Worship

Battle Cry

/ Jana / 2 Comments

I was going to take out segments of this article as fodder for the conversation about who are we battling and why. But as I re-read it, it is simply too rich to condense. Mull on the phrase, from victory not towards it. Intimidation is answered through intimacy. May the Lord grant you revelation of your authority as co-heir and may you walk in His power for His glory today.

Jana

THE BATTLE IS NOT OURS TO WIN…
IT IS OURS TO LOSE

by Graham Cooke

Jesus has disarmed both rulers and authorities, making a mockery of their power in the process and celebrating His own triumph over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15). Now as ever the battle is not ours but the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20:15).

We serve a powerful King who loves to fight! He laughs at those who oppose him (Psalms 2:4; 37:13). In the Kingdom, we fight from victory; not towards it. Jesus has already won. In Him we partake of His overcoming. We are more than conquerors because we know the outcome before we enter the fray.

In Christ, our posture before the enemy must reflect our status in the Kingdom. We are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. We have been given power and authority through the Holy Spirit. In warfare, we rejoice before we pray. We give thanks for His majesty and supremacy. We are not overcome by our circumstances, we are overwhelmed by sovereignty. We are too busy being fascinated by Jesus to be intimidated by the enemy. We rejoice so that our praying can be powerful and effective. We praise because we occupy the position of an overcomer.

We stand in this space and we occupy our standing in Jesus through praise of His Majesty. The battle is won already; it is our partnering with victory that guarantees the outcome. We have the capacity to lose this battle only by default.

Lack of true rejoicing and thanksgiving will always embolden the enemy at our expense. The power of wickedness may increase in our perception if our worship is diminished and our focus on sovereignty reduced.

The only viable answer to intimidation is an increase in intimacy with the Lord. David was a “man after God’s own heart;” i.e., a worshipper. His intimacy gave him power over the intimidation of Goliath. He became a giant killer.

We can lose every fight if we have no focus. If our lives display a lack of worship we will never even show up for the fight. We will lose because we do not know how to stand. We will petition God for power when He has already given us authority in Jesus’ name. In rejoicing we receive revelation concerning the particulars of our overcoming.

Decide who you want to be and the Holy Spirit will empower you to become it.
-Graham

Oh my, the little details…

/ Jana / 1 Comment

So I can say, in all humility, that I make the best oatmeal raisin cookies ever? I know this because I spent the first ten years of my marriage trying to find a recipe that my husband likes. And when I found it, I spent the next ten years perfecting it.

However.

Last night, I was making my famous recipe, mostly from memory, and to my dismay, as well as the groans of my family, they were NOT the best cookies ever. I saw them come out of the oven, and instead of being these moist delightful little rounds of joy, they were clumpy, little knobs of batter.

About an hour later, after I had eaten a few of my chunks, I realized my error. I had forgotten the baking power, baking soda and salt. All combined these three ingredients measured less that a tablespoon of powder. But that powder has all the punch.

Can you see where I am going?  You can have all the right ingredients — oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, egg — but if you don’t have the stuff that makes it all activate, you’ve got nothing. You can have CDs, podcasts, Bible studies, small groups — but if you don’t bring honest prayer and sincere worship into the presence of the Spirit, you don’t have the power to bring about life transformation.

Maybe, go back and check your recipe. Are you sure you’ve got all the ingredients?

Ash Work

/ Jana / 1 Comment

Part of the power of this story, is the woman’s willingness to claim her sin and then her willingness to lay it at His feet. Before there can be beauty for ashes, there has to be the ash work.

Wait a minute. Ashes?  Girl — I’ve got ashes.

We say as women, “Listen, I’ve already got ashes, I have burned every bridge, scorched every relationship, singed every dream. I got ashes.”

But this is a little different. You have to put a name to the ashes.

Name the attempts: controlling, neglecting, hiding.

Name the false gods: food, sex, clothes, rejection, religion, pride, beauty, relationships.

Name the hurts and disappointments: parents, girlfriends, work, weight, the man, dreams.

Then set them on fire. Burn them thoroughly until they are ashes. Burned up. Not recognizable. Burned up ambition. Burned up pride, burned up beauty, burned up self.

Once that is a pile of dust at your feet, then it becomes the alabaster box. Because there is nothing left but the pure nard, or fragrant oil. All that is left is a broken and contrite spirit. What an aroma. It is death to those who are perishing, those in the room with Jesus, but to those who are alive, it is the aroma of Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:15)

True worship smells like this.

Excerpt taken from Unhindered, Chapter 48

Let’s Get Real Here:

 What’s in your ash heap? Are you willing to take the time and pain to do the ash work in order to get to the aroma?

