God’s Gentle Reminders Of His Presence

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And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisperAnd when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13, ESV

I just published a Bible study on having unwavering faith. I wrote that study not because I have attained that unwavering faith, but because I desire to attain it. This week our church and community lost a beautiful seven year old soul. I have been in tears before my God a many nights praying that He would heal her. I knew that He could. His ability was never a doubt… however His will is not mine to control, command, break or bend.

With her passing the enemy began His attack on my faith. I recalled all the prayers that I have prayed and how so many seemed futile and pointless. I questioned why I even bothered. It appeared that I simply was to just live to obey His Word and let God do what God was going to do. By Friday morning I didn’t even bother to read the Word. The time that I usually chose to use for Bible study and prayer I instead stuck earphones in and watched Netflix on my phone. I felt myself purposely hardening my heart and rejecting joy.

Then my girls and I loaded up after school and went to attend our sweet girl’s funeral. I sat there wanting so badly to be indifferent to my God, really just wanting to be numb, but He is such a Good Good Father that His patience, long-suffering, everlasting love, and endless mercies just simply keep enduring the emotional rollercoaster of this flesh of mine.

I sat there in the midst of His presence, listening to the songs chosen by this precious family, and their words of faith reminded me that our God is good. As I sat their wanting to turn my back, my Jesus grabbed me by the heart and turned my face to His, and said, It’s okay. I understand. You asked for the mountain to be moved again, and I didn’t move the mountain the way you asked. You prayed for earthquakes and fire but you simply need to remember that I am in the gentle whisper.

One of the struggles of being a woman that believes every word of Scripture is that I know that my God can speak the world into existence, bring water from a rock, still the sun in the sky, turn water into wine, and bring the dead to life, and well when He doesn’t… that’s a high mountain to fall from. It can make you question your ability to even hear Him and the relationship you thought you had with Him. Of course, perhaps I am just speaking of myself.

My God holds me steady in His cords of kindness and bands of love (Hosea 11:4, ESV). He uses them to keep me close to Him much like a mother with a monkey backpack and leash attached to her prone to wander toddler. I’m glad He does. This world can be a hard place and this girl can be a hard headed fool with her own ideas of how life should go. I easily forget as Natalie Grant sings that He is indeed the King of the world and I want to take life back from Him and tell Him how things need to be done.

I want to see Him in the earthquake and fire, but He shows Himself to me in the gentle whisper. When I asked Him why do I pray He reminded me that prayer was not for me to tell Him what to do or even to offer up my lists of requests. Prayer, true prayer, is a conversation WITH Him, not to Him or at Him. Prayer is more for Him to tell us His will, than for us to tell Him ours. Prayer is more for the opportunity to be still before our God and let Him love us and speak to our hearts to prepare us for His will.

We may look for earthquakes and fire, but He is always found in the gentle whisper. We may ask for miracles of removed tumors and immediate deliverance, but our God is as much about the process as He is the result. We want removed pain, but He gives us long hair that can’t chemo can’t break loose. We want immediate healing, but He gives us one after another turning their hearts to Him. We want more time with our loved ones, but He uses their death to bring eternal life to others. We want deliverance from the disappointments and hurt, but He gives us the strength, patience, and ability to forgive in order to be able to endure just a little more so that His great mercy and grace might be seen by a deceived but still watching world.

I’m not going to pretend that I understand it all.  I’m simply in awe that my God is able to endure me and my ups and downs. I simply know that I am loved by a God that is willing to bend down to me when I need Him. I am loved by a God that when He sees my yoke is too much to bear He is able and willing to ease it. He is always faithful to send His gentle whisper to remind me that He is hearing me. He takes the time to prove to me that my prayers are not hitting the ceiling. He lets me know that when I come to Him in prayer I have indeed been in conversation with the King of the world… and in His whisper He speaks to me just as He did to Elijah and says, Nicole what are you doing here? You know that I am still on My throne. I know You are weary, hurt, and confused, but You have not, nor never will be, alone, forsaken, or forgotten. You know that I am God. You know that I am good. You know that I love you. 

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Partner with Nicole through the ministry of North Alabama Fellowship of Christian Athletes:

Giving Tuesday Is November 29th

 

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Giving Tuesday Is November 29th

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#GivingTuesday is a day set aside to inspire generosity. It occurs each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year it is November 29th.

• It is a movement that encourages people to look beyond themselves by donating their time, talent or treasure to help others.

• This day provides a wonderful opportunity for non-profit organizations to share their story, their needs, and their goals with their community.

The Lord has been faithful to lead individuals, churches, and businesses to partner with me in the ministry of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I am currently over one third of my way to being at full monthly support. Your participation in Giving Tuesday could be the very tool that God uses to see that become 100%.

The current support level has allowed me to come on staff, however my reach is limited to my support. More support allows more reach. My area of influence is within Morgan, Lawrence, Limestone, and Winston Counties.

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There are over 40 campuses to reach within these four counties…

Will you help me reach them?

Would you consider investing the lives of our athletes, students, coaches, and teachers by partnering with me through the ministry of FCA?

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Clicking on the FCA logo above will take you to my personal FCA donation page. I would be honored to have you choose me and this ministry as your place of giving on #GivingTuesday.

To learn more about our area go to: North and Northwest Alabama FCA

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Make FCA your “write-in” choice!

