GOD, HELP ME TO STAND

My prayer this morning was, “God, help me to stand, even if I stand alone.”
Well, I guess God knew I needed this prayer today.
You see, today was the See You At The Pole – National Day of Student Prayer (SYATP).
This event has been going on for 25 years and its purpose is to unite students in prayer, interceding for their generation, nation, and schools. Throughout the nation, students will meet at their flagpoles at 7:00 a.m. to pray.

You may think, “It’s a student event. Why would you be there?”
Well…
Last year, my daughter transferred from a very small, conservative charter school to a very large public high school. On SYATP last year, I asked my daughter to participate with other Christian students at her new school. NO ONE SHOWED UP so no one prayed. When my daughter told me after school, her exact words were, “Now, mom, I know you are going to be really depressed about this.”
I was.
I went into a kind of mourning period. I was very sad and disappointed. I also regretted and questioned my decision to take her out of a very sheltered conservative environment and placing her in the lion’s den so to speak.

So this year, as SYATP approached, I decided I was not going to let this day go unattended at her school. I advertised the event on the school’s parent social media page. I threw it out there saying, “So, is anyone participating in this event? Is anyone going to head this up? Is anyone else going to stand up and pray? Anyone, anyone, anyone?”

I got a lot of social media hearts and thumbs up but no leadership commitment. Last night on the social media post, I said, “OK, so tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Right?" Again, a lot of hearts and thumbs up. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. I’d done my part. I was the marketing rep. I figured that's what God had called me to do, just get the word out. Someone else would gladly take over from here.

As the fear and doubts set in, I even questioned my need to be there. Surely, other parents and their students had it under control. You see, I work at a wonderful Christian School. When you mention a prayer event, it’s just a given that people are going to show up. You stand by the flag and start praying, and people will always join you. But, going into the center of a very large, intimidating public school parking lot had me sweating!

I told my daughter who was totally freaking out and not wanting to get out of the car, “Your mom is not some super Christian. This is hard for me. This is WAY out of my comfort zone. So, I don’t mind if you stay in the car. It’s OK. I get it. These are your peers. But, I have to do this. I put the word out there. After, I told people to show up, how could I not? And if I don’t stand for Jesus today, when I have the freedom to do so, I will not stand for Him when those freedoms are gone.”

So, we arrived at the parking lot at 6:55 am and there were already a lot of kids on campus but the flagpole was empty. My daughter was like, “Mom, what are you going to do if no one shows up?”
"I’m going to go stand there by myself."
My daughter was shocked. “You’re going to go stand there all alone?”
"Yep."
So, 6:58 – no one.
6:59 – no one
7:00 a.m. – no one. Time to get out of the car.
It was literally one of the longest walks of my life. I stood in the center of the school parking lot and said, “OK, God. I’m standing here all alone and I’m OK. I’m just going to walk around this pole and pray. I’m going to pray for young men and women to rise up in courage and boldness for Jesus on this campus. I’m going to pray for protection over this school.”

After a few minutes, one mom walked up with her two teens and joined me. Then, another brave young man, and before long it was five of us around the pole praying. Then, my daughter joined us and little by little students and parents trickled in.  By 7:15 a.m., we had a group of about 20 people circling the flagpole. We prayed in unity and in Jesus Name for this next generation of students who are facing a very challenging future.

I feel for these Christian students who are entering a world where wrong is right and right is wrong. Where evil is glorified and goodness is vilified. Where grown men and women are bowing down to political correctness and refusing to stand for righteousness. As our young people see the adults around them giving into evil and temptation, breaking up their families and homes, who are compromising in their own walks with God. How can we expect them to stand when we won’t?

So today, God wanted me to stand alone - even if it was just for a few minutes. He wanted me to stand firm on my faith. To walk the talk. He promised to be with me, to never leave me, to give me His courage to walk to that flagpole knowing that I may be the only one to show up.

So, Christian parents it is time to stand for Jesus for the sake of our children - even if we stand alone. We must model for them what it looks like to stand for Jesus. Because Jesus said, "If you acknowledge Me before others, I will acknowledge you before My Father in heaven, but if you deny Me before others, I will deny you before My Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:32)

My Christian brothers and sisters, it’s time to stand for Jesus for the sake of our nation - even if we stand alone.
Because all it takes is for one person to stand up. One person standing for Jesus and righteousness will give courage to another and then to another and so on and so on. Before we know it, we will be a crowd of witnesses standing together for Jesus and changing our families, schools, communities and nation. We can restore our nation to One Nation under God if His people who are called by His Name will stand for Him and pray.

Isaiah 51:1-2
"Listen to Me, all who hope for deliverance - all who seek the LORD!...
Abraham was only ONE man when I called him. But I blessed him, he became a great nation. 
Ephesians 6:10-14
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…When the Day of Evil comes, STAND YOUR GROUND and after you have done everything – STAND. STAND FIRM! 

