Put Away the Finger

Dear Readers,
I have been pondering today’s culture and the challenges that Christians face as they attempt to reach a dying world for Jesus. I have been studying the “woman at the well” (John 4) and the culture that existed then and today. Why is today’s culture so resistant to Christ? As we begin to enter the Christmas season, I am reminded that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

The Bible tells us that God so love the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). It’s our job to reach them. It’s our calling and purpose. No one is excused from this assignment.

Church attendance in American is statistically declining. We are losing the churched, and we are not reaching enough unchurched and backslidden people for Christ in the proportions we had hoped for. People are not getting saved in churches in the numbers we had hoped for either. Jesus tells the disciples in John 4 to look with their eyes that the fields are ready to harvest. What do today’s disciples see with their eyes? And what has this off-kiltered focus done to the church’s reputation? Or, have we missed the boat and forgotten that we have to go outside the house of God to reach people? Could it be a mixture of both?

This is purely my observation, but some of the church has tainted or stained the church’s reputation using judgmental behavior and conversation expecting the “unchurched” to be a people who do not swear, wear inappropriate clothing, or smoke and or drink. This sneering eye in churches has also caused many to run from churches. We expect them to be cleaned up before they encounter Christ. You may argue with me about this, but follow this line of reasoning.

When we see someone swearing at their kids in the store, we roll ours and judge them. We snicker and sneer. We have no right to judge them. They do not share our revelation of having a pure stream. What we do when we behave this way is make them run farther from Christ. Don’t tell me they don’t know that we are a Christian. They can spot us a mile away. These are the people who point their fingers. These are the ones I used to run from before I came to know the Lord. People who think this is normal will NOT stop, sneer, and snicker; they walk by as if things are normal. Folks, this is a normal day-to-day occurrence. It is normal for them! They have not had the revelation that we have had. Does this make them garbage and give us the idea that they deserve our snicker, or do we think they do no better and continue to be real and hope for an opening to talk to them?

What people really want are people who are willing to love them and accept them for who they are right where they are. Christ says to come as you are. Some Christians need to be open to listen to people and not correct them for their language. If you are going to begin to minister someone who has a potty mouth, then don’t bring your kids with you. Don’t get me wrong, if you are in the store and there is a fair amount of common swearing going on between a family, you can refrain from sneering and move your family out of the isle. I would use this moment as a teachable moment and explain later in the car what you encountered. Explain that they do not know any better and pray for them. Tell them Jesus loves them and they should too. While we know how we should behave, we cannot judge them, just love them.

If you are without your children, pray that you can be brave enough to smile and say hello, how are you? Open the door in love. You never know how many people have just lost their job, have been diagnosed with cancer, are in an abusive relationship, and or are suffering from depression. If you can look beyond the language and stop judging, you may be able to reach another soul for Christ. Remember where you came from. No wonder Jesus tells us to remove the pointing of our fingers from our midst.

The “well” in John 4 represents almost any other place outside of the church and its parking lot. It’s the field of harvest, which is ripe and ready for harvesting. The church and the unchurched meet on common ground at the well and discuss natural things. If the heart is open and the veil is removed, they are able to reach them for Christ. The problem is that many people will not engage in fellowship at the well because of what they have experienced from other Christians. If we want to make a difference we need to less judging and more loving.
Food for thought!

Flyswatter Focused Frenzy: A Simple Lesson in Spiritual Warfare Revealed

Yesterday I was assisting a group of ladies in throwing a baby shower. There were several flies taking off and landing on our beautiful buffet spread. They were landing on the covered saran wrapped dishes. It was almost time for the event to start, but there was no flyswatter in sight. So, I grabbed an extra thick black graded plastic spatula for the available serving utensils and went to town. Swat! Swat! Swat! I killed each fly on the first attempt. My friends marveled at my adroitness, but I knew on the inside that had this been at home, it would have been swat, miss, swat, miss, etc. I usually get the flies sooner or later, but at home, I have to hunt them down, chasing them from window to window. What was different about this fly swatting showdown, and why did I call myself the “flyswatter diva” that day? If you’re like me and most ladies, you feel like you have to analyze almost everything.

That’s exactly what happened. The ladies began to marvel at my skill in killing the flies. I told them it was luck. They compared me to them and their abilities to kill flies at their homes. One lady said she should call me to exterminate their flies at home. We chuckled. I bet they had no idea that I was thinking to myself I was a fly slayer at church but certainly not at home. So, I let this secret out.

