Tag: Holy Spirit

Kingdom work

Karla Lees

When I go to work, I’m going to the Kingdom. I’m not working for the King, I’m working with the King. The Kingdom is not restrained to the walls of the Church. -Kris Vallotton

Many days, I used to drag myself to work.

But its not that I don’t love my jobs, for I do.

Rather its because I wasn’t seeing the bigger perspective about work in general.

Years ago, when in bible college, I dreamed of working in a church. One professor made a comment about how I was too radical to be church acceptable staff material, and my soul took on the weight of that barb.  Not knowing any better at the time, I let my dream of being on church staff fly away into my lost dreams pile.

Fast forward to more recent years.  Spending more time in the Word, I realized that the church in Acts seemed to do more “church-like” Kingdom work outside of the walls of the church buildings, right in the communities, wherever they were.

Immediately my eyes were opened to the reality that church work, Kingdom work, was never meant to be limited inside the walls of a building.

Kingdom work was always intended to be carried within the heart of everyone in the Kingdom, and shared with those who need to hear the Good News that they are welcome in His Kingdom.

  • The Kingdom is within me, for I am His.
  • The Kingdom walks with me, for the King is with me wherever I go.
  • I work with the King, wherever I work
  • All my work matters for His Kingdom when I do it for His Kingdom come and His glory.
  • When I am aligned with His heart for those around me, I am doing Kingdom work.

And I don’t need to be church staff, or in a church building to do so.

I only need to be lead by Holy Spirit, following Jesus’ example and allowing my heart to beat with my Abba’s to do Kingdom work.

For wherever I am, the Kingdom is too.

And the same is true for you!
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pace or pursuit

Karla Lees

Is the pace at which I am doing God’s work destroying God’s work in me? Bill Hybels

There are days where I feel like I can’t catch my breath. One thing after another gets crossed off my to-do list, until I collapse on the sofa at the end of the night and wonder where my day, and my inner peace went.

Many of the things I did were good things.  But I am awakening to realize that not all of them needed to be done by ME.

I have a loving husband and two adult children, with a cute cat and a pygmy hedgehog living with me in our cozy nest.  This year, with three of us working and one in school full time, I have had to pull back on doing all the cooking, and use the crackpot more and assign nights to cook based on who is home first.  The cleaning jobs are fairly equally divided too. Not everyone is as tidy as the others, but working as a team leaves more time for family fun this way, with no one person carrying the weight alone.

All I do at home, my job or church may be His work.

But if I lose sight of how and what He is wanting me to do when and set my own pace, I can bring it all down through my attempt to do it all, in my own strength.

What we do on our own can be good, but what we are able to do with God can be great!!!

I have a few gifts and talents which God has given me (mostly around communication & community).  I am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that not all I do is meant for me to be doing.

Which means that the pace I am trying to maintain is a waste if I am not achieving His best for me at the end of the day.

Instead of trying to organize myself into obedience, I am taking a different tact this year….

I am pursuing God as my main priority.

There will always be jobs to be done, for we will always have work of one kind or another until we get to heaven.

If pursuing Him first causes me to allow him more fully to work through me, I need to lay myself down each day, and let Him set my pace.

Pausing to make sure I am running in pace with Jesus and all He has for me to do and become is more important to my well being.

Ultimately God is to be my pace setter.

My part is to give Him the space he needs within me to see the mext step ahead, as He equips me to meet each task to the best of my ability in Him.

I refuse to not answer the call He is stirring up deep within because I am keeping a frenzied pace without His purposes for me in mind.

I have no more space for the kind of waste in my life, Beloved.

Join me as we slow down before His throne, settle in at His feet, and ask Him to open our eyes to the things which matter most to Him, while He leads us to the peace within as He reminds us who we truly are, and what it is he has for us to do today.

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May the #wonder of living life at His pace overtake all of our busyness as we seek him first!

why’s

Karla Lees

We don’t always take a close enough glimpse at one person in the Christmas story whom I can relate to the most.

Because like me, Joseph appears to have wondered at the whys of Jesus.

  • Why, Mary?
  • Why Mary?!
  • Why this way, God?
  • Why now?
  • Why me?
  • Why?

‘Why’ is a question we can all see ourselves saying when faced with a new scary or unsettling situation.

