Tom and I are spending a few days in South Carolina. Last night, we were privileged to see Brennan and Breezy, along with many of our "adopted" kids in an outstanding play on the life of Joseph of Aramathea. It was fantastic! We'll be remaining in town, taking a mini-vacation as we await Brennan's graduation on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, I'm repeating a former post or two...this one is an all-time favorite, shared first nearly two years ago.
For those of you familiar with Beth Moore, this is possibly a story you've heard before. Personally, this has been one of the most impacting illustrations on humility and obedience I have ever heard. I've read it countless times over the years and it never fails to challenge me. I know it is rather long, but I promise, well worth the read.
Taken from the book, Further Still by Beth Moore
At the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.
All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing. I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane."
Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair." The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man."
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."
I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"
I repeated, "May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that."
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"
At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks.
Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? I thought...of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."
"I have one in my bag," he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know Jesus?"
He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and sadly, we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"
I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!"
And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way, all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Showing posts with label Beth Moore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beth Moore. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Powerful Words from Beth Moore...
I've been working through this personal reflection study for the last couple of months...in fact I'm only days away from finishing. It was a gift to me some time ago. (Thank you again, Elaine! I can't express to you how much I've loved this book!) Even though I've taken Beth's Bible study, A Heart Like His (twice, in fact... about 10 years apart) this is a more personal, reflective journey, perfect for independent study time. I spend 15-30 minutes each morning, but most days the passage she shares or something she's written will resonate for hours (and sometimes days) beyond my study time. As she takes you through the life of David, she asks you to examine various personal issues, struggles, motives, sins, etc. and then invites you to journal a prayer at the close of each day.
Several days ago, she shared a chapter on Extremes. She explained that much of David's life was characterized in that way. She related that was so often true of her life's journey as well. She wrote and shared this beautiful prayer. I can't seem to stop thinking about it, and praying it on my own behalf. Perhaps you will find it so meaningful, as well.
Satisfy me not with the lesser of You
Find me no solace in shadows of the true
No ordinary measure of extraordinary means
The depth, the length, and breadth of You
and nothing in between.
Etch these words upon my heart knowing all the while
No ordinary roadblocks plague extraordinary miles
Your power as my portion, Your glory as my fare
Take me to extremities, but meet me fully there.
Find me no solace in shadows of the true
No ordinary measure of extraordinary means
The depth, the length, and breadth of You
and nothing in between.
Etch these words upon my heart knowing all the while
No ordinary roadblocks plague extraordinary miles
Your power as my portion, Your glory as my fare
Take me to extremities, but meet me fully there.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Breaking Free and Something to Think About
Tomorrow our office Bible study group begins Breaking Free. I've heard such great things about this one...I cannot wait! This is the 8th study my co-workers and I have done together! I praise God for the wonderfully diverse group of women He’s brought together from all stages of life – singles, young Moms, Moms with older kids and Grandmothers. There are new believers and those who have walked with the Lord for many years. Some are Catholic, some Lutheran and some Baptist, but one thing binds us all…a desire to draw closer to God. This time, I’m excited to welcome two new women! Because my church graciously allows us to use Videos/DVDs of any previously offered Bible studies, we’ve been privileged to study those written by Beth Moore, Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Priscilla Shirer. Our only cost is for workbooks. In addition, our church's Director of Women’s Ministries has been an a wonderful support, through prayer and words of encouragement.I can’t help but wonder if any of you have felt God urging you to start a Bible study, maybe in your office, or in your neighborhood? Can I encourage you by saying I am truly the last person who ever expected to be used by God in this capacity. If I had known a number of years ago this was part of His plan for me, I would have likely RUN the other way fast! Instead, it began with just one co-worker and I desiring to know God better and starting a Bible study together. Ever so slowly, co-workers were hearing about our study (in sometimes very unconventional ways) and wanting to know more. As the Lord would bring them, we’d welcome them in.
Truth be told, even after studying with many of these same women for the past 6 years, it still makes me nervous. Every.single.week. But you know what I’ve learned over all these years? If you are willing, God is able. Simple, yes...but true. Over the years, I’ve come to Him repeatedly, feeling ill-equipped saying things like…
Lord, you know I’m willing, but I am scared to death!
What if I misinterpret your Word?
What if they ask me a question I can’t answer?
What if they tell me they’re unsure of their salvation…what do I tell them?
