Hello my friends! I am back at it writing again. These past couple of weeks have been wild to say the least! If you don’t know, I am a wife and mother of two amazing toddlers. And let’s be real, sometimes life just happens. Babies get sick. You have to stay late at work. You are having to do take out and exhausted because you are always having to go, go, go! These things can get overwhelming fast, at least for me. Sometimes, we put way to much on our plate than we can handle on our own. I know I have to take a step back and reassess my priorities a lot because I am a doer. If I say I am going to do something, then I will get it done even if I am having to drag myself all the way there. (Ha!) But luckily, God gives us grace and love in these times of our life. I know for me, I made a commitment to study God’s word more this year. And because all of the things happening at once, I just wasn’t able to really dig into His word and study the way I wanted to. And last week, I became so overwhelmed. I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything I had set out to do. But last night I had a dream. I felt like I was Peter, drowning in everything that was trying to overwhelm me. But then I saw a hand reaching out for me and everything stopped in its tracks. He said, “I’ve got you”.  And I just want to take a moment before we dig into God’s word today. For the mama or daddy who is feeling overwhelmed. Who feels like nothing is coming together no matter how hard you try. Who feels like there is no end in sight to the chaos happening around you. That this is something for you to take a hold of. Jesus is reaching His hand out to yours and saying “I’ve got you”. Keep your eyes on me and I will calm your storm. 

Today, we are going to be looking at Matthew Chapter 3. Matthew Chapter 3 starts by talking about John the Baptist and his ministry. If you study the scripture out in Luke Chapter 1, John the Baptist was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. The couple who were “too old” to have a baby, yet God granted them favor. They were righteous in His eyes. You will also read, that John was called to be the forerunner of Jesus before he was ever born. John was called to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. 

“Father, I thank you for this word that you have given me to share with your people. I pray that every word that is written is not by my own doing, but is written down meticulously for what you want to be spoken into the life of the person reading this. I declare that your word gives them freedom and peace in pursuing the call you have given them, even if it looks different than the person standing next to them.” 

I’ve heard a lot growing up and have even asked myself this question, “What is God calling me to do?” Maybe you have two or three great options you are going back and forth with and asking yourself “But how do I know which one God is calling me into? Can I make a wrong choice? Will He be mad at me if I do?” It would be nice to be like John and God actually send and Angel and say “This is your calling. I am calling you to do x, y, and z.” But life doesn’t happen that way for most of us. Now for some, you may have God speak to you directly and tell you are called into the ministry or called into a certain occupation, but like a lot of people, you may still be in limbo and trying to figure out exactly what God is calling you to do or where to go. And that’s ok! But can I let you in on a little secret? God may not tell tell you exactly what path He wants you to go on just yet or what to do, but He has called all of His people to do one thing. And that is to spread His word to prepare the people for His coming. I have found more often than not, that if you dig into His word, pray, and open your heart to receive whatever is to come, your calling will be revealed to you when the time is right. It is often in the waiting that God is preparing you for the receiving. 

But how do we follow God’s calling? How do we prepare God’s people for His coming? And how do we follow our calling, even when it looks different compared to everyone else’s? 

I feel like John’s life is a great representation of the answer to these questions. If you read throughout Matthew Chapter 3, you will see that John didn’t do ministry like other religious leaders back in that time. John changed the way Jewish culture thought not only of themselves, but others around them and the way they perceived penitence. In todays life, John’s ministry would be something more profound than the Brownsville Revival that started in 1995 which lasted nearly 6 years! And while you hear mostly about how amazing the move of God was during the Brownsville Revival, you don’t hear as much about the beginning of it. You see, the spark of the Brownsville Revival may have started in 1995, but the church had been preparing prior to the event that occurred. The pastor of this church felt the need to pray and seek God’s face and for two years that is exactly what the church as a whole did. They prayed, prepared their hearts, and were open to receive whatever God had for them. Which brings me to my first point. 

1. Any great work of God begins with great preparation.

If you look at Luke 1:80 (NLT) it says, 

“John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.”

We don’t know exactly how old John was when he went into the wilderness, but we do know he began his ministry around 30 years old. I can only assume he was old enough to take care of himself and survive in the desert. According to Numbers 14:29, men were eligible to go into the military at age 20. So if John went into the wilderness at age 20, then he would have been preparing himself for his calling for 10 years. 

Regardless of the timeframe, we can clearly see that John took the time to prepare for his ministry. To completely remove himself from outside influences. To really focus on seeking Him and knowing God for himself. Not just going off of second hand information from what other people said about God. John had a relationship with Him and knew God’s voice when He was speaking. 

And it is up to us to build our relationship with Him. We may not be able to live in the wilderness for 10 years, but we can remove ourselves from outside influences that are unhealthy for us. Whether it be social media, a job, a friend, or a family member. We can also take time out of our day and make room for Him. Set a certain time out of our day to dig into His word, pray, and worship Him. Spend time just being in His presence and learn His voice, so when He speaks you don’t have to question it because you already know it’s Him. You may not know exactly what your calling is just yet, but if you don’t know His voice when He speaks, you may miss the mark entirely. By digging into His word and building your relationship, you are laying the groundwork that needs to be done to prepare you for what God has in store for you. 

The second thing John did was his:

2. Willingness to be different compared to “normal society standards”

John’s preaching was astonishing and unheard of. In Matthew 3: 1-2 (NLT), the Bible says,

“In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, ² “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.^[a]”

John wasn’t just saying Repent (feel sorry about your sin) or you will go to Hell. But he was saying repent (make a change of your mind) to make a change of direction, not a sorrow in the heart. For when you truly repent unto God, your actions will change. You won’t desire to continue down the same path you used to. You choose to go down the path God wants you too. You won’t desire to continue to drink alcohol and choose to put it down. You won’t desire to cheat on your wife or husband and choose to love them until the end of their days. You won’t desire to continue cussing and you choose to communicate in a healthier manner. But sometimes we are like the Jews when we hear God’s message. I, God’s favorite child, can’t possibly be in the wrong. My parents were saved. I grew up in church. I know what is right and wrong. But we, like the Jews, can’t live on someone else’s salvation. 

You see, John’s message shocked the Jews because they were God’s chosen people and believed repentance wasn’t necessary. In that day, it was taught by the religious leaders that Abraham’s merits were enough for any Jews salvation and their entrance into Heaven was assured because of this. They were trying to live off someone else’s salvation. They knew what was right and wrong, but they were living off of second hand information instead of having their own relationship with Him and living off of God-given information. 

John took the time to form an intimate relationship with God. To seek after Him. To learn His voice. To learn who God was and where His heart was.

3. When you are committed to God, you see things differently. 

John stayed committed to his calling. He stayed committed to being who God had called him to be. John knew the Messiah was coming and it was his job to prepare the way, so the hearts of God’s people would be open and ready to receive. 

