The Spirit is calling

Created to be Helpless

2012-02-28T12:08:00.001-08:00

The Holy One calls me today to celebrate Heavenly visions of earth-bound resolutions. Like in the days of Daniel, sometimes we are required to wait for the answers from above to reach our circumstances here on earth.

The pause is so often mis-interpreted to be a denial of our petition when God has already approved our requisition and it is on the way. Interference by the enemy can be the cause for the delay as God's Heavenly Host do battle in the Spirit realm while escorting God's provision and answer into our hands and lives.

A read of Daniel's vision of a man in the book that bears his name chapter 10, he quotes the Angelic Being sent to him from Heaven;s Throne, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come in response to them. But the Prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me 21 days. Then Michael, one of the Chief Princes came to help me because I was detained there with the King of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future for the vision concerns a time yet to come."

As the Angel, continues to speak to Daniel the overwhelming sense that Daniel describes of himself is "bowed face to the ground", "speechless", "helpless", "strength gone", "hardly able to breathe". Then in Daniel 10:15, he says, "again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. "Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed", he said, "Peace, be strong, now be strong." When he spoke I was strengthened."

As I read this account of Daniel, the Holy One speaks, "You were created to be helpless".

Tell that to all the Hollywood movie makers who portray the human with total power to survive any and all imaginable threats to our human existence. Somehow, we think we are invincible, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and ace every challenge we face given enough time to calibrate the threat. But really how many of us live in that condition day in and day out?

The picture Daniel painted helps me to realize how really small and vulnerable we are in the bigger realms we barely know exist. This passage has so many interesting things to learn and I am excited to ponder all it contains. The Holy One has taken me here today to think about the cause of delayed answers and to understand that the feelings of helplessness I experience are OK and more than OK they are actually a part of God's design. Helplessness produces dependency.

The old lie so many have been taught that "God helps those who help themselves" needs to be eliminated from our favorite list of quotable quotes. It is a lie through and through. It drives us out of a dependant relationship that God has ordained in Creation for us to experience, enjoy and thrive in. If I believe that lie for half a minute, I will search for what I can do and not petition my Heavenly Father for what He alone can do.

Then there is the issue of the delay in answer to my prayers. The pause, the silence that is deafening. This passage of scripture reveals some details of another realm that affects our life here on earth.

Answers passing through the Heavenlies, brought to us by Angelic Guardians. Spiritual resistance by evil forces. Power struggles between unseen Heavenly Beings. The ultimate victory by God's Agents created to oversee and help us. A fantastic picture of another world and it's invisible impact on our world today. Truth far more exciting and profound than fiction. And somehow we are the center piece of God's Created universe around which all this action rotates.

The feelings of helplessness grow when I consider the magnitude of all I don't know. But then I begin to realize that it's not my fault for being helpless. It is the way we were created.

The Holy One takes me to another place of comfort against my anxiety, Psalm 91 where God's Sovereignty and our protection is assured.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord He is my fortress, my God in whom I trust." Psalm 91:9, "If you make the Lord your dwelling, even the Lord who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."

Knowing that I am created by God to be helpless and dependant on Him, I can surely trust in His Sovereign plan to take care of me. And if the unseen realm of God's creation is inhabited by such powerful beings as Angels who are assigned to guard me in all my ways, I realize being helpless isn't so bad. With all that action going on in the unseen realm in my behalf, I guess I can be patient and wait for the answers to arrive.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Expect the Backlash

2012-02-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. I am wide awake now. His voice is clear and His message even clearer. "Expect the backlash".

Each and every morning, we wake up to our world at war. Most do not understand this, so few are prepared to respond to what comes their way. It is not the usual kind of war where both sides are easily recognized and uniforms identify the allegiance of the people engaged. This war is a battle between kingdoms not necessarily nations, or families or individuals who disagree.

Ephesians 6:10-17, gives us a picture of the battle, through the commands it conveys. We, God's people, through the relational Body of Christ called the Church, have a high and Holy calling, ordained by the Trinity to represent God's Glory and purpose to the world of men.

Ephesians was written to convey in overview God's purpose, His plan, His power and His wisdom in design. In the world of chaos, amid never ending contention, the Church, under the Headship of Christ offers a peace and unity for all who would align themselves with God through Jesus Christ. A peace and unity the world does not and can not know. This peace and unity traverses all people, all nations, all cultures over all of time.

As Paul lays out the powerful message of God's purpose in calling His people to become a body of believers connected to one another by the Holy Spirit of Christ under one Head, he speaks to the backlash and opposition we can expect in Ephesians 6:10-12. Paul also leaves the reader with the Heavenly strategy we must follow as we contend for the faith.

"Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Jesus told us that He came to destroy the works of the devil and Paul talks about the devil's schemes.

That we have an enemy here is fact beyond doubt. For those who deny that fact, the battle is already lost. We must first acknowledge we are at war before we can begin to battle effectively. We must first identify the enemy before we can defeat him.

Paul tells us what we are up against, "for our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms."

WOW, that paints a picture of a titanic battle not just the little day-to-day problems and issues we face and call inconvenience or fate. I am thankful that Paul begins this overview of the enemies we face with the exhortation to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God....

In essence Paul is telling us to prepare for battle, and put on our protective gear. Without God's armour we will become casualties in this war. We are to be fitted in our armour of God so that we will be able to stand our ground and after we have done everything, to stand firm.

God's armour boils down to truth, righteousness, peace and faith. When the day of evil comes, he will attack each one of these places of Godly integrity on our lives.

When we take a stand for truth, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make truth seem weak and the lie seem stronger.

When we take a stand for righteousness, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make righteousness seem weak and unrighteousness seem stronger.

When we take a stand for peace, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make peace seem weak and chaos seem stronger.

And when we take a stand for faith, the enemy will attack it. He will make faith seem weak and faithlessness seem stronger.

In all the armour, the helmet of our "salvation" protects our mind. The reason this is so important is that the battlefield is the mind. As the Lord brings all these things into our life at salvation: truth, righteousness, peace, and faith, the evil one sets about to destroy them. But even the battle has a Divine purpose.

Every attack begins with a lie:
about who we are in Christ
about our relationship with God and each other
about our purpose set forth by God
about our power against the evil one delegated to us by God
about our eternal destination prepared for us by God

As we stand firm we get stronger.

The offensive weapon we have in this great titanic battle that we wake up to each and every day is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. God's Word is truth and the standard against every lie the enemy may offer.

Our knowledge of the truth and our ability to wield it as a weapon is vital in this titanic struggle against the dark forces we cannot see. The battle is spiritual, the enemy invisible and the strategy for victory Divine. Paul ties it all up with his exhortation to "pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers".

As the Holy One tells me to expect a backlash, I now know, it's time to run to the Word, pick up my Sword and pray.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Echos of Victory

2012-02-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

The Holy Spirit calls me this morning. The watches of the night brings forth the croaking of the frogs. This is my way of describing the constant barrage of enemy psyops into the atmosphere. The constant unwelcome thoughts trying to defeat me and cause truth to retreat from the battlefield of my mind.

The Holy One always comes to my rescue when my conscious thoughts can be formed. Today He speaks to a perspective in prayer, as I have been called there, to war against the dark forces that challenge all that is Holy in our earthly existence.

When the Spirit speaks, I get a new prayer perspective and strategy. Jesus said, "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you." John 15:7 As I am pondering this amazing promise for answers, the Holy One brings me to an important truth.

He said, "You have been asking for more action from the Throne, when all you need has already been given. You need to ask for the ability to claim what has already been made available."

Interesting and true. On the issue of our salvation, the price has been paid, the Savior has come, died in my place and is now seated on His Glorious Throne. He has already done all He can to save us, the rest is up to us as individuals. The "action" needed to accept the Lord as our substitute on the Cross and His death to sin as our death, is up to us. An act of our will is what Salvation requires. His action has already been taken. His victory has already been won.

I move on to ponder the battles we are all facing in our lives. The darkness in the circumstances we "see". The Holy One reminds me that things are not as they appear. The evil one is a liar. His lies form a cloud of oppression over our minds and souls and that meters out to our perspective of the circumstances we "see".

The truth is different than the lies we believe. But how do I process this new directive?

Holiness takes me back to the mystery of the power of the spoken word. "God said" and it was so. He reminds me that the weapons we fight with are not carnal but mighty unto God for the bringing down of strongholds. The Holy One cautions me that my own words can impact the battle bringing victory or defeat. Our counsel sessions are vital to living the victorious life here on earth.

The enemy croaks in my ear that all is lost, the dark is too great to be overcome, retreat is mandatory to avoid greater losses. If I agree with that lie, and act upon it, defeat is imminent.

How many battles have been lost due to my verbal repeat and subsequent reaction to the lie I hear in my ear? What victories might I have experienced with the powerful declaration of truth, "Evil is a defeated foe"! Jesus Christ is the Hero and He brought victory for all of us who call upon His name, not just for eternity future but also in the battles raging here and now.

If, as the Holy One has spoken, the battle has been already won and victory is mine, then it is up to me to appropriate it in every situation that touches my life for the Glory of my Savior and King.

I am reading a great book and a chapter in it called, "dare to imagine". It comes to me in the form of an exhortation by the Holy One to press in, know the Will of God as it is written, dare to take God at His word and proceed to the victory as if it is already done and won.

Since the Majestic God of all Creation exists outside the box we know as life, could it be that we can lay claim to victories that are future to us in the confidence that in Heaven they are already won?

How would that understanding of God's Sovereignty affect the depths of our relationship in prayer? How would that change our perseverance, our persistence, our determination to appropriate those victories here?

I believe it is time to purge our minds of the lies of the evil one haranguing us about defeat, and it's time to lay claim to the victories echoing from Eternity's Throne.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Cross Is Our Protection

2012-02-24T08:03:00.001-08:00

The Holy One calls to me today. The dark days of winter have given way to what seems to be an early spring. The warmer days couldn't be more welcome as a symbol of the resurrection of new life welling up from the deadness of winter.

My mind floods with the hope that this spring will bring more than symbolic newness. My hope for resolutions, fresh starts, and renewed vision perks. The Holy One captures my imagination with what springtime brings to mind and that is the celebration of the Passover and the Cross. He speaks to my heart, "The Cross is your protection". How easy it is to forget that perspective.

When we think of the cross and the price Jesus paid for us, we don't necessarily think of it as our "protection", but that is precisely what it is.

The eternal reality is that there is a Holy God, who created us in His image. There was a garden in our ancient past when man and woman walked in fellowship with the Creator. There is an enemy, a traitor of creation who so hates the Creator that he has declared war on God's Beloved. Under the enemy's deceptive and hypnotic power, man fell and has been subject to the degrading influence of his evil agenda ever since.

Over 2000 years ago when time was ripe for man to be redeemed, God sent His Son to pay the price that Holiness demands for rebellion against the Creator: Death. A just penalty for sin.

In the most outrageous public display of affection,God Himself paid the only price high enough to atone for the man's absolute depravity and insult to Holiness: The innocent Lamb slain for the sin of the guilty.

The innocent Blood flowed over all mankind and the sin nature that bound every one of us to evil was forever broken. On the Cross where Jesus died over 2000 years ago, evil was judged and the wrath of Holiness was poured out.

But just as a gift given is of no benefit unless it is a gift received, the Cross stands embraced by some yet rejected by many. For those of us who grasp the magnitude and benevolence of the gift of Eternal Life the Savior's death provides, the Cross is our protection.

For those who deny the Cross and the One who died upon it, the wrath of Holiness against all unholiness with yet be poured out...until all unholiness is destroyed.

The Cross is the one and only place anyone can hide and be protected from the final wrath of a Holy God, who is justified in His judgement since He alone is the Standard of Holiness by which all men will be judged. "Be Holy because I am Holy", echoes throughout the history of mankind.
I Peter 1:16, "But just as He who calls you is Holy, be Holy in all that you do".

Biblical history reveals that, before God sent His son, Jesus to be the final atonement for the sin of fallen man, God's chosen people were commanded to sacrifice a lamb in symbolic atonement for sin. Generation after generation, lambs were slain in the representation of the penalty of death for sin.

Until one day on the calendar of man's days upon the earth when God who so loved the world sent:
The Last and Greatest Lamb
The final Sacrifice to be made
The only Blood innocent enough to be shed in atonement for all the wickedness the heart of man can conjure up.

And that Lamb is called JESUS.

The Truth is available for all to see and know. God's wrath was poured out on THE LAMB on THAT CROSS as a signal that we are welcome to come into the presence of Holiness with the SIN DEBT that separated us from our God, PAID IN FULL.

