Growing up, my mother tried to teach me early on to be sensitive to hearing God speak. Read His Word, obey what is says and listen for a still, small voice. She also used to say to listen to groups of three. If you hear the same verses three times, hear a similar sermon three times...you get the picture. She said that is one of the ways that He confirms what He is trying to say.
I never really asked why, but I began to look for and see in my life God confirm things over and over. When I was making a decision about what to do after high school; three ways He spoke to me to go to Last Days Ministries. I read a magazine article about serving. The next day I heard a sermon on serving. A couple of days later I read a page in a magazine that said "Come and serve at Last Days Ministries". Now, I am NOT saying that every time you read something like that, that it is God. I am saying that if you are in a place where you are asking God for direction, open your eyes and ears and be ready to hear.
Today, I saw the "three" in scripture. In Acts 11: 1 - 18, Peter is up on the roof top praying and while he is, he has a vision. In this vision, God lowers a sheet with all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. The Lord said, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them." Now, this probably freaked Peter out a bit. You see all of these creatures were just the sort of creatures that God had forbidden the people to eat before the time of Jesus. But God is trying to tell Peter,"You're praying; I'm talking. It is time for a new thing."
Peter's first response is "No, Lord. I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean." But the Lord replied, "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." Then this happened THREE TIMES before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.
Could the Lord possibly have something new He wants to do in you; through you? Maybe you have thought the idea weird or absurd. Ask Him for three. Three confirmations that He is in fact speaking to you. Once you do, keep your eyes and ears open. He just might show you something amazing!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
All Believers Together
Friday I had the wonderful priviledge to meet with the women of Northbrook UMC in Roswell, Georgia. On the way to the church from my hotel, Jacinda asked me a simple question, "What is your background?". If only she knew! I was born into a Catholic family. When I was still in elementary school, my parents made the decision to start attending a Pentecostal church. For junior high, I asked my parents if I could attend a Baptist school. The foundation for my faith was really laid during that time and in high school in a Wesleyan church. Greg and I got married in an Assembly of God church. After we were married, we attend a prosperity church in Greenville, South Carolina. Moving back to Iowa, we helped to plant a Vineyard church and now in Charlotte attend a rocking church called Elevation - an amazing move of God that has grown to 5,000 people in three years. Check it out at www.Elevationchurch.org.
Now to many of you, that background may sound very confusing! When I look it, I see the hand of God bringing me to a place where I can see the church of Jesus as one big family. In Acts 2:44 it says "And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had." ALL the believers. They were not divided by differing beliefs. My husband Greg often says we should not major on the minors. In other words, if we all are in agreement that Jesus is the Son of God and came in order to forgive us for our sins and bring us back to the Father, than we are brothers and sisters in Him. THAT is what matters.
As we tear down walls of difference, we will be amazed at what we can learn from each other and even more amazed at what the Lord can do in and through us as we truly share who He is with those who are around us.
Be intentional. Look for another believer that might believe a little different than you. Hang out together. You can learn from her and she can learn from you. Together let's truly show the world that we are different. Jesus said it best, "They will know that we are Christians by our love!"
Now to many of you, that background may sound very confusing! When I look it, I see the hand of God bringing me to a place where I can see the church of Jesus as one big family. In Acts 2:44 it says "And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had." ALL the believers. They were not divided by differing beliefs. My husband Greg often says we should not major on the minors. In other words, if we all are in agreement that Jesus is the Son of God and came in order to forgive us for our sins and bring us back to the Father, than we are brothers and sisters in Him. THAT is what matters.
As we tear down walls of difference, we will be amazed at what we can learn from each other and even more amazed at what the Lord can do in and through us as we truly share who He is with those who are around us.
Be intentional. Look for another believer that might believe a little different than you. Hang out together. You can learn from her and she can learn from you. Together let's truly show the world that we are different. Jesus said it best, "They will know that we are Christians by our love!"
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Cool God Thing
Never put anything past God! Today, He spoke to me in the tire store. Yes...the tire store.