Lord, I’m so bad at this…it feels so awkward…someone else could do this so much better, etc…
He inevitably brings this scripture to mind -
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) ~ But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Loosely translated...Don't you see? That's precisely the point! Those are the very things that keep you on your knees, relying on Me!
God doesn’t want people who believe they can do great things for Him! Instead, He wants yielded, trusting, humble and even timid hearts so that when His will is accomplished, there will be no doubt it was all Him, because of Him and through Him.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NIV) ~ But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before Him.
The first time someone asked a question I was unsure of, I simply said…"You know…that’s a good question. I’m not really sure of the answer. Let me do a little research and get back to you." And I did. I’d come home that evening where I would read, research & pray. If I felt I was hitting a wall, I’d call the Director of Women’s Ministries and she would walk me through. I’d follow up with that person and share my findings. Without fail, God used those opportunities to strengthen our bonds of trust and friendship.
Please hear my heart…I can’t encourage you strongly enough if God if prompting you in this way…don’t let fear stop you, sweet one! If you’re willing, and know you’re a sinner saved by grace, that’s the only qualification you need.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NIV) ~ The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Pray about it, talk to a mentor or feel free to e-mail me via my profile. I’m praying for you!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Beth Moore - Final Portion
Sorry for the delay in getting this posted...
(Continued from Thursday, 8/7)
(4) “Dig the Roots”
Our roots are as deep as we are convinced of God’s love for us. “Are we convinced?”
Ephesians 3:17- 19 That He would make His home in our hearts and we would trust him. Our roots would grow down into God’s love to keep us strong. That we would have the power to grasp how high, long, wide and deep is His love. And that we experience His love, even though we can’t fully understand it.
“I have to know that I know He loves me.” The words of Jesus Loves Me can carry you through great difficulty (loss of loved one, betrayal of your spouse, etc.)
2 Kings 19:29-31 “Take root below – bear fruit above.”
(5) “Stop the Choke”
Anxiety chokes the Word right out of us and keep us from maturing in our faith.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but with prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
The cure for anxiety is prayer! We need to be Warriors not worriers! We can have that peace. He will release us if we trust – tell Him we claim the promises He gives! (She shared that God completely restored her thought process, her sanity.)
So often we insist on a life of “feeling good.” Will we so resist trials that we have no crowns to cast?
1 Cor. 1:5-7 God has spoken blessings over us; He has made us rich spiritually. Remain competently competent in the Word of God! (Those are true riches)
Romans 10:8 We need to keep His message close at hand -- on our lips and in our hearts.
Be genuine before others (no “performing”). Hear and Retain the Word in a good, and noble, persevering heart. Noble (Gr. “Kalos”) meaning beautiful, harmonious. Good (Gr. “Agathos”) beneficial. We are here to be a benefit! (to share Christ, serve, disciple and encourage others).
Phil. 2:17-pour yourself out as a drink offering for others for Him!
Be glad about it! We can survive and thrive! We do not have to live in defeat as emotional disasters.
Start your day in the Word…our capacity of hearing from God in the morning is supernatural. (Eccles. 11:6 & Isaiah 50:4-5)
We need to think of PMS as “Please more Spirit!”
(6) “Retain the Word”
Retain (Gr. “kateche”) meaning to hold in a vice grip; to possess with.
Always pray before reading the Word. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit. Then ask Him to raise a specific word or phrase that resonates in your life. Meditate on it that day. Sometimes He will give you “Daily Words.” Other times He will give you “Destiny Words.” Press your hand over your heart so that you can retain it there! (She writes scriptures on index cards and places them where she will see them.) Continuously learn both New and Old testament scripture! (Recommends "Daily Light" by Anne Graham Lotz)
(7) “Press Forth to Your 100-Fold Harvest!”
We are in a culture of “now,” but harvest doesn’t work that way. We have to sow it, wait, and sometimes even water it with our tears. It’s normal in the midst of a long obedience to be tired, worn out and want to quit. Hang in there, press through the discouragement. Harvest takes time, but you will persevere in His strength!
Heb. 11:2-3; Rev. 10:5-7 There is a day coming when we’ll know all the answers. We’ll know He was right and faithful.
It's been impossible to share these notes with you without feeling their impact afresh. For those who, like me, were privileged to attend, I pray God has spoken afresh to your heart as well. For those who were unable to attend, I pray that the power of these insights has not been lost in translation. If you are unfamiliar with Beth Moore's ministry, take a moment to visit her site. There you will find all sorts of information about her Bible studies, books, speaking engagements, etc.
