The Mission is Too Great

 

 

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Ephesians 4:1-3

 

Father, as Deeper Still grows, we ask for unity in the teams.  We ask for the leaders of the teams and the team members to understand the power of unity and understand the importance of fighting to keep the unity of the Spirit.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Unity doesn’t just happen.  If it did, Paul wouldn’t have had to write Ephesians 4:1-3.  When he says, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace“, there is an understanding that acquiring and maintaining unity must be intentional.

How many churches have split over minute issues?  How many divisions have there been in ministry over mishaps?  The power of unity is to be sought for and fought for.

Earlier this year, I had a misunderstanding with a friend who served with me in another ministry and offense entered.  It wasn’t my intention to offend, but offense does not care if it was invited, it will just come and try to crash any Kingdom party.

Knowing I had offended my friend, I asked for her forgiveness.  She admitted she had been offended and forgave me easily.  The Lord had already begun speaking to her about the offense and revealed to her I did not intend harm.  Prayer had been the catalyst to all this misunderstanding being resolved and all was well.  We were able to easily move forward in serving together with unity.  It was a beautiful resolution and we both grew in the process.

Later on, another friend we served with in this ministry asked me about the situation and how we were able to resolve it so quickly and move forward.  I answered her, “The mission is too great.  The mission is greater than any small differences or misunderstandings.  We cannot afford to be offended and lose unity when there is a mission as great as the Kingdom of God.”  There were ladies who needed to be loved on.  They needed to hear about freedom in Christ.  Disunity would have hindered the work of the Lord and that just wasn’t acceptable.

The mission is too great. 

 

What if we applied this mantra to other areas of our lives?  Our marriages?  Relationships with our children? Relationships with others in our church family?  The power of unity is vital.  There is no limit to what the Lord will do with a team that is unified.  Friends, the mission is too great.  Let’s endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

加油 Add Oil

“’Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.’ Then he said to her ‘Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels, do not gather just a few.  And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels and set aside the full ones.’” 2 Kings 4:2b-4

Father, thank you for your Holy Spirit and anointing.  Lord, we recognize our need for you.  Father, we pray for our Chinese sisters who are having their first retreat next weekend.  Lord, will you add your oil (anointing) and pour out Your Spirit on them and those attending. Do above and beyond anything they could ask, think or imagine.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

One of my Chinese friends would say the phrase “Add Oil” often while ministering together.   This phrase intrigued me and I loved it!  After looking it up, I found the phrase was a common Chinese expression of encouragement.  The phrase in English would read, “jiā yóu”. 

After being with my friend Joy from China who said this, I was writing and frankly felt a bit rusty.  I was texting a friend asking her to pray since I “felt rusty” and without thinking said, “I think I need to add some oil,”  referring to feeling rusty.  Then I laughed out loud at what I just typed.  Add oil.  Yes!  I need to add oil! 

In ministry, we need the Holy Spirit.  Without His oil, we will be like a rusty hinge making only noise. 

We have to add His oil to everything we do.  We need His oil.  And we need to be full vessels in order to be able to pour out the oil inside of us to others. 

The lady in the passage mentioned above in 2 Kings 4 had nothing but a jar of oil.  She told the man of God, “I have nothing… but a jar of oil.” 

 

You may feel today like you have nothing.  You may feel ill-equipped and like you have nothing to offer.  But if you have the Holy Spirit inside of you as a believer, you have oil.  And the Lord wants you to use the oil you have to pour out into the vessels around you—and not just a few.  Add oil to others.  Encourage others.  You never have nothing to offer.  And if you need more oil yourself, ask the Lord and He will pour out His Spirit and fill you with more so that you can pour out into other vessels. It is the Lord’s desire to “add oil” to all His beloved.

When the Rooster Crows

 

 

“Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He has said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:60b-62

 

Father, thank you that you are faithful even when we falter.  Thank you for your “wake up” calls as you look to us with compassion in your eyes and we realize how far we have fallen.  Thank you that even our deepest failures and regrets don’t disqualify us from ministry, but rather usher in an awareness of our humanity and dependence on you.  We are desperate for you. We need you.  Let your rooster crow in the heavenlies and wake your people to your calling.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

In the Chinese culture, this year is the “Year of the Rooster.”  For those of you who have been following us, you know we have a love for China. When I heard it was the “Year of the Rooster”, I decided to ask the Lord about the Rooster and if it signified anything.  Here is what I felt I heard in my spirit:

A rooster signals a wake-up call.  It is symbolic of a new day, a new morning, a sunrise (Sonrise) and with it light expanding across the horizons.  This year is a year of waking up, a new day, new beginnings, new hope. 

