Favor Found With a Faithful Father

Walking season through season, I begin to ask the Lord, “What do you have for me in this time?” Whether it’s the wilderness or the promise land, it all serves a purpose in your life. Seasons are not only seasonal but they are catalytic. Each one prepares you for the next. As I am entering into once again another season of school and the business of life, I have chosen to enter it with a new perspective. A perspective that looks at the wilderness and imagines a bountiful field of flowers. A perspective that looks at an adulteress and imagines him a king. A perspective that sees tension and imagines it as a time to rejoice. A perspective that compels me to prepare for whatever flood may be coming my way.

In Genesis 6:5-6, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.”

You see God saw that the people could only imagine the negative and the evil. He realized what was going on and it broke his heart that they thought this way. At times I find myself doing this and questioning God. When your too caught up in the moment, and not focused on God it seems so much easier to partner with the problem than to have hope of better things. Like the majority cases in life, there is one exception. In this case, it was a man.

Genesis 6:8-9 says, “BUT Noah found favor with God. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.”

In verse 13 God speaks to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth. Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat- lower, middle, and upper. Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die, but I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat- you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring a pair of every kind of animal- a male and a female- into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. And be sure to take on board enough for your family and for all the animals.”

Verse 22 is very important. It states, “So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him. “

In Genesis Chapter 7, the Lord proceeds to tell Noah step by step details of the storm that his about to come and what to do to be sure that all life will survive on earth after the flood.  As Noah continued to do everything the Lord had told him to do it began to rain. (verses 17-18) “For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the ground. As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface.”

Verse 22-23 says that, “Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. God wiped out every living thing on the earth- people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat.”

I know that is a lot of scripture, probably scripture that most people would just skip over and not try to see deeper than the words, but all of this minor detail is the part that makes the story have a purpose.

I want to bring out the fact that God had complete and total control throughout this whole story. Sometimes in our life, we see the storm and we think God has lost his place on the throne or is taking a nap. The fact of the matter is, he is ALWAYS in control. 

It is very important that we recognize who Noah was. He was a righteous man who had a close walk with the Lord. Without being in close fellowship, Noah wouldn’t have been in a position to hear what God was speaking. BUT Because of this, the Lord was able to speak to Noah the precautions of what was about to happen. So many times, I believe if we would just spend time with God and stay in tune to what he is doing and speaking, then when troubles come we would be able to sit back and see God working behind the scenes when others may be blinded to his presence and role in the circumstance.

I can’t help but to recognize this same situation in our world today. We have the economy falling fast, we have wars going on, and we have all sorts of natural disasters going on. People’s reaction to these conditions is always interesting to me. So many times we instantly begin to worry, fear, protest, and even doubt, instead of really asking the Lord to include us in on his plan in this. Whether you believe it or not, he has a plan in EVERYTHING. No matter what the government says, God takes care of his people and he is in control of the things you allow him to be in control of, including your thoughts, emotions, needs, and spiritual well being.
You have a choice for yourself.

God told Noah EXACTLY WHAT TO DO in order to make it through the storm safely, so what makes you think that he wouldn’t do the same for you? You also need to recognize the importance of being obedient to every little detail. Noah did EVERYTHING that the Lord had commanded him to do.  From the number of animals on board to the length, height, and width of the boat even when it seemed illogical to build a boat, Noah did everything the Lord asked of him. I believe had he not, then things might’ve not turned out so great for him. He might’ve been one to get wiped out along with all of the others.

It’s often times seems to be more convenient  to ignore the details that God often throws at us. It’s easy to compromise in our obedience and do as much as we justify to be important, when the little things can be the things that make or break us. God isn’t holding anything back from his people due to the decisions of others. He is just as faithful as he was for Noah today. He is looking for someone to walk in a companionship with him daily and not discount his words or his plan but instead trust and lean into him for guidance and direction.
 He is longing to find someone to pour out is favor upon, like he did for Noah.

I want to be like Noah in every second of every season of my life. I want to be so close to the plan and things of God that when any storm comes, I’m safe - When everyone and everything around me is wiped out, I’m still standing - When a storm comes, Im prepared and ready for it because I have taken the opportunity to listen and obey the voice of the Lord. I know without his grace there’s no way I can do it on my own.
 I want to find favor with my faithful father FOREVER… just like Noah.

