“I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you.  I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”  Haggai 2:23

We are the signet ring on the Lord of Heaven’s Armies’ finger!  What?! 

In the book of Hosea the Lord promises to shake the heavens and the earth.  But then…He gives us, His chosen ones, His authority!  Well that’s old testament you might say, He was talking to his people Israel you might say, or specifically to Zerubbabel you might say.

Well, what about when, in the gospels, Jesus said,  “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20.  This agrees completely with the declaration in Hosea of giving us His authority.

So?  What are we to do with this being a ring on His finger thing?  A signet ring was the ultimate symbol of the king’s authority.  We are to walk in it.  What?  We are to WALK IN HIS AUTHORITY!

We are to walk in His authority as sons and daughters of the King.  We are to go into the world and be gracious to the lowly, like Jesus was.  We are to take the authority of His name and cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, encourage our fellow believers and by our kindness, bring repentance to those who are far away and anything else the Father says to do.  By the authority we have in Jesus’ name we are to say only what the Father is saying and do only what the Father is doing.

By walking in this authority we are, somehow, to do more and greater than Jesus himself did while He walked on the earth.  Yeah, you know, the usual boring Christian stuff.

(Photo Credit: Cross Power Strip design concept by Alexander Pincus)

It was one of THOSE weeks. You know the type I am talking about, we all have them from time to time. The kind of week that when someone asks the innocent question “how are you  doing?” a sarcastic and somewhat hysterical laugh bubbles up to perhaps accompany an unconscious eye roll.

Shifts in perspective are always a hard fought battle for me I suppose. It’s not that I am intentionally stiff necked but I tend to toddle along blissfully unaware of an area of thought or perception in need of an overhaul until something slaps me in the forehead.

What if some of what we think is an “enemy attack” is really the Master Planner’s strategic placement of you – His valuable asset – for a kingdom win? What if we stopped the nasty little lie in our head the instant it attempts to creep in with that toxic and tired condemnation that sounds like “you deserved that because you failed in…” (insert whatever pity party you’ve recently held for yourself). What if FIRST – before we react and send a volley of petitioning prayer – we put emotion on hold and asked Him what He is saying about the circumstance?

Picture your favorite inspiring leader, it could be anyone real or fictional. They come in all shapes and demeanors from gruff to the knight in shining armor. Part of what makes them a favorite is that they are right there in the thick of whatever crisis is going on in the story. They may have the “here let me help you, I’m by your side no matter what” approach and we all melt. Or they may be a motivator and have us rallying behind the hero/heroine because we know they are right when they push ,“HEY! Get up off the floor YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU WILL SUCCEED!”.

If when you ask Him about your situation and your thoughts or what you hear doesn’t sound like either of those options, not in those exact words perhaps, then you need to tell those thoughts to take a hike. He is your Leader, your Papa, your best friend, your greatest cheerleader and the lover of all that you have been, are and ever will be.

Over the past two weeks I’ve learned a few valuable things; rarely is a situation what I originally think it is – I need to wait instead of reacting and ask what He’s up to – which inspiring Leader is He right now? How can I trust Him more? What role am I supposed to play in this part of my epic story?

Finally, no matter how much I have professed over my life to have missed my calling as a hermit, people who never condemn but call out your best qualities – even when you are having a snot and tear filled pity party in my case – are a truly invaluable treasure.

For me and maybe you too, it’s hard to ask for help. Not always because I’m afraid they’ll look down on me for my mental, theological or physical struggle but for me it’s hard to ask because I figure they have their own or worse problems. “I shouldn’t bother them, I should just suck it up”. It’s funny because that’s exactly what our arch enemy wants, to isolate and us make us think we are the only one’s who have faced whatever the situation large or small.

One of my battles was blowing up two blenders while trying to bake a cake for someone else. Certainly that is not “end of the world” stuff but none the less I had a melt down. My bigger battle was a potentially dangerous situation where I was obviously protected by our Hero while destruction was literally all around. However, the more I talked (sometimes complained) with trusted family and friends the more evident it became that He very tangibly displayed Psalm 91 for me in that larger battle. I became extremely thankful for the many ways He provided and began to see victories in the midst of challenges and my entire perspective shifted.

Over the last few weeks He has lovingly gone above and beyond to restore the time, money and emotional weariness not only with physical solutions but exciting opportunities to grow and exercise new spiritual authority. It’s not always the victory we envision or when we think it will/should happen but you can rest assured when you can stop and ask Him those questions you’ve already laid waste to enemy plans.

