RELEASING MARLEY’S CHAINS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” - Romans 7:15 NLT It’s a relief to know that Paul felt the same inner turmoil that we do —when we want to do one thing, but exasperatingly do the opposite.   When this happens, it is often easier to accept God’s forgiveness for those lost battles with the flesh than it is to forgive ourselves. In our self loathing we shackle ourselves to our sins.  Then, like Marley’s weighty chains, we drag them around as our burdensome punishment.  We buy into a lie of the enemy that the Blood of Jesus is not enough.  The enemy wants to see our shoulders weighed down, and our legs shackled by the memory of debt that has already been paid — to become as pardoned prisoners who refuse to leave their cell, even though their debt has been paid and the cell door is wide open. But that isn’t what God has in mind.  He takes no joy i

A PRAYER FOR LITTLE LAMBS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” – Psalms‬ ‭63:6-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Father, it is early.  The darkness is all around and even the crickets lie quiet.  It’s when the busyness stops and the cacophony is silenced that we hear You best.  I lift my friends, the precious sheep of Your pasture.  In the day that approaches there will be choices to make and challenges to tackle.  For some there will be fears to face or grief to bear. We come before You in the name of Jesus, seeking wisdom and Your paths of righteousness.  The voices surrounding us say to go this way or that, but there is One voice we long to hear above all others— Yours.  Good Shepherd, You lay down Your life for Your sheep.  Lead Your little lambs on the good path.  When lions roar, draw us close and keep us safe.  Feed us

 EMPOWERING GRACE By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea, even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea.” - Psalm 46:1-3 ICB They say that peace is not the absence of a storm, but the presence of God in the midst of one. How we need the Lord’s presence, because a storm is raging in these last days.  The tide of evil is quickly rising, and the enemy would like nothing more than to paralyze us with fear.  Beloved, I come with good news.  You may not feel strong enough to endure what lies ahead, but the strength we will need to endure does not come from ourselves, but by way of the empowering grace of God. The power and grace that protected Daniel in the lion’s den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace, will rise up at the appointed time for us, too.  We will be empowered to stand in an hour w

THE WAY MAKER By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.” - Psalm 34:18 GNB Sometimes we come to a dead end —we travel down a long, hot canyon just to realize that the only exit is behind us.   It’s been a difficult season, hasn’t it?  The road has been long and rough, sapping our strength.  And the scorching heat of circumstance has left our throats dry and flesh burnt.   But take heart!  Things are not beyond hope.  The good news is we serve a “Way Maker” — the God who turns water into wine, mourning into joy, anxiety into peace and death into life. He can multiply our supply, forge a way through a blind canyon, cause mountains to melt, or reach down with His mighty right arm to snatch us from harm. You may feel like a tiny speck in a vast expanse, but He sees you, Beloved.  He hears you.  In this place of desperation, don’t look down.  Look up.  Your help comes from the Lord. Father, meet us in our desolation

A PRAYER FOR LITTLE LAMBS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” - Psalm 63:6-8 NIV Many of us greet this morning with concerns, fears or confusion.  Distraction caused us to lose sight of our shepherd, and we became confused, frightened and lost.  We all like sheep have gone astray (Is 53:6).  When we cry out, our anxious bleats meet the attentive ears of the One whose rod and staff comfort us. Lord, You are our Good Shepherd. You lay down Your life for Your sheep. We need wisdom for the decisions ahead. The voices surrounding us may say to go this way or that, but there is One voice we long to hear above all others.  We long to hear Your voice.  Your Word reminds us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians

  UNFINISHED BUSINESS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” - Matthew 5:24 ESV Relationships can be a LOT of work.  Differences of opinion, harsh, cutting words and ill feelings serve to divide us from others. It’s hard to humble ourselves to ask for forgiveness, and equally hard to approach someone who has offended us, for the purpose of reconciliation —especially if they have not offered an apology.   Our God puts high priority on relationships.  He sacrificed His Son to be reconciled to us, even before we recognized our sin.  And before we come before Him, He wants us to first be reconciled to our brother, regardless of where the fault may lie.  Beloved, in this season giving thanks, is there first a broken relationship in your life in need of mending before coming before the Lord? Father, soften our hearts. Remind us of the wretchedness of our condition when You found u

  READY TO GO By: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” – Matthew‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬ A friend of mine passed away recently.  I don’t know his life story, but my spirit recognized him as a brother and treasured friend.  He had a heart for the lost and the broken.  He was a man of great compassion, because he had also suffered heartaches, disappointments and loss in life. We never know when our last day will be.  Only the Father knows.  But whether our last day will find us caught up with the saints to meet Christ in the air, or drawing our last breath on some other appointed day, one day will finally be our last. These losses are bittersweet.  While I will surely miss my friend, I am grateful for the rearrangement of priorities that so often comes

THE HOOK By: Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Don’t allow us to be tempted. Instead, rescue us from the evil one.” - Matthew‬ ‭6:13‬ ‭GW‬‬ We all struggle with self medicating in one form or another—the destructive things we do to soothe ourselves, when the best choice would be to come before Him to be comforted.  Even healthy things, like our own families, can become idols that we crave more than we desire Him.  Most of us have at least one of these “hooks” in our mouths — foreign gods that we turn to for comfort instead of the one, true God of all comfort. In the unprecedented time in world history, it is the perfect time for personal and cultural self examination—a shining of light into the darkness.  It is so distressing to see the condition of our hearts—our lust for power, hoarding of possessions, perversion of truth, pursuit of unholy passions and the love of things and the use of people, instead of the other way around.  As it was in the days of Noah, (Gen 6:5,11-12) we rev

THE SECRET OF THE EXODUS:  THE ARMS OF MOSES By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” – Exodus 17:11 Any time I read this passage of scripture, my mind reflects back to scenes of Charlton Heston in His iconic role as Moses in the 1956 movie, “The Ten Commandments.” With ominous skies in the background and the wind billowing his dramatically highlighted hair, his upraised arms were pivotal to the victory of the Israelites in their battle with the Amalekites. Every time his arms became too tired to remain raised, the Amalekites would gain the upper hand. When his arms went back up, the Israelites would regain their footing and prevail in battle. The position of the arms of Moses was so critical to their success, that Aaron and Hur were drafted to take on the role of lifting the exhausted arms of Moses. God often uses symbolic events in our lives to hint at