Saturday, May 25, 2013

New Beginnings

Hello faithful bloggers and followers... 

I'd like to announce the arrival of my latest pursuit - a new space to write!

You can now find me and everything God is doing in my life at: www.michellejoyeby.wordpress.com 

Time for something new. :) 

See you there!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Despite Fear

Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. (Ezra 3:3 NIV)

Picture this...
A generation that only knew the feeling of being in exile.
A tribe of young passionate people who the only thing that had defined their childhood had been the feeling of being looked down upon. The fear, you see, did not start in Jerusalem that day with hundreds of neighbouring peoples looking on in disgust and rage as these outcasts came to reclaim the land of their ancestors. A land God had prophesied would be theres even as far back as Abraham.
No... The fear they felt was evident even from before they could remember.
But God has not given us a spirit of fear...
As they reached out to claim their inheritance, they completely left their lives as exiles in the rear view mirror.
The first thing they did, before even the walls were built around the city to protect them, was build an altar.

They craved WORSHIP!

And so... Despite their fear... They built their foundation on worship to the God who proved himself faithful for generations.
This is the same God then, as He is today... Only more accessible thru Jesus and not a crazy ritual involving sheep blood. The blood of Jesus, once and for all, is all we need to be able to worship despite our fear.

So what's stopping us?

His love for us is so passionate... His love is tangible, faithful, incomprehensible.

Let go of the past... Of the land that called you an exile. An outcast. The land that broke you down.

Worship Jesus - despite the fear of who is around you.

Build your foundation on the Love that never quits or gives up on you.


“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6:1-3 NIV)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Real. Love. Jesus.

Tonight is Valentines... 

The day celebrating love. 


My heart craves love... yet tonight, as I turn my thoughts towards the one who created both love and my heart, my heart beats to a different tune. 


Can you hear it? 

The hurting are out there. 
There's a world of darkness in their eyes. And light will never come unless they know it exists. 

Can you see them? 

You're the only one holding the light of the world in your heart. One that can shine into the darkest of dark and make a pathway to a home their heart craves. 

It only takes a little light to dispel the darkness. 

Like a darkened stadium with a child holding the only flashlight. 

Love is not love unless it is shown the way. 

In a selfless moment of giving to one who cannot repay the giver. 

Tonight I think of love... 

The Love of One who laid His life down for all. To show us a light out of the darkness we know all too well. We only ever knew darkness until His light shone in our hearts. 

Now I challenge you, plead with you, charge you... Don't HIDE the light! 

The world needs the light of the world, and YOU HAVE HIM INSIDE YOU! 

It's Love Month... what better time to start? 


What if there was some way you could reach into someone's world and show them love, even for a moment. That could very well be the light that pulls them through the darkness. 


What are you waiting for?

I pray often... but tonight is different. 
Tonight I feel like the prayers we pray for Love would ignite the world. 
That a sin-saturated world could be consumed by one small flame igniting another and another and another... until the whole world burns with the LOVE OF JESUS! 

It's an upside-down Kingdom... you must die to live. You must give to get. 
You must give love in order to be able to receive this true Love. 

I want to leave you with three last little things... 


1. My biggest heart prayer of the night (both the girls talked of and the amazing ones who teamed up and made this video)

Click here to see my girls stand up for justice in their generation. 

2. Make Jesus your obsession... you can't miss His love. It's always there. You just need to pass it on. 



and 3...


Matthew 25:37-40 



Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’