God's Will

Moving Away From Passivity

April 12, 2018 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

I started something new. I started asking God for my Word for the day. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us to pray for our daily bread. His Word is our daily bread and we should be asking and receiving a fresh, new word every day. It’s exciting each day to receive a new word. I encourage you to do this as well! Ask and you shall receive.

Just as God rained down bread from heaven for the Israelites, He still rains down bread for us.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

Deuteronomy 16:4

As I prayed for my word today, I heard “passivity.”

And I knew that I had to dig a little deeper to get a better understanding of what God is showing me in this word. So I Googled the word:)

Passivity (root word – passive) is defined as:

acceptance of what happens, without active response or resistance
lacking in energy or will: lethargic: tending not to take an active or dominant part
acted upon by an external agency: receptive to outside impressions or influences
not active or operating

God’s Word promises us new life in Christ.

But are we living a new life now? Or does it look suspiciously like our old life? Jesus gave us His peace when He went to sit at His Father’s right side. But do we see that peace in our life?

Too many of us in the Body of Christ are passively waiting on God to act. Click To Tweet

We are lethargic, lacking in energy or will. We are accepting of what happens in our lives without actively resisting those things that are not of God.

We are passively being led through life by others instead of taking the reigns and being the leaders.

Let me share this important truth. This is not God’s will for us!

While we are passively sitting around waiting for God to act, oftentimes, He is waiting on us to act.

It’s a stand-off. Us against God – and I’m sure we can both guess who will win.

Are you waiting on God to show you clearly the calling on your life?

Are you waiting on God to clean up some areas of your life in the hopes of being drawn closer to Him?

Are you in need of healing?

Do you have inner pain that consumes you?

Do you live life a little out of control hoping that any minute, God will bring peace and joy but never really experiencing that peace or joy?

God wants us to enter into His rest but His rest is not passivity.

The promise of entering into God’s rest still stands for us today.

Here are some things the Word instructs us to do even as we are in His rest:

Pay careful attention to what we’ve heard so that we do not drift away (Hebrews 2:1)
Fix your thoughts on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1)
Hold on to our courage and hope (Hebrews 3:6)
Do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 3:7)
Do not have a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God (Hebrews 3:12, 19)
Encourage one another daily so that no one may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13)
Be obedient (Hebrews 3:18)
Combine what we hear with our faith (Hebrews 4:2)

So what exactly does it mean to “enter into His rest?”

Let’s read a little more in Hebrews 4.

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 4:2-7

Jesus finished the work since the creation of the world.

We simply need to rest in Jesus and let Him guide our lives. As He guides our lives, we will see victory and success, even during trials and suffering. When we allow Jesus to take over our lives, we will not only experience peace and joy but it will become the very DNA in our beings.

When we enter into His rest, we will accomplish more in one hour than we ever could accomplish in a full day in our own flesh. So the question is this: Are you living life in Christ Jesus or in your own efforts? This is the difference between finding His rest and not finding it.

I hope we all find His rest TODAY.

Stay in the Light and Love always,

Eva

Parents Beware!

February 28, 2018 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

What does “complacency shaken” look like?

This is what it looks like:

His religious complacency was shattered. There was no great conviction of sin, but he knew there was a gulf between him and God, and a deeper concern for his eternal destiny than for any of the affairs of this life possessed his mind.

The excerpt above is from a book titled “Rees Howells, Intercessor” by Norman Grubbs. There is one particular part that pierced my heart as a mother.

Let me give you a little background first. Rees Howells was a young man from Wales. When he was in his early 20’s, he desired to make money in America. Rees had a cousin in America and there were also boys from his village who migrated to America and who shared how wonderful it was with everyone back in Wales. They also shared about the money they were making – earning more in one day than they could earn in a week in Wales. So off to America he went.

He went to Pittsburgh where his cousin was and he worked in the steel mill. Rees always was a godly man and had an awareness of God in his life. However, one night, his cousin asked him if he had been “born again?” Rees didn’t know how to respond and after repeatedly being asked the same question, he ran. His complacency was shaken.

He moved 100 miles away from his cousin.

But he said the “gracious Hound of Heaven was on his trail…”

You see, Rees lived a “good” life. He never knowingly or willingly sinned. He never joined in debauchery with the others in his village. He made God a priority in his life but he said,

I was outside the Kingdom, which all my good life and religion had never enabled me to enter.

Do you hear those words?