But the invitation is only for those who stand protected by the Cross and the relationship we have with the Son, Jesus, the lamb slain. The rest of the world of men who reject the Cross will be called to pay their own debt and suffer the wrath of Holiness upon themselves. The day of judgement is coming upon the whole earth. The only place of safety is in the arms of the only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

The Cross stands as our only protection from the wrath of Holiness: Lamb slain, Blood shed, Life given in exchange for our own.

What is the Cross to you? An event in history or the priceless protection of your eternal soul?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Box Canyon or the Red Sea?

2012-02-17T07:01:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. I have been in a heated debate with myself over the subject of persecution or Divine discipline. I have come to the personal conclusion that both serve the same purpose: The refinement of our souls.

Even as the circumstances heat up and both may seem the same, it is important that we properly assess our lives and the situations to acertain what is happening. While both are used to refine us, and God is in absolute Sovereign control of each, the lessons to be gleaned are quite different because one calls for repentance and the other calls for rejoicing.

The Holy One quietly enters into the debate with, "So you are trying to decide if this is a box canyon or the Red Sea."

That's an interesting way to put it, as both seem quite inescapable. He reminded me of past performance issues, which is a polite way of identifying my gross sin. He brings to my mind one such situation whereby He spoke clearly to me through His Word in Hosea 14:1. "Return, Oh Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may offer the fruit of our lips."

When we are in a box canyon, we get there by our own will. There is one way in and one way out. The way out is to find how we entered, confess the sin that brought us into that place of the box. Repentance is the exit from the box that willful sin was the entrance into.

The Red Sea is a different place entirely. We find ourselves at the shores of the Red Sea by God's ordained will. We are usually persecuted to the Red Sea, chased there by the enemy of our God. There is no repentance that will change our position when at the shores of the Red Sea. We are going to be delivered or die. Here we find the Living God armed and ready to show His great and majestic power in and over our lives unto our rescue.

Sometimes under the heat of the circumstances, we don't stop to assess and therefore we don't understand how to react. Persecution or Divine Discipline? When the Hand that governs all things feels heavy on our lives, we need to stop and assess whether it's time to repent or rejoice.

Sometimes, we settle into life in a box canyon. High walls, no escape. Could it be that we remain there because we do not feel the need to repent. Could it be that we live less than victorious lives because we have assumed that all our sins are covered under the blood of the Jesus and there is no need to repent daily for the failures of our flesh?

The "sin" that Jesus died for is not just the sins that we and all have committed before we came to know the Saving Grace of our Savior. The sin that Jesus paid the price and redeemed us from is the "sin-nature" that everyone was born with after the fall.

The sin nature is at the core of the myriad of "sins" that we all committ, even after our salvation. Jesus's death provided a "new nature" possibility and when we are "born again", we are the receipiant of that new nature. At the moment of our salvation, we are infused with the Holy Spirit who is to rule over the flesh man/woman representing our soul. We are still stuck with the flesh and it's lusts until the physical death of the flesh body, at which time we will get a glorified body that we will inhabit for the rest of eternity.

Until the day we exit our earthy flesh body, the potential to commit sins is present. As we repent for these sins and allow the Holy Spirit to have more and more control of our lives, Holiness within flourishes. The Holy Spirit within is our power over the daily temptations we face in our flesh.

The box canyon life is usually lived by those who don't find the need to repent. One way in and one way out whether for issues of pride, as in, "I am already forgiven so why repent?" Or ignorance as in "I wonder why the walls are so high with no escape...guess it's just God's will".

We are exhorted in Phil 2:12 to "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

Holiness will not be found without effort on our part. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit of Christ and that means allowing Him to scrutinize us, correct us, lead us and guide us into all truth.

We are challenged in every day that we live, to make our choices and decisions based on the influence of Holiness in our lives. Sometimes we fail and sometimes we prevail. Divine Discipline comes in vaious forms as does persecution. Wisdom gives the discernment we need to assess and the Holy One stands ready to show me the difference even if, at any time, they both "feel" the same.

As we process where we are and the decisions we made to get there, is it a box canyon or the Red Sea?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

For God So Loved...Us

2012-02-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls to me this morning. It's Valentine's Day and that means our minds are focused on the things we can buy to convey to our beloved how much we value them. Candy, flowers, an engagement ring if you are among the lucky and have a romantic lover.

It's amazing to me how we put a day on the calendar and it becomes a symbol of our heart.

The Holy One captures my mind and reminds me that God put a day on the calendar of our history that is a symbol of His heart. There was that day, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" John 3:16. Over 2000 years ago God marked our calendar. Over 2000 years ago, God came to live among us. Over 2000 years ago, God so loved us that He laid down His life in our behalf.

What manner of love is this, that compelled the King of Glory to leave His place of honor, divest Himself of all Divine privilege and be forever changed just to win the hearts of His Beloved creation.

That kind of love is beyond our comprehension. And even more unfathomable, that kind of love is eternal Love, not for this day only, nor even this year, but eternal, always the same, never changing regardless of our reciprocation. God's love is always on display.

We, in and of ourselves, are only capable of love because He first loved us.

This is truly a wonderful day to live and laugh. A day to celebrate and enjoy the heart feelings we have for those who are so special to us.

Today, in that rejoicing of the heart, may we look to Heaven in unbridled praise and worship for the One who so loves us..... Our Creator, our Savior, our God.

I sit with my Beloved Companion today, the Lover of my soul and try to find words that can convey my love for Him. I soon find that there are none adequate. Tears begin to fall where words cannot be found. Resting in the warmth of His love, somehow that seems to be enough.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Persecution Guaranteed

2012-02-14T02:39:00.001-08:00

I wake this morning in desperate need of wisdom, and guidance and a strategy for a new season. The war is not over and it won't be until Jesus comes for us. The last battle was brutal, our unit took a hit and casualties occurred.

We lost a marriage covenant to divorce. Lust and immorality won the day. A family lies broken and the evil one cackles in my ear. Circumstances have been painful to process and the Holy One registers my grief.

He speaks into my hurt and confusion and the humiliation at watching the principles of Holiness trashed by a worldly system of values upheld at the expense of truth, honor and integrity. He speaks gently to my heart, "I know your humiliation. I know your grief. I know the unfairness of a worldly court of ungodly men (and women)".

Then I remembered His Word to those of us who are suffering shame or indignities for having taken our position against the standards of the world. I Peter 4:12 says, first of all, "don't be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you."

The Holy One asks me, "does it shock you that people hate you for trying to live by Biblical principles? Does it surprise you that in any debate regarding a Holy standard, most will justify or overlook failure in living up to the standard and even more to the point, will condemn you for pointing to it?"

"Don't be surprised!"

Then, in I Peter 4:13, "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ."

As I thought about my humiliation and the humiliation of my family, I was taken by the hand of my Savior, on a walk back in history to the day He hung naked on a cross. The details of the crucifixion have been well documented but the one thing I didn't realize is that "normal" crucifixion was on a cross that was 12 inches off the ground, at eye level to anyone passing by. I always visualized in my mind that, in the place of crucifixion somehow our Savior was elevated above those who were mocking, not at ground level where all human dignity was destroyed.

The visual made me weep! I know that He understands my humiliation and now I can better understand and embrace His. Knowing that He knows and understands the sorrow of such persecution and the humiliation I feel, brings a deep comfort to my soul.

And then, He directs my eyes heavenward where I catch just a glimpse of His Glory, seated at the right hand of the Father. "Rejoice so that you may be overjoyed when His Glory is revealed.

Knowing that my Savior is on His Throne and He will never again be humiliated by evil men, gives me delight. His Glory is my cause for rejoicing. In living out my life here on earth until Jesus comes again, I know I must fight on for my kingdom and my King; for His honor, to uphold the principles of His Word and obey His commands, no matter what the sacrifice.

I have it on good authority that anyone who desires to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Persecution is guaranteed. Humiliation is bound to occur as the devil plays out his end times strategy. But throughout God's Word, He encourages me with His promises for victory here that usually begin with "in a very short time", or "in a little while" or "My righteousness draws near speedily." While it is true that the Lord operates on a different timetable than we do, for with Him, a day like a thousand years, still, His Word is alive and applicable to each and every situation and decision and action I take in my world today.

The reality of persecution is not a pleasant thought. We, in American have it easy compared to other believers in this world. As the days grow darker before the great and dreadful day of the Lord's coming, with whatever suffering we are called to experience, may we remember well His ultimate sacrifice and rejoice that we belong to Him.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Judgement Coming?

2012-02-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls to me this morning. So much to process with the political storm that is brewing. The two parties revving up for a big showdown come Nov, 2012. I was quite politically motivated up until the last presidential election. But when my vote was over ruled and my "party" and it's principles were over ruled, the only thing I could do was mourn. For me, it represented the death of the country I love.

The Lord spoke to my heart then and reminded me that we are in the land of exile, far from our Heavenly home. He encouraged me then with the words from Jeremiah 29:4-9. In this passage of Scripture, He spoke to me, "In the land of exile, I will be with you. I want you to live and prosper there. Pray for the land of exile and it's people."

While I mourned the death of hope, I realized that my hope was ill placed. The death of hope in the system of government was not hope in the One who gave it. The hope in the goodness of men was not hope in the only One who can make men good. During the process the Holy One redirected my thoughts and my hope.

So here we are. Deeper in the cess pool of unholy things, living under Divine indictment we deserve for having betrayed our Godly principles of life and law and justice.   Having betrayed our God ordained purpose set forth at our foundation, we are all suffering corporately as if we cast the deciding vote to allow a bramble bush to lead us.

Such is the way of the Republic under which we are governed as a country. As the contest heats up, we all seem to be at a loss of intregity and any semblance of Holiness. How can we begin to discern the character of the candidates when such mud-slinging represents the rules of engagement.

In the watches of the night, the Spirit speaks to my concerns. Ezekiel 14:12-20, The parallels are unmistakable between this ancient prophecy and today's world:

"The Word of the Lord came to me, son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off it's food supply and send famine upon it. and kill it's men and their animals. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it they could save only themselves by their righteousness declares the Sovereign Lord.

The passage continues to make the point that the days are upon us when each person's right standing before the Lord is the only thing that will protect him and further to the point that we will only be saved individually.

If anyone is counting on someone else's right standing rather than a personal relationship with Christ Jesus,their goose is cooked.    No longer will we be able to point to church membership, family relationship, or someone else's good behavior we may try to model.   God's indicment will fall upon each one who is not under the protection and covering of the Blood of the Lamb, (Jesus Christ) who He sent to save us.

This scripture declares that we, as a country are ripe for judgement, and to look around, if we are honest, it appears to have already begun. The Holy One is silent and allows His Word to set heavy on my mind, almost as if the warning has been given.

It needs to be passed on to those who are ignorant and blinded by the voice of the deceiver who says, "peace, peace when there is no peace.", the voice that says, "your government will save you", the voice that says, "it's just an ordinary storm and you can ride it out, better days are ahead".

Unless we heed the warnings and seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, while He may be found, we will face the coming wrath and judgement alone and accountable.  The indictment against a country and the judgement of famine, drought, sword, bloodshed, and "natural disasters" will be seen as mercy throughout eternity, because in each of these strong, hard circumstances of life there is still time to reprent and turn and find the Savior who died for all.

Jesus did not die for a country. He did not die for a system of Government. He died for you and me, as indivuduals created by God to spend eternity with Himself. Death on earth without a personal decision to accept the Creator's gift of life available only through the Son, Jesus Christ is death for all eternity.

The greatest grief in the heart of our Beloved Savior is for the person who remains unsaved after what He did to redeem them. For in that person's eternal existance, Jesus suffered and died in vain.

The clock is ticking, and the question looms large, where will you spend eternity? What we see around us happening in this country should serve as a wake-up call. Do you want to face the wrath of a Holy God alone? We each have a personal life and God sent a personal Savior, Jesus Christ. But do you know Him?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Key

2012-02-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me today. I wake up to the reality that nothing changed in my circumstances since yesterday. The only relief I find is that each morning the Holy One meets me at the moment my mind registers that it is a new day.

Yesterday is gone. We cannot go back and change anything. We must press on in spite of our failures or victories. The journey with Jesus is life and eternity long, but not always on an easy, level pathway.

The latest part of the journey has been a huge mountain to climb. A long, narrow, winding pathway. The discomfort has been at times, like a fiery furnace burning my flesh and at other times, like deep thorns piercing my mind. The pain I feel and the agony I suffer is not just mine but also for what others are going through as well.

