What Language Do You Speak?

Posted on March 2, 2019 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

I don’t know about you, but when I’m alone in the car, I talk out loud… I talk to the Lord, I talk to the other drivers, I talk to myself, and I talk to the radio!

It’s possible that I looked a little cray-cray when I heard this song on the radio the other day! The beat grabbed my attention, but the lyrics…. Oh my! The lyrics resounded loud in my spirit and I couldn’t help pumping my fist in agreement!

Native Tongue by Switchfoot is a powerful statement about who we are and Who we came from! If we marry these two verses, you’ll see what I mean:

God is Love + God created mankind [us] in His image (I John 4:8, Genesis 1:27)

We were created to look like our Dad! He is love, He speaks love, He functions in love! Love is our native language! Take a listen: Native Tongue

We are born with the capacity to function in love and demonstrate love, but too often we are taught to function out of self-preservation, pain, and judgment. It’s time to go back to our native tongue!

Back before we learned the words to start a fight
Back before they told us that the haters were right
He spoke the truth, “let there be” and there was
Love is the language, love is your native tongue
My heart is a beating drum
My head in oblivion
My soul, such a long way from
My lips, my lungs, my native tongue
My friend, where did we go wrong?
My Lord, we forgot our sound
My soul, such a long way from
My lips, my lungs, my native tongue
So sing it loud, get loud, get
Louder than the voices in the crowd, yeah
Even when they tried to drown you out, eh
Your lips, your lungs, your native tongue
So sing it out, get loud, get
Louder than the darkness and the doubts, eh
Louder than the curses and the shouts, yeah
Your lips, your lungs, your native tongue
Songwriters: Brent Kutzle / Jonathan Mark Foreman / Timothy David Foreman
NATIVE TONGUE lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing

What a challenge! Lord, Take us back to the Place where we were created from: Your heart! Teach us to communicate like You! Help us to function as You created us to, out of love, instead of pain, judgement, or pride! Help us to “get louder than the voices in the crowd!”

Live Loved! And you will impact those around you with love!

P.S. If this blessed you or encouraged you, please share on social media! Drop me a comment too! 🙂

A Fair Trade?

Posted on December 12, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

I love this promise and needed to hear it today. I crave His guidance and need His healing strength! I know that God is faithful and He will give me everything that I need.

But… if I focus on my needs, I will miss His heart in the process!

To fully enjoy the promise of His presence and provision, we need to embrace His heart, His passions! So, what is God’s heart passionate about? Look closer at Isaiah 58:6-12. God talks to us about what brings Him delight, and as a princess daughter, I want to please my Father! So, what brings Him delight? When we:

Correct injustices
Enable others to find freedom
Help those less fortunate
Are present/engaged with our family
Lighten the burdens of others
Are a source of grace and peace

As we are purposeful to invest in others, we bring light to the dark places! Our world is filled with darkness, and Jesus told us that we are the light!¹ But our light doesn’t shine just because we show up… it shines because we show Jesus when we show up!

When we bless others, He will bless us! Isaiah continues in verse 9 saying, “Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ He will quickly reply.” Not only that, but He will come to our rescue, heal us, protect us, restore us, strengthen us, and lead us forward! Wow, those are some serious benefits!

Is it a fair trade? No way! It’s far more than we deserve! Jesus summed up this trade when He said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”²

That’s a trade worth investing in! Light up someone’s darkness today!

This world needs you!

Live Loved,

¹Matthew 5:14

²Matthew 6:33 NLT

Read more about injustice here: Food for Thought

No Longer A Slave

Posted on December 2, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven”.

Harriet Tubman, Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman By Sarah Hopkins Bradford.

Selfless, brave, determined… these are all character qualities my students used to describe Harriet Tubman after reading about her life. Tubman fell to her knees in prayer after crossing the Pennsylvania border exhilarated by her newfound freedom. She then pressed on and began her new life in Philadelphia. But the money she made working was for the primary purpose of gaining freedom for others who were still enslaved. History tells us that Tubman was also a nurse, cook, and spy during the Civil War. Later in life, she opened her home to those who were in need. Through it all, she trusted the Lord to be her Source and Strength.

