Monday Musings Podcast: Recent Episodes
Denise Hildreth Jones
The only way to get what God has for us is to live open-handed. He cannot get anything into our clenched fists, and we could end up destroying what we hold so tightly to.
Rejection is an interesting dagger. It comes with words like "inconvenience," "devalued," "insignificant." But it is a lie. Let's combat it together on this Monday morning.
God has a plan for you, you know? A good one. One that has eternal value and can produce eternal things. Yet, often we move through life making our own plans. This could cause us to miss the eternal things God desires for us to experience.
Have you made an agreement with your disappointment? It may be causing you to miss what God is doing around you.
Psalm 24 is this beautiful invitation to go to the deep places with God. But, it might require us to wake up and to get rid of some of the things that might be hindering the deeper place.
Have you seen it? Has Jesus arrived in your daily life to delight you with something He knows you deeply love? What is His purpose? Let's talk about it this week.
Just when we need to hear from Him, He is so faithful to speak. Are we creating the space we need to? Are we paying attention to what is going on in our hearts?
Often we write things off as if they are just ordinary emotions. But, sometimes, they are legitimate schemes of the enemy that we have all the arsenal we need to combat.
Some days, stopping to look back at all the pieces and parts God had to move to get you to a defining moment in your life can take your breath away. It's a wonderful thought to begin our week with.
Sometimes you just need to sit at the table as a family and have a conversation about the hard things. But, the true things. This is one of those moments. This isn't a typical Monday Musing. It really is a lesson. But, it follows the theme that God has led me on for this past month. So, take it in small pieces if you need to. Listen to it in podcast form if you need to. But, dig into it with Jesus and see what He may want to show you about your own heart. He wants our hearts living in freedom. I pray this message helps accomplish that.
Has your life recently been turned upside down by events? The new parent? The new marriage? The job you just left? The job you just took? The house you just bought? The event is good, but you're feeling out of sorts. Why am I not as happy as I thought I would be? What is going on? You could be in organic shock.
Open doors can be a dangerous thing for the enemy. Let's talk about what that looks like in our everyday life.
It’s just so easy isn’t it… pointing out other people’s faults? Yet, Jesus knows so often we are pointing out people’s faults while pretending like we don’t have any.
In the Sermon on the Mount, in order to build stormproof Jesus tells us that fasting should be a part of our life. It’s important you realize the power in this piece of your arsenal as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Jesus begins and ends The Lord’s Prayer with telling us to focus on the bigness of our God. Knowing this gives us faith for everything in between.
He asked for Peter. He asked for Job. Why wouldn’t he be asking for us? That’s why Jesus tells us how to pray in regards to this enemy of our souls.
It really is, you know. It robs destiny and joy and it even robs God’s ability to bestow His best on us. Is it worth it?
The Message translation states “keep us alive with three square meals.” We know it as “give us this day our daily bread” in The Lord’s Prayer. We get so focused on the needs of tomorrow. But that is not how Jesus calls us to live or tells us to pray.
Don’t you long for the day God just makes every wrong right? When all the evil, death, and pain are done away with? We know it will happen one day. But how does Jesus teach us to pray in the meantime?
There is a very important reason Jesus tells us to begin prayer with knowing who our Father is. Let’s talk about it on this Monday morning.
We pray differently in different seasons. Sometimes they are raw. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes they are tender. But the most important thing is that we pray.
Where does your heart move in seasons when money is tighter? Jesus talks about this in the Sermon on the Mount. So, we will too.
Another interruption in our series called Stormproof today, because sometimes you just need to. This week we talk about how the spirit of deception seems to be the spirit of this age.
From the schoolhouse to their bedroom, your child is bombarded by the enemy. A parent is their first line of defense. That’s why God chose you.
Could it be that much of what we are seeing today is because of a maturity problem in the Body of Christ? Isn’t that a sobering thought? God has been so patient with us. What is preventing us from being the mature Body of Christ we are called to?
It’s so hard to love those who truly desire our destruction. In fact, separate from Jesus, I would say it is impossible. But there really is a way to live in order to be stormproof even when an enemy rears their head.
It is so normal to want to get what is coming to us. Especially when we have been hurt or abused. But Jesus has called us to live a different way. Not always easy. But no less true.