The Lord is calling forth His people–those who have been asleep to awake.

When Peter denied the Lord three times, it was a rooster who “woke” him up to the truth.

Perhaps we don’t deny the Lord verbally, but in our actions or thinking–compromising what is true.

We go from being on fire for the Lord willing to cut someone’s ear off to being wishy-washy in our convictions and justifying actions.   Then…a rooster crows.  The Holy Spirit is creative in getting our attention.

This isn’t the post I thought I’d write today about the rooster.  I have many fun stories about roosters.  After the Lord gave me the word about the rooster being a wake-up call, He began showing off by showing me roosters nearly everywhere I went—for real.

This post could have been about how the Lord gives confirmation after confirmations when He is inclined to be sure you know you’ve heard from Him—this is true.

Or about the waking up of a generation or culture to the reality of His truth and the hope of a new day.  I do believe the Lord is saying that as well.  Wake up.  It is a new day.  There is new hope!

But this post is about our humanity and the Lord’s eagerness to forgive.  Our failures don’t disqualify us.  If you had an abortion, it doesn’t disqualify you.  If you compromised today and denied your Lord by a wrong choice that seems to pale in comparison to abortion—there is forgiveness, hope and a new day.

If your love has grown cold or life has beaten your faith to a pulp causing the sin of unbelief to fester and choke out your joy and passion, today may be a day to hear the rooster.

Hear the rooster say it’s a new day, the sun (Son) is rising on the horizon.  Sorrow may have lasted for a night and that night season seemed long, but it is a new morning with the Light of the world shining bright crowing in a new hope.  This year is a year of waking up, a new day, new beginnings, new hope.

The Lord is calling forth His people–those who have been asleep to awake.  It is time to awake to the truth.  It is time to hear the rooster.

 

Shift in the Atmosphere

“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’  He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision.  Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure.”  Psalms 2:1-6

Oh Lord, You see the vain plotting of those in the world who do not understand You.  Father, they are deceived and do not know what they do.  At one time, we may have even joined in their depraved chorus.  Lord, open the eyes of those cloaked in deception.  Father, may they see the truth to avoid Your judgement. May their words be turned from bringing death to speaking life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I recently read an article in a popular teen magazine that brought tears.  Not tears of joy or even sadness, but tears of pain.  My heart ached for the one who wrote the article and for those who would join in applauding her exposé. 

In the article, the writer gave advice to friends of teens who are about to have an abortion or just had an abortion.  Her ideas for comfort included a variety of superficial gifts that boasted to aid the physical ailments after her “procedure.”  What this author disturbingly missed and what so many in the world fail to accept is that no amount of physical effort can comfort the pain of the heart ripped in pieces from this “surgical procedure.”  As women, we were called to bring forth life, not destroy it.  Everything about abortion goes against nature.  It goes against our natural instinct to protect and nurture the life inside our womb.  However, pro-abortion groups constantly insist there are no emotional, mental or spiritual ramifications for abortion—only a medical procedure. 

In fact these groups would have us believe that not only is it no big deal, it is also the new normal.  The depravity astounds and defies sanity.  I wrote a post on how one in three or four women in our churches have had an abortion.  My reason for this post was to bring awareness that there are 1 in 3 or 4 women in our churches who have abortion-wounded hearts and need healing.  About a month ago, I read an article from a pro-abortion group that also brought up this statistic but not for the purpose of bringing awareness of healing.  Rather the goal was to show that abortion is normal.  The very thought makes this heart cringe in pain.  To think of destroying the life of the unborn as normal is barbaric and should not be considered a viable viewpoint.   