The injustice, the unfairness, the bitter things in the fallen earth. Things I know my Savior can change with one word from His Throne. Then the Holy One calls me to sit with Him. I know He doesn't have to explain Himself, but He does.

His gentle voice speaks to my heavy heart. "I know it may be hard for you to understand looking on. But I am taking my Beloved children, even you, into places of their greatest fears, not to destroy them but to heal them."

Fear is one of those hot button issues for me. I deal with it on a daily basis. The Lord in His mercy has given me great victory over many fears, but there always seems to surface some nasty, ugly, fearsome thoughts as I face the threat of harm in each new situation.

Long ago, the Holy One told me to assess things correctly and that the "threat" of harm is not harm itself. Fear is like a phantom, dark and foreboding until the light of the Son shines and reveals it is nothing more than that: a phantom.

Fear is spoken of throughout God's Word. Provb. 1:17, The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Provb 19:23, The fear of the Lord, teaches a man.....leads to life. Then we are also commanded to "fear no evil" and taught that "fear of man is a snare".

I sit with my Counselor, my mind swirling with the various forms of fear I read about in His Word. Then He takes me to Isaiah 33:5-6:

"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High. He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times. A rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure." Our God is the God of justice and righteousness, a sure foundation for all who trust in Him. He is our Source for all things and greatly to be praised.

The absolute supremacy of our God and King is assured in my mind. The Holy One continues to speak His wisdom in what He has allowed. "fear in my servant's heart and mind is the one thing that will immobilize them and neutralize their effective service for Me in a fallen earth. I must take each one of you into places of your greatest fears so that you will know no fear. To get past fear, we must walk through it .......TOGETHER!"

Each step of the way my Shepherd leads me. And as I look back at other places where fears hung me up, I realize He got me through those things, never to fear them again. He has proven over and over that He is faithful.

The truth will set us free. The Truth is that we have a Shepherd/Savior all rolled into one. Interesting. He leads us into places to save us...out of our fears, out of our ignorance, out of our unbelief, out of all those things that would cripple us and neutralize our victory over the works of darkness here on earth. Jesus said that He came to destroy the works of the devil and left us in His place to do the same. The things we fear hold us in bondage. Jesus sent His Spirit to set us free that we might serve Him more powerfully.

"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High. He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times. (The Lord will be a sure foundation for MY times,) a rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the "Key" to this treasure."

Somehow I knew that despite all my worries and concerns for myself and others, despite the way the world looks like it is spinning out of control, My Lord is in control and I am thankful that He takes the time to remind me of that fact.

So when we wake up and find ourselves in what seems to be a prison of circumstances, let us remember that we don't have to remain there. The Holy One says, "I have the key".

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Our Heavenly Superbowl

2012-02-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

I confess I am not much of a sports fan. I loved it when my kids growing up participated in sports. I was a fan at that time, but it wasn't that I was a fan of the game. I was a fan of my kids on the team.

With all the excitement and enthusiasm generated this time of year for the big games played to determine the ultimate team and the ultimate victory, my mind pictures the the field, the teams, and the crowd of loyal fans.

The Holy One enters the scene in my head with gentle but sobering words, "Why do my people celebrate a sporting event with such enthusiasm yet are so reserved when it comes to victory over the kingdom of darkness and evil that is being played out every day?"

I usually see life as a battle between good and evil. A battle between the Kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Ephesians 6:11

Today the Holy One lays out a picture of life at the "superbowl" level. Jesus is our Hero, our captain and the church is our team. We go out every day onto the field. Presumably our job on the team is to press toward the goal and move the ball forward inch by inch. There are a great cloud of spectators (witnesses) looking on. We can't hear their applause with every inch of ground we gain, but they are celebrating none the less.

Just like the players, we hold a position on the team. Just like the players in the superbowl, to gain ground it takes all the strength, and vitality and determination we can find to press against the opposing forces. We are going to be battered and bruised with aching muscles and skinned elbows, it's all part of the game.

But when we see the Kingdom of Heaven advance and our King becomes the Hero to others as He is to us, that's cause for celebration. So where is our celebration over what the Lord is doing in our lives? Where's the celebration over every inch of ground gained? Where's the celebration like that of David when in 2 Sam 6:12-22, the Ark and symbol of God's Presence and blessing was being returned to Jerusalem.

Scripture tells us that David was so overwhelmed with joy that he sacrificed a bull and a calf after the Ark had been advanced a mere 6 feet toward Jerusalem. It says that King David danced before the Lord with all his might in celebration of the symbol of God returning to Jerusalem.

There were those who despised King David for his overt and effervescing worship and celebration. Such extravagant worship was offensive to some. But David modeled worship due the King of Kings. When King David was confronted by the disgruntled who objected to his behavior, King David replied, "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes".

How about you? How about me? Dare we be so exhurberant in our celebration of what the Lord is doing in our lives that some will call us undignified? I doubt the fans leaving the superbowl having spent all their energy, time and money to support and celebrate their team feel any regrets for being so undignified.

Sports and war games touch our human souls. We are hard wired to compete and win. Whoever told us we need to be so private and reserved in our faith and it's expression? Time to start a wave of celebration and rejoicing.

The Heavenly superbowl will not be over until our Hero returns for the final play in Glory and Victory enforced. But the end is drawing near. We may have only a minute left on the clock. But in whatever time is left, lets us start a rumbling of victory at the coming of our King. Let us lift our voices in worship and celebration of His coming. Hallelujah, to God be the Glory.

The Spirit is calling. can you hear Him?

Mission Holiness

2012-02-05T04:09:00.000-08:00

The Spirit calls me this morning out of the "thicket of the Jordan" where it seems that I have been battling forces dark and evil for quite some time. In the watches of the night, there has been a soft word whispered that seems just out of earshot of my conscious mind. But this morning I hear it clearly.

The Holy One calls me awake to speak important understanding to my mind that has been under siege and grieved by all I have seen and experienced in the battle.

Today, He begins by saying, "Be Holy because I am Holy" I Peter 1:16.

This is one of those conversations like a parent has when they begin by saying, "If you remember nothing else I have tried to teach you, remember this". I am all ears.

The Holy One continues, "We look at things much differently than you do.   Our ways are so much higher than yours." The unity of the Trinity is clear. "While you go through the trial with your eyes on the resolution, our eyes are on you."

Taking a flawed-by-sin human and bringing the person into the conforming image of Christ Jesus is the life long task of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the being of every born again believer in the Word.

All the trials we face have eternal implications. The trials are termed "firey" because if the heat we face while in them and the purpose to our lives they have in the burning and purifying us of less than Holy qualities.

When Jesus left this earth He provided all of us who would belong to Him with the Holy Spirit. He is the One who is to lead us into all Truth.

The Truth is that without the Holy Spirit we can have no unity with the Triune Godhead: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   We have been born again into the family of God, only by the change in our Spiritual DNA that was made when we entered into the saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son, provided by God, the Father, activated by The Holy Spirit. Once that occurs, our unity with the Trinity is complete.

Still, the human factor of free will must come into and under the Rule of the Holy Spirit in order for our image to conform to that of our new parentage in Jesus Christ.

The process is lifelong, the work is intense and all our trials provide the catalyst for us to see what needs to be worked out of our hearts and minds so Christ can be reflected. We are to be a reflection of our Heavenly family.   We are to live by our Father's values and directives so that we are a reflection of Him and so that we bring honor to His Name.

Regardless of the nature of the trial we are facing, Holiness in our process is the important issue to our Lord. Holiness is often not an issue to us. We whine, we cry, we doubt, we fear and we even compromise just to win. For many of us, we don't even "get" what Holiness is supposed to look like in our actions and reactions. Our ignorance may well be why we must repeat similar trials.

We live in a fallen earth. We were born with our original sin nature. The flesh is our constant antagonist to the Holiness within and the devil is alive and well. But Jesus has provided us with the Holy One who can and will enable us to conquer and overcome all our handicaps.

I can't help but ask my Counselor, "does this mean I need to give up the battle and focus only on internal Holiness?" His answer was clear.

"No, you must continue to fight the battles against injustice, evil corruption and compromise of my Word. to uphold Holiness and Godly standards before men. I came to destroy the works of the devil and I commission you to do the same. But in each trial and process, I want you to look for and find the golden thread of Holiness and allow Me to wrap you in it. Be Holy because I am Holy and I will show you how."

I am so thankful that life under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit is not a roll of the dice, a luck vs. misfortune game. We are not victims but rather more than conquerors. Today, I see that the Lord is after more than just an earthly resolutions that I am so in need of in my own mind.

The Lord's focus is Holiness. That is the mission, that is the goal in every trial I face.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Desires of Your Heart

2012-01-25T05:16:00.000-08:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". He is quoting Psalm 37:4 to me. What an amazing promise and I cannot wait for our morning meeting to unfold.

I come armed with my "wants" and since I know how much I delight in Him, this invitation and promise confirms that this is going to be a wonderful day.

The Holy One speaks again, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." I wonder what about that verse needs more and deeper thought? As I ponder, my mind gets a kind of a "red flag".

What if my desire is a pink Cadillac? Will the Lord send one my way? What if my desire is something at cross purpose with His will for me? Will I get it?

I think about the operating words, "delight yourself" in the Lord. The thinking becomes a little more narrow and I sit and ponder if perhaps that is a qualifier. How much delight is enough to hone my desire into being eligible for the fulfillment of this promise?

The debate continues.

I repeat again that verse and then the light goes on. Oh, so that's what You are trying to show me. I see a big smile cross His face as I begin to comprehend.

Once again the Holy One takes me back to His verse with this understanding:

As I delight myself in the Lord, sit at His feet, relish my relationship, He is about the business of giving me "the" desires. Not as I had assumed that He was giving me, I.E. those desires I conjured up in my mind and misidentified as being from my heart. But more basically, He will give me "desire" itself.

Gone are all the thoughts of having to wrestle out how much delight is enough. Gone are all the "things" that I might gain in the fulfillment of the promise. Gone is the guilt over whether or not my desires are good and worthy of having them given. Holiness has just clarified the entire issue for me.

As I delight myself in the Lord He will take over and place proper desire within my heart. In a sense the Lord will place within my heart His desires for me to desire. My desires will line up with His will because He is the One who will deliver desire into my heart.

What an amazing new perspective of that often quoted scripture and promise. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you (form up, place within, create in your being) the (very) desires (that are to be) of your heart.

I want to desire the right things. What a relief to know that, by His Holy Spirit within, I will have the "desires" the Lord has for me as the desires of my heart. I will have those things He has set up to be given me and I can know that they are the desire of my heart and His.

As I delight myself in the Lord and the relationship we have together, I can be confident about what I desire and assured that those things will be given.

Even now as I ponder this great Truth, I realize that above all things, He is the overwhelming desire of my heart.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Where Does Your Faith Rest?

2012-01-24T08:47:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls to me this morning. This is a big week on the calendar of my life. There are times and trials so intense, leading up to a decision to be made by others that will impact this life we are living.

The adrenaline flows, heart pumps, anxiety fills the air around and the fear of the unknown tries to drive faith out of the equation. Ever notice how the enemy tries to gain a surrender before the judgement of the case or trial has been rendered?

As a believer in Christ, I know that God will always have the final word. He is Sovereign. But the enemy manipulates all the "evidence" to support his lies in an effort to get God's people to lose heart, and hope and faith.

The world operates with a different reality than Heaven. The more I engage in seeking the Will of My Father in Heaven, the more acutely aware I am of the discrepancy between the two realms of Heaven and Earth.

The Word says of the Creator in Isaiah 55:8, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord. As the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

The Holy One knows how I have been taunted lately by the enemy as we approach the day of decision in a year long battle that seems to favor the ungodly, the unholy, the things that defy righteousness.

There is a saying that declares that, "the darkest hour is just before dawn" and I understand that so well. The enemy of our soul puts forth the greatest attempt to destroy our faith right before the moment when faith will be seen to prevail.

Today the evil one mocks me with a staggering statement: "Faith is not enough. With all I have stacked against you, faith is not enough to gain the victory".

The Holy one sees the blow and comes to my defense, but I am shocked by what He speaks: "He's right, you know." My heart sinks but He continues, "your faith in faith will never be enough, just like your faith in human nature is not enough to change it nor make it right. Focus on the One your faith rests upon."

This must be why the Holy One has had me pondering the account of the faith of the centurion, in Matt 8, for days now. We must fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. The centurion placed his faith on the person, the One he believed called all the shots. Then he trusted that whatever Jesus "said" would come to pass. "Just say the word and my servant will be healed."