I believe that Harriet Tubman’s life journey reflects the Kingdom of Heaven culture. Each person that God creates has a purpose, something they bring to this world that no one else can. Whether or not we fulfill that purpose has much to do with the decisions we make in our personal journey. Sometimes those decisions mean determining whether or not we will allow ourselves to stay enslaved… enslaved to self-pity, rejection, pride, pain, greed, or broken dreams.

Ultimately, the things that drive or enslave us can all be summed up by the word “fear,” fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of hurt, fear of abandonment, fear of rejection. “I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God,”¹This morning, I found myself singing this line, along with everyone else, but I felt the words deeper in my spirit than I ever had before. I had been enslaved by fear in the past. It drove me to do things I wouldn’t typically do and it drove me to not do things that I should do. Knowing that I don’t have to be driven by fear any longer is liberating!

Being strong or confident is not the opposite of fear; it is faith in His love that is the antithesis of fear! We all long to be known and loved. It is only in knowing the perfect love of our Heavenly Father that the chains of fear can be rendered useless. Why does perfect love drive out fear?² Because when we get a revelation of His perfect or unconditional love for us, we can trust His plans for us. Perfect love is the truth that when life is difficult, loss rocks our world, or pain is suddenly staring us in the face, it is not for the purpose of tormenting us or punishing us! Our circumstances are NOT a reflection of God’s love for us or His value of us! We can be confident that no matter what comes our way, He is always with us, loving us, and causing everything to work out well for us… eventually!³

We might be tempted to stop there, basking in the knowledge that we are perfectly loved by this amazing God!! Sometimes we do need to just soak in His presence (after all, He IS love!) and allow the joy of knowing His love to go deep. But there’s more to the journey. Isaiah 58 talks about what is pleasing to the Lord. He doesn’t want us to keep love’s freedom to ourselves! He wants us to help others who are enslaved find freedom too; much like Harriet Tubman did when she took multiple trips south to lead others to freedom. Was it convenient? No. Was it safe? No. Was it easy? No. But it was her destiny and purpose to help others find {physical} freedom.

How much more important is it for you and I to help others find spiritual freedom! Freedom from the fear that strangles out life and hope, freedom from the fear that keeps us from reaching out, freedom from the fear that chokes our trust, and freedom from the fear that breeds bitterness. That’s a tall order, isn’t it?! How can we help others find the freedom of knowing that they are unconditionally loved by their Creator? We become virtual conduits that allow the love of our amazing Father to flow through us to others!

By tapping into Him, our Source, and relying on His strength, we become the concrete example of God’s unconditional love to others. As those walking in freedom, we set the vision and standard of freedom for EACH person we encounter! We believe and declare that He loves them in the middle of their mess, just like He loves us even when we were at our worst.

Will loving those enslaved in fear be convenient? Safe? Easy? No, no, and no, but it’s our destiny and purpose to help others find freedom in His perfect love!⁴ This precious freedom then enables them to walk in their destinies setting even more people free! It’s the circle of Kingdom life!

I’d like to say that I’m a pro at this thing of helping others find freedom from fear. It would be great if I could tell you that I’ve got the perfect love thing down pat. I don’t… I’m working on it, stumbling along, sometimes failing, and sometimes succeeding. The good news is that there is always hope! Each day is a new beginning and nothing is set in stone until we breathe our last breath! Each encounter with another person is an opportunity to value one of God’s precious creations and demonstrate fear-freeing love.

Lord, Help me not to waste these opportunities!

Live Loved!

P.S. If this encouraged, challenged, or blessed you, please share on social media! 🙂 Also, thanks to my Aunt Sandy Hall for the great shot of Mount Fuji!

¹Lyrics from: ”No Longer Slaves” Bethel Music

²“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” I John 4: 18

³“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

⁴Read more: I John 3:16-23, Mark 12:29-31, All Embracing Love… Really?

#thankful

Posted on November 22, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Have you noticed the new t-shirt trend? Sure, there are still the sassy ones out there: “Sarcastic comment loading,” or “What makes you think I care?” But there is also a wave of t-shirts available now that celebrate… celebrate strong girls, celebrate world changers, and celebrate positive attitudes: #thankful, #gratefulheart, #blessed, #spreadkindness. As a teacher, I see the trend and I’m loving it.