We began to examine the spatula’s design. Was it the thicker gridded design that made the difference? I even said why haven’t they tested this design to the traditional flyswatter plaid, short-weaved, tight design? Yes, this was all in pure fun, but was the lesson for me and for you? What was different about me?

When I think back, I was determined to kill those fly on the first swing. This is what made the difference. We were ten minutes away from starting. It was a showdown, and I won. I had no doubt I could kill those flies- one after another- I put those nasty flies in their place. Focused, I waited for them to land and swatted with explicit strokes. You see, I did not want to get any fly guts on the food or table. The ladies were coming in and I knew that if they saw me killing flies on open food etc, they would be disgusted and not eat. I had a mission and little time to complete it!

I see a simple lesson here as it relates to spiritual warfare in the kingdom of God. God has given us tools and weapons to fight the enemy. Sometimes we play with these tools or use them improperly. God wants us to swat the enemy with full authority in Christ the first time around. No swatting amiss. Instead, determined, focused, and executed swats that are delivered with urgency and authority. Do you believe that Christ lives in you? Do you believe that He has given you authority in His name to fight the wicked darts that come from the devil? If you do, get swatting and winning. Be a devil slayer and swat with fierce intensity. Fight the good fight!

Cobwebs and Dust Bunnies Alert

Yesterday I got up at 4AM. I couldn’t sleep. I laid there for a long time resisting the urge to get up and clean. I prayed and tried to fall back a sleep. To no avail, I gave in and got up! I hit the deck up and running: dishes, laundry, dusting, etc.

Today I got up and noticed cobwebs and dust bunnies about the house. How is this possible? I questioned. I wondered how they got there so fast, or had they been there all the time. Were the dust bunnies magically moving around as I cleaned or responding to the thrush of wind as I walked by? Either way, one truth still remained. They were there, though I had not seen them before, and I had overlooked them.

The Lord began to speak to me about this situation. He reminded me of the importance of surrendering our hearts fully to God, which means every part. We need His bright illuminating flashlight shining in every chamber of our heart. When we don’t take the time to do our regular heart maintenance, which is prayer; before you know it, there are cobwebs and dust bunnies everywhere.

I hear my skeptical readers saying but there will always be cobwebs and dust bunnies. I actually agree with you. One, God only gives us more than we can handle, and two, healing is like pealing an onion. He reveals things in our heart one thing at a time, so we can handle them.

In short, we always have to be on the lookout for cobwebs and dust bunnies in the natural and the spiritual. When they are found, they need to be handled both carefully and quickly.

We Had a Frightening Porch Fire at One AM

I was awakened with the following horrifying words this morning at one AM: “Mom, there is a fire on the back porch! GET UP!” My first instinct was to run and see what he was talking about. I saw the fire that was blazing in the garbage can and its connected flames engulfing my serving area outside. Without thinking, I sprinted to get water. My husband began yelling at my son to get a bucket and a broom. First, we put the fire out. Then we moved the items that were being poisoned by soot and water runoff, like our designer bamboo rug and outdoor furniture. The danger ended like that, but we have a lot of clean up to do out there today. After this burst of adrenaline, I could hardly sleep. My mind was going a mile a minute. All I could think about was the fire. The Lord spoke to me about precarious spiritual fires as I reflected on this scary incident.

Fire Unaware:
Not everyone is aware that there is a dangerous fire burning. They have become so desensitized to what is perilous because they have relaxed their beliefs and fallen away from the word. They are living their own gospel or mixture. Neither is okay with God. This fire becomes a conflagration, which is a great fire. It burns everything it comes into contact with. These fires are the most dangerous and destructive.

Thank God we were blessed to have been awakened this morning. We were able to take the tools we had in our house to fight the fire, and we won. When you are in a spiritual “fire unaware” situation, you are the easiest target for the enemy. It’s that sample. How do you become “fire aware”? You keep yourself in the word, you pray, you read your Bible, and you do not surround yourself by those who are desensitized and walking in the same risky lifestyle. You will have to ask God to help you make changes and give you renewed spiritual eyes to remove the people and things (idols) in your life that are unsafe.
Maybe you are looking at the aftermath of this fire; you didn’t see it when it was happening, but now you see what it has done. This is a good place to be and perfect ground for got to implant or replant some foundational principles you are lacking. It’s a great time to rededicate your life and allow God to sharpen your spiritual eyes. Aren’t you tired of waking up and asking yourself the question: God, how did I get her? We often blame God for things that we take into our hands. Some have turned their backs on the things of God. How can one blame God?