At times, we echo what we imagine Joseph’s attitude was when informed about Mary’s pregnancy.

We don’t know actually who told him, for we know Mary was out of town for several months visiting her cousin Elizabeth as she was awaiting her son to come, John. We can hazard a guess that the grapevine may have gotten to Joseph before her parents or Mary did.

Because bad news likes to spread when outsiders begin to ask why.

As her fiancé (in those days called betrothed) Joseph had pledged to marry Mary. To us today, being betrothed is like being married except not living or sleeping together yet. In that time, he had the legal right to accuse her of infidelity, divorce her, see her stoned, and be set free without any blemish on his reputation. (see Matthew 1:18 – 25)

Joseph must have asked why.  For we all want to know the answer to that question when faced with drama or trauma.

He was likely broken-hearted, angry, frustrated and second guessing himself for choosing her as his bride.

We get a critical glimpse into Joseph’s personality with his response to Mary’s news, and the hint of what he must have been thinking, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. (Notice the angel showed up after he had decided to quietly divorce her.)

His message from God for Joseph?

  1. Son of David: Yes, I know you, and i have the right guy, Joseph. You are part of the promise, the hope for Israel.
  2. Do not fear: I am with you.
  3. Take Mary as your wife: live up to your covenant with her.
  4. She is pregnant by the Holy Spirit: your wife became pregnant through God’s actions, no man’s. She is still your pure fiancée.
  5. She is to bear a son:  So you will know I speak the truth.
  6. Call him Jesus: For this is happening because He is the Messiah..
  7. For He will take away the sins of the world: this is the plan.
  8. And fulfill the prophecies spoken about him: this is the time for him to arrive.

Notice what Joseph did first thing after awakening from that dream.

He went and got married to the girl of his dreams. (With one exception. He didn’t consummate the marriage while she was pregnant with Jesus.)

Despite all the why’s left unanswered, Joseph heard exactly what he needed to in order to obey God, and become the step-father of the most important man in history.

I’d be asking why me too if I were Joseph.

Because I do so often enough in my own life at times.

Here is the thing.  God knows why He chose you and I.

Just because we don’t always know why He chose us, doesn’t mean we were not His intended chosen.

God knew Joseph would be engaged to Mary.  He knew him to be a just man, who loved Mary so much he would show her kindness in a heartbreaking situation.

For Joseph, despite his likely questions, was a man after God’s own heart.

After Jesus was born, Joseph was given another set of instructions in a dream via an angel of the Lord.  He was warned to take Mary and Jesus, and flee to Egypt.  (Matthew 2:13-15)

Then he was told why.

For in that instance, being a devout Jew and being asked to go back to Egypt, the country which kept your people enslaved for generation?  I’d want to know why, just like Joseph would.

The why? For Herod wants to kill Jesus.

God didn’t need to say any more than that, apart from wait for My further instructions.

There are some why’s we already know the answer to, we just need to hear them confirmed.

There are most lessons we can learn from the briefly recorded life of Joseph, step-father to Jesus, husband to Mary.  But why is evident the greatest in this portion of the Word.

Because when God asked Joseph to do something, just like Mary, he did so. Even without all his why’s answered.

There is no question in my mind that Mary and Joseph were real life people like you and I.  God knew the plans He had for them, and look how history was changed through their obedience.

Why Joseph ultimately comes down to this: Jesus needed an earthly father who resembled His heavenly Father. One whose heart was for following the ways of heaven while here on earth. 

The next time you are overwhelmed with the questions on your heart and mind, ask Him to reveal Himself to you.  

For He is the ultimate answer to all our questions: the how’s, the what if’s, the who’s, the what’s, the where’s, the when’s and yes, the why’s!

This piece of history reminds me to wonder anew at the bigger picture God has in store for us!
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Thanksliving

Karla Lees

Thankful.

Every Thanksgiving, we are reminded to celebrate all we have to be thankful for in our lives.

But God doesn’t want us to just be especially thankful once a year.

He longs for us to be thank-full every day, in every situation, every time we can.

You recall that verse “Give thanks in all circumstances” we hear every year around Thanksgiving?

There’s more to it….for it wasn’t meant to stand on its own!

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be cheerful no matter what.

Being of good cheer is part choice, and part based upon how we handle the emergencies and hard situations we face. Which links it to the next instruction in this verse:

Pray all the time.

