Tag: Holy Spirit

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A Time For Acceptance

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Last Thanksgiving, I received a lot of feedback from a blog I posted. It seemed to touch on a tender topic for many families. This week I’m reposting part of that blog to again remind us about acceptance in our homes. Sometimes we have to take a step back from what we think we know about each other and allow curiosity and openness to reveal what’s new.  Of any years in our lifetime, 2020 and 2021 are surely the years to bring a fresh approach to how we view our family.

Believe it or not, Jesus went through awkward and painful scenarios with His family. In Mark 3, the uncensored version of how His family responded is described: “But when His own people (His family) heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.””  (Mark 3:21) It’s almost as if His family was saying Dude, you are a carpenter not a rabbi! What the heck, man? The brothers of Jesus later grew accustomed to His new position and encouraged Him to go to Jerusalem for essentially a publicity hype to boost His popularity. Scripture doesn’t sugar-coat it by summarizing: “For even His brothers did not believe in Him.” (John 7:5) Jesus later defined family as “whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35)

Jesus spent the majority of His life in His family household. But His family only knew Him in the flesh. The did not know Him in the Spirit. They didn’t know His purpose or calling. They had to grow and process new information about Him just like everyone else. Many people He grew up around could not accept Jesus for who He became. They questioned, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son?” The passage concludes, “So they were offended at Him.” (Matthew 13:55-57)

Is there offense in any of our gatherings? Have we judged people for their choices in the past? Do we know each others joys and sorrows? In our homes over Thanksgiving, people we have known in the flesh will be gathered around our table. Instead of looking at them in the flesh- the way they speak and interact, the ways we’ve always known them to be, why not look at them with spiritual eyes? Ask God to reveal His calling on their life.  Ask God to give a glimpse into HIS heart for our families. 

God alone knows what encourages us. He sees our heart. This Thanksgiving, allow the Holy Spirit to usher in a refreshing presence of curiosity and acceptance. Surely this is the heart of creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion—the message of my book, Gracious Living. I love uncovering ways we can encourage and honor the people gathered at our table.

Blessings to you and your family this Thanksgiving! I’m traveling for the next few weeks but I’ll be back to the blog later in December. Be sure to gift my book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion to all the treasured friends in your life this holiday season.

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Monthly Mashup #5

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Welcome to my monthly mashup! These are some of the things I’ve enjoyed or pondered this month:

Book I’m reading: “Your Power in the Holy Spirit” by John G. Lake. 

This book was compiled by Roberts Liardon and published in 2010. The material comes from sermons and papers given by John G. Lake around 1908 to 1920. This is a beautifully tender, powerful book. Here’s a little taste: “We live in order that our souls may grow. The development of the soul is the purpose of existence. God Almighty is trying to obtain some decent association for Himself. By His grace, He is endeavoring to have us grow up in His knowledge and likeness to that stature (see Ephesians 4:13-15) where, as sons of God, we will comprehend something of His love, of His nature, of His power, of His purpose, and be big enough to give back to God what a son should give to a great Father—the reverence, the love, the affection that comes from the understanding of the nobleness and greatness of His purpose.” P. 124 It’s hard to find a book about the deeper walk with God that isn’t stuffy or too heavy with dry theology. This tender story of transformation and the impact of John G. Lake on hundreds of thousands of people will walk you into the goodness of God.

Song I’m enjoying: “When I lock eyes with You” by Maverick City Music.

