And Then there was Rome.

The first nation to persecute Christians worshipped Jupiter, Neptune, Venus and others. Her emperors were also gods and would not consent the exclusivity of what they called “this new cult,” which spread throughout the region and beyond, claiming that there was One, Holy God, His Name was Yahweh and His Son, Yeshua Hamashiach. Yahweh’s very law made it clear: there was no room for other gods amongst His people.  Because of that, His Name has been persecuted throughout the centuries.

Fast forward to the 21st century.

Worship pluralism is greater today than it’s ever been. We may not bow before them, offer sacrifices or worship in their temples. But we worship them, regardless.

Their names? Kylie Jenner, Social Media, Football, My Retirement Portfolio, BMW, just to name a few.

There is also the fact that we have also positioned ourselves as gods, sacrificing our babies in the name of self.

“It’s my body,” they say…

“And I shall worship it,” they should add.

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20:3

We have replaced the carved statues with the objects of our affection. Whether they are a person, our sports team or our own desires, as a society, we have taken God out of His ranking as first in our lives and now we worship Him when it’s convenient and pleasant. We have time for Facebook, but we don’t have time for His Word. We know who dates who in Hollywood, but we turn a blind eye to the veiled infiltration of immorality in our school system. As a nation, we accept. As Christians, we often silence. In the meantime, God’s indignation grows bigger each day. Not just with the nations, their presidents and leaders, but also with His people. His CHOSEN people.

So what are we, Christians to do?

“After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:4 (NLT)

We can’t know His voice if we don’t make spending time with Him a priority. 

It’s as simple as that.

I cannot expect to have a good marriage if my husband becomes one of the last items on my busy agenda…

Parents and grandparents cannot expect to have a good relationship with adult children if they did not have time for them while they were young…

A house does not clean itself.

We must make time with God a priority.

For several years, before I got married, my time to commune with God was in the evenings, before I went to bed. But in the past 20 tears, I have chosen to have my quiet time in the morning, before I start my daily activities. Several years ago, we turned a “junk” closet under our stairs into a prayer room. That’s my sacred meeting place.

You may not need to go into a closet. For many years, my “closet” was my car, during my commute hours in Atlanta traffic. For you, it may be a walk in the park. That’s one of my favorite places as well. The point is not where, but what. Our lives as so busy, that we can easily miss God’s voice. He speaks. All.the.time! But are we listening? The reason many of us end up “slipping” into a life of spiritual complacency is that we are not listening to God.

As His children, we really should not need a pastor or a friend to tell us how to live. We should be able to hear and simply obey.
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Truthfully, before we can make a difference in our country, in our world, we need to allow God to change US. We need to be still for long enough to allow Him to hear His directions.

More than service, more than giving, more than anything, God wants to spend time with you. It is in the quietness of your heart that He speaks. In the stillness of your soul that He guides your steps.

And as He takes His place in your life as first, intimate and essential, Yahweh reigns. His will prevails. His ways win. He remains the One and only God in your life.
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A challenge – Join me?

21-days – 15 minutes God First Challenge

This challenge is for you, who find yourself “slipping to a life of complacency” towards God.

We will spend 15 minutes a day alone with God and His Word. Here’s what you need:

1. Find a place in your home to meet with God.
2. Establish a time and stick to it. Make it an appoinment in your agenda. Plan your day around it.
3. Get your Bible, a journal and get ready!
4. Join our Facebook Group so we can have discussions about how this challenge is impacting your life. https://www.facebook.com/groups/402025807257814/
5. Share this post on your Social Media wall and invite your friends to join us!

Let me know if you are joining us by commenting below or on my Facebook wall/group: “I am in!”

Need to go back to your First Love? Join me for this 21-Day/15-minute Challenge!
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The post 21-day / 15-minute God First Challenge appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

My husband and I were watching one of the Gaither Homecomings one night, when the show paused for an interview with Vestal Goodman. The late singer was asked what advice she would give any aspiring gospel singer, when she replied in her sweet southern accent:

“I tell the young people who want to sing for Jesus: If you don’t keep God in it, you might as well hang it up and go get you a job in the grocery store. It ain’t gonna work. It just plain ain’t gonna work.”