(Continued from Thursday, 8/7)
(4) “Dig the Roots”
Our roots are as deep as we are convinced of God’s love for us. “Are we convinced?”
Ephesians 3:17- 19 That He would make His home in our hearts and we would trust him. Our roots would grow down into God’s love to keep us strong. That we would have the power to grasp how high, long, wide and deep is His love. And that we experience His love, even though we can’t fully understand it.
“I have to know that I know He loves me.” The words of Jesus Loves Me can carry you through great difficulty (loss of loved one, betrayal of your spouse, etc.)
2 Kings 19:29-31 “Take root below – bear fruit above.”
(5) “Stop the Choke”
Anxiety chokes the Word right out of us and keep us from maturing in our faith.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but with prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
The cure for anxiety is prayer! We need to be Warriors not worriers! We can have that peace. He will release us if we trust – tell Him we claim the promises He gives! (She shared that God completely restored her thought process, her sanity.)
So often we insist on a life of “feeling good.” Will we so resist trials that we have no crowns to cast?
1 Cor. 1:5-7 God has spoken blessings over us; He has made us rich spiritually. Remain competently competent in the Word of God! (Those are true riches)
Romans 10:8 We need to keep His message close at hand -- on our lips and in our hearts.
Be genuine before others (no “performing”). Hear and Retain the Word in a good, and noble, persevering heart. Noble (Gr. “Kalos”) meaning beautiful, harmonious. Good (Gr. “Agathos”) beneficial. We are here to be a benefit! (to share Christ, serve, disciple and encourage others).
Phil. 2:17-pour yourself out as a drink offering for others for Him!
Be glad about it! We can survive and thrive! We do not have to live in defeat as emotional disasters.
Start your day in the Word…our capacity of hearing from God in the morning is supernatural. (Eccles. 11:6 & Isaiah 50:4-5)
We need to think of PMS as “Please more Spirit!”
(6) “Retain the Word”
Retain (Gr. “kateche”) meaning to hold in a vice grip; to possess with.
Always pray before reading the Word. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit. Then ask Him to raise a specific word or phrase that resonates in your life. Meditate on it that day. Sometimes He will give you “Daily Words.” Other times He will give you “Destiny Words.” Press your hand over your heart so that you can retain it there! (She writes scriptures on index cards and places them where she will see them.) Continuously learn both New and Old testament scripture! (Recommends "Daily Light" by Anne Graham Lotz)
(7) “Press Forth to Your 100-Fold Harvest!”
We are in a culture of “now,” but harvest doesn’t work that way. We have to sow it, wait, and sometimes even water it with our tears. It’s normal in the midst of a long obedience to be tired, worn out and want to quit. Hang in there, press through the discouragement. Harvest takes time, but you will persevere in His strength!
Heb. 11:2-3; Rev. 10:5-7 There is a day coming when we’ll know all the answers. We’ll know He was right and faithful.
Until that time, we are to tell the knowledge of the secrets we know! It doesn’t matter where you come from, what kind of background you have, every one of us can be a woman of spiritual substance and means!
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *It's been impossible to share these notes with you without feeling their impact afresh. For those who, like me, were privileged to attend, I pray God has spoken afresh to your heart as well. For those who were unable to attend, I pray that the power of these insights has not been lost in translation. If you are unfamiliar with Beth Moore's ministry, take a moment to visit her site. There you will find all sorts of information about her Bible studies, books, speaking engagements, etc.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
More Beth Moore...
As promised, here are some additional insights from the Living Proof Simulcast...
You may remember, her overriding message was based on the parable of the sower (Luke 8:1-15), and was entitled "100-Fold Word"
First, we must increase our confidence and competence in His Word (the seed), so that it can have Maximum Impact in our Lives!
Gen 26:12 – Isaac reaped 100 fold because the Lord blessed him.
Gal. 3:29 – We are Abraham's seed, we have been called as a blessing of God!
Mark 10:29-30 - Anything we suffer or lose for God’s sake will return to us 100 fold!
“Just Do the Thing”
Hosea 10:12 – Break up your unplowed ground for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers righteousness on you…
What have I never let God touch and change in my life?
What if I were to let Him!?
So how do we begin to allow God to work in us for 100 Fold Harvest?
(1) “Treasure the Wonder.” We need to recapture our wonder for the Word of God. Spiritual power is released when you read God’s word!