- - Natalie Hallford

Being Convinced

 Everyone believes something. Some people base their beliefs on their own life experiences. Some run off the experiences of others. Some have accepted other peoples thoughts and opinions. Some have developed their own out of pain, hurt, heartache, or confusion. I have recently have pondered this process of believing. What you believe really makes you who you are. I feel as if who you are and your circumstances are completely and totally what you make it to be. If your reality was actually factual, there would be no need for faith. Faith is the confidence of things hoped for that are unseen. Reality is what is seen and what may seem real to you ow, but faith (hope for the unseen) isn’t needed if everyone had to settle for their reality. Many times we live our life out of this place called reality instead of a heart of faith. We tell our faith what our circumstance is instead of telling our circumstance what our faith is. I have been puzzled and perplexed with this idea of HAVING A CHOICE TO LIVE THE LIFE I WANT TO LIVE. From every minute to every year, it's all what I create it to be and my perspective.

I want to bring it back all the way to Adam and particularly Eve. I was reading in Genesis 3the other day, when the Lord showed me an important factor to living the abundant life that is available for everyone. He shined a whole new light and a whole new perspective on this story for me.  In verse 1 it proceeds to say:

“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals  the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, “You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

And verse 6 says- “The woman was CONVINCED….. and I want to stop it there!

You see, Eve started out with a word from God. She knew exactly what God had told her to do and exactly what he thought about this situation. Not only did she know what the way of the Lord was in this situation, she knew the consequences of what would happen if she chose to disobey the command of the Lord. We see that in just four verses Eve had been convinced into taking a path that wasn’t meant for her to travel. She was convinced. This is the main point that I want to get at. The word convince means to literally bring (as by argument) to belief, consent, or a course of action.

Despite the word from the Lord that Eve had, she still was able to be convinced otherwise. This to me resembles so many people in today’s society. They have become walking human beings of only what others have convinced them that they are. Some have been convinced into believing that they are nothing but a depressed little girl in a lonely world full of hopelessness. Some are convinced that they are nothing but a trampled rose that no one will ever love. Some are convinced that they are a homosexual and will always lived confused. Some are convinced that they are the sinner that is too far gone for God. Some are convinced that they have no value and therefore would rather take their own life. Some are convinced that they are ugly and will never amount to anything. Some are convinced that they will never be good enough and will never succeed. Some are convinced that the only thing that takes the pain away is drugs, alcohol, or sex. Some are convinced that hope is foreign and peace doesn’t exist. Some are convinced that their identity is found in other people. Some people are convinced that life is nothing but a fairytale with no happy ending.

No matter what you believe, there is a reason behind it. And let me tell you, that if the reason behind what you believe is anything other than the word of God – then it’s probably just a reality your choosing to live in, and being convinced that that’s who you are. We have a culture that loves to create a young generation through convincing them to believe things that are totally not from the Word of God. I can’t help but to wonder...”What if Eve would’ve stuck to what the Lord had told her? What if she wouldn’t have allowed Satan to convince her?” I honestly have to say that I believe the story would have played out a complete and totally different way. But because she was convinced, she became naked and ashamed.

This is our youth in a nutshell. Ashamed of themselves for the lie they have believed themselves to be. When your reality is the lie of Satan and not the truth of God – you will always be ashamed. You can’t ever feel satisfied playing a roll of something you’ve been convinced to play, when the one who made you didn’t make you that way. It’s impossible. I believe that if this generation would rise up and take a stand to all of the lies that Satan has tried to convince us, the world would be a different place.  I’m reminded of the scripture in Psalm 119:9. It says, “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.” If we would read the word, to figure out who we are there would be no convincing.

For a silly example, I am fully aware that I am a girl. If someone were try to convince me for the rest of  my life that I was a boy, there would NEVER BE A DAY that I would actually believe that. I want to get that way with who God says I am. When the enemy wants to tell me I’m a failure, I won’t ever be able to believe it because it word says in Phil. 4:!3 that I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength. When he says that I’m ugly and I have to live in insecurity all of my life, I can say I was made perfectly and wonderfully in the image of Christ!!!  This is my goal and my prayer for everyone. That we would be so caught up and grounded in the word of God and who it says we are that nothing can ever CONVINCE us of anything otherwise.

