Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wait......Return to Holiness



Our family is in a time of transition right now and so many decisions have to be made. Do we buy a house, build a house, or move in my mother-in-law's house? Add to this, I like to rush God for an answer in the process. Sometimes, I tend to over analyze things and find myself in a state of turmoil where decision making is concerned. I become grouchy with everyone around me if I'm not careful because I don't know what to do and then I can't think rationally enough to make decisions. Does anyone else battle with this? I'm certain there is someone out there that can identify with my situation... Here's the real deal breaker...God has already spoke to my heart about waiting upon Him and don't rush. Then what do I do? I rush and try to avoid the wait (smile). Finally, I arrived at a place of peace to wait upon the Lord and in the meantime (which I learned today is God-time) "Return to Holiness".

Do not despair...God is at work in me and speaking. He provides what we need when we need it if we will just seek Him to find it. He will do the same for you to my friends! I have a friend that called me about a month ago to tell me about a little book she found as she was doing some deep cleaning and moving furniture around. The book she found is called "Return to Holiness" by Dr. Gregory R. Frizzell. My friend was so excited about what God was speaking to her through this little book full of scriptural treasures! Soooo, I became curious with excitement too and visited the internet for my own search for the book. I found a website and saved it to my favorites, but for whatever reason did not place an order at the time for a book. I kept thinking I would download a copy to my iPad, but didn't. As God reminded me of this book again last week, I called my friend and just asked her if she happened to have an extra copy that I could get from her. She called a few days later after searching and did find one last copy that I could have. Oh my goodness...is this ever a great book! This is NOT just any book. This book is one of those quiet time treasures full of wisdom and truth that truly ushers you right to the heart of God. We must be cleansed and made holy through Jesus Christ! This book "Returning to Holiness" is further designed as a biblical strategy for overcoming church wide sin problems. Our churches can never go where we do not lead by personal example and experience. It is vital to understand that Jesus didn't die just to take you to heaven, but to indwell and empower you here on earth! So as I dove into this book and began preparing for the journey to be cleansed and made Holy...it starts with a must do first...be certain of your own salvation! I read on to find 3 scriptures with enormous relevance: (1) On the day of judgment Matthew 7:23 states that many who think they are saved will discover they do not know God; (2) According to John 17:3, true salvation consists of knowing Christ in a life-changing personal relationship; (3) People who are genuinely saved have a strong supernatural assurance of their salvation (Romans 8:16)

Reading on...I came across several questions for reflection. I found the following question to be so specific to me, "Would you be willing to live with less in order to embrace more God-centered patterns for your money?" As I read this question I have to admit it felt like God whopped me upside the head with something to interrupt my house hunting efforts. At once, I knew that a "wait" is in order. The wait isn't easy in the flesh, but knowing God has a plan that is perfect gives me strength to hold on and somehow waiting while seeking a place of Holiness is a place of contentment where priorities seem to take a supernatural shift.

Is God calling you to wait on something...as you seek Him and "Return to Holiness"?

Monday, March 14, 2011

The bitter sweet of this world~

We had an amazing day at Liberty Baptist Church on Sunday, March 13th! It's official!!! Greg Estes is the pastor of LBC and our family is so very excited about what God has in store. We were blessed with an amazing time of worship through song with Karen Peck and New River Sunday evening and boy was it gooooood! Love the sweet spirit of this group! Soooo, needless to say, this day will mark the kick-off for the Estes family and LBC as we embrace the call God has placed upon our lives to serve the families in this church and those in the community looking for a church home.



While we are rejoicing in the blessings of God, a half a world away there is a massive region of Japan suffering the destructive effects of a record breaking earthquake and tsunami. My heart becomes heavy with burden as I continually follow updates of the devestation and view overwhelming sights from the pictures being shared on national television and the internet. I feel so helpless in anything I would personally have to offer these people so far away, although very near in my heart. As I pause for a moment in search of what I can do, there is only one answer that comes to my mind...PRAY!

Also, the theme verse of this blog came rushing into my mind. Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.


