Posted in Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

Can We Get Back to the Altar?

Written by talk2shari Published June 20, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

meet shari

It was a mistake turned into a moment of clarity. I was listening to a sermon where in the preacher mentioned a song he’d been listening to and got a sermon from. It turned out not to be a Christian song, or a Christian artist. Not that a preacher can’t listen to any genre of music but it was early morning and I wanted to hear from God and this snafu bothered me and sent my mind wandering. So in order to get me reigned back in I typed “Christian music” into the search bar of my apple music. The first song in a long list of the “A” list music was a song called “The Gospel” by Ryan Stevenson, a contemporary artist. He had me hooked in the first line of the chorus:

“Can we get back to the altar?”

My friend Anne and I had spent much of the evening at our Bible Journaling class last night talking about the altar. Or to clarify, the emptiness of the altar.

More of the lyrics to Ryan’s song are:

To the captive, it looks like freedom

To the orphan it looks like home

To the skeptic, it might sound crazy

To believe in a God Who loves

In a world where hearts are breaking

And we’re lost in the mess we’ve made

Like a blinding light, in the dead of night

It’s the Gospel, the Gospel that makes a way

Aren’t those amazing lyrics, and how true! The Gospel is the only things that makes a way through this ever so consuming world we live in. And the altar… oh…. it’s that place of refuge for me. It’s where I go every Sunday, not out of religious piety, but because every Sunday or service I still feel as though I’m the captive, the orphan, the skeptic. I need to feel the love of God and it’s in that place that I feel it. So to see and empty altar breaks my heart for God.

So why doesn’t’ the church get back to the altar? Why is it so taboo to go there? I once heard it said that there are two reasons you should go to the altar.

Because you think you need it or
Because you think you don’t.

I know I need it. I have issues. My family has issues. My world has issues. There’s always something I can talk to God about. And I know out of the many people sitting in the pews behind me there are others that feel the same. So why aren’t they meeting me there?

It’s purely speculation but a few possible reasons may be:

Because we fear Judgement

I told Anne last night that one of the hardest hits and the greatest pains I’ve ever received was the feeling or witnessing of the judgement of fellow believers. Not accepted in my weirdness that I call Shari. Or, seeing someone else looked down upon because they didn’t quite measure up to standards of humanity. And I believe that many don’t go to the altar because they don’t want the eyes in the back of their heads wondering why they’re there. I’ll tell you in advance… I’m a sinner. That’s why I’m there. And for many other reasons, but I got there by not caring who stared at the back of my head, because inside my head, at that altar, is where I’m not judged. Not one time when I’ve gone to the altar have I felt judged by God. Only loved.

2. Because we’re Jaded

The world is such a wicked trickster. It wears us out and wears us down to when we finally make our way into church we hear… “it’s hopeless, there’s no point, it won’t fix it.” And we buy the lie. Or we hear “Nobody else is going, why should I?” It’s almost as if we feel that going to the altar is making us the sacrifice. And the skeptic in us believes that the altar is no longer a necessity in life. It’s an Old Testament ritualistic notion, and that’s the biggest lie of all.

3. Because We’re Sitting Jake

Meaning: everything’s awesome! The altar is for people who need Jesus to help them out of trouble, right? You could better stop that sentence at “the altar is for people who need Jesus.” And everyone needs Jesus. Sitting jake one day may find you sitting in puddle of tears and despair the next day. Life can turn on a dime.

The altar can certainly be anywhere you are but I’ m speaking of the lack of time spent at the altar of our churches. It used to be when we’d go into a service, we’d start at the altar. And I can tell you first hand it made a difference in the service and ushered in the presence of God that could be physically felt. But that practice is long since forgotten. It perhaps takes up precious time and someone might miss 10 minutes of their favorite show, or Sunday pregame conversation.

