Verse and Message (Week of March 29-April 4, 2009) March 30, 2009

Have a beautiful Palm Sunday! Hosanna! Hosanna!

 

Psalm 139:7-10

I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to Heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.  If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 

Joshua 1:5
No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

 

Matthew 27:46

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in aloud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 

I began going to Church of the Highlands in December of 2003. I remember the heaviness I felt in my spirit as I walked alone into the entrance of the auditorium. I was going through one of the most difficult times of my life….and somehow, even though I was a member of another worship home, I was drawn to Highlands.

 

His Presence nearly knocked me down. I knew in a millisecond, that no matter how isolated I would ever feel from that point forward, I wouldn’t allow myself to believe satan’s lie that the Lord had abandoned me. I knew I had come home again…and the key was just that…. I as in “me”…I  had come back into His loving arms. I was the one who had abandoned Him, and that is what had created the distance I had been experiencing. He was there waiting for me to return all along.  

 

Yesterday was an odd day; typically I save seats for about 8-10 of my friends.  Saving seats has become one of my spiritual gifts, ha. However, for whatever reason, not one of them showed up for this particular service. I was sitting alone. 

 

It didn’t disturb me, but it was just different. I remember thinking……I don’t remember the last time I sat alone at Church of the Highlands.  I was quickly reminded as I began to  worship….”Daughter, you are not alone, I am here with you.”

 

I know that no matter who is sitting next to me in worship or wherever I might be…..I am never alone…..He is there….. I cannot escape His encompassing love and peace because of the precious gift of HIS HOLY SPIRIT. 

 

I don’t think it is a coincidence that I heard the song “Never Alone” by Barlow Girl the night before. We cannot deny that at one time or another we have all had the feeling that the HOLY SPIRIT was absent!  The Holy Spirit is for all of us who accept Him, and He will never leave us!

 

Only one human being has ever had God turn away from Him, although momentarily. In order for the Perfect Sacrifice to “finish” the process to bring us True Life, Father God had to look the other way when His Son died for us on that rugged cross. Jesus Christ literally went through Hell so that we could be saved. He died the most horrific death so that we could live. No one has ever felt more alone than Jesus at that moment.

 

I felt inclined to share the aforementioned song in this week’s verse and message. I will prepare you that there is a story within a story here. I took the video off of God Tube/Tangle. You may want to listen to it a couple of times, so that you can allow the words of the song to sink in as well as be able to read the beautiful story shared in the video. I have also included the lyrics of the song below the link.

 

 http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6a0285930a98ecad2b74

 

     NEVER ALONE

    BARLOW GIRL

 

I waited for you today

But you didn’t show

No no no

I needed you today

So where did you go?

You told me to call

Said You’d be there

And though I haven’t seen You

Are you still there?

 

I cried out with no reply

And I can’t feel You by my side

So I’ll hold tight to what I know

You’re here and I’m never alone

And though I cannot see You

And I can’t explain why

Such a deep, deep reassurance

You’ve placed in my life

We cannot separate

‘Cause You’re part of me

And though You’re invisible

I’ll trust the unseen.

 

We have all experienced the feeling that the Lord has disappeared.  He will not leave us. Even though it may seem that He is invisible at times, He is closer to us than any other person could be.  We must KNOW that we have been given the DEEP REASSURANCE that He is with us always. Indeed, He always SHOWS UP!

 

The question is…………..DO WE SHOW UP?  We were created to worship Him.  If we ever feel distant from the Almighty Lord, our only option is…..COME BACK HOME TO HIM……He will give us a renewed sense of His PRESENCE! 

 

THE WORLD MAY DISTRACT US FROM THE SAVIOR….

BUT NOTHING CAN DISTRACT THE SAVIOR FROM US! 

HE IS GRACE WAITING ON US TO RESPOND TO HIM!

WE CANNOT SEPARATE FROM JESUS….

HE IS A PART OF US, AND HE WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF US! 

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL GIFT! 

 

SUSIE MC 

Verse and Message (Week of March 22-28, 2009) March 24, 2009

 SPRING IS HERE!

 

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 20:24

A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?

