Going Solo

Galatians 5:25

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

I hang my head in shame as I admit this, maybe it will free you up to admit it too, but

I identify with Peter.

Yeah, Peter. No, not the post resurrection Peter.


I'm talking about the Peter who walked along with Christ and spoke twice as much as he thought. My husband calls him the disciple with a foot shaped mouth.
Oh, boy do I identify! 

Sad to say, I think Peter was actually much wiser than me.

You know the story about Peter walking on water?

Well here's my interpretation of how pathetic it would have been if I were in Peter's shoes.

Oh yeah, I would be the one that said,

"Hey that looks fun let me try."

I'd try, I'd get scared, but then I'd get my balance and a little bit of confidence and then I'd say,

"Hey guys, look what I can do!"

Then I'd fall on my face. - Splat!

I long to know God. I desire more than anything to have a major impact for His Kingdom. I want my life to be used 100% for His glory alone. The problem is I am sometimes more like an over zealous child.

I have a 4 year old son. He loves his mommy. He really wants to please me in the things that he does.

For instance: He knew that Paitlyn (his 2yr old sister) needed a haircut, and to save me the time and energy,  he decides he should cut it himself.  

This past week He knew his sister was thirsty so he filled her cup up with water - from the potty. (she has been sick all weekend). 

Or he knows how much I love his art so he thinks of a great plan, a way for mommy to treasure it forever, so he got out a sharpie to color on mommy's brand new dining room table. 

Yes, just like Jesus, I love my son with an everlasting love, otherwise by now I would have taken him back to where I got him.

Isn't this exactly how we treat God sometimes. We want to make Him happy so we come up with an amazing scheme for evangelism or a fantastic new program for church, and think Lord look at me and all I am doing for you, aren't You proud?  Often we pray about what we're wanting to do for God and we ask Him to bless it.

Instead we should fall on our faces with no preconcieved notion of "what might make God happy" and have our hearts and minds humbled to accept HIS wisdom.


The bible clearly says over and over that GOD is the author of wisdom. He does not need us to show HIM how cool we are or how devoted we are.


I can't imitate a program or an act of evangelism the Lord has laid on someone else's heart.  He has gifted me with HIS gifts that He wants to activate and use within me. HE has equipped each of us in a specific way to bring HIM the glory HE deserves. How funny is the idea of the creation trying to show off to the CREATOR.
"Look what I can do!" It's ignorant. 

God knows exactly what I'm capable of.  What He's interested in, is showing us exactly what HE's capable of. That can only come from a humble, surrendered life; that is looking for the Father to lead and not trying to lead the FATHER!

You see the thing is: the stone David threw at Goliath, without the Power of God directing that stone, it was just a rock in a kids hand.

You see the disciples that were up fishing all night trying their best to make a living and caught NOTHING all night long- it made No sense for them to throw the nets on the other side of the boat, other than that's what Christ commanded them to do and try once more. It seemed senseless.

However, with the power of GOD behind it, the amount of fish caught almost toppled the boat!  We need to quit trying to make sense with our lives and say "Here I am Lord, YOU use me."

Make my mind a sponge Lord! When YOU speak may I have the humility to Hear it, Accept it and APPLY it! May I never be too busy filling out my own agenda and overlooking YOUR direction!

May we learn to walk by the SPIRIT alone and not from our own initiatives!

HIS Clay~

  

Questions Effecting Our Culture III

You Can Find Part II Here!

Hearing the question: "Should I force my child to go to church or allow them to make their own choice" sent my heart into a whirlwind. I knew it was wrong, the Holy Spirit in my heart testified of it, and it broke my heart! Actually it wasn't stated as a question, it was stated as an understood belief. "I don't want to force my child to go to church, I think they should be able to make their own choice."

It made my heart scream, No! Not out of anger, heaven forbid, but out of brokenness over their acceptance to this logic. How this lie had been accepted as truth. 

I cannot disregard the fact that it is hard being in a constant battle with your children, but you have to understand the implications and the long term consequences if the problem is not addressed.

