2163 Just Be Caught

2163 Just Be Caught

This week, I watched a simple video [https://youtu.be/MJIKOVQVCE4] of a man in a suit with a strong Irish accent explain something so beautifully and so clearly. He talked about how easily we twist salvation into being faith plus works. He posed one question: If you were to die tonight and stand at the gates of Heaven, how would you explain why you’re there? He said if you answer that question in the first person, you’ve already gone wrong. Because I believed. Because I had faith. Because I trusted. Because I did good things. Because I served. Because I stopped doing bad things. Nope. You’ve made it about you. Your way to Heaven never started with you. Look at the thief on the cross. Remember the one hanging beside Jesus? Jesus told him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” And so he was. Just like that. This man was a criminal. He wasn’t baptized. He wasn’t in a Bible study. He never served in children’s ministry. He never got his life cleaned up. He had no opportunity to prove himself worthy. And yet, he made it to Heaven. Imagine the angel guarding Heaven’s gates asking him, “On what basis are you here?” And all he can say is, “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” My friends, that is our only answer too. The Man on the middle cross. It’s not about the Scriptures I’ve memorized, the good works I’ve done, or the sins I’ve walked away from. It’s all about the cross. If I take my eyes off the cross, then suddenly my salvation depends on me. And if your salvation depends on you, it will always lead you to one of two places—absolute despair or horrible arrogance. You’ll either never feel good enough, or you’ll start believing you’re better than everyone else. Both are lies. Keep your eyes on the cross. You are not saved as a result of anything you have ever done or will ever do. You are saved solely because of what Jesus accomplished on that middle cross. And here’s the beautiful thing—your relationship with your Creator isn’t the result of your performance either. You’ve been offered a relationship with Almighty God because of His relentless pursuit of YOU. Grace didn’t simply save you. Grace has been pursuing you all along. The Bible is filled with story after story of God’s pursuit of people who had strayed. People who had failed. People who had royally messed up their lives. People the world had written off as too far gone. And Jesus? He pulled up a chair at their table. He pursued them. Relentlessly. From the moment you were born, God has been pursuing you. Now maybe you’ve spent most of your years running. Yep, me too. Not necessarily running from God, but keeping myself so busy, distracted, and self-sufficient that His knocking went unnoticed and unanswered. And yet, He pursued me. Aren’t you grateful God doesn’t give up easily? Because if He did, how long ago would He have given up on you? How many times have you ignored Him? How many times have you chosen your own way? How many times have you settled for comfortable when He was offering abundant? And still, here He stands today. Offering again. “Will you let me in?” “Will you let me help you?” “Will you draw close to Me? I’ve been drawing close to you all the days of your life.” This is His relentless pursuit of you. And even during the times you’ve given up on yourself, He hasn’t. He has never backed down. God. Still. Wants. You. Psalm 139:7 says: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” You can’t outrun Him. God loves running rebels. He sent His Son on a search-and-rescue mission for YOU. His mission was to seek and save the lost and bring you close to the Father. And that’s still His mission today—to keep bringing you in. Could that be why some of this has been happening in your life? Could the lost job, the financial struggles, the health scare, the crisis, the stress, and the worry be part of God’s relentless pursuit of your heart? Not because He’s punishing you, but because He’s pursuing you. Or perhaps He’s about to show you His power through it all so you’ll never doubt His presence again. If you’ve been running, stop. Just stop. And let Him catch you. That’s my prayer for you today—not that you’ll try harder or do better or become more impressive. My prayer is much simpler than that. Be caught today. Let Him wrap you in His love. Let Him strengthen you. Let Him shield you. Let Him provide for you. Take your refuge in Him. Many years ago, my life seemed to be falling apart. We had run out of money. Our business had dried up. Every light we saw at the end of the tunnel turned into a freight train heading straight for us. I had come to the end of my rope. One day, I sat down on my couch and surrendered. And He caught me. He and I sat on that couch and wrestled it out. I was angry. I was scared. And God was faithful. That day changed my life. God’s relentless pursuit through it all had finally captured my heart. This is where we often get it wrong. We think God primarily wants us to do something for Him. Yes, He calls us to action. Yes, He calls us to be His hands and feet. But don’t twist that. He doesn’t NEED anything from you. Your performance isn’t required. Your trophies aren’t necessary. Your winning record isn’t impressive to Him. More than anything else, He wants YOU. He wants to catch you. He wants you to stop running and simply run to Him. He’s got you. I promise He does. Elevation Worship has a song called Jireh that begins with these words: I’ll never be more loved than I am right now. Wasn’t holding You up, so there’s nothing