When life is tough, your attitude can make or break your day!

A few days ago, I {finally} relaxed on a massage table as I used the gift card my husband gave me last Christmas. As the therapist started working on the knots in my shoulders, I actually had to work at calming my mind and letting go of my “To-do” list as well as my “Problems to solve” agenda. As I listened to the soothing music, I began to talk to the Lord. I thanked Him for my job, even though it’s stressful. I thanked Him for my home, even though it needs some upkeep. I thanked Him for our cars, even though the payments are coming due. I thanked Him for my family, even as I wondered how I was going to budget Christmas. I thanked Him for His goodness, even though I know I don’t deserve it.

By the time the therapist got to my hands, I felt overwhelmed with thankfulness! But this thankfulness was different. I was thankful for simply having all 10 of my fingers! I began to think of not just what I have, but also what I don’t have… an insurance claim for a house lost to a fire, a doctor’s appointments for a terminal condition, or an addiction to manage. I don’t have empty cupboards or a home infested with pests. I don’t have to visit a family member in jail today or a missing loved one to file a police report on.

Is life perfect? Not for anyone! But if I don’t choose thankfulness, what’s left to choose from? Complaining, whining, bitterness, self-pity, jealousy. None of those sound particularly pleasant. In fact, all of those attitudes will make me a less than enjoyable person to be around. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we need to “vent” to an understanding ear. But if we stay in that place of perpetual complaining, our attitude {and facial expression} will scream #sourpuss, no t-shirt necessary!

The other day, my friend said, “We can complain ourselves right out of a victory!” That statement was an eye opener for me! The reality is that life feels like a battle at times. What will my battle cry be? #whyme? #Idon’tdeservethis! #lifeisnotfair! These battle cries will lead to discouragement and failure. Our battle cries should be declarations of victory! #Icandothis #blessed #Godisgood #endurewithgrace #thankful!

I am thankful! I have the best Dad ever! He is a faithful God and trustworthy Father. Even when life sends me spinning, I know that He has me in the center of His Hand. If you need that same confidence, turn your face heavenward! God created you and He loves you! He IS love! He has good things in store for those who trust Him! Hebrews 12:28 in the Passion translation says, “Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakeable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights His heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe.” Your right to an unshakeable kingdom comes when you acknowledge God as your Father, Healer, Deliverer, and Savior!

#extremelythankful

Please comment and share what you are most thankful for today!

Live loved!

P.S. My husband just walked in and told me what the chickens are thankful for: they are not turkeys! 🙂

Mic Drop Monday: Food For Thought!

Posted on October 29, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

What do you think of when you remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah? Many of us heard the story as children and knew that those people didn’t love God or serve Him. However, in looking at it through the eyes of adults, we often think that these two cities were condemned for their sins of perversion. At least that’s what I thought… till I read these verses in Ezekiel 16:

⁴⁹“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. ⁵⁰They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

Did you see that? Did you see what it was that saddened God’s heart? Yes, detestable things, pride and arrogance. But that’s not what jumped out at me. Look again! “Overfed and unconcerned with the poor and needy!” Some versions say they did not help the oppressed. The people of Sodom & Gomorrah hadn’t just grieved God because of their wickedness (hearts twisted or bent on doing wrong!) but because they overindulged in themselves and did not care for those in need.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 5, God addresses His concerns about Israel to Jeremiah:

2 “Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.”

Now meditate on these verses:

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:17

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

When we purpose to help those in need, defend the oppressed, and care for the needy, we are seeking justice! Jen Toledo defines justice in this way, “Justice is God’s correction of every violation of love.” What violations of love do you see around you? Racism, prejudice, bullying, belittling, loneliness, need? To see God’s Kingdom come into our realm of influence, we need to be ambassadors of His love, bringing justice and righting wrongs whenever the opportunity arises! Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s whispers and stomp on the enemy’s injustices!*

I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t want to be lumped in with the likes of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Even more, I want to please my Daddy! I want to purpose to seek justice, defend the oppressed, and walk humbly! Recently, I’ve heard God whispering an idea to help those in my part of the world. I will be moving in that direction soon and I’ll post when I do! What about you? Is God dropping ideas in your heart too? I’d love to hear them!

