Ain't no mountain high enough

Isaiah 2:2


In the last days,
    the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established
       as chief among the mountains,
   it will be raised above the hills,
   and all nations will stream to it.

• Mt. Moriah's elevation is 2,428 ft.  
• The highest and tallest elevation on the earth's surface is the top of Mount Everest on the border of Nepal and China at 29,035 feet...

Yet we know that this mountain will be raised up somehow as the mountain of mountains when Christ comes again.  It will be the place where Christ teaches from when He reigns.  And all nations will stream to it....I just love that line.....how beautiful-a river of all peoples streaming to it.  I am not sure what it all means..but that is ok.  I don't need all the details or specifics because I have faith and I rest and gain peace in the beauty of the Scripture.


One day...
There will be only one King and He is the King of Kings.
He alone will reign on this earth from both a spiritual perspective and a governmental.
He will reign over all nations.
There will be only His name alone.


Today this mountain, considered the most Holy of Holies, is controlled by Muslims.
This blows my mind. (Although I do not understand all the specifics regarding the fighting between nations on this)


The scripture in Isaiah 2 goes on to say... v3-4

Many peoples will come and say,

   "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

         to the house of the God of Jacob.

    He will teach us His ways,

    so that we may walk in His paths."

    The law will go out from Zion,

       the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

   He will judge between nations

       and will settle disputes for many peoples.

   They will beat their swords into plowshares

      and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,

     nor will they train for war anymore.

This mountain, in the last days will be a place of peace.  People will destroy their weapons and fight no more.  Jesus will teach from this Holy mountain and yet today-look at the situation going on with this mountain....it is the cause of the biggest longest lasting conflict in the Middle East.


I wish Israel had control of it.   Regardless....in the end, God's Word stands.


As a follower of Christ, I know while the Temple Mount is holy,  God is with me always through the Holy Spirit and I am ever so grateful for that gift.  Thank you Heavenly Father!

Things eternal.....

It is so easy for me to lose focus on eternal riches, as I get wrapped up in less important things in the moment.

As I was waking up this morning, coming out of my sleep I had a revelation.  

Today is Saturday.  I committed to build a powerpoint deck for my VP over the weekend for a meeting he has Monday morning.  It all just came about as a request Thursday night and I was in an all day meeting on Friday.  Eager to step up and honored to be asked to assist, I was dedicated to the task at hand.  I would drop everything and rearrange my weekend schedule regardless of other plans to get this done.

Do I do the same for God when He calls me to do something?  NO.

So as that was going through my head this morning, I realized how able, willing and ready I was to immediately do this for my VP...yet, I have been working on a project for the One and Only CEO in Heaven for over two months now because I keep allowing less important things to take precedence.  It is something I could have completed in less than a month and here I am in my third month.  Why?

I think it is a combination of things....one I am constantly getting burned out from my daily duties at work and it makes me worthless after 7pm at night.  So-what does that tell me?  I need to wake up earlier to do the important things I want to accomplish.  If that means 5am or 5:30am then I need to organize my evenings to go to bed early enough to wake up early.

Also-I need to plan my weekends better and stick to the plan.  I am not good at this at all....when the weekends come, I sense freedom and I want to just go with the flow.  Oh and how I enjoy that.  I am encouraged to make an about face in this area when I think of all my friends who are parents. (99.9% of my friends)  They don't get to just do whatever they want, whenever they want, rather they have one, two, three children they are responsible for caring for, loving on and driving to places.  Their days are consumed with deeds for others.

Being single, it is so easy to get sucked into focusing on just myself.  I need to defend against that and make the effort to spend my time helping and serving others, otherwise I will end up unfufilled in the long run.  It is one thing to say it and know it and another to actually do it.

Why am I a person who has all of these big ideas, big goals and visions and yet I spend a lot of my time on things of such little value?

I am sure there is a balance in all this.  Each morning is a new opportunity to get things in order.  It is not going to happen without effort, work, and a plan that I am committed to sticking to...day by day.

Do I love Him enough to get things in order?

Lord-  In Romans 7 we learn about how our flesh wants to do one thing and the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us desires to do what we are called to do-bring You honor and glory by loving and serving others.  Yet while we know this and what know what is the right thing to do, we don't do it.  Help me as I struggle with this constantly, to get to a place where I always put You first Lord....always!