I can do to let You down. It doesn’t take a trophy to make You proud. I’ll never be more loved than I am right now. Those words get me every single time. Maybe because I’m the girl who has always feared being a disappointment. Maybe because failure has haunted me more times than I’d like to admit. But there’s such freedom in knowing I can’t let God down because I wasn’t ever holding Him up. God isn’t impressed by my trophies, so He’s not disappointed when I don’t win them. And I couldn’t possibly be more loved than I am right now. Maybe you need to hear that too. There is nothing you could do that would make God love you more than He already does. You don’t have to perform for Him. Your failure hasn’t distanced Him. Your weakness hasn’t surprised Him. Your wandering hasn’t stopped Him. He loves you. He loves you so much that after all these years of your running and your trying and your striving and your bright ideas, He is still pursuing you. The fact that you’re hearing these words today is once again evidence of His relentless pursuit. You. Precious and priceless you. The one and only you. He sees you and knows without a doubt—you are worth pursuing. You have not escaped His Spirit. You have not gotten away from His presence. Through it all, He has been right beside you whether you recognized Him or not. You’ve been caught from the fall. You’ve been captured from the running. You’ve been chosen by grace. And when the enemy whispers that we’re not enough, that we’ve failed too many times, wandered too far, or missed our chance, may we remember our answer has never changed. If someone were to ask us, “How did you get here?” the answer isn’t because I was good enough. Or faithful enough. Or disciplined enough. Or because I finally got my life together. It’s much simpler than that. The Man on the middle cross said I could come. The Man on the middle cross pursued me when I was running. The Man on the middle cross caught me when I fell. The Man on the middle cross paid what I could never pay and opened what I could never open. And one day, when I take my final breath here and my first breath in eternity, if I’m asked, “On what basis are you here?” my answer will still be the same. The Man on the middle cross. That’s it. Not my trophies. Not my performance. Not my victories. Not my failures. Not my story. His. And until that day comes, may we stop settling for a comfortable life when God has a great big, beautiful life waiting for us. Not my way, Lord, but Yours. May you be drawn deeper into the life He created for you, all by His grace. And may you stop running long enough to discover you’ve been pursued all along. May you be caught today. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela [https://instagram.com/headmamapamela] Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim [https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim] Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com [http://biglifehq.com]

2162 God of Both

Life is full of mountains and valleys. One day we’re standing on the mountaintop, taking in the view and thanking God for how good life feels. The next, we’re walking through a valley we never saw coming, wondering how we got here and how we’ll ever make it through. That’s life. No one gets a permanent address on the mountaintop, and no one stays in the valley forever. We all experience seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow, seasons of abundance and seasons of struggle. There are moments when we feel strong, confident, and full of faith, and there are moments when we’re tired, discouraged, and simply trying to take the next step. The mountains and the valleys are both part of the journey. Does this mean we hate the valleys and only live for the mountaintops? If so, we’re wasting much of our lives. It’s like the person who chooses misery all week long and only lives for the weekend. Or the person who is continually chasing greener grass, only to get there and find it’s always greener somewhere else. They’re waiting for life to begin when life has been happening all along. Sometimes I wonder if we’re guilty of doing the same thing spiritually. We endure the valleys and merely survive them while we wait for God to get us back to the mountain. We decide the mountaintop is where God is blessing us and the valley is where he’s forgotten us. We assume one is good and one is bad. But what if we’re wrong? What if God never intended for us to love one and despise the other? What if he designed both? God is in control of all things, so why does he allow these low valleys in life? Why doesn’t he take us to the mountaintop experiences and let us stay there? Why not total bliss all the time? Why can’t everything just be good and stay good? My husband and I have often joked over the years of raising three kids that when the rare moment comes along when all three are doing great at the same time—with no problems—we hold our breath. Experience has taught us it doesn’t last long. It’s our mountaintop. It’s bliss. It’s rare. We know we’re here, but we also know we probably don’t get to stay here. Before long, back down into the valley we’ll go with at least one of them. Have you ever noticed that’s the way life seems to work? We just can’t keep things at their very best for very long. The job is good, then the job is hard. The marriage is happy, then the marriage is struggling. Our bodies are healthy, then suddenly they aren’t. The bank account is full, then an unexpected expense arrives. We finally catch our breath, and then life takes it away