GOD IS STILL ON HIS THRONE!

What circumstances are you facing today that cause you to wonder if you are going to make it through? What kinds of financial hardship are you experiencing that cause you to wonder if you will ever be financially stable? Have you been to the doctor lately and heard the words, “We need to talk” and now you are wondering what you are going to do? Do you have children who are out of control and you wonder if they will ever come around? Do you have a marriage that is on the brink of divorce and you are wondering if it can be repaired? These are just a few of the many trials we face in life that leave us feeling helpless and in despair but what I want you to know today is that God is still on His throne and He knows exactly what you are going through and what you need to make it through! He is faithful and He won’t EVER leave you or forsake you!

Nothing in this life can knock God off His throne and there is not one circumstance in this life that leaves God scratching His head in wonderment trying to figure out how to fix the situation. He is never caught off guard and nothing surprises Him! It is very important to remember what Isaiah 54:17 says. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.” Do you know what that means? It means there WILL be weapons formed against us but our promise from God is that those weapons WILL NOT prosper!

Believe me I know how hard it is to accept this truth at times! The season we have been in for over a year feels like it is never going to end and the weapon of adversity in the form of financial hardship, lack of housing, ministry doors not opening the way we want them to, the lack of support, sickness, etc., have left us feeling defeated at times. But each day I remind myself that God is still on His throne and He is creating an incredible victory out of our apparent defeat! And with the sound of every new weapon blazing towards us I stand firm on God’s promise and tell myself this weapon CANNOT PROSPER!

I won’t lie to you, there are days where I do get frightened when I hear the sound of the blazing arrows as they encroach upon us but I have learned to take my thoughts of fear captive and make my thoughts turn towards the Word of God! Sometimes it takes all of my daily strength just to redirect my thoughts but what I have found is that when I do this a peace comes over me that is unlike any peace I could muster up myself! It is the peace that passes all understanding! It comforts me and reassures me that God is for me and when He is for me NOTHING can be against me and prosper!

Sometimes I have to go to Romans 8:31-37 and read it over and over again! It says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

The ONLY way we are more than conquerors is through Jesus Christ! It is not through our own efforts or the efforts of another man! It is through Him only! On days when my head is hanging low because the weight of our burdens seems too heavy to bear, I have to realize I am working in my own strength and I have to relinquish my control of the situation! I have to physically say, “Holly, God is still on His throne! He was not caught off guard by this circumstance! He knows your need and
He promises to supply it according to His riches in glory! Don’t believe the lies of devil! Don’t believe the lies of your own flesh! Believe Him and Him alone! Don’t give up! These weapons will not prosper! You are more than a conqueror though Jesus Christ! God is making a way there seems to be no way! Hang in there girl! It is just a matter of time before God turns your mess into a miracle! He is working. Believe it, receive it, and walk in it!”

I want to encourage you today to begin doing the same thing! I know it hurts! I know your circumstance seems too much to bear! I know you are scared! But I also know that God is on His throne! I know that He is for you! I know that He is orchestrating an incredible victory dance for you to perform when your apparent defeat is transformed by His power! Don’t give up! This too shall pass! Cling to His Word! Meditate on it day and night! And constantly remind yourself that God is still on His throne and He is working on your behalf to turn your sorrow into joy, your pain into peace, and your defeat into victory! Believe it, receive it, and walk in it!

What If God’s Blessings Come Through Rain Drops? What If His Healing comes Through Tears?

While driving my kids to school this morning my son Brayden, who is ten years old, starting talking about the sermon he heard this weekend and how he knew we were going through these trials because God is preparing him to be a pastor. He said that many great pastors, leaders, and professional people have suffered a lot before getting to where they are today. He told a story that Joel Osteen shared last week and how it gave him hope.

We began talking about what things in this life are most important and the kids decided that houses, cars, money, and other material things are not important but what is important is how many people you take to heaven with you. It has been a long seven months of trial to get to this place where the kids understand the deeper things of God in the midst of our sufferings but I wouldn’t change it for anything. They were talking about how people can’t take stuff with them to heaven but how they can take people with them and they decided that would be their focus while they are on this earth.

Can you even imagine how my heart skipped a beat when I heard these words coming from an eight and ten year old? For months they have seen people living in houses, driving nice cars, eating at nice restaurants, buying everything they want at the mall, and they have been envious. They have complained about how unfair it is and how bad they want a house, a nice car, lots of money, and other things. As a mom I have wanted these things for them too but even more greater than wanting them to have these things has been my desire that they would come to understand that all these things will one day pass away but a life hidden in Christ is eternal.

