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Philippians 3: 12-14

~ Not that I have already obtained all this…

Philippians 3: 12-14

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It’s Okay Not To Be Okay

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

(What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong)

Oh yeah.

You see trees of green, I see dead leaves, you see roses too, and I see thorns, and I say to myself, what a crappy old world!

Some us would like to sing that song like that. Why?

We smile when all we really want is to cry. We’re silent when all we just want to do is scream.

We stay when we just want to run away, and all we want is to hide.

Yeah! All we want is to hide. Many of us that’s what we do! We wear ours masks well,  yet we are not okay.

It’s Okay Not Being Okay.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2: 20

Click her for song: If We’re Honest … 

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Snapshots of Despair in a Journey of Hope

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Flying…

29 Saturday Jul 2017

I often wonder how my life would have turned out if I didn’t have to have my tonsils taken out when I was maybe 5 years old; if I’d not had to fly to the big island to see the doctor.

Life was pretty simple and adventurous on the 82 square mile island we lived on –St. Croix.  It was on that island that I was introduced to my Christian tradition and witnessed first hand the power of its effect on the man to whom I owe that tradition – my father.

“Handabarashiba orabakashi orabashanda” – my father’s spiritual language.

Unintelligible uttering!  I grew up surrounded by it.

My earliest recollections include playing in the dirt in front of the house of God, a church building atop a small hill, surrounded by nothing but sugarcane. In the midst of the sugarcane fields, skirting the hill, you could see the old slave quarters that in the past century housed the slaves that planted and processed the sugarcane. To the left of the wooden church building were a his and a her outhouses. An old shady tamarind tree behind the island church served as cover for our Sunday school class. We would sit on wooden benches, protected by the tree’s trunk which was as wide as I was tall. Its branches hovered over us as a heavenly mantle. The sweet fragrance of sugarcane filled the air.  We learned about God.

♫ ♫ “God is good, God is good, God is good, He’s so good to me. He answers prayers, He answers prayers, He answers prayers, He’s so good to me. I love Him so, I love Him so, I love Him so, He’s so good to me.” ♫♫

We learned how God saved Noah from the flood, the Israelites from the Egyptians, David from the giant, Daniel from the lions, the Hebrew boys from the furnace, and you and me from sin.

He didn’t save me from my tonsillectomy.

We would get together with the adults in the church building. We would sing, play the tambourine, and we would pray.

And then I would hear it, “Handabarashiba orabakashi orabashanda!”. There was my father. Eyes closed, head shaking, brow wrinkled with worry, and he was saying something I didn’t understand. “Handabarashiba orabakashi orabashanda!” His arms were stretched by his sides as if paralyzed, and his fists were clenched tight. He was marching. With every step he took, he lifted his knees higher. He ran swiftly through the congregation as if to take flight. There he went. Up, up, up, above everyone’s head.  My jaw dropped. From a child ‘s perspective standing on her tiptoes behind the last pew, he was flying. The fact was that he was walking effortlessly from the back of one pew to the back of another pew. He stopped suddenly and spoke some words. He continued to touch someone here or there. He would end up back behind the pulpit.

“Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus for the move of the Spirit. Thank you, Jesus.”  My father would deliver a spirit-filled, soul-saving, body-healing sermon. It was later around the dinner table that I would hear about those who had been touched by the Spirit, those whose sin had been revealed and forgiven, and those who had received a miracle.

There were many things I did not understand growing up on the island as a child of Pentecostal missionary pastors. One thing I knew for certain, I was very careful every time I rounded a corner. I did not want to meet up with the devil. For if I did, my father was sure to know. He knew when people were sick without them telling him, and what disease God was going to heal in their bodies. People came to him for prayer because they knew he was a man of God. And he spoke in tongues. Glossalalia. Speaking in tongues.

The time came to go flying. Not from pew to pew but from island to island.  It was my father that accompanied me on that flight to the big island to get my tonsils out. It was a small plane, one that lands on water. We were the only two passengers. The pilot invited me to sit as his copilot. My hands on the steering controls, I was flying.  My piloting was interrupted by my very productive sneeze which filled my left hand. The pilot pulled out his handkerchief and said, “There, there, all cleaned up! Let’s get back to flying.”

My father never knew, it was never revealed to him, nor did he ever come to find out. After my tonsils were taken out, I went to my grandparents home to recover. My recovery was interrupted by continuous sexual assaults that lasted for several years.

There, there, let’s get back to flying.

I’ve often wonder how my life would have turned out if I didn’t have to have my tonsils taken out when I was maybe 5 years old; if I’d not had to fly to the big island to see the doctor.

