Verse and Message (Week of July 26-Aug 1, 2009) July 29, 2009

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

 

Psalm 31:14

“You are my God. My times are in your hands…” 

 

I believe we have to come to the end of ourselves before we truly see God. Have you ever prayed in a time of desperation, but nothing appears to happen? Have you rebuked the devil, and nothing seems to change?  Have you had friends and acquaintances pray for you, and still, nothing is different? You confess all of your sins and you strive to make right the wrongs against anyone or anything in your life….. You are exhausted and frustrated, and even fasting doesn’t appear to transform the atmosphere….you feel like throwing in the towel.

 

Well, friends, even when nothing appears to be happening, something is always happening….we have a God Who is consistent in operating His perfect will on our behalf….even behind the scenes…when we don’t see anything taking place. Faith is knowing that something is happening even when we don’t see it. Our God often allows our problems to become impossibilities, so that He can demonstrate His power.

 

I received the following message in poetry that clearly defines how I feel when I am in a place of desperation….wanting to believe….wanting to hope….wanting to trust.  When we keep our focus on the One Who is in control, even when everything seems out of control, He delivers. His answers or solutions arrive although maybe not in our timing…and possibly not packaged the way we expected.

 

Ponder the following message…..have you felt this way?

 

the Wind that IS by melody green When things don’t turn out the way we thought they would When we are not in the place we hoped we’d be Or with those we long to be with There is One who understands When circumstances are not what we anticipated Our life is still guided by a purposeful God When He breathes, clouds move, trees rustle, boats sail He is the One who clears our way with His Wind When the Wind is fierce the move is swift and frenzied When a gentle breeze blows an easy glide is enjoyed In still waters we may simply bobble along, often feeling forgotten But the One Who measures velocity, knows our times and our seasons When things are not what we hoped or prayed for We must shift our heart into the Wind that IS We must bend our will into the reality of God’s leading He is the only One who can see the big picture After yielding and cooperating and doing our part We will find ourselves at that next place of new beginnings We will also understand both the swiftness and the delays And the timing and wisdom of the One who carried us there   This represents how I feel at times. I bet you have felt this way too. We must remember that we have a Sovereign God Who is there and understands all of the intricacies of our lives. Remember, that He may not give us exactly what we want when we want it….actually He rarely does. But….He gives us precisely what we need when we need it. So if you think you are facing a dead end……remember the author of life clearly is a credible source for raising the dead.   There are no dead ends in God’s economy! Nothing is impossible with Him!    Pray for His Perfect Perspective!  SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of July 19-25, 2009) July 23, 2009

Revelation 3:15-16

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.  I wish you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!

 

A 19th century clergyman Edwin Hubbel Chapin warned, “Neutral men are the devil’s allies.”  Satan loves it when we don’t defend the goodness of the Lord in face of controversy.  Not that we need to point our fingers and judge, but to accept some of what goes on around us is not only compromise and complacency, it’s absurd. 

 

Folks, we have to take a stand and be bold. What is taking place in the world around us is absolutely unacceptable….and all people, including Christians have become desensitized by what was once considered shocking! As children of the KING, we do not have to tolerate the evil that surrounds us! We have been given the power to trample on snakes and scorpions, so why don’t we use that power?

 

Think about this….Have you ever had a friend who didn’t defend you because that friend was afraid to get involved?  That person wanted to remain neutral so as not to ruffle the feathers of another.  It hurts.  Well, think how our Lord feels when we stand by and allow and accept inappropriate behavior and attitudes that consistently take place. 

 

We are called to be the light of the world….shining His LIGHT so that others will see a reflection of what is true and right-JESUS!  We are not perfect, but our witness can be either powerful or powerless.

   

Sometimes we don’t recognize evil.  That’s why it is important to study Scripture and pay attention to the realities of this world.  When we see things as the Holy Spirit sees them, we can begin to understand His perspective and fight for His honor.  We have all the armor necessary for battle, and remember the victory is ours!

