A Journey of Faith – Strengthen Your Shoes

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Last week I sat behind the bench during my daughter’s basketball game. I overheard the coach articulating the game plan and giving a pep talk as he encouraged each player and the team as a whole. As Coach D. paced the sidelines and interacted with his players, he united the team and each one knew they played a part, they belonged. “Belonging” is the key not only to a successful, victorious team, but for us as well on our faith walk.

Over the years I have realized in almost any situation when one senses that he or she doesn’t belong or matter, a door is left wide open for the enemy to wreak havoc. Loneliness and insecurity drive us to believe the destructive lies of the enemy. He deceives us into thinking that belonging is found in anything and everything BUT the Father’s loving arms.

In Joshua 5 God had His children do two very important things in order to strengthen their faith and move forward in victory. The first has to do with “belonging” to the Father’s family (we’ll talk about the second thing on Thursday).

In Joshua 5 verse 2 the LORD said, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.” Can you say Ouch! For 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness without the need for circumcision, but now a new generation was called to walk in faith and circumcision was a reminder that they belonged to God (see Genesis 17). Their future success would not come from their own strength, but instead from the fact that God the Father loved them – they belonged to Him! His strength would allow them to be victorious in battle.

I know that, today, circumcision points to the work of Christ on the Cross, where his blood was shed to bring us into relationship with the Father. I also know that the water in baptism replaces the former and is the new sign and seal of our adoption into the family of God. So, because I have been baptized, I know I belong to the Father’s family.

I’ll be honest, though, there are still times on this journey of faith I get lonely and the Jericho ahead scares me to death! How I need to be reminded daily of these words, “for you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship (adoption). And by him we cry ‘Abba Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s Children” (Romans 8:15, 16).

This verse strengthens me. It reminds me that I belong, that my Dad is King of the Universe. I have been baptized into His family through Jesus His Son, and He loves me! My victory is found in Him alone.

A prayer I repeat many times a day is “Abba, I belong to you!” Try praying these 5 strengthening words this week on your faith journey and watch how the Holy Spirit will give you all you need to move forward.

A Journey of Faith – Dancing Shoes – Journey Deeper

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I wanted to share a Christmas letter with you that blessed me so much as a  “Standing Stone” of God’s  miraculous provision and faithfulness. Thanks so much Nancy Z. for putting on your dancing shoes!

2014 and the Terrible, Horrible, Seemingly Impossible, Very Tough Year…

…our story begins on a wind-whipped California Wednesday, late in Dec of 2013 …my “ford tough” truck, after a brave and extended battle, was pronounced DOA..the life was gone, along with my one and only form of transportation….and before I finished processing my vehicular predicament, I rec’d a letter that knocked my feet out from under me…sent my mind swirling into a dizzying array of panicked thoughts that started with “this is impossible” to “there is no way on earth I can do this”

…see in my efforts to pay off the debts from my closed business of ’08, I had fallen behind on my property taxes…and the letter from my mortgage company stated they had graciously paid off what I owed to the state of California…sounds awesome right? Ah, yes…until you read the fine print and study their mathematical equation for repayment and realize they had taken the amount owed and divide it by 12 months

(one-terrible-horrible year) and then added that amount to my monthly mortgage payment…

…now, this is where some of you are thinking, “well, suck it up…things could be worse…it’s just money” and

you are right…there is so many more horrible things in our world…but for a self-employed- singe mom- helping put her kid through college-working as a photographer in a economy where gas, food, & clothes are a family’s highest priority and selfies on phones are now all the rage …the close to a $1000 extra added to my monthly payment, along with an impending car payment, was a mountain for me who’s heights rivaled that of Mt. Whitney and one that I was not financially in shape enough to climb.

…so I did the only thing I could do…cried…complained…worried…ate ice-cream… called my mortgage company and begged for more creative math, like dividing by 24 or 36 instead of 12…but nothing helped…until I did the only thing I should have done in the first place…I prayed…I called out to God..