John saw things differently. He saw things through the lens of God. And with God’s approval, he did something unusual in Jewish culture. So unusual, he became known as “The Baptizer”. John completely immersed the people who confessed their sins. They did this as something to demonstrate their repentance. Baptism was practiced in the Jewish cultural as “ceremonial sprinklings”, but to be fully immersed in water was not. Usually only Gentiles did this who wished to become a Jew, which was on a rare occasion. If you were fully immersed in water as a Jew, you were basically saying “I confess I am as far away from God as a Gentile and I need to get right with Him.” The fact that the Jews who heard the word of God, repented, and was willing to step forward to be fully immersed in water was a real work of the Holy Spirit. 

John was seeing many people saved under his ministry, but through all of this, John stayed humbled and acknowledges his own place before Jesus. 

In Matthew 3:11b (NLT), John says

“…someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals.”

John, the one who is doing this magnificent work in preparing the way for Jesus’ coming, is saying he is lower on the totem pole than a Rabbi’s disciple. “A Rabbi’s disciple was expected to act virtually as his master’s slave, but to remove his shoes was too low a task for even a disciple (Ketuboth 96a).” 

John was saying he is no better than the people he has called to repent. And the work that he is doing is not by his authority, but by God’s authority. John knew where he stood in relation to Jesus. In todays world, a lot of people lose sight of where they stand in relation to Jesus. They begin to think people are coming to see them. To hear what they have to say instead of what God has to say. And when this occurs, they begin to step out of God’s authority and try to reenact the spiritual signs of wonders of God on their own behalf. But John is saying here to stay grounded. Don’t become cocky from the numbers of people you are drawing in. Don’t become proud of the peoples response to the message you are bringing forth. Because it is not your words that are coming forth, but it should be God’s words coming forth that He has given you. Because it is not from your authority, but by God’s authority. So lastly,

4. Check Your Heart

Because the moment you start thinking you can do everything in your own strength is the moment you have stepped out of the spiritual authority of God. 

Self reflection questions (for you personally or classroom settings):

1. Are you letting fear of the unknown keep you from your calling?
2. Are you willing to walk into the wilderness to be shaped and molded into what God is calling you to be? 
3. Are you ready to fully say yes to your calling even if your ministry looks different than what your friends or families ministry looks like?

The post Following God’s Calling appeared first on Eliza's Corner.

Are you tired of not being able to meet your goal every year for your New Year Resolutions? Are you tired of having to keep rewriting the same resolutions down (Every. Single. Year.) because you didn’t meet your goal for the past 5 years? Are you tired of feeling disappointed in yourself when the New Year rolls around again because you realized you only accomplished 1 or 2 things on your list? Well, let me help put your mind at ease this year while you are trying to think of goals you want to accomplish by the end of 2023. 

Don’t be driven by a result. Be driven by development. In other words, don’t be driven by what you want your goal to be by the end of the year, but be driven by picking out areas you want to grow and learn instead.

I have learned that we as a people like to binge on things. We think if we do this extreme workout plan or diet it will right everything that is wrong physically. That we will not only look better, but feel better about ourselves. And we can do the same things spiritually as well. We feel like if we can binge on reading His word or worshiping more then it can in some ways right our wrongs. However, these binges in our life can be counterproductive. A lot of times, we can never live up to the standards we set for ourselves because we can not sustain it for a long period of time. When we can not sustain for the whole year and reach our goals, then the guilt and disappointments set in. And that can even sometimes nullify all the good that has happened within the year. We can get stuck looking at all the things we had set out to do and what we didn’t accomplish within the year. 

So what does “Don’t be driven by a result. Be driven by development” mean? This means it is not about setting certain goals to get to an end result. It’s about getting to where the Lord wants you to be. Whatever His outcomes, they are for your growth and development to prepare you for where He wants you to go next.

For example, if my goal is to lose 30 lbs in 6 months, then I need to look at the goal through the lens of development. Why do I want to feel better physically? Well, so I can play with my kids more. So, I can make it through the whole day without taking a nap. So, I can feel good about fitting into a smaller pair of jeans I’ve kept in my closest for 6 years. While saying your goal to lose a certain of amount in a timeframe is not wrong, it is also not sustainable for most people. You go through the process, and halfway into it you want a cheat day that winds up throwing you completely off the bandwagon. 

However, if you change your mindset from a “goal pattern” to a “thought pattern”, it will help shape your outlook on life and focus on your areas of development. The “goal pattern mindset” is all about if I do this, then I expect x, y, and z to happen. And if I don’t complete this goal, then x, y, and z won’t happen. But if you change your mindset to a “thought pattern mindset,” it will help shape your outlook on life and focus on your areas of development. To say “I am going to think about what foods I am putting into my body daily and make healthier choices, so I can be fully present in my every day activities” it takes off first, the pressure and expectation on yourself to lose 30 lbs in 6 months and trying to sustain a hardcore diet, but it also allows you to grow and development in making conscious healthier choices for your body that is more sustainable and beneficial for years to come. 

But how do we apply this spiritually? Maybe, your goal for 2023 is to read a chapter in the Bible each week. Maybe, your goal is to pray every day or be a better spiritual leader in your household. Whatever your goal is, you can turn it into a thought pattern instead. Ask yourself, why do I want to pray or read more? There is always a “why” behind the reason you want to do certain things. Maybe your “why” behind your goal is to become more aware of when God is speaking to you, so you can recognize his voice. Your “why” can then become one of your thought patterns that you work on developing for the year. 

So, how do we sustain these thought patterns throughout the entire year? Consistency. Consistency and letting the Lord incrementally grow you over the course of the year. To not set a minimum or maximum on how much you allow God to develop you, so He can prepare you for the next level of glory He wants to share with you. Whether that be an explosive growing, where He shows up and shows out in certain areas of your life or creates certain circumstances that stretches you over a longer course of time so you can grow and develop. We usually always want the fast and easy results that we don’t have to work to hard to get. And God can do the rapid growth, but it is our responsibility, whether it is a rapid growth or slower growth, to be diligent, faithful, and consistent throughout whichever process happens. 

Here is what I do for my thought patterns:

1. Write out 5 thought patterns that you want to instill in your mind for the year that are 1-2 sentences each. You can write these in a journal, on piece of paper to hang up, or you can do like me and put this in your iPhone notes. Whatever is easily accessible to you
2. Read your thought patterns daily and pray over them. I do mine in the morning. They will help shape your outlook on life and focus on your areas of development. 
3. Don’t be afraid to add more thought patterns as the year goes on. (I recommend no more than 8 thought patterns every year, but you can of course do as many as you want) As you grow and develop, the Lord can reveal to you more areas that you may need to grow in. 
4. Be consistent, diligent, and faithful. 

The post Sticking to Your New Year Resolutions appeared first on Eliza's Corner.

If you live around the Nashville area, then you probably remember this event. On August 21, 2021, there was a heavy rainfall caused flash flooding across western and middle Tennessee. It became a catastrophic situation and much of the area received 15 inches of rain.