It was time to get new tires and I had a sense that I had better get them on before I head out for Georgia tomorrow. I was a bit nerveous; Greg and Zach put some very cool rims on my Scion XB, but unfortunately they are a weird size. I was SO hoping the ordered tires would come in before my road trip. They did in fact arrive today!Thankful that once again He was taking care of me, I settled down in the waiting room couch with my Bible for what I assumed would be a long hour.
A gorgeous young girl came in shortly after me and pulled out her thick college book. "Biology?" I asked. "No, anatomy." From here, Morgan and I had a great conversation about school, God and life at nineteen. As Morgan talked, I could totally see what God had set up, especially when she said, "Everyone wants to be wanted. Girls need to know that they matter and hard choices today will lead to better things later." For a moment, I had this crazy feeling that she had read my notes for my talk tomorrow! That line...everyone wants to be wanted is part of my "He is That Into You: Finding Perfect Love in The Heart of God. As I listened to her talk, it was as if the Lord was encouraging me, "Keep speaking what you're speaking, Lynn. I want others to know I want them".
It is conversations like these that encourage me to continue sharing God's heart; that He really and truly is flipped-out, madly in love with us! That the desire of His heart is for each one of His creations to not only know that, to not only receive that, to not only live in that, but to be completely and utterly changed by His amazing love.
It was time to get new tires and I had a sense that I had better get them on before I head out for Georgia tomorrow. I was a bit nerveous; Greg and Zach put some very cool rims on my Scion XB, but unfortunately they are a weird size. I was SO hoping the ordered tires would come in before my road trip. They did in fact arrive today!Thankful that once again He was taking care of me, I settled down in the waiting room couch with my Bible for what I assumed would be a long hour.
A gorgeous young girl came in shortly after me and pulled out her thick college book. "Biology?" I asked. "No, anatomy." From here, Morgan and I had a great conversation about school, God and life at nineteen. As Morgan talked, I could totally see what God had set up, especially when she said, "Everyone wants to be wanted. Girls need to know that they matter and hard choices today will lead to better things later." For a moment, I had this crazy feeling that she had read my notes for my talk tomorrow! That line...everyone wants to be wanted is part of my "He is That Into You: Finding Perfect Love in The Heart of God. As I listened to her talk, it was as if the Lord was encouraging me, "Keep speaking what you're speaking, Lynn. I want others to know I want them".
It is conversations like these that encourage me to continue sharing God's heart; that He really and truly is flipped-out, madly in love with us! That the desire of His heart is for each one of His creations to not only know that, to not only receive that, to not only live in that, but to be completely and utterly changed by His amazing love.
Monday, November 2, 2009
He's Saying "I Love You"
Congratulations to DCandlady@aol.com! You are the winner of the Susie Mag subsciption. Can you please email me your name and address to: Lynn@proverbs31.org.
Have you ever just thought for a minute of all the ways that God says "I love you". I like to have my ears and heart open to hear whenever I can...I just can't get enough.
My favorite way is through His creation. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that we are closer to God in His creation than in any cathedral made with human hands. I just couldn't agree more. Just look at this:
When I saw Linville Falls in the mountains of western North Carolina last week, I just thought, "That is the type of thing you made just because...."
Sometimes it is through those you love and love you:
Sometimes it is in ways maybe we don't want to hear...the answer "no" when we want desperately to hear "yes".
No matter how He is saying it, He is saying "I love you". How do you best hear Him speak these words? Just click on "comment" below. You might just open the eyes of another to see God in an entirely different way!
Have you ever just thought for a minute of all the ways that God says "I love you". I like to have my ears and heart open to hear whenever I can...I just can't get enough.
My favorite way is through His creation. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that we are closer to God in His creation than in any cathedral made with human hands. I just couldn't agree more. Just look at this:
When I saw Linville Falls in the mountains of western North Carolina last week, I just thought, "That is the type of thing you made just because...."
Sometimes it is through those you love and love you:
Sometimes it is in ways maybe we don't want to hear...the answer "no" when we want desperately to hear "yes".