God honors the altar. And we’re missing out on one of the greatest blessings by not making it a priority in life. One of the seeds missing from the harvest of our church is the seeds not sown in prayer. We could reap so much more of the goodness and the glory of God if we’d sow on our knees the seeds of a grateful, repentent and humble heart.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

Broken Arrows or Broken Dreams

Written by talk2shari Published June 15, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

I have had a few close friends in my life, that upon their death, I knew there would be a void that would be hard to fill. They were people who had spoken the Word of God into my life and been significant in my spiritual journey. Some I had closure with, some I won’t be afforded closure until we meet in glory; on the other side of this tarnished world. For King Joash, Elisha had been a powerful source of encouragement in the battles he had lead. His death no doubt brought great anxiety into his life with the thought of not having a connection to God like that of Elisha. Elisha was a faithful, profitable prophet for the king and before he departed for Heaven he gave the King one last prophetic illustration that spoke to my heart this morning.

2 Kings 13

¹⁴Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. ¹⁵And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. ¹⁶And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. ¹⁷And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.¹⁸And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.¹⁹And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

The man of God wasn’t giving King Joash a lesson in archery, he was giving him a lesson in life. The arrow that was shot from the bow of Joash, was directed toward an enemy that the Lord had already written the end to their story. Joash would launch the attack, but the battle was clearly in God’s control. For too much of my life I’ve looked for victory in the strength of my own hands. Rather than taking a shot with clear direction I will randomly take my bow in hand and hope that I’d hit a target. I’m not even sure I’m shooting in the right direction. As Joash, a skilled warrior, allowed Elisha’s hand to guide his, he was humbling himself to the God’s divine course of path for the arrow. He shot, God directed.

There has to be some aim and effort on the part of God’s children for His purpose to be met. Oh, there have been times in my life when God clearly did it all from start to finish. Perhaps I was too weak, or merely too to incompetent to get it done. But for the most part, God has always had an expectation of some work on my part and then He gave me the skills to get it done and often times the mentors to walk me through.

After Elisha’s bow shooting lesson he ask the King to strike the arrows on the ground. Now… this is where I fail to understand God’s logic. That’s because He is so much wiser than I. Joash struck the arrow on the ground three times, and because of that he would only defeat the Syrians three times. Had he known that victories of war were at stake he would have likely beat the arrow until it was in pieces. But he didn’t know that and so he would suffer the cost. My first thought was, “I’m sure glad God doesn’t work that way today.” And then I reconsidered. Perhaps God does work that way today.

1 Corinthians 1:24-27

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

The world (and I) love to make God “understandable.” In that we can have faith when He asks us to do things outside our comfort zone. Like speak, sing and teach. Like King Joash, when God asked me to do part A, I stepped right up and humbled myself down to obedience. But then… He lays part B on me and perhaps a C or D. It was at those times that I began doing what God ask mediocrely. Because it just didn’t make sense and sometimes I just didn’t because it was too hard. When King Joash was ask to shoot the arrow that seemed so valiant! But striking an arrow on the ground… what would possibly be the purpose in that?

When my friend Dewey messages me on Sunday morning and asks me to pray as he drives five hours, one way to preach, Sunday after Sunday, then returns five hours back the same day, I think … “that’s crazy.” That’s hitting arrows on the ground crazy. Surely there is somebody else closer to Reserve, New Mexico that can preach that sermon. But who am I to question the blessing God for the people of Reserve who get to hear Dewey. Perhaps my ministry opportunities are not opening because I’m not striking arrows on the ground. Perhaps you have yet to realize your potential in whatever it is that God has called you to do because part B has yet to be fulfilled. It’s a point for me to ponder today…

Today I’m praying that God will open doors for me to sing or speak in Anytown, USA. I want broken arrows, not broken dreams. I covet your prayers, and God’s will only.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Life Inspiration, Peace, Uncategorized

Finding a Place Called Peace

Written by talk2shari Published June 13, 2017June 13, 2017 Discussion 2 Comments

Psalm 23 has forever been a favorite, even long before salvation. Its words would speak sweet peace to my soul, even though I had no clue what the spiritual implications of the text meant. When my Dad died in 2003, and I and my siblings stood round his bed as he took his last labored breath on this side of Heaven, my family sobbed in grief and I longed to bring them the peace I knew Heaven afforded. So I grabbed my Mom’s bible off the window sill of the hospital room, opened to Psalm 23, and read. I can’t define the sweet peace that enveloped the room. God had honored His children.