Wikipedia said a level three state of emergency was declared by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) for Dickson, Hickman, Houston, and Humphreys counties in response to the flooding event. As many as 4,200 customers were left without power by that afternoon. 3,500 of which were in Humphreys County. According to TEMA, approximately 700 homes were flooded during the event, mostly in Waverly.

All over Facebook, there were videos of people going to Waverly in boats and rescuing people from their houses. There is no way you can predict when disaster is going to strike, but I am thankful for the people who took the initiative to save others lives because they mattered. They took ownership of their neighborhood and said I’m not waiting for someone else. It starts with me.

Now, once trained professionals get to a situation, I do think it’s wise to let them do what their trained to do. I am thankful for the first responders who acted quickly to help their fellow man. One of whom is our brother-in-law. We take it for granted because it is their job, but they have the option to quit at any time. They could decide this is not for me. I’m not putting my life in danger today. There is something God ordained about a person who doesn’t blame everything on everyone else. They take ownership of the situation and say “This is my church, my family, my community. I’m not waiting around and hoping someone else helps. It Starts With Me  

Churches and communities flocked to start donating everything the people needed in Waverly. In fact, many places designed to give started turning people away because they didn’t have enough room to hold everything people were trying to donate. Scripturally, God’s plan to spread the gospel has always been through human testimony. Occasionally, we have divine intervention. Like the road of Damascus, there are stories of Jesus showing up to muslims in the middle east. But throughout scripture, it is abundantly clear God wanted the good news to go around the world through the testimony of people just like you and me.

God doesn’t want to dictate over you, but work with you. It’s so easy to look at the culture around us and preach how sin is abound. It’s easy to blame the lack of biblical knowledge and understanding on other preachers. It’s easy to blame our culture on politicians, but that is the easy road. Blaming someone else is always easier. But that is not what we are going to do, we are going to take ownership of the gospel because the people around you matter.

So, I’m not just gonna hope someone invites them to church. I’m not going to wait for someone else to initiate the conversation. I’m not going hope someone somewhere does something to reach my friends and family. Mom and Dad don’t throw your kids at the preacher and say get them saved.

No! This my house.

These are my friends. 

This is my school.

This is my work place. 

It starts with me. 

I’m not waiting for someone else to bring up Jesus. It starts with me. I’m not waiting for someone to get my friends to the preacher, so they can hear about Jesus. It starts with me. I’m not praying someone comes into my environment and changes the culture. I’m already here. 

It starts with me 

People matter to Jesus, so they better matter to us. I’m not going to make them stay in the dark and I’m not going to hide myself away. I’m going to let my light shine so that all my heart reflects the gospel of Christ.

Matthew 9:35–38 (NLT)

³⁵ Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 

³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 

37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 

38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

This is probably one of the most used passage of scripture when it comes to getting people to realize what God has called them to do. The first thing we see here is Jesus has compassion for the lost people of Israel. While Jesus often preached for people to repent when he is describing these people to his disciples, what he doesn’t say is look at all these sinners. He doesn’t say these disgusting people. Compassion feels his heart. He turns to his disciples and says these people are like lost sheep without a Shepard.

Casey Doss pointed out in a message recently “Jesus never said Love the Sinner and hate the sin. Jesus said love your neighbor.” We, in our self sanctified minds, often degrade people because they haven’t meet Jesus yet, but Jesus hung between heaven and earth to save their soul just like he did for you. 

They are our harvest. Jesus doesn’t look at the lost as those horrible or disgusting people. He tells these people They are our harvest. They are the ones we are wanting to bring into the kingdom of God. Not only is Jesus having compassion on the people, but he is teaching his disciples to have compassion also. A true christian disciple gets their cues from Jesus.

Today, their is a huge attack on the authority of the word of God. People are flocking all over social media and tik tok with #deconstructing with the purpose of unlearning what they’ve been taught in church and consequently leaving the church altogether. It is good to pick up what we’ve been taught and make sure it is actually biblical, but what’s happening is instead of trying to fix the church, they are leaving the church and walking away from God.

Everyone goes through a time where you unlearn some things and learn new things. You should always be striving to get a better view of the Bible, but if your deconstruction causes you to look worldly, act worldly, and talk worldly, then you are not fixing anything. You are just getting mad and quitting.

We have a straight and narrow road we are called to walk. If we get too far on one side, we dive into what is called legalism where we use hell as a manipulation tool to get people to act and look a certain way. You gotta dress a certain way, talk a certain way, and if you don’t do everything just right you are going to hell. But there is a bumper that we should remember to keep us diving into legalism. It is called the Grace of God.

Then on the other end of the road, we have a ditch people get too comfortable and start doing what they want, how they want, and anything that makes them feel good. But there is a bumper that keeps us falling off into that ditch as well. It’s called the fear of the Lord.

If we’re not letting grace and the fear of the Lord guide our relationship with Jesus and we are letting some other person paint a picture of who God is that’s contrary to the Bible, then we need to check our relationship with God. Take the time to get to know the God of the universe. If it starts with me, then I have to make sure my relationship with God is healthy.

A few verses later, we find ourselves in Chapter 10. Jesus is getting ready to send his disciples into the towns to preach. Not just him, but them.

You cannot mature in your relationship with Jesus without realizing your responsibility to further the kingdom of God. This is how he describes the people he calls his harvest.

Matthew 10:16–20 (NLT)

¹⁶ “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 

¹⁷ But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. 

¹⁸ You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 

¹⁹ When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 

²⁰ For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

What a change of pace in Jesus’ description in who they are versus how they act! I can see Peter, John, or one of the other disciples say something like this.

Jesus, if these people are our harvest, then I kinda have an idea of what it’s going to be like. I have a garden at the house. I plant the seeds, then I go out at harvest time. I go out and take my sickle and cut the wheat down or go out to the trees and pick my apples and collect my harvest. That’s how its going to be right, Jesus? We are going to go and preach the gospel. It is just going to be like picking apples out of a tree. It is going to be just like collecting wheat from the field. We are just bringing in the harvest. You called them sheep, so we are just going to need to corral them together and it should be easy to get them together because sheep are natural herding animals. Right, Jesus? So, let’s go ahead and go to the bank and get a loan to get a giant stage to preach on with all the flashing lights and smoke machines.

Peter and John probably started arguing on who is going to get to preach in front of the thousands. Then, one of them probably said we need to start a telethon to raise money for a private jet because I’m tired of walking. That way we can just fly over the country and drop flyers out the window on how to get saved. I can hear the disciples go on and on and on about how they are just going to blow up these towns, but Jesus just smiles and says no, no, no.

You hold the truth, but there will be people who hate you for it. You will go to prison, but just use that as an opportunity to turn the courthouse into a sanctuary to preach the gospel. They may be sheep, but they are going to act like wolves. What an identity crisis. Someone created as a sheep, but acting like a wolf.