 

God isn’t pleased with simply accepting His sacrifice…….we must commit to our mission as His team of followers.  Standing on the sidelines and not taking action won’t cut it.  I am not saying stand on the corner and scream to everyone walking around that they are condemned if they don’t accept the Cross. 

 

I am saying that we must begin each day in an effort to pursue His purpose for us, seek His will, and LIVE it - set apart.  Our actions, words, attitudes, schedule, and plans will reflect what and WHO we stand for! 

 

Check your heart today……..a friend of the world is an enemy of God!  C. H. Spurgeon says it well:  “Be half a Christian, and you will have just enough religion to make you miserable.”  Incredible but true statement! 

 

BE PASSIONATE TODAY IN YOUR WALK WITH THE

CROSS CONQUERING KING! 

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of July 12-18, 2009) July 15, 2009

 

 

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
 

Once again, I am bombarded by a particular message I feel the Lord wants me to share in my weekly email. Today’s focus is on FAITH.

 

The thought began at our service on Sunday. We shouldn’t wait until God fills in all the blanks in our life. In everything God does, He will never give us all the information to take the next step. He is pleased when we step out in faith; He will fill in the gaps with His beautiful plan.

 

Sometimes I truly desire for God to create an atmosphere in which I don’t have choices…..but then, I would be His robot. He created us for relationship, and He desires that we make decisions with our free will but doing so honoring Him as our Father Who has 100% wisdom. He delights in guiding us, but He doesn’t want to dictate our steps….He wants us to take our own steps while following His lead in making decisions. This requires faith and trust.

 

The next revelation from this topic took place Monday night as I was scanning facebook. While reading status updates on my friends, I ran across my dear friend Cecelia who works at the YMCA in Trussville. Here’s what she had to say:

 

Cecelia Woodson Lowe at 6:03pm July 13

Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence AS YOUR STATUS. AND POST these instructions in a comment to this status.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST book to you!……

 

I love exploring, so I followed her advice–I grabbed the book nearest me….Be Still and Know That I Am God by several contributing authors. I turned to page 56 and here’s what I found to be the fifth sentence:

 

“Yet we tend to run off in our own direction, presuming that the way we are going is His will.”

 

Ok friends…so how do we balance what we are supposed to do? We presume we are headed down the correct path, when truly, we are going our own way. How do we know whether we are in the right place or not?

 

Well, I was refreshed to receive the following message from Denise Carter, another dear sister in Christ.  The following message she sent me was taken from The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie. Check this out….it’s so amazing to me how this relates to the aforementioned references…

 

Sometimes, the way is not clear.

 

Our minds get clouded, confused. We aren’t certain what our next step should be, what it will look like, what direction we are headed.

 

This is the time to stop, ask (God) for guidance, and rest.  That is the time to let go of fear. Wait. Feel the confusion and chaos, and then let it go. The next step shall be revealed. We don’t have to know now. We will know in time. Trust that. Let go and trust.

 

Additional corresponding insight was included in Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Connection” message yesterday…..

 

You have to let go of security. You cannot move in faith and hold onto the past at the same time. You have to move forward. God told Abraham that He was going to make him the father of a great nation, and that meant Abraham had to leave his home for an unknown destination. Moses had to let go of his position in Pharoah’s kingdom in order to do God’s will. In other words if you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.

 

A great illustration of God’s plan is a trapeze artist. They swing out holding onto a trapeze bar, and then they let go in order to grab hold of another trapeze bar that swings them to the other side. But, at one point, they’re not holding on to any bar. They’re suspended in air for a split second.

 

If we don’t let go and grab onto what God wants us to have, we will swing back. However, when we swing back, we will swing lower and lower until we lose our momentum and settle for being “stuck” (not God’s best plan) on the trapeze bar where there is nowhere to go but down!

 

That mid-air feeling might seem scary, but when we truly LET GO AND LET GOD, He promises the ride of our life. We must trust and pray for Him to help us with our unbelief and dismiss that fear of the unknown. We must pray for discernment so that we will be confident with the next step we take. If we had any idea what was on the other side of that barrier, we would probably sprint to it! He makes all things work together, and sometimes He takes us down another path to test our faith.