I had felt the power of God’s word before, but not like that. You could almost hear the Holy Spirit’s wind drive out the demons that desired heartache to consume us. I grieved, I miss him, but as King David said of his son, “can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me?” (2 Samuel 12:23b)

It’s not only death that brings me to Psalm 23. No, it’s more living that drives me there. Or perhaps it could be said that the Shepherd leads me there…

There’s so much goodness in Psalm 23 but for brevity sake I’ll focus on only one thought “He maketh me lie down in green pastures.”

He didn’t suggest it, He “made” me lie down. Why does rest come so hard for me? Likely most women in general. God usually has to knock me off my feet before I actually take the time to seek genuine rest. And what does “genuine rest” look like you might ask.

Even in the hullabaloo of life when it’s at its worst there is a still place in Christ Jesus. I imagine it to be somewhat like the field in my bible journaling picture. Without ticks, fleas and gnats of course! I imagine the scent would be that of honeysuckle or lavender and the temperature would be mid 70’s. Not too hot, nor too cold.

Genuine rest isn’t a physical space. It’s a spiritual place. It’s where righteousness is found not in our mediocre attempts to make things right, but in the realization that Christ’s blood makes things right. A little reflection can go a long way if it’s spent in His presence. Those still waters didn’t just happen… I can hear His words “Peace be still,” spoken over the turmoil in my life. My soul is restored through His righteousness, not mine. Else I’d still be in trouble waters.

God didn’t say the trouble was gone… the valley of the shadow of death, those dark times will come again. But every time it comes I can be rest assured that peace is just a pasture field away.

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Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Faith, Uncategorized

Faith isn’t Blind

Written by talk2shari Published June 10, 2017June 10, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

For most of my days I’ve heard the saying “blind faith,” and truthfully didn’t give it much thought, accepting the colloquialism of the day as an accurate description of faith in an undeniable yet invisible God. Until a statement from a Vacation Bible School adult class instructor who said, “The Bible never called for blind devotion.” It was one of the hmmmm….. moments. Why then, do they call it blind faith? Which triggered the concept, faith isn’t blind. And why hadn’t I “seen” it before.

There are a million illustrations for every day faith. We sit in chairs that we have faith will hold us up, we flip switches of lights and mechanical instruments believing they’ll work. We get into vehicles and aircrafts that, though we don’t understand the concept of how they work, we have a point “a” to point “b” faith. We have faith the sun and moon will be in the sky each day. But somehow or another when it comes to God, many fail to believe because they cannot see Him, therefore it is considered “blind faith” and impossible to prove.

But au contraire my French friends would say. Faith in God is not blind.

In Matthew 15:7-15 , Jesus speaking to the Jewish leadership says “ Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

And then to the congregation of listeners:

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the –[mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

The Jewish leaders were following a works and results based religion that even they didn’t keep, yet condemning the congregation of believers for their short comings. Jesus pointed out that those who didn’t understand faith were blind, not those who had faith. Those who each doctrine contrary to the faith are the blind leading the blind. How can someone who does not have faith in Christ teach you Who Christ is and what our faith in Him means? Yet the world stands in line to buy it. All the while our faith is mocked and ridiculed as if we have no evidence of what we have faith in. And as Christians we’re often at a loss to explain what exactly that is.