We can be so very very good in this life but if we are not in intimacy with Him, it is all for nothing. For Rees, the day came when he was to meet his risen Lord. He was struck with typhoid fever and he was facing death. He said he found fear for the first time. Then he said something that stabbed me straight in the heart. PARENTS READ THESE WORDS. As Rees was facing death with typhoid fever, he said:

Thank God my parents were not there to take that fear from me.

He had to face eternity alone so that he could meet God.

This is solid truth for each one of us. Rees promised God if He would spare his life, his life would be God’s and He did just that. I encourage everyone to get this book and read it if you want your own complacency shaken!

Do you see those words above that a 22 year old uttered when facing death? He was glad his parents were not there. If his mom and dad would have been there, he may never have met Jesus face-to-face. I can’t get these words out of my head and my heart’s deepest cry is that I will never take that fear from my own children.

It is so easy to want to take all of life’s struggles and darkness from our children. But in doing so, we are robbing them of their own need for a Savior. And if we do not have a Savior, we are not saved.

Here are three truths that I’ve learned as a mother that I’d like to share with anyone who has ears to hear:

Truth #1 – Don’t try to fix your child’s brokenness.

Only God can fix our brokenness. Brokenness is a good thing even though it is so hard. It is where we each need to get to in our journey so that we can see Jesus on the Cross. Seeing Jesus on the Cross is the first step to healing and wholeness. When we can actually see Him suffering and dying a death that was meant for us, it gets real.

Truth #2 – Don’t hide your brokenness from your child.

Our children look up to their parents and often walk in their footsteps. It’s okay to show your children your own brokenness and allow them to see how God put you back together. Unlike Humpty Dumpty, our KING can put us back together again!

Don’t hide the transforming power of God. Just a note, when I say to show and tell with your children, make sure they are of an age where they understand what you are sharing. 🙂

Truth #3 – Don’t create a glass house.

When we create a glass house, we make it impossible for our children to fail. If we’re not careful, we can easily get caught in the comparison trap thinking that everyone else’s life is perfect so ours needs to be as well. This is a negative result of social media. Everyone puts their best face forward on social media. Don’t compare because no one is perfect. Every single life has brokenness. Every. Single. Life. No exceptions.

When we create the “perfect” home and failure comes creeping in, we often don’t know how to handle it. And our children do not know how to handle it if we haven’t taught them. It is a very important part of life and a very important part of our children’s life.

Failure is healthy and further points us to our raw need of a Savior and Healer.

I know for me personally, parenting is one of the toughest jobs I’ve been called to in this life and I am so thankful that God is teaching me along the way. Here’s my prayer for all of us today:

Dear Father,

Thank You for the precious children that You’ve given us to raise. We know that they are Your children first. Help us and guide us day-by-day. Line our hearts up with Your heart. Use our lives to teach our children. Father, we thank You for showing us throughout Your Word how You want us to raise our children. Give each of us a deep desire for more of Your Word.

Surround our children with people who have a heart and deep love for Jesus. Let them witness to our children through their living. Give us parents the discernment to know when to step in and when to step out. Help us to never step in when only You can. We thank You and give You all the praise and glory.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen♥

Stay in the Light and Love always,

Eva

Romans 11:11-24 – Abraham’s Tree

July 12, 2017 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

We are part Abraham’s tree.

11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.

15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.

We need to pray that the original branches are restored to the tree.

17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.

Romans 11:11-24

I love Paul’s heart.

Paul was optimistically hopeful that his fellow Jewish brothers and sisters would accept Jesus as their Savior. He cared so much for all people and for their eternal salvation. He didn’t want to see any perish. Jesus doesn’t want to see any perish either.

God is hopeful that by making salvation available to the Gentiles, the Israelites would get jealous and claim it for themselves. We, too, should be hopeful for this same thing. Paul clearly tells us in verse 15 that we were only offered salvation because of Israel’s rejection. Therefore, we need to understand that if it weren’t for these people, we wouldn’t be in the story at all. We need to keep the Jewish people in our prayers. They are still God’s people.

Paul brought the message of grace to us.

He was appointed by God as our apostle and he tells us in Galatians that he received the gospel message directly from Jesus Christ. This is the same message that is for you and for me.

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:11-12

Reading further in Romans 11, we see that Paul uses the analogy of the branches and the root that Jesus used in John 15. Paul tells us that some of the branches of the tree were broken off because of the Israelites’ unbelief. He also warns us not to get too full of ourselves for being grafted into the tree. It is not because of anything that we did – it is because it was God’s will for us to be grafted in. If it was His will for us to remain outside, we would remain outside. It’s that simple.