If at any point in life you’ve decided that Jesus is your one and only Leader then the honest truth is; whether you feel like it today or not, with Jesus as your Leader you are a warrior. The best part is because He is always the perfect Leader and never apart from you, your very presence causes the dark one and his henchmen to tuck tail and quiver.

You never have to “be” anything, His love for you has done it all already. No wonder the enemy lobs so many lies, they know where He has sent them. Here are a few things He has to say about you:
Zephaniah 3:17 – The Eternal your God is standing right here among you, and He is the champion who will rescue you. He will joyfully celebrate over you; He will rest in His love for you; He will joyfully sing because of you like a new husband. (The Voice Translation)

Psalm 111:3-4 – His work is marked with beauty and majesty; His justice has no end.4 His wonders are reminders that the Eternal is gracious and compassionate to all. (The Voice Translation)

Remember you are part of His works and you are marked with beauty and majesty!

1 John 3:1-2 -Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either. 2 My loved ones, we have been adopted into God’s family; and we are officially His children now. The full picture of our destiny is not yet clear, but we know this much: when Jesus appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him just as He is. (The Voice Translation)

Notice He says we’re family. Ask Him to bring some “family” into your life if you don’t already have people that will stick by you, call you up and sometimes call you out in those messy real life moments. Finally, the next time you read Psalm 91 read it as His declaration and promise to you. He is true to His word!

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT (Emphasis mine.)

I was having a little personal prayer and worship time with the Lord and He showed me a picture of two tall silk flags waving as if by a flagger, together. Each flag was vibrant orange with a shimmery purple and orange and yellow butterfly half on each flag. So as they were waved, it appeared that the butterfly was in fact, flapping its wings in flight. The wings moved fluidly and as they moved they exhibited all the colors that had been hidden in the folds.

It was beautiful!

In that same moment He reminded me of the verse above:

“Old things have passed away and the new life has begun.” In some translations it says, “the new life IS!” I like that.

Just like a butterfly that has gone through metamorphosis, we have been changed and we are radically different!

We come out of the cocoon where our old life died and we have to shake out our new gifts that enable us to fly and let them take shape and then we have to learn to use them so that we can fly into our new identity and help to build up the body (the church).

You are made new! Stop trying to go back to being a caterpillar! The Old life is dead! The New Life IS!

If you keep trying to haul out that old dead thing, it is just going to smell bad and your new you won’t fit back into that old cocoon anyway. These things are yours:

• New Life
• Metamorphosis
• Transformation

Old things have passed away and the new IS….and now you have wings to fly! As you spread your wings, all of your colors, your talents and creativity that were formerly hidden will begin to be exhibited.

Choose to soar with the Holy Spirit! It is abundant life!

We are a sports loving household – okay, maybe not the entire household but half – okay, fine, it’s me, just me! In a house full of males, I am the most avid sports fan. I like pretty much any sport in season but my favorite sport of all sports is hockey, which is weird, because I grew up in east Texas in the 60’s and 70’s and the closest I ever got to a hockey game was watching the winter Olympics. Then I met and married my hockey-playing, Minnesota raised husband and he took me to a game in 1993. From that first puck drop, I was hooked and ice replaced turf, sweaters replaced jerseys, periods replaced quarters and now 82 games lead to the best months of the year, April – June and the Stanley Cup playoffs. But what does hockey have to do with living a life wholeheartedly for Christ?

Glad you stayed with me to find out. Like all sports, hockey has a scoreboard and on that scoreboard information is displayed about the game. I look to see who is winning, to see what period we’re in and to see how much time is left to either bite my nails or hold my breath. And in hockey, the scoreboard also displays for all to see, the one who was caught in a wrong and who must now sit out their penalty time in the penalty box, otherwise known as the “sin bin”. That’s the connection. The scoreboard, the “sin bin” and God’s grace.

Sometimes I feel like I am a player in this really fast game called “life”. People are flying in and out, schedules and timelines are sailing by, worldly temptations and problems are coming at me from all sides and when I mess up – there it is, up on the scoreboard. Player Mom to the penalty box – 2 minutes for grumbling and complaining about clothes left on the floor or a 5 minute major for an angry outburst with tongue lashing and eye daggers because a grade fell below a B. After the flurry of the interaction, sitting there alone, it begins to feel like all eyes are on me, with no shortage of unsolicited “helpful coaching” from the crowd in the stands, the entire situation magnifies to me that once again, I got it wrong.