again. The mountains are beautiful, but they’re temporary. The valleys are difficult, but they’re temporary too. And that’s not a flaw in God’s design. It’s part of it. If mountaintops became permanent, we would begin to worship the view instead of the God who brought us there. If valleys never came, we would never learn surrender and trust. The mountain gives us perspective, but the valley gives us depth. God has never promised us a life of uninterrupted mountaintops. What he has promised is something far better—His uninterrupted presence. He’s God on the mountain, and he’s God in the valley. He isn’t waiting for you at the top. He’s walking with you wherever you are. And perhaps that’s the invitation—not to spend our lives trying to escape the valleys or cling to the mountains, but to learn to look for God in both. 1 Kings 20:28, “The LORD says, ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.” If you just pluck this one scripture out, it won’t make sense. So, let’s study the context and see what God is telling us. Israel are God’s people who seek him and trust him. They have enemies constantly trying to defeat them. One of those enemies is the kingdom of Aram who’s King is Ben-Hadad. The Arameans greatly outnumbered the Israelites, yet the Israelites had just defeated them in battle. As the Aramenas were trying to understand their battle and how they could have lost to an army so beneath them, they came to the conclusion it was because of the Israelites’ God. Verse 23, they said “Their gods are gods of the mountains. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them in the valleys, surely we will be stronger than them.” With that in mind, the Arameans planned their next attack on God’s people in a valley. A valley, a low spot, where the Israelites’ mountaintop God would have no reign and no power. They didn’t doubt God’s existence, they doubted his authority over both the mountain and the valley. BUT THEY WERE WRONG! Our LORD isn’t just a mountaintop God. He’s not limited by good experiences and positive outcomes. He’s not just in the highs – he’s in the lows. His jurisdiction is not limited by location or circumstance. And this is why the LORD said in verse 28, “Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.” Essentially God is saying, “You’ve seen me work on the mountain, NOW WATCH ME WORK IN THE LOW VALLEYS TOO!” This is a lesson not only for the enemy, but for God’s people. “Stop thinking I will only give you victory up here, I can work in the lows too!” This was more than God winning a battle, this was God revealing himself. What? You think God has boundaries? You think there’s somewhere he doesn’t rule? Somewhere out of his reach? Somewhere his power isn’t effective? Something too hard or too big and beyond his dominion? You think there’s a place God can’t give victory. GIRL, JUST WATCH HIM. Today, we often live exactly as the Aramean’s who thought God was only the God of the mountain. We believe: God is with me when my marriage is good! God is with me when my body is healthy! God is with me when the money is there! God is with me when all the kids are doing well! God is with me when my prayers are answered! Yes, he’s with me … I can see him … look at all this goodness in my life! I’m on the mountaintop! But life doesn’t stay there, and soon we’re in a low valley and we begin asking: Where is God? Why isn’t he helping me? Has he left me? Did I do something wrong? Is he punishing me with this deep dark valley of hardship and struggle? And really what we’re wondering is if God stayed on the mountain and he’s not with us in the valley. But I want to give you one memorable fact that will stay with you forever. NOTHING GROWS ON THE MOUNTAINTOP. Have you ever climbed a really tall mountain – I’m talking a legit mountain. Have you noticed the higher you go, the thinner the air gets. And as you continue the climb, it just becomes rocky. No trees. No fruit. No grass. No flowers. The view is remarkable and it feels great to stand on top of the mountain, but NOTHING GROWS UP THERE. That, my friends, is life. You don’t grow in your moutaintop moments. When everything is so perfectly good, you’re not growing. And that’s why God doesn’t leave you up there. He lovingly brings you back down to the valley because in the valley is where YOU GROW! Trees grow in the valley. Fruit is produced in the valley. Flowers are in abundance in the valley. It’s the low places where we grow. I find it interesting that God could have simply prevented the second battle altogether. Instead, He allowed Israel to go right back into another fight. Why? Because there was something about Himself He wanted revealed that could only be revealed in the valley. God isn’t better on the mountain. He’s simply different there. The mountain may reveal His majesty, but the valley reveals His faithfulness. What God is showing us is regardless of the place we are in life, regardless of the highs and lows, he is the LORD over every place. Just as the mountain doesn’t make him God, neither do the valleys of life diminish him. He is just as present, just as powerful, and just as soverign in the lowest and hardest of valleys in your life as he is on the highest and most victorious mountain. I have a beautiful friend currently battling a relentless and ugly cancer. This cancer has dragged her through one heck of a dark valley. But here in this valley, she has discovered God’s presence unlike ever before. She has learned He is her only hope. She has learned peace that doesn’t make sense. She has learned full