What makes for the closest relationships (with both God and others)?
The knowledge of secret, personal and intimate things. Secret (Gr. "mysterion") - meaning the revelation of the revelation (ongoing in nature). To those who want to receive, He shows them more and more. (Matthew 13:12) Scripture is the very breath of God. We need to breathe it in every day. Can’t go on last Sunday’s sermon for a month…we need a “now” word for today!
(2) “Protect your Heart.”
John 10:12,12 – He has come that we may have life and have it to the full.
Psalm 119:10,11 – We need to seek Him with all our hearts, as well as hide His Word in our hearts, so that we will keep his commands.
We need to fill our hearts with His Word and then firmly place our hand there to keep it. Faith, Deliverance and Freedom are inseparable. The time for obedience is now!
“When the season of testing exceeds the season of believing, we are headed toward a season of falling.”
(3) “Expect the Test”
When a profound Word comes – expect you will be tested. Testing (Gr. "Peirasmos") means both Trials and Temptation. Trials come from God to make you stand. Temptation comes from Satan to make you fall. The Word was meant to be applied when trials come! We must have Word abiding in us.
Whatever is not under authority, that is where we’re vulnerable to bondage and temptation.
Memorize 1 Cor. 10:13! Everyone has temptations, but God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can stand. He will ALWAYS give a way out. (Take it! Run!)
When you’re overwhelmed, call on the power of His Word. Desperation can be your best friend.
Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy. This is a promise!
Water your dry times in the Word with your tears…it will return as fertile soil!
Psalm 105:17-22 He refines us and proves us true, genuine. God wants us to be real...that same person everywhere. Burn away the fake!
Come back for the final portion...
You may remember, her overriding message was based on the parable of the sower (Luke 8:1-15), and was entitled "100-Fold Word"
First, we must increase our confidence and competence in His Word (the seed), so that it can have Maximum Impact in our Lives!
Gen 26:12 – Isaac reaped 100 fold because the Lord blessed him.
Gal. 3:29 – We are Abraham's seed, we have been called as a blessing of God!
Mark 10:29-30 - Anything we suffer or lose for God’s sake will return to us 100 fold!
“Just Do the Thing”
Hosea 10:12 – Break up your unplowed ground for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers righteousness on you…
What have I never let God touch and change in my life?
What if I were to let Him!?
So how do we begin to allow God to work in us for 100 Fold Harvest?
(1) “Treasure the Wonder.” We need to recapture our wonder for the Word of God. Spiritual power is released when you read God’s word!
What makes for the closest relationships (with both God and others)?
The knowledge of secret, personal and intimate things. Secret (Gr. "mysterion") - meaning the revelation of the revelation (ongoing in nature). To those who want to receive, He shows them more and more. (Matthew 13:12) Scripture is the very breath of God. We need to breathe it in every day. Can’t go on last Sunday’s sermon for a month…we need a “now” word for today!
(2) “Protect your Heart.”
John 10:12,12 – He has come that we may have life and have it to the full.
Psalm 119:10,11 – We need to seek Him with all our hearts, as well as hide His Word in our hearts, so that we will keep his commands.
We need to fill our hearts with His Word and then firmly place our hand there to keep it. Faith, Deliverance and Freedom are inseparable. The time for obedience is now!
“When the season of testing exceeds the season of believing, we are headed toward a season of falling.”
(3) “Expect the Test”
When a profound Word comes – expect you will be tested. Testing (Gr. "Peirasmos") means both Trials and Temptation. Trials come from God to make you stand. Temptation comes from Satan to make you fall. The Word was meant to be applied when trials come! We must have Word abiding in us.
Whatever is not under authority, that is where we’re vulnerable to bondage and temptation.
Memorize 1 Cor. 10:13! Everyone has temptations, but God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can stand. He will ALWAYS give a way out. (Take it! Run!)
When you’re overwhelmed, call on the power of His Word. Desperation can be your best friend.
Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy. This is a promise!
Water your dry times in the Word with your tears…it will return as fertile soil!
Psalm 105:17-22 He refines us and proves us true, genuine. God wants us to be real...that same person everywhere. Burn away the fake!
Come back for the final portion...
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Beyond Description!
I’m still having a hard time trying to "sum up" the amazing blessings from the Beth Moore simulcast this weekend! I was invited by my long-time friend, Sue to join her and several other friends who were attending. These precious ladies didn't know me, but welcomed me with open arms (truly a blessing all its own!)