All the time. Out loud, in your mind, or with your spirit, constantly bringing everything to Him in the moment.

And when we connect with Him as we do so?

(We can) Give thanks in all circumstances.

Only when all three occur together does the last part of this verse make complete sense:

This (cheerfully praying with thanks every step of all we encounter) is the way God wants His Beloved to live….

Choosing joy.
Connected with Him.
Celebrating with thanks.

This Thanksgiving season, take the time to look back on how God has been with you in every season, and what He walked you through.

Smile. (Laugh, twinkle your eyes or flash your dimple!)

Because cheerful inside usually leads to a sign on the outside! 🙂

Pray.

However you pray. Whether by speaking it. Thinking it. Writing it. Singing it. Drawing it. On your own. In two or three. At home. At work. Over coffee. While walking.

Thank-fully.

We are so extra blessed when we are part of God’s family!

We are loved beyond measure by our Father. We belong.

We are inheritors of the Kingdom, made whole and clean in Jesus. We are free.

We have access to resources surpassing our comprehension through Holy Spirit. We are never alone.

Because God is fully with us through all things, we can always, and in all ways, have a reason to be thank-full.

And then these verses, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, become as they were intended by God in our lives:

Thanksliving as we express how thank-full we are to Him!

Wisdom Seekers

Karla Lees

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 (NIV)

The quest for knowledge can become a fact finding mission without an end, unless you know the right place to search.

I am married to a man who is my complete opposite. As a science brained person, he loves logical progression as he acquires knowledge (a+b=c). As an artsy creative type person, I love to use my senses and intuition to learn. We have been known to frustrate one another because we cannot explain ourselves so that the other gets what we are saying.

As newlyweds this caused a great deal of friction in our marriage.

Until I discovered this verse in James, and realized if we were ever to understand one another, we would need the Holy Spirit to help us communicate.

It takes His wisdom to show us what is behavioral, and what has been hardwired into our design.

God has never failed to shine His truth and wisdom on any situation where I have first waited for Him to speak.  

Heartbreaking, traumatic or at a crossroads—whatever the circumstance—His wisdom was the exact fit for what I needed to know, and for where I needed to go from there.

I can honestly say I am still married today because of God’s wisdom, love, grace and guidance through some very turbulent waters.

Pause and Apply:  Do I tend to leap before thinking? What do I need to bring before God so He can speak wisdom into it?

Prayer:  Lord, You give the gift of wisdom to all who ask. I am asking today. Help me navigate the choppy waters ahead in a way that pleases You.

The post Wisdom Seekers first appeared on Remade.
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let God love the hell out of you

Karla Lees

Do yourself a massive favor and let God love the hell out of you. Then love yourself as much as He does. It will change your life forever. Kris Vallotton

I needed this word this morning.

I can so relate to what Kris Vallotton shared on his blog today: http://krisvallotton.com/what-is-your-love-lid/

Because I too try to lessen my value to a dollar figure, instead of accepting the gift of eternal value I have by being His Beloved.

And I don’t walk out my true value most days, because I am too busy playing into the enemy’s scheme to keep me focused on what I lack instead of what I have in Him.

In God?

I am wanted.
I am chosen.
I am signed, sealed, & delivered into freedom.
I am paid for in full.
I am Beloved.
I am the apple of His eye.
I am His delight.
I am His Bride.

I need to remind myself of my true value too, more often than I can to admit.

I too need to ask God to love up on me, to so overpower me with His love that the hell is literally shoved out when it encounters His love.

And let’s face it, hate doesn’t like to leave anywhere it has burrowed into, does it?

Yes, I said hate.  Because hell is really about those who hate His creation, and the Creator.

Hell? It’s filled with fallen angels, serving their false god. And one day it will be filled with souls that failed to bend the knee before God.  Who refused to accept the only thing that could keep them from their final destination, apart from Him.

Love can make all the difference.

And it starts with accepting that we are valuable enough to be loved.

Especially by our Maker, who rules over Heaven & earth, and holds the keys to set everyone free from the road to hell if they accept Him.

I am not the same mess within as I was when God first met me.  I thank Holy Spirit for leading me as I take each thought captive before Him, before I accept what it says.

I am no longer on the highway to hell.

His love has literally scared hell’s grip on me and cast it out forever.