Fire Aware:
You may have felt like you have been slapped in the face with the most recent trial that has caused you fear, dread, and or even doubt. It may have caused you to run and let the fire blaze. Remember that we are to not think of these trials as odd (1st Thessalonians 3: 2-4). In fact, we are given a recipe in the word for fighting these types of fires. This is not the right way to fight a fire unless it’s temptation. You fight these spiritual fires by putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6). You can withstand “the fiery darts from the enemy’”! 2nd Peter 1:9 tells is that God will rescue us from trials. In order to be rescued, we need to be aware. If not, then the unaware wild fires will burn and overtake us. Isaiah 43:1-3 tells us also that these types of fires will not burn us and that He will walk with them through us. This is the biggest difference between the two types of fires that the Lord showed me. I’d rather be aware with the proper tools in my hands to fight the fire. I’d rather have Jesus right there with me telling and showing me what to do when I am at my wits end.

If you are in a fire situation, don’t panic. He is with you! You will not be burned or overtaken. Don’t walk by your feelings. Walk according to the promises in His word! If you did discovered there is a blaze going on or it has just burnt a pathway around you or through you, turn to God now. He can help you put the pieces back together.

Isaiah 43:1-3 (NJJV)
The Redeemer of Israel
1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43:1-3&version=NKJV

The Eleventh Hour

Dear Friends,

I woke up with the words "in the eleventh hour" in my spirit. I began to ponder these words and ask God what He was speaking to me. It's Saturday, which is my scheduled writing day. It seemed normal to wake up with a "word" in my spirit.

My message to you is that in the eleventh hour, God is able to meet your need. He is always right on time, never late, and never too early. You might be thinking right about now that it is near midnight. Where are you God? But the Word tells us that He will never leave us forsake us. God is not calling you to understand the trial, but to trust Him. Are you banging your head against the wall ineffectively? Remember that His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are our ways His ways. His sense of time is not our sense of time. We don't run on the same continuum. Don't even try to figure it out. Trust Him! So, even though it may be your eleventh hour and you are pretty dog tired, God is ready to move. There is no reason to fret though there may be circumstances that normally may move you to worry.

I know that God will work it out. He says He will never leave us forsake us. We can trust in the eleventh and even in the twelve hour. God is in control and on His throne. So keep praising Him and remember, he is going to work it out! Why not pray right now. God I trust you in the eleventh hour. I know it's going to be ok. I am going to praise you anyway. Thank you for loving me. Even though it might feel like you are not there, Lord I know you are with me.

Psalm 30: 4-6 (NIV)

Hope - Hillsong

Dear Friends,
As I was preparing to lead worship this week, I began to meditate on the lyrics of this song. I felt led to go to Biblegateway.com and look at the scriptures that had hope in them. I was magically lifted as I began to read. I was enlightened and lifted from a lower plain to a higher plain in God. I was reminded of the many promises we have in His word. Let me share a few of these magical treasures with you.

One, the word instructs me to hope in Him all day long. Psalm 25:5 "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (NIV). This is the key: thinking on Him.

Two, Psalm 39:7 says, “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." (NIV). This means I need to look for Him and not to other places to bring me hope. I need to keep my eyes on Him.

Three, Psalm 62:5 says, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him." (NIV). My soul will rest in God because I do find my hope in Him. I might need to call my soul into resting and speak this scripture, but I still have a choice. I can find rest. This is what I am choosing to do!

Four, "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Psalm 71:14 NIV). I will always have hope. Jesus came to give us life (John 10:10b). He has an abundant life for us. This means we always have hope. To think we do not have hope is a lie. I believe the word of God.
Psalm 119:81 tells us that we can hope in His word. There is always hope!

Finally, Proverbs 13:12 says that, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." (NIV). This tells me that if I have deferred hope, my heart will be sick. Why not reach out to God right at your computer and tune in to the hope line. It's taking calls as you read. May He pour His presence over you mightily and restore, revive, and renew your hope in Him.

Reserving the Right for Free-Time

Dear Readers,

One thing I have been trying to do is take the time to smell the roses more often. This means I have to make myself refrain from working and focus on something that is important to me. Even narrowing down what “thing” it will be could steal my joy, and if I am not careful, I try to cram too many things into one day. This week the Lord showed mea new way of looking at free-time.