I'm standing for Jesus! Will you?
Love,
Yolanda

 

Carry One Another's Burdens

This school year has started out kind of yucky.
Not our preschool – our preschool is actually thriving and is a blessed refuge for our students, parents, and staff.
But, on a personal level, my sisters-in-Christ and I seem to be experiencing spiritual attacks from all sides:

• Medical illnesses appearing suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere
• Physical, emotional, and spiritual issues trying to rob us of our peace and joy
• Financial stresses that want to put us in bondage of fear and worry
• Daily life struggles and the worries that come from raising teens and young adults 
• And, the tragic loss of a dear friend that pulled the rug from under us and knocked the wind out of our sails.

See, yucky is putting it mildly.

Last year we were riding high - weddings, blessings, and miracles that made us stand up and say, “GOD, You are amazing!”

It was all good! But then this year, “Crash, boom, bang!”
I feel like the runner pictured above. How about you? Do you feel like you've fallen and can't get up?

During the 2014 Boston Marathon, the runner pictured above collapsed a few hundred feet from the finish line. Two fellow runners stopped, put their arms around him, and tried to help him walk. However, his legs could not carry him further. So, two additional runners stopped, picked up his legs, and the four of them carried him over the finish line where the crowd erupted in loud applause.

I think one of the reasons I grieved the loss of my friend, Donna, so much is that she was someone I could count on to carry one of my legs. Few people really get me. I’m kind of a mess, a ball of stress, I fixate on End Time prophecy to the point of being annoying, and I can get a little heavy handed and abrasive when it comes to politics. But Donna got me. She would gently correct me when I got out of hand. She would encourage and talk me off the cliff when I struggled with End Time fear. Without her, I feel like one of my legs is dangling a few hundred feet from the finish line.

This picture reminded me of the scripture verses, Hebrews 12:1-2:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I did a little research and discovered the “great crowd of witnesses” is the heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews chapter 11 - Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David, etc. These heroes persevered and overcame extreme hardships and trials and God commended them for their faith. Paul speaks of these witnesses as our examples of faith to emulate when we face our own trials. They kept their eyes focused on the promises of God and the coming Messiah. In each of their trials, God showed Himself faithful. They finished their races well, so we should look to them as trainers in the race of faith. Looking at their examples, we see that the race set before us is not a sprint but a marathon, which is why the Word says that we must run with perseverance and endurance.

But sometimes no matter how hard we train, an unexpected injury, fatigue, or an unforeseen obstacle can trip us up.
Sometimes, we stumble and fall, and no matter how hard we try to hobble along, we need someone to help us back up again.

For the last couple months, I’ve had these divine appointments with people: in parking lots, in stores, at my daughter’s school, and usually when I’m least expecting it. These people are suffering with illness, divorce, and hardships. God is leading me to pray for them right there on the spot. Sometimes, I don’t even know what to say or worse I can’t remember their name, but just putting my arms around them and praying seems to help get their eyes focused back on Jesus. Which is really all I can do because Jesus is the only Healer and source of hope. Maybe, God is placing me in their lives for that moment, just to pick them up and get them a little closer to their own finish line.

Below, I have posted a video of  Derek Redmond who during the 1992 Olympics tore a hamstring 175 meters from the finish line. Instead of quitting, he lifted himself up and started to hobble down the track. His father forced his way through the crowd and security to reach his son and helped his sobbing son complete the race.
YouTube video link: Inspirational Olympic Moment -Father and Son Finish the Race Together

Watching the video, I thought:
Sometimes we’re the runner with the torn hamstring hobbling to the finish line needing a strong shoulder to lean on.
Sometimes, God wants us to be like the father running towards his son, lending a helping hand to a fellow runner who has fallen.
But, always, we can count on God, our Father, making His way through the crowd, forcing His way through security, not letting any obstacle get in His way from reaching us when we have fallen. God wraps His loving arms around us, gives us His strength to carry on, and travels with us to the finish line.

I’d like to end with an excerpt from the story of this Olympic runner, Derek, and his dad.

 "I'm here, son," Jim says softly, hugging his boy. "We'll finish together." Derek puts his arms around his father's shoulders and sobs. Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. A couple steps from the finish line, and with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son, so Derek could cross the finish line by himself. Then he throws his arms around Derek again, both crying, along with everyone in the stands and on TV. "I'm the proudest father alive," he tells the press afterwards, tears in his eyes. "I'm prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal. It took a lot of guts for him to do what he did."