We are part of God’s Kingdom because of HIS GRACE and MERCY.

Not only did He graft us into the tree, Abraham’s tree, but He also gave us the blessing that was promised to Abraham and his children. We share in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. This is how much God loves us. Meditate upon this great love. Know that you are loved dearly!

We need to understand that it is not about our love for God. It is His love for us that we need to dwell upon. Yes, we do need to love Him but if we focus on our love for Him, we will falter. When we focus on His love for us we have sure footing in this world. Paul reminds us in the end of verse 18 that we are just a branch, not the root. The root – the foundation – is Jesus Christ. And this is where the love flows from to the branches.

Focus on His love for you.

We also see in these verses that the original branches were broken off from the tree because of unbelief. The Israelites did not believe in Christ so they were removed. We were added because we do believe in Jesus but we need to stay humble and not think too highly about ourselves. Remember, if we can focus not on our works or our love and rather on the finished works of Jesus and His love, we can maintain a humility that is necessary in our walk.

God is able to do whatever He desires with His tree.

If He desires to add the original branches back to the tree, that’s His choice. We should pray that He does add those branches back in. This would mean that His people – the Israelites – believe Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. Let’s pray this not only for the Jewish people but for everyone!

Stay in the Light and the Love Always,

Eva

Romans 9:17-24 – Where Do We Fit In?

June 28, 2017 By Eva Conner Leave a Comment

Let’s see how we fit in God’s master plan.

17 For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” 18 So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. 24 And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Romans 9:17-24

Paul goes by the Word.

In verse 17, we see Paul says “for the Scriptures say…” Let’s follow Paul and go to the Scriptures. We need to know the Word and get it deep within us so that we know truth from untruth. So that we can test those things that come along against the Word. Paul knew the Word and he knew how to use it. In this verse, Paul is referring to the Pharah of Egypt and the plagues that came against the Egyptians because the Pharaoh would not release the Israelites from captivity. News spread throughout the earth about “the God of the Israelites” and His great power. God used Pharaoh. This may sound harsh but we cannot understand God’s ways. His very Word tells us that His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

God used Pharaoh to show the world His Sovereignty.

So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen (verse 18). One thing we need to keep in mind in reading these verses is that God knows beginning and the end. To Him time is not the same as it is to us. He doesn’t live by the constraints of time. He GAVE us time!

Why does He harden hearts of some? My thoughts on this are that God knows who will choose to accept Him and who will choose to reject Him. He knows our choices before we are ever created because He knows beginning and end. Therefore, He will use those who choose to reject Him and harden their hearts. Please understand these are my own thoughts. This is one of those areas in Scripture that we have to know we will never understand fully. And that’s okay. He will reveal things to us as we are capable of understanding. Other things will remain hidden.

Here is a quote I found recently: “Men are not lost because they are hardened, they are hardened because they are lost.”

Verse 19 further shows us that God is Sovereign and we have to respect that He knows ALL. We know a small, teeny little piece of what God knows. Our knowledge would be but a speck of sand compared to His knowledge. He is Knowledge. How can we question His ways? How can we question the One who created us?

The sooner we accept who we are – who He made us to be – the sooner we’ll understand that we don’t always have to understand. God is Sovereign. It is His will do anything that He chooses. But God is merciful too. He loves us and He chooses us. And He will use us to advance His kingdom if we open ourselves up to Him fully.

Don’t be afraid.

The words “do not fear” appear in the Word of God 365 times. I think this is intentional on His part so that there is an instance of these words for each day of the year. Do not fear being used by God. Do you fear your salvation? He made it so easy for us. Believe. That’s it. One Word. Believe. He didn’t tell us that we have to climb the highest mountain in the world to be saved. He didn’t say that we have to do the impossible to be saved. He made it super easy. Believe. So why do we think that if He calls us to help Him advance His kingdom that it would be any more difficult. Let me tell you from experience.

When He calls you, you are already equipped and ready to step into action.

Go and don’t look back. Step into your calling with both feet and let Him guide. You’ll be amazed at how He will use you when you just open up and say “Here I am, Lord. Use me.” We each have talents and gifts that are uniquely ours. In the Body of Christ, no one has the talents and gifts of another. What I’m trying to say is there is no other person ever who will have the talents, gifts and calling that you have. Step into it. I can’t encourage you enough. When you step into your God-given destiny, your life will never be the same. Fear not! The Potter made each of us with a specific purpose. And we will glorify the Potter when we are used for that specific purpose.

We are vessels of God’s mercy.