“You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am” (Pat Barrett and Tony Brown))

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Snapshots of Despair in a Journey of Hope

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To be strong…

25 Tuesday Jul 2017

When did I stop wincing when in pain? When did I stop writhing when pressed down with discomfort? When did I decide that being strong excluded showing weakness? When did I convince myself that when facing challenges, you show no fear? And when did I stop crying when it hurt?

Hope does not exclude times of despair and joy does not occur without shedding tears.

So when did I decide to be strong?

I want to cry every time I hurt. I want to wince whenever I feel pain. I want to writhe whenever I feel pressed down and all around. I want to run whenever I feel fear and I want to no longer be strong.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of  His mighty power. –Ephesians 6:10 NIV

Where does a warrior go to turn in her sword? Where does she rest her shield? When does she get to kick of her caligae  and loosen up her breastplate?

“If only I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest.  Yes, I would go far away. I would live in the desert.  I would hurry to my safe place, away from the wild wind and storm.” – Psalm 55: 6-7 NLV

Prayer of One Hurt by a Friend – PSALM 55 Excerpt

Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not hide Yourself from what I ask. Hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I have no peace,  …

My heart is in pain within me. The fears of death have come upon me.  I have begun shaking with fear. Fear has power over me.  And I say, “If only I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest.  Yes, I would go far away. I would live in the desert. 8 I would hurry to my safe place, away from the wild wind and storm.”

….As for me, I will call on God and the Lord will save me.  I will cry out and complain in the evening and morning and noon, and He will hear my voice.  He will save my soul in peace from those who make war against me. For there are many who fight me.  

 Give all your cares to the Lord and He will give you strength. He will never let those who are right with Him be shaken. … But I will trust in You.

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Snapshots of Despair in a Journey of Hope

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Day 2 – See…thick darkness

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

See, darkness covers the earth
    and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
    and his glory appears over you.

Isaiah 60:2 NIV

See – Let us not be blind to the darkness around us. There is moral, emotional and spiritual darkness.  Darkness that harbors immorality, grief, sadness, evil.  People, victims of loneliness, abandonment, abuse, neglect, sexual predators, are found everywhere.

See – Let us open our eyes and see that the darkness can be dispelled with light.

Have we not the Light of the world in us? Have we not received Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord? Have we not the hope of glory? (Colossians 1:27)

We are the light that will dispel the darkness on this earth. God made us in His image and likeness, through His Son, Jesus, reconciled us to Him, and He gave us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a life that honors Him and to show others the way.

Yes, the darkness is over the people, but we are the light and the Lord rises upon us and his glory appears over us. 

What darkness have you ignored that you can shine a light on? What child could use your kindness, your caring, your mentoring? What brother or sister? What man or woman? Whom has God placed in your line of sight that is in darkness?

Pray Colossians 1:26-27   Galatians 5:22- 23  Matthew 5:14-15

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, the hope of glory, that is in me. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that bears His fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control in me.

Open my eyes that I may see where You want me to shine the light that is in me. Make me brave so that I will not hide my light and I will let my light shine before others, that they may see my good deeds and glorify You.

Shine a Light  (Click on link to worship in song)

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Devotional

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Getting Ready for 2017

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Devotional, Prayer

2016 will be history in 31 days.  We begin a New Year. Some of us are busy getting ready for the Christmas Holidays and others are planning are new year’s eve celebration. Some have taken some time to reflect on what 2017 will bring.

We plan, we journal, we reflect, we ponder. And yet, we have no idea how 2017 is going to turn out. Yet there is one who knows. One who holds our future in His hands.

In the Book of Amos in the Hebrew Scriptures it is written, “For sure the Lord does not do anything without making His plan known to His servants who speak for Him.”

“His servants who speak for Him” – His prophets. I believe that what the Paul says in Ephesians 4: 11 -13 is true for today.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Christ has given the church, us, prophets as a gift so that we will be equipped for works of service….

Prophets – “His servants who speak for Him”.  “For sure the Lord does not do anything without making His plan known to His servants who speak for Him.”

Let us pray and call upon the name of the Lord that He will make known His plan for 2017.

“Heavenly Father, I am asking You, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know you better. I pray that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which You have called us, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in your holy people,  and Your incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:17-19). Reveal Your secrets unto us as You did to Daniel (2:27-30).

As we prepare ourselves for 2017, Holy Spirit manifest yourself in our lives with the gift of prophecy and empower us to align to the plans of our Creator. Align our steps to your path and lead us. In Jesus’ name.”

 

 

 

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Devotional, New Year

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Free…free indeed!

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Deliverance, Feedom, No longer slave

 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NIV

Jesus said,  ““I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6  When we know Jesus, not know about Him, but know Him, we can expect to live a life of freedom. We can expect to live a life free from the iniquities (immoral or grossly unfair behavior) of this world, free from generational curses, word curses and the consequences of sin committed by us and against us. Jesus, the Truth, sets us free of the domination and oppression of evil.