Faith in Hand

The Word of God. The Bible is a piece of evidence a believer can hand to someone wanting tangible evidence. There is no other book that literally comes to life when read. Now, much of it doesn’t come to life for the person who does not know Christ as their Savior because it takes a spiritual mind to grasp it, and pre-salvation, you don’t have it. But saved or not the Bible will speak to every man who reads it with a willing heart to hear. It doesn’t just speak random thoughts to the heart, but responds with purpose and instruction for the reader.

Faith in Heart

Romans 10:10 ~ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

A heart knowledge may be unseen as well, but it’s not without evidence. A changed heart has an outward indication to anyone who knew that heart before Christ changed it. Before salvation I was a fairly good person. A wife, mom, daughter, random church going Shari. I was respected for being a woman of passion about community causes. But then… I ask Jesus to come into my heart, and the Holy Spirit changed everything. My passion changed 180 degrees for the cause of Christ. Church wasn’t a place, it was who I was. I became a part of the church, literally speaking. Yes I was a member in the books of Victory Baptist Church, but I was a member of the body of Christ in that place. The direction of the church was the direction I went in. If the church rejoiced, so did I, if the church hurt… so did I. I physically felt what that body of believers did. I still do. It’s how I know I’m in the right church.

Faith in Holiness

Pre-salvation I wanted to be good, but if I wasn’t I chalked it up to being human and I was more upset with getting realized than getting real about what I had done. Post salvation changed my perspective; I not only wanted to be good, if I wasn’t, I knew being human wasn’t an excuse. Christ became human, and He didn’t sin. Holiness is something the world shuns and neglects to even attempt to understand because it’s where the rubber meets the road on how good we are.

For the Pharisees in Jesus day, holiness was a matter of appearance. To which Jesus responded by calling them hypocrites! And saying that they indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27

For the child of God it’s a matter of awareness. We can never be as holy as God and He knew that, which is why He came in the form of a baby, to live the same life we have lived, yet sinless and became the sacrifice for the sins of man so that we could be in the presence of a Holy God. I still don’t understand it all. But I don’t understand electricity either, and yet I see the evidence of it when I flip the switch. I also see the evidence of the switch that God flipped in me when I got saved. I love God. I hate sin. I love people, I hate what people do. I have compassion because I need compassion. The evidence amasses daily in my life.

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How to be on Team Jesus’ field

Written by talk2shari Published May 27, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

Nothing gets my dander up like an injustice to God’s people… especially if they’re my people. This is a thought that weighs heavy on my mind for more than a few reasons. You don’t have to look very far to find injustice in the world, and probably one of the craziest (in my opinion) is that of little league sports. It’s what prompted this blog, but this in actuality has very little to do with Little League ball. Mainly because little league ball “seldom” has anything to do with the state of one’s eternal destination. Although it could with the right coach! That being said, the coach that has my knickers in a knot isn’t really concerned with eternity, unless of course he thinks that God has a special place for league winners. Pretty sure He doesn’t, just saying.

But I’ve seen more than my fair share of little league coaches who act like the world is coming to an end because a 4^th grade boy, who was afraid of being nailed by the ball of an inexperienced pitcher, wouldn’t “step in and take one for the team.” Or a dozen other scenarios that he was sure ruined his chances as a major league coach. Coaches who don’t understand why a child with ADHD can’t sit still on the bench after his meds have worn off from having to sit still in his classes for 7 hours of the day. Oh… yes… I’m that grandparent, or Noni as the case may be.

But I’m also that Christian. I could just as well liken the little league attitude to that of the church. Where many don’t understand the people any more than a little league, major league wanna-be coach. As I travel I’m afforded the opportunity to meet many wonderful church workers. At almost every location I see heartache and frustration from the top down. I see preachers who want with all their heart to serve God without the encumbrance of church politics but cannot. I see Sunday School teachers who want their students to understand how exciting it is to know God, but are worn out bfrom having to collect and provide their own materials because the church doesn’t see their program as being worthy of a few extra dollars. I see parishioners struggling with broken lives and no one knows. Not because the evidence of these issues weren’t there, but because nobody slowed down long enough to see it or because they were missing two essential characteristics of a successful leader. Spiritual eyes and ears.

