Case Closed

Chances are anyone reading this blog has been to court at least once. If you're anything like me, a speeder, you've been many many times. And if you're lucky enough to have never been to court, count your blessings and tell me your secret! Anyway... going to court and standing in front of a judge is VERY intimidating. I don't care how big and bad you are in your real life, the minute you are in front of that large and looming bench, being looked down upon by that judge, your inside shake. And that's just for a speeding ticket! UGH!

Can you imagine having to go before "The Supremes"? Oh my God. The Supreme Court is the highest court in this land and they have the final say on cases here in the US. There isn't anywhere else to go after a Supreme Court hearing. That's it... case closed!

Right now, at this very moment, all of us are going through something. Aren't we always. And hopefully we have brought this something before the Lord and left it there. Chances are we went and took it back a few times, but at some point we finally finally finally left it there. I bet when we did, God sent us a word, a vision, a promise that everything was going to be alright. He gave us truth to stand on, scriptures to bury in our hearts and a praise in our mouth. He gave us what we would need to hold on to while He is working things out.

Did you know that once we gave it to God that IT WAS ALREADY DONE? It's already done right now in the spiritual realm and what we're doing is waiting for the manifestation of this thing here in this place.

But there are two little problems. 1) Sometimes we don't always remember that it is done. Sometimes we worry and fret and question and over think our situation and 2) the enemy also knows that it is already done AND the enemy knows that we're getting a little shaky. Actually that's a big problem. See the enemy's job is to take advantage of our weaknesses in every way possible. The enemy wants to feed off of our fear and anxiety and make us question even more.

So you must remember "CASE CLOSED!"

See when we took our situation to the throne, it started a court proceeding. The enemy stood as the accuser/prosecutor - his job was to lay out all of our sins, faults and failures before the court. He explained that we were sinners and should not have our problems solved. But our advocate/lawyer Jesus argued our case before the Highest Court. Jesus told the Judge that we were His children. That we believed in His life, His death and His Resurrection - and because of that we had the power to overcome any situation... in His Name. The Judge, our ever faithful God, heard both sides and declared that we were free. The gavel dropped and God declared "CASE CLOSED".

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:18

So when the enemy tries to tell you that it's not going to happen, that you should give up, just remind him, and yourself---case closed. We have our verdict. Case closed. No fear. No anxiety. No worry. Case closed.

Just waiting patiently for it to be manifest.

And while we wait...

While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

~John Waller, "While I'm Waiting" from the movie Fireproof

In love,

Mona

Out In The Desert

Having lived on and traveled through the West Coast, I have experienced my fair share of desert. I've driven through the Mojave Desert, Death Valley and experienced the vast desert that lies between San Diego and Arizona. I've also been to Las Vegas, a city that sits literally right in the middle of a desert. The one thing they all have in common is that they are hot and dry.

I remember seeing cartoons where the characters were traveling or lost in a desert and undoubtedly someone would come across a mirage or an optical illusion. I remember a character was hot and thirsty and thought they saw a soda machine standing out in the sand. He excitedly ran over to it only to discover that it was just a large cactus. His eyes and his mind were just playing a trick on him.

I have found myself in a spiritual desert, feeling hot and dry and empty. I didn't start out there, of course but things I did or didn't do brought my there slowly but surely without me even realizing it.

Once upon a time I was going along, having a good prayer life, seeking God's face all the time, praising and worshipping whenever I could and then I got DERAILED <---------(link to another entry). Well I picked myself up and dusted myself off but something had changed and I didn't even know it. I slowed down on my praying and praising and worshipping. I didn't quit. I just eased back little by little.

One day I was laying around and realized hey, it's been a minute since I've been on my knees. And I told myself "Well, I am still a little ticked with God about the whole derailment thing. I'll start again soon. I'm still feeling at peace. I still know God's in charge and it's all good." And that conversation continued and continued and continued. I would tell myself that God knows my heart. He knows better that I do what I'm going through. I'm not feeling any conflicts or anxiety.

I had built up plenty of peace and joy from before. My storehouse was FULL of prayers and praise and worship. A few days here and there won't hurt. I still feel at peace and it's all good. And it was true...I did have a plenty of Prayers and Grace and Mercy stored up, (we'll call it PGM for short). But guess what happened each and day? I USED SOME OF MY PGM!

Every day, from the time I opened my eyes until I closed them again at night, I would use a measure of PGM. I don't know if I used a cup one day or a gallon the next. But I was using up all of the PGM I had stored and was NEVER REPLENISHING IT. And it started getting low. I didn't know it was. I didn't feel like it was. But it was. Imagine that I bought a ton of flour and put it up in a barn, but I baked bread every day of the week. Eventually, over time, you know I am bound to run out.

So without even realizing it, I was traveling myself through a desert situation. Please note that no one else is involved here. This is ALL ME! Now when I started this trip, I had plenty of food and water (my PGM) but I started using it every day until eventually I found myself dashing towards a soda machine only to find out that it was just a cactus. I was seeing mirages; situations and issues that my mind was creating because I was running so low on my PGMs.

But oh don't you know that the Lord is good! Just before it got too late... right before I ran all out of PGM, I found myself walking right upon an oasis. An oasis is a small fertile or green area in a desert, usually having a spring or a well. Ooh thank you Jesus. See in the middle of my self-created desert trip, God sent me a lifeline. A place to stop and get a drink and take a good look at what I had been doing. A place to rest and realize and repent. No judgement or punishment. He wasn't going to let me run dry. He would never let my storehouse get all the way empty.

"Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs." Isaiah 35:6-7

That stream in the desert allowed me to get re-focused, re-energized and re-charged. And most importantly, allowed me to start re-filling my storehouse of PGM. It's wasn't too late for me and it's not too late for you. God has your oasis ready. Just seek him with your whole heart. He doesn't care why you left or where you went...He only cares that you come back.

In love,

Mona

Read The Will

When rich or famous people die, one of the first questions folks ask is about the will. Who did they leave their money and possessions to? How much money did they have? Did they leave someone out of the will? Who will take over their business or have guardianship of their children. This is recently played out when Michael Jackson died. There was so much hype over the reading of the will.

But these are important questions to ask, and not just of the rich and famous. My husband and I each have a will and, trust me, neither of us are either rich or famous! But the will is important because it tells our loved ones what our final wishes are. What we want to happen to our kids, our home, etc. We don't want those decisions left to other people. The will is our voice.

What is an heir? A person who inherits or has the rights of inheritance. If I was a millionaire and died, my two children would inherit that money and share it 50/50. It would be theirs and they would have the right to spend it as they decided. If they were minors, I would provide a guardian to watch over the money until they were older. But the money is theirs and the will proves it.

Did you know that right now, there is a will with your name in it? At this very moment, you are an heir or heiress. Not like Paris Hilton or Caroline Kennedy. But you have a great inheritance already in store!

When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior your name goes in the will. When you accept that His death was the ultimate sacrifice for your sins, you get a share in the inheritance. When you acknowledge that He rose again on the third day conquering death, you get the right to share the wealth.

How do you know you're in the will?

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:16-17

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26-29

But what is the inheritance?

LOVE: Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. John 14:21

FORGIVENESS: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

THE NAME: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16

THE HOLY SPIRIT: If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17

PEACE: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

ETERNAL LIFE: 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. John 3:16

THE KINGDOM: Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Oh but there is so much more. You should go and see for yourself.

Know your inheritance. Read the Bible. Read the Will.

In love,

Mona