 

I was thinking today how confusing life can be. At times it can be a jumbled puzzle. The difference is that when one puts together a jigsaw puzzle, the big picture is typically illustrated on the box.  The object is to make all of the pieces fit together correctly to create the image displayed.  A puzzle requires ingenuity and often persistence in assembling.

 

In life, our Creator allows us to choose the pieces to our puzzle…however, He is the author of the ”Big Picture”….and, we have to trust Him with that “Big Picture.” I often desire to see the full illustration of my life on a box….but He only allows the “vision” to be realized one piece at a time.

 

The journey involves observation as well as action. So many times, we select fragments that do not fit the pattern. We may try to force a couple of pieces together that do not mesh. It is possible to manipulate the pieces…but in the end, it doesn’t work. 

 

It’s important to put together the border first, or the foundation, in order that we have a solid point to begin. Before salvation, our pieces are scattered in disarray without a specific pattern to connect. Once the foundation is intact, it is easier to visualize the Big Picture and take steps with confidence, because the Author is guiding our movements. 

 

Sometimes distractions interrupt the organization of the puzzle. We may lose our focus and forget the purpose that leads to the beautiful design for our lives. Consequently, our lack of discipline delays the growth process.

 

Frustration may set in, but we simply need to pick up the pieces and re-group them. We can even ask a friend to help us along the way; encouragement makes the process easier and more fun. 

 

At times we may feel alone and don’t know which piece to select next.  That’s when it’s time to take a refreshing break with the Master of the Puzzle.  Those breaks with Him must be taken consistently, or we might give up and divert to another activity that keeps us from maturing. Daily insight with our Helper will guarantee that we will stay on track and keep moving in the right direction.

   

We must remember that the completion of our puzzle cannot be figured out in a day. It takes a lifetime to finish the masterpiece the Designer has prepared.  It’s a journey with many twists and turns, some jumbled moments of frustration and pain, but it can be fun, interesting, and life-giving when we stay focused on the Designer. Of course, the puzzle is a lot easier to comprehend when we spend more time with the Creator of the puzzle. He provides the insight to compile all the pieces.

PUZZLED? 

THE PRINCE OF PEACE HAS YOUR PERFECT PLAN PREPARED!

IT ALWAYS FITS RIGHT WHEN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER!

  

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of March 15-21, 2009) March 17, 2009

 Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The term “addiction” is used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, excessive physical dependence, or psychological dependence.

 

Webster’s online defines addicted as follows:

To devote or surrender oneself to something habitually or obsessively.

 

Most of us consider addiction to be substance-related. In addition, most of us would never consider ourselves to be addicts. However, we have all been addicts to sin.

 

To emphasize my point, I will be transparent by sharing some of the addictions I have struggled with in my life:

Approval Addiction

Addiction to a person and/or a relationship

Addiction to exercising, especially running

Addiction to caffeine and sugar

 

Other addictions people may suffer from other than substance-related addictions may include chronic gambling, compulsive overeating, video game addiction, computer addiction, and pornography.

 

I think that anything that we pursue consistently to satisfy the flesh is capable of becoming an addiction. When something becomes our god, or something begins to control us, we are apt to fall into addiction, directing us down the path of bondage which ultimately leads to destruction.

 

To further elaborate, I edited the following verse and message I had written in September of 2005 to share today: 

 

Colossians 1:13 (The Message)
God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

James 4:10

When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up and give you honor. 

 

My name is Susie, and I am a sinner.  I have been a sinner for as long as I can remember.  I used to depend on sin to satisfy my fleshly desires.  I am happy now to share that even though I will always be a sinner, I am now a “recovering sinner” due to the grace of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is a constant struggle to stay clean, but I know that I can always count on my SPONSOR, Jesus Christ to get me through the tough times. I know that I couldn’t do it on my own.  If I attempted to stay clean on my own, I would fail. 

 

I meet with my worship family and fellowship with other recovering sinners to grow stronger and learn how to share my success as a recovering sinner with those in the bondage of sin.  There are so many sinners that are not aware of the HOPE that is available to them.  They live in denial….not realizing or accepting that they have a problem.

