Thunder Love!

Many of us who live in Oklahoma City are familiar with the, well televised, scene of the OKC Thunder returning to the city at the end of the 2012 NBA season. Throngs of people greeted them at the airport. Every television station was reporting the breaking news. Traffic was backed up for miles with the people of our city trying to get to the airport to greet our team on their return.

"When the players got off the plane they were taken to a platform to greet the people. Everyone was cheering so loud each of the players had to wait to address the crowd.”

Several days later, while at lunch with a friend she began talking about how every time she saw this on the news she would start “sobbing uncontrollably” and at first she didn’t know why. However, she soon realized that God was trying to show her something. “The OKC Thunder didn’t return to the city as a winning team, in fact they were beaten badly. But more than five thousand people were there waiting, in the heat so that they could greet the team and let them know how much the people of the city loved them.” This was breaking news.

God’s Love 

“Then, the Holy Spirit said how much more do I love you?  Even when you fail, make mistakes, sin, I love you just the same. That scene at the airport was showing me a glimpse of the Lords love towards me, and how much he has my back no matter what.”
  

I’m completely amazed at the lengths our Father God will go to express his love to us. For the believer, nothing we face can separate us from God's love. Paul said it best in Romans 8:38-39: For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV)
 Worthy? 

The God kind of love is not based on our worthiness, rather it's based on God himself. No matter what you’ve done, God patiently waits for your return. He waits to cheer you on. No matter the trial, he will go the distance with you. He will stand in the heat of your battle and consistently show His love to you, even when it feels like all hope is gone. And that, my friend, is breaking news; it is the Good News of the Gospel. He will use any means to get us to understand how great His love is for us, even the love of a city for its ball team. Thunder love!

--
M. McGhee

Oh, Soooo Thirsty!

So, I was dreaming last night that I kept drinking water over and over. I would get a 20 oz bottle, open it up, drink it down and throw it away. I did this about 8 times. And I was still thirsty. I woke this morning thirsty too. I drank a 20 oz of water, then got a Large Vanilla Iced Coffee from McDonald's. I love those things, yum,,. they are good and 3 dollars cheaper than Starbucks. No wonder they are still the leading fast food and beverage company in the U.S.A.

Needless to say, I am still thirsty sitting here typing these words. I do believe that there are times in our life that our soul is thirsty for the Word of God and it manifests into the natural. Call me crazy, but I know this is a way for me to know that there are some things that God wants to tell me, and that I am thirsty for. Remember in John 4, the women at the well who drew water for Jesus, and He told her:

10. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11. "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

12. Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13. Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,

14. but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15. The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

25. The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."

26. Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."(NIV)

We are in a season where we will harvest what we sow instantly. Now is the time, but we must water ourselves with His Word. What is God drawing you to? What is He saying to You? Are you listening??

Yes, I am still thirsty, but I am also going to be drawing from the deep well of Christ. Let God be your source, and nothing else, to fill you with His words of life.

Thirsting for Him,

~Jessica Smith

The Dove's Coo!

Job 36:16 - “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. (NIV)

Do you want to experience the unfathomable love of God? Indeed, He is even now wooing us unto Himself by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

I asked the Lord what He would have me share in regard to our relationship with the Holy Spirit. I felt impressed to keep this simple. This impression was confirmed when early Sunday morning before church He beckoned me to sit alone in my opened garage. Amidst the cheerful sound of chirping birds, I heard the distinct cooing of doves. Because I was there to hear Him, the cooing was immediately quickened.

As believers, we are aware that often the Holy Spirit is portrayed as a dove—his characteristics and style. The dove also symbolizes “peace”.

John 26-27 –  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (NKJV)

So, what is it that the Lord was attempting to show me?

First, I believe it essential to acknowledge that the dove will never cast us out, but lovingly draw us to Him by a distinct call.

John 6:37 – All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. (NKJV)

John 6:44 – No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (NKJV)

Adult doves have two major calls: First, a regular “cooing” tone usually uttered with the neck stretched up and the throat blown out. Spiritualizing the effort would indicate an alarm or warning to pay attention. Secondly, a quiet tone uttered without inflating the throat, for purposes of contact and appeasing a mate, which includes reminding us of whose we are. This call, obviously, speaks of intimacy.