We were blessed to be among the 70,000 women overwhelmed by God's unmistakable presence this weekend! You may have already heard, the simulcast was shared in 715 locations (representing 49 states and 4 countries)! (Wow!)
Incredible praise and worship by Travis Cottrell and his team prepared our hearts beautifully for the rich teaching that was to follow, both Friday and Saturday.
All of Beth's messages centered around the parable of the four soils in Luke 8, but it certainly didn’t remain there. (We were all over that Bible!) I’m not kidding when I tell you I’ve never taken notes faster. I didn’t want to miss a single thing the Lord had for me. If you've ever attended a Beth Moore conference, or even a simulcast, you know there is so much information, it's hard to even begin to summarize or describe it. I've decided for now, just to share a few highlights. These were the things on my notes that were marked "*" or "!!"
On having "Maximum Impact and receiving a 100-fold harvest..." She was not referring to 100-fold harvest in the "prosperity sense." She reiterated 100 "fold," not 100 "folk." Harvest doesn't mean serving more people. (Jesus had only 12 disciples!) She urged us to forget about the numbers and just do the thing God is calling us to. God wants my faithfulness in the now, where He has me, at this time. When He has my faithfulness, he promises to return it 100-fold! (Mark 10:29-30)
God has made us "Competently Competent"
She shared 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that
the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work."
She reiterated by giving us the Greek translation of the phrase "thoroughly equipped." Thoroughly (Gr. "artios") means now, just now, complete, sufficient, competent. Equipped (Gr. "exarizo") means essentially the same, although expressed in a more intensive way. Both come from the same root word. Put another way, He has made us "competently competent" to do that which He's called us to do, but only through the power of His Word!
We can't wait! When God places a desire within us to do something, He not only makes us competently competent, He simultaneously gives us the power of obedience at that moment to do it. (NOW!) Waiting only serves to give Satan the opportunity to begin planting doubts, fears, discouragement. (Isaiah 55:10-12)
God's Word never lays idle within us, even in the seemingly "dry seasons." It is always at work. When we don't cooperate, "fires" will come to "burn the fake out of us," and make us genuine. (Psalm 105:17-22)
Anxiety at its root, is our desire to maintain control! What you're going through is not just about you! He will birth your passion from your pain. (Philippians 2:17) She asked "Will we so resist difficulty that we'll have no crowns to cast?"
The importance of sowing God's word in our hearts in the morning. Whether we're "morning people" or not, our capacity for hearing from God in the morning is supernatural. (Eccles. 11:6, Isaiah 50:4-5) What a difference when the first influence of our day comes from God's Word, before the distractions and worries of our day have the opportunity to crowd out His voice!)
As I look upon pages and pages of notes, there is much more I'd like to share. I hope to do so by later this week. Meanwhile, I pray these initial insights have challenged and encouraged you, as they did me! Be blessed.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Join Me in Praying for this Event!
I'm so excited and privileged to be attending the simulcast with my dear friend, Sue and a group of 5 other ladies I've never met!
Please pray:
- for hearts that are tendered
- for an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit both tonight and tomorrow
- that God speaks mightily through Beth, and also through Travis Cottrell and the worship team
- that God's protective hand will be upon every team, and that any interference from Satan in the technical aspect is quickly thwarted.
- that the lives of many will be strengthened, challenged, convicted, touched and forever changed by what is experienced this weekend.
Many thanks!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Lessons for Life (Through an Old Man at the Airport)
For those of you familiar with Beth Moore, this is possibly a story you've heard before. Personally, this has been one of the most impacting illustrations on humility and obedience I have ever heard. I've read it countless times over the years and it never fails to challenge me. I know it is rather long, but I promise, well worth the read.
Taken from the book, Further Still by Beth Moore (shared with permission)
At the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.
All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing. I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane."
Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair." The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man."
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."
I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"
I repeated, "May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that."
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"
At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks.
Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? I thought...of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."
"I have one in my bag," he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know Jesus?"
He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and sadly, we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"
I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!"
And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way, all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Taken from the book, Further Still by Beth Moore (shared with permission)
At the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.
All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing. I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane."
Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair." The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man."
Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."
I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"
I repeated, "May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"
To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that."
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?"
At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks.
Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? I thought...of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."
"I have one in my bag," he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's.
I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know Jesus?"
He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and sadly, we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"
I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!"
And we got to share.
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way, all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
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