Hoarding Boxes

/ Jana / 1 Comment

I was taking inventory of my own alabaster boxes. There were boxes that held my dreams, gifts, love, service, time, my passions, even a box that is about caring for myself. And I noticed there are boxes I try to hide from the Lord (my dreams and passions), the ones from which I don’t pour out everything but only what I think is enough (my love and service), and the ones that I put on the shelf to use “later” (my gifts and caring for myself).

I didn’t really view myself as an abandoned woman…

A mighty conversation began with the Lord.

I was calling out to Him, telling Him how I want to pour out, how I want to be filled up to overflowing so that He will spill out on those around me, how I want to take care of the little flock He had given. All these emotions and prayers poured out of my heart. My ardent prayer ended with one rush of words “Lord I want to make a difference.”

And His reply was deafening.

 I want to make you different.

I was stopped in my tracks. I heard the two comments. One was laborious, one was freeing. When I try to make a difference then the effort is up to me, on my shoulders. But when it is Jesus making me different the journey is totally other, totally Him.

God making me different is a God thing. And as He makes me different, all the other desires, hopes, and goals will play out for His glory. His glory life in me makes all the difference. What better evangelical tool is there than a person is who radically different because of the presence of Jesus Christ? What can be a more powerful story than a life that has been changed? Look at the woman at Jesus’s feet.

Was the woman changed? Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace.” This isn’t just peace like, “Have a Coke and a smile.” This is complete restoration, total healing, the broken made whole.

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever‑increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (II Corinthians 3:16-18)

I love this. We turn to Him. He transforms us. Glory to glory.

Excerpt taken from Unhindered, Chapter 47

Let’s Get Real Here:

How’s your inventory? Looking at your life, who do you believe (act on, live like) is responsible for your transformation?

The Alabaster Box

/ Jana / 1 Comment

“What, then, is the secret?” Watchman Nee asks about worship as seen by the woman who anointed Jesus with oil.

 Clearly it is this, that in approving Mary’s action at Bethany, the Lord Jesus was laying down one thing as a basis of all service: that you pour out all you have, your very self, unto Him; and if that should be all He allows you to do, that is enough. It is not first of all a question of whether ‘the poor’ have been helped or not. The first question is: Has the Lord been satisfied?

Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life, p.274

You may be familiar with the story from Luke about the sinful woman who came and anointed Jesus not only with perfume but with her tears. I want you to imagine the scene.

Here is an empty chair.

The rest of the room is filled with people. Sitting in a circle, gathered in two and threes. It is humming with multiple conversations. Jesus enters the scene. He is escorted by the homeowner to the empty seat. The conversational buzz is suspended for a moment as Jesus takes a seat and then all greet him. Conversations resume. Imagine the homeowner puffed and grinning at his renowned guest. Jesus is in his house no less.

But then another guest steals in quietly. Without invitation and without notice of anyone save Jesus.

Jesus is immediately aware of her. She is at His feet weeping silently. Her hot tears touch His feet like tender words of thanks and praise. She wipes them with her hair.

The homeowner seeing that he has lost the attention of Jesus, looks for the distraction. Seeing the harlot, he starts toward the woman to grab her up and pull her away… What is such filth doing in my home, he mentally protests. But Jesus waves him off before the homeowner gets to her.

Then the woman rises, eyes still down, she goes behind Jesus and pauses. The homeowner’s shoulders relax in relief. Is she leaving? he hopes, thinking that the little interruption is over. But then he draws in a breath. What was she doing now?

Tears still slide silently down her face. She raises her hands over Jesus’ head. In her shaking grasp is a small white jar. An alabaster flask. Before the homeowner could refuse, she uncorks the top and a pours a soft slow trickle of oil over Jesus’ head. It pools in His dark hair and then overflows down His neck. Over His brow, down His cheeks. Over His closed eyes. The oil slides down His neck, and soaks dark in His cloak. He lets out a soft slow sigh.

It is the aroma that silenced the room.

They stood speechless as the woman poured the entire flask on Jesus’ head. She held it upside down, so that every drop was emptied.

The whispers began. Most missed the smile of contentment that played on Jesus’ lips.

Immediately they tittered over the woman that had again taken her place at Jesus feet. They talked of her reputation. They all knew who she was and what she had done. They talked of the ridiculous cost. How on earth did she of all people get such fine perfume? They talked of her audacity. They talked of her inappropriate showiness. How dare her after all? Didn’t she know who He was?

Yes she did. Precisely.

Do you?

What does Jesus have to to say about all this? That she will be remembered. That she has done a beautiful thing. That her act of love — those who have been forgiven much, love much — her act of love blessed Jesus.