You might have wondered if it ever seem like we make things too hard? I think we do, but man, I have to over complicate things. I guess it's just my way. Being given to detail can be a gift and a detriment wrapped in one package. Thus, I am learning to schedule me time, family time, Jesus time, and whatever other time I feel I need. I schedule it all-even free time is labeled. If you have seen my planner, you'd know why this makes me feel crazy.

But a revelation hit me this week, and I incorporated free-time with no label. I have reserved this time, thought it may be short, for what I feel impressed to do at that moment. What is nearby me that I am missing in the hustle and bustle of my life? My husband, my granddaughter, my friend, etc….. I think as I begin to do this more I am going to be a person who is full of more grace, faith, and love.

It’s time to stop and smell the roses more often and open our eyes to the grace, faith, hope, and love that is welcoming us. Don’t you think?

Overflow Equals Harvest

This past Tuesday I spoke at Community Life in Port Charlotte, Florida at a Womens Ministry meeting. The Lord was faithful in giving me a the word that overflow equals harvest. He took me to Isaiah 61 and told me to remind these women that He had given us many gifts and garments to break the cycle of worry. Step four: praise, is key to breaking the cycle!





Once we break the cycle at whatever part in the cycle , we take our thoughts captive, and we get to praise, thanksgiving, and joy; the result is overflow. That we means we get beyond ourselves and our problems. We begin to truly trust God with our problems- no matter how big or small! How else will we get to doing the work of the harvest.


The overlfow spills out to others around us. This overflow brings about harvest if we begin to tell others what God is doing and what He will do as we trust Him. In short, overflow equals harvest.


We have all been commissioned by Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Don't be intimiated by the word preach. Just go out and tell others what God is doing. Your words may bring them out of a miry pit and the sinners prayer is the next step.



If you are interested in reading more about this, below is the book mark that I gave out and the scriptures for that night. Enjoy!


The Bookmark


Breaking the Cycle with
Prayer & Thanksgiving
1. Denial
2. Question
3. Fear & Worry
4. Panic
5. Praise
6. Joy
7. Thankfulness
8. Overflow

Psalm 63:4I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
© Ileana Reich
Harbinger Ministries 2012
Illyguana@hotmail.com

Opening Scriptures:
Isaiah61:1-3- What we have been anointed to do and give

1. John 18:24-26 -Denial- It happens, but we can stop it!
2. Psalm 22:1- Question- It happens, but we can stop it!
3. Psalm 3:6 , Psalms 56:4, and 2 Timothy 1:7 Fear- We don't have to fear!
4. Isaiah 31:1- Panic can make us do all sorts of things!
5. Psalm 42:5, 2nd Samuel 22:1, Psalm 149:3, Psalm 8:2, Psalm 66:17, and Isaiah 61:3- Praise is a powerful decision.
6. Psalm 69:30-Thanksgiving leads to joy
7. Psalm 28:7 and Psalm 95:1- Joy leads to overflow
8. Collissians 2: 6-7- Overflow

Closing Scriptures:
2 Timothy 3:10-17- We are equipped and should do what we have been taught.
Colossians 2:6-7 -Thanksgiving is pertinet to overflow.

Yolanda Adams - The Battle Is The Lord's

Sometimes we grow fatigued sauntering through our daily state of affairs. The chin splints of trekking through life are killing us! We loose our energy and chutzpah (nerve) to keep fighting and running. I must clarify that that there is a place for battle, but it is important that we seek the Lord and know when we are to battle with weapons in our hands, like when the Children of Israel crossed over the Jordan river, or if we are to stand and see the salvation of our God, like Jehoshaphat did when he defeated Moab and Ammon without lifting a finger in battle! Nevertheless, we always have to dress for battle and be ready and that is tiring enough!

You may have heard the old cliché and chiastic structure, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This implies that we need to sprint through our daily struggles like tough bring home the bacon woman fighting our battles with a spatula and masher in our hands. As you can see, this quote implies that we need to muster up enough vigor to do it ourselves. This is the world’s thinking and is contrary to what the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13- NIV). Our success is grounded in Christ who strengthens us, and this is, my friend, is where victory presides!This is why we can get dressed for battle and arm ourselves!

Ephesians six tells us who our enemy is, how to dress for battle, and ironically, after doing all of that, we are instructed to stand. For example, there have been situations with my husband where I refused to listen to God’s gently urging to let him figure it out on his own, to let God handle it, and to let go. It took me a long time to figure out that pestering him was not going to work. I can be stubborn and that makes me a slow learner sometimes, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I had to learn to trust that God would give me the strength to stand still and wait.