I poured out my heart…my worries…my situation…and He, in his infinite wisdom…smiled…wrapped His arms around me …and said “Trust Me…I am bigger than the mountain…I’ve got this…so get up…work ..serve and obey.” And I did just that…and though I couldn’t “see” how it was going to be possible…I had to rest in knowing that God keeps his promises. So…

…on a chilly, January day, 2014, I clicked “pay now” on the first mountainous mortgage payment…

…by April, with a car payment now added to my list of expenses, mountainous mortgage payment number 4 was paid…

…after the frightfully dry summer months which tested my faith, August brought along a load of work and more payments were made…

…October saw my income slow… and despite the very visible, very faithful provision of the past months, my footing started to slip on this mountainous climb….worry furrowed my brow and “impossible”colored my language…again… and I didn’t know how I’d finish out the year…ah…see what I did? I didn’t know how “I’d” finish the year…so after being denied by a home-modification program for not making enough money to qualify (?? go figure)…God said, “You need to TRUST me…I still have this.”

…so now…as I type this letter on a rainy December morning…one year later…I have a safe & reliable car…I still have a roof over my head….I continue to take pictures for a living …my son-Jacob-is doing well in his third year of college in Texas…I still serve my kids at BSF and the sports teams at OC…and the mountain is but a mole hill as only one payment remains…yes, only ONE!

How? Well glad you ask because it it the point of the story…and here it is…simply said…

…BUT GOD!

The Glory for the Story belongs to God and God alone!

God is the God of the impossible! God is Sovereign! God abounds in love and faithfulness!

Listen…Life is tough, folks! And sometimes the mountains are allowed into our life so GOD can teach us

to Trust Him as HE moves the mountain, in HIS time and in HIS way! GOD is in Control! So with my

faith in THE ONE who is bigger than the mountains of life, GOD provided abundantly…

(Think Fishes & Loaves!) through my photography & my awesome customers, through the monies that “just appeared” in my bible study bag and through the generous hearts of friends & family… 2014 turned into one

Truly Amazing, Perfectly Possible, God-Glorifying, Very Wonderful Year!

Merry Christmas, Nancy

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matt 19:26

A Journey of Faith – Dancing Shoes

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A recent highlight for me was standing at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Shabbat, or the Sabbath, was about to begin and the courtyard overflowed with people. The atmosphere was electric as people of all ages danced their hearts out to welcome in the day of rest. As they danced, they held nothing back as they praised God; it was almost as if their shoes were on fire.

I think the same thing happened as the children of Israel safely arrived on the other side of the Jordan! As they firmly placed their feet on the Promised Land, their feet skipped and danced as if on fire with genuine praise for the miracle they just encountered.

Have you ever danced over a miracle that God performed before your very eyes?

This past December I was praying Psalm 23 and got stuck on, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.” Yes, struggling with doubt, I had to claim this truth. About an hour later, after a brisk walk in the snow with my kids, I checked my email and the miracle jumped off the screen and filled my heart with overwhelming joy. The Good Shepherd provided in unexpected ways through one of his beloved sheep to help with Oceans Ministries.

I’m not ashamed to say I danced and cried before my Shepherd, my wife and kids. Immediately I grabbed my journal and wrote down the miracle! I knew I would need to remember this moment, for those days when my faith gets weak; indeed I follow a Rabbi who brings about miracles.

In Joshua 4, God instructs His children to record the miracle they had just experienced. Even thought they were weary from their travels, God instructed them to gather 12 stones from the Jordan (where the Ark was) and bring them to shore. The 12 stones were to stand as a record of the miracle. For generations, the stones would serve as a reminder of God’s love and faithfulness, and the miracles which He performed!

Notice how Joshua 4 ends: “In the future when your descendants ask their parents ‘what do these stones mean?’ tell them that the children of Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground’… He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear (trust) the LORD your God,” (vs. 21-24).

In our faith journey, it is essential to share the miracles we’ve experienced with each other. So, why not pick up the phone, send a text, email a friend, or talk with your family. You will encourage others in their faith journey when you share the miracles in your life AND when those times of struggle come you will have others to help remind you of God’s great faithfulness! The goal of these Standing Stones is that your faith journey will show those around you “that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear (trust) the LORD your God” (vs. 24).

I challenge you on this journey to slip on your dancing shoes, offer God praise for the miracles He is performing in your life, and share it with someone else! Find your journal, pick up some stones from your Jordan and make a pile. You will be reminded of God’s supernatural surprises!