However, there is hope.  In the past month, legislation in the house and acts by our new President have proven to be consistently for life.  There has been a shift in the atmosphere and where there is a shift, there is bound to be turbulence.  We can expect to see more pro-abortion groups and those who support them to come out speaking in support of abortion. It is important to pray for these people.  Pray for the Lord to open their eyes and hearts to His truth.  Pray they see the hurt caused by abortion –as an unborn life taken and the mother and father hearts devastated.   Pray for life to continue to win and for the hope of light overcoming the darkness to spread from this shining city on a hill to the vast domains of the earth. 

As later on in Psalm 2 it says, “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.”  Amen. 

Willows by the Watercourses {Repost}

“I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.”  Isaiah 44:3-4

Father, we ask for you to pour Your waters onto those who are thirsty and flood the dry ground of those with abortion wounded hearts.  Father, as You know, the Deeper Still Ministry is needed beyond our borders, in other states and nations.  Father, we ask for You to pour out Your Spirit on the chapters that are emerging and bless the offspring from Deeper Still.  Father, we pray for the chapters to spring up like willows by the watercourses, fully nourished and fruitful.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

New chapters of Deeper Still are in the birthing process and many more haven’t been conceived yet.  God knows when and where these chapters will spring up.  As these new chapters are being planted, they will need to be nurtured and watered with the Spirit of the Living God. 

In verse 3 above, God says He will pour water on Him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground.  Water and floods are often used in Scripture to depict abundant blessings and are also used to denote the influence of the Holy Spirit (Bible Hub-Barnes Commentary). 

God is saying that He will pour out His Holy Spirit on those who are thirsty and bless them abundantly! Amen!

In verse 4, the He says, “They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.”

Willow trees in our western culture symbolize grief, such as in the weeping willow.  However, in the places where the willow originated (China), it symbolizes vitality and growth.  This symbolism comes from its ability to reproduce easily from cut branches. 

Interestingly enough, I found 5 more facts about willow trees that I thought mirrored perfectly the heart of Deeper Still as it is beginning new chapters. 

       1.  Willow trees not only sprout easily, they are fast growers. 

       2.   Willows have medicinal properties that alleviate pain and bring healing.

3     3.  Willows are used to build.

       4.  Willows need to have the proper soil and need an abundance of water (Holy Spirit).

       5.   Willows help prevent erosion. 

As Deeper Still grows and becomes all God has for it to be, may the new chapters grow in vitality, may the pain of the past be shed as hearts are healed, may the ruins of many desolations be rebuilt and restored, may the roots be ever in the right soil and watered abundantly, and may Deeper Still help prevent the erosion of our culture, our nation, and the world.  Amen!  

In a Loveless Nation

“And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity.”  Matthew 24:12

Father, we lift our nation up to you.  Father, we ask for you to forgive us for our iniquities as a nation.  Lord, we have blasphemed Your mighty name.  We have turned our backs on our statues and mocked those who stood for truth.  We have forced You out of our public schools and institutions in the name of equality and separation of church and state.  We need You in our nation again.  We need Your love to come in and flood our hearts.  We need Your eyes to see the depravity in this world.  For what we are too blind to see we will inevitably run into.  Lord, may our love not grow cold.  Fill us.  In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.

Hallerin Hilton Hill, a popular radio personality, spoke at my church last Sunday as a guest speaker.  He shared his heart and love for this nation and encouraged us during this time in which our nation has endured several sad occurrences recently with tragic loss of life.  One statement he shared was his father’s advice to him as his father was in his final days on earth.  He said this:

“Remember the answer to everything is love.”

In our nation, we are in a crisis of loveless-ness.  We are in a crisis of disrespect and disregard for human life.  We have forgotten the commandments Jesus gave when on the earth: 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. 

Two commands.  That’s it.   All the others hang in the balance of these two.  A friend of mine, who is also a very gifted and anointed worship leader wrote these words that beautifully illustrates this point: 

“If we see ourselves as unworthy of love, we see others as unworthy of love also.  But if we see that He is crazy for us, we will love ourselves as well, and in return love others with the same crazy, extravagant, gracious love.  I believe America is broken and hurting, and in search of her true identity…If we would fix our eyes back on Jesus, we would learn how to love ourselves and how to love others, and in doing so would end this nasty epidemic of hate that seems to be rooted so deep in this land. May authentic love be rooted once again in this country and in the Church, but most of all may it start with me.”  -Ashlynn Bolding

Amen and amen. 