I urge you to evaluate your life and your actions. Who are you and why are you that? Is it because someone has filled your identity with lies and convinced you that you are something you’re not. Or maybe something tragic has happened to you and their actions told you were something your not. Whatever it may be, I pray that you make sure it’s what God has to say about you. If not, It’s not true. Although, it may be your reality, it doesn’t have to be. You can be one choice away from living the abundant life that he has called you to live and being who he has created you to be.

- Natalie Hallford

Sustained through the Storm and Drenched in the Desert

Judges 6.

Every stage, every area, every walk, and every day I find myself wanting to seek God and not only seek him but to find him. I know that I am called to be a sheep under the commands of the greatest shepherd. People so many times let fear of the uncertainty paralyze them. However, I want to remind you that his sheep hear his voice, but there aren’t words to describe the peace that comes with confirmation, or a sign, from the Lord. You see there are times in my life that I question, “Is this thought, is this calling, is this direction, is this action, is this emotion, is this plan really you God?” You do have to understand that it isn’t a bad thing to want confirmation about a certain issue, but never mistake that with doubt. The lord says to take every thought captive and make sure that they obey Christ.

In Judges 6, starting in vs. 36 ending vs. 40, we see that Gideon was asking God these same questions.

“Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.”

“Then Gideon said God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was drying in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.”

Not only did Gideon ask God to give him a sign, he was specific with what he wanted to happen in order for him to believe that what he doubted was actually  true and it was from God. Within this passage, I find the harvest that is reaped when you seek until you find and the result of walking in the will of God.

The first thing I see within this passage is the word IF. So many times this is our first response to God, “IF this is really you, where is the money? IF this is really you, then why do people not like me? IF this is you God, then why does everyone seem to fail me? IF this is you God, then why am I still single? IF, IF, IF, IF! It’s funny we ask these questions as if we are somebody that can play the game better than the champion. God has  not only already spoken to us what to do but PROMISED that we would do it. So many the enemy tries and sometimes succeeds at stealing that vision, that word, that call and that thing that 

God has already 

PROMISED US. 

Sometimes I find that we end up choosing the powerless lies of the enemy over the promise of the Almighty God. This can be seen in various ways. It can be doubt. It can be fear. It can be insecurity. It can be pride. Although Gideon started off questioning God IF, he could’ve stopped there. I honor the fact that he looked over that thought of inadequacy and instead still pursued to see if this was God’s will for him. Beyond his feelings of his flesh, he was willing to consider paying the price to fulfill the promise. So many people quit after the first feeling of uncertainty instead of surrendering and realizing that God has created them for a bigger purpose than themself. Gideon was specific with how he wanted his answer. This really shows me that God is a personal God and although he may not understand our doubt, he is willing to stoop down to our level to speak to us. 

I think of it like a young infant. When trying to get them to understand something you can’t use college level words or they will never hear what you have to say. This is the same thing here. God was open to Gideon’s language. Beyond the simple words on the page, I see that Gideon was wanting more than a wet fleece on a dry ground. I believe that Gideon, first of all, was wanting to be different that his surroundings. Gideon wanted to be assured that when the world around him was nothing but dry bones, that the Lord would fill his cup. As God always out does himself, that next morning not only did he wet the fleece, it was drenched. The Lord supplied the abundance of living water and that same living water is available to us – even when everyone or everything around us seems to be dry and dead. In order to sustain through the desert, you have to seek until your being drenched by the spring of life.

After God had done exactly what Gideon had asked him to do, Gideon STILL wanted another sign. Despite that Gideon felt he needed another sign, the fact that God gave him another sign is what totally blows me back. I think that Gideon was wanting the confirmation that when the storm comes, he wants to remain stable. Gideon was wanting the security in the fact that times may get rough and the rain may take out everything around me, but I want to remain unchanged. He was seeking a confidence that he didn’t have in himself. 