 

In conclusion, I thought I would share a recent status update I posted on facebook:

 

SusieMc Mullins McCullum knows that as we walk by faith through the challenges of life, we can go with confidence, trusting that our God is BIG enough to meet every need — even when we are clueless as to what lies ahead!

I hope everyone will have a renewed strength and courage to step out more! God is a God of surprises……and even if we think something is good…..He has something better figured out for us.

 

DISCERN HIS DIRECTION….

LET GO AND LET GOD!

  

DO YOU WANT GOOD, BETTER, OR BEST?

HIS WAY IS BEST!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of July 5-11, 2009) July 10, 2009

   

Romans 10:9-10

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

  

Since I wrote last week’s message, I have been bombarded with a consistent theme to share for this week’s message. It’s all about GRACE!

 

I feel like I could be a star in a three-ringed circus with all of the hoops I have had to jump through this summer. In addition to responsibilities for Connor, I am jumping through hoops of fire at work to please contractors. And, I mentioned in a previous message the duties I have had to maintain in my yard just so I don’t get a warning note from the neighborhood association. I am simply worn out with everything there is to do.

 

I must admit that at the top of my list of hoop jumping would be a task I had to complete on Wednesday. I know that the Vestavia School System is not alone in the requirements necessary for a child to attend the school. I really don’t know how some kids get in the school doors with all that is required to get an education today. I had to go to Vestavia High School to provide proof of residency so that Connor could go to Vestavia High School. This is not the first time I have had to do this. Not only do you have to show proof of residency when you go to a new school system, you must provide that same information even when you are changing schools within the system…it doesn’t matter how many years your child has been in that school system.

 

In order to provide evidence that we do indeed live in Vestavia, I had to provide my house deed (I didn’t know what part to bring so I brought the whole packet from my closing that included more than 100 pages). I also had to provide a couple of recent utility bills along with Connor’s social security card and an additional piece of official mail to prove that we live at 4086 Alston Lane in Vestavia. Gathering this data can be very taxing. Actual registration is at the end of the month, and just imagine the paperwork that is included in that adventure.

 

So, I told a dear friend yesterday that I am convinced it is easier to get into Heaven than it is to get into Vestavia High School..ha. After I said that statement, I realized it actually is easier to get into Heaven than most anywhere. But….so many believe that you literally have to jump through hoops of fire to make it into Heaven.

 

Why do so many people make something hard out of something so easy? I used to think that I had to earn my way to Heaven (or at least maintain my position) by the things I had to do. I figured if I went to church a lot, memorized some Scripture, and behaved myself with regard to following the Ten Commandments, that I would be able to prove my residency in the Kingdom.

 

When we start having the mentality of obligation thus, becoming religious, we lose the whole point of GRACE…it becomes LEGALISM. As Pastor Chris said Wednesday night, “It’s not what you’re DOING, but WHO you’re KNOWING.” We need to focus less on doing the “right thing.” We need to focus more on falling in love with Jesus….and the fruit of good works will come naturally, without effort. The “right thing” will be automatic.

 

GRACE is defined by Pastor Chris as “a free gift that’s available to everyone – it’s received by faith in Jesus Christ.” He also added,”You don’t get your act together to get saved; you get saved so you can get your act together.”

 

If we continue to get distracted by rules and regulations, we remove the “GET TO” and replace it with the “GOT TO.” That’s no fun! When we fall in love with Jesus those “GOT TO’s” transform to ”GET TO’s.” 

 

It’s not the “DO NOT’s” that we push or follow….it’s the kindness of the Lord that leads people to repentance and acceptance of the Savior. He’s called the SAVIOR, because ONLY HE CAN SAVE US! We cannot save ourselves with our “do’s or don’ts.”

 

It’s a relief that I don’t have to provide a proof of residency when I leave this world. My proof is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I don’t have to keep proving it year after year. My proof of residency was handled when I first received Jesus Christ, which only required confession that I am a sinner, followed by asking forgiveness from the only One without blemish. That’s all it takes. There are some who have never stopped jumping through hoops to earn their way to Heaven, but sadly, they won’t be in the Lamb’s Book of Life if they haven’t surrendered to Christ.