The great Christian author, CS Lewis, wrote in his book The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian something similar to this. You see in the earlier books of Narnia all the animals could talk, walk around on 2 legs, and so forth. But somewhere along the way, there was a group of animals who turned against Aslan the Lion. These animals eventually lost their ability to talk and walk on their hind legs. They eventually began acting like dumb animals fighting against each other and digging in the dirt. It was said in the book, “You get treated like a dumb animal long enough, you’ll start acting like one.” 

The New Testament Scholar NT Wright said,

“One of the greatest tragedies of someone rejecting Jesus is they stop barring the image of God and become something completely contrary to who they were created to be.” 

When we look around in our society today, it is certainly hard to see the image of God in our cultures. We certainly see our brothers and sister created to be image barriers of God almighty. Created to be sheep in God’s flock lose their identity and start acting as wild wolves of the world. I also want to pause here because there is a real possibility that there are some people who are reading this who don’t know who their identity is. You are acting contrary to who God created you to be. You have wrapped your identity around your parents getting divorced. Or you feel masculine when ever you get a girl to push the envelope. You feel pretty when you can get every guy in the room to turn their head and look at you. Maybe some of you have been lied to and told you’re nothing, you’re an outcast, and you don’t know who you are. You have been dabbling in homosexuality, entertaining suicidal thoughts. You have been partying and drinking, smoking weed, or maybe even harder stuff. Maybe some of you are on here and say Eliza, I love Jesus with all my heart, but I have these thoughts and these feelings, so what do I do with them?

You crucify them. I have seen so many students and adults pray for God to take sexual thoughts from them including homosexual thoughts. Pray to be delivered from porn, anxiety, and I truly thank God for miracles, but you don’t rebuke flesh. You crucify it.

This gospel is all about picking up your cross and following Him. As the Scriptures say, take every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ. That means we have to take our thought captive and make ourselves think about something else. Some days that is easier said than done. You need someone you can trust to talk to about these things. Don’t keep them bottled up inside.

What was Jesus solution to this: Compassion.

If Jesus was tempted in every way we were, then Jesus had homosexual thoughts. Jesus had heterosexual thoughts. Jesus wanted to kill somebody. Jesus contemplated lying to make a situation easier. Jesus was tempted to do drugs.

But never once was he ever found with sin. That is why he is our high priest because he can sympathize with us.

Back to the disciples, Jesus tells them they are sheep that are confused. They act like wolves, but Jesus wants His disciples to have compassion on them as lost sheep and not as someone to be despised. It was to get his disciples to take ownership in doing the hard work to see their lost brothers and sister come to Christ. To be restored into who they were called to be. His solution was to get his disciples to say if change is going to start, then It Starts with Me. Jesus told his disciples this last word of encouragement before sending them out:

Matthew 10:38–39 (NLT)

³⁸ If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 

³⁹ If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Jesus does not see fear as a valid excuse. You are called to be an overcomer. You are called to pick up your cross and follow him. You are called to be the change. You are called to take ownership of the gospel and say It Starts with Me.

I’m going to end with this quote from Augustine of Hippo:

“Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and the Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.”

“William Carey was an English missionary and educator who moved to India in 1793 and remained there until his death in 1834. 

A few years after establishing himself in India, he witnessed sati, the ceremonial death by burning of a widow on the funeral pyre of her recently deceased husband. The horrific practice of widows burning themselves to death was deeply entrenched in parts of India. The earliest Western records indicate that action had been occurring for at least two thousand years. The term sati means “virtuous wife,” and the practice of sacrifice was believed to be holy.

From the first time Carey witnessed sati, when he unsuccessfully begged the widow not to allow herself to be burned to death, he worked relentlessly to stop this practice that devalued women in such a brutal way. Carey connected with influential Indian leaders and worked with them to get sati outlawed. He was able to form a partnership with Hindu religious and social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy. 

Their common ground was the agreement that all people had value. Together, they persuaded Governor Lord William Bentinck to make the practice illegal. Sati was finally banned in 1829.”

William Carey saved countless of women’s lives because he didn’t say, that’s not my problem. He didn’t say hopeful this will stop. He said my world around me is my responsibility. If I want to to see change then It Starts with Me. I encourage you to make this your anthem for this upcoming year. 

If you want to see your friends or family get right with Jesus, then it starts with me. If you want your church to catch on fire for Jesus, then it starts with me. If you want to see revival hit your community, then it starts with me.

The post It Starts With Me appeared first on Eliza's Corner.

Our text for the week: Matthew Chapter 1

We are going to open up in prayer before we dive into his word. 

Father, I thank you for always upholding your promises and staying true to your word. You never waiver. You always show us an undeniable love even when we do not deserve it. You are are confidant and consistent reminder that you hold our future and give us the authority to cast down the “false truths” that others try to place over us. Father, I pray that you give me the words that you want to speak to your people. For it is only by your words alone that can touch the person who is reading this and speak life into them. We give you gratitude and honor. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

We are going to kick start our new bible study series in the book of Matthew. I can not wait to show you what God has revealed to me in this first chapter! The first chapter of Matthew literally starts off with 18 verses of the genealogy of Jesus on his legal father, Joseph’s side of the family. (Note I say legal father. This will come into play later on) Normally, I would honestly just skip over this section of the Bible when reading it because for me, history lessons and genealogy are just not my thing. I would normally care less about the lineage of where someone comes from and just tune it out. Not because it isn’t and can be important, but because I like to get to know a person for them, who they were and what they have become in result to that. Not because of who their parents are or if they came from royalty.

However, I made a commitment to God to really study out His word. All of it. Not just parts of it. And I am so glad I did because it leads to what I am about to share with you today. But to do all of that, I have to give a little backstory behind it and go into parts of the genealogy of Jesus. 

The main reason Matthew wrote Jesus’ genealogy is to show that the prophecy from the Old Testament had been fulfilled. That Jesus the Messiah came from the descendant of David’s royal line and was born of the virgin, Mary. Now, you can look at different aspects on this chapter and pull different things from it, but we are going to focus on Jesus’ bloodline. If you read closely, Jesus had Mary’s bloodline, but not Joseph’s. Joseph was not Jesus’ real father. Joseph was Jesus’ legal father or step-father if you will (see I told you that would come back up).

If you take time and look back at the genealogy on Joseph’s side, you will see that Joseph’s lineage went through Solomon and then Jehoakim, the cursed one. In Jeremiah 36, it shows Jehoakim was so wicked that God promised no blood descendant of his would sit on the throne of Israel. But because Jesus was the legal son of Joseph, not his by blood, he wasn’t affected by the curse. However, what Jesus did get from his adoptive father was his name. And within that name, the proven claim to the throne of David. Which brings me to my first point:

1. Your bloodline is from royalty

Now, let me clear the air before I go into detail on this first one. There are some amazing parents out there who have grown up loving the Lord and have/are living life well. And by live life well, I mean people who still make mistakes, know they are not perfect, but admit when they are wrong and follow after God with all their hearts. No family is perfect. We are all imperfect people raising an imperfect family. Against popular belief, God never called us to be perfect, but he did call us to become mature in Christ. If you look at Matthew 5:48 it says:

48 “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Reading this in English, it looks like Jesus is saying you must be perfect just like God in heaven! Without flaws or defects. But the word “perfect” is actually translated from the Greek word teleios which means mature, of full age, or to have reached the end of a process. To be complete. Which shows we aren’t called to be perfect, but we are called to grow in Christ as we get older and become mature in Him, so we can allow ourselves to be open to whatever God has in store for us. 

