The miracle is that Jesus makes Himself real to You.  He promises to show Himself to you (John 14:21).

Move toward Jesus.  Reach for Him. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV)

Start with a heart that is earnestly searching, read His words in scripture, and study His promises.  Know His heart. Live in alignment with Jesus’ heart, as revealed in the Bible.

“The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me, and whoever loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I will love him and will show Myself to him. I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make myself real to him.” (John 14;21 Amplified)

Jesus made Himself real to me.  And from that day on, my whole life changed in beautiful ways.

…  “Then say Shibboleth,” Judges 12:

The Gileadites took control of the Jordan, and they would let no one from the tribe of Ephraim cross the river.

There was but one reliable method to identify the Ephraimites. Examining the story in the biblical book of Judges, we sadly see that those from the tribe of Ephraim could not say Shibboleth. Thousands were eliminated using that method.

Likewise, there is one way to know if someone is a Christian filled with the Holy Spirit. Because the Bible says ….no one can say “Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”  1 Corinthians 12:3

From this biblical story, the word Shibboleth has come to mean a phrase or a word that distinguishes one group of people from another and is a means of determining the cultural background of someone or their allegiances.

The mark of a Christian is that they can say Jesus is Lord because they carry the Holy Spirit. Come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

There is the Earthly Kingdom. It is all around you for you to see.

Invisible to the eye, another Kingdom invites you to enter in. The Kingdom of God is near.

The Kingdom of God is counter-cultural, revolutionary, transformational, light in the darkness, rest for the weary, and established in the love of Jesus Christ.

Enter into this Kingdom and you will no longer be separated from God. Escape from the struggle, the hustling, the scraping, the fear, and the fight. Enter into the rest of Jesus Christ. Say YES to Jesus!

Which Kingdom will you choose?

“Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and He will give you everything you need”  (Matthew 6:33, NLT).

There are self-seekers, thrill-seekers, fame-seekers, fortune-seekers, power-seekers, prestige-seekers, gold-seekers, attention-seekers, danger-seekers, trouble-seekers, wisdom-seekers, enlightenment-seekers, popularity-seekers, …   did I miss one?

We are all seeking.  What are you seeking? Happiness, wealth, love, fame, etc.. We spend our time seeking. But what if we seek God FIRST?

Devote your life to Jesus and your heavenly Father.  “Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way” (Proverbs 3:6, Good News Translation).

It didn’t make sense.  Without a battle, the Israelites would take over Jericho. Huh???

Seven days, seven trumpets, the army walked around the walled town, and on the final day, they gave a shout for the Lord that would bring the walls down, and the town would be delivered over to them.

Listening to the Lord can change everything. All that we know is turned upside down when we listen for His direction. The battle is the Lord’s.

What if the instructions from the Holy Spirit don’t make any sense? Will you follow them anyway?

“But godliness and contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

We live in a world of normalized excess.

There is bigger and better everywhere we look.

Possessions, jobs, health, finances, and family are among the areas in which we can struggle with contentment.

A spirit of contentment looks at life with a grateful heart, acknowledging the Lord’s care and provision.  Adversely, the spirit of discontentment magnifies lack and obscures the Lord’s blessings.

Silence the discontent. Voice your gratitude!

• Do a David! ( Praise the Lord, write Him a psalm of your love, dance, and sing joyously).
• Revisit your past miracles and blessings.
• Live with a grateful heart.
• Keep a gratitude journal.
• Offer up a sacrifice of praise.

“..Only one thing is needed…”  Jesus said to her. (Luke 10:42)

He simply requires one thing.  JESUS.  Sit at the feet of the Rabbi. Yes, Rabbi Jesus. But the sum of my days is movement. Keep moving, gotta get things done. So much to do on a normal day.  My mind can be distracted and rush forward to thoughts of accomplishing the tasks ahead of me.

It’s clear in the story of Mary and Martha. One sister, Martha pointed out her sister’s failure to rush in to prepare the dinner.  The other sister, Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to His every word. Jesus recognized in Martha, “thou art troubled about many things..” Jesus continued “Mary has chosen the best thing, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So here it is, two possible actions to take. Jesus is asking us to choose what matters most.

I deal with my anxiety just like Martha does.  Doing, moving, and rushing forward to relieve my anxiety. This is what I lean on to ease the strain. It allows me to shift my focus away from my fears, and cover them up.  Allows me to discharge the pent-up feelings I don’t seem able to deal with or haven’t stopped to identify.

I know I should be still and rest in Him because, as He reminded Martha, “… Only one thing is needed.” If I can reconnect to Jesus and sit at His feet, just like Mary,  the feelings of anxiety will dissolve.

Sitting at His feet, in His presence, is a struggle when I think of the work that awaits me.  The illusion I adhere to is that I am the master of my days. Open up my hands, Lord, and help me to loosen my grip.

Can I accomplish anything without Him? Holding too tightly to my schedule leaves no room for the Holy Spirit to direct me.  Where is the space to listen and let Him be my guide?  Will I make myself master over my day or watch as He opens the steps before me?

“A man’s heart plans his course, but the Lord establishes his steps.”  All my force applied to a task cannot accomplish my desired end. So I must surrender.

In truth, I must surrender to Him every day for He is my REST and PEACE.