The thing that you have to admire about Gideon  is that he wasn’t afraid to ask. 


He wasn’t okay with just seeking, but he wanted to seek until he found and until he was certain. 
He wasn’t okay with just acting and not being completely sure that it was God. 


I believe that there is a balance here. It’s a balance between instant obedience and acting out of one’s own will not knowing if it’s God’s will.

I see that at times we question the big or small things that God may have for us, but if we would continue to press into the confirmation that he IS WILLING to give to us over and over again, than there will be no excuses for taking the wrong path.

God guarantees four things when you are walking in his will. First and foremost, you can are called to  be different than your surroundings. Second, he will never hold back from you the living waters that he supplies even in the driest of times. Thirdly, when the storms come, the strength, hope, and faith you have in him will sustain you. And Lastly, God is simple and will defeat confusion with confirmation.

Thank you God that you speak to us and that your sheep hear your voice. I thank you Lord that you call me worthy enough to serve you and communicate with you. I pray that you would, in all areas of our lives, lead us. I pray that you would help us be obedient to your word. We wouldn't doubt who you have said that we are and the promises you have already given to us. Instead we would just fully embrace what you already say we have. Thank you Lord that even in the desert you can keep us drenched and your strength sustains us when the storms come. May we find you in every situation, good and bad. Thank you Lord, Amen.

-Natalie Hallford

Living a Life Worth Something

It’s been a while since I have written a blog due to the lack of time. However, as I was asking God what he was trying to say he brought me to a special place. I believe that this will hit home with people in some way, some sort, or some fashion. More than anything,  I pray that it will call for action in your life. That we may not just be hearers of the God’s word, but DOERS of God’s word.

 It doesn’t take true commitment to hear something, but it does take a true commitment to carry out with something.

The text that I was brought to was Acts 20:16-27

It starts off where Paul is trying to make it back to Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost. On the way, he meets with the elders of the Church of Ephesus and what he tells them is the very thing that I believe God is wanting out of his people.

In verse 18 and 19 it says:

 ¹⁸ When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now ¹⁹ I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.

I see here that Paul has learned that the Lord’s work calls us to be humble. He mentions that he worked with many tears. This tells us that it won’t always be easy. So many people come into Christianity with the mindset of “I’ll serve Jesus, he makes life good.” Yes, he promises us that everything will turn out for our good, but you have to remember that you can only have one master and serving Jesus means not serving yourself. Killing yourself and your flesh isn’t easy, my friends, but just because it gets hard doesn’t mean that it’s not God’s will for your life. The only reason we struggle and have hardships in our life is because our flesh doesn’t line up with the will of God. The Lord has really been dealing with me about being refined. Being refined requires going through the fire.
 Fire is hot, it burns you, it hurts, it’s hard, and it’s not fun. However, it brings out the dross and transforms you into who he has called you to be. I am willing to go through the fire. The hottest, most painful, fire to be who he wants me to be and I hope that’s a place where you are at, as well. If you’re not, I urge you to seek your intentions and press into a deeper humility.

Continuing, Paul says that he has endured many trials that came. I see a lack of endurance in people’s faith today. I see that the Lord is calling us to have unshakable faith. When trials come and people come against us, we must realize this isn’t a war against flesh and blood, but of the spirit. I believe that many people, including myself, give up right before the breakthrough because they haven’t learned and disciplined themselves to endure and persevere. Every time a trial comes up, they run. How will that ever strengthen you? It won’t. We are called to be a light in the darkness. How can we be a light in the darkness, if every time darkness is in our midst, we run and hide because of our lack of trust in God and our lack of endurance?

 ²⁰ I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. ²¹ I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

In verse 20. I see the Lord telling us to be Bold. This world lacks discipline, and honestly it longs for it. In the bible it says that discipline is love. When someone cares enough to tell you the hard things, they love you the most. One of my favorite quotes is “anybody that wants to get the best out of somebody is willing to take them through hurt to get them there”  by Damon Thompson. I believe that this is exactly what the Lord is saying. Paul NEVER shrank back. I think that we need this exact mentality. If it means you have no friends, then you have no friends. If it means people think you are too radical, then you are too radical. If it means that they get mad at you forever, then they get mad at you forever. Whatever your excuse is, it’s not good enough. His word is his word. Period. He always kept his same message. This is so important to me. ALWAYS KEEP THE SAME MESSAGE. So many times you see people just straight up on fire for God, the next thing you know it’s a little compromise in one area, a little more, and then a little more until they are just off the map. I think that when someone professes that they are a Christian, we are required to love them enough to hold them accountable to their word,

IN LOVE.