Journey of Faith – Shoes In – Journey Deeper

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Where is God in this? Is this really plan “A?“

Taking that first step into the Jordan is a huge faith leap but so is walking through it. I don’t know about you, but my thoughts can quickly turn up-stream. I wonder when the dam is going to break and the river is going to rush down and sweep me into the Dead Sea. Or, I look to the other side and see the intimidating walls of Jericho and hear that loud voice say “impossible.”

I have some dear friends going through some horrific pain for various reasons. I know in the midst of their Jordan Journey there can be those questions and thoughts about God’s plan “A,” and His presence. That is why this story grabs me so much. It is a powerful reminder that God is there in the midst of our Jordan, as seen in the “Ark of the Covenant.” Remember the “Ark” is mentioned 11 times in Joshua 3 & 4 to highlight the fact that we never walk alone on this Journey.

This story carries me ahead 1,400 or so years to the same Jordan River, near the same place where the “Ark” went in, Jesus was baptized. He stepped in to identify with our journey to show us the way through the Jordan into the plan “A” of our Father. Luke 3:21-22 describes the scene: “When all the people were being baptized Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'”

Did you catch the phrase, “as he was praying,”? In the middle of the Jordan He sought the presence of the Father. He knew that he would not be able to do God’s plan “A” in his strength. He could not overcome the demonic walls of the enemy, heal the sick, preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and take the sin of the world to the cross unless the presence of the Father was in and with him.

The Father was so moved by the prayer of His Son that He ripped heaven open and poured out the Holy Spirit on His Son with glorious words of love and affirmation. Jesus’ response to the Father’s loving presence was to walk right out of the Jordan in the power of the Holy Spirit to live into plan “A.”

Jesus not only shows us what to do in the middle of our Jordan, but also has made it possible for us to experience the same power and presence of the Spirit of God in our lives. Right now, stop what you are doing and pray this prayer with me:

Dear Abba,

I confess again that my faith is weak and my fears distract me from seeking your glorious face. I pray that you will fill me with your Holy Spirit to accomplish your will for my life. Open my ears to hear your voice break through the lies of the enemy so that I can experience heavens love and know your glorious presence in me.

Father, I praise you for my older brother Jesus, who opened up the path for me into your presence and has molded for me your perfect plan. Right now in the middle of my Jordan I surrender once again my life to you, it is yours Father to use for your glory, Amen!

Believe that you have received & keep those shoes walking!

A Journey of Faith – Shoes In

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Do you ever want a plan “B” or even a plan “C, D, or F…” if plan “A” doesn’t work? I know I do, but of late God has been speaking to me about not having backup plans, saying trust in plan “A.” Scary stuff in a world that constantly preaches security just in case things don’t turn out the way we planned.

When you read Joshua Ch. 3-4 you notice there is no plan “B” in case the Jordan River doesn’t stop flowing. And to make matters worse the Jordan is at flood stage, making it impossible for 2 million plus people to cross over. Notice the word “impossible,” I think most, if not all, of the Father’s “plan A’s” are impossible.

But here is the key to God’s plan “A,” He always goes first. If you read these chapters you will see that the “Ark of the Covenant,” is mentioned 11 times, go ahead underline that in your Bible. Remember the Ark was the symbol of God’s presence with His people. So God would step in first and stay there until all the people made it to the other side. He would be the last one out.

How would you have liked to been one of the four priests who carried the Ark into the rushing river? One scholar I read said the Ark weighed about 183 pounds and that the place where they walked into the Jordan was a steep drop-off. Once they took that first step forward — no plan “B.”

I’m sure the butterflies were doing back-flips in their tummies as the stepped into the water, but the moment their shoes touched the water, the miracle happened and way upstream the river was dammed up. The Jordan stayed that way all day until everyone was safely on the shore of the Promise Land. When God’s presence left the River with the priests, the Jordan was released and rushed down the valley once again.

What is God’s plan “A” for you? Are you ready to step in and experience a miracle? Remember who is with you as your shoes get wet – the True Ark, Jesus Christ. And the Bible says that if you have given your life over to Him you are a True Priest (I Peter 2:9).

To be honest, His plan “A” can be the scariest moment of your life. But I can testify that your “Jordan” will stop and you will stand in awe on the other side of the miracle that just took place. Go for it today with both shoes in!