In my home growing up. God wasn't just something we did on Sunday. God was apart of our every decision. God was the topic of many conversations, even when it made me roll my eyes.

We listened to Christian music. I was not encouraged to, but I was allowed to listen to other music.  Even though I fought my parents about having to go to church some days, sometimes it was out of a Laziness Sin, but the rest of the time it was out of Deep Personal sin, and even though I fought them over it, I knew I didn't have a leg to stand on in the fight. We're going to church. We went last Sunday, we'll go next Sunday, we will go every Sunday.

I didn't have areas of hypocrisy to catch my parents in. They didn't send me and not go themselves. They never stayed home "just because" and then expected me to go the next Sunday because they felt like it. My parents had a relationship with Christ that was evident. They didn't feel forced to go to church out of Duty, it's an opportunity to Hebrews 10:23-25 where we meet together to encourage one another, to build each other up and to Worship God with other believers!  Don't get me wrong. There were many times it wasn't encouraging and far from building each other up, but that's a blog for another day. :) 

You see a lot of times I think we get our worship confused. We're so accustomed to the tradition of church that we neglect to seek the one on whom the church is built and often Christians find themselves worshipping "Church".  Here's a list of the symptoms of Church Worship.

• You see it as something that you're "supposed to do" on Sunday.
• You get excited about going because you have some great friends there.
• Your friendships aren't stronger because you challenge each other in your walks with Christ.
• You talk about anything and everything but to have an in-depth conversation about God would be awkward.
• If they aren't there or some people from your friend group are missing, church isn't as fun or you wish they would have let you know because you may as well have not come.
• It's easy to become annoyed when the service goes over.
• You can get easily annoyed by the music not being your style or well anything.

Here's the thing, I can easily list these things because I have once been a "Church Worshipper",  I was also a "Good, Morality" Worshipper. Thinking that I was witnessing by having my southern hospitality. When God didn't call us to be polite He called us to be Holy, Fishers of Men, Conformed into His image. 

At the time it was easy for me to Worship Church because I didn't know God!  I could tell you that we're supposed to have a relationship with Him, (I could recite that as a truth) but, I had never experienced it. 

So back to the question : Who or What are you worshipping? This is important.  If you see church as an obligation not an opportunity to recharge, encourage and be encouraged, I can see how you could see the main question: "Should I force my child to go to church or allow them to make their own choice " as optional. 

Church isn't "good" for our children. Seeing their parents seeking God, seeing the church functioning the way God created it to function. That is good for our children. 

Deut. 6:4-9 (NAS)

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Hebrews 10:23-25 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

His Clay~

    

At War With Myself

Warning The Following Information May be filled with Run-On Sentences and a Bizarre amount of Grammatical Mistakes. Read at your own Risk: :)

(Also this is in no way a reflection of anyone but myself. I am Not preaching at anyone but this is what I've seen in my life and if this is you, too. I pray that this will open your eyes as much as it has mine.)

This is a response to my "Head Knowledge" vs. my "Life Outpour" following the Post "Lord of the Pawn".  

I came to the dramatic reality of how Poisonious Cultural Christianity is to todays American Churches, only a few years ago. My entire life I have been blinded to the reality of the call that Christ has laid on the hearts of His children. 

I have attended church my entire life. For years, because I was so used to sitting in the pew and hearing the word preached, I Knew when I heard a good message, because it was like heart medicine. Even the ones that stepped all over my toes.  It was like finally getting a cold cup of water on a hot Southern day.  It was good!
 But that was as far as it went - HEARING it. 

It's so frustrating to hear a good word but ok what next. How do I Live it out? How do I become Salt and Light?  How do I preach the Gospel to all nations? 

Don't get me wrong, I think the IMB in the beginning was a Great Idea, and it still is. However, I am afraid that too many of us have adopted that as a,
"Well, I'm funding them to go and do what I've been called to do." 

Or even
"Well, don't we pay the pastor and church staff to do that?"