In our season of trails, let's fix our eyes on Jesus, our Champion who initiates and perfects our faith. As He continues to prefect our faith, we must be ready for those divine appointments because He is going to send hurting people our way to share the hope and faith we have within us. So, we can’t let our trials keep us down. We must stand up. We must move forward. We must lead the way so that others can follow. And, let’s also remember the crowd of witnesses who have gone before us who are standing at the finish line cheering us on, including my friend Donna who I imagine is cheering the loudest. When we cross that finish line, God will say to us, “I’m the proudest Father alive!”

So, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let's carry one another's burdens in prayer. Because prayer is the only way to tap into the Power Source that will strengthen us to make it through this season so…
Let us take a new grip with our tired hands and strengthen our weak knees. Let us mark out a straight path for our feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. Hebrews 12:12-13 (NLT)
Let us return to the LORD and rest in Him, for only then will we be saved. In quietness and confidence is our strength. The LORD waits for us to come to Him so He can show us His love and compassion. For the LORD is a Faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His Help. Isaiah 30:15,18

Love,
Yolanda

This post is dedicated to my beloved sisters-in-Christ who I am blessed enough to call co-workers and family.

National Day of Prayer for Texas - September 3rd

Tomorrow, September 3rd, has been declared by President Trump to be a National Day of Prayer for Texas and all the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Abraham Lincoln signed a similar proclamation during the Civil War (1863) imploring God to hear from heaven and heal our land. Abraham Lincoln wrote that only a nation whose God was the LORD would be blessed. My prayer for tomorrow is similar in spirit to the one Abraham Lincoln' prayed. He was a man burdened for his nation and longed for God's healing touch. My prayer is that God would hear our united cry for Him to heal our land from the devastation of this natural disaster, but more importantly, to heal our land from the devastation being caused by human hands and hearts.

I recently heard a pastor talk about all of the ugliness, hatred, violence that has permeated our nation as being a manifestation of the spirit of the antichrist. He said that the hatred being displayed by some is not political, economical, or even logical. It is the spirit of the antichrist that is preparing the way for his ultimate reign over the nations as the global leader.

However, in these dark days, the Church has been given a very specific mission from God. We are called and commissioned to restrain the spirit of the antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 

The restrainer of the spirit of lawlessness is the Holy Spirit. The Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior are the Church. So, the Church is the restrainer! Our job is to restrain the mystery of lawlessness until Jesus takes us out of the way (Rapture). Whether you believe the Rapture occurs before, mid, or after 7 years of Tribulation does not matter. Our job is the same until Jesus blows the trumpet and calls us home. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

So, tomorrow, it's time for the Church to unite. Jesus has commanded us to be ONE in Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink unto one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13) A church united in prayer in Jesus Name is powerful. There is no other name greater than Jesus. There is no other name under heaven by which a person or a nation can be saved. There is no weapon formed against it that can prosper. It's time to pray in the authority He has given us by the shedding of His blood on the cross. In these last days, we must set aside all our petty differences and preach as the Apostle Paul preached.

One message - the Cross.

Paul said when it came to preaching he stuck to the main message, Jesus Christ and Him crucified because the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:2, 1:18)

It's time for the church to get back to the basics - Jesus and the saving power of the cross. The Apostle Paul exhorted the Church to "watch, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong and that everything we do be done in love." (1 Corinthians 16:13)

So, tomorrow, if you are called by God to be a part of the restraining power of the Holy Spirit against the spirit of lawlessness, let's forget politics and unite under the headship of Jesus Christ and cry out to the God of Israel and pray for healing in our land.

LORD, GOD, we come before you in humility, united by the Holy Spirit and covered by the blood of the Lamb and ask that you hear our prayer.
Your Word says that if we, Your people called by Your name, come before you, humble themselves and seek Your face, turn from our wicked ways, and pray You will hear from heaven and heal our land. So, LORD, we come before You and ask that You heal our land from the devastation of this hurricane and other natural disasters coming, recede the waters, comfort those who have lost their homes, possessions, loved ones, and provide for their needs in supernatural ways. Open up the floodgates of heaven and rain down Your provision. Thank you, Jesus, for those who have responded to the call to help those who are suffering. Strengthen them for the work, protect them from harm, and bless their labors. LORD, revive Your church, strengthen us by the power of Holy Spirit to stand firm in the faith, to be brave and strong so that we can restrain the spirit of the antichrist that is trying to destroy our nation. Help us to stand in the gap in prayer and love for the people of this nation. We ask You, O God of Israel, the Great I AM, to pour out Your healing power over Texas and America, not because we are worthy but because You are a God of mercy, unfailing love, and compassion. We pray in the Name above every name, Jesus - the root of David, the bright and Morning Star, the Lion from the Tribe of Judah, our Victorious King, the One who is and was and is to come. Amen.

Love,
Yolanda