Live Loved!

*The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:20

If this challenged and blessed you, please share on social media!

Mic Drop Monday: Are You Naked?

Posted on October 15, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Hmmm, I’m wondering, how many Jesus followers are walking around naked?

Here’s the test:

Does my heart harbor unforgiveness? Prejudice? Pride? Self-righteousness? Judgement? Anger? Ungratefulness?

Do I allow myself to have foul conversation? To talk unkind about others? Be impatient? Rude? Bitter? Complaining? Vengeful?

Then I am walking naked!

Colossians 3 reminds us of what should be in our closet! We need to put on the clothing of love:

⁸But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him. ¹¹In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.

¹²Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

OK, I experienced a few ouch moments reading that, how about you? Let me go get dressed…

Live loved and Dressed too!

When God Whispers

Posted on June 30, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

“I heard Him! He whispered to me! He said that I’m a dew drop of sunshine!” This from a precious little one in our VBS Discovery Station. “Me too! He said that I’m beautiful!” “He told me that I’m a victorious warrior!” Others joined in sharing what they’d heard from the Holy Spirit during our listening moments. What a delight it was for me to see their hearts open to the loving words of their Heavenly Father!

I had been teaching the children that we can have confidence in who God says we are only if we know what He says about us! First, we looked at what the Word of God tells us. We are loved with an everlasting love! We are made wonderfully in the image of God! In Jesus, we are set free, healed, and victorious! All powerful truths. Yet there is so much more! Our Father wants us to spend time with Him, sharing our hearts and listening for His voice. How amazing to begin developing the skill of knowing His voice at a young age! (John 10:3, 14:6)

It was recently that I was encouraged to do just what I had asked the children to do… sit and listen, asking God to tell me how He sees me. Have you ever tried that? I have had experiences with hearing the Lord, so I wasn’t really concerned that He wouldn’t speak, but I was a bit nervous about what I was going to hear. I wasn’t prepared for how quickly I would hear! It’s like He’d been sitting on the edge of His seat waiting for me to ask! I grabbed a pen & paper and began writing down His words of life and love for me. I felt so treasured and valued as He poured His love over me like only a Daddy can!

God longs for us to sit up and take notice of His thoughts written across all creation! He has made His love abundantly clear through the plan of redemption and He inspired Biblical writers to take note of His handiwork. Yet, there is more! Just as we have daily conversations with those we love, our Heavenly Dad has words of life for us each day that take our understanding of Him and His love for us to new levels. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 1:

^17”I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know Him through your deepening intimacy with Him. ¹⁸I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of His calling—that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that He finds in us, His holy ones! ¹⁹I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith.” tPt

During my lesson, one of the kids asked me, “How do you know that it is God speaking?” Don’t we all wonder that at times? “Lord, is that you?” “How do I know He is speaking and it’s not just my thoughts?” Whenever God speaks, He is faithful to His character. He will not ask us to be or do anything that contradicts who He is or His Word (Hebrews 13:8). God’s voice will not discourage, condemn, or tempt us (John 3:17, James 1:13). God’s whispers will not devalue you and I but rather will speak life into our spirits (John 6:63)!¹

When God whispers into our hearts and spirits, His desire is to draw us into deeper relationship with Him! Can you feel the Father’s hunger to spend time with you? He tells us to seek Him and we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He whispers your name in the chaos of life. He wants to encourage you and I to see ourselves as He sees us—as He created us to be! When we get a revelation of who He is and who we are to Him, we develop the deepening intimacy with Him that enables us to act and react from a place of perfect love instead of a place of ignorance, hurt, fear, or desperation.

He calls to us through His handiwork: in the vibrant sunset, across a shimmering rainbow, on the wings of a butterfly, and in the arms of a loved one. But He also waits for our ears to tune in to His heart. He whispers truth and life to our spirits. Will you pause and listen? Ask your Heavenly Dad to tell you how He sees you! Embrace the truths He drops into your heart and then combine them with truths from His Word. Write them down! Declare those truths! Your thinking patterns will be transformed into His as you renew your mind with the power of His Words, both written and revealed! (See Romans 12:2, I Corinthians 2:16)

Live Loved, because you truly are!