I pray we would not get calloused as a nation to the terror and fear that has happened recently.  This is not the norm in our nation, nor should it be the accepted as commonplace anywhere.  Having disregard for human life should never be the norm. 

Devaluing human life cannot and should not be ignored.   We have all been created in the image of God, no matter the age, color, ethnicity, religion, background, education or socioeconomic status.  We are His image bearers, and as such, we are violently hated by the enemy of this world.  This enemy has one mission, and that is to kill, steal and destroy.

 

We have one mission given to us by our Creator, and that is to love, all people.   May we never become indifferent to human lives lost no matter the cause or circumstance and may our love never grow cold.  

Preventive Measures

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborer into His harvest.'” Matthew 9:36-38

Lord, we ask for the expansion of Deeper Still. Father, will you send forth the laborers into the field for Your harvest.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I saw across the table from a friend explaining the ministry of Deeper Still.  She had never heard my story and tears welled up in her eyes as she listened intently realizing I had an abortion at age 19.

She immediately loved the ministry of Deeper Still and healing the abortion-wounded.  Being pro-life, she asked in an affirming and inquiring way, “Does this ministry do anything preventative about abortion?”

Pausing for just a moment, I directed her to one of our ministry partners, a local pro-life crisis pregnancy center, but then the Holy Spirit interrupted and I began to explain how this ministry is preventative.

“Society spews the lies that abortion is no big deal, it is just a procedure, it is just a blob of tissue, it is my body and I can do whatever I want with no consequences.  When these post- abortive men and women are truly free, they become an army of voices rising up for truth. And that is how Deeper Still is a preventative ministry.”

We need women and men free to be a voice of truth, so they can then, in turn, go into the fields and become co-laborers for the harvest in the Kingdom of God.  We need this ministry in all states throughout the US and into the world for truth to arise and darkness to be dispelled.  Thank you praying and continuing to pray for the message of truth to spread throughout the globe.

God Moves Stones

“Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.  And they said among themselves, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?’” Mark 16:3

Father, I pray for the Deeper Still team and participants to have faith like Mary and Mary.  I pray they would just go in faith trusting you to roll away the heavy stones.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

At the Deeper Still Team Meeting last week, Karen Ellison taught from this scripture in Mark 16. 

Jesus had been in the tomb three days.  Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, set out early in the morning heading toward the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices.  On the way, they were talking among themselves and wondered, “Oh yeah, there is this big boulder in the way, I wonder how we are going to roll it away.”

What I love is that they kept going. They had everything they needed and they went on in faith that somehow the stone would be rolled away. 

Participants come to the Deeper Still retreats, not with their spices, but with their suitcases, clothes, makeup, and other things they need for the weekend.  Physically prepared perhaps, but one thing they may not know is how the stone will be rolled away.  

 

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.” (V. 4)

The stone was very large.  Most likely the stone was too heavy for the ladies to move on their own.  It took faith for them to press on to their destination. 

The abortion-wounded participants come with a very large stone that seems too monstrous to move.  Many fear that they will come and nothing will happen.  However, God knows how to move a stone. 

It is not only the participants that must come in faith believing for God to move stones, the Deeper Still team members must also go in faith believing that no stone is too big for our God. 

Deeper Still team members come prepared, also not with spices, but in the power of prayer.   Peppered in prayer, the team members are going in faith, knowing they cannot roll away the stone on their own.  The stone is way too heavy to move.  There is only One who can move the stone.

  

Huge stones are nothing for our God.  One word from our Divine Creator and stones are smashed into pieces, hearts are changed, and captives are freed.

 

We just need to come, the participants and the team, in faith.   We go in faith even when we don’t know the how. 

And on Sunday morning, we too, like the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, look up and see the stone rolled away and we are in awe—for it is always very large.  God is able to move the stone.   

God’s Not Afraid of the Dark

“If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. “ Psalm 139:8

Lord, I pray the abortion wounded and participants of Deeper Still would receive this truth that you are with them and have never left.  And I pray those considering abortion this day to have a revelation of your presence and that you are a very present help in time of trouble.  Lord, you alone can rescue. We ask you to rescue.   Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Abortion is dark.   There is nothing about abortion that brings life and light.  Abortion brings death and darkness.  The Lord is light in the darkness.  God has never been afraid of the dark.  Jesus singlehandedly took on the greatest darkness and evil when He chose to take all our sin upon Himself, give His life for us, and go into the depths of hell to conquer sin and death for all eternity. 

