Walk In It : eMpowering Mondays

I just have to say, GOD IS GOOD. 

I have just returned home from the women's retreat I told you about on Friday. God was wonderfully present, amazingly powerful, and extremely purposeful. His gifts were too many to count. But I am going to try to unwrap them for you so that you can share in them, too. 

Three words stuck with me personally all weekend. I shared them with a few people, but mainly tucked them deep in my heart for myself and asked God to continue to unfold their meaning for me.

WALK IN IT.

photo credit: St. Stev on Flickr

Walk in what, God? Walk in your footsteps? Walk in a door? Walk in peace? Walk in love? Walk in what, God?

WALK IN IT.

Since the end of March, I have been memorizing and meditating on the rich verses of Ephesians 3: 14 - 21. 

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 

These first five verses have permeated my very being with the vastness of God's love for me. How this kind of love beats out every bit of head knowledge I have about God's love. It is a heart thing. This love fills us up so much with God's heart that we don't NEED anything or anyone else. So hard to comprehend this. But I try.

Then I began to get excited about the last two verses. The idea that MY GOD IS ABLE. That His work is immeasurable. That He is not limited to my queries or my imagination. And He uses us to accomplish His work because He has empowered us with the kind of power that raises the dead! He is able and He is glorified.

I used these verses when I spoke to a church in Caracas, Venezuela in May. At a Kids Camp in June, I spoke on these same verses. And then again, at Bethesda Baptist's Homecoming Service, just a week ago. God has planted me here in Ephesians 3 and hasn't let me leave for some time now. But this weekend, it was the three words.

WALK IN IT.

Still not knowing exactly what this meant, I decided to do a word search for walk in the New Testament. Of course, with that word being so common, there were lots of references. But the Lord had me land on this one:

I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Message Version)

You know where these verses are? Ephesians 4: 1-6. Yes. The very next verses after the ones I have been planted in for six months or more. I think that God wanted me to realize His great love for me and believe that He is able...before I could walk on this road He has called me to travel.

I've got my bags packed, God. Full of your love and power, I am ready to WALK...EVEN RUN IN IT. Help me to run with humility and discipline, not allowing the enemy to speak lies of inadequacy or condemnation. Let me pour out myself on behalf of others. Let me walk in it with You at my side.

Do you know the vastness of His love for you? Do you know that He is able to...? And are you walking in His calling for you? Stay tuned...we will talk more about this on Wednesday. Please comment and allow me to pray for you.

Unwrapping the gift of walking in it,

Kelli

Linking up with one of my favorite groups...

He Speaks... (She Speaks Takeaway Part One)

It has taken me a long time to process She Speaks 2011.  In fact, I am still working through some of the things God was speaking to my heart.  But I wanted to go ahead and share my initial responses. 

It all began in May of 1990.  I was near the end of my freshman year in college.  I was a part of a ministry on campus and decided to attend a state conference.  I don’t remember much about the conference sessions or even who was there.  What I do remember vividly is that I found myself walking the aisle on Sunday morning and stating that I was feeling called into ministry.  Vocational ministry.  I remember reminding God that I was a girl (ha!) and that I had no clue what in ministry I would or could do.

I was a Communications major.  I loved all the classes that most people hate...public speaking, interpersonal communications, etc.  My goal when I began college was to take Joan Lunden’s place on Good Morning America.  (I knew she had to get old one day.)  So, this day in May when I committed my life to vocational ministry, I had no idea how God would use the gifts and skill set He had given me.  I just knew that God had called me and that my desire to become known became engulfed by the desire to make Him known.  I pursued seminary. And that began 21 years of ministry...with youth, children, college students, women, and adults of all ages.

God has incredibly blessed me with opportunities to share His love and grace with so many different people in many different places...even internationally in Greece, Bulgaria, Venezuela, and Australia!  I feel humbled and honored that God would use me in these ways. 

So, why did I find myself at She Speaks in Charlotte, North Carolina a few weeks ago?  Because since September of last year, I have felt like God was leading me to step out of my comfort zone.  Though I have always enjoyed speaking and writing occasionally throughout my years in ministry, I have often found myself giving excuses to God as Moses did in Exodus 3 – 4.

“Who am I, Lord, that I should speak and write about You?  Why me?”

God:  “I will be with you.”

“Suppose I do speak and write and the world asks who do I think I am doing this?”

God:  “I AM has sent you...that is enough.”

“What if they doubt that You called me?”

God:  “I will reveal Myself to them through you.”

“Lord, there are many others who speak and teach so much better than I do.”

God:  “Go.  I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

One of my previous posts was about Preparing for the Amazing.  Well, the Amazing God did amazing things.  God spoke very specifically, very graciously through His Word, His people, and circumstances at She Speaks.

His Word:

The theme for my 3 minute message in my evaluation group:  “To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory!”  Ephesians 3: 20 – 21

God:  “Do you believe that verse, Kelli?  More than you could ever ask or imagine!”

My quiet time passage a week before the conference:  “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”  2 Timothy 4: 2

God:  “This word is for you.  I will work out the details.”

His people: 

A new friend at She Speaks says,  “I just feel the need to tell you to stick to your message.”

God:  “Don’t be swayed by flattery or attention, stick to the message I have given you.”

A gracious keynote speaker says to all of us, “You are uniquely, profoundly, specially gifted.”

God:  “I made you, what do you expect?”

My evaluation group leader writes, “You are so gifted at teaching God’s Word...Keep teachin’ the Word, girl!

God:  “Follow hard after me.  Study my Word.  I will give you opportunities to share.”

Circumstances:

I wish I could share with you all of the divine appointments and God moments, but there are way too many and several are very personal.  Let’s just say that God used several people to affirm me as a speaker and a writer.  From the evaluation groups to the publisher appointments, God used circumstances (crazy circumstances!) to absolutely confirm that He had a message He wanted me to share. 

God reminded me of my initial calling 21 years ago when I didn’t know what He would do with a crazy girl with my gifts and skill set.  Interesting that the Greek word for preach is kerusso, which can also mean:  to proclaim; to publish.  Did you get that? Proclaim and publish?  Speak and write?

God, You have spoken.  My response:  to listen.  And obey.

My friends, what is God calling you to do?  What will your response be?  Please comment so that I can pray for you!