So, I think we can agree on the standing and having to wait sometimes, but what do we do while we are staring down that scary hill looking down at our ashes, such as arthritis, depression, muscular dystrophy, floaters, thyroid disease, etc.? We have a choice to see what God sees, or we can look with natural eyes. I am not telling you to visualize something into happening; I am telling you to see yourself as God sees you. He sees you as a whole spirit being. In 2nd Chronicles 20:17 it says to “stand still and see the deliverance of God.” Take the word for truth and see your deliverance today.

So I was reading 2 Chronicles 20 in preparation for worship service tomorrow and just about interrupted King Jehoshaphat’s plight. I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall. Since I cannot, I read it very closely to learn about how he handled his predicament. Let’s take a look at 2^nd Chronicles 20 and trace the steps of King Jehoshaphat:

He called a fast in his kingdom when he heard a great enemy was coming (V 3). If you are looking at a giant, fast. That’s the first step. If you have a special medical diet, talk to your doctor and ask what you can fast from. You may have already been told not to eat certain things, and this is a fast from those things. Turn your fast and action towards God.

He gathered his people and told them to seek God (V 4). Gather your friends to seek God with you. They can do it in their own homes. If you do not have many friends or are a shut-in, call your church to pray for you!

He prayed (VS 5-12). It’s time to pray. I don’t mean the quick get it over with I’m busy prayer, “Jesus, heal me. Amen”; I mean take the TIME to pray and seek God. Read His word and pray about the promises you read.

Jahaziel prophecies to the king and tells him not to fear, to stand still and see the deliverance of God (VS 14-17). I write a lot about fear. I think it’s because it’s an easy crutch to fall back on. Sometimes the words “I’m afraid” jet out of my mouth without me even thinking it. I have to correct my speech and let the devil know that I don’t believe his lies. There are times that I do recognize that I am fearing a situation. In those cases, I take that thought into captivity and deal with it. I give thanks God! I am learning to stand and wait for the Lord to handle my battles. So much emotion is wasted when we worry and get flustered!

They worshiped God (V 18). This is simple and something we can all do. Worship Him because He is Lord. That’s it!

They praised the Lord (V 19). When I read this scripture, I see people jumping, shouting, routing for God like they are at a football game and the team’s quarterback is about to make a touchdown that will win the game. They see the touchdown and crazy like praise breaks out! This is the kind of praise the Lord inhabits. The Lord does not desire to inhabit the praises of wimpy, lazy, half-hearted, shallow praise that we have been guilty of offering up during worship service from time-to-time. He is looking for a people who will be thankful and give it all they’ve got!

They believed the prophet and were thankful (V 20). We must believe God before we can thank Him. Because the people believed God, they were able to thank Him. Do you believe that God will deliver you? If you do, than a spirit of thankfulness and praise should break out of you!

They got dressed, sang, and praised God the next morning. They approached battle with praise on their lips and the battle was won (VS 21- 22). Once again they gave it all they had. They approached the battlefield but knew that God was with them. The stood there praising and waiting. Their shouting was so loud, that Ammon and Moab’s people did not see the ambush, which was the people of Mount Seir, whom God sent after them! All of them died in confusion and not one of Jehoshaphat’s people were touched!

This tells me that the battle is truly the Lords. I am going to do to do a lot more standing and waiting, while seeking, praying, and praising. I have learned first hand that these are things that I can do with Christ’s help!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%2020&version=NKJV

God's TV

I was inspired at the sunset on beautiful Englewood beach a few weeks ago by my friend Jacqueline Anderson-Moore. She read her poem she had written called “God’s TV”. This idea resonated with me, and I took it further. I have been writing about watching less TV, and I am not missing it one bit! I have new outlook on life. Look at the following God TV channels I have:

The God Channel

The Exercise channel

The Music channel

The Family channel

The Bible Channel

The Romance and marriage channel

The Grandma Channel

The Worship and Praise Chanel

The Cooking Channel

The Fishing and Beach Channel

The Read a Book Channel

The R & R Channel

The Sunset Channel

The Nature Channel

The Friend Channel

These are just a few! I meant a young woman today for lunch, and we talked about what we do with our time. If I tune into the boob tube, aka TV, look at all of the things I am missing out on! It’s food for thought. Isn’t it!