So many times we let people off the hook to easily by not sharing the truth with them.

The truth is WHAT WILL SET THEM FREE,

 so why do we hold back from it? His word says that people perish because of their lack of knowledge. Knowledge is truth. Truth is freedom. Sometimes the truth  hurts and may fluster your flesh, but GOOD! It needs to die anyways. That’s the goal in laying down your life. Is actually laying it down and not only laying it down- but never picking it back up again. Be set free from lies and deception.

 ²² “And now I am bound by the Spirit^[b] to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. ²⁴ But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

 I also see that Paul was bound by the Spirit. My gosh, my gosh, my gosh. What would it look like if we could all get to a point in our life that we were BOUND by the Spirit? Think of when something or someone is bound to something. I picture two people in handcuffs with a chain connecting them. If we could just get our pride, our fear of rejection, our fear of man, our insecurities, and our flesh out of the way and actually be BOUND BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
I can’t imagine what things would look like. We can all say, yeah that’s for someone else...

But what I want everyone to realize is that “It starts with me.”

 We have got to learn to be obedient to whatever he tells us to do. How many times do you follow your own will and own voice when you know God has spoken to you to do something? I think we’re all guilty of it. We have got to get to a place where our "Yes God, I will follow you no MATTER WHAT" is bigger than our "no." Just think, your obedience could be one more person in the kingdom of God and that one more person is more important that one selfish decision of our own.

I also see that Paul was okay with not knowing. The things that he did know weren’t comforting to him at all. I’ve discovered that God will always take you out of your comfort zone because he is more aware of the potential that you possess than you are yourself. Paul is aware that suffering is ahead, but what does it say at the beginning of the story? That he was hurrying to this place. He wasn’t afraid. You know why? Because
He knew who he was in Christ.
 He knew that HIS LIFE WAS WORTH NOTHING unless he finished the work assigned to him by God. I find that many people get saved, love Jesus, but forget that with salvation comes a plan and an assignment from Christ. I see that without completing the assignment...

YOUR LIFE IS WORTH NOTHING.

I encourage you to evaluate your life and see if you are fulfilling God's plan for you and spreading the News of God’s grace and love and mercy. It’s not about what’s easy for you. It’s not about what’s comfortable. It’s about you laying your life down for the sake of others, like Jesus did for you. That’s what it’s about. I think it’s high time we get over ourselves and our agenda and serve, whether its suffering or whether it’s not. What is the price that you are willing to pay to live a life worth something?

 ²⁵ “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault,^{[c] 27} for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.

I see that Paul wasn’t concerned with who knew his name. He wasn’t concerned about getting the Glory. He wasn’t concerned about seeing people again. All he was concerned about is that he was obedient. That he was faithful and their blood would no longer be on his hands for his disobedience. Instead, he had peace with himself knowing that if anyone suffered eternal death – THERE WAS NO WAY that he was responsible for it because he did what God told him to do and declared everything he wanted them to know.

I sit and wonder to myself how many people do I see a day? How many people do I talk to about the wonderful Grace of God? If they died today, could I be responsible? People don’t just happen to be in your midst for a reason. You come across every person you see for a REASON. Make a difference. Make a difference. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I don’t ever want to be responsible for being disobedient. Instead, I want to be bound by Spritit. I want to be humble. I want to be obedient. I want to have a new boldness. I want to persevere. I want to love others enough to suffer for them.

But most importantly,

I want to live a life worth something.

-Natalie



Pursuing a Possible Purity.