He noticed her heart. Her sacrifice, her abandon. But more than merely noticing, Jesus appreciated it, enjoyed it, loved it, was impacted by it. Her loving action affected God.

Jesus was satisfied.

Excerpt taken from Unhindered, Chapter 47

Let’s Get Real Here:

As you walk through this scene in your mind’s eye, where are you in the room? Are you the homeowner, just glad Jesus is in the house, but not really welcoming or enjoying Him? It’s all for show.

Are you one of the invited guests, there to see and be seen? Are you one that is evaluating, critiquing, scoffing at the open display from the sinful woman? Does her affection make you feel jealous? Do you feel like you are on the outside looking in? Perhaps indignant? Or are you confused at what it is going on here? Does this seem outrageous, uncalled for, even…wasteful?

Are you the woman? So utterly aware of who you are and so desperately wanting to be someone else? So utterly bankrupt— physically, emotionally, spiritually — that to be seen publicly weeping is of little matter compared to the hope of His healing?

Is your need so great that you would risk everything just to show Him, somehow, that you believe He is who He says He is?

Is your love so great that you will give all you have— dreams, hopes, money, talents, reputation, beauty, everything— in a frail container to be poured out on Him for His pleasure, His enjoyment?

Deep Calls to Deep

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I stood at the ocean and I felt what I do every time, at every ocean—Awe.

With my toes curled in the sand on the shore I felt as I always do at first. Small. I looked at the sand. So white.

The Lord reminded me of the verse—More than the grains of sand, so My thoughts are of you.

“No way, Lord.”

We continued the ocean lesson.

Look closely. What do you see?

There is life in the ocean, life I cannot see. There is power, deep power. The ocean is different every time I walk up to it. Every morning, it is different. The ocean is more than I can imagine. It goes on beyond what I can see. It refreshes me. It inspires me. It causes me to dream again. It calls to me….

“You are Lord. You are.” I whispered, simply amazed by Him.

I went back out at dusk and a storm was brewing out on the horizon. You couldn’t see the clouds but you could see it on the water. It was rough, wild and restless. I stepped in the warm evening water and immediately could feel the pull; the current was strong and relentless.

This is how I am Jana. I come to you. Over and over. I call to you to come in. Put one little toe in and I pull you in. I take you deeper. Then bring you back to shore. But not without changing you, tumbling you around, making you a little scared and then popping you back up to the surface just in time. Even when you play at the shore, it just makes you hungry for more.

I looked out at the expanse of the ocean. The dawning awareness that this magnificent creation is but a thimble full compared to my God.

“What is it like out there Lord? What is it like farther out there?”

My eye strained to see every crest, looking for a dolphin. But as I peered out looking for one thing, a stingray flew happily out of the water, arching in time for a moment before it plunged back into its own world.

“Lord I strain to see one thing, and You freely give another,” I whispered.

There is life out there. Abundant life.

Excerpt from Unhindered, Chapter 45

Let’s Get Real Here:

Do you believe God has more for you? What are you longing for? Straining for? What is He showing you?

The More of Worship

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My worship journey peaked at an unusual place called Splash Country. It is a Dolly Parton entertainment park where the entire place, huge place, is water-related activities. Thus the name, Splash Country. I went there with my then-seven-year-old daughter Salem.

Normally at a place like this, there are the watchers and the doers. But today, everyone came to play, regardless of size or shape, pasty white or bottle bronzed, cool bathing suit or out-dated reruns, we all played in the water, played in the fountains, down the slides, floated down the lazy river, and huddled under the Giant bucket, which was my personal favorite.

I realized that I had joined them in the child-like excitement. But more importantly I realized I was good with me. I came to play with my daughter. And life was very good.

Thanks, Lord.

But then we came to the wave pool.

Now, I know that we are all made in the image of God. I am so good with that. But standing around, waiting for “something,” with a bunch of wet, half-naked young and old people standing too, too close was not so good.

I mean really…there were a lot of hairy men. Really hairy. Really awkward. It is was cramped and everyone is trying not to touch anyone…whew. Get the picture?

Then from over the speaker you hear this beep— beep— beep. Everyone chattered in an odd sense of anticipation and the waves begin. The water slowly rippled but then grew in momentum. It moved up and down creating waves. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down, very predictable. Up and down, very heartless. Up and down, even the kids grew bored. Up and down. Then the water went flat.

No waves. No laughter. No expectation. What do you have left? Everyone standing around cramped, wet and half-naked, trying not to touch each other —waiting.

So I take all this in and think maybe, just maybe it was a bad run at the wave pool. We hang around to see if next time is better, as if next time it would be different. It wasn’t. Not that time or the next four times. Only the bodies changed out.