Some days I feel like Paul in his letter to the Romans, not understanding what I am doing, trying to do right, then doing what I hate, back into that “sin bin” and I just can’t seem to stay out of it. But my Mom penalties aren’t all that are on display. No, I can quickly attach my identity (my Proverbs 31 Christian Wife/Mom points if you will) to my husband, and my kids and when they don’t do, act, react, walk, talk, end up, get done, run the play, etc.. like I had it all planned out in my head, I look up at that imaginary scoreboard and I see myself sitting on a big fat “O” while all my friends seem to be scoring in triple digits. I’m losing because obviously I am not playing good enough to be in the Wife/Mom position! Crazy right? But don’t we all keep some kind of scoreboard in our head? No? Well I do, and I had let it become my focus.

The more I thought about this analogy and the more I prayed about my life and scoreboards and comparing myself to others, the more evident it became, I was too busy worrying about the crowd and what they were thinking about me. I had to make a change. I needed to take myself out of the game and sit on the bench so that I could hear the guidance of my One True Coach – to be reminded of His truth and encouragement. I needed His constant reassurance that I am not in this game alone. I had to return to His Word for it is in His Word that He tells me that I am part of a body, a team playing this life game for His kingdom, not me out here alone, playing for my own recognition or crowd admiration. That this body, us, the believers, must work together, encouraging and lifting each other up in order to follow the plan that He has drawn up for us to be effective in winning souls for Him. And best of all, His Word promises me that, when I ask, He forgets those penalties and, if I am willing, He will put me right back in the game. Only He’s sending me in better equipped and with experiences to share that glorify Him.

Oh He’s tough and His discipline after those penalties can be unpleasant but it is only because He wants more than good from me, He wants what He knows is my best. He guides me to be the Wife/Mom that is best for my family and the me that gives my best for Him. He trains me to do my best for my fellow believers and even if I don’t understand why, to do my best for the crowd. To give each day my all, not because I need to earn points to win, but because I am playing for Him. Oh and by the way, He doesn’t keep score. HE DOESN’T KEEP SCORE!! THERE IS NO SCOREBOARD IN HEAVEN!!

Slowly but surely he is helping me to truly believe that His grace is sufficient and He alone helps me to keep my eyes off that imaginary board in my head.

He nudged the fire once more as the blaze caught and began to put off welcome heat. Coaxing flames to life was not something The Leader had to do, He could have just looked at the pile and instantly had a fire large enough to roast an ox. But there was something about coaxing things along that excited Him. Noting the rapidly rising sun it was time to wake her up…

It came so softly The Warrior thought she must have dreamt hearing her name on the wind against her cheek. Half asleep still she hoped she was dreaming because yesterday had been a long day of settling back in at home after long weeks in battles. The Warrior loved every battle and thrilling victory over the Liar but she really hated having to clean the dust off of her furniture, dishes and to wash her filthy things upon return. “Serilda…” it was almost sung and accompanied by a sweet smelling breeze through the shuttered window. Snuggling down a bit further she relaxed even more, the sound of her name and the breeze was so soothing. “S-e-r-i-l-d-a” the breeze had shifted to a sharp wind that blew one side of the shutter open banging it off the wall and leaving no doubt that she was no longer dreaming. Groaning at the sudden light and wind blowing through her room she cracked an eye open to take in the outline of The Leader against the warm light of morning.

“Morning… looks bright out…” Serilda grumbled as she mostly fell unceremoniously from the low bed and stumbled past The Leader to push the shutter closed. She found the shutter wouldn’t budge from the wall despite her pulling with both hands. Huffing from effort and mild frustration she turned again to The Leader who looked quite pleased to have her attention. Smiling He pulled a flagon from behind His back. Uncapping it, the scent that wafted out was the elixir of life to Serilda’s senses – hot, dark morning brew. Stubbing her toe but never noticing, she lunged for the flagon and grabbed it like a desperate animal would lunge for meat. “It’s nice to see I have your full attention now Serilda” The Leader laughed as he sat on one of two wobbling stools. “I have a plan that I need you to work on.” Serilda with the aid of the morning brew and the promise of a new plan to work out sat up with bright eyes. The Leader continued.” It will undoubtedly be messy. Uncomfortable for most of the time I’m sure. I’ve sent so many on similar missions but some got discouraged or simply gave up because of the sheer effort this requires. But we NEED this plan to work. I NEED you and the others I’m asking to join in similar plans to see this through.”