Fewer things in life are manipulated like words. We use them to try to get our way. To embellish something about ourselves. To make others feel good. But Jesus says we need to mean what we say. He even looks at the hearts behind our words and believe it or not, our words can determine whether we are still standing after the storm.
Ronald Reagan created no-fault divorce in the state of California, and he later said it would become one of the greatest mistakes of his life. The moral unraveling of our nation could be placed at the feet of divorce and the damage it has created in our families. What might Jesus desire to say?
Jesus is going even farther this week. He is all up in our stuff. But, He is always about our protection. Sometimes in building a stormproof life, we might actually have to be extreme in the way we build.
It really is the little things in building a stormproof life. Adultery doesn’t start with an action, but a thought. Just like murder begins in the heart. But both can destroy a home quickly.
We can’t always mend all relationships. Yet that is so rare and has become something often used as an excuse for healing in this day and age. But to live stormproof we have to live contrary to how we feel. It is our responsibility to keep our hearts open to the possibility of having broken relationships mended.
Relationships are hard. Messy. Jesus knew that. His were, too. So, He gives us directives to keep our hearts aware when challenges arise in our relationships. What may He be asking of you on this Monday morning?
When Jesus showed up, boy He just stirred up all kinds of things. Life went from our actions to our heart. In light of that, we might be surprised at how that changes things for us, too. God expects us to live a different way.
Are you aware of the most clear and present danger to your heart, your family, our nation, or this world? Today, we will discover what that is.
I’ve realized my body is fading fast. Things are wearing out that I thought would still be around for a few more years. But there is one thing that no matter what happens to us or this world, it is as sure as can be. And I’m so grateful to know this is true.
I’ve learned through the years at our Weekend Experiences, that the number one thing people comment on is mine and Philly’s willingness to be vulnerable. That it gave them the freedom to do the same. That is what light does. It attracts. Let’s consider this. On this Monday morning.
My former pastor, Rice Broocks used to say the most sobering moment at the bar was when all the lights came up and people finally found out who they’d actually been dancing with all night. The only way darkness ever wins is if the light goes into hiding.
We spend most of our life believing that we are here because of the job we have or the money we can accrue or at times even the family we raised. But is that why we are really here?
In a world desperate for what heaven has to offer, it seems some of us are unwilling to make people uncomfortable. But, the Gospel of Jesus can be offensive to the flesh of our souls. Maybe a little more heavenly mindset is what we actually need.
We are seeing persecution against believers growing in nations where we've never seen it before. Jesus knew it would grow. He told His followers two thousand years ago. Yet He said those who are persecuted are blessed. Only Jesus can make that happen!
We live in a moment desperate for peace. Is that you? Well, today we are going to talk about the blessing of a life lived in peace.
Some people see God in their lives and circumstances more than others. This week we will talk about who those people are. Are you one?
Everyone wants the people in their life to be merciful even when we aren’t always. This week we’re going to talk about the blessing that comes with being someone of mercy. Oh, it’s going to be good!
Hunger reveals need every time. What is your hunger revealing about your heart? Let’s talk about it on today’s Monday Musing.
I recently lost my Shih Tzu, Sophie, and had such deep grief. This Beatitude came at the perfect time.
There is such beauty in surrender. It is the existence of the Christian experience. Yet, it is what we often resist most. Not realizing it is the divine exchange that gives us access to the fullness of God’s Kingdom.
The Sermon on the Mount starts with the Be-Attitudes. The attitudes we should be. Imagine that they are the frame that begins the building process of our house in order to build stormproof.
How has fear ruled you over the last few years? Could it be you’ve actually laid a foundation of fear where now it is how all your decisions are made? Listen this morning so we can realize how dangerous it is and how to uproot it.
Religion is so much easier than relationship. That’s why so many choose it. But we will never have a stormproof life with it.
Ever feel like your money flies away as soon as it enters your hands? God loves us enough to make sure our lives aren't built on our resources.
We interrupt today’s Monday Musing with some Q & A on Love and Valentine’s with Denise and Philly.
Covid has changed everything about the way we work. For some it has even changed whether we are working at all. It is exposing whether we have laid a foundation out of our work instead of the fact that we are a workmanship.
Sometimes old foundations have to be uprooted before we can build stormproof. Today's let's talk about one of them.