I am on the pathway to meet God face to face, and live in the comfort of His embrace for all eternity.

On the days when I am bloated, sick or discouraged, I need this reminder: 

His love has changed me forever.
I have a purpose, plan and a future in His hands.

Beloved, may you too allow Him to soak you in the waves of His love, until all you see is His face beaming at you!

When you have steeped enough in His love, you will be able to accept it as your true value and walk in the confidence of bring His Beloved.

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Living Word

Karla Lees

Your courage matters: that you pray instead of panic, love instead of hate, help instead of hide. Live a sermon people are dying to hear.
-Beth Moore

In light of all the war, terrorism and natural disasters, how to you keep hopeful and courageous in the storms?

Quite honestly, left to my own devices, I wouldn’t. I’d been running around screaming and crying like a chicken with my head cut off….without Christ.

Coz that’s how I coped with intense situations before I encountered Jesus.  I panicked, looked stressed, and so bottled up my fears on the inside i couldn’t help but act out.

Nowadays, when the world seems to be bent on destroying itself, and there is nothing positive in the news?

I worship.
I pray, even if its only moans, or silent tears.
I seek comfort in His Presence.
I make time to rest, to connect with loved ones.
I ask Him for forgiveness and His healing to flow as He draws near to those in the war zones of destruction and affliction.
I continue to hold onto the One who is my eternal Hope, allowing my equilibrium, my foundation to be founded upon Him.

And equally important, I spend time soaking in the Word.

It doesn’t have to be a long section of scripture to speak to us. Sometimes a few words anointed by Holy Spirit can reignite our love for Him as we see His devotion for us more clearly.

Two such words especially shook me to my core, and have changed my view of God forever…

Jesus wept.

He is crying over His people.

Coz all people were made by Him in His image, and He adores each one whether they know Him or not.

So if you are overwhelmed to tears over a situation near and dear to your heart?

Cry.

Jesus did.

With the “me” attitude on the rise, it is refreshing to the world to see people living as Jesus did:

Serving God wherever they went as His Living Word, a sermon wrapped in flesh & bone.
Sharing His heart with those who are so fearful, their hearts are skipping a beat.
Speaking His Words of comfort and hope when all looks topsy turvy.

Today, walk out your faith.
Become the living sermon those around you need to see and hear.
Rely on Holy Spirit’s leading so deeply you will be struck by wonder at what He will do through you as you live fully dependent upon Him.

The world may not yet know how much they need Him.

But He does, and chooses to use His willing vessels to be the very Message-ers to deliver hope to hurting hearts, those who are dying inside without Him.

Go be the Living Word in action.
He is with you as you do, for it is His Presence and Word alive within us who empowers us to do so!

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turn Him loose

Karla Lees

Turn me loose,
turn me loose,
I gotta do it my way
or no way at all…
-Loverboy, 80s & 90s rock band

When the road gets tough, our reactions reveal what is under the surface within us.

There are three ways we respond when the storms are swirling and the waters rising…

1. We let them swallow us, and drown us in our wallowing.

2. We freak out, stress out and run around like Chicken Little screaming the sky is falling.

The first two because we can’t take our eyes of our circumstance or situation. We forget how much bigger God is than our current battle, and we don’t walk in the confidence of Heaven. We turn ourselves loose from the possibilities God has waiting for us.

The last one is what our Abba hopes we will do.

3. Drop to our knees, open wide our arms, and pour out our praise as we seek our Deliverer.

Reaction 1 occurs when we hide away from community, and continually focus on the negative.

Reaction 2 happens when we can’t sit still from the weight of what we were never meant to carry on our own.

But reaction 3?

Falling to our knees in worship is the supernatural opposite of our natural tendencies.

And what God not only longs for us to do, He modelled for us in Jesus.

Jesus as a young teen felt drawn to His Father’s house, to sit at the feet of the rabbis and soak in the Word.

Jesus fell to His knees in prayer before He began His ministry, feeding on the Word instead of food while in the desert place.

Jesus went off to solitary places throughout His ministry to connect with His Father, sometimes with others, as He sought direction.

Jesus prayed so intently as He made His intention known to be willing all the way to the cross, His sweat dripped off Him like blood drops.

Why do we think we don’t need to follow His ways when things get rough?