Day after day I would encourage them and try to explain things to them only to be met with more complaints and grumbling, until today when they finally got it! As I listened to their words I thanked God for ministering to their hearts. What a joy it was to hear them say they didn’t want a house unless we were going to invite people over so we could show them Christ’s love and introduce them to a relationship with Him. They don’t want a nice car unless we are going to use it to take people to church and use it to help people. They don’t want a lot of money unless we are going to use it for God’s purposes.

Sometimes God’s greatest blessings come through our hardest trials and sometimes God’s favor comes through our most difficult circumstances. We cry out for justice in the midst of them thinking that God is ignoring us but what I have learned during these last seven months is that sometimes His stillness in the midst of the storm is His quiet reassurance that we do not need to fear. He is not shaken by the thunder and He is not caught off guard by the torrential downpour of rain that floods our lives through trials! On the contrary He is at peace and He wants us to be at peace too knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that He is protecting us and making a way for us to make it through safely!

As I sat there and listened to my children I realized that my life extends far past the number of years I am on this earth and the way I respond to this life will have an impact on how my children respond for years after I am gone. I also realized that the greater lesson of my own personal perseverance is in teaching my children through an example of a peaceful countenance that God is faithful to His Word at all times! They are looking to me to show them that God is real unlike Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, or the Tooth Fairy! And when I react to the trials and difficult circumstances with a peaceful countenance, the quiet reassurance of the Lord floods their hearts and they begin to understand the deeper things of God! Isn’t that really what parenting is all about?

So now when trials come I will say, “We know that pain reminds this heart that this is not our home. What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy? What if trials of this life; the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are your mercies in disguise?” And I will not complain when the next storm hits me by surprise and I won’t question if God is here in the midst of it. I won’t focus on my own life! I will view it as God giving me an opportunity to show His Word in action to my children and my focus will be on teaching them to trust in Him with their whole hearts and to acknowledge His presence so they will be comforted in knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is making a way there seems to be no way.

“‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near ? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”

I Am Not Who I Was! I Am Being Remade! I Am New!

If you knew me in my years of rebellion against God and man you would have shaken your head in disbelief for the choices I made in my life! I smoked, drank, used drugs, and slept around. I cussed like a sailor. I lied to, cheated, and deceived people. I was a fighter and I was a very angry person who jumped at the opportunity to fight with words or actions. My life was in shambles and I was spiraling out of control at a high rate of speed! I could never deny the worst people could say about me back then because most of it was true.

But when the voice of God spoke to me in my early twenties and asked me to give my life over to Him I accepted His invitation because I knew if I didn’t it was only a matter of time before I died from my choices or ended my life out of desperation.

In the years following that encounter with God voices of shame, doubt, fear, and worry bombarded my mind telling me there was no way God would fulfill His promise from Romans 8:28 where Paul says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” But day after day I peered into the Word and I spent time in the presence of God through prayer, meditation, and song, and I battled against those voices; telling them to be silenced in the name of Jesus.

As I was obedient to take my thoughts captive God was faithful to remind that I am not defined by the mistakes I have made. He would remind me that I am a new creation, forgiven, holy and dearly loved, righteous and made in His image! He says I am chosen and He says I am being remade each day into the woman He created me to be.

But during that time something interesting happened. I turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction from my poor choices lifestyle. I became an ultra conservative, “holier than thou” religious fanatic because it was me trying to be right and do right for God because I thought it was what He wanted from me. I tried to do everything right! I tithed and gave offerings. I didn’t cuss. I didn’t drink, smoke, or use drugs. I didn’t sleep around. I only listened to Christian music. I attended as many church services and classes as I could.

My life was squeaky clean in terms of my words and actions but what is interesting is that I found myself to be just as miserable on the inside as I was when I was living in complete rebellion. I didn’t understand it because I thought I was doing right for God and I thought that the more I did right the better I would feel about myself and my relationship with Him.

And then one day the voice of God spoke to me again and told me that I am not defined by the choices I make and that includes the good choices. He said “Holly you are chosen and holy not because of what you do or do not do but because of what I did when I sent my Son to die for you on the Cross! You are dearly loved not because you love me but because I first loved you! You are dead to the old man not because you crucify your flesh each day but because I crucified my own flesh for you! You are hidden in Me not because you signed your name on a salvation card in ink but because I signed your salvation card in My own blood on the Cross!”