If the recent storms that just passed through Tennessee showed us anything, they revealed storms are no respecter of person. However, standing after they are gone has everything to do with how we build.
Ever seen a foundation of a house before the house was built? The foundation tells you everything in life and building.
Choosing a builder I hear is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make in the building process. So, who have you chosen to build you?
It's our last Monday together for 2021! Can you believe that? May we remember what we have been given to battle all the schemes of the enemy. A very big God!
In your wrapping and cooking and braving the mall and needing your own miracle, heaven has come to humanity. So, breathe… just breathe.
Ever wonder why nothing satisfies here… on this earth? It's because this isn't your real home. Yet the enemy has propagated multiple lies to try to get hearts to miss their true home. Let's talk about them on this Monday morning.
God desires nothing greater than our obedience because He knows that obedience protects us, directs us and allows Him full access to move in our lives. That’s why the enemy works so hard to try to thwart it.
Every day the enemy offers us lies that we can agree with. “This will be too much for me.” “I’ll never make it through that.” “I can never love anyone again.” Agreeing with him limits God’s power to work in our lives. Let’s talk about how to guard our hearts in this battle.
In a season where our hearts are screaming for comfort, God may very well be trying to make us wholly uncomfortable for holy reasons.
Satan is never satisfied with just stealing from you. Remember, he is after your total destruction. That’s why he seduces us with what looks pretty while never revealing the actual price.
None of us can prevent being offended, but it is a choice to live offended. Offense leads to bitterness and bitterness is as the sin of witchcraft scripture says. Let’s talk about how to guard our hearts from this most dangerous weapon.
There are a lot of things in this season we could be doing, but what are the things we must be doing?
There are so many places in this moment of time that feel like they need our voice and input. However, each one of us has a specific post. Let’s talk today about what it is to stay at your post.
Have you ever considered what happens when you pray? That a cosmic battle is set in motion? Today's musing might make you look very differently at your prayers.
The single heart faces its own set of battles. This week let's talk about ways we can guard and protect the hearts of these very precious individuals.
How do we have peace in such chaotic times? It's by remembering that we have the same God of every chaotic moment history has ever known. You have weapons for this war.
Social media has convinced us we are connected. Yet, we are the most disconnected generation. Let's discover why and how important connectivity is to spiritual warfare.
No heart is being waged war against more than the hearts of our children. We hold some powerful tools to guard and protect these hearts that have been entrusted to us.
Marriages are under continual assault. The heartbreak is when we begin to be a part of the assault on our own marriages. May this message give us some perspective on how the enemy attacks one of the greatest gifts God has given.
Women are often referred to as messy and emotional. When in fact, we are perfectly designed. A woman's battle is different from a man's. Let's talk about it on this Monday morning.
Culture has often demeaned and belittled even to the point of mocking men. A man's heart lives in a real war zone. But men, rest assured you were created for the position God has placed you.
It's a Monday. Are you facing it with dread? Even though your heart lives in a war zone you can face even a Monday feeling fully alive!
William Wallace in “Braveheart” was created for the moment he was living. You are, too. This is your Braveheart moment!
Jesus told His disciples that He was giving them His authority. That means you and I have that authority as well. The question is, are we using what we have been given?
Our world is having an identity crisis, yet it seems we are looking to everything other than who created us to define us. We will never walk in our God-given authority until we know our God-given identity. That's why today's musing is so important.
As followers of Christ Jesus left us real authority. Authority to live our lives offensively instead of defensively. Let's spend some time realizing how we got such a privilege in this life.
For almost two thousand years only one person could enter the presence of God to pray, but Jesus’ death gives you and I access at any time, anywhere, and with any request. Yet, how often do we ponder the extravagant privilege of prayer?
The mere thought that we can pray at all times seems impossible. Yet, what if our whispers, our thoughts, our hopes became prayers? It might not be as hard as we think.
We are living in a moment in time where we have become masters at pointing out splinters in others while ignoring the logs in us. What stronghold might your heart need to pay attention to?
Every battle we will face will start in our mind first. So, how do we protect our minds from that thought that can become an action and ultimately a belief? That’s what we are talking about on this Monday morning.
Roman soldiers were accustomed to arrows of fire. They knew how to battle them. It was all in how they used their shield. It might hold something for us in the fiery darts we face.