Her words make me smile…

Because truth be told, sometimes we may be so caught up in making our work for the kingdom count, that we forget that success God’s way doesn’t necessarily mean that our voices are heard in the four corners of the world… that ours is the most popular blog, or that our speaking or singing schedule is completely full.

Moreover, I wonder how many of us are striving so hard to do “great things for Jesus”, that we forget that we aren’t responsible for the growth of the seeds we plant? Just as Paul mentioned in the passage above, while addressing the jealousy that was growing among believers regarding the work of the Lord – we are only instruments used by God to do His work.

True growth comes from Him and Him alone.

Indeed, if we are called by God to do ministry, then our focus should not be on the growth of our ministries.

Neither should I be concerned if so-and-so is more successful than I am…

Neither should I be focused on self-promoting…

Or whether what I say is accepted by the masses or not.

If I know that God has called me to do what I do, He will be the One opening the doors… or growing my sphere of influence. He knows the timing, and when I am ready to receive more.

“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:7-8 (emphasis mine)

When our hearts are in the right place… and at the right time…

He opens doors that no one can close…

And shuts doors that no one can open…

When our hearts are in the right place and at the right time, God opens doors that no one can close… And shuts doors that no one can open.
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My responsibility is not to strive to do more or be more.  My responsibility is to simply be obedient to my calling, truthful to His Word and to keep my priorities in check:

God first…

Then Family…

Then and only then… the ministry He called me to do.

It’s a chilling thought  when I realize how easy it is to lose focus of these priorities. Because what good does my ministry do, if my family hurts… Or what good are the accolades of this world for, if Heaven is silent as men applaud?

What good are the accolades of this world for, if Heaven is silent as men applaud?
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Oh, Lord, may it never be…

I’d rather have my children desire to stay close to You, because the work I have done for You did not rob them of precious time with me… and because my life was truthful to the words I wrote, than to have them resent You because my work for the Kingdom keeps me away from them and makes me so stressed out that I end up becoming the very opposite of what I preach.

I’d rather have people want to know You because of my faith in You, rather than because of eloquent words I may speak.
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I’d rather take the blunt of criticism while standing for Your truths… than have multitudes follow me, and yet, know that You silently turned Your precious Face from me… because of my compromise.

I’d rather have Jesus.

I’d rather have family.

Help us, Lord, not to ever forget that the growth we may experience in whatever we do for you… is not ours, anyway. It’s meant to be for Your Glory. We are mere stewards of Your gifts.

And if “it ain’t from You, and it ain’t FOR You…” then may we never want it, anyway.

The post Trying Too Hard {In Jesus’ Name} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

This year, instead of having our Fall conference, the Lord directed us to partner with She Found Joy – a national conference that is coming to Woodstock, GA on Sunday – October 7th.

Join us for an evening of worship, teaching by three dynamic Keynote speakers, including Soaring with Him Ministries’ President, Patricia Holbrook. You will also enjoy a fun, insightful discussion with a speakers panel, an awesome dinner and dessert!

It’s the perfect Jesus’ Girl’s Night Out! Tickets are only $35! There are also open opportunities for volunteers and vendors . Email Lauren Gaskill if you are interested in becoming a volunteer or vendor: lauren@shefoundjoy.com

Visit the conference’s Facebook page for more information and to register: She Found JOY – Woodstock, GA

Keep reading for my Monday Devotional:

But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”(Luke 10:41-42) (NASB)

I am running around the house with my Bluetooth on my ear, talking to mom on the other side of the hemisphere, while putting some clothes in the washing machine. It’s 6:00 pm and I just got home from a full day. I have one teenager following me around, eager to tell me the latest drama at school, while little sister wants to show me the new cool video she found and share the lyrics of this wonderful new worship song. I have dinner cooking and my mom really wants to see the girls on Skype. I have to sit down and pray that today the technology will be on my side and that I don’t have to dial 10 times before we connect. Finally, voila! When mom shows up on the screen, I’m really supposed to have a smile on my face while hoping that my dinner is not burning.

Does that sound familiar?