 

The above declaration is similar to one you might hear if you were to be present in an Al-Anon meeting.  Alcoholics suffer from the dependency of the consumption of alcohol.  There are alcoholics who deny their addiction, and there are alcoholics who have realized their problem and seek help to overcome their addiction. 

 

Alcoholics and recovering alcoholics attend regular

Al-Anon meetings to remain strong and encourage others who have fallen prey to alcoholism.  They each have a sponsor to support and encourage them during the process of healing and recovery.  

 

I personally know an alcoholic who is an inspiration due to conquering his dependency on alcohol.  His name is Johnny Montgomery, and he uses his story to encourage others suffering from alcoholism to bring hope to those in the bondage of this addiction.  He is not embarrassed to share his story–his ability through Christ to conquer this dependency has made him the strong vibrant man of God he is today. Thus, this addiction became his platform for the Kingdom….His beautiful testimony demonstrates the supernatural power of God who saved him from the pit of destruction. 

 

As recovering sinners, it should be our platform to share our success of freedom from the chains of sin.  We should embrace every opportunity to seek and bring others to the best SPONSOR available. 

 

Lastly, the only addiction that makes sense is the addiction of perfect love in Christ. Isn’t it liberating to be fully dependent on the Almighty? We can rejoice that we are no longer a slave to sin!

 

MY NAME IS SUSIE, I AM A RECOVERING SINNER!

I AM NOW ADDICTED TO JESUS CHRIST! 

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of March 8-14, 2009) March 10, 2009

Psalm 31:15a My times are in your hands.     Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Each spring we move our clocks one hour ahead and “lose” an hour during the night and each fall we move our clocks back an hour to “gain” an extra hour.  Benjamin Franklin was the first to consider shifting daylight. On March 19, 1918, “An act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States,” was enacted. The phrase “Spring forward, fall back” is supposed to help people remember how Daylight Saving Time affects their clocks.    Many people like the idea of Daylight Saving Time.  It gives everyone a chance to relish sunny summer evenings with added daylight by the simple task of moving the time pieces forward on the second Sunday in March. In addition, Daylight Saving Time allows us to use energy in lighting our homes and businesses by taking advantage of the longer and later daylight hours.    To me, the process is not a “simple task.” The lost hour in my life seems like a strong comparison to experiencing jet lag. I am a creature of habit, so the time change is not only confusing to my system and my schedule, but it leaves me utterly exhausted. I am not kidding; it takes me about two weeks to recover. Even being a “Type A” personality, there’s always a clock or a watch somewhere within my living or working arrangements that doesn’t get touched until almost the next time change.   Time is such a vast topic. We may change our clocks semi-annually, but are we in check with real time? We may be able to change the clocks every October and March, but we begin to realize that changing time….it’s really impossible. Time doesn’t stop…..we may adjust our systems, but we really don’t lose or gain an hour…it’s but a mirage of sorts.   There are 24 hours in a day. We all want to be good stewards of our time, but in this day and age, we all fail miserably at some point or another. I must admit, I not only have a difficult time managing “Daylight Saving Time”….it’s difficult for me to manage my personal day to day time wisely.   So many times, I design my own schedule without consulting the True Time Keeper. If we start each day by giving our time to the Lord, it’s amazing how He will orchestrate balance in order to provide us peace and order throughout the day. When we give a tithe of our time to God, He does exactly what He will do when we tithe our finances. He returns it to us in abundance. When we choose to give our time to God, we have already taken the first step to success in time management.    Think about where your time goes today. When we seek His wisdom in a timely manner……He will redeem our time, and time will be on our side! When God created time, He made plenty of it…but don’t waste it!   “An inch of time is an inch of gold, but you can’t buy that inch of time with an inch of gold.” Chinese Proverb   Take TIME-OUT to learn from the TIME KEEPER CLOCK WATCHER or CHRIST SEEKER? Give Him the TIME OF DAY, before it’s CLOSING TIME! The inventor of TIME is always there for us…. TIME AFTER TIME! Don’t delay….TIME is running out! SUSIE MC *I couldn’t resist borrowing some “time” lyrics from an assortment of songwriters*