The pained expression on The Leader’s face pulled at The Warrior’s heartstrings and the anticipation of a challenging fight caused The Warrior’s body to tingle. “I’m in, all in, whatever you need. I can go today, I can go now, it even saves me from more cleaning.” as she stood and began stuffing items in her pack. The energy was palpable as Serilda rushed around the room pausing only to wrap her well-worn wrist guard with the Emblem of her Leader around her wrist. “Do you have the details written down? I can travel wherever. You know I’m not afraid of a walk.” Standing The Leader stopped The Warrior as she stuffed food into another pack. “Serilda let me finish before you’re half way into another realm. I love your enthusiasm, as I said before your scrappiness is a quality I love but it’s time to see you become a true Conqueror in war. What I’m asking you to do is the first and most important lesson for a Conqueror but it also challenges the most seasoned Warriors and Conquerors. All of this world and the other worlds we fight for depend on this next series of plans succeeding. This is a different time than any other time in the tales of old men. The Gates to worlds and kingdoms you’ve dreamed of entering are closer to being available for unlocking because of the victories we have achieved but there’s more to gain! The Liar tightens his grip on the world we are in now, but he will NOT have it.” Real fire sprung up from the dirt floor around The Leaders feet and crackled loudly to punctuate the end of His impassioned speech. Serilda The Warrior dropped to her knees. “I’ll do whatever you need. My life is not my own and hasn’t been since I joined your Camp. I’ll go where ever you go, where ever you say, I know if I am sent on your Word I cannot fail.”

Smiling The Leader pulled The Warrior to her feet and walked her outside into her dooryard. The inside of Serilda’s house may always have been dusty and nothing matched, not plates or curtains, but The Warrior’s dooryard was another matter entirely. Vibrant plants and ancient trees whispered “Good Day” to anyone who would pause long enough to be quiet and listen. Color was everywhere with the deepest green imaginable, the common thread tying it all together, displayed in leaves, stems, stalks and moss. The ground oozed life and The Leader closed His eyes to soak in the essence of the garden. “Serilda you hold life, it’s here in what you plant on the land and it will be what you take where I am sending you. Remember that when you want to give up. Remember who you are and what I’ve given you. Now are you ready to hear the next part of the plan?”

The last bit of light clung to the landscape. Soon all would be bathed in the glimmering light of a crescent moon which seemed intent on outshining the sun. A Warrior paused in her stirring on the ground. She knew moments like that; where the sun bade a spectacular farewell and the moon ushered in quiet and peace were not to be wasted.

Mists appeared in the tree line, insulating the land much as a shawl would insulate a person. Shadows grew longer and the Warrior began gathering herself again as a coolness crept across the earth. Looking around, she noted the buzz of activity had faded along with the light. With great effort and determination the Warrior gained her footing. The day had been a long one. She had begun preparation for the battle that day long before the sun had illuminated the field. Much time had been spent with her Leaders in the pre-dawn checking the soundness of the plan, weaponry and reverently dawning the gifts of protection the Leaders had bestowed.

There were many warriors gathering themselves on the same field and shouting rowdy songs of victory. All had made preparations for the battle though no two methods or weaponry was the same. There was only one small mark that every warrior wore that identified for which army they fought. While the mark was the same in design for all, a quill pen piercing a heart, it was never in the same place or affixed by the same method.

This particular Warrior’s marking was burned into the worn leather of her wrist guard. She looked down taking stock of all the new places the guard had been marred by the many arrows she’d released that day. Despite the wear to the wrist guard the mark remained perfectly crisp and intact. Sighing she picked up her bow that was in two pieces held together by the string which when taut had hummed in victory with every arrow loosed earlier in the day.

Holding her side, hunched and unsteady she made her way to the middle of the field. All along the way there were dark patches on the ground where the enemy had fallen and become piles of ash. While there were a great number of piles, she wished there had been more. Until there could be no more enemy to fight, she always wished there were more piles. The Leaders were making an enormous bonfire of the weapons of the enemy there in the middle of the field. The entire army seemed to be singing or dancing, all except that Warrior who sank to a log close to the fire. Grateful for the warmth she hung her head in fatigue and with a feeling of failure at how the battle had gone for her that day.