In the armor of a Roman Soldier was a breastplate that protected every vital organ. What are you wearing to protect yours?
Roman soliders' belts held all of their armor together and it's where they hung their sword and shield. Now let's figure out what your belt can do for you.
Need a strategy for the heart of your child? Your marriage? Your calling? There is one... let's talk about how to get it.
What if you got to heaven and realized you had an arsenal against the enemy of your heart and never used it? You don't have to. Let's learn how.
He parted seas. Closed lion’s mouths. Raised the dead. What might He want to do for you?
Did you know the number 20 in Hebrew means “Mouth?” So when we entered 2020, we entered a decade prophetically about our mouth. Yet, so much in the natural has tried to close our mouths. That is no accident. It’s time to open them! Let’s talk about how on today's Monday Musing.
Scripture holds more power than we often realize. One of its greatest powers is that it increases our faith. And when faith meets the word powerful things happen! Let’s look at it together, on this Monday morning.
It should be no surprise that a world that doesn’t know Jesus would be moved by fear. But shouldn’t the follower of Christ live differently? So, where is your expectation today? Are you expecting collapse? Hardship? Or are you expecting to see God do mighty things? It might do us all good to stop for a moment on this Monday morning and take a look at who or what we are expecting to make the next move. And if you know someone struggling with fear right now, this might encourage their heart today.
I don’t know about you, but often times when I’m reading the Bible I wonder, “Why did you put so much detail in here?” But I think there is something powerful to discover today in those passages we often skip over.
Have you noticed how many labels are flying around lately? It seems if we can label something a name we don’t like then we can discard them. Christians have been labeled with many different names through the years. Maybe you’ve labeled Christians a time or two yourself. What if instead of labeling people so we can cancel them, we got curious about them. Listen today, and maybe you’ll discover something about Christians you hadn’t thought of.
Somedays scrolling through Facebook or watching the morning news can convince your heart that darkness has taken over. The death. The division. The disease. But there is a much different way to look at what is happening in these times we are living. Let’s talk about it together, on this Monday morning. And if you know someone else who needs this encouragement, feel free to share.
When is the last time you’ve heard a message on fasting? Many of us have never heard one. However, there is so much to be encountered with Jesus. That is why, I believe, the enemy keeps so many people in the dark about this powerful weapon.
What if you never had to even step on the battlefield? What if you could win the battle without lifting a finger and only by lifting your voice? It might be worth listening to know how others have done it. And if you know someone else going through a battle right now, you might want to share it with them.
Chains of steel. Doors of Bronze. Bars of Iron. Satan can often hold our hearts captive behind any one of these things. But not one of these hold any power against worship!
Worship has a power in spiritual warfare that is often underestimated. Yet in a moment it can release your heart from the heaviness you may be feeling. So take a few minutes today to remind your heart of the power that worship has to change your very trajectory, and if this musing has ministered to you – please share it with a friend.
Do you feel like nothing is working out well right now in your life? That anything that could go wrong is going wrong? Leaving you weary? Confused? Could it be that you’ve stepped outside of His umbrella of protection because you are no longer submitted to His purposes and plans? Living this way limits the power of God’s authority because you are instead trying to live by your own self-sufficiency. Let’s talk about the power of submission and what it affords us to fight the battle the enemy brings.
It has become even more clear that the hearts of our children are in a war zone from the womb to the college dorm room and everywhere in between. No greater responsibility exists in this life as a parent than raising our children. If 2020 did anything, it gave us more time as families and allowed us to realize that ultimately the people responsible for the stewardship of their hearts are their parents. How are you warring for the heart of your child in a world that is battling for them relentlessly?
Even with a new year there are a lot of battles raging right now. But, you and I as followers of Christ are given some powerful weapons. We do not live in a day and age where we can afford to leave any of our weapons of spiritual warfare on the table. So, we need to be fully awake, fully watching and fully armored for the battles that we face!
No one ever begins a lifestyle of sin by jumping right in. Usually, it happens increment by increment. A poor decision here, a dangerous decision there. Until eventually what was just a moment of the enemy trying to steal from us becomes a place of real destruction in our lives. This picture of the strategy of the enemy is real. However, it doesn’t have to be the end of any of our stories. Why? But God…But God came so we could have life, and not just a little life, but a super-abundant life. We get to choose. But first, we need to recognize how the enemy is actually stealing from us.
