Being Confident.

Yesterday we received an email from our school telling us what dates the money is due and I started to get overwhelmed and scared that we wouldn't have all the money. How many times do I let my circumstances rule my emotions and the way I think? Today the Lord spoke to me through these verses:

Jeremiah 17: 7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
it's leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.


I am praying for more confidence in Him and that we would be like a tree, with our roots deep by the stream.
That we would not fear when heat (circumstances, trials) come.
In times like this we need to be holding on to Him even more and believing what He says and who He says he is! We know He will provide.

If you want to give any amount to us toward this next season you can select the link above: "support"
Thank you for your support financially and prayerfully!!

Check your oil!

Last night we watched a teaching by Misty Edwards on the Parable of the Ten Virgins-- Matthew 25:1-13
I had never understood this parable but she brings FRESH revelation on it.

25:1-5
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Misty goes on to say this oil is the intimacy with Jesus, our secret intimate time with Jesus alone.
The lamp is our calling and ministry.

This parable is talking about how there will be christians who are more focused on their ministry and calling rather than spending that intimate time with Jesus. She said that it is the people who talk about praying, who sing the songs of worship, basically the people who talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. They never actually take time out of their day to be intimate with Jesus. Also, it is the people that you hear of "getting burnt out".

25:6-9

"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!" Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' No, they replied, there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

Misty believes that there will be a 'voice' in the darkest hour before Jesus comes back. A voice that will be telling everyone that Jesus is coming back. A voice to wake the church up. These foolish virgins asked the others for oil but they couldn't give them that intimate relationship with Jesus. We can only get that from spending time with him.

25:10-13

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. Sir! Sir! they said, Open the door for us! But he replied, I tell you the truth, I don't know you. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Jesus comes back and the wise virgins who had their oil filled (intimacy with Jesus) got to go into the wedding banquet.  The foolish virgins couldn't go in because Jesus did not know them through the intimate relationship.

This teaching was so convicting, scary, but also makes me want to run to Jesus all the more. It really made me think, am I carrying jars of oil? We need to be getting our oil filled DAILY. Just like the passage says, we don't know the day or the hour when Jesus will return. I pray that we will keep faithful to Jesus and run to him daily for that special intimate time.

I recommend watching this!

mistyedwards.com
the teaching is called psalm 45

waiting for Emily.

We sold our car yesterday and while I was journaling and praying and thanking God for that I heard him say "why don't you keep $50 and give away $450?" I fell silent and my heart sank. God showed me things in my heart that I never fully realized were there before. He showed me how fear was gripping me so I couldn't fully trust Him and how I am tightly holding onto money. I cried and told the Lord I was sorry for these things. As the Lord worked all this out in my heart I said okay, i'm gonna read your Word, please confirm this for me. I opened up to where I had stopped reading the night before. It was 2 Corinthians 9. I started reading and it was all about being generous. The verses that stuck out the most to me were:

‎2 Corinthians 9:6

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows 

generously will also reap generously

9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all 

that you need, you will abound in every good work.

9:12 

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also

 overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

9:13

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the 

obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity

in sharing with them and with everyone else.

There was no doubt about it, the Lord was speaking very clearly to me that we need to give 

this money. When Jr got home we prayed about it and Jr heard the name Emily. Well, we 

don't know any Emily's.. so we prayed again and heard the Lord say, "Wait"

.

So, we are waiting on the Lord. This is such an adventure and we are waiting expectantly 

and excitedly for "Emily"

cutting down the tree

A few weeks ago we got together with some of our friends and had a night of prayer. One of our friends got a picture for Jr of a tree and an apple fell off the tree and it kept rolling away from the tree getting all dirty but then Jesus picked up that apple and he is continually cleaning it off. -- Jr is that apple.

I was praying over Jr and the Lord reminded me of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the tree in Daniel Chapter 4. 

Daniel 4:20-22

The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air-- you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

4:23

You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump.. while its roots remain in the ground.

Ok. So basically this tree is huge, beautiful, strong, & great. So why would God want to cut down the tree & destroy it?

4:26

The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that heaven rules.

4:36

... and i was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.

So this is what the Lord spoke to me about Jr through this scripture.

Jr was a good leader before but the Lord is pruning him and tearing down branches and the Lord is raising Jr up to be an even greater leader.

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One thing that I have been surprised about is this season that we are in right now before we leave to ywam is  hard. I didn't expect the Lord to be bringing so much up in us. I expected it all to happen at ywam but I love that he is working out hard stuff right now too. :)

PRAYER:

Jesus will continue to release finances to us.

We will receive all that Jesus has for us during this time before ywam-- [ character growth, blessing others, patience, trusting Him.. so much more! ]

Thanks everyone!! :)