The morning had started so well. The Warrior had been safely ensconced in a stand of sturdy, ancient trees on a great branch with wide view of the field. When the battle cries were loosed and the fighting began her arrows found their mark with unerring accuracy, the thrum of battle in her veins left no room for fear or doubt of their victory. For what felt like days, waves of the enemy fell due to the preparation of her and her fellow warriors. As afternoon light began to fade the mounds of ash where once the enemy had stood became even more apparent and encouraged all who fought for The Leaders. The Warrior had a seemingly endless supply of arrows and victory seemed imminent, surely not a single enemy could have been left. It was with that last thought that the Warrior felt herself falling to the ground. The attack had been unseen and from one she had thought an ally. With the wind knocked out of her and the Traitor upon her the Warrior struggled fiercely but felt every brutal blow of the club wielded mercilessly by the Traitor. Blow after blow fell and the Warrior could not understand how she had been fooled. Blows fell faster and the Warrior was now in a defensive position worn down by her thoughts and the seemingly increased energy of the Traitor. Fear and Uncertainty paralyzed her when her last attempt to reach a knife in her boot failed. During her attempt to reach her boot the Traitor landed a particularly vicious blow to an old wound. It had been almost as if the Traitor knew that was her most vulnerable spot and that blow was the reason she held her side as she sat in shame by the fire, her chest felt shattered.

One of The Leaders approached the Warrior. So much comfort emanated from this Leader that warriors felt they could touch it. The Warrior tried to reject the comfort, not feeling worthy of the attention. Lifting her head she told herself she would see pity or disappointment.  As always she was surprised to see pride and a fierceness glittering in the eyes of her Leader. The Leader said nothing but sat beside the Warrior on the log. Around them the loud and rowdy band of warriors swapped stories of the days victories, the joy was undeniable. However, with every story the Warrior’s head sunk lower and her wounds throbbed harder. Failure and defeat seemed all she had to share, no one else seemed to have been ambushed. The Leader placed a hand on her sinking head and with a tone that brooked no argument told the Warrior to lift her eyes and that shame would never be allowed in His camp. Confused by the love she saw in His gaze the Warrior blurted out as fast as she could all the ways she had failed Him and the others that day. She spared no detail and with a heart heavy as stone told the Leader she knew her many failings disqualified her as a warrior.

In the instant the Warrior disqualified herself something hot and mildly uncomfortable sizzled in the air causing the Warrior to stop her account. Stunned into silence the Warrior sat as The Leader wrapped her favorite green cloak around her and laid an arm across her shoulders. The Warrior picked up where she left off, saying she should have seen the attack coming, should have been better prepared, should never have let it go so far. The Leader interrupted and spoke so softly the Warrior had to sit very still and listen very closely to hear. He began by saying that He knew every detail of the event and had been only a breath away when she fell. He knew too, the very moment Fear and Uncertainty had ambushed her. He had indeed seen her valiantly engage on her own with the Traitor and had felt pride at her gusto but had yearned to hear her call to Him. She had never been out of His sight. While she had waged her own battle intent to go it alone He had been holding back other Assassins sent to finish her swiftly. Tears fell from both the Warrior and The Leader as they remembered together the moment she had been on the ground; reaching for the knife in her boot, failing, but then drawing as much air into her aching chest as she could for what she thought was her last act – a desperate cry to her Leader for help. Ever a paradox the Leader smiled at the recollection of hearing her determined cry for His help while she saw it as a sign of defeat.

The Leader wiped the tears from the Warrior’s face as He explained that her cry had not been one of failure but was actually her finding her greatest strength. He held her gaze so his next words could not be missed. He told her again, she had never been alone, never would be and that her trust in Him had been her greatest moment in the battle. Her skillfully loosed arrows did much to destroy the enemy and He took great pride in her and the skill she consistently honed. But it was in the split second, even surrounded by pain, when she took the chance to trust He would come through for her – that was her greatest victory. As He spoke the Warrior sat a little straighter and the pain began to fade. The Leader said how proud He was of every new strategy she learned, even if it was because of a messy battle and left a scar. Scars were just reminders of the battles they’d won together. A battle that only moments before she had considered herself a casualty of in the blink of an eye He had made her shining moment. Heat spread through her body, more intense than the roaring bonfire. No pain or wounding could withstand that cauterizing heat. Joy bubbled up from a place the Warrior never knew existed and she heard herself say she was ready fight with Him the next day! The Leader laughed low and told her she still had much to learn to be the Conqueror He had in mind. He told her He loved her scrappy spirit and as long as she remembered fighting with Him was her greatest strength not even a grave could separate them. Though there were many lessons to be learned yet, the Warrior knew she had found a priceless weapon in the midst of the rubble that day.