Not one of us in the Body of Christ deserve to be there but because of His mercy, there we are! Because of His great mercy for us, we are saved. Not because of any works that we did or anything that we could ever do because it is not about us. It is about Jesus Christ and His love. Not our love for Him but His love for us. We can NEVER love Him enough. We will always come up short like Peter did when he denied knowing Christ 3 times. Our love is a mere shadow of what love is. Love is God. God is love. And God pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).

Do you see how merciful He is?

We are truly incapable of taking care of ourselves without Him. We are utterly helpless and that’s not a bad place to be. It shows us our great need for a Savior. The Word above goes on to tell us that we are among those whom He selected – both from the Jews and from the Gentiles (verse 24). We are chosen; therefore, we are special.

It was always God’s plan to include us Gentiles. Let’s look at a couple verses in Isaiah:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

Isaiah 42:1

He says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Isaiah 49:6

In the Old Testament, God had us on His mind. He knew He was going to call out the nations to be a people for His name. What a special place we’ve been given as a Bride for His Son.

Stay in the Light and the Love Always,

Eva

10 Truths I Want My Children to Know

May 20, 2017 By Eva Conner 11 Comments

10 Truths for our Children

Here are ten truths for all of our children.

Those of you who are parents know how terrible it is to see your child in pain and not be able to fix it. There’s no easy way around it. Heartache is pain. I know from my own life experiences that heartache make you wiser and stronger. However, that’s little comfort to the hurting soul walking through the darkness.

But as parents, we must be able to discern when to comfort and when to step back and let God take care of them. God will give us that discernment if we ask for it. It’s important that we don’t take God’s place in their lives. That would be detrimental to their own walk with God.

This season of life has made me think about what I want to hand down to my children. Lessons I want to give them that will last a lifetime. Here is a list of those life lessons I want them to know.

1. God has a purpose for each of our lives.

If we lean into God for direction and comfort, He will guide us. Before the beginning of the world, He designated a certain path for us to take. It’s up to us to listen to His voice in our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”. Jeremiah 29:11

2. In the darkness, He is still working good.

No matter what we are going through and how alone we feel, He is always there and He is always working things for our good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

3. When God guides, you will always have joy and hope – even amidst pain and suffering.

God gives us joy for our mourning. Even when we are dealing with sadness, He can make our hearts calm with His peace.

…in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. 2 Corinthians 7:4

4. Pain is inevitable. It’s how you deal with that pain that determines how you live your life.

When we turn to God in our dark times, we will get comforted as only He can comfort us. But first we need to know He is always there! When we turn to the world in our dark times, we get led down a deceiving path to more darkness.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

5. Never, never, never allow someone to become “your everything.”

You are setting yourself up for disappointment every time and you are doing an injustice to yourself and that other person. Who can fill the shoes of Jesus? No one but Jesus Christ Himself. Look to Jesus only to fill you with joy and peace. The “happy” that the world sells us is short lived and dependent on things that will not last. When we look to Jesus for our “joy” we will never be disappointed.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

6. Jesus is Love.

Without Jesus, we can never truly experience all that love has to offer in our lives. That includes loving ourselves and loving others.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16

7. God’s promise for each of us is that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

And God doesn’t break promises. He answers His promises with a Yes and Amen. His promises are truths to firmly stand on even when the rest of the world is shaking around your feet.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

8. Life is precious and a gift.

When you have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you, it’s the most awesome feeling you will ever experience in this lifetime. You know that you are not alone. As Joyce Meyer says, “you know that you know that you know.”

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16

9. God’s love for each of us is unconditional!

No strings attached. No trying to measure up and falling short. No worries of rejection – ever. He loves us as we are right now. And that will NEVER change.

Now I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

10. A loving, bright, life-filled eternity is ONLY offered through the love and grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Don’t question the gift. Don’t doubt the gift. Just grab that gift and make it the very cornerstone of your life.

For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:6

God honors our prayers.

As parents, it is our job to pray for our children. God hears our cries. As members in the Body of Christ, it is so important for us to stand together united for all of our children. Let’s commit to one another to pray for each others’ children. Visit my post for a special prayer for our children.

I hope you visit my site often so we can continue to grow in Christ together. It is my goal in life to encourage and build up my brothers and sisters in Christ. When you sign up to receive future emails from this blog, you will receive a free e-book that I wrote all about the Holy Spirit and His precious role in our lives. If you are interested in receiving this e-book, enter your email in the orange address bar at the top of the page. Blessings and love to each of you.

Stay in the Light and Love always,

Eva