No matter how He is saying it, He is saying "I love you". How do you best hear Him speak these words? Just click on "comment" below. You might just open the eyes of another to see God in an entirely different way!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday Give Away!
An exciting new thing is on the horizon! Proverbs 31 Ministries is looking to update and revamp their ministry to teen girls. In order to do this right, we want to hear from teen girls! Could you help us to find out what girls need and how we can help them in their walk with Christ?
Below are some questions that we believe will do just that. Could you ask a teen you know to stop by and give us their thoughts or if you receive my blog via email, would you forward this to a friend? For helping us out, I will be giving one of our friends a subscription to Susie Mag.
~What are your top 3 needs right now in your life?
~What are the top 3 issues you face on a daily basis?
~What things/people/sources do you seek when making a major life decision?
~What qualities make up the kind of relationships you are the most drawn to?
~What is your current view of God? (see Him as a Father, friend, good person, no opinion or tie to Him at all)
~What kind of person do you respect? Why?
~Do you believe in living with a purpose? Do you have one? Why or why not?
~What is your current view of church/church people?
~Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
~What do you want the most out of life?
Susie Mag is the newest magazine created by Susie Shellenberger. Susie is the creator of Focus On the Family’s Brio magazine. Susie Mag is packed with all the features Christian teen girls have counted on for years from Susie Shellenberger and her team. But Susie magazine aims to go beyond what they established in Brio by covering deeper, even more relevant, hard-hitting topics in addition to the regular features, topics that make a difference, that are life-changing, that help girls survive in the rugged world we are living in. I am very excited about being a contributing author for Susie in both the upcoming December and January issues.
So...here are the questions. You can either post them here...just click on 'comments' below or you can email them to me at Lynn@proverbs31.org. On Monday, I will post our winner!
Have an amazing weekend! I'm hoping to see some amazing fall colors in the mountains :)
Lynn
Monday, October 26, 2009
Perfect = Complete
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! It was beautiful here in Charlotte. I cut down all my summer flowers, vines and bushes...barefoot!
I picked up a new book last week by Susie Shellenberger called "Raising a Spiritually Strong Daughter: Guiding Her Toward a Faith That Lasts". Susie shed some light on a passage I had read before, but possible never truly understood.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 Perfect - great! One more thing for us to try to be; try to do. But Susie shared that in the Greek, "this word is not perfect as in determined by behavior. He isn't saying we are to be perfect humans, which is impossible. He's describing the word perfect as in being whole with our heavenly Father. God wants to perfect your heart. He wants to make you complete. He wants your wholeness to be found in Him."
My whole heart just said "awwwwww". Reading that brought so much peace! What He wants of me and for me is wholeness and that wholeness is found in Him.
Thank you Jesus, that instead of laying a heavy burden on me, once again You are giving something TO me! You are always SO good!
If there are any of my friends near the Atlanta area, I will be speaking next week, November 6th in Roswell, Georgia at Northbrook United Methodist Church. For more information, contact Laura at lauramh@bellsouth.net. We are going to have a great time!
I picked up a new book last week by Susie Shellenberger called "Raising a Spiritually Strong Daughter: Guiding Her Toward a Faith That Lasts". Susie shed some light on a passage I had read before, but possible never truly understood.
"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 Perfect - great! One more thing for us to try to be; try to do. But Susie shared that in the Greek, "this word is not perfect as in determined by behavior. He isn't saying we are to be perfect humans, which is impossible. He's describing the word perfect as in being whole with our heavenly Father. God wants to perfect your heart. He wants to make you complete. He wants your wholeness to be found in Him."
My whole heart just said "awwwwww". Reading that brought so much peace! What He wants of me and for me is wholeness and that wholeness is found in Him.
Thank you Jesus, that instead of laying a heavy burden on me, once again You are giving something TO me! You are always SO good!
If there are any of my friends near the Atlanta area, I will be speaking next week, November 6th in Roswell, Georgia at Northbrook United Methodist Church. For more information, contact Laura at lauramh@bellsouth.net. We are going to have a great time!
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