His words shook the foundations of my beliefs and shocked me into the truth of the reality of what being a new creation in Christ really is. I finally came to realize that all that I am in Christ has nothing to do with me but it has everything to do with what He did for me on the Cross! I am forgiven because of what He did for me on the Cross! I am righteous in the eyes of God because of what He did for me on the Cross! I am made new because of what He did for me on the Cross! I am holy because of what He did for me on the Cross! My life is not my own no matter what I do or do not do! It is not my own because my life now belongs to Him and He defines my life by the choices He made for me when He shed his blood for me on the Cross!

There is nothing I can do or not do to make Him love me more or make Him love me less. There is nothing I can do or not do to make Him accept me more or make Him reject me. It is not about me any longer! It is all about Him and what He did for me! I no longer have to live in the shadows of shame and I no longer have to live in the spotlight of “perfect Christianity”. It is in Him that I live and move and have my being! (Acts 17:28) And who I am is not defined any longer by what I do or do not do. It is ONLY defined by what He has done! This is the truth I want you to know for yourself today whether you are living in rebellion and making poor choices or whether you are living for God and making right choices.


To Him neither one matters! The only thing that matters to Him is the impact it will have on your life if you fully accept what He did for you on the Cross! You are new! You are New! You are chosen and holy and you are dearly loved! You are forgiven, beloved, and hidden in Christ! You are made in the image of the giver of life! You are accepted and worthy! You have been given a new name! Believe it! Accept it! And as you do you will begin to live in it!

The burdens of shame or perfection will be lifted and you will feel comfortable being yoked to the One whose burden is light! You will be filled with His peace and joy and you will begin to feel comfortable in your own skin. Believe me it is the most amazing feeling you will ever experience in this life! There truly is nothing like knowing who you are in Him and accepting your rightful position as a part of the royal priesthood of the Most High King!

Who Will Love Me For Me, Not For What I Have Done Or What I Will Become?

Years ago I worked with abused children at a residential treatment center. When a new child came into the home the pain of their trauma showed on their faces, in their words, and through their actions. They didn’t trust anyone and they were constantly on guard. All they had ever known was pain, torture, and everything that goes with the life of an abused and neglected child. They had no idea what love was. They didn’t know how to receive it or how to give it but it was evident that they craved both very much!

I was employed to teach these children life skills and classroom etiquette but within a few days of working with them I realized there was something greater I was called to teach them and that was how to receive and how to give love. As you can imagine this was a huge calling because these children had it engrained in their brains that they didn’t deserve love and that they would never be loved by anyone! But each morning as I got ready for work I asked God to teach me how to show them His love and to teach me how to unconditionally love them for who He had created them to be and not to react to the people they had become due to their abuse and neglect.

It began with completely accepting them for who they were with their pain and trauma and not expecting them to be anything different. Then I spoke to them in a loving tone and when they reacted with anger, fear, or anxiousness, I didn’t change the way I spoke to them. I treated them the way I would treat my very own children. I did not accentuate the negative words or actions they displayed, but instead I downplayed them as if they didn’t really matter. These actions caught each child off guard. They were used to being yelled at and shamed. They expected to be punished severely and beat for their actions. What is interesting is that at first the more I treated them with Christ’s love and acceptance, the harder they fought it off: even though it was what they needed and wanted more than anything.

But within a short amount of time as I displayed Christ’s love and acceptance day after day they began to soften and they began to accept it as authentic and real as they discovered it was okay to trust me. Pretty soon their eyes lit up each morning when I came on shift! All six of them raced to greet me at the door and they hugged me tightly and they didn’t want to let go. They would talk over one another trying to get me to pay attention to them first! Over time these children not only learned how to accept love but they began to display it to others in their words and actions. They even began to display it in their artwork at school. They began to believe they were worthy to be loved and they learned it was safe to be loved and to show love.

That year for Christmas I brought them to my parent’s house and watched them enjoy Christmas for the first time in their lives. It wasn’t the presents that made the day great for them though. It was experiencing Christ’s authentic love for the first time and being able to receive it and express it. I sat on the couch with tears in my eyes because it was in that moment I realized just how many other people have been robbed of knowing and experiencing the true love and acceptance of Jesus Christ. I really think that it was during that time in my life where I became passionate about reaching people with the message of Christ’s love and acceptance.

So many people long to be loved for who they are and not for what they have done or for what they will become in life. Whether it is an abused child, an abandoned spouse, a hardened criminal, or anyone else for that matter, people want to know they are loved and able to love! They want to know what love really means! They crave it more than anything in life but they don’t know how or where to find it. They try all kinds of things to try and fill the void only to be left feeling empty and insecure.