surrender and unwavering faith. That’s what valleys do to us, and I have to believe that’s one of the reasons God allows them. He reveals Himself in such personal and powerful ways. Perhaps her mountaintop moments will come and she will stand whole, healthy, and healed with a long, beautiful life ahead of her. Oh, how I pray she experiences that. But here’s what I know—she won’t grow up there. She’s growing down here. And maybe that’s why God doesn’t allow us to permanently live on the mountaintops. We would enjoy him there, but we wouldn’t NEED him there. We would celebrate him there, but we wouldn’t CLING to him there. It is in the valley where we discover he really is enough. It’s in the valley where we learn he wasn’t kidding when he said he would never leave us or forsake us. It’s in the valley where we find his strength made perfect in our weakness. It’s in the valley where we discover his peace isn’t dependent on our circumstances and his goodness isn’t diminished by our suffering. Mountaintops are where we often celebrate God. Valleys are where we come to know him. So perhaps we’ve had it wrong all along. Perhaps the goal isn’t to spend our lives desperately trying to escape the valleys and cling to the mountains. Perhaps the goal is to stop asking, “How do I get out of here?” long enough to ask, “Lord, what are You revealing here?” Because He’s still the LORD here. The valley has never been outside of his jurisdiction. It has never been beyond his reach. It has never been beneath his attention. And just as He told the Arameans thousands of years ago, I believe he is still saying to his people today, “You think you’ve seen me work before? Just watch me work here too.” So, if you find yourself standing on a mountaintop today, breathe it in. Thank him for the view. Celebrate the joy. Receive it as a gift. And if you find yourself in a valley today, don’t despise it. Don’t assume you’ve been abandoned there. Don’t waste this season merely trying to survive it. Look for him there. Because he isn’t just waiting for you on the next mountaintop. He’s already standing beside you in the valley. He is the LORD of both. Don’t spend your life trying to escape the valleys or trying to cling to the mountains, but learn to look for God in both. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela [https://instagram.com/headmamapamela] Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim [https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim] Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com [http://biglifehq.com]

2161 Not Over Yet

What do you do when it’s over? Not when it’s hard. Not when it’s uncertain. Not when things could still work out. What do you do when it’s OVER? When the divorce papers are signed. When the prodigal still hasn’t come home. When the doctor’s report confirms your worst fear. When the bank account is empty. When the addiction wins again. When what was already bad somehow gets worse. What do you do when you’ve prayed, believed, hoped, waited, and fought … and the situation is now lying in a grave of impossibility? Because if we’re honest, every one of us will face something that feels dead. A dead dream. A dead relationship. A dead opportunity. A dead hope. A dead part of ourselves. Life happens. Hell attacks. Hearts break. And there are moments when we simply cannot see a way forward. Maybe that’s where you are today. Maybe you’ve reached the place where you’ve stopped asking, “How will God do it?” and you’ve started wondering, “CAN God do it at all?” If so, I want to remind you of something that has never changed: Our God is not stopped by the grave. The grave is where human ability ends, but it is not where God’s power ends. In fact, throughout Scripture, God has a habit of showing up where things appear most hopeless. When Sarah’s womb was too old. When Israel was trapped at the Red Sea. When Ezekiel stood in a valley of dry bones. When Lazarus had been dead four days. When Jesus Himself was placed in a tomb. Again and again, God steps into situations everyone else has declared finished. Because what is impossible with man has never been impossible with God. Matthew 19:26 says: “With God all things are possible.” And hidden inside that one sentence are three life-changing truths. With God. All things. Are possible. 1. With God. Not without him, but with him. Whatever you’re going through, are you going through this WITH God? Or are you trying to do this on your own? Are you pushing through with your own strength, looking for your own answers? Are you relying on someone else, but that someone else isn’t God? You will fail and so will everyone else. This is ONLY WITH GOD. So, how do you do this WITH GOD? You seek him. You talk to him. You read his word. You fill your life with nothing but God, then every area of your life is under his power. I’m talking about the music you listen to, the friends you talk to, the books you read, the things you watch. Have you heard that song, “Dusty Bibles”? It says: We got dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones No wonder why we feel this way We walk with our eyes closed, blind leading blind folks And I’m done with those idols and dusty Bibles Is there dust on your Bible? Yeah – no wonder why you feel this way. You’ve been trying to do this with WITHOUT God, and my friend, it simply won’t work. Looking back on my own journey, I realize just how patient the Lord has been with me. I tried to do this without him for so many years. I even used him to make my things grow. But it wasn’t about him, it