Over and over scripture reveals how involved angels are in this cosmic battle that we live. They battle for us. Minister to us and sometimes we even entertain them unaware. Yet, we rarely talk about them. Let’s take a few minutes to ponder how real and present they are in the workings of even our everyday lives.
One of the greatest deceptions the enemy has gotten our hearts to believe is that we are natural beings living in some spiritual world. But, that is the complete opposite of what is true. Believers in Jesus are spiritual beings living in a natural world, yet because we don’t live this way we often fail to realize the demonic assignments that have been set against us. But, worse than that we don’t realize the power that we have to defeat the demonic assignments coming our way. God has no equal! So, that situation in your life where the enemy is trying to take you under has to bow its knee to the authority that God has given you!
Often, we forget that every single promise in the Bible is ours. As a follower of Christ, we hold possession to those promises. And one of those promises is that we are conquerors over all the things that come into our life that battle for our peace, our hearts, our minds and our joy. The only way these things are allowed to be stolen is if we hand them over. So, just in case you forgot through all the challenges that were 2020, let me start this year by reminding you, you are a Conqueror!
As we step into this beginning of a New Year it feels like much of 2020 is still going with us. But what if we offered up the first of our year in a new way to recalibrate our hearts. To slough off the old so we can hear the voice of the Lord for what’s to come. Maybe you need to renew your first love. Maybe you need to renew your mind. Maybe you need to renew your heart. There is no better time than the beginning of a new year.
As we close out this most monumental year let’s take a few moments to make sure we aren’t leaving it like we entered it.
We’ve heard of this church many times. The one Jesus couldn’t tolerate. The one He wanted to throw up. Wow! That’s serious coming from Jesus, but it is also reflective of the church of the final age before He returns. This one. The one we live in now. In this final church, The Church of Laodicea, Jesus calls them The Lukewarm Church. Neither hot nor cold, He’d rather have one or the other. As we head into the week of Christmas, when we celebrate the greatest gift that deserves hearts that are on fire, let’s ask Jesus if there is any place in our life that needs to be ignited. The gift of His life deserves that kind of love.
What could be more beautiful than Jesus calling you faithful? One church, The Church of Philadelphia, was a standout in its faithfulness. So much so that Jesus didn’t have one word of correction for it. How can we live like this church?
In the fifth letter to the church, Jesus addresses The Church of Sardis, whom he called The Dead Church. How sad to have been once alive and then have Jesus look at us and call us dead; especially when the enemy is standing at the gate. There is no greater time for us to be alert and watching than this today! We cannot afford to be dead! Why? Because there is a book of life that awaits us in eternity where our names are written.
In this 4th letter to the churches in the book of Revelation Jesus addresses those who have allowed a Jezebel spirit to enter their midst. This spirit worshipped the god of Baal whose anger could only be satisfied by the shedding of the blood of children. We shed the blood of children today literally. But we also have allowed a Jezebel spirit to seduce us into offering the hearts of our children up as well when we get too comfortable with this world here, because we often forget that our children are watching every decision we make to align our hearts with the “gods” of this world. When we plant roots here and allow the ways of culture to dictate the ways of our lives instead of our lives being surrendered to Jesus our children lose every time. Sometimes tough things need to be talked about. This is one of those tough things.
Jesus called, The Church of Pergamum, The Compromising Church. This church had held to its faith but allowed places of compromise to get in without getting rid of them quickly. Let’s listen together at Jesus’ words to them and to us today because compromise removes God’s best from us and that is not what He desires for us. And in this day and age when compromise is just as prevalent in the church as in the world, it is even more vital that we stand guard.
In the second letter to the Church of Smyrna – known as “The Persecuted Church” we have some insight into how Jesus sees it. Though the church in America still knows nothing of persecution like other countries, we are experiencing it in a greater way than we ever have before.
If ever there was a season for us to be living as lovers of Christ it is today. We need a love that acts both extreme and serious. In the first letter to the churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus gives John a letter to take to the church of Ephesus. They have forgotten this first love. He calls them back to it through repentance. Ask God what He is speaking to your heart through this message today. Then consider who you know that needs to hear it and pass it along.
Before COVID shut down our nation the Lord gave me a dream about a Tsunami. I have prayed about what he was speaking to me. Today I wanted to share that with you.