But on the flip side of the scale, there is also a lot of people who don’t live life well or maybe they are just struggling to move past some things in their life. People who may be raising babies that are trying to deal with their own parent or family issues. People taking their own personal frustrations out on their children. People who are having trouble forgiving a family member who did them wrong.  Or maybe you are dealing with the mindset that this may be all life has to offer. That you can’t change your ways or behaviors because this is how your parents were and they raised you to be the same as them. But I want you to hear this loud and clear. 

You are NOT your parents. You are NOT their decisions. You are NOT their behaviors. You are NOT their mistakes. And you do NOT have the same destination as your parents. 

There is a lot of times we go through life blaming our parents or whoever raised us for the decisions we make as we grow up. Now, while the people who raise us do have a huge impact on our lives, it doesn’t mean it is always for the better even if they mean well in their minds. We naturally have learned behaviors that we pick up along the way, but what we don’t want to admit to ourselves is that we can choose whether or not we activate those learned behaviors within ourselves. I’m gonna say that again for the people half reading this. You can choose whether or not you activate your learned behaviors. Just like when you become a follower of Jesus Christ, you choose to lay down everything at His feet and step away from the person you once was and become a new creation. Not because you have to, but because you want too. Because growing closer to God means growing farther away from the person you once was. 

You take on His name. Just like when Jesus was born, Jesus took on Joseph’s name. You may have the legal name of your parents, but you don’t have to have their same destination. You don’t have to walk down the same road they walked down or continue in the behaviors that they do. When you become a follower of Jesus, you take on His name giving you the direct line to His royal bloodline and setting you on a new path. When you take on His name, you are cutting yourself off from the curse that the devil intended for you and your family. You are intentionally telling the devil, this stops here. You no longer have a hold on me. On my children. Or my children’s children. This generational curse of anxiety, fear, anger, whatever it is, it stops here! Which leads me to point number two.

2. You have the authority

You have the authority to speak over your situations, over your children, over your home and command the wrong things be made right. You have been given the authority to move mountains, to heal the sick, to speak life into the dead, but yet when comes to us and our household we kinda sit and wallow a little bit. My children are wild. My husband isn’t paying enough attention to me or picking up his clothes. I feel undervalued. Now, while all of these may be true, God has also given you the authority and a sound mind to stand up and declare over these things and much more. Pray with authority over your children, over your home, or that generational curse that tries to sneak up over and over again. Speak life into those situations! Because when it comes down to it God has got your back. 

3. What the devil meant for evil, God can turn it into good

Our God is the God of turnarounds. Joseph was going to divorce Mary because of all the uncertainties, but God turned it around. The Devil tried to sneak in on King David’s bloodline. He knew that if he could lead Jehoakim down a wicked path, that he could change the directional course of the royal throne in attempt to keep The Messiah from being born. But God is always 2 steps ahead. And God turned it around. 

And He can do the same in your situations that you are in right now. Maybe you’re thinking, “Well I don’t Eliza, this has been going on for a while. It doesn’t seem like it will ever end.” And I say to you, keep fighting the good fight. He is for you and not against you.  What the Devil meant for evil, God can turn it into good. God has given you his name and the authority to speak over your struggles and situations. Sometimes we just have to sit, wait, and listen. 

The post Taking On A New Name appeared first on Eliza's Corner.

Our text for the week: Matthew Chapter 2

There is something about hearing the word “obedient”. We are about to get real here because I know I’m not the only one who does this. When I hear the word obedience, there is something inside of me that immediately wants to rise iup out of me. It automatically makes me tense up because I am one of those people who is independent and a go-getter. I have learned a lot in my short time on this earth and have placed many tools in my tool belt to make stuff happen. I’m not saying this to brag. It is just part of who I am. Determined. Hard-headed. Organized. Now, all of these traits aren’t bad to have, but they can definitely get in the way of seeing someone else’s side and allowing others to help guide me in a better direction. And it definitely gets in the way when someone tells me to do something that I don’t want to do. I heard someone once say, “Your greatest strengths can also become your greatest weaknesses.” I try to keep this in my mind on the daily! As I was reading Matthew Chapters 1-2, I was reminded of the importance of what it really means to be obedient. Not just to those around us in every day life, but being obedient to the one who has called us for a higher purpose. Being obedient not just in the small aspects, but in the big aspects as well. 

When I hear the word obedient, I automatically imagine a parent who is disciplining their child.  I feel like for a lot of people obedience and discipline go hand and hand. Either listen or get a punishment. Clean your room or have your phone taken away. Don’t run out in the street or you will be grounded. More often than not, people associate the word obedience as being “bad” unless you are the one doing the disciplining for someone else to obey your commands. We like the word “obedient” a whole lot better when we are on the giving end instead of the receiving end. But when it comes with God, it doesn’t work like that. You can kick, yell, and throw a tantrum all you want. You can tell God your going to do this instead of what He is asking of you, but that will only get you so far. 

“Well, I don’t know. What if this happens or that happens. Should I open the door and take on that new job? I would have way more responsibilities. Would possibly have to pack my whole family up and move to a new city. But I would be keeping our home more financially stable. I would have more time on the weekends with my family. I can give my children the things I only wished I had growing up. This job just sounds to good to be true.” 

If you look at the word “obedience” in the Bible, it is hypakouō in Greek. It means “to obey, be obedient; to answer (the door)”. I just love the last part of this definition, “to answer (the door)”. To answer what God is calling you to do and open the door. To be open to the infinite possibilities of what is and what could be. And the good thing about a door is that there is two sides. However, when you are trying to make a decision, most people envision the door closed. Struggling whether to open it or not. 

Now while all of these are valid questions to think about, we sit there and we struggle within ourselves all the reasons why we should or should not go through the door, but in all actuality we are leaving out the most important question of all when trying to make decisions. What is God saying about all of this? Is He agreeing I should take on this new job? Is this the person I should marry and spend the rest of my life with? Is this where I should go to college? Is He saying this is the right move to make?  Should I stay where I am at? 

You know, Joseph was having the same problem making decisions. If you look back at Matthew 1:18-20, you will see that he wasn’t for sure what the right decision was either. He was questioning whether or not Mary was telling the truth. If Mary really did or didn’t become pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. They were engaged after all! She couldn’t possibly be pregnant and still be a virgin, so she must have cheated on him with another man. And with all these questions and concerns running through his head, he came down to one conclusion. Because he didn’t want to ruin her reputation, he would divorce her quietly and send her on her way. That way she wouldn’t be disgraced or looked down upon. However, Joseph made the same mistake we do often times. He was trying to find the answers within himself instead of looking to God for the answers to his questions. But how great is it that even when we don’t turn to him, he is still gracious and wants to help us go on the right path. 