 

In conclusion, I think that Max Lucado said it best in the following:

 

Who would look at the cross of Christ and say, “Great work, Jesus. Sorry you couldn’t finish it, but I’ll take up the slack.”? Dare we question the crowning work of God? Dare we think heaven needs our help in saving us? Legalism discounts God and in the process makes a mess out of us. Legalism is joyless because legalism is endless. There is always another class to attend, person to teach, mouth to feed. Inmates incarcerated in self-salvation find work but never joy. How could they? They never know when they are finished. Legalism leaches joy.

Grace, however, dispenses peace. The Christian trusts a finished work.

Grace offers rest. Legalism never does. Then why do we embrace it? 

Can you add anything to this salvation? No. The work is finished.

Can you earn this salvation? No. Don’t dishonor God by trying.

It’s not about what we do; it’s all about what he does.

 

RELIGION VS RELATIONSHIP…NO CONTEST!

  

ACCEPT CHRIST AND STOP JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS!

SUSIE MC

July 1, 2009

Micah 7:7 As for me, I look to the Lord for his help.    John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.   INDEPENDENCE DAY – JULY 4, 2009      The day of July 4 is celebrated in the United States to commemorate the adoption in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence**   What does that mean to us? It not only means a much needed day off from work, lots of Bar B Q and watermelon and fireworks…. it means that we live in a spectacular country with blessed freedom!  God designed for me to be born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama in the United States for a reason! We should never take for granted that we are citizens of this beautiful nation…. ”The Land of the Free.”       According to The American Heritage Dictionary….   Independent is defined as being free from the influence, guidance, or control of others; self reliant.   Dependent is defined as relying on the aid of another for support.   Both of these “state of mind” concepts have been abused in our society. So many people depend on others for their so-called happiness. Friends and family members are our gifts from God, but we must not put our whole mind, soul, and heart in reliance on any of these people. The responsibility of being totally dependent on any human is too great for the imperfect human creation. People will disappoint us. People will leave us. People will hurt us. People will take advantage of us. People will lie to us. People are flawed and often unforgiving. The only perfect person to walk this earth came as Jesus Christ, the Son of God.    On the flip-side, some lean on the side of being too independent. This person claims that he doesn’t need anyone–he take care of himself. He has too much pride to ask for help. He wants to do it all himself. He lives in a secluded universe where love is not welcome. These individuals are truly crying for help by their cold existance. If you think they are only independent of human support, they are miles away from asking the Savior to assist in their daily agenda!   Christ gives us both the joy of being dependent on Him for every need on this earth as well as the independence of FREE WILL to make our own choices. He loves us more than anyone could ever love us. He loves us so much that He gave it ALL up at the CROSS so that we could live in true freedom (if we take it)!    His blueprint for our lives allows us to discover the freedom and joy of being the person He designed us to be, simply by surrendering…you know, holding up the white flag…it is a sign of strength, not weakness!  He wants us to cast our cares on Him; He can handle it! He’s in the business of multi-tasking–it’s His specialty! Without Him we are not free!   True freedom is knowing that the love of Jesus doesn’t carry an ounce of condition! Don’t be strapped in the shackles that Satan so shrewdly offers. Embrace TRUE FREEDOM in Christ…but don’t forget it wasn’t FREE for HIM!   Remember to be grateful to all the men and women who have fought and/or continue to fight for our freedom in the USA! Again, freedom isn’t free! It has a sacrificial pricetag!     DON’T BE STRAPPED IN THE SHACKLES OF SATAN’S DECEPTION…. EMBRACE TRUE FREEDOM IN CHRIST…. BUT DON’T FORGET….FREEDOM WASN’T FREE FOR HIM…. SUSIE MC Join us at Church of the Highlands tonight as we celebrate our beautiful freedom through worship, fellowship, and fireworks! The evening kicks off at 7 pm