 They weren’t changed, they just changed out, meandered off in hopes of a little excitement.

 As I stood on the wave pool edge (you could hardly call the sloped concrete a “shore”), I watched the waves go up and down in a powerless, passionless rhythm and everyone jumping on cue with feigned excitement.

Then the Lord said, This is like worship.

I kept watching. “How so?” I asked.

 It is empty.

“Why doesn’t this work, Lord? It seems like a good idea. The fun of the ocean without salt, without the sand.”

Because there is no awe.

Let’s break this down. Just like a wave pool where you can jump in waves with no ocean, you can worship without a GOD to worship. When worship is not fueled by the Spirit of God, driven by desire for God, in awe of God, then it is boring and predictable and empty like the wave pool. It may be fun for a few minutes, then you wander off, ready to do something else. You are not changed by it. You just change activities.

Let’s talk about the ocean. It is always different. You can’t help but feel the huge-ness, it is ever changing, and oh the power. I could go on and on!. The smell, the feel, the taste. It never gets old, you never know what you will get when you go. Every time is different. Much like the presence of the Lord, you experience it, all of it, the feel, the taste, the smell. There is a power and source that comes in waves. But you can’t control these waves. You don’t even know when or how they will come. Only that they will come.

Excerpt taken from Unhindered, Chapter 46

Let’s Get Real Here:

When you think of worship – really – are you standing in a wave pool or at the ocean? If you’re in the wave pool, ask the Lord to give you awe.  If you’re at the ocean, ask Him what He has for the two of you there.

Start Your Bulldozer

/ Jana / 1 Comment

Are you looking for three easy steps to freedom? Sorry. I can’t do that. But I can share with you a few tools, a few chisels, God has used in setting me free.

• Worship

If freedom comes where His Spirit is, then ask for His Spirit to come. One way to ask His Spirit to come is through worship—whether that time is spent in silence, driving down the road, or singing. One of my favorite ways to worship is to read scripture and then say it back or sing it back to the Lord. Worship is an attitude of the heart.

• The Word

The Bible is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12.) When I feel weak, sad, mad, just yuk, I know that I am starving to death for His truth. I feed on the Word of God. I have learned to expect God to listen to me and to answer me. He has far more to say than we have ever dared to believe. He uses the Scripture in mighty ways. But we must come expecting. Hebrews 10:19-23 challenges us to approach God with confidence and with full assurance because He is faithful to hear us. You cannot live a God life without God’s word.

• Journaling

As we write our story we see His story unfolding. As we write out our words, He reveals His Word in the middle of it. Journaling is a history of all God is doing in our lives. You should see the progress that has been made in my list of “hopeless situations.” In every one of them you can see God’s hand moving. I am so thankful that I wrote them out and then rewrote them with a blessing.  In every situation, God is ever working. For His glory and my good.

Don’t be lazy. And don’t quit. Ask the Lord to show you how to worship Him in a deeper way. Ask the Lord to make you hungry for the Word. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a way that you can understand. You should see how many journal entries I have where God has spoken to me through nature. He took something simple that I love and used it to explan things about Himself, or me, or my circumstances.  He is very creative.

Release Me

/ Jana / 1 Comment

I woke up with a fragments of a song in my head this morning. I heard it yesterday in Jazzercise and it has been rolling around in my head ever since. And when I looked up the lyrics I almost laughed out loud. Let me explain.

Try to picture this. There are 40 – 50 women. Varying ages, shapes and sizes. Jocks, Rocks, Dancers, Divas. But also there are the Wrinkled, Sagging, Wishful and Wanna-bes. We collectively come together to cheer each other on. We motivate and inspire. All this done by just showing up. And while I am there, working on my outer shell, God works on my inner health.  He motivates and inspires. Not for the goal of perfection in the physical. But for the transforming of my perspective.

You see, every woman there works for the goal of seeing herself beautiful. Not just being beautiful. But SEEING herself as beautiful. Some are satisfied, some are killing themselves trying. Most think it is an endless battle they ultimately lose.

But God shows up to tell anyone who will listen how pleased He is that we are taking care of something He loves so very much. And an odd moment occurs every time I go. When you get us all side by side, sweat by sweat, you can really see the beauty and diversity of God. He has made us. Each one. Every one.   What a lot of people call working out, I call Worship.  Because I kid you not, when I show up to invest in this body that God has given me, He meets me there. And He sings over me. Really. 

In the gym, it is really loud, and the workout is really strenuous. But God will have some line blurt out in the middle of a song. It happens like an answer to the question in my head. It happens a lot. So now, I’ve learned to tune my ear. Instead of it being a random, bizarre experience, it is part of our connection, our conversation.