So, while Joseph was still battling to make a decision, God sent one of His Angels to appear to Joseph in a dream. And as the story goes, the Angel of the Lord told Joseph to not be afraid to make Mary his wife. For Mary was, in fact, impregnated with a child by the Holy Spirit. Joseph received the revelation he needed from God through his dreams. But what some people don’t tell you, is that Joseph still had the final decision to determine which path he was going to take.  He didn’t have to go through with making Mary his wife. He could have still divorced her quietly and lived a completely different life. But he recognized when God was speaking and he chose to be obedient. He chose to answer the door and step through. 

Sometimes when we answer the door, we don’t always know what is going to be on the other side of it. In Matthew 2: 13-15 (NLT), it says an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph again telling him to get up and flee to Egypt because King Herod is trying to find the child to kill him. The Bible says in verse 14, “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night:” Joseph obeyed God again and left that very night. Joseph had no idea that when he said yes to his calling, he would be fleeing to Egypt in the middle of the night to find refuge. He had no idea that he would eventually wind right back up in Nazareth, his and Mary’s hometown, to raise their son. There is something precious about giving God our blind obedience. To say no matter what the future holds, I am going to follow you.  We may not know the outcome of what will happen when we open the door, but we do know is that if He told you to walk through, then there is a greater purpose on the other side of the door that will further His kingdom. 

We also see in Matthew Chapter 2, Joseph wasn’t the only one who obeyed God without hesitation despite having difficulties along the way. The wise men arrive in Jerusalem prior to arriving to Bethlehem. King Herod had asked the wise men to return to him after they found Jesus so he could “worship” him too. After the wise men found Jesus, (who was actually a young child at the time. Most scholars estimate him to be somewhere between 6-18 months old even though there is no exact age given) God came to them in a dream and told them not to return to King Herod. Here again, the wise men had a choice to make. They already obeyed God once. As we see in Luke, they picked up everything they had and went to worship Jesus. They came also not only to worship him, but to give something of worth, not just empty-handed adoration. Their worship also manifested into obedience again. They could have returned to King Herod, but they chose to obey God, go a different path, and not be Herod’s informant. 

 want you to take a minute, close your and self-reflect. Ask yourself: 

When your obedience comes from a place of worship, God will bless you for it. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:22 that obedience is greater than sacrifice. God blessed Joseph and Mary for their obedience because it came from a place of worship not because of the sacrifices they made. Mary obeyed God by choosing to say yes and giving birth to Jesus. She, like Joseph, didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, but she knew if God was in it, then she would make room for His will to be done. The wise men choose to obey and sought out the star to worship Jesus. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for Jesus himself. Since Jesus was a young child, I doubt he used any of these gifts himself.  However, his parents were probably the ones who used them on His behalf and benefit. Just like when you receive gifts at a baby shower. All of the gifts are meant for your baby, but you and your spouse are the ones who choose how to use these gifts to best benefit your child. The gifts were not meant for Mary and Joseph, but they had the choice in how to use these gifts to help benefit their family. Think about how useful this gold was to Joseph in the following months! It probably helped him cover all the costs of the journey to Egypt and back. God knew what Mary and Joseph’s needs would be before they did and met those needs by anticipation. God blessed Mary and Joseph out of their obedience to Him. Obedience from choosing to follow His will, not because they had to, but because they wanted too. Yes, they both had to make sacrifices along the way. I’m sure Mary had to endure people telling her she was crazy. There was no way she was pregnant and still a Virgin. I’m sure people told Joseph he should have left Mary because she must have cheated on him! I seriously doubt Joseph thought he would have to flee to Egypt when he said yes to carrying out God’s plan. They could have decided they were done. That they weren’t going to keep going where God was taking them. They could have even decided they were going to hand over the child to King Herod and move on with their lives. But they kept saying yes! They kept answering the door God was leading them too and stepping through it Even through all the sacrifices that came with stepping through the door, their yes came from a place of worship. Their obedience came from a place of worship. 

• Do I look at the word obedience as a word that goes hand and hand with discipline? Obey my command or be punished. Or do I look at it through the same view as God…
• Is my yes coming from a place of worship or am I saying yes because of the blessing I am wanting to receive as the end result?
• Am I choosing to make decisions based off of “what I am supposed to be doing” because it is what is expected of me or am I making decisions based off of what God says I should be doing? 
• And lastly, am I continuously preparing my heart for God’s plan and making myself available to answer the door when He comes knocking or am I letting other voices and my own doubts cause me to hesitate opening the door and back away from God’s given purpose? 

The post Answer the Door appeared first on Eliza's Corner.

By Eliza’s Corner

Disclaimer: The objective in the first section of this article is not to hurt any sentiments or be biased in favour or against any particular person or religious church groups. The soul purpose of this section is to give context behind the reason why I decided to write this How-To Guide.

Whether you are new to the faith or have been in this race for a while, I wanted to create a guideline to help you and others learn where to start reading the Bible (Because lets be real…it’s a big book!), choosing a Bible translation, and growing deeper in God’s word.

 If there is anyone out there like me, I have grown up in church my whole life. From the time I can remember, my parents made it a priority to be at church. I learned all the Bible stories, knew all the Children’s Church songs, when to clap (when not to), and when to shout a good, hearty AMEN to the Pastor. I learned about God and who He was, but for the majority of it I learned church etiquette, basically. Now, don’t get me wrong here. All of these things are well and good to learn, but I was missing the most important part. I was missing the ”WHY” behind all of this. WHY do we study the Bible? WHY do we worship him? Why do we pray to Him? And part of the reason why is because I did not know Him fully. I only knew, at that time, what other people told me about Him. I was getting second hand information. 

You see, I was missing a part of that relationship with Him. You can’t have a close relationship with someone if you are not fully invested in getting to know every part of them. And I was missing that part of intimacy with God because I wasn’t really reading and digging into His word. I tried to pass it off as “Well, I don’t have time to read” or “I just really hate reading nonfiction books” (which most of that is true. History really bores me haha). But in all honestly, I just didn’t want to admit I didn’t know how to study His word. I didn’t even know where to start. So, I didn’t. For a while anyways. I lived my life worshiping and praying my heart out to Him, but that is only part of the 3 key elements to getting to know Him better. We must study His word, worship, and pray. So, God decided to stop me in my tracks during a service one night. He was wanting to give it all to me, but until that night I wasn’t willing to give all of me to Him. He doesn’t want just 2/3 of you. He wants all of you. He knew I wanted to know more of Him (I had been asking Him for months), but I wasn’t fully ready to take on everything until that night. (how glad are you that He waits until we are ready to fully to take on what He is offering us!) 