Jesus wasn’t afraid to take death head on nearly 2000 years ago and He persists in pushing back the darkness.  The enemy laughed and thought he won the day Jesus hung on the cross.  However, he didn’t know the end of the story.  From the moment Jesus cried “It is finished”, the enemy’s laughter ceased.  In that moment, he was finished, death was defeated and the curse of sin conquered.

Every time the doors of an abortion clinic are opened, the enemy laughs, thinking he has won a battle.  He doesn’t realize there is more to the story. 

The Lord gave me a picture the other night during a worship service. ..

The room was dark and there was a shadow on a table.  It was me.  It was the day I had my abortion.  There were screams.  My mind was foggy and I wanted to escape.  I wanted to be rescued, but still I didn’t move.  It is all as if it was a bad nightmare from which I can never awake.  Then I saw the Lord.  He was there.  He was there with me that day in my hell.  Beside the cold sterile metal table, He knelt.  He cried.  He prayed. 

Perhaps you may not believe He was there with me that day.   “If I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there.” Ps 139: 8.  He was there.

What was he praying?  I believe He was praying for the end of my story.  See, the enemy isn’t able to see the end of the story, but the Lord can.  He knows the end of the story.

I wouldn’t allow the Lord to rescue me that day.  The hardness of my heart wouldn’t allow the Lord to penetrate at that time.  However, the Lord knew there would be a day when He would have my heart once more and I would be truly and fully His again.  He knew there would be a day when victory would be my shout and cry and the enemy’s laughter would cease.  The Lord knew what the enemy meant for evil, He would use for good, for the advancement of His Kingdom. 

The same is true for you.  The Lord was with you in your darkness, praying for you, loving you.  He knows the end of your story.

No, the Lord is not afraid of the dark.  He knows the end of the story and the victory is His.

An Exceedingly Great Army

“’Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’ So I prophesized as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” Ezekiel 37:9-10

Father,  as we are drawing near to the Deeper Still Training, we ask for You to bring Your chosen from the four corners of the earth and breathe Your breath of life upon them.  Breathe Your life into the dry and desolate lands scorched from bloodshed.  Bring forth new life and may those coming go and breathe Your life into others and may there be an exceedingly great army come out of this training. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

In Ezekial 37, Ezekial was brought to a valley full of bones.  He was confronted with death and asked a question posed by God, “Can these bones live?” 

As a nation, we have been confronted with death.  The videos released exposing the horrific scenes from Planned Parenthood were shocking and a visual reminder of the stark reality of the monstrosity of abortion. 

An alarm has sounded. 

And the answer to the questions still rings…”Can these bones live?”

The answer is a resounding YES.

Jesus is still in the resurrection business.  Always has been and always will be. 

Every time we speak out for truth.  Every time we pray.  Every time we fight for the lives of these innocent ones.  Every time we share our redemption story.   In all of this– life is breathed and life is given.

Ezekial was told to say to the bones, “Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: ’Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.  I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live.’”  (Ezekial 37:5-6)

We are the flesh God has put on the bones.  He is breathing life into us and calling us to go forth and become an exceedingly great army.  We have been confronted with death and it is time for us to decide how we will respond.  Will we just sit back and do nothing and lay still like the dry bones in the valley? Or will we allow the Lord to breathe life into us, stand up, and say yes to His assignment?

One thing is for certain, we can no longer stay stagnant in denial.  

The Deeper Still Team in having training next weekend, August 21-22  in Knoxville, TN.  If you just want to learn more about the abortion wounded or how to minister to the abortion wounded, then this training is for you.  If you want to start a Deeper Still Chapter or are interested in starting a chapter, this training is for you also!  Men and women!  We need you both!  There are already about 90 people registered from 12 different states and 2 countries. 

There is an exceedingly great army God is calling forth!  He is waking up His people to spread His message of truth and resurrection life!  Come be a part of what He is doing!  If you don’t feel called to come, will you join us in the fight by praying?  We need prayer warriors in this army!