I’m urged to write this note regarding the war that’s fighting in the inside of me. It’s a war not of flesh and blood, but a war of the spirit. I see a generation of young people struggling to live the “Christian life.” I see a desire to want to, but the things of the world are so tempting, and even seem more attractive than the things of God. Partially, because they haven’t experienced God to the fullest capacity. I find that many younger kids are in a place where they feel like trying is just setting themselves up for failure. They believe that there isn’t a way to live this holy life people talk about. There isn’t a way to fully sell out to Jesus Christ. There isn’t a way to just say no to sin that’s violently raging against them. There isn’t a way. There isn’t a way. THERE ISN’T A WAY. So why even try. I can tell you one thing, that

success doesn’t come without first having an attempt

that’s a given. And without God, you’re nothing. I want to make that clear.

WITHOUT GOD, YOU ARE NOTHING.

Therefore, you are settling for failure when you could obtain success with an attempt through the power and blood of Jesus Christ. I feel as though the Lord has directed me to the answer. If you ask the majority of believers on how their personal life and devotion time with God is, they would say something similar to “I just can’t find time” or “I just don’t like to read” or “It’s not as good as I know it should be.” And this here would explain why people can’t live holy, different, devoted, and pure lives.

In Psalm 119:9 it says, “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.”

One of the definitions for pure in the dictionary is: being that and nothing else. I find these words to be very strong. I find these words referring to being hot, cold, or luke warm. The bible says be either hot or cold. If you are luke warm he will VOMIT you out of his mouth. I honestly get sick of seeing people having bible scriptures all over their facebook, along with statuses that cuss someone black and blue. It doesn't end there either. What about your favorite books or movies? What about what you are wearing in your pictures? Or what your doing in your pictures? These things may seem little, but it's actually vitally important.  I don’t understand how that is any way, shape, or form edifying to God. In fact, it's a ruining of your witness. You are called to be a holy example. And this my friend, is a terrible way to express Jesus in this world. Christianity is about you showing people who Jesus is and being Jesus to others. Who are you telling people Jesus is? You're example is how they portray Christians.  This to me is called being luke warm. If you’re going to be a Christian, meaning a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teaching of Jesus Christ, then

BE THAT AND NOTHING ELSE.  

I have a real problem believing that this generation of young people are obeying God’s word when they can’t find time to read it. You will never be able to obey what you don’t know. And how will you know, if you don’t read. That’s why you see such an impure generation, even the majority of the ones proclaiming Jesus as their Savior. You see Jesus can be your Savior, without you ever letting him become your Lord. He wants to be both.

 I think that it is time that our bibles and not our cell phones or computers become our best friends. You wonder why you feel like it’s a constant battle to say no to the things of the world and yes to God, when your bible isn’t a priority or something apart of your lifestyle. This verse isn’t something that you have to read between the lines to understand. It’s very simple and it’s very plain. If you really want to stay pure then you need to obey God’s word. PERIOD. This I see is the biggest trap the enemy has taken away from us, including time. He has crept in and given us an attention span of nothing and a want to be constantly doing something.

When God tells us to just

BE STILL and KNOW HE IS GOD.

I pray that God would teach us all to be still, as we have forgotten what that means, or even how to accomplish this. I pray that in the midst of life, we value what he did for us on the cross more than we do our facebook that by the way has no eternal value. That we would put him first. That we would get rid of all the idols that we put before him.

THAT HE WOULD BECOME OUR NUMBER ONE.

That we would be so focused on the goodness of God that anything of the world would instantly repel us away from it. We wouldn’t have to say no to ungodly things because it wouldn’t even be an option. I encourage each of you to read your bible everyday! Not out of works righteousness, not out of I have to do this, but out of a deep hunger to stay pure. I also believe that many of us have substituted our personal devotion and our personal bible reading with other things, even good things, like other Christian people or even church. Don’t get me wrong, we all need to be a part of those things, but I want you to realize that even good things in your life like church and other Christians can become idols if you’re focus isn’t totally on Jesus. The bible states that God is jealous of us. He wants all of us. All meaning All. Our attention, our troubles, our devotion, our love, our time, our relationships, our money, our bodies, our friends, our

EVERYTHING.

It’s time that we seek our answers from the only true answer, God Almighty, and seek him for who he is instead of seeking others for who he is. How will you ever know his voice if you always get your answers from other people. Yes, that seems easier, but really it’s cheating yourself of a closer relationship with him.