He gave me a hunger for His word. Not just a “want to”, but a “need” to dig deep into His word so I can begin to understand Him on a new level. To grow a more intimate relationship with Him like never before. And within that need of digging into His word, I realized that there is probably others out there like me who may be dealing with the same problem I was.  It wasn’t like I just didn’t want to study His word. I knew it was just as importance as the other two. I knew the Bible reveals who God is, who we are in Christ, and much more! But I just didn’t know how to or where to begin.  And this is where this article comes into play. God dropped this into my heart. To write a “How-To Study the Bible for Beginners”, or for people who have been in this race for a while like I was and looking for a simple step-by-step instruction manual to help get you started and learn more about Him. 

How-To Guide:

1. Set a Time and day(s) in your schedule
   • I recommend looking at your calendar and setting an exact time and day(s) where you can really dig into His word. And stick with it! Make an appointment with God and tell yourself “I have to make this appointment and I can’t miss it for anything!”
   • Ultimately, the goal is read your Bible a little bit every day. However, we all know life gets busy, so if you are able to consistently due it twice a week, then start with that! Personally, my best times are mornings! I use it as a kickstart to my day while I drink my first round of coffee. God loves when we make space for Him to move in our lives. This means we are laying aside what our flesh wants to do and following what our spirit man needs to do. 
2. Start Your Bible Study with Prayer
   • I always love to play soft, instrumental music during this time. This helps you reset your mind and focus on Him to help you prepare your spirit for what He wants to reveal to you during your studies 
3. After you finish praying, worship Him
   • You can sing or listen to your favorite worship song or simply worship Him by thanking Him for all that He has done and sing what is on your heart to Him while the instrumental music is playing in the background. 
   • Prayer and worship can last 5 min, 10 min, 30 min…it is your choice! Set whatever time frame feels right to you and then move on to the next step. 
4. Choose one of the books of the Gospel: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John
   • I personally recommend starting off with the Book of John first. I believe it is a great starting point for someone who is just getting started in reading and studying His word. 
   • Side Note, once you got through John (if that is the book you decide) Then move to Hebrew, Luke and then Acts. Once you completed these, then I recommend reading the rest of the New Testament Books in the order they are written. 
   • The main reason I recommend reading in this order, is so it will help you learn as much as you possibly can about Jesus and who he really is. 
5. Be Patient With Yourself!
   • If anyone says that “the simplest of simple minds can understand the Bible”, they have obviously never read the Bible. There is a ton of complex material in their, so be patience with yourself while readying and understanding it all. If you have any questions, you can always talk to your local pastor or a spiritual mother or father who can help guide you which also brings me to my next point.
6. Don’t take someone else’s words and believe it to be scripture
   • This right here is very important to engrain into your soul! Especially if you are using Google to help you for scripture references. Usually 9/10 times, Google will direct you to a blog post that someone else has written about the topic you are searching for. We are not using Google to take someone else’s word for what the Bible says, but you can use it as a tool to help guide you in the right direction.
   • Not everyone on the internet is out for your best interest. The last thing I would hate is for you to read something that someone else said “is scripture” but is actually not in the Bible at all. So don’t take their word for anything. Even mine. Do your own research and ask yourself “Is this really what the Bible is saying and is this in the correct context?” You can’t take a scripture verse that says “Judas hung himself” and another scripture that says “go and do likewise” because then you have a messed up doctrine. So be very careful on where you get your information from and the context behind it as a whole
7. Choose a Bible Translation
   • Now when I say a Bible Translation, I do not mean just a Hebrew to English language translation. If you look up Bible Translations on Google right now, you would find more than 100 different versions of the Bible written in English. Please DO NOT let this overwhelm you. There is a few reasons why there is so many different versions.
     • The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. Hebrew and Greek words are not like English words. One Hebrew word or expression usually means multiple English words or expressions put together. When someone is writing a translation of the Bible, the translator must determine an appropriate word or expression in English that conveys the thought from the original language.
     • The English language has evolved. It is usually not obvious of the change to us on a day to day basis, but you can clearly see the change from century to century. Check out the King James Version (KJV).
       • In Philippians 1:27, the KJV says, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.”
         • When you read the word “conversation” you see that as dealing with the things we say. However, when the KJV was written in 1611, the word “conversation” meant the conduct of one’s life and lifestyle. So if you look at a modern translation of this same text such as
       • Philippians 1:27 in the New Living Translation (NLT) says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.”
         • Here, you can see that this text more adequately reflects the original intent of the passage.
   • So with all this to say, when you are choosing a translation, keep all of this in mind. I personally recommend the New Living Translation (NLT) or the English Standard Version (ESV). They are easy to read and understand what the text is saying. Especially when you are first starting out. 
   • Now, if you don’t have a Bible on hand or unable to purchase one, I would highly recommend downloading the YouVersion Bible app or Blue Letter Bible App. I have both of these apps on my phone and use them on the daily. They are great choices to get you started and you can look up Bible verses in whichever translation that suits you the best.
     • You can also do a side-by-side comparison of two different translations at a time in the apps to see which version you like and understand the best. These apps also give you different commentaries, studies, dictionaries, and cross-references that can help you go more in depth with His word.
8. Read the whole chapter
   • For example, if you start out with the book of John or use our verse from above, Philippians 1:27, you will read the entire 1st chapter for your first study session. Then, during your next study session, you can study the second chapter of the book. Why is this important? So you can learn some of the context. You can also do, what I like to call, a background check on what you are studying which brings me to my next step.
9. Compile a list of questions to ask yourself
   • Here is a list of go-to questions that can help you get started:
     1. Who is the author of the book in the Bible you are studying?
        • If you are studying Philippians chapter 1, Paul wrote this book.
     2. Who was they writing to and why was it written? 
        • Paul was writing to his Christian friends in Philippi from his Roman house arrest. He was thanking them for their giving to his ministry, letting them know the gospel is still being told even in the jail, that God was going to deliver him, and how the Philippians should act in Paul’s absence 
     3. Look for words that stick out to you. What do those words mean?
        • You can also look them up in the original Hebrew word in the Blue Letter Bible app. 
     4. Are those words used any where else in the Scripture? Is there anything you can discover through the grammar? 
        • Grammar can be very important when it comes to the Hebrew language. Unlike the English language, a Hebrew word can mean multiple things 
     5. What did you learn about God?
     6. What do you feel God is trying to tell you in this passage?
     7. How can you apply this to your life?
10. And lastly, end your Bible study by thanking God. 
    • Thank God for revealing himself more to you and helping you apply this in your every day life. For giving you more wisdom and how to use this information to build His kingdom for His glory. 

The post 10 Steps on How to Study the Bible for Beginners appeared first on Eliza's Corner.