Isaiah 1:25

Isaiah 1:25
I will turn my hand against you;
    I will thoroughly purge away your dross
    and remove all your impurities.


Dross- waste matter, refuse
refuse (n)-something that is discarded as worthless or useless


Redeem- to buy or pay off or buy back; to make amends for....


In today's world we often say "I am not going to judge him or her"....or someone else might say in defense..."don't judge me."  Or we might even say, "I am only accountable to God."


But don't we have to stop and ask ourselves... if someone comes to us lovely to give us wise counsel, are we acting foolish if we get defensive and turn our back to them?  Shouldn't we receive their counsel, ponder it, think about if the intentions are pure and loving?  And if they are...take heed.


Most of us can sense if when someone has pure intentions when the come to us.  


I do not think it is healthy for me to only hold myself accountable to myself and God...there is too much freedom there.  I must have an accountability partner or two.  (and in most cases if not all that should not be a spouse who may be bias)  I prefer for it to be someone older than I who is a mentor and who has a deep faith.  I seek someone who calls it like it is and does not sugar coat anything and will be deeply honest and of course keep things confidential.


At the same time, I pray I am wise enough at all times to welcome constructive insight from my family and a few close friends.  If they can not comfortably come to me in truth, then there is something wrong on my side of the relationship.


In the verse above, God was speaking to Judah and its people.  I want God to reveal to me the refuse in my life, what is unnecessary.  I want Him to prune in me a pure heart, so I can walk more pure in my life and shine brighter.  I hope and pray that I am humble enough to receive that from those that love me most as well.


In my Bible in reference to Isaiah 1:25 it says this: 
God promised to refine His people similiar to the way that metal is purged with lye in a smelting pot.  This process involves melting the metal and skimming off the impurse dross until the worker can see his own image in the liquid metal.  We must be willing to submit to God, allowing Him to remove our sin so that we might reflect His image.


I love that!


I know a few areas God is currently pruning me in and one is with my words-they can be negative instead of always positive and up lifting. (sometimes I need to just be silent and use self-control)  I know this is in part a generational trait on one side of my family.  I also know through Christ and keeping my eyes on Him, I can overcome this day by day as I allow God to prune me.  I became aware of this through a loved one sharing with me.  I am not sure that I would have recognized it on my own-by only being accountable to myself...


Sometimes God may give us a gentle whisper or He may chose to send a friend or loving family member to speak to us...so we can be refined, so we can become more pure hearted, so we can be a bright shining light for Him and His Kingdom always.


Dear Lord-Humble me.  When you want to refine me, I know it is because You love me.  Help me to always be receptable to wise counsel, no matter how awkward the circumstances may be.  Help me to always have an open heart to be accountable to You and to others, so I can continue to grow closer to You.  You made each of us in Your image, and the mor the dross gets out of the way, the more clearly I start to be a better reflection of You.  I love you Lord.

Two themes this summer

Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.


Exodus 20: 3-6

 ³ "You shall have no other gods before me.
 ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.

I did a lot of walking this summer and actually even started running again.  In early July I could only run a half a mile and just yesterday I ran 2.4.  It is the first time in probably 8 years I have ran that far.  But...it was the podcasts I listened to this summer that kept me going.  I listened to an array of pastors and nine times out of ten I would randomly select a sermon on the lists I had downloaded that had two reoccurring themes this summer...

      God is the Creator and everything else in our universe is created.

      We are created for outpouring ongoing worship for Him alone.

But do we?
    
      Worship

• To be totally devoted to           

It was totally bizarre, no matter what I listened to or where I was over the span of the three months of summer, these two themes kept popping up over and over.  God is telling me something as He continiously prunes me.

      Prune (as a verb):

• To cut off or remove dead or living parts or branches of; to improve shape or growth.
• To remove or cut out as superfluous

Superfluous

• exceeding what is sufficient or necessary
• not needed; marked by wastefulness

I have too much of just about everything-whether it is stuff, cosmetics, lotions, clothes, shoes, purses, junk food and snacks, pressures, magazines, wine glasses, worries, chores, excess weight, cards for every occassion, errands, knick knacks, candles, lists, birthday gifts...just in case, folders, jewelry I don't wear too often, etc.

I am superfluous.
It is not in congruence with God's way.
I desire less.
This will allow for reduced clutter and a gain of focus;
Thus, better use of my time.

I am grateful I am aware of this and have eyes to see what He wants me to see. It doesn't mean it will come easy unfortunately but then again I have the Holy Spirit with me to be a constant reminder.