God, in a world where time is missing and our lives our booked, help us to put you first.

Teach us what it is to be still. Destruct ourselves and our agendas. Lord, even if it hurts, take anything away from us that is not of you. God give us a heart after your own. Lord convict our hearts of things that we need to lay down in our lives. Give us a longing for more of your word. Lord, discipline us to not go a day without reading your word out of a desired craving for more of you. Lord, help us stay pure. Help us be holy as you are holy. Create in us a new, clean heart. Renew our minds and give us the power to change our ways. Jesus we know it’s possible to be sold out, and we declare that

WE AREN’T QUITTERS, but WE ARE WARRIORS

 for your kingdom that aren’t willing to settle for what the world offers but only for a

POSSIBLE PURITY

 that comes from you and you alone.

-Natalie Hallford



Hunger and Love.

As I prayed about what to write this blog about. The Lord instantly gave me Hebrews 6. I had no idea why, but as I turned there in my bible- it instantly confirmed everything that  I have been feeling in my spirit. It’s a feeling, a hunger for so much more, something deeper. It’s an unexplainable desire to just be with Jesus Christ. It’s a feeling of dissatisfaction. It’s a drive to not settle for complacency. It’s a willingness and readiness to dive into the intoxicating living waters that are available right before our eyes.

A fire has been stirring up within me to take things to a deeper, more intimate level. I feel the word “intimacy” blaring in my spirit. I believe that the Lord is pouring out something so intimate and so deep among his people.

 In the sixth chapter of Hebrews, it starts off –

“ ¹ So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. ² You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ³ And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.”

This totally blows be back. It makes me question my hunger.

You see, your hunger dictates your intimacy with God. And your intimacy with God dictates your maturity. And your maturity dictates your understanding. And your understanding dictates your belief. And your belief dictates your foundation.

How will we ever have a FIRM AND SOLID FOUNDATION in God without first having hunger? The bottom line is- you won’t. As I read, this here is saying that repenting from evil deeds, placing our faith in God, baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment are all BASIC TEACHINGS! I find that many of us today haven’t even reach this place.. and this is BASIC. As I read this, and hopefully as you do too, it brings me to a place of humility. It engulfs me into a place where I can do nothing but want more of him. It allows me to be stirred up and crave for a deeper walk with him. It persuades me to beg for opportunities to be used by him. It leads me to a point where I can’t be satisfied, and I won’t be satisfied. Not beat myself up, but move forward in my future. I can see people today in two different places. You’re either one who hasn’t reached the basic things, or one who has reached these basic things but is content in believing that that’s enough. Either is fine, but staying there isn’t an option.

 LORD, I DON’T WANT TO BE SATISFIED WITH THE BASICS.

As I continue reading it says-

“ ⁹ Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers,^[a] as you still do. ¹¹ Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. ¹² Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”

I believe that the only reason that these things might be considered basic, is not to beat ourselves up over it, but to realize the better things that God really has for us. He has so much more than we can ever imagine. He wants to use us so much more than we can ever comprehend. I feel as though, the time IS NOW, that people begin to set their standard of holiness higher, to embrace a father more aggressively than ever before, to not be conformed to this world, to not feel the need to fit in or be popular, to recognize that Jesus is enough, to see the beauty in being saved, to find a purpose that’s been stolen for so long, to seek out the place where they belong, to not be able to obtain satisfaction anywhere else other than his presence. These things are no different than salvation. It’s not a special gift, it’s not some people have it, and some don’t. Do not allow the enemy to steal from you something that God has freely given to you. You are fully equipped and fully worthy of anything and everything. The word says in James, “You have not because you ask not.” I pray that you would develop a holy greediness out of a pure hunger for more of who he is. I see that this verse declares that it ALL comes with salvation. Therefore, this leaves no excuses for people who are saved to not operate in the fullness of God.

YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE.

 I believe that for so many people excuses are their best friends. But it’s time that you take responsibility for what you do or don’t do.