This is eight minutes (that’s the short version) to linger in God’s presence. I love the expression “when I lock eyes with You” because we don’t “lock eyes” with strangers. No, to lock eyes, or to gaze intently is an intimate thing. To take the time in our busy, fragmented world to gaze into the eyes of God and linger with His Holy presence, is so refreshing. Here’s the short version: https://youtu.be/mVlv0hSJGSw Here’s the long version: https://youtu.be/5xvCY0_vaDA

Quote I’m pondering: “The Fading of Forgiveness” Tim Keller quotes Baylor professor Alan Jacobs: 

“When a society rejects the Christian account of who we are, it doesn’t become less moralistic but far more so, because it retains an inchoate sense of justice but has no means of offering or receiving forgiveness. The great moral crisis of our time is not, as many of my fellow Christians believe, sexual licentiousness, but rather vindictiveness.  Social media serve as crack for moralists: there’s no high like the high you get from punishing malefactors. But like every addiction, this one suffers from the inexorable law of diminishing returns. The mania for punishment will therefore get worse before it gets better.” Read the entire article here: https://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/the-fading-of-forgiveness/

T-Shirt I’m smiling at: You stay safe, I’ll stay free

Thanks to my young friend Lauren standing up for medical freedom. She asks, “Will you stand against segregation? It’s simple, but it won’t be easy. Pledge to not support or participate in anything that segregates human beings. History will thank you.”

Have a beautiful week everyone! Please share my book, Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion with anyone needing some inspiration!

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Students in 2020

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As he was slogging through college applications and SAT exams last year, I told my son: “Work hard NOW, so that you can have a blast Senior semester. You can skip school every Friday and go skiing with your buddies.  There’s prom and Senior retreat and all kinds of cool stuff to look forward to.”  None of this proved true. Rona took it all down and he finished high school online, sitting alone at our kitchen table.

This week he’s moving into his dorm at Baylor University as a college freshman. Maybe you know kids who graduated from high school or college this year that are grappling with the unknown. Will there be in-person classes? How will anyone meetup? What job opportunities still exist in this economy?  These are legit questions for sure. But here’s one to ask your student: how are you positioned to make this the greatest moment of your life? 

The World War II generation still saves their jars, foil, bags, and rubber bands- the impact from rationing during the war. Students in 2020 have every right to carry anxiety and fear forever, but I believe God is doing a different thing. God is bringing radical change to this generation. Will students from 2020 be cynical or hopeless? Will they waver in fear and health concerns? Will they be non-committal and tentative in their ways? I believe not!

Students of 2020: God is for you. He is calling you out of worldly support systems into radical relationship with HIM. You will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit telling you where to go, who to talk to, how to minister. You are blessed going into this school year and you will be blessed coming out of it! You will see revival on your campuses unlike any that we have seen in our lifetime. Your peers are tired of the treadmill of fear, suspicion, hatred, and self-indulgence. They long for a pure life, a true existence, a cause greater than their own comfort or politics. They are hungry for the love and power of God! Kids, you will be marked by ridiculous generosity and favor. You won’t hold back your love for Jesus. You will walk in power and humility, bringing the kingdom of God in fresh ways.

You inspire us to run hard after God, pursuing the One who has long pursued us.  We sing Kari Jobe’s and Cody Carnes’ “The Blessing” over you: 

“The Lord bless you, and keep you: The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations” (Ephesians 3:20-21) College kids, you may think that this year will hold less, but God is about to release MORE on your campus. Let’s GO!

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Thanks for following my blog! Please share this with any college kids you know. College groups all over California are going through my book for their fall study.  Get your copy or gift a copy of Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love and compassion at http://www.MargaretAllen.org

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Abiding in Christ

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I finished my Peloton ride, proud that I worked out before breakfast. Sweating, I moved into my stretching routine still feeling pretty accomplished so early in the day. As I eased into a lunge, I suddenly and unexpectedly sensed God’s voice. He said to me, Margaret, I am the vine, you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I abide in you; you will bear much fruit.  Apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

And that’s when I began to weep. God, apart from You I am completely lost. I need You in my life. I need Your speaking voice. I need Your holy presence, God. Otherwise, it’s all a mess- my marriage, my kids, my home, my business, my health, thoughts, attitudes, and mindset. You ARE the vine God. I am a little branch living through You!