If you make charitable contributions through United Way, you can designate all or a portion of your contribution to benefit North AL Area FCA or Northwest AL Area FCA.  No code number is needed; just obtain the special “Donor Designation Form” and write in North AL Fellowship of Christian Athletes or Northwest AL Fellowship of Christian Athletes as your designated charity.

If you choose to donate to me through the United Way method please let me know at nvaughn@fca.org so that I may notify my Area Director.  

Am I My Brother’s Keeper

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Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Jude 1:11

Jude writes a letter of warning and exhortation to the church. He was born a Jew and was specifically from the line of David. Mary the mother of Jesus was his mother and Joseph, the man who raised Jesus as his own, was his father by birth. Yet, in this letter, Jude does not boast in the fact that he grew up with Jesus. I believe because he was beyond humbled by the fact that he had been so deceived by the enemy of our souls. Jude lived in the same house with God in the flesh and STILL did not recognize Him.

Who better to write of the deceptive power of the devil in the house of God than one who had been blinded by it in his own house.  Jude was writing from personal experience. Thus the reason he could write with authority and strong language of warning. Yet, could also write with the same authority and instruction concerning the extension of mercy instead of judgment because he had received mercy as well.

The recipients of this letter are not named by their place of residence, but by the referrals used in this letter to illustrate his point, I would guess that this was written to Jewish believers, possibly even in Jerusalem. So for our purposes today we would say that he was writing to those who had been going to church nine months before they were even born.

Those of us who know the Old Testament understand the power of this letter. We know the background story of the ones Jude uses in this letter. If you are reading this and you don’t, I encourage you to take the time to cross-reference those Jude mentions in the context of Genesis through Malachi.  For the purpose of this post we will only do a small cross-reference on Cain, Korah, and Balaam. These three are who Jude uses to warn us concerning those who creep into our church, but are not children of God.

But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves…

Jude 1:10-12

Cain, Korah, and Balaam. These three are used to describe the different types of ungodly that we find in our church. All three of these men knew the Word of God. They were not ignorant of the Creator. They knew the right thing to do, yet chose not to do it.

Cain: Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)

Korah:Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” (Numbers 16:1-3)

BalaamBalaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God. Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me.” (Numbers 22:18-19)

So what would these three look like in our church today? If I wanted to be specific I could google “christian” tv personalities and show you, but for the sake of showing mercy I’m going to refrain. Instead we shall generalize, for the only examples we need have already been given us in Scripture.

Cain: This is the “christian” person who sees no need to share the gospel or help anyone. They see no need to visit the sick, help the hungry, care for the orphan and widows, or minister to those in prison. They after all are NOT their brother’s keeper. If someone is in a situation- downcast and downtrodden in their eyes it was of their own making and God’s choosing and they are not obligated to help. The hurting person that walks in the door of their church wanting to come to God with their “first fruits” will be met with apathy, dismissal, and judgment. They refuse to put any concern or care into the nursery, children, or community of the church because it does not benefit them personally. They give of their tithes only if the money will be directed to meet their desired needs and purpose for it and will make sure everyone knows it… and the greatest and utmost illustration of the power of their deception is that the church, in order to not lose their wallet, will let them do it.

Korah: This is the “christian” person who rebels against all authority in the church. They do not care what the leadership team decides or the vision of the Pastor of the church. No, they will begin to whisper among those within the church that they can gather to their side, of course not giving all the information, just their side of it and their bent interpretation of it. Then with their small band of misinformed followers they will rebel against what ever leadership decisions they do not like and will claim that God is with them.  They will use what Scripture they can to prove their point and back their rebellion and make it appear as if it is this Joan of Arc moment when in fact it is not… and the greatest and utmost illustration of the power of their deception is that the church, in order to keep a false peace and not cause a church split, will cower to the manipulation and reverse or amend whatever leadership decision was made.

Balaam: This is the “christian” person that knows the Word of God and publicly proclaims it. They possibly thought they were sincere, but as their popularity grows and as their name becomes known, they begin to get attention as well as financial gain from the Word of God. They  crave the attention and financial gain more than godliness. They begin to twist the Word of God and use it to deepen their pockets and build their numbers. This the one who can draw a crowd and has a way with words and is very tricky in their unrighteousness. They focus on feelings and emotions and know how to make you love them by building you up and making you think they really care about you. Yet they are not building you up on your most holy faith, but they are building you up on shifting sand. They speak mostly truth, but it’s the thread of the lie that leads many to destruction… the greatest and utmost illustration of the power of their deception is that the church is so ignorant of the truth that they get caught in the web of lies. Then when this person is exposed for who they really are, a watching world is given a very real and public reason to doubt the validity of the Word of God.

These are just a small generalization of course, just a few things that I have gathered from being in the church, and studying the Word, and watching people these last few years. I’ve only been walking faithfully with the Lord for around fifteen years, so don’t take my descriptions to the bank. Get in the Word and look for truth yourself, and know that Jude writes us this word of warning not for us to judge and condemn those that have been deceived and gone the way of Cain, Korah, and Balaam, but so that we would recognize them and not be deceived ourselves and become like them. He knows how easily we can be sucked in to their ways. He knows how easily we can be deceived. This is why we must keep ourselves in the love of God so that we can snatch them from the fire… because here’s the thing beloved… we ARE our brother’s keeper.