The centurion didn't have a degree in theology, and wasn't even a Jew, yet he reckoned in his heart and mind that Jesus was in command of all things and held power even over sickness, and he sought him out. His faith was placed in the One he believed to be in command of all things. His faith in Jesus, God in the flesh, was revealed and even held up as a model and standard for those standing around.

The centurion also had deep respect for the chain of command that he believed Jesus operated within. He was a man under authority and had soldiers under him. He understood that his commands and orders were followed and his word was accomplished.

Here we have a picture of the Heavenly structure of authority and chain of command through the eyes of a Roman military officer. He understood that his military structure ended at the power seat of Rome. And he also understood and believed that the Heavenly structure of authority ended at the power seat of Jesus.

The point the Spirit made to me today is that faith in and of itself is not enough. Unless faith is in the One who created and controls, and sustains all things, it will never be enough to see Heaven's reality here on earth.

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven," as our Lord taught us to pray, requires faith like that of the centurion. A faith that rests in the One who created and commands the universe: Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Resurrected Savior who sits at the right hand of all power and authority.

The centurion knew that one word from Jesus and it would be done, without a doubt. The reward for the centurion's faith in Jesus was the granting of his request. He saw Heaven's reality over rule earth's reality with a word from Heaven's King.

So where does your faith rest?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Comfort for the Lord's Grieving Heart

2012-01-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls to me this morning. Life is like a roller coaster ride while wearing a blindfold. I feel but I can't really see the track or trajectory of my car. There is the steep climb, the tippy top of a mountain, the sense of free fall and the jerk of finding the bottom, waiting for my heart and breath to catch up to my body.

These days the pace is so fast I can barely process one round on life's roller coaster before I am brought speedily into another. The Holy One broke into my visual with sobering words, "you are speeding toward eternity.The time and pace will get shorter and faster". And He says, "the distractions will be greater and greater that separate people from the Truth."

The grief in His heart is so apparent to me, yet I feel helpless to bring my Lord any comfort.

It is here, that I begin to realize the depths of His sorrow. I constantly bring my thoughts, my feelings, my hurts, my pains, my sorrows to Him without understanding that through my heart and mind, these sorrows are His and yet they are multiplied out over all the days and countless numbers of lives He has claimed and lost over all the generations of man.

The fact that God established free will does not lessen His sorrow when men and women take it and reject the One who gave them the freedom in the first place.

The Holy One speaks, "you can and do bring comfort to the Lord's grieving heart". He tells me that "when Jesus walked the earth, He was confined to one place in a physical body that could only influence a small group of people. Only the people He met in person or touched with His hands or who heard His powerful words spoken were impacted by His life while He was constrained to a physical body. The is why He had to leave earth."

He paid the price for sin that separates us from a Holy God, but in an outrageous plan to truly unify us with Himself, He sent His Holy Spirit to indwell our person, to unify us with Him in an unexplainable and mysterious way.

Now the Lord can influence the masses because believers, infused with His Spirit carry His life within to be lived out, complete with the ability to touch and heal and speak powerful word to convict the hearts of people everywhere as to the truth of the Gospel and the salvation it brings. Now, by the outrageous outpouring of His Holy Spirit, Jesus has many, many bodies He can use to touch the world of men, and thereby draw people unto Himself.

Talk about mass media. Every believer is a walking, talking billboard of their unique testimony of God's love and their personal relationship with Jesus. Each one of us who calls Jesus, our Savior and our Lord is a representation of His life to our world. We bring comfort to the Lord's grieving heart when we allow His Spirit to touch other's through us.

John 15:8, Jesus said, "I am the Vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Jesus said this before departing earth to set the stage for the phenomenon that was to follow His Resurrection and Ascension: the sending of the Holy Spirit into the being of the obedient servant. John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command and I will ask the Father and He will send you another Counselor, the Spirit of Truth who will be with you forever."

This reality of His indwelling Presence is the only way we humans can actually be and represent His life. The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, is the only explanation and reason as to how and why His words make sense, "apart from Me you can do nothing" spoken when He was poised to leave. "I will not leave you as orphans, but I will come to you". I'm guessing that those words were mightily confusing to the Disciples before the day of Pentecost.

Now we recognize that by leaving the physical realm and sending His Spirit to take up residency in the being of true believers, Jesus' legacy is being lived out in the world generation after generation. As we yield to His Spirit and surrender to His life, we identify with His grief for the lost and He uses us to draw them unto Himself. By and through His Spirit alone do we have the power to live a Holy life as He did, representing God to a lost and dying world, being a conduit of His life changing works. "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and be Holy: without Holiness no one will see the Lord" Hebrews 12:14

His plan is ingenious, but it requires our co-operation. Are we willing to allow Him to control our days and times and appointments? Or are we too stuck on our own life goals. Are we willing to sacrifice our agenda to live His?

Eternity is drawing close for all of us. The end of life as we know it today. Time is short for us to be the physical dwelling places of the Holy One whose Presence can impact the world and final destination point of people the Lord died to save.

Will we be a source of comfort to the Lord's grieving heart?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Call To Disciple

2012-01-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. He provokes me to think, as He poses the question "what does it mean to be a Disciple of Christ? What does it mean to disciple another?"

I was taken back to the days revealed through the Scriptures when Jesus called the twelve. He chose them and then said, "Follow Me". The Holy One continues to speak, "Imagine what would have happened if Jesus just told them, "I am your Messiah, know this....I am going to take you to the river, get you wet and then I want you to go out and tell others what I just told you." How much of the world would have been changed with that form of evangelism?"

Jesus chose the twelve, then lived with them, ate with them, and revealed His power and authority to them personally in relationship. For 3 years He lived with them for 24/7. His method of making disciples was to bring them into His life. He opened the doors of His daily existence and invited them in to see and participate.

Jesus showed the disciples by way of example what a relationship with God, is to be like. His relationship to His Heavenly Father and with each one of them set the standard for our relational responsibility to Him and to others in our world today. Jesus did not have a one hour encounter with the 12 individuals and tell them to go out and proclaim Him as God. But isn't that what our modern day evangelism looks like?

In this fast paced world, we have been diverted from the Lord's methodology for changing it one life at a time. Mass evangelism through crusades may bring a man to conversion of the mind, but most on the fields are left with a momentary exhilarating or heart breaking experience with no clue about the depths of a relationship to be had, with the One they just heard loves them so much, or where to go from there.

With no one to disciple them, to come along side of them, to teach and share Truth or invite them to share their new "saved" life and all it represents, new "believers" are at risk of returning to their old life but with a false sense of security for having been "saved" and told they will now go to heaven when they die.

Some find their way to a church, but did that "experience" make a life changing, course changing difference? Maybe it would be better to have more retreats and less crusades, more saturated time spent in learning what the commitment entails and how to process their internal changes.

When it comes to discipleship, the apathy of the "saved" is shocking. The inconvenience and fear of bringing strangers into our lives is inexcusable.  The Holy One knows I am guilty as charged. How many opportunities did I reject over all the years to disciple, mentor, to share what life with Jesus is all about.

I repent for this indifference and ignorance and apathy. The Holy One comforts me with the forgiveness of My Savior, but makes it clear that time is short, the fields are white unto harvest and the laborers are few.

When Jesus comes back for us will He find us silent about our relationship with Him? Will He find us telling people about Him but making no effort to represent His life? Or will He find us actually doing the work of modeling what life with Him is all about. Will He find us investing what we know of Him into other lives so they can know Him too?

The challenge is great. We must sit at Jesus feet ourselves and surrender to His life and His will just as He modeled for us when He surrendered His life to the Father's Will. The challenge doesn't stop there. The challenge to our obedience in following Him and surrendering our life will inevitably move us on to meeting and mentoring and discipling another person to do the same.

If you are among the saved, who are you discipling? The delightful reality is that as we open ourselves up to the will of the Lord, He will bring people to us who flow into our lives by His grace and then He will give us the ability to fulfill His great commission:

Matt. 28:18 All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

The Spirit is calling. Can you  hear Him?

2012: Peace????

2012-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. So many subjects to discuss with the God of all Creation. There is literally no end to the myriad of things He might bring to my attention. I guess that is what makes Him the most exhilarating conversationalist ever.

Today is a mentally meandering day. It's the beginning of a new year, with endless possibilities. Right out of the starting gate is news of our Ethiopian grandson and the amazing piece he represents to the picture of our global family. A beautiful start of wonderful things to come.

The last three years, however, began with heartburn, as the warfare was skin to skin, too close to not be injured in the battle. But looking back, the Holy One reminded me that He never left me. For all that has been scorched in our life, there was a shield of protection, a promise kept that somehow against all the apparent odds things did and will work together for our eternal good.

These were not easy things. Not easy to experience, not easy to get through, not easy to understand...

BUT GOD.......WAS THERE......IS HERE.......ALWAYS.......

The Holy One speaks to my heart. He has me think about the speakers I heard on the T.V. a few days ago as the the New Year was kicking off. Each brought their brand of hope for the New Year. They seem to have the message of "peace" and tried to justify it in different ways with really flimsy evidence. The power of positive thinking is a really great philosophy until you realize it doesn't work. Pollyanna was a delightful child but in real life there is real pain.

Who would stand up to contradict these spokesmen for peace. Why rain on their parade or the parade of millions of people who are desperately looking for "peace" and hope unless you recognize the pattern.

Spoken through the prophets of old, The Holy One takes me to His Word. Jeremiah 6:14, "From the least to the greatest all are greedy for gain, prophets and priests alike all practice deceit. They dress the wounds of my people as if it were not serious. "Peace, Peace", they say when there is no peace."

This Scripture exposes the anger in the heart of the God of the Universe against the idolatry being committed in worship of the "Queen of Heaven". In the history of God's people there was a woman who symbolized this demon principality and her name was "Jezebel".

Looking at her claim to fame, she was credited for leading God's people into idolatry and the worship of foreign gods. In Jeremiah's day, they were declaring peace while rebelling against their God and duality of worship was the offense. Claiming to be God's people, they danced around the altars and asherol poles devoted to pagan gods.

I guess I might be able to find comfort in the thought that I do not go into temples erected to foreign gods, but Holiness asks me to ponder what altars do I bow before in my heart and mind? What deities exist that have priority over the Savior of your soul?

The Holy One stops my heart on these deep and penetrating questions. Psalm 139:23, "search me Oh God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."

The Holy One brings me to my knees yet again. But then I see that it is here, in His Presence, under His scrutiny, that real peace is found.

The spokesmen of the other day pointed to the idol of human ingenuity and capability in of of itself suggesting that somehow peace will come from finding it's own fix. Or the seductive comfort that "God wants us happy" in spite of our rebellion and sin. Somehow the prophets and priests spoke of a "peace" without repentance. They alluded to a euphoria that cannot be found outside a personal relationship with the Savior of our soul, Jesus Christ, the only Source of true peace.

Living in an open relationship with the Holy One, who has and takes liberty to correct me, I find that amazing peace knowing things are right between us. He will expose what grieves Him and then give His courage and strength to overcome the offense.

I am thankful to be reminded that peace is not dependent upon my circumstances, but rather it is found to be dependent upon the One who absolutely controls them. "Jesus said in John 14:27, "My peace I give you, not as the word gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid".

The Holy One tells me, "Yes, it is going to be a good year, not because of earthly pleasures, but because I promise I will never leave you nor forsake you and that I will be with you always."

Now that is the true peace that passes all understanding.

The Spirit is calling. Can you Hear Him?

The Power of Words and the Joy of Repentance

2012-01-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. There is more than one issue we need to discuss. For a long time, He has been teaching me the power of words in Creation and in my life on earth today. Genesis 1 expresses Creation as, "God said" and it was so.

Jesus said, in John 14:11-14, "Believe Me when I say, I am in the Father (Creator) and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the Truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in My name and I will do it. "

Point #1. The Holy Spirit has been working Truth deep into my heart and mind about the God-ward use of my words in intercession and the man-ward use of my words in proclamation. Spirit-lead thoughts become words and Spirit-lead words are power.

God-ward words otherwise known as prayer is the call on the life of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of mankind, Creator of the Universe and all that exists, and the One from whom all blessings flow.

Since the Garden of Eden, the Creator has ordained and delegated to His creation AKA man, the privilege and responsibility to co-govern His world. The fall of man broke the relationship but not the Eternal plan of Holiness for His beloved.