Verse and Message (Week of March 1-7, 2009) March 3, 2009

Don’t forget Daylight Savings next Sunday, March 8!   Disclaimer: The following verse and message includes my opinion of a current motion picture. The message is not a reflection of any particular person who is a part of my past. It’s simply an illustration to exalt the Man Who guarantees to be my present and my future.   Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.   A couple of weeks ago, I went to see a current ”chick flick” at the big screen – He’s Just Not That Into You. The movie is based on the book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. I typically anticipate a movie to be an exaggeration of sorts…..thus, being able to say, “It’s just a movie.”  I must admit, however, that the plot/subject matter of this movie was dead on target.   The basic theme has to do with how we pursue others in relationships and how we perceive their response to us. Women are emotional beings. We analyze and overanalyze till we are worn out. Another gift we chicks have is the skill of persuading ourselves a picture that is not accurate. We even go so far as to support and encourage our girlfriends to view things through rose colored glasses. What I am referring to can be clarified in the following scenario:   Boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. Boy seems interested at first, but boy changes his mind and decides to express a cordial or polite “exit” with the girl. That sweet “walk away” was a “let you down easy.” Girl doesn’t perceive it that way. She reads what she wants to read into it. Girl waits for boy to call. Boy doesn’t call. Girl wants to call him. Her Girlfriend assures her that boy probably lost her number, so go ahead, touch base with him. Girl leaves message on answering machine for boy. Girl continues to wait for boy to call. Boy continues “not” to call. Girl decides to send a text….just a casual text. The cycle goes on until boy finally makes sure there is no argument, he is blowing girl off….boy is simply… ”just not into girl.   Girl cannot understand…..she thought boy was “into her,” so she labels him “jerk” while girlfriends console. Bottom line….when a girl is interested in a man who is not interested in her, she will consider every excuse in order to avoid admitting to herself that he is not smitten with her. Realistically, all along, boy didn’t deserve girl anyway.   I was pondering the drama of the different scenes of the movie and thinking, what guy out there hasn’t done this to a girl before? What silly girl hasn’t responded exactly as the aforementioned example. Ok, I am not being sexist here, because quite often the above scenario is played out in reverse.   In reflection, wouldn’t it be cool to meet someone who would not represent this discouraging example? Well,there is Someone -the perfect Guy. A Guy who always answers when I call; Who is actually waiting for me to call on Him; He is anxious to set up a date with me; He makes excuses for me when I ignore Him, and His forgiveness of my selfishness and disrespect is infinite; His love is pure, consistent, and unconditional.   That perfect Guy is Jesus Christ. He is a gentlemen. He pursues all of us as His bride. He is hopelessly in love with us. He wants all of us to come to Him. But, guess what? He’s the One Who receives the cold shoulder. Our disinterest in Him doesn’t matter; He is passionate about chasing us! We make the choice whether to give Him the time of day or not..but nonetheless, He sacrificed everything for us! We are His beloved…..He proved that over 2,000 years ago.    The perfect match-up results when we begin to open our eyes to how blessed we are!  We begin to appreciate His deep love for us. Those of us who are confident in our faith are certain that He will never leave us, but we may still take Him for granted. We also learn that each time we step away from Him, we become empty. No matter who or what else we seek, we will remain empty–missing something–until we reconnect with our Spirit-Mate.    Being a Christian will cost us something. In fact, it will cost us everything. We don’t deserve Him….we will never deserve Him…He’s way too good for us…in fact, our best effort in response to Him is but garbage.    Jesus Christ has no commitment issues. We have the commitment phobia. After chewing on that thought,He revealed to me that the more I put into my relationship with Him the more I will get out of it. It’s a WIN-WIN.    In addition, we are all capable of “going through the motions” but He is concerned with our hearts. It’s a relationship, not a religion.   All relationships involve sacrifice. Our Savior doesn’t need us….however…..He is head over heels in love with us….He desires to be intimate with us …and He wants to complete us. If we desire to be complete, we have to sell out to Him….simply by laying it all at the Cross …every single day!   PRACTICE THE “NO EXCUSES” TRUTH TO LOVING THE LORD… OPEN YOUR HEART AND RECEIVE HIS PERFECT LOVE… THE BENEFITS ARE ETERNAL…     SUSIE MC