It's not that easy to be cheerful when you know that life is going to be full of tribulation. But what we so often forget is that Jesus has already overcome that tribulation! Now that is some good news! But what does it mean for your life? Today? Let's talk about it, on this Monday Morning...
The enemy is a master at convincing us that one little moment of sin, is just that, a moment. Because he never shows us what it can lead to, or the wreckage that it can bring. The Israelites never thought that the disobedient act of inter-marrying would lead to killing their children. But Satan never reveals the cost of sin. Let's take a few moments today to make sure we aren't allowing our own hearts to look like the culture we are living in either.
Have You Ever Fully Died? Are you wondering why you aren’t living that abundant life God has designed for you? Or why your life isn’t reproducing fruit? There is a principle and power found in dying that we often don’t like to talk about. But what we miss is that it is in the dying where real living is found.
One of the reasons I do what I do is because it is hard to keep quiet all that God has redeemed, restored, and reclaimed in the pain that is my story. And some days it is powerful for us to stop and remember exactly what He brought us from and how He has set us free... biblestudy #bibleverse #christianquotes #christ #verseoftheday #christianlife #christians #wordofgod #bibleverses #holybible #dailyverse #bibleverseoftheday #biblequotes #biblequote #biblejournaling #godsword #jesusistheway #keepfaith #godsgrace #NewTestament #godsnotdead #jesusislord #mondaymusings #jesusisthereason #book #holyspirit
Are You Afraid of the Holy Spirit? For many of us the mere mention of the word "Holy Spirit" scares us. But what are we missing when we forfeit this beautiful gift that is the Holy Spirit. Who is God in Spirit form, available to live on the inside of us. What a holy privilege. Yet, for many of us we don't understand him, let alone access all that he affords. Let's discuss this morning, this indescribable gift we've been given to partner with us in the messiness that is this life.
God Knows How to Get the Best Out of You. Really.... Ever wondered why your circumstances could look so different from someone else's. Why they struggle, and you don't? Why you toil, and yet everything they do seems to come easy and without challenge? First, we all have seasons of struggle, and we all have seasons of ease. The power is in realizing that no matter what season we are in, God honestly does know how to get the best out of us if we embrace where we are and allow Him to do what He desires to do.
Never before have our lives been so completely interrupted. But what if the interruption had a divine purpose? Would you see it differently? Engage it differently? Be more curious than complaining? Jesus worked miracles often during interruptions. Could He possibly long to do one in yours? To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0 Mondaymusing #reclaiminghearts
How Weary Are You? Some of us haven't felt this weary in a long time. We came into Covid weary. And now, well now, we can't seem to find the energy to put one foot in front of the other. But this is not our inheritance. So, what might be at the real root of your weariness? 1-3 God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. 4 Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. 5 You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. 6 Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
Do You Feel Like You're Living in the Inbetween? Sometimes we can feel stuck in the "Inbetween". But often it is the "inbetween" moments in life that equip us for the promised places in our life. Because it takes a great deal of maturity to handle our promised lands. So, what if instead of cursing the "inbetween" you used it as the preparation ground to be ready when your promise arrives.
Could it really be ordained that you were born when you were? Live where you do? Could it be that God has a specific plan right where you are planted? It's a question worth asking in this unprecedented moment of time. Acts 17:26 (ESV) And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
Can Anyone Really Heal this Mess? Sometimes you think things might be a little messy. Other times you have no doubt. We are living in one of those moments. In the searching for answers, there is an answer. Take a few moments to listen to the answer that can take every messy place in your life and turn it into the greatest miracle you've ever encountered. Isaiah 61:1-6 (MSG) The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory. They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
Justice and Jesus Have you ever considered that justice your heart desires is holy? In fact, God is just. It is his character. So, of course it would be in us because we are made in his image. But the danger is when we separate justice from Jesus which is what the world is trying to do today. Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV) The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]? To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Proverb 19:23 (MSG) Fear-of-God is life itself, a full life, and serene—no nasty surprises.