wasn’t for him, and it wasn’t really with him. And yet, he allowed me to do it my own way. He didn’t strike me with lightening. He didn’t even publicly shame me. But what he did do, is he allowed me to create my own messes and struggle. And through his gracious allowance of struggle, I finally came to realize I don’t even WANT to do this without him. Is that where you are? Are you finally seeing through God’s gracious allowance of messes and struggles that you no longer want to do this on your own? Are you finally at the point of surrender in your life where you’re truly praying, “God, if you’re in it, I want it … but if you’re not, I don’t.” Yes, girl, this is learning to do life WITH GOD. And with God, ALL THINGS … 2. All things. Not just some things, but truly all things. This means the things that have always been too big and too hard. The things that seem too far gone, too late, too hopeless. The things that are buried, without life, without a future. That’s ALL things. There has never been a moment when Jesus looked at a situation and said, “Well, that’s beyond me.” Cancer isn’t beyond Him. Addiction isn’t beyond Him. A prodigal isn’t beyond Him. A broken marriage isn’t beyond Him. A shattered heart isn’t beyond Him. Death itself isn’t beyond Him. In fact, one day Jesus walked directly into a funeral procession and completely interrupted it. Luke 7:11-15, “Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.” The funeral was already under way. They were walking this young man’s body to the grave. His life was over. And not only his life, but his mother’s life. Notice the detail is given that this woman was a widow and this young man was her only son. In this culture, that meant not only grief, but this meant desperation. Yes, it was the death of a child, but it was also the absolute crash of her future. Without a husband or a son, she was left without care and faced a life of extreme poverty. And when Jesus became aware of this need, His heart overflowed with compassion. No one asked Him to step in with His power. No one expected Him to change the situation. But His heart responded to her broken heart. The miracle began because Jesus was moved by compassion. Jesus sees what nobody else sees. He sees the tears you hide. He sees the burden you carry. He sees the disappointment you don’t talk about. He sees the thing that keeps you awake at night. And just as His heart overflowed with compassion for that widow, His heart is moved by your pain. He’s not indifferent. He’s not distant. He’s not unaware. He is responding. The miracle—YOUR miracle—begins with the compassion of Jesus. Now understand the true significance of this scene. The body isn’t being carried in a closed coffin; it’s more like a wooden stretcher. The young man is likely wrapped in burial cloths. Under Jewish law, touching something associated with a corpse brought ceremonial uncleanness. Everyone else was moving away from what was dead. Jesus moved toward it. Everyone else saw a corpse. Jesus saw an opportunity for resurrection. Everyone else saw an ending. Jesus saw a beginning. Without even being asked, Jesus walks right up to the body and touches him. Not a coffin as we imagine, but an open stretcher where the dead man is lying. Yes, that’s our Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, we see Him touching lepers, touching the sick, and touching the dead. And never once did the uncleanness spread to Him. Instead, His life spread to them. That’s what happens when Life Himself shows up. “With God all things ARE POSSIBLE.” 3. Are possible. ARE POSSIBLE. Not probable. Not likely. Not easy. Not immediate. But possible. Because the possibility doesn’t depend on you. It depends on God. And if God is involved, the story is never over. If God is involved, the grave never gets the final word. If God is involved, what appears dead today may be alive tomorrow. Yes, your too-far-gone situation. Your without-hope circumstance. Your dead dream. Your untouchable mess. Your shame. Your struggle. Your brokenness. When it is brought to Jesus and touched by Him, it can receive His life. I assure you this is your answer. That thing you’ve been struggling with for years and seem powerless to change—it needs the touch of Jesus. That relationship everyone has given up on and left for dead—it needs the touch of Jesus. That habit you keep fighting but never seem to defeat—it needs the touch of Jesus. That dream you buried because disappointment convinced you it would never happen—it needs the touch of Jesus. That part of your heart that has grown cold, weary, and numb—it needs the touch of Jesus. The same Jesus who walked into a funeral procession and interrupted death is still interrupting impossible situations today. Then Jesus spoke these simple words: “Young man, I tell you, get up.” And death had to let go. The young man sat up. He began to speak. Life rushed back into what moments before had been lifeless. What if the thing you’ve declared dead is only waiting for the voice of Jesus? What if the story isn’t over? What if God is not standing at a distance from your impossible situation, but is already walking toward it? What if the marriage isn’t beyond Him? What if the prodigal isn’t beyond Him? What if the diagnosis isn’t beyond Him? What if the dream isn’t beyond Him? What if your story isn’t over? The widow thought she was walking her son to a grave. She had no idea she was walking him into the presence of Jesus. And maybe that’s where you are today. What feels like a funeral may actually be the setting for a resurrection. Because our God has never been intimidated by dead things. He speaks to dry bones and they rattle back to life. He stands before Lazarus’ tomb and calls him out. He steps into a funeral procession and sends everyone home stunned. He walks out of His own grave on the third day. And He is still the God who brings life where everyone else sees death. So don’t bury what God is still breathing on. Don’t abandon what God is still working on. Don’t give up on what God hasn’t given up on. Because with God… ALL THINGS… ARE POSSIBLE. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela [https://instagram.com/headmamapamela] Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim [https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim] Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com [http://biglifehq.com]