Since the Cross, a form of restoration back to the Garden of Eden is possible. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, man has been redeemed for all eternity. The restoration of relationship with the Creator of all that exists is available.  In and due to this restoration comes the delightful privilege to once again participate in the government of our earthly life, with the powerful authority (in our words) delegated to and through the Holy Spirit of Christ within us.

The corner of the world that my life represents is my assigned place to manage and co-govern with the Creator. I am not to govern alone or all by myself, but rather I am to co-govern my life and it's complex situations in partnership with the Lord Jesus Christ to whom I am accountable as His servant in this restored co-management relationship. He has given us language and speech and words that He Himself used to create all that we know. There is something very important that the Holy One wants me to realize about the power of our words.

Each and every situation we encounter as a believer has purpose and that purpose is to bring us into the individual and personal conforming image of our Christ. With all our unique personality traits, the Holy Spirit's ruling force will meld our character into the character of our Savior as we make our earthly journey with Him.   We don't lose ourselves in the process but rather we gain the better "us" in the exchange. As we give up the garbage of our flesh, the Holy One gives us His Divine fruit.

Point # 2. Today, the Holy One catches me uttering "worthless words" at first light. His command to me has been to utter "worthy not worthless words". I have been taught that worthless words can be any words that do not have Heavenly purpose, but also words that state a reality that Holiness wants to change.

As the conviction sets in and I repent for the careless words that came out and are now blowing in the wind, I hear Him speak grace to me. Once repentance is executed and forgiveness received, there comes a sense of "joy". Joy is not something I have felt in past times of repentance. There has been a sense of relief, but I would not describe it as joy.

The Holy One speaks of a new perspective of repentance: rather than to see myself as a hopeless case of perpetual failure, He tells me to rejoice that I am brought to conviction and that He is cleaning me out.

I see His point that if I refuse to bring all my failures to Him both big and small, they will remain, along with the bondage to them. But if I repent for the failures, one by one, I am being set free. He encourages me to realize that in the process of sanctification, being brought into the conforming image of Christ, the conviction and repentance of any sin or failure is cause for celebration.

It is in this place of the acknowledgement of sin that transformation can take place, sin forsaken and I can see it exchanged for a new measure of Holiness. Rather than be depressed at my failure, I can celebrate the move toward Holiness and be assured of His victory over my flesh weakness.

The bad news is that we were all born in sin and subject to the conditions of the fall. The Great News is that Jesus, The Son, lived, died and rose again providing restoration, not just in theory, but by blood payment for sin, bought  powerful, eternal reconciliation between us and our Creator God.  And through His Spirit, brings the ability to live and be Holy as He is Holy.

Conviction of sin comes not to defeat us but to free us. Today I realize even more that my worthless words cannot be taken back, but after repentance, I know that more powerful, worthy words can overtake them. Humility and joy. Only in Christ can we have both at the same time.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

2012... A New Beginning

2011-12-31T06:28:00.000-08:00

The Spirit calls me this morning. There is peace and a sense of excitement as I end this last year of 2011 and look for ward to what 2012 will bring.

I wonder if this will be the year the of the Lord's return for His Church?   Or will this be yet another year to press forward, assault the gates of hell to rescue yet more the of the Rahabs caught behind enemy lines?

This last year has been brutal in so many ways. Lots has been shaken out and down. Faith has been tested and tried.   The world is in chaos, our country divided, and our families broken by sin.

So why is there any sense of peace?   John 14:27, Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."

Jesus said this as He was explaining to the disciples the up and coming disbursement of the Holy Spirit into their hearts and minds to take place after His Ascension. Since that time, we who are born again, have the Presence of Christ Jesus through His Spirit, and the Holy Third Person of the Trinity provides the peace beyond explanation or understanding.

The Holy Spirit calls me this morning to get ready for the coming year.

He has me ponder the world and all that is being offered. The temptations abound and the things to delight our flesh are endless. Then He begins to make the point of today's counsel meeting.

He speaks into my thinking, "As you look around, the world is in a buying and selling frenzy. The primary medium of exchange is money. You want something, and you offer your money in exchange. This form of commerce is how you have been programmed to live your life in the economy of the world.

But God's economy doesn't work that way. The medium of exchange in God's economy is Heavenward words, otherwise known as prayer"

What a wonderful reminder for the one who has no money with which to purchase all that is needed or desired in the earth's realm. The medium of exchange in God's economy is prayers and petitions. As believers we have to know this. But if we really believe it, why is there so little prayer being brought to the One from whom all blessings flow?

Prayers are like gold in the Lord's economy, and through our prayers we gain the blessings from Heaven. But an even more exciting reality is that the Father Himself has loaded up our Heavenly bank account with all the resources we need to procure the blessings we seek.

Worthy words, prayers, petitions, and the faith to believe are all available to the poor in spirit to exact the greatest blessing from Heaven's Throne. In John 15:7, Jesus said, "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. This is to My Father's Glory that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be My Disciples."

An amazing promise, but as the world dominates our thinking we are programmed to value only our life and comforts here on earth. Things have become more important than people, our ego's bigger than our God, and our words worthless to bring about changes in our lives and the lives of those with whom we have been commissioned  to share our faith and the Good News about the Savior.

The New Year presents a line in the sand, and an opportunity to cross over. We can leave behind the twisted priorities and bondage to worldly comforts in favor of a new beginning. Lessons learned can now be applied to effect changes that can and will have an eternal impact.

We have all we need to shed the fruitless deeds of darkness, continue on the work and mission of our Lord: to destroy the works of the devil, set the captives free and look forward to the return of our King, in all His Glory. We have the Holy Spirit within and all He asks is that we yield to His rule in our lives and Heaven's goals will be accomplished.

To access the Throne and have the storehouse of Heavenly answers opened to us, we need only bring the contract Jesus signed in His blood, and the "gold" placed in our heavenly bank account called the "prayers" of the saints. The Lord calls for our participation in the government of our world and it is in this place of prayer that we begin.

We communicate to God what we believe our corner of the world needs and He will send the resources. It is a sacred trust. Intimacy reveals His wisdom over the affairs of men and what is really needed. He will communicate this to us and we can then petition with the complete faith that we have all we ask.

I cherish the time spent with the Holy One and I pray for more and more intimacy to be established between us in 2012. I know this is His will and my desire, so I anticipate an amazing New Year of deeper and more prolonged fellowship in ever increasing prayer.  As I pray for the Mind of Christ to overtake my human mind, and seek to bring every thought into the captivity of Christ, I know I will find more and greater answers to the petitions I bring.

We, the Church of the living God, have been given a legacy of power and authority by the Author and Creator of everything that exists. What will we do in 2012, with the legacy we have been given and the delegated authority we have to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven" and see it happen?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Resurrection Power

2011-12-29T06:34:00.000-08:00

The watches of the night bring the "psyops" of evil. Like the croaking of a frog, the repetition of the message the enemy wants me to believe, keeps assaulting my mind while I am half asleep.

The Holy Spirit calls to me out of that place of vulnerability to remind me that He is always with me to combat the lies with Truth. How thankful I am each and every day to know that My Redeemer lives, and His wisdom and counsel begins right away.

The enemy's tactics against me always boil down to the battles I am watching unfold or worse, the battles that are in full swing and raging. It's not just the fact that a battle is being waged by the evil one, it's all the suggestion that the "evidence" proves he is prevailing in it to the "apparent" destruction of all that I hope for. His ultimate goal is to destroy my faith that God is who He says He is.

The Holy One allows me to vent my fears. He listens while I repeat the lies to Him that the enemy has fed me. I take it all to Him this morning. He receives the dark words of doom. I repeat what I hear the evil voice taunting me with, as I suffer in the circumstances of this trial.

His gracious words start to flow to me. I Peter 4:12-19, "Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ."

I walk my mind back to my Savior's life and model. What about "take up your cross and follow Me" have I missed? The Holy One gently clears my mind,

"Beloved, you do not get to choose your own cross". I do not get to select the place where I must die to my flesh, my heart, my emotions. But die I must or I can never experience resurrected life.

I put my mind on the death of my Savior, and process His suffering. True to the scriptures, I find within this painful trial, that my Lord knows well my pain.

He was betrayed by those closest to Him
He was misunderstood
He was rejected
He was crushed in heart
He was emotionally all alone separated even from His Father
He was brutalized physically
He heard the victory chant as evil drove the spikes through His hands and feet

But then I realized there is something He did not model, something that overwhelms me that was not in Him. Self Pity.

With the Holy One guiding my thoughts, as I ponder the agony of the betrayal I feel and lift my eyes to the way the Savior suffered for me, I realize there was no self pity......ever.

Jesus came on a mission and the mission did not disintegrate due to the response of the P.O.W.'S or the munitions of evil set up against Him. Jesus came to conquer and conquer He did. Past the pain of all that he suffered, He rose triumphant and is now seated at the right hand of all Power and Authority.

I Peter 4:13, "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when His Glory is revealed. The Holy Spirit who dwells within me is charged with the Sovereign Role to bring Glory to the resurrected Savior of the world, in me and through my life.

Discouragement and self-pity have no place in my heart or my mind. I repent and petition the Holy One to release His joy and peace within me and give me the strength to walk on for the ongoing commission is well stated in I Peter 4:19, "So then, those who suffer according to the will of God should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good".

The Spirit reminds me that the closer we get to the return of the Lord, the more intense will be the enemy's efforts to discourage all who believe and represent the light. But He is here to "strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way, say to the fearful hearts, be strong and do no fear, your God will come. He will come with vengeance and with Divine retribution. He will come to save you". Isaiah 35.

Suddenly I begin to feel the power of resurrection life flood my heart and mind, realizing nothing is impossible for my God. Self-pity has given way to the Lord's mighty Presence in this ongoing battle against the darkness and the commission to walk and live in the delegated authority I have against evil, as a servant of the Most High.

Evil is now on a leash and we can enforce it's boundaries. The gates of hell will not prevail against the delegated authority of the Lord's people. Lord, Thy kingdom come and Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Born Again

2011-12-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning and I open my eyes and ears to yet more of an understanding of His ways. He is no respecter of persons and I am so thankful for the wisdom He so liberally provides for all who seek Him without Him finding fault.

God knows I am a flawed vessel, yet, He patiently leads me into all truth by His Holy Spirit. My human mind is so dull and resistant at times. I get a little glimmer of profound truth then lose it to earthly distractions. But the Lord is patient with me and He never gives up. We are each on our own unique journey with Jesus. He has the road map for our lives and will get us to our ultimate destination, but not via the same roadways that He is taking other believers.

In this personal and unique relationship with our Savior, we all get truth at different times and in different ways. I marvel at how long it takes for me to find a specific truth that comes so easily for others. Yet, the Holy One never condemns me. He patiently brings it around again and again until it finally clicks.

So what was the grand "revelation" to my heart and mind again? The message of what it means to be "born again" and why that catch phrase is so significant.

Jesus said, when speaking to Nicodemus in John 3:3-8. "I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again" and again He repeated and said, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again."

The Holy One explains it to my own heart and mind this way: "When you were born in the flesh under the dominion of a sin legacy, you were incomplete. However, you were born with a Spiritual potential that required a choice.

Created to be "in the image" of God , Who is a Three Person Trinity, at our flesh birth, the Third Person of the Trinity was not dispersed within. There is a hole, a void, a place in your heart for God, but it is vacant at your flesh birth. At birth you are flesh and soul but missing the Spirit.

Over the course of every human life will come the opportunity and responsibility to choose to be in relationship with the Creator. For those who choose relationship with God, the Father through the only Savior, God, the Son, Jesus, the experience of being "born again" happens and the Holy Spirit enters to complete the unity of that relationship."

I see clearly that we must be born again, whereby the Holy Spirit enters in to complete us and enabled to live to the fullness of our potential in the image of our God. We are brought into His image by the indwelling Third person of the Trinity, missing at our flesh birth.

Our flesh birth is temporal and suitable for all that is only temporal. But when we are born again of the Spirit, everything about our being is redeemed so that we can "see" and "enter" the Kingdom of our God.

To our God be all the Glory. Heavenly Trinity, earthly us: the unifier is the Holy Spirit who enters when we are "born again". Jesus came in the flesh to model this truth. Holiness wrapped in humanity, Jesus represents the individuals we can become if and only as we are "born again".

May we each become the dwelling place of Holiness as we come to faith in Jesus and find ourselves truly "born again".

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

God's Crazy Plan

2011-12-26T05:39:00.000-08:00

The Spirit calls me this morning. The significance of this time and season is acknowledged by all of us who call Jesus our Savior. The house is quiet this year. One of many since all the kids moved on and into their own personal Journey with Jesus. We will get together later, but for now the heart longs for those who have left and a return to the days gone by.