From childhood until now, we have been beckoned to a journey of the heart—a journey filled with intimacy, adventure, and beauty—a sacred romance that also meets with necessary risks. Ignoring the whispered call of the dove is like placing a great gulf fixed between two lovers.

SOS 5:6 – I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. (NKJV)

The Dove’s Coo calls to us in our own individual language: our fondest memories, our greatest loves, our noblest achievements, even our deepest hurts. The reward is certainly worth any risk.

My sisters, God Himself yearns for us. May I encourage you to pay the cost with time, sincere thanksgiving, worship and praise, obedience, and attentiveness. Yes, and even seasons of walking through the mud in the rain.

Though now I occasionally feel as old as white thread, I still dance on the clouds with Him, the One my soul loves. I still enjoy the warmth of His affection, the prickling of His manifested presence, the soothing of His whisper, and the pure ecstasy of His touch.  This Sacred Romance still strikes a chord in me that yet increase my longing for more.

If you crave for something more, even if you don’t know what that something is, then turn your face to Him—be still, and listen for His coo!

Declarations

This week, take the time to read over the declaration. It's my prayer that all of us will walk in our rightful place as daughter of the king. 

Father we thank you for the women at Cathedral.  We are women who know  our king. We are His chosen daughters. Daughters of the most High. We are royalty.  We know who we are. We know our identity is found in Christ.  

We are meek, we walk with Strong confidence. We love deeply and intensely because that is how our Jesus loves. We are selfless willing to lay down our lives daily. We are givers, givers of our time, our talents and our abilities. All that we are belongs to our King. 

We are friends. Friends who  love at all times. We are nurturers, we care for those around us. We nurture the gift of God in others.  We are friends who walk alongside each other. We do not walk on each other, we are not gossipers or back biters. No we have the divine nature on the inside of us. We do not live compromised lives. We champion each other. We do not compete against each other, we celebrate each others successes. We rejoice with those who rejoice and we weep with those who weep.

We are sisters. Sisters who will lay down our lives for one another. We are sisters who believe the best. We are sisters who celebrate one another. We rejoice in another's success. We stand shoulder to shoulder with each other. We are not afraid to get in the trenches with our sisters. We do not fight alone. We are a part of a family. We do life together.

We are mothers. We are wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. We walk in divine discernment. We care for our young. We watch over diligently the promise we have in our children. We will see the promises of God come to pass in our children.  We believe the best in our children. We will not settle for anything less than God's will being done in our families lives. We won't shut up, back up, or lay down. We stand our ground and declare our children are taught of the Lord and great shall be their peace. We are mothers on a mission. We draw our strength from the Lord.  The Holy Spirit is our guide.  We declare our children belong to the Lord.

We are wives. We honor and respect our husbands. We serve them with sincerity of heart. We speak life over our marriages. We love deeply and we quickly forgive. Forgiveness is our nature.  We honor our husbands for who they are.  We are not complainers, whiners or naggers. We are wives full of life, who bring glory to our husbands. We are full of grace. We are clothed with dignity. We are quick to listen and slow to speak.  We are wise. 

We are daughters. Daughters of the most high God. Daughters of the king of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. Our Father has the best for us.  He has good things for us.  We are loved.We are His favorite. We are highly favored.   We have the nature of our Father. We are kind, gentle, forbearing, patient, long suffering, we believe the best. We are full of good.   We can do the impossible, reach the unreachable, love the unlovable, believe for the unbelievable. Nothing is too difficult for the God on the inside of us.

We are all this and so much more! Yes so much more!  We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. We walk in the light. We are the city on a hill. We let our light shine for all to see the King we love. 

We are daughters of destiny born for such a time as this. We will seize our moment and live audaciously! We are history makers, prayer warriors, intense worshippers of the Lover of our soul! 

This is our time to rise and shine for our light truly has come! 

We are humbled to be called Daughters of the most High God, joint heirs with Jesus.

We are, we are, we are, because HE IS!!!! HE IS!!! HE IS ALL OF THIS TO US!!!

Holy Spirit seal this upon our hearts this day. Amen

   Love each and everyone of you!

     Pastor CJ

Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

Warning! This blog is written by someone learning this lesson on a continual basis, who is challenged everyday to live this out.   Hopefully this will challenge you as well.