¹To learn more about listening to the right voice, read this blog post by Kris Vallotton.

The Ripple Effect

Posted on April 28, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

In our area, we are truly blessed to have not only one, but three, wonderful Christian radio stations. I love to turn the volume up and sing along (even when I don’t know all the words). I enjoy the various DJ personalities, join in with the discussions (though they can’t hear me!) and appreciate the moments of prayer. Many times, songs have ministered to my heart with words that just touched me right where I was at in my journey.

The other day I was listening to a catchy new song when the chorus line caught my attention. “Dream Small” the artist sang, causing me to suddenly become alert to what was playing. Dream small? Wait… what? ~~Are you nuts?~~ No, no, no! We should dream big, huge, ginormously!

Not wanting to judge quickly, I listened to the verses and chorus again. I discovered that the song writer wanted people to realize that ministry need not wait for global opportunities but can happen daily by simply being kind, giving, listening, being faithful, and living well.

I agree, please do ALL of those things, but DON’T.DREAM.SMALL!! Don’t sell short the impact of what those “small” things can do!

Anyone who has read a few of my posts or has heard me preach or teach knows that touching people in our realm of influence is a theme I’m passionate about! I wrote about impacting others in All Embracing Love as well as being Sweet and Savory. Touching the lives around us is a desire that is close to God’s heart too. We hear His encouragement sprinkled throughout Scripture:

Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Be generous (Proverbs 11:25)
Be thankful (Colossians 3:15)
Be peaceful (see above)
Be gentle (II Timothy 2:24)
Be patient (I Thessalonians 5:14)

And above all this, we are to pursue, go hard after, be purposeful about, deliberately love (I Corinthians 14:1).

To the untrained eye, these “random acts of kindness” may indeed seem small. It may feel like we are just making a dent in the work of reaching a hurting world. BUT GOD!

When we reach out to touch others with compassion and kindness, it is no small thing! Have you ever tossed a pebble into a lake? That “small” piece of rock causes a ripple effect, sending out multiple rings of movement on the lake’s surface and even below as it descends.

As we are faithful to impact our realm of influence, God is faithful to send others to water or harvest the seeds we planted (I Corinthians 3:6-8). Or maybe we are those that water; we may even have the opportunity to reap! What you and I do when we are kind, faithful, consistent, patient, and giving… creates a ripple effect in His Kingdom because God gives the increase.

Don’t dream small! Act small… sowing acts of grace towards others… then, Dream big!!! Believe that the ripple effect from your kindness, faithfulness, and gentleness will reach farther than you ever imagined! After all, it’s our Father, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, who gives the increase. And He is really good at multiplication!

Close your eyes… well, read this and then close your eyes… picture in your mind a big, loveable, dog who has just jumped into a vat of blessing. Climbing out, it excitedly gives a full-body shake that spreads droplets of blessing on everyone in a 20 feet radius. That blessing-sharing character is you! Jump into your Father’s love, soak up some blessing, and go shake it all over everyone you meet!

Live Loved, it makes loving others easier!

Please comment and share on social media! We are blessed to be a blessing!

Shake Off Those Broken Chains!

Posted on January 15, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

“There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it
I don’t deserve it
Still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God”¹

Reckless Love by Cory Asbury

Last night, these lyrics stirred in my spirit as I dozed off to sleep and were my first waking thoughts.

How amazing is God’s pursuing love!

He came to set me free, to heal my heart, to give me abundant life!

God pursues me. And He pursues you!

God pursues us because He loves us. But He also pursues us because He wants us to live an abundant life and enjoy relationship with Him.

Here’s the caveat though… do you WANT to be rescued, free, healed, and loved?

Seems like a silly question, I know.

Enjoying relationship with any person involves some amount of trust. The depth of your vulnerability will determine the depth of your relationship. Deeply loving requires the courage to be deeply open to others.

If you’ve been alive for a decade or longer, you’ve experienced the pain that also comes when trust is violated. Friends betray us, acquaintances gossip about us, co-workers sabotage us, loved ones leave us… with each additional hurt, we begin to build walls around our heart. We start to believe that no one is trustworthy. We determine it’s better to only rely on ourselves. Sound familiar?