The Devil is Real Often the mere word "devil" sounds like the plot to a movie. Oh if that were only true. But as real as this earth is, so are is the demonic enemy who roams around on it looking for a heart to devour. Let's consider some ways to stop this enemy of our hearts and lives. God has given us everything we need to do just that. Text for Video Matthew 12:30 (MSG) This is war, and there is no neutral ground. Accuser Angel of Light Thief Roaring Lion Lucifer Evil One Serpent Devil Satan Ephesians 6:10-18 (MSG) And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Scripture tells us "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." But what are "these things?" Could we actually be witnessing the events prior to the return of Jesus? Every generation has thought they would be the ones who would see the return of Jesus. But has any generation seen what we are seeing now? Scriptures - Matthew 24: 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:10-14 And then many will fall away[a] and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Who is Your Enemy? Who is Your Enemy? The enemy of our hearts, Satan himself, has been a master at convincing us our battles in this life are against people. As long as we believe that lie we will live defeated in from our marriages to our main streets. We need a different perspective today on the war we are in and the enemy behind it. Scripture : “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 2:15 ESV
What is all this Shaking About? What is all This Shaking About? What questions are you asking in this season for your own heart? In the middle of pandemics and protests, Earthquakes and famines, God is speaking. Are we listening to what He wants to speak and do in us? Scripture: “Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak. The earsplitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words—“If an animal touches the Mountain, it’s as good as dead”—they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified. No, that’s not your experience at all. You’ve come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You’ve come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel’s—a homicide that cried out for vengeance—became a proclamation of grace. So don’t turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn’t get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time—he’s told us this quite plainly—he’ll also rock the heavens: “One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern.” The phrase “one last shaking” means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!” Hebrews 12:18-29 MSG
If My People... We have heard this passage spoken from the halls of Washington to conversations across our dinner table. Our land needs healing. This passage holds the key, but it may hold more than we may have even considered. “Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.” 2 Chronicles 7:11-15 ESV 7- This is the number that marks where God is doing something by his spirit apart from any other source. It is the number that marks his rest and he rules over all things created. Seven is perfection of Spirit. 14- It is the number that points to or stands as a witness to God’s spirit moving or made manifest. It has to do with God’s Spirit perfecting something and the drastic measures He will take to make something right. God may be saying I warned you of this happening. “Numbers that Preach” Troy Brewer First, I want you to pray - to seek my face. Second, I want you to repent - to turn.
We are facing pandemics and protests all while we just celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Could God be inviting us into something that could bring one last move of His Spirit? I believe He is.
There is no sin you will ever commit that Jesus can’t forgive. But to truly be set free you have to receive the gift that He is. To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
What is your wall today? What is the one thing keeping you from the Promised Land God is inviting you to possess? Could it be he has a way to make those walls come tumbling down? I believe He does...
What is Keeping You From Your Promised Land? There have been a lot of seeming giants in our land lately. The giants of sickness. The giants of death. The giants of fear. The giants of doubt. The giants of need. But what happens when we allow our giants to be bigger than our God? Could we actually miss our promised land? To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
This has been a hard season for so many. But the beauty of God is that he is always working for good, even in the hard, for his children. But how is he working when we are in a battle with other people? What may his working look like there for them and for us... To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
Sometimes Mother's Day seems to highlight more of our lack than our blessings. But this week as we look forward to mother's day may we realize every woman is a mother to someone. Who might that someone be God has put in your path? To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
What are you longing for today? Could your longing actually be present so that you'd realize the only thing that ever truly fills it is Jesus. To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
There are moments in life where suffering can take your breath away. For many, this is one of those moments. However, Jesus suffered like no other. He did it so He would be familiar with every pain we would ever feel. I pray your heart is encouraged today as we talk about suffering. To receive Monday Musing in your inbox each week subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2rVoTF0
This Sunday we will celebrate Easter in a way few of us have ever known. At home. Without our church family. Many of us without any family around the Easter table. Yet the hope of Easter is still alive whether we get to worship together or not. I do not know what area of your life, circumstances or heart need a resurrection, but the same power that resurrected Jesus giving us the celebration of Easter is the same resurrection power available for our lives todayl. What do you need resurrected?
Some of us need miracles we've never needed before. Miracles of healing. Miracles of provision. Miracles of salvation. Just a plain old fashioned miracle. But do they still exist? Are they still available? Let's talk about it. On this Monday Morning...
More time at home offers more time for quiet to hear God's voice. Trust me, He still speaks. Let's discuss how he may want to speak to your heart in this season.