Leadership is more than a title. It’s a role. And it’s more than acting. It’s real.

So what will God say to the leaders when we stand before Him? Will He say or ask:

Why didn’t you save more money for the church treasury and spend less on your departments? You didn’t know that Jesus wouldn’t wait another 20 years to come back.
Why didn’t you tell that Sunday School teacher to suck it up use the same materials as last quarter?
Why didn’t you remind that preacher who it is that pays his salary before the topic of your sin came up?
Why didn’t you remind that widow about the woman with two mites before she complains that she doesn’t have grocery money for her visiting children?
Why didn’t you tell that leader that’s hitting the altar every week to watch the clock a little closer or better still, just don’t go because it makes others feel guilty?
Even better, why didn’t you stop having altar calls so everyone can get home in time for lunch?
Why didn’t you tell the people in your church to stop stressing you out with their problems?
Better yet, why didn’t you insist that everyone wear smiles, and no one can be sad?
Why did you get the congregation so excited, someone could have had a heart attack?!

All of those are as ridiculous as expecting little league players to be major league stars. And yet they’re real life stories.

In the book of Acts, where the acts of the church of that day are written, I see that they didn’t understand Paul either. So I guess the aforementioned attitudes shouldn’t surprise me.

Acts:14:9-11 ~ The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, the gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

A few things that caught my attention in those few verses:

Paul was loud
Someone was moved
They were giving the credit of the power of God, to the gods that the people worshiped during that day.

So what should have happened? Do you think when Paul made it to Heaven, after having his head cut off for Jesus, that God said to him, “Paul, why were you so loud? You upset people.”

I know… that’s taking it out of context a little. The people weren’t as much upset as they were confused. But I don’t think God is going to call me on the carpet for reminding the church that we need to be careful about making our services about us. Paul was obedient and observant of the needs of one man, and not long about straightening the people out on who was responsible.

We serve a risen Savior, who died so that we might serve men and show them the love of Christ. Sometimes, we’re not even on the same field when it comes to understanding our teammates.

Serve boldly (yet humbly)
Show mercy always (look and listen)
Send missionaries with money (provide what’s needed for every mission)

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meet shari

I’ll not complain when the power and blessings of the Holy Spirit bring unexplainable and unspeakable joys in my life for my service through the studying of His Word and the sharing of the Gospel. That is a gift of unmeasurable worth! But through the coercing of others in the ministry, who see my work as worthy, and the coercing of the Holy Spirit Who says “Through His blood I am worthy,” I have added a ministry donation button to this site. If you do not have, or do not feel inclined to give, then please don’t feel obligated. But if I have encouraged you and the Spirit speaks, your gift of any amount would be appreciated and honored by God.

I do what I do because I’m gifted and afforded the opportunity by grace and feel that I am accountable for the ministry that God has given. God has been enlarging my territory. For that I am grateful. But for that, there are expenses. Thank you for reading my blog. It encourages my soul, I pray I’ve encouraged yours!

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Posted in Christian Service, Faith, Life Inspiration, Uncategorized

There’s a New Way of Doing Business

Written by talk2shari Published May 26, 2017September 29, 2022 Discussion Leave a Comment

From the book of Isaiah 43:5-19

I heard a sermon preached from this text a few days ago, and I’ve been chewing on this scripture like a piece of Willy Wonka’s bubble gum that never loses its flavor. Again and again I’ve tasted that word in my mouth; and today I finally sat down to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write what’s on my heart, and to determine what God has for me through this word. Perhaps He has something for you too. If you’ve ever experienced great fear, either from the known or the unknown, reading the words from Isaiah 43:5 will lead you to say, “Yes, but…” followed by why you fear in spite of it. I’ve been in a, “you couldn’t possibly understand why,” mode. Satan had all but convinced me that I am alone, leading to a series of songs that I’ve written (which are a blessing) but it’s also hard on the heart to let those words spring forth from my soul. I’ll post one below so that you might get a glimpse of that work. But first the Word.