You may not have said these exact words but is "That" what your life is living?

It has been mine. Think about it... You're trusting in these pastors who have also been brought up the same way, alot of words about outreach but very little, if any, out pour.  Alot of conviction but little, to no, Action.

What do we do? How do we do it? How do I become Salt and Light? How do I minister at every oppurtunity I have. And Its not by sneaking Tracks in toilet stalls. Do you think "that's" what Jesus would Do? Run, drop and hide?  Christ wasn't sneaky at all. He was compassionate and His words spoke deep to the heart!

I am not Ashamed of the Gospel because it is the Power of Christ unto Salvation! (Romans 1:16)
Tracks arent all bad, used correctly but have a relationship first. Build a relationship! Even if it is just a 5 min totally out of your comfort zone conversation.

Because frankly "christians" have given "Christianity" a bad name, and most anyone can spot a Fake from a mile away.  And if we're saying one thing and living another, "whats so great about what we're saying?"
Not many in our society are going to respond well to a secret bathroom stall cheesy track that falls out of your toilet paper roll. Because your too scared to open your mouth and talk with them personally.  I have yet to see or hear of a toilet stall convert.

The biggest, scariest, thing about what we're facing in this war with ourselves is - Where Do We Start?  We've not seen it modeled in our churches, or much around us. So we're learning from scratch. It's exciting to see God sparking a light in hearts around the world and friends around the world but you know what.  When you see Truth clearly, and you have no one to follow...it means God's Calling you to be a Leader!

The church has got to quit with the mindset of, "well they'll come to us. maybe if we have a great program, fun games, exciting activities. Ooo, Power Point, no media shout, no a Great worship leader, well it must be, this or that or maybe so and so isn't doing such and such." All of that bogs us down from the truth of the call. Christ called us to be "Fishers of men" What are YOU doing?

Does a fisherman sit on the shore, get a well decorated, state of the art boat, push the boat out and hope that the fish jump in? Heck No!  Go, Tell, Preach! Come on!  If you don't see someone else doing it, you think it needs to be done...it may be God calling You to do it!  Quit waiting for someone else to pick of the reigns of what you've been called to do.  If your scared EVEN Better! If God's calling you to do something and your scared it means, He's ready to rock your socks off! If God's calling you to do something and you think you don't have the time, the skill or it might make you uncomfortable or excuse, excuse, excuse...get ready for God to rock your socks off!
Remain in the word. Learn how to trust Him and Him only! Learn how to hear His Voice, Learn how to notice His hand at work around you.
 It is time we stop waiting for others to fulfill our calling!

Being a Fisher of Men means NOW! Not when it's convenient or during quarterly organized ministry church projects. NOW! Today! 

My biggest struggle right now is figuring out all the little ways God's wanting to use me in my everyday life, with 2 tiny, precious anchors at home.  Anchors: is in no way a derogatory term, it just means that it limits me.  Pulls me back home :) Yes, little things I am cool with, but full-time commitments to different ministries; it is impossible for me to remain consistent in.  Doesn't mean it's stalling me, it means I've got to find out how it all fits together, and I'm about to start stalking some missionaries. 

I've got to get out of this "Church Mindset", quit labeling full-time missionaries as "the Missionaries" and realize "Hi my name is Melissa Bradley, I live in Danville, Ky and I have been Called by God to be a Missionary in this town and everywhere these feet take me!

Lord, Use me however You chose. Move me out of the way. Move my weakness out of the way and fill me with Your strength. May I be Your vessel to be used however You desire!  Clear the path ahead of me. Fill my mouth with Your words. May Your words, Your desires speak Loudly from my life!

Your Clay,
Melissa





                        

Game On!

I had the privilege of going to see some amazing girls play some Super Fab Softball last night.  Gosh I love playing softball, not that I'm necessarily any good at it but it is definitely my favorite sport to play. 