We live such fast-paced lives that prioritizing can easily become an issue. Hectic schedules make it hard to spare any room for quality time, whether we are stay-at-home moms, working moms or even if we don’t have a husband or children yet.

Spiritual Checkup

Not only can busyness render us stressed out and joyless, its tentacles can affect the most important aspect of our lives: our relationship to God.

That is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he admonished Martha regarding her busyness.

You know the story… Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, hearing His teaching. Martha was busy with housework and suggested that Mary’s service was inferior to hers. She was so concentrated on her busy service that, in a way, she was actually neglecting her Guest. While Martha was DOING, Mary was WORSHIPING.

You see, Jesus was not telling Martha that she did not have to be concerned about her work. After all, the Master wired her with the desire to accomplish and do great things. Martha was designed to be a doer. What Jesus admonished Martha to do was to rethink her priorities.

Jesus did not tell Martha that she did not have to be concerned about her work. After all, the Master wired her with the desire to accomplish and do great things. Rather, He was urging her to set priorities.
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Unfortunately, even when it comes to our work for God’s kingdom, we can reach a point where our service turns into mere busywork that is no longer a devotion to God. We may become so involved serving the Kingdom, that our time spent developing a relationship with the One we serve is not a priority anymore.

We can reach a point where our service for the Kingdom turns into mere busywork that is no longer a devotion to God.
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That is when Jesus looks at us and says: “Martha, Martha… you need to breathe. You need to choose that which cannot be taken away from you. You need to choose knowing Me first. I will teach you where to go, what to do and when you need to say ‘NO’. Stop and listen. Sit at My feet.”

Now, in practical terms, how do we do that? The laundry is not going to jump in the washing machine by itself and you can’t feed your children MacDonald’s every day.

How on blessed earth can we be busy and remain connected to God?

I would like to share some things that have helped me:

1)   Wake up early. Earlier than you did this morning, I mean.

For some of us who are not morning people, this is truly hard (Yes, I am raising my hand, sister!) I have found out, however, that if I wait to read my Bible and pray later in the day, I just don’t.

The biggest bonus of waking up early is that by putting God first in your day, you set the tone for a successful one. He energizes you when you are tired and promises to guide you through your day. Psalms 119:105 says “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”

2)   Find an accountability partner. In my case, it’s my husband. He is an early bird and wakes me up every morning. When I get downstairs, my Bibles are already on the table, waiting for me. He’s there studying his Bible too. When I was single, I had a girl friend who would call me at a certain time and we would pray together. We would then hang up and read our Bibles.

3)   Pray without ceasing. Although I love to get in my prayer closet to pray, it does not always happen. And it’s ok. On days like that, I know I can meet God on the freeway. Or while I do the dishes. It’s not uncommon that my children catch me “talking to myself” or “mumbling” while I am driving or doing house chores. They know Who I am speaking to. I talk to Him in traffic, when I’m cooking, or putting that load of laundry in the washing machine.

4)   Pray before committing to service. Don’t just get busy. Pray before saying yes. God does not expect you to do everything people ask you to. You need to know when GOD is calling you to serve Him.

5)   Use small breaks in your schedule to learn about God. Take some days of the week and use your lunch hour to read your Bible and pray. While your children are at piano lessons or taking a nap, grab a good Christian book to read.

6)   Turn off the TV. There is nothing wrong with watching TV, although I have to say, there is very little out there that is worth wasting our time. However, if we claim we don’t have time to spend with God but don’t miss one episode of This Is Us, we have a problem. This Is Us should be, like, 20th in your priority list.

If we make it a priority to seat at Jesus’ feet and listen, He will guide us in what to do. Our service will never be meaningless nor empty, and we should have real joy in whatever we are doing for Him. He will energize us and will be the wind beneath our wings when we are too tired to go on. And best of all, by prioritizing our relationship with the Lord, He will guide us to the most abundant, joyful place: right in the center of His will.

If we make it a priority to seat at Jesus’ feet and listen, He will guide us in what to do. By prioritizing our relationship with the Lord, He will guide us to the most abundant, joyful place: right in the center of His will.
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Have you found other ways to ensure you keep your priorities straight and God on top of your list? Share your ideas below!

The post Conference Update & Devotional: “Too Busy for God” appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.