 Verse 11-12, it hits me hard. This is my prayer and my desire - - for everyone to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and LOVE. God is love. And anything without Love, can’t be God. Love is the key to not becoming spiritually burned out and unmoved. But how do you know love, if you don’t spend intimate time with Love, or God himself? But how can you want to spend time with Love, if you’re not hungry for it? Again, your hunger is what launches you into intimacy, which eventually leads to your foundation, which is everything. Love allows you to obtain faith and endurance of those who enter into God’s kingdom. This is good news, friends. Oh, God, teach us the power of love. I encourage you today and challenge you everyday, to love when you feel hated. To love, when you feel sad. To love, when you feel guilty. To love, when you feel ashamed. To love, when life is hard. To love, when stress is strong. To love, when the waves are crashing. To love, when the world is falling. Just to love. Simply love.

To wrap all of this up, it comes down to two things.

Hunger and Love.

Lord, I pray that you would birth in us a supernatural hunger for you and a supernatural love that would not only overwhelm us, but everyone around us. I pray that we wouldn’t be satisfied with the basics, God but we would continue to dig to the very depths of your heart. God teach us how, because

without you- Nothing is possible.

-Natalie Hallford

He SHINES in your struggle.

You often question, “WHY GOD..WHY?! I don’t understand. How can I be following you or how can you love me and my life look as though I’m alone?”

I often used to see myself asking the same question. Then I came face to face with a real love, a real Jesus and my confusion turned into, “God what is the reasoning behind the valley that I’m having to truck through and what’s the purpose of the mountain that I’m facing? I trust that you love me, but what’s the reason? Why do I hurt, why do people talk bad about me, why do I think that I am ugly, why do people tell me that I am not good enough, why is it that I can’t seem to get over this addiction, why is it that I know what’s right and I still choose the wrong, why is it that I can never measure up to what people want me to be, why is it that I always feel like I can’t do anything right –WHY?!?!?!”

I want you to know that the first thing the enemy would tell you is that you’re alone in these thoughts, in these feelings, and this place of being. That is a lie and nothing but a lie. In fact, you’re never alone because God is always there. Always. He’s there when you don’t feel him, he’s there when you need him most, and he’s there when you don’t want him there. HE’S ALWAYS THERE.

I want to expose something that the enemy has caused many of us to believe. I want to expose the thought that you go through hard times because God is punishing you. I want you to see what the bible tells us about trials and tribulations. In James 1:2 – Consider it pure JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If trials bring me to a place of maturity and completeness, then I say BRING IT ON! Why let the enemy bring you down in the hard times when all you’re gaining is wholeness- a wholeness that LACKS NOTHING. What an awesome thing. God always turns everything into the good. I pray and long that everyone will begin to see with the eyes of Jesus and not our own fleshly eyes. Let’s begin to thank God for hardships and times of fighting the fight of faith. I read this morning in John 9:1-7 and it happened to just bring more revelation over this subject. It states:

“As he- talking about Jesus- went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam-which means Sent-. So the man WENT and washed, and come home seeing.”

This is a perfect example. You see, it wasn’t that this guy was being punished because of someone’s lifestyle of sin as most people would have thought. Instead Jesus shook their brains and said the exact opposite. It was because he wanted to use that guys weakness to shine. If you are always strong and always having everything together how in the world is Jesus able to show himself strong. I know people don’t like to admit they are weak, but the time that you can’t admit your weak is the time that you are telling Jesus you don’t need him. I believe that it’s time that we come boldly before the throne of God admitting were are NOTHING BUT WEAK.

Lord please use us. Lord give me weaknesses if it is an opportunity for you to reveal the beauty and power of who you are. Use my struggles and shine right through them. I believe that God LOVES you so much that he uses your weakness to show off his glory in. Why your life? Because he trusts that you are willing to sacrifice and surrender to him, for the sake of others. I hope and pray that all of you would get to the point where valleys turn into the peaks and struggles turn into his glory.

Lord I give you permission, TO SHINE, JESUS, SHINE – EVEN if it requires me to struggle. Your will is more important than anything I have to endure to ensure that it happens. Humble us oh Jesus.

I want you to remember when you let God shine through your weakness you are being what he has called you to be, “the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”

- Natalie Hallford