To know Jesus is to make a conscious decision to follow Him and obey His commands. It is to live according to the Word of God, bringing glory (honor) to our Heavenly Father, God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

To live a life of freedom is to experience deliverance, to be set free. When we accept Jesus–declare Him Lord of our lives, make a commitment to submit to His way and His words– we are immediately set free from the penalty of sin. The process of being set free from the power of sin requires deliverance and a life submitted to God and His Word.

Deliverance is the process by which we

  • Reconcile with God by acknowledging  Jesus’ as the One who reconciles us to Him through Jesus’ death on the Cross
  • Declare Jesus as Lord of our lives
  • Confess our sins (immoral acts or transgressions against God) and ask God for forgiveness
  • Forgive everyone who has offended us, hurt us, cursed us
  • Surrender our unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, resentment, and envy to God
  • Renounce the devil, his works, any transgression against God we have committed
  • Identify any generational curses in our lives and break them
  • Uproot any source of rejection
  • Surrender fully to the leading of the Holy Spirit

We can experience deliverance because it is God who brings deliverance through Jesus. Matthew 6:12-13  Luke 4:18-19 John 8:36

We can experience deliverance, mediate and intercede for the deliverance of others because we have the authority to do so based on the Word of God (Bible). We have the promise (Mark 16:17), the position (Ephesians 2:6), the personality (Colossians 2:9-10), and the protection (Luke 10:17-19) to exercise deliverance.

For this reason, I pray that God will fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,  and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:9-12 NIV)

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1: 13-14 NIV

Let us declare that our trust is God and shout

We Believe!  God, You Are My Deliverer!

 

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Deliverance, Teaching

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Day 21- I am with you always…

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, Devotional, Fasting, Prayer

“and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 NIV

Jesus commanded His disciples and us to mobilize and develop learning believers among all people groups by teaching them everything He had commanded. His command came with a promise. “I am with you always.”

Jesus had gone to the cross, was buried and was risen on the third day. He met with the women who had heard the news from the angel of the Lord and comforted them. Then He met with His disciples in Galilee. There Jesus told His disciples that all authority had been given to Him.  As a result, He was sending them to go, form learning believers, baptize them and teach them.

Teach–educate, instruct, school, tutor, coach, train, show or explain to them how to be followers of Jesus.

It is not a tract, a short speech, a ‘come forward-raise your hand-repeat after me–you’re in’ moment. Sure this may be the “go”.  The “make disciples of all nations” and  the “teaching them to obey everything” it’s a process.

It’s a committed process, a sometimes up & down process, a sometimes overwhelming process, but through it all, Jesus says, “I am with you always.”

Most importantly, teaching those who make a commitment to follow Jesus to obey everything He commanded us is a rewarding & satisfying process. It is rewarding because obedience is a place of blessing. It is satisfying because teaching someone to obey Jesus’ commands affects the present and eternal future of that person.

Who has God placed in your heart to “go”?  To whom are you teaching His commands? Have you ever been tempted to give up on showing someone how to be a follower of Jesus?

Through it all, Jesus says, “I am with you always.”

Pray Matthew 28:19-20

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus. Thank you for sending Him to show me how to live in obedience to You.

Jesus, thank you for your willingness to be obedient to the Father and take up my cross and pay for the consequences of my sin so that I could be free.

Holy Spirit, empower me to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus have commanded us. 

I praise You, God, for You are always with me until the very end of age.

We are the Light of the world! (Click on the link to worship in song)

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Devotional

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Day 20 – In the name of…

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, Devotional, Fasting, Prayer

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19

Jesus’ command to His disciples when He met with them after His resurrection and before ascending to the Father was that they go and make disciples, that they baptize them in the name of God–the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not ask them to baptize them in the name of the Pharisees or Sadducees. He didn’t ask them to baptize them in the name of the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin was the ruling council of the Jewish people. It was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees were mostly middle class while the Sadducees were aristocrats.  They were the religious leaders at the time of Jesus. They represented the Law of God but Jesus rebuked them numerous times.

When Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize others, He told them to baptize them “in the name” of God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Can you imagine a time when the church – committed followers of Jesus, would go by the riverside and baptize thousands “in the name” of God? No church name, no denomination, no distinction of class, race or social status. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  What would it look like? How would it affect your sharing the gospel?

Jesus prayer for His disciples, for us, was that we would all be one, just as the Father and He are one. John 17

What can you do to promote the unity of the church? How can you encourage committed followers of Jesus to focus on sharing the gospel for the sake of humanity? Build up God’s kingdom and not anyone else’s kingdom?