But it is only God who knows what love is for the Bible says that God is love! Love is not an emotion! It is the personification of Jesus Christ Himself and He is the only One who knows how to love us and only He can teach us how to accept His love and how to give it to others! 1 John 4:9 says, “We love because he first loved us.” As believers we are called to receive Christ’s love and acceptance for ourselves and then to love others as He has loved us.

If we will do this then we will begin to experience what I was privileged to experience when I worked with those beautiful children! We will see the people around us begin to soften as we consistently display Christ’s love and acceptance and before long we will begin to see them running, not into our arms, but into the arms of Jesus and asking Him to be the Lord of their lives! We will see them craving time in His presence as those children craved time in mine. We will see them become like those little children on that Christmas morning, filled with joy and laughter too great to measure! And we will begin to see less and less people searching for alternatives of counterfeit love and acceptance.

Please join me in praying for the body of Christ to begin to accept Christ’s love for themselves so they will be able to reach a hurting and dying world with the message of hope that is only found in Jesus Christ! Too many people have suffered! It is time to rise up church and become real examples of Christ’s love! I will leave you with this verse from Mark 12:30-31. “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

I Just Want To Praise You!

Have you ever felt like there were shackles on your feet that kept you from moving forward in life? Have you ever been so bogged down by circumstances and trials that it felt impossible to lift your hands to praise the Lord? Does it ever feel like you are sitting on pins and needles in a church service when the preacher tells you to trust in the Lord because He cares for you and He will never leave you or forsake you? Do his words pierce the depths of your heart because everything in your life seems to be spinning out of control and you feel all alone and you feel like God has rejected your pleas for help?

Let’s get real here! We have all been there before! This life isn’t easy and every one of us has experienced times of trial that have left us feeling helpless, hopeless, and in need of rescuing! I am so fed up with plastic Christianity that portrays an image of perfection where no lines or wrinkles show from the years of hardship and pain. Battle scars of trial are covered up by this “Holier than thou” makeup and no one feels safe to share their insecurities or fears because they are afraid of what other people are going to think if they are open and honest about their past or present sufferings.

If we are going to see the oppressed released from the shackles so they can praise the Lord freely we have to make church a safe place to be real! Religion has robbed us of relationship and without relationship there is no intimacy and without intimacy there is no security and without security there is no peace! And there is only one relationship where all of these three exist and it is in a REAL relationship with Jesus Christ! Isaiah 9:6, 7 says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

We have to give Jesus His rightful place in the church back so people can experience His life changing ministry of total healing and transformation! Jesus NEVER made anyone who was caught in sin, sick or lame, possessed or oppressed, destitute or devastated put on a happy face of perfection in His presence! He never one time rejected them for coming to Him broken and crippled from life’s circumstances! On the contrary He welcomed them in His presence and everyone who came to Him for healing received exactly what they came for! Then they would leave His presence forever changed and they would sing praises to Him and would tell everyone they came into contact with about this mighty Savior who transformed their lives with the power of His spoken Word!

Lives were changed forever when Jesus walked the earth and it is His desire today for His presence to be welcomed in the modern day church so His ministry can continue until the day of His return! He is not some far off entity that exists somewhere beyond the clouds in a place called Heaven! He is here, on this earth, right now just waiting to be welcomed into the dwelling places that bear His name on their marquee signs! We have to stop making church a place where man made rules and regulations are the main focal point of the ministry! We have to create a safe environment so the people will come in droves looking for this Savior who has the power to completely heal them and deliver them from whatever ails them!

If you have never heard it before in a church can I be the first minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to tell you I don’t care where you have been, what you have done, what you are suffering from, or what has crippled you; I welcome you into the house of the Lord! You do not have to wear a mask of perfection and you do not have to put on Holy makeup to cover your battle scars! Jesus loves you unconditionally and He accepts you no matter where you are or what you are going through!

Don’t stay away from Him just because of past experiences with church! Come into the presence of the Lord and sit with your Savior, healer, and deliverer! Allow Him to release you from the shackles that have you bound! You don’t need to go to a physical building for this to happen! It will happen right where you are because Jesus is with you right now just waiting for you to ask Him to heal you! He is REAL! He is PRESENT! He is WILLING! He is ABLE! Don’t wear those shackles any longer that are keeping you from moving forward in life! Allow Him to release you so you can begin to praise Him and so you can go and tell others of this mighty Savior who has transformed your life by the power of His spoken Word!