Saturday, February 19, 2011

~My One and Only You, God~

You breathe the air of life into me when the world is smothering my very existence.

You comfort me from the hurt inflicted by the overwhelming evil that lurks.

You nourish my starving soul from weakness.

You lead the way out of turmoil into peace.

You reveal beauty that was created for my eyes only.

You show me how to grieve with a smile.

You restore laughter and strength in times that seem hopeless.

And you, God, forgive me over and over from the pits of sin.

So it's you, God, I will live to serve all the days of my life.

By: Kelli Estes (July 5, 2005)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Only God opens the eyes to your heart to see Jesus!

It's up to us to invite Him into our heart to live and reign over our life forevermore!




I'm always amazed when God reaches down from heaven and touches one of His precious children on this earth. Only a Holy God can touch a heart by the power of His Holy Spirit through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Jesus is alive in the hearts of His people and we are commanded to spread this good news!!!

I had the awesome privilege of being right beside a young lady Sunday as she made an eternity altering decision for Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of her life! The eyes of her heart were opened and the truth of the gospel penetrated through to her heart in a way that it never had before.

This young lady had been in church many years, but had never seen Jesus through the eyes of her heart until February 13, 2011. Thank God for the free gift of salvation!

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

What's love got to do with it?



I bet the lyrics of Tina Turner are racing through your thoughts about right now!


Valentine’s Day is upon us…once again! The one day of the year when we are all reminded to celebrate “love” and “romance”. We all desire to be loved every single day of our lives and oh how we long for that romance we once new when our relationships were in infancy, but it is especially important to us on Valentine’s Day because of the central focus placed upon this special day! I guess I’m probably speaking for the ladies out there more so than the gentlemen.
I wonder how many people celebrating their love for that special someone will have a truthful perception of what love really is? I was watching a movie a few months ago called, “Why Did I Get Married Too”. There was an older couple talking about how “true love” NEVER comes back void. My wheels began to turn because I know God’s word NEVER comes back void as stated in the Bible, but I never really thought about love.

I grabbed my Bible and went to work searching the scriptures and this is what I found out...


Isaiah 55:11
So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Then…I began thinking about how God is the word.

1 John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love

Sooo, if God is the Word and God is love then God, His Word, and Love are all one in the same just like the trinity I suppose.

True Love NEVER comes back void for real!!!

The very best Valentine gift of love that I can think of is John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Ladies…once we receive this kind of love into our hearts, every single day with our spouses and loved ones can be Valentine’s Day! Thank you Jesus!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Currently reading...



For Love's Sake was written by a former Campbellsville University student, Jessica J. Davis. This book challenges me to walk deeper into nothingness with Jesus! I may not see the next step, but thank God He does! If you know the one who can see the next step then you can trust Him enough to just go...whatever that may look like. Jessica creatively reminds me of just how much Jesus desires us to be a part of what He is doing throughout our world and in our own backdoor. He wants us to be actively involved in bringing heaven to earth and there is absolutely nothing I can do to make that happen...only the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through me can move a mountain! My heart wants to move with the ebb and flow of the Holy Spirit, but I have to be constantly reminded and taught that without the Spirit I can do nothing. Repeatedly, God allowed Jessica to be in helpless situations that only He could bring the answer. I am constantly being driven deeper into situations that require my total dependance on God and sometimes I take that step of faith and sometimes I hold back. How are you doing with taking those steps of faith? Are you wresting with obedience to the Lord's call upon your life?

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

the prayer dare

Turn off the phone, turn off the TV, log-off of facebook, and get behind closed doors if that's what it takes to intentionally get still before the Lord. We just finished week 2 of the Bible study "When God's People Pray" and the challenge this week is for all of us to be more intentional with our time spent in prayer. I hope you'll rise to the challenge and embrace sacred time with the Father...you just might find yourself standing on Holy ground:)




I am taking ~the prayer dare~ for 40 days and it starts today!

Could it be that God often does not meet our needs because we fail to ask?

James 4:2
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.