2160 Powerful Not Pitiful

Here’s my prayer for you today: May you be led by what is in you, not by what is around you. Because what is around you is loud. Distractions. Drama. Disappointment. Fear. Bad news. Negative people. The invitation to live a small, defeated, mediocre life is everywhere. But daughter of God, you were never created to live looking down. Downcast. Downtrodden. Down in the dumps. Down is not your direction. And here’s how I know: Because of what is in you. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” Then just a few verses later, Romans 8:15 says, “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.” Did you catch that? God’s Spirit lives in you. Not beside you. Not near you. Not occasionally visiting you. In you. The mountain-moving, sea-parting, chain-breaking, prison-shaking, death-defeating power of Almighty God lives in you. Let that sink in. Because the enemy works overtime trying to make you forget it. He wants your attention on your failures instead of your Father. He wants your focus on your flaws instead of God’s power. He wants you obsessing over your weight, your money, your job, your house, your image, your circumstances—anything that keeps your eyes off the greatest reality of your life: The Spirit of God lives within you. If you’re consumed by what you see in the mirror, you’ll forget what Jesus placed inside of you. If you’re focused on your problems, you’ll forget you already have access to the power to overcome them. If you’re drowning in negative thoughts, you’ll start believing you’re stuck. But you’re not stuck. You’ve just forgotten what’s in you. The Spirit of God has already given you power to rise. Power to heal. Power to overcome. Power to keep going. Don’t sacrifice your power by entertaining pitiful. I know I’ve done it. I’ve had seasons where I focused more on my problems than my power. More on my circumstances than my Savior. And every single time, I felt defeated. Because when I play pitiful, I stop walking powerful. So let me ask you: Have you been focused on your problems? Have you been rehearsing your disappointments? Have you been sitting in self-pity? Because here’s something I learned a long time ago: You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you cannot be both. (Thank you Joyce Meyer.) At nineteen years old, I suffered a massive stroke. I was unable to walk or talk. While I was in the hospital, my newlywed husband kept my family away. He told them I was okay. At the time, I couldn’t understand why my mama and daddy weren’t by my bed. But he understood something I didn’t. Pity would have paralyzed me. Pity would have kept me in that bed. Pity would have convinced me I was a victim instead of a victor. My parents would have given me pity. So my young husband pushed me. He challenged me. He refused to hand me pity. And today I walk, talk, and live whole because I was offered God’s power instead of people’s pity. So why would we choose pity now? Girl, pity never looks good on you. But God’s power? That looks absolutely beautiful on you. Because of the Spirit living in you, defeat is no longer your identity. Mediocrity is no longer your calling. Fear is no longer your master. You don’t wake up expecting less. You don’t settle for surviving. Jesus didn’t die so you could live a little life. He came that you might have life—and have it abundantly. So stop sitting in pity over everything that’s wrong. Not when the Spirit of the Almighty lives in you. Oh no. You have every reason to get excited about today. Every reason to expect good things. Every reason to believe that what stands before you is smaller than the God within you. Why? Because God’s Spirit lives in you. You are not controlled by your feelings. You are not a slave to fear. You are a daughter of the King. And daughters of the King don’t walk through life defeated. They walk with authority. They walk with confidence. They walk knowing who they belong to. So remember this today: Nothing you face is greater than the Spirit within you. You are not helpless. You are not hopeless. You are not stuck. And if you feel that way, you’ve believed a lie that was never yours to carry. Don’t buy what the enemy is selling. A daughter of the King should never settle for the leftovers of a defeated devil. Remember what’s in you. The same power that spoke the universe into existence lives in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. The same power that shattered prison walls and broke chains lives in you. The same power that turned water into wine lives in you. That means life is in you. Healing is in you. Freedom is in you. Victory is in you. Change is in you. Hope is in you. Power is in you. So don’t let what is around you make you forget what is in you. The circumstances are real. The challenges are real. The obstacles are real. But none of them are greater than the Spirit of God dwelling within you. That Spirit does not make you a fearful slave. That Spirit makes you a daughter. He brings you into the family. He places a crown upon your head. He declares, “You belong.” So straighten your crown, girl. Life may have knocked you around, but it has not changed who you are. You are chosen. You are loved. You are redeemed. You are a daughter of the King. And the power of Almighty God lives within you. So today, be powerful. Not pitiful. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela [https://instagram.com/headmamapamela] Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim [https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim] Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com [http://biglifehq.com]

2159 In the Name of Jesus

There are probably things you do every day without really knowing why you do them. Think about it. When we meet someone new, we shake hands. But why? The original purpose was to show that your weapon hand was empty and that you came in peace. Most of us aren’t checking each other for concealed swords anymore, yet the handshake remains. We do it because it’s what we’ve always done. Or take Daylight Saving Time. Twice a year, many of us change our clocks and grumble about losing an hour of sleep or it getting dark too early. Ask the average person why we still do it, and most aren’t quite sure. We just know it’s time to change the clocks again. Even the phrases we use have outlived their original purpose. We still say, “Hang up the phone,” even though most people haven’t hung a phone on anything in decades. And let’s be honest—tapping the “End Call” button just doesn’t have the same satisfaction as slamming down a receiver! One of my favorite examples comes from a friend of mine. Every holiday, she cut the end off the ham before putting it in the oven. One day I asked her why. “Because that’s how you’re supposed to do it,” she said. I told her that’s not the way I do it. Unsatisfied with that answer, she asked her grandmother why she taught her to cut the end off the ham. Her grandmother laughed and said, “Because my baking pan was too small.” For 50 years, a tradition had been passed down from generation to generation, long after the too small baking pan no longer existed. It got me thinking: How many things am I doing simply because I’ve always done them? How many things have I been taught that I’ve never really stopped to examine? And then one practice came to mind. Prayer. More specifically, ending a prayer with the words, “In Jesus’ name, amen.” Do you do that? I do. Since I learned to pray as a teenager, I have ended my prayers that way because that’s what I was taught to do. It’s what I heard in church. So I said it too. “In Jesus’ name, amen.” But have you ever stopped and asked yourself why? Why do we pray in Jesus’ name? Is it simply a religious phrase we attach to the end of our prayers? Like a Christian version of saying “goodbye”? Or is there something deeper happening? What authority are we invoking when we pray in Jesus’ name? What did Jesus mean when He taught His followers to ask in His name? And what difference does it make when we truly understand it? Girls, let’s dig deeper together. Because when you understand what you’re saying, why you’re saying it, and whose authority you’re standing in, prayer becomes far more than a routine. It becomes powerful. And when understanding meets faith, prayer changes. The simple answer of why we pray in Jesus’ name is because Jesus told us to. John 14: 13-14, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” As Jesus is explaining to his disciples that he is about to die and no longer be with them in physical form, he says in John 16: 23-24, “At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” Yes, Jesus told us to pray in His name. But if that’s all we understand, we’ve missed the deeper meaning.” This isn’t like cutting the end off your ham because your grandma’s old baking pan was too short 50 years ago. This isn’t continuing something that no longer really applies to our lives today. This is of paramount importance still today – we pray in the name of Jesus. We ask the Father in the name of Jesus. But has it become nothing more than words you add to the end of your prayer – or are you REALLY approaching the Father through Jesus? 1 Timothy 2:5, “There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity – the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” Jesus is our mediator. A mediator is someone who stands between 2 parties and brings them together. Think of a negotiator helping 2 people who are separated by conflict find reconciliation. Here’s the truth – we’ve screwed up. Every single one of us have fallen so short of the glory of God. We could never stand in his holy presence. Sin caused Adam and Eve to be kicked out of the garden, and we’ve been separated since. No matter how good we may try to be, in our own human effort, we simply cannot bridge that gap. The distance between us and our holy, perfect God is massive. Only the cross could bridge it and make a way for us to God. Jesus literally stepped into the middle for us. Because Jesus is both fully God and fully man, He represents both sides. His life sacrificed and blood shed for us then makes a way for us to come into God’s presence. We are for real coming to God in the name of Jesus. Our name isn’t good enough. Only the name of Jesus grants