Part of it I think is our North American & European culture geared for comfort and pleasure.

We have lost the daily stressors which other countries still walk with. Hunger and thirst for physical food. Desiring a roof over their head. Clothes and shoes.

God Himself is our shelter.
Our provider. The very Word we are to feast upon.

We have access to the Kingdom of Heaven as His chosen family members, Beloved.

Don’t allow your temporary circumstances cause you to forget where and to Whom you really belong.

Let’s stop belly gazing and wallowing when times get tough.

Let’s halt our panicked screaming to the world while in the trenches.

Let’s retrain our natural tendencies for those of His Kingdom:

Press in for all our Father has for us.

Invite Jesus to reign over all of your life.

Begin to ask Holy Spirit to reveal what He needs you to know in the here and now.

Rest in His promises.

Praise who He is.

Trust His heart is for you and it will all work itself out for His glory, and your good.

Keep repeating these acts of faith every day, through all things.

Turn God loose over the situations, and watch how He shows Himself strong on your behalf!!
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Lover of Your Presence

Karla Lees

I can’t hold it back
my love for You
it bubbles up within
waiting for me to
open my mouth
and release it

I only want to be with You
the Lover of my soul
I long to be always
in Your embrace
gazing upon
Your Holy face
seeing Your love
reflected in Your gaze

I’m a lover of Your Presence
and it’s all I wanna be

Until that day
when I move Home
and there will be no
further space
between us
I will jump
at every chance
to be Your partner
in this dance
as I learn
to depend on You
for everything
and seek You
through this life
laid down
for You

I’m a lover of Your Presence
and it’s all I wanna be
evermore

I sense
You smile at me
as I pen these words
and sing them
from the depths of my heart
You sing back to me
and your reply
shakes me to my core
with love and adoration

I’m a lover of your presence, Beloved, and
all I want
is all of you
forevermore!

#SundayPsalm

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Do you overcome your problems or do you let them overcome you?

Karla Lees

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Some people are overcome by problems. Others overcome problems. -Max Lucado

Which kind of people are you?

Do you sink down overcome when things get tough or do you rise to overcome?

Everything could overcome you if you let it, for this is an amazing world full of both wonder and wildness.

Full of people who can rub us the wrong way, situations which are designed to topple us by an almost unseen enemy, and full of the God of wonders – all at the same time.

Which are you allowing your focus to be fixed upon? The created or the Creator?

We can overcome anything when we know:

1. Who we are.

We are the Beloved of Christ. We are the apple of His eye, the delight of His heart, the Bride He longs for.  We are His family, the ones He free back Home, made whole and set on fire to share the wonder of our newness with the world around us.

2. Who to turn to.

The God of all Creation, over all things made and unseen, this God is not a hands off type being who rules without any consideration for anyone other than Himself.

All He does for His Beloved flows out of the love He has for her.

For you and for me.

He promises so many times in the Scriptures He is with us, becuase He knows how often we may need that reminder when the hard times come.

Because of Him, we can overcome.

The end of the story of humanity has already been recorded and written for all to read, learn and believe.

God wins, the enemy doesn’t.

God overcomes, forever and ever!

We too can overcome when we invite Him to battle for us.

It doesn’t matter what you are facing, but whose face you are focused upon….

You can look to yourself to overcome, but we all know deep down we are only able to handle so much on our own.

You can keep your eyes fixed on the enemy’s moves, and become overworked as you stand in fear.

Or you can fix your eyes on God’s loving face. Cry out to Him, the One who is able to do all things, make the miraculous happen in the blink of an eye, sends His angels to protect you, covers you in the blood of Jesus and indwells you by the Holy Presence of God Himself, Holy Spirit.

When we begin to feel overwhelmed, fall to your knees.
Not because you are admitting defeat, but to show the enemy you refuse to bend the knee to any other than God Himself.

Ask Him to invade the situation with all He has for you to make it through, not only to endure but to overcome in His strength.

Then stand in that strength, the strength of His might, and walk over and through those problems.

Because you know He’s got you covered.

And because He is with you, you will overcome.

If the waves seem too high today, the debt load crushing or the relationship too far gone for human intervention, He is waiting for you to welcome Him into your problems.

He delights, as any good father does, in helping His children, in showering blessings on His Beloved.

With Him at your side, you will overcome.