most difficult voids to fill in a person's life is the hole formed by rejection.

We believe that a parent's love should be unconditional. Many have had the joy of this experience, but many have not. Growing up with rejection, and struggles for approval, from our father leaves what seems to be a bottomless hole in our souls.

This is a hole that can only be filled by God with an honest relationship through Jesus Christ.

Understanding our identity in Christ grows deeper as we begin to acknowledge, and accept, God's pleasure in us, His children. Throughout His Word, God makes it clear that there are many reasons He is delighted with us.

God DELIGHTS in our well-being.
Psalm 35:27 -May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

God DELIGHTS in our reverent fear and worship.
Psalm 147: 10-12 -His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

God DELIGHTS in our obedience, in our doing what is right.
Proverbs 21:2-3 -We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts. Doing what is right and fair pleases the LORD more than an offering.

God DELIGHTS in making us strong.
Psalm 89:17-You are their glorious strength. It pleases you to make us strong.
 
God DELIGHTS in revealing His wisdom to us, the untaught and unskilled; his little children
Matthew 11:25-26 - At that time Jesus began to say, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [and I acknowledge openly and joyfully to Your honor], that You have hidden these things from the wise and clever and learned, and revealed them to babies [to the childish, untaught, and unskilled]. Yes, Father, [I praise You that] such was Your gracious will and good pleasure.

God DELIGHTS in giving us the Kingdom (with treasures beyond what we can imagine).
Luke 12:31-33- But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

God DELIGHTS in revealing Jesus to us, His Creation, so that we can share Him with the world.
Galatians 1:15-16 - But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.

God DELIGHTS in our endurance.
1 Peter 2:19-20-For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

God DELIGHTS in having created us.
Revelation 4:11- “You are worthy, O Lord our God,to receive glory and honor and power.For you created all things,and they exist because you created what you pleased.”