As a parent it is so hard to watch my children leave home and the sorrow can be overwhelming.

I wonder what it was like for the Father to watch the Son leave home?

I often wonder what it must have been for the God of all Creation to leave His Glory and wrap Himself in flesh? But today, the Holy One has me focus on the the heart of the Father who sent His Son into the world to pay sin's debt to Holiness.

What must it have been like for the Father to watch the Son leave home?

His birth on earth was not the beginning of the plan for redemption of His fallen Creation. But it was the pivot point in the history of man upon which our eternity depends. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son that whoever believes in Him (that He died in our place for sin) will not perish but have eternal life.

The plan was crazy, from the human point of view. Unbelievable for most. That God, the Son would descend from His Heavenly Throne and come to us in the form of a human baby, small, frail, and vulnerable. Crazy, that God, the Father would send His Son to watch him die on a human constructed Cross to pay the sin debt of the world. Crazy that God, the Spirit would raise Him up in a transformed body to the Glory that was His before the creation of the world. Crazy, the love that devised the plan. Crazy, that it was all for us, His beloved creation.

Satan, the arch enemy of Heaven was no doubt laughing with glee at the Creator's lunacy in making Himself so weak as to be like His Creation.   But that is where evil made his fatal mistake. Satan believed one of his own lies, the one that has stumbled men over all the generations: That God is made in the weak image of man.

The truth is that man is made in the Glorious image of God and the birth of Jesus is the very evidence of that Sovereign fact. Could it be that everything about Jesus; His birth, His sinless life, His death, His Ascension was to prove that God's original design was not flawed until sin entered in?

Jesus came from Heaven to Earth to model for us our original glorious potential in unbroken fellowship with our Creator and with an eternal future that the human mind cannot begin to fathom. But in order to participate in that future, the power of sin unleashed at the fall had to be broken.

The question that comes to mind is "who, under the affects of the fall could break the power sin unleashed at the fall?" The answer is: No one but God Himself and that is, after all, the point.

Man did not create God, God created man. Who then could pull man up out of the death that sin promised but the One who created man in the first place. And we were created in His image. The Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit form the Trinity, and we were designed to be a three part whole: the flesh, the soul and the Spirit.

Born in sin at birth, we lack the Holy Spirit. Not only did Jesus come to model our potential to live a Holy life, He sent the One, whose role and part of us, our humanity was missing: The Holy Spirit. He is now available to all who would come to acknowledge the desire and desperate need to be in relationship with our Creator and willing to accept the Only Way to get there.

The Son left home to bring back many sons and daughters to the Father's love. He left home to gain and insure that eternity would provide the supreme joy for His Father's heart: to be surrounded by those He created , who worship Him for who He is. To provide through His death a huge eternal family from every tribe and every nation on earth .

What must it have been like for the Father to watch the Son leave home? Much like it feels to my own heart today, very bitter sweet. The sorrow of broken fellowship for the moment but filled with the knowledge that when they do return home, they will be bring back many new ones to flood my heart with joy.

I am thankful to the Holy One for putting the temporary separation in perspective and reminding me of the joy of a bigger family. One that will be together for all eternity.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Introducing....KING JESUS

2011-12-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. Awaken by a blasting headache that has come and gone through the watches of the night, I long for His peace to invade my brain.

The conflicts all around me have escalated to a fever pitch. He called me to fast yesterday and I reluctantly obeyed. I say reluctantly because I am so geared to my creature comforts. I don't enjoy a food-less period of time  and well, it is Christmas after all....and all those goodies...ummmm. Yet I am desperate for His perspective, and I realize I need to give some things up to gain it.

The words of the prophet Malachi keep echoing in my mind. The last book of the Old Testament, is a short book packed with what was grieving the Heart of God before the FIRST coming of our Savior and Lord. I find it a very important read now that we are so close to the Return and SECOND coming of our Savior and Lord.

Malachi 3:13 says, "You have said harsh things against Me, says the Lord. He was speaking to "believers" at the time it was written and He speaks to me today.

But what have I said against you, Lord?   Sometimes we speak only in the voice of our hearts that is audible only to the Holy One who dwells within.  Has He heard me say, "It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty. But now we call the arrogant blessed. certainly evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape."

Loosely translated, "Where are you Lord?  I have been praying and praying but things don't change except to get visibly worse for the home team." It is at this sad point and despairing of life that I find myself thinking, "if things are just going to get worse and worse, why go on?"

But then the Holy One speaks to my despair, "My child, this world is NOT your home, you are truly just passing through. I have placed within you a longing for your homeland of Heaven that nothing on earth can satisfy. Stop trying to make the world a better place (for yourself) and rather instead, work to make Heaven a bigger place (for Me). You are here to enlarge Heaven's ultimate citizenship by introducing the world to Heaven's Eternal King....JESUS.

Hebrews 11:13-16 says it best: Speaking of the Patriarchs of our Faith, and exhorting us today, "Instead they were longing for a better country, a Heavenly One. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their (our) God, for He has prepared a city for them (and us).

The Holy One has re-set my thinking and brought me to repentance.

His wisdom is two-fold:

I understand now, why I feel so estranged in my heart from all that is around me. This world is not my home. It has been a huge mistake to keep trying to "move in", to keep trying to "fit in". I can now embrace the Truth, that, until I move on to my Heavenly home, the longing will be in my heart for a place not of this world.

And, as I accept this Truth, I can then be free to do the "greater" works drawing from the Holy Spirit's Presence, for it is given to us who believe and have our feet on planet earth, to introduce the world to our King of Kings for so long as we are here.

Matt 28:18, Jesus said, "All authority in Heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations". In other words, "Go tell the world about Me".

I am so thankful for our early morning pep talk. I am now ready to get back in the game and re-calibrate myself to His goals for my life.

Eternity is for all of us just a heartbeat away. It is imperative that we keep our mindset on eternal things. We must anchor to the goals and forget trying to make life here so comfortable for ourselves or others that we cannot nor need not think on eternity.

Releasing our tight grip on our desire for earthy comforts, we can move on to the real purpose for our lives which is to introduce all we meet to our Eternal King of Kings:

JESUS CHRIST

AT WHOSE NAME

EVERY KNEE WILL BOW

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Resurrected Hope

2011-12-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

The Spirit calls me this morning to talk things over. Hope like Lazarus has died. Nothing is turning out like I had hoped. I am in a place like Martha and Mary mourning the death of hope for that is what was placed in the tomb beside the body of their beloved brother, Lazarus.

While he was sick, the sisters sent word to Jesus to come quickly for Lazarus was in desperate need of a healing. The women were watching as their brother slipped into death, helpless yet hopeful that if only Jesus would come, Lazarus would be brought back from the abyss of this sickness and restored to health so that life with his family would go on.

Scripture says in John 11:5, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days". Then in vs. 17, scripture tells us, "On His arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days." This delay had nothing to do with any lack of love for them.

Martha and Mary were beside themselves with grief, shock, and despair at the loss of their brother. The awful truth was that Jesus did not arrive in time to "heal" him. The sisters had knowledge that Jesus was a healer. They had a personal relationship with Him and even sent word saying "Lord, the one you love is sick".

What they could not see nor comprehend at that moment, was His plan to work a profound miracle and testimony into the fabric of their lives that would make the history books for all eternity. Their perspective was limited and their view short sighted. They had known Jesus to be healer and that was the limit of their expectation to date.

The Holy One speaks to me, "You are like them. You trust Me now, for what you have seen or experienced Me doing in the past, but not for the higher, bigger, more outrageous things that you have not seen nor experienced before. Life will always provide opportunities for the faithful to go past what they know about Me to the higher levels of greater miracles."

But Lord, at what point in the disaster that forms the stage for the miraculous is THE turning point? Lazarus died and hope died with him. Jesus, you arrived but Lazarus was still dead.

The Spirit speaks, "Read on My child".

Martha went out to meet Jesus. When she heard He was coming, Martha went out.

In her grief, she went out to meet Jesus.
In her mourning, she went out to meet Jesus.
In her heartache, she went out to meet Jesus.

Martha went out to declare her faith, and not just in what she believed was a lost opportunity to see Jesus do what He had done for others I.E. heal her brother. Martha's next words conveyed her desire to take yet another step further in her faith in Jesus, "But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask."

Martha recognized and affirmed that Jesus was the Gateway to God. She declared her belief that Jesus was the Great Intercessor, and that God, who governs life and death would give Jesus whatever He asked.

Then those incredible words hit her ears, Jesus said, "I AM, the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Finally Martha understood the true identity of the one before whom she was standing. She discovered that Jesus is God. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world.

In that moment, her hope was revived. Hope was resurrected before her brother. On that day, the tomb was emptied of all that it held, her brother and her hope.

What in your life lies in the tomb of death and alongside of it, your hope? I know what it was in my life today.

When faced with the impossible things. When death occurs and mourning takes over, will we be like Martha and go out to meet Jesus? Will we run to Him for comfort and understanding and to take that next step further in faith in Him?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Reason for the Season

2011-12-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. The news is blasting away with "tis the season" and then all the whoopee over the greeting "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or any variation thereof.

The Christmas season is upon us and for some years the conflict has been escalating between the world and religious people over Dec 25th and who owns the "rights" to that day on the calendar. Many are saying "This is our day and you have no right to hijack it and make it less than what we say it is". Others say, "I'm not even a Christian and yet you force me to acknowledge the preeminence of Christ on that day and by your tradition refuse me an alternative Holiday."

As I ponder the debate realizing how heated it has become, the Holy One reminds me that He has an opinion and I need to hear it. He starts with a sobering question, "Could it be that the Lord Himself does not want His name attached to the worldly celebration of gross materialism that western Christmas has become?"

We defend that day with all our vigor and even virile indignation (otherwise know as hatred) against all who seek to take the "Christ" out of Christmas. But, seriously, what has been lost when those who are called by His name are so caught up in the worldly extravaganza that we just blend in with the crowd and put Santa next to the manger in our hearts and minds.

The world does not honor Christ as Savior or as Lord, so why insist that they be forced to yield to our acknowledged reason for our personal celebration of that day. The roots of traditional Christmas date back to the politics of religion in a different time and place than the actual time and birth of our Savior.

Tradition has taken the place of faith so why are we so shocked that the same spirit of darkness that began the tradition has taken it back again, and now to the point that even Christians are on board. Leaching Holiness is the devil's ancient game. Offering an "appearance" of goodness and mercy hooks us and then the complete distraction from Holiness is easier.

The birth of Christ happened in history. But it is the personal love relationship between us and Him that matters in the context of life on earth and beyond. And the reason we need to acknowledge His birth is to be humbled by His death. Jesus Christ came to die in our place. He was born to take away the sin of the world.

Unfortunately, Heaven is not the final destination point for all who will celebrate the birth of the Savior on earth and spend years exchanging gifts and shouting "Merry Christmas to those we meet. All that outward stuff matters not if our hearts are not Christ's home. Unless the Birth of the Savior takes you to His death on the Cross, His Divine Birth and the celebration counts as nothing for you.

I will celebrate the good cheer and the giving that the season inspires, but maybe it is time I stop the huge fight for the "tradition" of the season and think more about how I can offer the world the alternative of my faith in the "Reason" for the season.

Back to the original question: "Could it be that the Lord Christ Himself does not want His Name attached to the worldly celebrations as it stands today?"

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Salvation and the Sword

2011-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Spirit calls me this morning. The great "day" of thanksgiving has past, but the need to be thankful is ever present. My heart and mind are loaded with outside stimulation of emotions firing every cylinder in my engine.

My heart aches for those I love scattered from coast to coast and continents to islands remote and far away and my heart delights in those near enough to hear their laughter and feel their hugs. I weep for those we have lost and rejoice for those we have gained.

The battle rages and there are deep questions that have no answers.

BUT...the Holy Spirit........calls.

He knows my thoughts. Do I dwell too much on those we have lost? Those we are separated from for various reasons? He speaks to me, "No for that's the Heart of the Savior."

He gently handles my sorrow. He helps me past the agony of judgements reminding me that Jesus said He did not come to judge the world but to save it. John 12:47

Do I dwell to much on self incrimination about what I might have done differently to keep the peace? He helps me past all the guilt reminding me that Jesus said He did not come to bring peace but a sword and that sword would divide the closest relationships. Matt 10:34-37

Salvation and the Sword, what an interesting picture and for some, a conflict. But as The Holy One continues to guide my thoughts, I know they are completely intertwined and part of His Sovereignty. The plan of Holiness to bring us back from the dark abyss of the fall.

