Sometimes Obedience is Fun!!!!

So, today, at 6p.m., Hopefully sooner, my very first vacation begins!!!! I am so excited!!!
For the past several months, I have been working A LOT!! I'm talking like 50 - 60 hours a week, and I started to notice something a few weeks ago.
I was missing out on life!! Several friends of mine were texting and facebooking me asking me to do things and I just didn't have time because I was either serving in my church, working out, or working in. (lol)
So I briefly prayed about it.. briefly because I kinda liked working that much. Please don't misunderstand. I wasn't liking the work in and of itself, but the check every two weeks that allowed me some freedom to bless others, I LOVED! When it comes to money, I am definitely my mother's daughter. Again, please don't misunderstand because what I'm about to say is actually a positive thing.
I remember growing up, we didn't have much, but my mom loved to bless people in our church... even when we didn't have much. She knew that when you bless others who have even less than you, that the faithfulness of God overshadows you and He begins to bless you even more abundantly. Well, I am proud to say that I did inherit this trait. And it is not something that I ever regret.
A few days after I mentioned it to the Lord in prayer, He began to speak to me very strongly about it, saying Rest in me and spend time in my presence so that I can fill you. This was on a Saturday.
On Sunday, I went to church and my pastor's wife, Mrs Char, did something that she doesn't really do too often. She shared with us what was on her heart for someone in the congregation. You could tell by the tone in her voice and the look on her face that this was something directly from the Spirit of God. I began to feel His presence so strongly, as she said, The Lord would say to someone here today, Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.
I was amazed. Not only, had my Heavenly Father spoken to me in my quiet time with Him, but He had also spoken to my shepherd, so to speak to confirm that this was a season of rest that He wanted me to enter into. What an amazing Father!!
So, i decided in my heart to stop working all the overtime that I was currently scheduling for myself and to take some time off.
And as I often do, in the characteristic of sheep, I began to wonder. Maybe, He just meant for a few days... maybe its okay for me to start working my life away again..
Then as I often do, I listened to a sermon by Pastor Judah Smith, and as God often does through Pastor Judah, He spoke loudly and clearly.
PJ said, some of you need to take a day off and go on vacation.
-- okay, Yes Lord!! I get it!! Thank you for your faithfulness!!!
So, I put in for two personal days at work in addition to my normal weekend and up until this morning was very much looking forward to four days off.
Then, as Jesus does, He surprised me with the equivalent of what I like to look at as a bouquet of roses... a pleasant surprise from a Bridegroom to His Bride... unexpected and breath-taking... a communication of His love for her... just because.
Because business has been a little slow at work, I was offered through our system (kinda complicated.. I won't bore you with details ), three additional days off.
That's right.. seven entire days off to be renewed, refreshed and refilled.
This is an absolute gift from God and I am so grateful!!!

This message of rest does not only apply to my physical need of rest, but also emotional and spiritual.
Jesus said that we could take His yoke upon us... not to work out of our own effort, but just so that we can allow Him to walk us through what we cannot do on our own.
To simply rest in Him, and let Him take all of our worries, fears, and torment, not only for this life, but also for our eternity.
I have begun to really realize His love for me and who I am in Him... not because of anything I've done, but because of His sacrifice and it is truly changing my life!!!
We are truly saved by grace... my only regret is that it has taken this long to realize. But, He works everything together in His time, not mine!!!

Here I am Again...

***WARNING**** THE FOLLOWING POST INVOLVES ME BEING COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT... but somewhere I read the truth will set you free, so read on.

Yeah... I know.. blogging twice in one day is a lot... but God has been speaking today... for real.
Today work is kinda *she whispers so that the customers that aren't calling won't hear* slow... eesh.
So, with that state of things, this girl's mind starts to wander... like a sheep... I don't mean to, but it happens.
And today, my mind is on Jesus. I've become quite obssessed with Him lately, and there's nothing like it. I've been praying for this for a very long time... and He has captured my heart..
I'm absolutely astounded and humbled and amazed at the fact that I can't even love Him without Him. I can't believe in Him without Him. I can't even have a desire for an encounter without Him first putting that desire in me. Exploring the deep crevices of the Father's heart, as Pastor Shawn used to tell us, is the most amazing thing ever.
I have sought Him and found Him... not of my own doing but of His.
For the first time in my life, on this past Sunday in my quiet time with the Lord, walking through my neighborhood at sunset, I literally cried for His return... for Him to come quickly.
Let me tell you a little bit about me... for YEARS, I have been deathly afraid of the Rapture taking place, of Jesus coming back.
and, just yesterday, I realized why.
I was on my way home from the gym, with one of my youth students actually in the car with me, and God spoke to me and said, Karis, you have been afraid because you are insecure about your eternity. You love me, but you have yet to trust me with your eternity. You are holding on to it, and trying to make it to heaven through your own strength. I already took care of it.
Whoa. Me? a Jesus girl... the girl who was doodling the name of Jesus, and the names of God, ever since she was old enough to write.
As soon as I was alone, I had some SERIOUS repenting to do!

Maybe I'm not alone in this. Just maybe I'm not the only one who sometimes worries about where I'll spend eternity. Calling yourself a Christ follower doesn't mean you actually are unless you actually FOLLOW THE LAMB WITHERSOEVER HE GOETH (to borrow the kjv on that one.)

This is just another example of me... I am a late bloomer.
At almost 25, am I just now realizing what God and Jesus are really all about??
I really do refuse to think I'm alone in this.
This new revelation of God's love for me and His grace has only spurred me on to deeper devotion and deeper worship.
I pray that you too would have a deeper revelation of His love for you and that it would drive you to a more intimate relationship with Him.