I am Called By His Name

Isaiah said in verses 5-8

⁵Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; ⁶I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; ⁷Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. ⁸Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

Isaiah is specifically speaking to the Israelites. But being engrafted into the family of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, means that he speaks to me as well. I am a daughter of the Most High King. I am called by His name when it is said of me that I am a Christian. Those facts I believe, as well as the fact that I have been created for His glory. Yet I am often still blind and deaf as to what exactly God is doing in my life much of the time. I fear…a lot. It feels as if God is having to drag me forward into a place that I know not what. I’m not fighting Him, I’m simply dead weight. Paralyzed. I am called. And sometimes I am called chicken.

I Am Confirmed by His Work

⁹Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. ¹⁰Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.¹¹I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. ¹²I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.

God for certain bears witness in my life. He has done some amazing things! Much like the children of Israel I have been brought though the sea on dry ground. He has rescued me from myself so many times. Until now. And now I am in need of rescuing, I’ve been waiting for the waters to part and there hasn’t even been so much as a drop that has fled from before me. I feel as though I am drowning. Again and again I bear witness to myself of God’s deliverance. I bear witness of His confirmation of my purpose in life for which He has not only given me the passion for the purpose but the ability as well. But not in a way that sustains my life which leaves me drowning and opens a door for Satan to ask “if you are called and confirmed, why are you not cared for?”

I Am Created By His Ways

¹³Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? ¹⁴Thus saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.¹⁵I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.¹⁶Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; ¹⁷I’ve been waiting for God to deliver me in the same manner as before, He has not. Expert businessmen like Jimmy John Shark suggest that there’s a new manner of business, but you still need to manage your business the right way, so learning how to keep your paystubs is essential as well. And clearly I need my eyes open and my ears ready to hear what the Lord says. I covet your prayers if you’re so inclined. I know my purpose. But I need to understand the provision.

Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. ¹⁸Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

When I identified myself in Christ, I became a new creation. Yet the old Shari resurfaces on a pretty regular basis. I often find myself thinking to have “figured God out.” Ha! That’s hysterical when I write those words out. How could I possibly think that I have figured God out? What I mean is, I believe to have figured out God’s ways. And yet I know that the scripture is clear when it says His ways are not my ways. I think that Israel may have thought they too had God figured out. They looked for Him to snap them out of their bondage in the same manner that He had brought them out of Egypt. The water that they were sure would be their demise, He parted. He got rid of the issue of water. But now water is not the issue. The barren wilderness is their issue. But the children of Israel are stuck remembering the parting of the sea. And while it’s good to recall how God brings us out, it’s not to say He’s going to bring us out the same way. God doesn’t change, but His methods certainly do. He told them He’d be doing a “new thing.”

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So What Shall the Two of Us Do?

Written by talk2shari Published May 17, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

Lamentations 3:26

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Waiting is hard enough. Waiting quietly is out of my wheelhouse completely. I want the Lord to come quickly and fix my heartache and sorrow, and yet He has not. Perhaps you are there as well. So what shall the two of us do?

In times like these I have but three strategies of dealing with life.

Strategy 1: PANIC!

I do that quietly as well. Inwardly my heart will be in turmoil, but outwardly I will appear as to have life under control. Those who know me, know better; but those who don’t can be fooled by my smile and boisterous personality that is a great disguise for a woeful heart. It also prevents anyone from asking the dreaded question “What’s wrong.” I will not tell you it’s healthy. It is quite the opposite. But if I’m honest, it’s who I am.