Yesterday, my question to Him was about how to manage all the desires of my heart and still manage the real life demands that coexist. All I heard was:

Release me, release my body…
blah blah blah

Release me, cause I’m not able to…
blah blah blah

Release me, I just can’t do this myself…
blah blah blah

The remainder of the day, I sang those lines. “Release me.” Release me from my need to demand and control. “Release me, cause I’m not able to” do this life alone, nor do I want to. Release me to see You and feel You. Release me from the lie that it is all up to me, all on me, all about me. “I just can’t do this myself.”

So when those lines surfaced again this morning, I looked up the whole song by Agnes. And it is crazy. This song is about a woman who can’t break away from a bad relationship. It has an “addictive hold.” She has no voice or thought except to be consumed by this man. She “knows it’s wrong” but wants it anyway. So she sings, “Release me…” The problem is who is she asking? There is not an addiction that will release you for the asking, nor a user that will stop using because you are hurting. So we are destined to “do what we do not want to do.” Unless. Unless we ask the Right Person to release us.  There is a Healer, a Warrior, a Savior who died to release us from this body of death.  This Lover longs to see us soar in Him, to be released into all that He has ever created us to be.

Who are you asking to release you? You really can’t do this alone.

My Soul Sings Out “Halle-lu-jah”

/ Jana / 1 Comment

There is no one like our God.  No one.  Not just when things go like we want them, but when all of life becomes dark, gray or numb. There is no one like Him, Them.  No one who washes us out of Their glorious riches like They do. There is no one loving and leading like They do. No one who can be Father, Brother, Lover like They can. No one who sees our desperate need and reaches out to heal and restore. Not disinterested observers from afar. No, this God is right in the middle of our business. They get in there and wash, and redeem and breathe dead bones back to life.

They delight in being Our God.

Listening right now to the song “Reign in Us” by Starfield. How it makes my soul soar:

Oh great and mighty one
with one desire we come
that You would reign that You would reign in us
we’re offering up our lives
a living sacrifice
that You would reign that You would reign in us

Spirit of the living God fall fresh again
come search our hearts and purify our lives
we need Your perfect love we need Your discipline
we’re lost unless You guide us with Your light

Lord Jesus
come lead us
we’re desperate for Your touch

What are you desperate for?  Life, hope, health, friends, love, money, peace? Come to the One Who promised to meet all your needs out of His glorious abundance. He lacks no good thing.  This whole Zimbabwe trip has forever changed my life and I haven’t even left yet.  The question about God that I had to face is this:  I know You are Good. I know You are Here. I know You are Able. But are You Willing for me?

What  He revealed was that I had a lot of false props in my life.  Lots of places that I leaned on other than Him. And one by one, (and I am quite sure we are not done yet), He is showing me, He doesn’t just say, “I am the Life.”  HE MEANS:  I am the Life. I AM your life.

Every way, every day, every need, every desire. I have so many things to give testimony about to brag on Him.

God has provided all our Zimbabwe funds! You should hear the stories… Only God could have done that.

God has rescued my marriage and we celebrated 19 years on April 13.  Only God could have done that.

God came down in overwhelming extravagance at the retreat. Women were given wings to fly. Only God could have done that.

On and on.  What about you?  What will you give testimony about today?  Don’t miss the power of God that is released when we praise Him in every season, act, and issue.  “And they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”

Reign in Us

You thought of us before the world began to breathe
You knew our names before we came to be
You saw the very day we fall away from You
and how desperately we need to be redeemed

Lord Jesus
come lead us
we’re desperate for Your touch

Oh great and mighty one
with one desire we come
that You would reign that You would reign in us
we’re offering up our lives
a living sacrifice
that You would reign that You would reign in us

Spirit of the living God fall fresh again
come search our hearts and purify our lives
we need Your perfect love we need Your discipline
we’re lost unless You guide us with Your light

Lord Jesus
come lead us
we’re desperate for Your touch

Oh great and mighty one
with one desire we come
that You would reign that You would reign in us
we’re offering up our lives
a living sacrifice
that You would reign that You would reign in us

we cry out for Your life to revive us cry out
for Your love to define us cry out
for Your mercy to keep us
blameless until You return

oh great and mighty one
with one desire we come
that You would reign that You would reign in us
we’re offering up our lives
a living sacrifice
that You would reign that You would reign in us
[2 x]

You would reign in us

So reign please reign in us
come purify our hearts
we need Your touch
come cleanse us like a flood
and send us out
so the world may know You reign You reign in us
[3 x]