I heard a version of this topic preached on when I was at the Women of Fire Conference this past year. It resonated so much with my Spirit I had to share my own version of it with you today. I am not affiliated or get paid to promote the Women of Fire Conference, but it is a must go to! You will not regret it. You will come out with such a refreshing and renewing of your Spirit man, it is impossible not to come out changed for the better by the end of it. (Remember though, you get what you put into it. You can’t expect a change to happen, if you don’t put forth the effort and be open to receiving what God has intended for you)

When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a real-life princess. My grandmother and I used to watch Cinderella all the time. I used to dream, like all the girls, of finding my Prince Charming, falling in love, him sweeping me off my feet, and becoming a princess overnight. I fell in love with the idea of living a fairytale. And every boy I met, I thought he could possibly be my Prince Charming. And I did my part to try and make it happen. I tried to be the girl that I thought all the guys wanted. A fairytale princess if you will or a face of beauty just like a model as I got older. But what I didn’t realize at the time is that God didn’t create me to be just a princess or a model. He created me to be so much more. 

Which brings us to our text: The Book of Esther

So, let me just set the scene for you. The story of Esther takes place during the reign of King Xerxes. Now, King Xerxes is extremely wealthy and I mean extremely! He is reigning over the largest empire the world had ever seen. He literally has so much money he does not know what to do with it all. And along with all the money, he had the pride to match it. In the beginning of Esther Chapter 2, King Xerxes attempted to invade Greece and came home defeated. (you could imagine what that did to his pride) So, King Xerxes then decided to have a Miss Congeniality contest to stroke his own ego and find himself a new Queen. This is where our girl Esther steps onto the scene!

Now, it is said there was about 400 ladies in King Xerxes hunt for a new queen. These ladies had to go through a twelve month purifying and processing stage to get ready for one night with the king. I don’t know about you, but to me, a full year of constant spa treatments don’t sound to bad. However, most of these girls were not there on their own free will. And another thing is that they only had one chance to impress the king! If he chose them to be his queen, then she would be his companion (until she displeased him). As for the rest of them, they were banished to the harem where they stayed the wife or the concubine of the king, but rarely, if ever, saw him afterwards. And they were never free to marry another man, essentially living as a never ending widow.

Esther was one of these 400 girls. She went through the purifying and processing. She learned how to walk the walk, talk the talk, and wear all the garments. She became what we call Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. I mean, you talk about model status. She was all that and a bag of chips. But you see, as a model, her performance meant nothing if it didn’t please the king. She would be banished to the harem like the rest of them if she couldn’t rise up to the occasion when it was her turn. Which brings us to our first few points of what being a model is all about. 

Life of a Model:

1. A models success is based on the applause of man.
   • If people like them, then they will get booked more frequently. And if they get enough people to like them, then they get to be on the cover of a headline magazine. Their glory is based off of what mankind thinks of them. 
2. A model is a smokescreen
   • They don’t get to keep their clothes. They are borrowed garments. They just know how to walk the walk and talk the talk. They know how to go through all the motions and make it look good. 
3. Models are paid to perform.
   • A model will only perform if they are paid or given something in return they see of great value. 

What is your price? What is your price to do what God has called you to do? How much will it cost you to say yes?

When Esther got to spend her one night with the king, the Bible says “he loved her more than all the other woman”. She got the King’s approval and was crowned queen. She found favor with everyone she met. She became special in the eyes of the audience. However, Esther also had something that no one knew about just yet. She had God’s favor. And God had a purpose for her life. 

We all have a purpose in our life. Your calling may be a stay at home mom, an entrepreneur, or a healthcare worker. Your calling doesn’t have to be on a stage with a microphone in your hand to be of any less importance. Maybe you feel like Esther? Everything you once knew and loved has seemed to be torn away from you. And now you’re placed in a position of unknowing what the future holds. But just like with Esther’s life, God has a way of showing up and showing out for His people who are willing to choose Him. Who are willing to put everything on the line and to say, “I may not know the end result, but if it is for Your glory let it be done.” 

When King Xerxes decreed that all the Jews be killed, Esther had a choice to make. Choose to stay a model and sit back on the sidelines or become who God has called her to be and step out of the shadows. To trust in Him and become a beacon of hope even when she didn’t know what the outcome was going to be.  Monarchs ask the questions that give the King preeminence. Esther asked “How can I go before the king? He hasn’t called for me in a month.” A lot of times we try to give God all the reasons why we can’t be the one. Why we can’t be the Monarch. But He says you have not because you ask not. You can’t have what you don’t ask for. But Monarchs know how to ask. Even Mary asked “How can this be, without me being with a man.” And the Angel said “because the power of the most high will overshadow you.” And when you have the power of the most high on your side, nothing can stand against you. Sometimes you may think your only spot is on the side lines. To sit in the back and remain silent. But God said I saved you a seat at the table. I saved you a seat with me. It’s time to be gone of the days when the daughters run away from the enemy. It’s time to be like the shepherds who grab their staff and chase down the wolf. It’s time for us to show up as the daughters of the king and be who he has created us to be because WE ARE MONARCH’s! 

You see, it was against the law for Esther to step into the presence of the king without being called upon. The end result could have been death. But Monarchs lead the precession. God is looking for someone who will say “I will go first, Lord.” And like Esther “if I perish, then I shall perish.”  Monarchs also wait for the right time. Esther waited for the right time when she should go before the king. And when she stepped in front of the king, got on her knee, something shifted. King Xerxes stretched out his scepter to her and changed her position. She went from being in the back to standing side by side with the King. He gave her a grafting into the kingdom. Bestowed a title on her that she was not born with. And because of that title she was about to birth something that would change her entire nation. 

A monarch has royal blood running through their veins and it doesn’t matter what she looks like. In the Kingdom, God doesn’t look at our appearance. He looks at our hearts. God created you for such a time as this. He bestowed on you a title that you were not born with. What is the title? Daughter of the King! You are a daughter of the king because he cut you. He grafted you. Models only know how to act. Models birth to enrich their lives. Monarchs birth to enrich a generation. Models say all eyes on me. Monarchs say all eyes on the king.

So take a minute, close your eyes and self-reflect. 

1. Are you a model or are you a monarch?
2. Are you willing to go through the purifying and processing to get to the transformation that God has waiting for you on the other side?
3. Or are you sitting in the back becoming comfortable in the environment of blessing that God has placed you in?

Most of the time we stop to soon in our journey with the Lord. We stop at the first layer of blessing or breakthrough that the Lord has done. But God is not done in your life if the victory is limited to you. Because anything the Lord pours out will last beyond you. And until there is a generational repercussion of what God is doing in your life He is NOT finished.  

God didn’t raise Esther up into her position so she could receive a personal testimony of victory and He did not bring you through what you have been brought through so you could just tell a story of personal victory. He delivered you to be a deliverer. Esther story didn’t end with a personal victory. If that was the case, the book of Esther could have ended at Chapter 5 or 6, but there was 10 chapters because the first half was her story and the last half was God’s story through her life to affect generation after generation. 

Your story is not over yet. Your story, like Esther’s, is not over until what has been deposited has become bigger than your personal breakthrough. But it becomes a story that will affect generation after generation. As Monarchs, we are not here for a popularity contest, but we are here to do what is best for the kingdom. We are here as Monarchs to change generations not for our glory but for His glory. Because it’s not the favor of man that we seek after. It’s the favor of our Most High King.

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