Strategy 2: PRETEND…

This is where being born with a creative mind comes in handy, though still not healthy. I can imagine a thousand ways to be happy. I can write and sing myself into a stupor of happy productivity, all the while, lurking in the distance is strategy one looming, waiting to take back over. And then alas, when I have panicked and pretended myself into a state of depression that would kill a horse, I finally resort to the last

Strategy 3: PRAGMATISM

The act of rationality. The reality that I cannot do this alone. And so I turn to the Word of God which is a tangible piece of the Lord that I can hold in my hand and it brings great comfort to my heart. Those pages that are filled with His words, His advice, His compassion and mercy, which is what I need when I’m panicking and pretending my way through life. I need to feel His touch. To know that I am loved.

So late into the night I began reading Lamentations. Ha! Not the cheeriest book to read in the dead of night. Until you come to Chapter 3 and the following words allowed me to close my eyes in peace knowing that I could rest in hope.

¹⁹Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. ²⁰My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.²¹This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.²²It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ²⁴The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ²⁵The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. ²⁶It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

I hope that all is well and wonderful in your life. But if not… you too have strategy 3. Although I highly recommend you make it number 1. And forgo the other 2 completely.

In His love and for His glory I earnestly pray for the peace of God for us all.

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Lame Sacrifices and Wet Wood on the Altar

Written by talk2shari Published May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

I fear… I wrote those words with the intentions of writing what I feared to follow. But I just had to stop there and ask myself, “Do you really fear? Do you have that godly reverence in your soul that was there 20 years ago when you were first saved and realized what God had saved you from? Do you remember those trips to the altar when you were sobbing because the Spirit of the Lord was upon you so heavy? Then you had fear… now you have guilt.” That was a conversation in my head at 3:30 this morning.

David had just gotten called out on a traffic accident and the continuous squawking of the radio kept me awake. I scrolled through Facebook, watched a few videos, enjoyed the warmth of the covers, and then finally my mind returned to the original thought. “Why is the altar empty?”

For my friend Gloria and me, many of our miles lately have been traveled with a conversation about the empty altars in the church. Where the altar used to be lined with praying souls, it is now a handful of broken saints and an occasional child who finds themselves knelt down at the altar. “Why?” I asked myself again. So I ask google. Not even google had an answer for me. So I went to He Who has the answers and this was what read.

Malachi 1:6-10

⁶A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

You’re probably saying what I said. “But God, I love you!” To which He replies:

⁷Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.⁸And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

Israel wasn’t bringing their best to the altar. They were bringing their leftovers to the altar. And so am I if I’m honest. Going to the altar has become somewhat ritualistic for me. I go because I know I need to go, and will continue doing so; but I’m not giving my best while I’m there. I give God a halfhearted “help me please…” and then get up unchanged. My heart is not prepared, I’ve brought a lame sacrifice and wet wood. So what will it take to set the altar of God on fire in our church?

⁹And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts. ¹⁰Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

God honestly doesn’t care who we are. He wants to know how serious we are. He wants the doors shut and the fire stoked when we approach Him with request. In my mind I read that as the world being shut out, and the fire within my soul blazing with passion when I make my plea. My focus needs to be on the perfect sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. My sacrifice will always be lame. His was perfect.

I have a tendency to look at an empty altar and get discouraged because the rest of the church is in their seats. That ought not to be…

This morning I want to focus on what I bring to the altar. What will I bring and how will I bring it? I’m believing if I go with passion in my soul that fire will fall from heaven and ignite my wet timbers.

Bring down the fire! Let’s go to church!!!

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What to do when the lines are blurred

Written by talk2shari Published April 26, 2017July 31, 2021 Discussion Leave a Comment

The Christian life is forever a grand adventure. That’s a quote from my friend Chief. He and I have one common ground that forever gets us into trouble. We leap believing a net will appear. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. But it always an adventure. Sometimes those adventures take their toll on me spiritually because the line between living in faith and living in the flesh is sometimes blurred for a personality such as mine. You see, my first action is reaction to any thought. Any. That’s a problem.