Why are we left here after our own salvation except to be the unique expressions of Christ to the world that touches our lives.

True believers have felt the Sword.

True believers know what it is to be on the opposite side of salvation and hope.

True believers understand that, absent the Sword of conviction and a sense of division, the need for repentance will not be found and eternal salvation will not happen. People will die and will feel conviction and will face ultimate judgement but too late for them to change. The Sword must do it's work.

Salvation has been offered to all mankind, but it is and always will be a choice. The Sword of Christ brings all of us to the place of choosing.

True believers lives are to offer an example of that choosing.

Does my life radiate my choice? Does Christ though His Holy Spirit in me manifest the separation and consecration of Holiness to the point of creating a conflict with the worldly people around me?

Do I represent Christ and HIS Sword with the testimony of how in humility it worked on me? The reminder of the Sword of Christ kills my pride....it has to...for I was once an enemy of the Cross and no different than those I judge.

The Sword of Christ will create conflict but it's perfect work will lead us to repentance and thereby to salvation. May I always remember how it worked on my life and pray for that same perfect work in others. Salvation and the Sword.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

God's provisions are Never Late

2011-11-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. Last night I was reminded about the overwhelming Sovereignty of our God, and what He will do to facilitate His plans and purposes in and through our lives. Further, He reminds me of what He is willing to do in such a supernatural way so that we will not doubt where all provision comes from. He tells me, "My provisions are never late and and I will always sponsor My Will. You need to stop striving."

The impossible occurs from an impossible set of circumstances. In God's Will, provisions have been established to meet the need before it is ever known. Such is God's Sovereignty. He is outside of our comprehension and knows the end before the beginning of any and all matters.

God is never late in what He provides and His provisions always arrive at the appropriate time in His Will. Matt 2:7-18 is the account of the Magi coming to the house of the "Christ" child, Jesus. and His mother, Mary and Joseph.

The ancient prophesies spoke of the "Son" of God called out of Egypt. But Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The journey of the Magi must have been long and hard. In the days of our rapid mobility and fast travel from here to there, from place to place, it's hard to remember that their journey was long and their guide was a "star" in the east leading them to an unknown place to worship a newborn King. It has been said that it took years for them to get to their Divine destination. Jesus was no longer an infant, possibly 2 years old when they finally arrived.

With them they brought extravagant and costly gifts suitable to honor the King they were about to meet. Joseph and Mary were humble people, and Joseph was a carpenter by trade. Little did they know about the danger soon to erupt from the murderous rage of King Herod. And little did they know of the need for the provision the Magi were compelled to bring.

Scripture tells us that "when they (the Magi) were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream". He was told to go to Egypt. Joseph immediately obeyed and left for Egypt where they stayed until the death of Herod. Scripture doesn't tell us what the cost of such a trip and duration of a stay might have been, but no doubt that the gifts of the Magi funded it. The Holy One speaks to my heart, reminding me that such provisions accompany all who will but seek the Lord's will.

In my personal life experiences, looking back, I can see the absolute truth to that reminder. Two years ago, I was blessed to be a part of a move of God and received a double portion in my cup.

The plan was to travel to Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, to witness the finalization of the adoption of one of my grandchildren, and see first hand the mission field one of my sons has worked in for many years. From there I was to travel with him to attend a WYAM DTS where he was to teach in New Caledonia.

Personal resources did not permit such an expensive trip but the Lord sent love gifts though different people to fund His will for me in the situation. It was the desire of my heart to be able to go and meet the people of this beautiful land out of which my granddaughter was to come forth and then to see my "missionary" son operating in his calling.

Weeks before I left, my son called to inform me that the plane scheduled to take us from Vanuatu to new Caledonia had been sold and they were awaiting a replacement. Later on, the new plane was secured by the national airlines, but our travel to New Caledonia was bumped to the next day and would be delayed by 24 hours.

At the time, it was an inconvenience due to his speaking schedule as it put him late on arrival for his teaching slot, but in my heart I reasoned that the time and travel change was from the Lord. Little did we know then of an important detail over the finalization of the adoption that required a 24 hr delay in timing to make it "perfect" in God's economy.

God's plan included that my my son-in-law was to meet the birth father of his soon to be adopted daughter. Due to a legal requirement added on late by the judge to finalize the adoption, my son-in-law and my son had to travel to meet the birth father on a remote island and the only time to get there was the very day we would have been traveling from Vanuatu to New Caledonia were it not for that unexpected sale of the plane and delay it created. The language barrier as well as other custom issues required the help and presence of my son to go with my son-in-law. Without the delay, he would not have been available to assist. Many, many details in God's amazing plan required that 24 hour delay.

The very fact that the Lord would sell a nation's only plane to facilitate His Will for our family is a brain buster, but speaks to His super natural intervention in our lives beyond our ability to fathom.

Provisions made before the need is fully realized and supernatural timing adjustments to put us in the slot of His perfect will, are just examples of the "Being" and actions of our outrageous and indescribable God. If the Lord's Will for us is always so perfectly funded and impeccably timed, why are we not completely, desperately, seeking it for our lives each day instead of striving for our own "will" to be done.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Birth of Majesty

2011-11-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. Wrestles abound and thoughts of His Majestic Being take me out of the mental conflict of worldly thoughts.

With the celebration of the Birth of our Savior right around the corner, I always have to stop the spin into the worldly push for gifts, and tinsel, and distractions off the point of origin which is the Babe in the Manger. The day when Majesty zipped Himself into humanity and took on flesh, so that our human eyes might see what our human brains cannot begin to comprehend.

John 1:1 says, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." It is a huge mistake on our part to minimize what went on over 2,000 years ago in the human arena of life and the Divine arena of Eternity. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

A flash back to Genesis comes to my mind, when Adam and Eve were in fellowship with the Creator.
Gen 3:8, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord as He was walking in the cool of the day". Due to their rebellion and sinful disobedience, scripture says, "and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees." From there, they experienced the ultimate separation from the "Source" of all that exists. They experienced separation from the "Word" which is the source of all; all reason, all expression, the rational principle that forms and governs all things. Remember that in creation, God "said" and it was so.

Separation from the "Word" and we call Him, God, is ultimate death, beyond any human ability to describe and beyond the human concept of the breakdown and termination of the physical body. It is a death so profound that, I believe, our human relational minds and souls cannot even fathom that degree of separation until after it has occurred.

BUT GOD
......GAVE......HIS.......SON.......THAT.....WHOEVER.....BELIEVES.....IN......HIM......SHALL.....NOT.....PERISH.....BUT.....HAVE......ETERNAL.....LIFE...........John 3:16

because of the fall, man was already condemned, but then the Word says,

FOR.....GOD.....DID.....NOT.....SEND.....HIS.....SON.....INTO.....THE....WORLD.....TO.....CONDEMN.....THE.....WORLD.....BUT.....TO.....SAVE.....IT.....John 3:17

Majesty zipped Himself into humanity
The Word became flesh
God came and dwelt among us

But Why?

To restore man to his original relationship with the Creator. To redeem and reconcile and re-set man back into fellowship with the Source of All, from which man was separated in the fall.

The entirety of the Old Testament was written to men for their eyes to look forward to the Birth of the Messiah Redeemer. The entirety of the New testament was written to men for their eyes to look back to the Birth of the Messiah Redeemer. For on that day, God fulfilled His promise to send a Savior into the world, and since man, despite all his most heroic efforts cannot be found adequate to save anyone, God came into this world Himself.

Luke 1:35 tells of the Divine intervention of Holiness into our world. Mary, the chosen vessel for the Divine Birth was naturally confused. When the Divinely supernatural collides with the principles that govern the natural, questions and wrestles do come. Mary was no exception. Here she is a young virgin recently betrothed, yet not married, together with the ancient writing that spoke of a virgin being with child. Isaiah 7:14. "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give brith to a son and will call Him Immanuel, "God with us".

Our human minds seem to be able to readily accept things in the future, until the day it becomes our reality, and defies our concept in the "natural".

Mary questioned, the angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. And Mary's answer was priceless, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."

Another year in the history of man, brings us to the manger yet again. The Truth of our Savior will be presented along with the endless temptations to bypass the stable and head to the mall. May we allow our hearts and our heads to bow in reverance and awe before the Holy One who chose a manger over a palace to begin His walk among us.

Oh and just so we don't get too comfortable with His "humanity", let us never forget that He returned to His place of Glory after He fulfilled the Holy requirement for the redemption of our souls.

Rev 1:13-17, "And among the lampstands was someone, "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all of it's brillance. When I saw Him I fell at his feet as though dead."

This is the true identity of the One who zipped Himself into humanity 2,000 years ago in a manger.

May the awe of who He is flood our hearts and minds until we see Him face to face.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Vessels of Transport

2011-11-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. The time change makes it easier to rise up energized. My body clock is already causing activity to my brain, as the wall clock has been moved back one hour.

I wake up thinking about the Lord and Christmas and what His birth represents to those of us who believe. The Holy One has spoken abut a new season about to unfold. I am a habit person and cling to the familiar, so any preview of a new season usually has me shaking on my old familiar boots.

I know the Lord is stretching us, but in the time frame of history we are living, the changes are coming way too fast, which makes our reliance on the Holy Spirit within even more essential and almost desperate lest we get carried off by the flood of dissipation the world is offering.

Thinking about Christmas and the Babe in the manger, our Savior and Sovereign King, my mind is comforted by that familiar setting. Then the Holy One paints a different picture in my mind. He shows me the Magi, the star and the vast desert across which they trekked in search of the new born King. Matt 2

He said, "you are a vessel of transport". Interesting picture. "The Magi were on a mission to bring the riches of this world to the Heavenly King, Jesus.   Now you have the riches of Heaven to take to the world. Will you be My vessel of transport?"

The picture is clear. Our Lord, though the indwelling Holy Spirit within the hearts of true believers, reaches and touches the world of people. We have the privilege and responsibility to be His vessels of transport. Across the street or around the world, every place we go, we take the Holy One with us. Conversely every place we refuse to go, we withhold the Holy one from touching ground.

Since Jesus left saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you, His position is clear. But there is our part in this love relationship. To serve Him we must be willing to push out, be bold, like the Magi. We must be willing to follow the star of His will across the desert, taking the riches of God's love into the dry and thirsty places. The riches of Heaven are ours to share.

Way back in history, the Magi were driven by desire to find and honor the newborn King. It consumed their lives. Today we have the wondrous opportunity to be driven to serve and honor the Risen King.  May that focus consume our lives today.

We are vessels of transport. The question is "are we willing to go?"

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Who Do You Trust?

2011-11-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls to me this morning. The trials and temptations to give knee-jerk reactions to what life brings has been heavy on my mind. The Spirit speaks through the watches of the night. The subtlety of His voice calls me into consciousness.

He calls to me and I know I need my first cup of coffee to be alert to what He wants to talk about this morning. Whispers of His wisdom float through my mind. "Each trial you face is a test of obedience. They are not random, they are not coincidence, they are opportunities for refinement through and through".

Right now, life seems like a furnace of intense heat. Discomfort is all around and from every angle there seems to be some unmitigated disaster.

Then the Holy Spirit speaks, "You trust Me for eternity, will you trust Me now?"

It's easy to defer trust for the next life when it seems so far off. But hard to trust for the next step here on earth when the pathway seems so covered by chaos and confusion and uncertainty. My knee-jerk reaction is self-reliance. I think I know what I can do, what I can tolerate, what I can manipulate to protect my "comfort zones" at any and all cost.

Heb 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God". The Spirit speaks, "You have faith in what you can do but what about faith for what I can do? Faith for what goes beyond your flesh capacity?"

Every trial is designed to take us beyond our own ability to resolve it. Refinement happens through surrender. Most all of us are confronted by situations we did not go looking for. How do we react? Is our first reaction self-pity or self-reliance?

The Spirit speaks to my heart, "I want your first and most overwhelming reaction to be to bring it to Me. Stop trying to find your own answers, your own solutions, or orchestrate your own deliverance. Then, I want your next reaction to be obedience to My Word and My commands. I am here to enable you, but you must co-operate."

As I look back over the years, I see those knee-jerk reactions, and what they cost me and even where they stumbled me. But each one offered a life lesson that enables me to whole heartedly agree with the Holy One today. I say, "yes, Lord. Fill me with the sense of your Presence and manifest the fruit of your Life within".