Too Good to be True

I've been listening to a lot of sermons lately.... A LOT!!! all by Pastor Judah Smith of the City Church. Go ahead, just listen to one of his sermons and you'll see why I've been listening so much. He has such a gift in communicating the Word of God. I've been in church my entire life. Raised pentecostal, where so much emphasis was placed on old school holiness and doing everything right, I very much lost the concept of grace.
But, this week, I learned something. The title of this particular sermon was Bewitched. It was based on the text of Galatians chapter 3.

 ¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?^(A) It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly^(B) portrayed as crucified. ²Let me ask you only this:^(C) Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by^(D) hearing with faith? ³Are you so foolish?^(E) Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by^[a] the flesh? ^4(F) Did you suffer^[b] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and^(G) works miracles among you do so^(H) by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— ⁶just as^(I) Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?
 ⁷Know then that it is^(J) those of faith who are^(K) the sons of Abraham. ⁸And the Scripture, foreseeing that^(L) God would justify^[c] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,^(M) "In you shall all the nations be blessed." ⁹So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith

Here, these particular Christ followers had recently been subjected to a belief that basically, Christ's sacrifice was not enough. They had to throw some works in there too.
This sounded so familiar.
It wasn't enough to accept Jesus and love Him and serve Him. I needed to be holy, and the evidence should be seen on the outside.
I had it all on the outside.... every measure of Holiness that we were encouraged to exemplify, but in my heart was found dead mens' bones. When I realized the ugliness in my heart, it shook my world and turned it upside down.
Grace is such a multi faceted concept... it is PAST FINDING OUT... and frankly, I DON'T WANT TO FIGURE IT OUT!!!!  I want to get lost in the mystery of it.
If you look at our Father and look at Jesus, our lover, NOTHING that He did made sense.
Does giving up everything to humble yourself and make yourself the lowest of the low to go through unimaginable pain and torture and humiliation for the chance that you might win the heart of the very people that you are passionate about even remotely make sense?? NOPE!!
But that is Jesus. That is the gospel.

Here's what amazes me about His grace and His character....
After all that He has done in my life, when I go to the Lord in prayer, I'm amazed that I don't hear this:
Haven't I done enough for you?! I bled and died for you... can you just get it together?!?!
but I don't hear that.
I hear:
I love you. I love you. I love you. I'm jealous for you. My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness. Throw your cares upon me, I care for you. I see your every move. I know your every pain. Lean on me, trust me, love me. Let me love on you. Let me wrap my arms around you and whisper to you the secrets of my kingdom. You are my Beloved. You are my friend. I order your steps. Let my grace empower you to live the life that I have planned for you.

Its been said that the thought "This is too good to be true." is a direct response and sure symptom and evidence that you are hearing the gospel.

When I read the Gospel that is Jesus Christ and when I look at all that He's done for me and His promise of an eternity with Him and yet, all I have to do, is just say yes, and truly believe in Him and just trust Him...
my only response, is,

this is too good to be true.
I want to love Him and serve Him and learn from Him for all of my days and at last see Him face to face and know for all eternity that He is my Bridegroom and He is my Bride..
It's not work to fall in love with Him. It's just a natural response to the grace that has sought me out.

1...2....3....GO!!

So, here I am. Blogging!! woohoo!
I have been wanting to start one for a very long time, but didn't because I haven't bought a computer yet... then, today, sitting at work, I thought to my self, "I'm tired of waiting on that to start this.." So here I am.
Not to get too serious about that, but how often do we do that? We think we have to wait for something to happen before we pursue something we really really want. Even if it is a blog that only I am reading for right now.
I guess that's been something that God has really been speaking to my heart lately. You don't have to wait for something big to happen. I thought for so long that I had to "wait" for my love for God to be at a place that I wanted it to be before I could realize His love for me... when, ironically, the EXACT OPPOSITE is true!!!
I can't even love Him the way He deserves, until... and even then.. can I really love a perfect God the way He deserves when I'm only human?.. but I pretty much can't love Him at all until I realize in my heart just how much He loves me!!!
I've been reading Extraordinary by John Bevere lately and it has completely rocked me.
He talks about in the first few chapters of his book that God sees Jesus and You on the same level. He loves you the same, because if He didn't, He never would have allowed Jesus to make such a great sacrifice for you. Take a deep breath and let that sink in. WOW.

It's almost too much too comprehend. scratch that. IT IS TOO MUCH TO COMPREHEND.
Especially on the eve of this Holiday.
Having grown up in church, I'm ashamed to say, that I am just now realizing first, God's love for me and second, what a sacrifice Jesus made for us.
Of course, I'm not saying that I never realized it, but hearing it for almost 25 years, you just get used to hearing it. Can I say? I never want to get used to hearing it again.
This past Wednesday night, Pastor Bryan was teaching in our youth group, Reality Student Ministries, on the perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus during the crucifixion. He also showed some clips from The Passion of the Christ to illustrate. He also noted that the Bible says that the visage of Jesus was marred beyond recognition.. clearly, much worse even than what was shown in the movie.
As he was speaking, my heart began to break. Because, I put Him on that cross. Of course, we all did, but I DID. It became personal. And God began to do something in my heart that has resounded there ever since.
I don't want this to be seasonal. I want it to be permanent. I want to always recognize that HIS LOVE for me put Him there. And that even when He wanted to get out of it for a moment, The Father encouraged Him to keep going through an angel that ministered to Him, basically saying, "Son, you are almost there. You've gone too far to turn back now. You can do this. Think of your Bride." Put your name there, because He did.
And here's what gets me... IF YOU WEREN'T WORTH IT, HE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT.
again. WOW!!
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see my precious Bridegroom face to face and kiss the very wounds that will have allowed me to stand in His presence. His is a perfect love that I just cannot get enough of.

God Bless :-)
Karis Lynn