Relationships.  Relationships are the currency of the kingdom of God.  Relationships are so important that Jesus died to have one with you and me.  So we should recognize the weighty importance of the relationships in our lives.  As the old adage goes, no man is an island to himself.  Your choices, your words, your habits, everything you do affect those in relationship with you.  Since relationships are so vital to this life, we have to learn how to navigate and handle them properly, in a way that is pleasing to God and healthy for ourselves.  

Warning number two- (this is a shocker)- I am NOT an expert on relationships.  As a matter of fact, I would say that I am a novice in so many ways and have so much to learn! However, I have learned a few key principles to walking in forgiveness.  One of the most important things in a relationship is to not drink the Kool-Aid!   Joyce Meyer says it this way, “Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”  You cannot have a healthy relationship with unforgiveness and bitterness in your heart.  Believe me, I know how easy that is to say and how very difficult it is to live!

Here a few ways that will help us keep a God-perspective and walk in healthy, loving relationships. 

1.      Give up.   Give up your right to be right.  At the end of the day, you have to decide that the relationship is more important than the argument, decision, misunderstanding, or mistreatment.  Even when you have the right to be upset, mad, and hold a grudge, give up!! Jesus did the same for us.  We were wrong in every way possible yet He still loved us and gave up heaven to rescue us! That’s our example.

2.      Operate in the opposite.  Our emotions can be our greatest enemies.  So when you feel like writing something nasty on Facebook or gossiping to your girlfriend or giving someone the cold shoulder, do the opposite.  Speak kind words, even if you don’t feel them.  Take that person to lunch or buy them a small gift.  Listen.  Be present in their situation.  In the midst of doing the opposite of what you feel, your emotions will begin to line up with your actions.  Your heart will soften as you do something kind for someone who hurt you. 

3.      Remember.  Remember the things about your relationship that are valuable to you.  Remember that everyone makes mistakes and that we walk in God’s grace in order to extend His grace to others. Remember that you have been forgiven as well.  As Francois de la Rochefoucauld says, “One forgives to the degree that one loves.”  And remember God helps us in our weaknesses and enables us to love and forgive in the most difficult of situations.  When we reach the end of us and our ability to love and forgive, we can always trust Him to love through us.

Friends, let’s learn to rise to a higher level in all of our relationships, a place where forgiveness, grace, and love reign.   As Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

-Constance McCroskey

The Quiet Time

Pastor CJ was writing about getting back to the elementary things of Christianity.  While I was reading her blog it reminded me of another elementary topic …the quiet time. 

When I first became a Christian my mentor, Kimberly or “Kimbers” as I liked to call her, encouraged me to get to know the Word a bit better.  She gave me some bible verses to memorize at first (What do you know Pastor CJ was right?) which was really helpful and fed me well at first.  Then I started to get hungrier for the word.  Sooner than I thought, I was reading an hour a day in the mornings before heading down to breakfast.  I also started journaling my thoughts about what I read, and talking it over with God because I wanted to understand what I was reading.  This was such an amazing time in my life that built the foundation for my Christianity today.  My intimacy with God grew and He got me through some tough times during the beginning years of being a Christian.  I’m glad that my time was open in that season in my life to have such long quiet times; I definitely needed it. 

After some time I did what many people do, I got busy and my quiet times started to dwindle to what they are today. A few minutes listening to the Bible app on my phone in the morning and, if God is lucky, a quick prayer, with a 5 minute journal writing.   Now I too have heard the old adage “It’s not the amount of time it’s the quality of time,” but I feel like that is such a cop-out.  If my soul pants for Him like a deer pants for water (Ps. 42:1), how is a quick gulp of His Living Word on my way out the door going to satisfy me?  And my soul indeed does pant.  I can feel it throughout my day when I feel restless, tired, irritable, moody; depressed…the list goes on. In the early years, I remember that I started each day anew with the Author and Perfector who knows what I need most to have a successful day.

 And what a difference it made; I had energy to conquer whatever came up against me and I was filled with peace even when I didn’t have a reason to be.   He said if I’d just come to Him, He would satisfy my thirst (John 4:14), give me joy for my mourning (Isaiah 61:3), rest for my soul         (Matt 11:29), protect me in the shadow of His wings (Ps. 91:4), and the list goes on. But I cannot receive any of this if I run off to start my day and do not give Him the dedicated time that He deserves.