This prison of choice keeps us safe from pain, but it also insulates us from authentic love!

It’s here, in this place, that God’s love pursues us! He wants us to know His love… but we need to trust His love! We need to trust that God loves us enough to kick down our heart-walls, tear down the lies we’ve believed, and find us in our lonely place.

When Your Heavenly Father charges in kicking down those heart-walls, pouring out His unending, unconditional love, and declaring truth that topples lies, you have a choice to make…

A: Stay safe inside your fortress, risk free but love free

B: Shake off the chains of fear and step into love’s embrace!

Jesus came to bring us good news, to heal the brokenhearted, to bring liberty to captives, to open prison doors, to replace mourning with joy (Isaiah 61:1-3)! Our responsibility is trust! It’s simple, yet complex!

*Trusting the Lord requires believing that He has your best interest at heart.*

It’s much like Peter stepping out of the boat. The waves look insurmountable, the water seems overwhelming, but look into the eyes of Jesus! Those eyes promise His eternal presence, His never-ending love, and His covenant relationship!

Let Him light up your shadows! Let Him kick down your walls! Let His Truth replace your lies! Shake off those broken chains and step into the Light. Our God is trustworthy; He won’t break your heart!

Go Deeper: Isaiah 61:1-3, Proverbs 3:3-8, II Timothy 1:7

Live Loved!

1Lyrics from “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury

All Embracing Love… Really?

Posted on September 28, 2017 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Tolerance… it’s what our society is calling for…

Tolerance is the willingness to tolerate or allow the existence of someone else’s beliefs or opinions. That means we tolerate other opinions about sexuality, politics, parenting, finances, and even the best pick-up truck. It’s reading someone’s political post or raging social commentary and allowing their thoughts to stand.

If society is calling for tolerance… what are believers called to do?

Well… is God tolerant? Did He allow Adam to do what he believed was right in the Garden of Eden? Did the Lord entertain Moses’ opinion on saving Sodom & Gomorrah? Did He permit the Israelites to have a king that He never wanted them to have? The answer to these questions is “Yes.” Then the implication is that God is tolerant of our opinions and beliefs. Why? Because He outfitted us with the ability to decide for ourselves and He is faithful to His word in allowing us to choose, even when we choose wrongly! Believe it or not… He wouldn’t even block us on Facebook!

There’s a boatload of difference between tolerance and approval. We can tolerate the beliefs and opinions of others without extending our approval. That works out fairly well as most people have no interest in gaining our approval anyway. But somehow, we still find ourselves in the place of trying to decide if we do or don’t approve of someone.

Please, stop… don’t bother with that internal conversation any longer!

Instead, ask yourself, what does Jesus see in this person?
I believe that He would not only tolerate them, but He would embrace them! He DOES embrace them! He embraces us! He steps into our mess and wraps His arms around us… warts and all… our laziness, bad choices, addictions, unfaithfulness, complaining, cussing, sensuality, political rhetoric, prejudices, sports-obsessions, and self-righteousness. Jesus is not standing back deciding whether or not to offer His approval. He purposefully steps towards you and I, opens His arms, tells us He loves us, and asks us to follow Him!

Jesus came as Light and Life so that He could pour into us and send us forth as light and life to a lost world… even a social media world. (John 1:4-5) The precious people in our realm of influence experience His embrace through us!

Skip Morgenson, right, says a prayer while embracing other congregation members during a prayer vigil for the Charlottesville victims at Cornerstone …

We are called to love! Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time for correction, teaching, and wisdom… but most often those opportunities come AFTER relationship is established (and not via social media!) If we cannot embrace others in their mess, we will never get to the point of relationship when we have earned the authority to speak into their lives. Without love, our well-meaning rhetoric grates the ears like clanging symbols! (I Corinthians 13:1-8a)

This embracing love is effectively demonstrated when we don’t see eye to eye with someone we encounter… when their beliefs or opinions don’t line up with ours. Yet, we can still look them in the eye and value who they are simply because they are made in the image of our Heavenly Dad.

Social media is a tool that can drive wedges in relationships or a tool to build bridges of relationships.

Don’t waste your time with foolish arguments; redeem the time for His Kingdom! Be passionate about people, because our Daddy is!