The things listed above get in the way of my love for God.  He created us in His image to glorify Him through a life of worship.  Worship is as simple as serving and loving others.  Worship is waking up each morning and giving Him my day.  Worship is humbling myself at work.  Worship is showing a loving heart towards others.  Worship is being a mirror of Him to others.

There is that saying-where do you spend the bulk of your time?  That is what you worship.  Anything that is created (which is everything...)-our children, our families, our own body, our face and hair, our house, our possessions, the ability to teach, exercise, eat, work or serve, etc.....anything that we focus the bulk of our effort,energy and time on- day after day- other than God...is worshipping something other than Him-our King.


God has spent time with me this summer making me keenly aware of this.  I now recognize it and I have to make an effort daily to put Him first.  I have to be aware of where I spend the majority of my time and energy.

Where is He on my list?
Where is my focus during the day?
What is the first thing I think about in the morning?
How do I prioritize my time and what comes before Him?
Am I bringing Him glory and honor by my actions throughout my day or seeking to bring glory, recognition and honor to myself?

I know it is ok to enjoy all those other things and I do but I don't want them or anything to come a priority over Him.  That is not what He intends as He continously creates all of us and all things.


Heavenly Father-  I love you so much.  I am so glad I know you and that you love me Lord.  You alone are the Creator of all things.  Help me to recognize in my days when I am focused on creation/things created and not on You.  Lord remind me in the early morning to walk in the Holy Spirit and live my day to bring You alone glory and honor....not myself.  Thank you for making us in your image.  Thank you for creating us for a love relationship with You.  Lord forgive me when I don't do things that bring you honor and glory.  Thank you for revealing to me this is my single purpose in life to bring you glory by loving others whatever that may look like day by day.  I love you

A Day of Rest. Really?

Exodus 20:8-11 

 ⁸ "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

God calls us to observe the Sabbath still even today in 2010.  Do I do this today?  No.  I have really been wrestling with this lately.  I always tell God I love Him so much and yet my actions and how I spend myself and my time do not always align with my love for Him.  It is one thing to not recognize it-but when I do notice I am out of sync, that is when I must step up and make a decision.  Am I going to stop paying people to work in my yard on Sundays because it is convenient for me-since I am too busy during the week to get these things done?  Is it ok if I do it sometimes?  No not really-I need to honor God by my choices and obey His commands regardless.


Yet I like all others am not perfect and I do not obey Him always-but when I know something is being pressed on my heart, I need to do an about face and be obedient.


We can jump to Isaiah 58:13-14 and see it again with a promise.
"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
   and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight 
   and the Lord's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
   and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
                                                              The mouth of the Lord has spoken.


It always comes back to God's intentions as the Creator.  He intended for us to have a day of rest.   Why? Well to take the notes from my Bible...
   The day of rest should be observed and regarded not only because Sabbath-keeping is a commandment but also because it is best for us and because it honors God.  Keeping the Sabbath shows proper respect to God, Our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day.  Our day of rest refreshes us spiritually and physically-providing time when we can gather together for worship and when we can reflect on God without the stress of everyday activities.


It also unifies and sets priorities for our family.


I remember Sundays at my grandmother's house as I was growing up before we moved to Atlanta.  It was so much fun and a great tradition that I so enjoyed.  Being with my mom's extended family at my grandmother's house and all sitting down together to eat on Sunday afternoons was one of my fondest memories as a child.  I grew close to all my Aunts and Uncles and Grammy and had lots of fun with my cousins too.  My grandmother didn't have a fancy house or anything.  We would mix and match tables, pull chairs together and extend the tables from the dining room into the living room for the kids table.

The early morning...

Isaiah 50: 4

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

The early morning just has something unique about it.

The smell of the air, the dew on the ground and the things that are low to it,

the sky, the moment, everything about it. I treasure it...when I can wake up early enough to

submerse myself in it.

My brain is like a sponge in the early morning-it soaks up everything. It is so alert.

This is also my favorite time to read God's Word.

But most of all, when on rare occasion I am awakened by the Holy Spirit from my sleep,

this is when I am most delighted. It is very hard to articulate the closeness to God I experience when this occurs but it is always the same and thus why I know it is of Him. I usually hear myself praying and since I am asleep-I must be praying in the Spirit when this happens.

Thank you so much Lord for this great gift!