The truth is He misses me and I can feel it in my soul because I’m missing something too.  I’m like the bride (Song of Solomon 3:1) who laid awake at night tossing and turning longing for her groom.  And my Groom says to me “How I’ve longed to gather you together in my arms.” (Matt 23:37)

Dear Sisters, do you feel that longing too?  Then I encourage you to go back to the elementary practice of spending that quality time together with God every day.   Whether it is in the morning, noon, or nighttime it doesn’t matter just as long as it’s consistent.  Just a hint, if you do it the same time everyday it’s easier to make a habit of it.  Please make sure to be stubborn in setting aside this time and let no interruption be in the way.  On that note, be smart and choose a time that is the least active in your household so you have a better chance of not getting interrupted.  Be willing to sacrifice some sleep by getting up early or staying up late if that is what it takes to have your soul fed again and give the Lover of your soul the time He so passionately desires with you.

"It's Elementary!"

A famous quote from Sherlock Holmes, "It's elementary my dear Watson."
What is so elementary in this life we live? It seems life can be so complex with the
schedules we keep and the agendas we have. Elementary seems to be like a quote
from another movie, "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away..." (thank you Star
Wars)

Can you remember when you first learned your times tables in the fourth grade? We
practiced them. We had flash cards and we would memorize each set of tables. We
started with 1 times every number up to 12. Then we advanced to the number 2.
The big whammy was when we knew all 12 times tables. What a sense of
accomplishment as a young fourth grader. I also remember playing the game round
robin in class. The teacher would flash a card, you and another student would
compete to be the first to shout out the answer. I loved winning!
It's so elementary now, we don't even think twice when asked what 2x2 is let alone
what 12x12 equals.

Elementary really equates to foundational. "Elementary" in Webster's dictionary
means- pertaining to or dealing with elements, rudiments or first principles.
(rudiments means mere beginning, undeveloped or imperfect in form)
"Foundation" in Webster's means- the basis or ground work for anything.
The things we learned as a youngin' were elementary, they were the mere
beginning for us. Those elementary things are the foundation, the ground work for
our lives. We use those elementary, those first principles in our every day functions.
What is so incredible with those "elementary" or "foundational" things we learned
as children is that they are the very thing we have built careers upon and families
with. The architect is the architect because he first mastered the elementary
things. He then builds upon them each day. He never forsakes the addition or
multiplication, he simply builds upon it. Likewise, the mother who balances her
checkbook each month. She doesn't forsake what she learned she simply applies it
and builds upon it.

I say all of that to say this. The Lord has dealt with me in my building upon the
"elementary" or "foundational" things spiritually.
He's building something in each of us and we must not forsake the "foundational
truths. We must build with them and upon them.

I have been challenged to once again to return to memorizing scripture. It's so
"elementary" and yet it is what the Lord builds upon in my life. When storms come
I want to be like the one spoken of in Luke 6:47-49 whose house is built upon the
rock.

"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom
he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation
on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that
house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and
did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation,
against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of
that house was great."Luke 6:47-49 NJKV

So won't you join me and let us return to the simple elementary task of memorizing
scripture?

You know putting the word in us, is like us making an investment. We put money in
the bank and we withdrawal that money when we need it or it's time to pay a bill.
The word is the same, we can make a withdrawal upon the very word we put in us
at the point when we need it. How powerful is that? Some of our accounts have
been spiritually depleted and it's time to make investments!

Okay, so here are a few tips to help in scripture memorization:
1. Set a goal. For example one scripture a week or every two weeks. You know your
limits...and then go beyond your limits! ...With God all things are possible-Mark 10:27
2. Write it down on 3x5 cards
Put the verse and address of where it's found on one side and the address only on
the other side. Once you have it memorized, you'll be able to look at the address
and quote the scripture by memory.
3. Write the scripture five times every day.
4. Say it out loud and say it with passion!
5. Pray the scripture!!! Wow how powerful is that!!!
My prayer for you is that the word will dwell in you richly and your foundation will
be built upon the rock!

Priority Girls let us be women rich with the investment of the word.
I look forward to hearing all that God speaks to you as you put the word in you
because you are worth investing in!!!

Love you,
Pastor CJ