All week I’d tried connecting with God and came up empty. I read my Bible, prayed, listened to podcasts and so on. But the entire time I felt distant and distracted, like a cloud blocked my view. Until He spoke that one verse to me, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” In that moment it was all clear as day: apart from the Holy Spirit living dynamically through me, I can do nothing. Nada. Zero. But, actively connected with Christ, all things are possible!  

If our natural tendency is toward distraction, what did Jesus mean when He said we must abide in Him? To abide is to dwell, make our home, live in, pitch our tent, cohabit. Abide also means to linger, stick around, to remain. Jesus, our wise teacher, Prophet, king, instructed His friends how to maintain a deep and personal relationship. Gazing out over the vineyards, He said, think of Me as the vine and you are one of the branches. Those connected to Me, making their home in me and, I in return, dwelling, remaining in them, will bear great fruit. But of course, you understand if a branch breaks off the vine it will wither and dry up. It will not bear beautiful life-giving fruit. Hear me: a branch disconnected from the vine simply will not produce life.

What is needing a God infusion in your life right now? Has your distraction only produced withered results? We all need fresh encounters with God. In every area of life, Jesus wants to bring supernatural provisions and solutions.  But if we are not connected, abiding, dwelling IN Christ we miss those moments of counsel and comfort. We will not bear the fruit that is needed right now. 

I check in often with God to see if I’m truly sustained by Him. How about you, my friend?  If you struggle to know God deeply, get the book Gracious Living, creating a culture of honor, love, and compassion. In Gracious Living, I’ve carefully described ways to understand what God is saying. I’ve included prayers that you can pray, along with Biblical declarations to proclaim aloud. The book and the declarations are on my website at www.MargaretAllen.org Join me in the Gracious Living journey; get connected to God!

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Waking Up

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I woke up sensing:  I have food to eat of which you do not know. Ok, that’s weird but I recognized it as something Jesus said in the Bible. Like a smooth stone in my hand, I turned the phrase over and over in my mind. God why are you saying this to me?

I have food to eat of which you do not know comes from the Biblical book of John, a first century biography of Jesus, chapter 4. The story describes mid-day during a long journey and Jesus’ disciples have gone into town for food. Jesus, sitting at a well encounters a Samaritan woman. He rips through social boundaries to experience a genuine conversation with her (normally it would be improper for a rabbi to speak to any woman in public, especially one of mixed race as the Samaritans. It was even greater impropriety to share a drink with her). The long story short is that He pretty much reads her mail! He indicates knowledge about her past with all of its disappointment and shame. He indicates knowledge of her future hope. Get this: He tells her that God is seeking true worshippers. She, a discarded Samaritan woman, mattered to God.  

What I love about Jesus is that He did not participate in racial bias. He refused to be hindered or held back from extending justice toward a woman of the lowest rung in society. He lived out a life of honor, love, and compassion rather than perpetuating fear, shame, and division. Do you know anyone like that today? Are you that person creating a beautiful culture in your community?

I haven’t even gotten to my favorite part of the story! When his disciples return with the food, He essentially says no thanks, I’m full. Besides being shocked that Jesus is speaking to a Samaritan woman, the disciples want to know where He got his grub! Jesus clarifies, My food is to do the will of God. And what was the will of God? To bring this woman into wholeness. To establish her worth, dignity, and purpose. To answer her deepest questions about friendship with God. 

When I woke up with the Spirit speaking those words, I have food to eat of which you do not know, He was reminding me there’s a feast in the Spirit of God. There’s a joyful sustenance bigger than my circumstances would want me to know. Jesus is seeking an encounter with each of us today. He wants to minister to our pain and our shame. He waits to release hope, purpose, and destiny to us! Dear friend, do you have food today that others can’t see?

Hey, if you’re digging these posts, feel free to share them on your social media! If you want to get these as an email every week, just go to MargaretAllen.org and click on Mondays with Margaret and sign up for emails at the bottom of that page. Buy the book Gracious Living for yourself or be crazy and buy 10 for your friends to read and discuss!