us access to God. But, I must admit, I’ve treated Jesus more like my heavenly mail carrier at time than my savior. Here’s my prayer request, Jesus, deliver this to God for me. Put your stamp of approval on this and maybe God will move for me. Is that what Jesus has become to you? You pray in his name because he’s the stamp for your letter to be delivered to God? Oh Jesus, please forgive us. JESUS IS THE REASON WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD AT ALL!!!!!! When we pray “in Jesus’ name” we’re acknowledging this important fact – I’m not coming to God based on my goodness, my worthiness, or my achievements – I’m coming to God because Jesus has made a way for me! This is NOT a magic phrase that unlocks heaven – although we have sometimes treated it that way. The power is not in just saying the words, “In Jesus’ name”. The power is the holy One behind the name. Jesus himself has said, “She’s with me – she has access.” So now we show up in God’s presence through prayer and we acknowledge, “I’m only here because Jesus says I can be.” Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “Come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” There’s only one way you can do that – back up a verse and you’ll see – it’s because Jesus is our High Priest. In the Old Testament, the high priest was the one person appointed to represent all the people before God. This one person stood in the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. Once a year, the high priest would enter into the presence of God and offer sacrifices for their sin. If an ordinary person went into the place within the temple where God’s presence was, they would be struck dead. Only the high priest could enter. Now, we are told WE (yes me and you) can come boldly to the throne of God. We have access. We can talk to God directly. How? Because we have a High Priest who is Jesus. When you come to God in the name of Jesus, you’re remembering Jesus has already gone before you making it possible for you. As our High Priest, Jesus continually represents us before God. And knowing this can transform your prayers. We don’t have to end our prayers with a phrase we repeat out of habit – we can say it with understanding. I’m praying under the authority of Jesus. I’m approaching the Father through Jesus. I am accepted by God because of Jesus. “In the name of Jesus” isn’t a closing phrase – it’s a declaration of faith. It’s a reminder that every prayer reaches the Father because Jesus stands in the gap and makes a way for us to come near. JESUS IS THE REASON WE HAVE ACCESS TO GOD AT ALL!!!!!! The miracle isn’t that God answers our prayers. The miracle is that we are invited to pray at all. Have you ever prayed a prayer, even ended it with “in Jesus’ name,” and it didn’t get answered? That really causes us to struggle, doesn’t it? It’s easy to take Jesus’ words, “Ask anything in My name, and I will do it,” and twist them to mean that as long as we add His name to our request, it’s guaranteed to happen. What a dangerous little game we can play there. We must always remember that God sees what we do not see. He holds ETERNITY while we are stuck in the right here and now, wanting immediate answers, immediate relief, and immediate results. We see today. God sees forever. We see the request. God sees the outcome. We see the closed door. God sees what is standing behind it. Sometimes the most loving answer God can give is “yes.” Sometimes it is “wait.” And sometimes it is “no.” Not because He isn’t listening. Not because Jesus’ name lacks power. Not because our faith is too small. But because a wise Father is answering from an eternal perspective while we are praying from a temporary one. Praying in Jesus’ name is not giving God our agenda and expecting His signature at the bottom. It is bringing our requests under His authority, His character, His wisdom, and His will. When I pray in Jesus’ name, I am essentially saying: “Lord, this is what I desire. This is what I hope for. But more than anything, I want what You want. If this request honors You, advances Your purposes, and aligns with Your will, then let it be so.” That kind of prayer requires trust. It means trusting that when God says yes, He is good. When God says wait, He is good. And even when God says no, He is still good. The power of praying in Jesus’ name was never found in getting everything we ask for. The power is found in knowing that the One who hears us sees the whole picture—and we can trust Him with the answer. So why do we pray “In Jesus’ name”? Why do we end our prayers in this way? Well maybe we didn’t know before, but we know now! John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. NO ONE can come to the Father except through ME.” He’s not the mailman of heavenly requests – he is the reason for our access at all. He is the only way to our Father God. If we don’t come to God in the name of Jesus, we simply don’t get there! The next time you pray and say, “In Jesus’ name,” don’t let it be empty words. Remember what you’re really saying: “Father, I am not standing before You because of my goodness. I am not approaching You in my own authority. I am here because of Jesus. I belong to Him. He made a way for me. And I’m only here because Jesus says I can be.” Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela [https://instagram.com/headmamapamela] Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim [https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim] Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com [http://biglifehq.com]