Go and make disciples of Jesus. Go and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Pray Psalm 133 John 17:23 Colossians 3:12-14

Heavenly, Father, how pleasant and good it is when Your children live together in unity. Help us to put aside our worldly differences and realize that we are all created in Your image, redeemed by Your Son’s sacrifice.

Bring us to complete unity that the world will know that we are Your children, loved by You.

Holy Spirit empower us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Help us bear with each other and forgive one another just as the Lord forgave us. Let your perfect love, O God, bind us all together in perfect unity.

God, help us to obey your command to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We will do it as one body.

The Body of the Most High! (click on the link to worship in song)

 

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Devotional, Uncategorized

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Day 19 – Therefore Go…

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, Devotional, Fasting, Prayer

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”  Matthew 28:19 NIV

Jesus met up with His disciples after His resurrection. The disciples responded by worshipping even though some of them had their doubts about this man they had seen crucified just 3 days before. He was alive! He is risen!

Jesus addressed them and let them know that all authority had been given to Him. He didn’t take it. He didn’t usurped it. It was given. It was given to Him because He didn’t bank on being God when He came to live among us, instead He humbled Himself and was obedient to the Heavenly Father even to death on the cross.

Following His statement that all authority had been given to Him, Jesus said, “Therefore” –for that reason, consequently, as a result, “Go”.

“Go”, move, leave, depart!

“Make disciples”. Disciples—mathēteuō (original greek)—a learning believer.  Make, form, produce learning believers!

Go, move, leave, depart and make, form, produce learning believers!

Jesus is saying, “I have been given all the authority and for that reason I am telling you to get going, don’t stay in place, move to form growing, learning believers!

How many times have you asked God to put people in your path so that you can share the good news? How many times do you wait for people to ask you about your faith? Ever used the statement “preach the gospel at all times and whenever necessary use words?

Have you ever considered that waiting is the opposite of “go”? How will you form learning believers, if you don’t teach them? How can you teach without using words?

“Therefore, Go”  share the good news of God’s love -Jesus –  with everyone who would hear and bring them along in the understanding of what it is to follow Jesus.

Pray Romans 10:1  2 Corinthians 5:20 Ephesians 6:19

Heavenly Father, make my heart’s desire and my prayer be for those who need salvation. You have trusted me to be an ambassador for Christ. Let me not cease to beg on behalf of Christ that those who are not yet Your children, be reconciled to You.

I want to be bold and “go” and speak! And I pray that when I begin to speak, the right words will come to me. Then I will boldly make known the secret of the gospel. 

Thank you, Lord for backing me up with all authority to be able not just to share the good news of salvation, but to help people grow as followers of your Son, Jesus.

Let it not be said of our congregation that our feet are not going, if we are the body. (click on this link for today’s song for you to worship in song)

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Devotional, Uncategorized

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Day 18 – All authority…

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21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, Devotional, Fasting, Prayer

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew 28:18 NIV

Before Jesus was crucified, He taught from the Hebrew Scriptures with authority. He healed with authority. He did miracles with authority. After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples in Galilee and He says to them I have ALL authority; it has been given to me.

Imagine Jesus was saying,  “I have overcome mockery, whippings, piercings, crucifixion, death. The tomb could not hold my body. I have conquered death! ALL authority is mine!”

Wouldn’t you like to align yourself to someone like that? Nothing is in His way. Everything He wants to do, He can do. He has ALL authority in heaven and on earth. He can calm the storm, silence the seas, make the mute speak, the deaf hear, the dead come to life. He can save the lost, deliver the captive, heal the sick, bring hope to the hopeless and bring joy to the sorrowful.

All authority – jurisdiction, privilege, capacity, freedom, influence, force, and right, besides authority and power, now belongs to Jesus!

If anyone can, Jesus can! He has ALL authority!

Jesus was given All authority because he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross! God exalted him to the highest place! Gave Him ALL authority! Philippians 2:8-11

Are you powerless over your circumstances? Are you facing challenges that have gotten the better of you? Are you willing to humble yourself? Are you being obedient?

Take your cue from Jesus and “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:5-7

Humility and obedience is the key to authority in the Kingdom of God.

Pray  Luke 10:19 1 Peter 1: 14 2 Corinthians 10:5

Our Father, who loves us and sent your Son to provide a means of reconciliation with you, thank you! Thank you for His victory on the cross, His victory over death, has given us all authority to overcome all the power of the enemy.

Holy Spirit empower me to be obedient and to not conform to the evil desires of my past life or of this world.

I demolish all arguments and every pretension that sets itself against you o God! I bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

I humble myself before you, o Lord, King of kings, Lord of lords! I want to walk in your authority to honor and please you.

I want to be close to you, The Great I am! (click on this link for today’s song for you to worship in song)

Posted by MarilynHartman | Filed under Devotional, Uncategorized

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