The game however, made me reflect on my spiritual walk and the current church. As a christian I have to admit I've had the problem of living most of my life in the dugout. Watching the game go on, watching some people hit homeruns and making excellent catches. While I'm comfortably chewing my bubble gum and sipping my Gatorade in the shade, and at times making some nasty critical remarks about the ones out in the field fumbling the ball around.

As time goes on I feel that we have WAY more people settling to sit in the dugout than out in the field playing.

The first time I saw that my life was being lived in the dugout, it stinking blew me away. It was a game changer in my book and it was so simple.  I went out to eat with my friends Amanda Lark and Lauren Parnell.  We were at Wendy's and before they payed, one of them asked the guy serving us, "Hey, we're about to say the blessing, is there anything we can pray for you about?" 

What the heck? Was that not awkward?  I'd never seen anyone mention their faith like that, yeah through conversations or relationship building or whenever it was within your comfort zone or convenient but Never Random dude you don't know.

Over the past year, I have realized that throughout my life I've heard some amazing Truths Preached.  You ask me a biblical question and I will probably be able to give you an answer, because I've heard it and heard it and heard it but not often have I seen believers living these biblical truths out in everyday, day to day life. I wrote about ministry a few months ago and this kinda ties in with it. 

Truths:

• There's Power in Prayer
• The Holy Spirit dwells in the lives of believers and is Always at work around us.
• Christ Raised people from the dead, Christ worked miracles through the apostles and leaders in the early church, and He still does it today.
• God desires to have a Personal Love Relationship with you.
• God desires to use you in your life on a daily basis.
• He has a plan and a purpose for your life
• etc., etc

God spoke to my heart back in September (don't know why I remember that being the month) and I realized my ministry does Not begin and end with the Youth.  I don't go out to the playing field @ 10am on Sundays and 6:30 on Wednesdays. In Truth thats supposed to be our dugout time, our Game Plan time.

My Game is All Day Every Day Seeking God to Open My Eyes to His hand at work around me. I pray as I turn on Facebook that God would speak through me to anyone who chats me, Not to be annoyed by it but to see it as an opportunity to minister.

I'm a stay at home mom and God has a plan for my life to use me, and even though I'm stuck at home, alot, God still desires to use me (that is in no way a complaint, I am SO blessed to be home with my children and I know He's using me in the lives of my Jax and Pait, but I'm not going to allow that to be my crutch and keep me from being used outside of the box either.) 

As I hop in the car to head to the grocery store instead of being annoyed at the mom with a Crying baby saying, "Lord is this You drawing my attention away from myself and opening an opportunity to minister? Even if it's through a smile, uttering a prayer for her or Praise the Lord an opportunity to share the Gospel?

As I hop in the car, even as I go and spend time with the teens not only Lord open my eyes to them and their needs and let me be used in the lives of the teens,but praying for everyone else I may cross paths with that God may use me in whatever way He chooses.

Lord let me be used in the nursery if the Sunday School teacher gets stuck in the nursery during Worship service too.

If I'm running late to Sunday School and I ALWAYS am, Lord, are You hindering me from making it on time because You desire to use me in some other way this morning, open my eyes to it? 

Praying for the mom in tears beside me as I drive down the road.

Praying, Praying Praying for God to Open my eyes to how He wants to use me, and for me to take my eyes off of my self and to look for His hand at work around me and joining Him in His work. 

Letting go of my comfort zone and saying Lord whatever it is that You are leading me to do may I do it without Hesitation and complaint. My ministry is in these little day to day things.  It is not in my routine.  I want my life to be Game On!

Game On, at the end of an exhausting day where all I want to do is grab some supper for my hot, exhausted crying babies and saying "Lord Fill my mouth with Your Words, to minister to this woman at Subway. Lord, I Know that my children are climbing on the table behind me, and hopping from seat to seat but keep them safe, send Your angels to protect them :) and may I Speak the Truth, because I may be the only bit of Jesus this woman sees!

Get the Junk out of the air conditioned, Wide Screen TV, Surround Sound, with my Gatorade and Chewing Gum, Dug Out and Get In the Game!

Game ON!

Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.