God said in Philippians 4:6 ~ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Be careful for nothing means to “not worry.” It doesn’t mean don’t be cautious, which is often how I live my life. In ministering to myself this morning I need to unpack a few scriptures to get myself back into the adventurous living of Christ. The issue is this, if you leap enough times and the net doesn’t appear, the impact is painful.

The impact of broken dreams

I’m a dreamer. Oh my stars am I a dreamer! And if I’m honest being a dreamer is often an escape from reality. But when those dreams lie shattered on the ground because they didn’t come to pass as I thought they would, the impact is often for me to physically and emotionally shutdown. I usually do one of two things. (1) I shut down. Turn off the world and retreat inside my head which can be a very scary place. (2) Make someone else’s dream happen, in a very small sense of the word. Meaning I take on a thousand projects of a thousand people who are readily available to ask me to do something. (3) Quite often my last resort, I turn to the word of God. It’s where faith and flesh collide.

The impact of broken confidence

I’m familiar with failure. It’s a part of the life of someone who lives the “leap and the net will appear” mentality. Failure has never stopped me from trying again. But what will most assuredly shatter my confidence is when my leaping appears to the world as recklessness. And sometimes to me as recklessness. I restore that confidence in remembering the countless miracles that God has done in my life, but even they too were often God rescuing me from a not so very well thought out plan. So thus, it’s a vicious cycle. God however has confidence builders on call, like my best friend and biggest fan, Gloria. Or my friend Jessica, who spurred my spirit on by recalling how I had made a difference for her as she spoke at a ladies meeting Monday night. And my friend Dewey who calls just to check on me, who consoles my spirit and reminds me quite often that The Jesus Chick needs to stay on the path God designed. Confidence too is where faith and flesh collide.

The impact of broken spirit

Probably the hardest of all is when the flesh wins out over faith and I feel uninspired to go on. It’s when I’ve taken a hit from several directions. It’s not that the Word has let me down or that the encouragers in my life have let me down, it’s when the world has taken its toll and I don’t even have the desire to walk to the edge, never mind jumping off to another adventure. It’s where I’ve been of late. If you’re in a similar situation, visit StreamsOfWholeness.com for life coaching.

So how do you fix a broken spirit?

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

You offer it to God. Part of being in the ministry is realizing the paycheck doesn’t look like the 9-5 job. There’s usually not a paycheck. The pay is presenting the gifts that God has given you to Him and through Him, and allowing Him to tell you your worth.

Paul (the writer of Philippians) and David (the writer of most of the Psalms) had much in common. Both understood that the power behind the child of God is in prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. It is with an attitude of brokenness and contriteness (remorse) that God can use us. It’s where faith and flesh part. The flesh wants no part of regret or remorse. The flesh wants no part of being broken. But in that state is where I find my strength to leap again. Because in that state I realize that my dreams, confidence and desires are through Him, and it will be through Him that success will come. And it will.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

This ministry is fueled on the love of God, but if you’d like to help fund it please click the link below:

https://thejesuschick.com/pray-and-consider-supporting-this-chick/

Post Tagged with confidence, dreams, faith, Flesh, Hebrews, Philippians, Shari Johnson, spirit, The Jesus Chick

Posted in Bible Journaling, failure, Faith, Life Inspiration, Life's Failures, Uncategorized

What to Do when the Lines are Blurred

Written by talk2shari Published April 26, 2017April 26, 2017 Discussion Leave a Comment

God said in Philippians 4:6 ~ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

The impact of broken dreams

The impact of broken confidence

The impact of broken spirit

So how do you fix a broken spirit?

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

This ministry is fueled on the love of God, but if you’d like to help fund it please click the link below:

https://thejesuschick.com/pray-and-consider-supporting-this-chick/

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