Today, even as fear grips my mind, as I surrender it all to the Holy One, His presence promises the fruit of His faith to believe all things. Faith for His Divine control. Faith for His deliverance. Faith for His restoration. And in that faith, I know I can Trust Him.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Road to Distinction

2011-10-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Holy one calls me this morning. I am deep in thoughts about the times and concerns over what to expect as evil unleashes its final volley of torment into the world. I hear the Holy One enter into my thoughts and establish our conversation. He reminds me, "The enemy's goal is well understood: to destroy the creation that God loves the most I.E. Man.

With all the wisdom of the wise at evil's disposal and now the Internet in full swing with no filters to slow the deception from being dispersed around the world into every generation alive, people are being separated from truth and into the grip of evil deception in exceedingly great numbers.

For every opportunity to research truth, there are countless open doors leading to deception. The Holy One quotes the Savior, "Narrow is the way that leads to life", "Broad is the highway that leads to destruction". Matt 7:13. This generation is more tempted by the broad highway than any other generation to ever live. In this "end of days" scenario, it is mind boggling as to how many alternatives to the One True God are being offered and how many counterfeit saviors are being followed.

God promised His people persecution for their faith. But He also gave a promise to make a distinction between those who serve Him and those who do not.

The Spirit takes me to His Word. In the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and from the last Divine words spoken before the first coming of Christ, God said to His people: Mal 3:14, "You have said it is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out His requirements, by going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty. But now we call the arrogant blessed and certainly evil doers prosper and even those who challenge God escape".

As a follower of Christ, I can relate to that perspective and there are many moments when self-pity follows that line of thinking. But the Holy One provokes me to read on to vs 16, "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard". "A scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His Name."

As the trials intensify and the world becomes a blast furnace of refinement for the Believer, what am I sharing with others? Does self-pity saturate my conversations? Do my words drip with the toxic poison of "poor me"? If so I will most likely miss the promise that follows, "They will be mine when I take up my treasured possession, I will spare them just as in compassion, a man spares the son who serves hm and you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

Is this the day and does the Lord want to make a distinction but our testimony of faith speaks of betrayal? Heb 11:1, says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The road to distinction is not the easy road. it is narrow and not just in the belief that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, but also in the boundaries that the Holy Life places us within.

While the world can enjoy all the perks that the compromise of God's commands provides the lost, we have limits on what we can have, or do or think. Our ultimate reward is being deferred and we are called to be separate. But we are not called to be morose or joyless or unhappy in our loyalty to the Supreme and Sovereign God of all Creation. We are to rejoice in the Lord, always.

This passage exhorts us and reminds us that there is a day on the calendar for the Lord to set His hand of blessing upon our lives in ways that we and all will see the distinction between those who serve God and those who do not. God will be glorified as we serve Him whether though our joy filled sacrifice of those things that are not ours to hold, or through the lavish blessings and evidence of his Presence in those provisions while the world does without. Either way, It is our responsibility to serve Him and rejoice in the process.

The Blessed Presence of the Holy Spirit in my life totally makes up for anything the world has to offer. As I seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, all the rest that I need will be added unto me....Now that's a distinction......Matt 6:33

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Paradise Found

2011-10-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. I realize the clock is ticking and the days are passing too quickly. I wonder why all the deadlines? Why do we live in such bondage to the calendar and clock?

Well, that's the way it's always been, except when I was very little and didn't understand the school year or worry about bed time cutting my day of adventure short. What if I could return to that kind of life? What a wonderful rich thought to ponder.

Then the Holy One speaks, "That's the way it was in the garden before the fall." There is so much that is distressing to me about the fall. All that sinful man and the arch enemy of God the Creator could plot together, in unrestrained flesh, creative evil, arrows to the heart and poison to the mind.

Don't most of us look around and long for days gone by? That one Christmas when life, for a sweet moment was just right. Or that vacation in the mountains, when the silence of the of the world pressing in, permitted the symphony of the forest to be heard.

The Holy One calls to me, "Come away with Me this morning, let's go back to the garden." What a delightful invitation. I feel huge smile come across my face as I think about all that could mean:

Walking with my God in the cool of the morning,
Surveying the handiwork of the Creator on display.
Feeling the smallness of my being on one hand and the bigness of my value to my Beloved on the other.
Sensing His Presence all around me and the magnitude of His love that I cannot begin to understand.

All the thoughts I had of doing things today or the vexing questions that plague me, even those that focus on my "purpose", seem to melt away. And then it occurs to me that the most incomprehensible thought in my mind comes to be: "All is well with my soul."

"Lord, I want to live here in this moment". He responds, "You can". One of the greatest blessings that came as a result of the death of our Savior on the Cross of Calvary is the ability to return to life in the garden before the fall.

Think of it. Life lived in constant contact with the Creator of the universe. Constant contact with the Source of all that we know. Constant contact with the Sovereign Power and Eternal Being who knows everything past, present and future. Constant contact with the One who gives us our value and purpose and our next breath with which to live it out.

Jesus came to restore us to the One True God...Himself, and to the life potential that was set before Adam and Eve to work and take care of the Garden of His Creation and everything in it.

As a result of the fall, all was lost. The original glory of man, the original relationship that God Himself ordained, the peace and pace and carefree life in "paradise" that we all long for in our heart of hearts. But in the amazing plan of our merciful Creator, redemption has come. We have been redeemed, bought back, re-set to reclaim what has been lost and empowered to take back what has been stolen.

We accept that Jesus died for our Eternal Salvation and we know that somehow, on the day of our death here, we will begin our life elsewhere, but there may be many years and a lot of problems to fix between now and then, between here and there.

The Holy One continues to speak about what the resurrection of My Savior means and brings to my earthly life today. Jesus, when speaking about Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:10 said, "I have come that they (His sheep) may have life and have it to the full."

But what does that mean when we have sick babies, empty bank accounts, spouses who have left for greener pastures or a "you're fired" slip on our desk? The trials of life in a world reeling from the fall
are a stark reality of what we must deal with. But the promises of our God are all yes and amen for those of us who believe and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior.

The Holy One calls us to bring all our burdens to the One who can lift them, the One who can heal them, the One who can replace anything that has been lost or stolen.

The clock and calendar are antagonistic to the sweet life with our Savior and we have been programmed to march to that beat. We are limited in our time with the Lord in the cool of the morning. We are distracted by the responsibilities we feel to the world system, without realizing we are not to be under it's rule. We are overwhelmed by the size of our problems, forgetting the One who controls all things. And we are tormented by our lack of value in the eyes of those we share life with, while the love of the One who died for us never gets past our head into our hearts.

I find that unless I am willing to make and take the time for my Beloved, the clock and the calendar will continue to rule my life. The Spirit is calling me, reminding me that each day I have a choice. I can join Him in the garden where all is well with my soul, or I can run headlong into the world that beckons me, postponing one of the greatest blessings He died to give me: a life on earth engulfed in His love, with a second chance in the Garden of God.

I choose the garden.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

One Way to Heaven

2011-10-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. I have been so troubled by the news about the genocide taking place in far off lands. I judge those people executing the genocide and rightfully so. They need to be stopped and sent to hell for all they are doing and have done.

The Holy One invade my thoughts with the truth about the unsaved and the One who will ultimately judge us all. He speaks Truth. Hell has no compartments that grade and penalize sin according to human values. It is hard for the human mind to grasp that concept because we have, in our own hearts, given value to our sin actions or, opposite that, we have given value to our good deeds.

What we think is "fair" are grades of sin as assessed within the human mind. There is a bar of good, gooder, goodest, or bad, badder, baddest. We rate our sin and the sin of others by an internal standard. I guess if we are gods then we can rest with this standard and rating system and be assured of our entry into Heaven at the end of this earthly life.

But God........   Does the Creator God who formed us and gave us His Spirit through His Son, use the same standard and measuring rod for our life and eternity?

The Word of God given to man and the appearance on earth of God incarnate, (I.E. God in the flesh), who is Jesus Christ, reveals the truth.

Many are caught up with their own self generated image of God. Whether we see God as a kindly white haired ancient person who is desperately fair minded, beholding to men for their loyalty, or see Him as a tyrant, angry, wrathful, control freak, waiting for the human to cross Him, most conjure up an image and work our way out from there.

But our image of our Creator must can and must come from TRUTH. God is who He is. We didn't create Him, He created us. While we were created in His image, He remains high and above the weak "flesh" image that we tend to judge Him according to.

God has made His Word available and in our history, has even wrapped Himself in flesh to show us Who He is. JESUS IS GOD. His Presence, His Person. His Life, His Death, His Resurrection all point us to the TRUTH about our Creator.

The question for each one of us is whether we will accept God for Who He is. If we do, we are promised to live forever in His Presence. If we do not then we will live forever not in His Presence. It's a simple choice, really, except for those who would choose to be their own god.

The drive to be our own god, takes us down any road that pleases self. We justify our human mind and thinking, saying, "I just can't believe in a God who would: send a good person to hell or, save an evil man, or__________________ you can fill in the blank, never really grasping the truth that it's all about a choice that each human can, must and does make before the final judgment is rendered by a Holy God.

The incredible kindness, mercy and generosity of our Majestic Creator is that salvation depends on a choice that every person can, must and does make. Our Sovereign God leveled the playing field, taking off the table any condition of birth, goodness of deeds, talents we may have, or any relative comparison of our personalities, appearance or innate character.

The only thing that God uses in His assessment for salvation is the question, "What have you done with the truth that Jesus Christ was sent from Heaven to earth by Me to save you?"   We are to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of mankind and the One sent by God to paid the price for God's wrath against sin, wickedness, and evil, all of which every one of us is guilty, when using the standard of God's Holiness as opposed to the standard of our human goodness.

To those who say the way is too narrow, especially those who follow counterfeit gods, the TRUTH that Jesus gave us is clear when He said, "Small is the way and narrow is the gate that leads to life, broad is the road that leads to destruction" Matt 7:14

It is not the rigid requirements of the law that lead to life, but rather the One, the ONLY ONE, who represents the gate.  JESUS IS THE GATE and THE ONLY WAY to access Heaven.

For those who deny the truth, reject the One and only provision God has provided for our salvation and eternal life in the Presence and company of our Creator, the end will come as a shock to all those theories about Heaven and hell. For hell is isolation and separation from all that we know as life and light. A miss of the only way to Heaven will translate to the same hell for all regardless of the goodest or baddest actions we accomplish on earth.

Either we are or are not saved, and Jesus, alone, knows who are His. Do you belong to Jesus? Have you entered into a relationship with the Son of God? Or will you get to the gate and be turned away?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

A Pause In The Action

2011-10-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls to me today in the silence of a pause. I desperately desire answers to the heart petitions I have put at the Throne. Delays and red lights are frustrating to me. I guess we are all "action" people and in our world of instant real time problems we are looking for instant real time resolutions.

So the question is , "Why, do you delay, Lord? What purpose is being served in this pause?"

I have no doubt that each day and each delay serves an eternal purpose in my life. Looking back, the Holy One reminds me of past places of desperation. Places where I thought I would just die if something didn't happen to change the situation.

He graciously points out that some of the greatest lessons providing the greatest spiritual growth spurts came during those mind bending days and delays of answers to prayer. This is one of those days and times. The Holy One speaks, "take every thought into the captivity of Christ."

But what does that mean? The fog starts to clear, as He directs me to 2 Corinth 10:5. "We demolish every argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

The scrutiny of the Holy Spirit begins to burn. "Some of your petitions lately have been off". Can our prayers be "off"? Jesus said in John 14, 15, 16, 17 things like, "If you love Me you will obey Me", "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given." The command to love, the promise of peace, the last words and lessons emphasized before the return to His Heavenly Throne.

"Ask in My Name". The Name of Christ is power. It is His position and Character that is the power. Ending our petitions "in Jesus name" does not guarantee answers if those petitions violate His Character.

Wow! What a revelation and humiliation all at the same time. I am taken out of complaining about the delayed answers to a place of brokenness that my prayers may be asking my Lord to act against His Character in the answers I seek.

Lord what am I to do with the "pause"? The Holy Spirit takes me to Phil 4:4-8. Rejoice in the Lord, be anxious for nothing, be thankful in presenting my prayers and petitions and finally, think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. excellent or praiseworthy.

As this directive and my obedience to it begins to take affect, the Holy One opens my mind to the way and the prayer that has violated my Lord's Character and in repentance, I am permitted to retract and re-present my request.I am thankful the Holy Spirit speaks, teaches, and refines me. His burning scrutiny takes down one more layer of flesh.

At the very end of this hard word to my heart, He reminds me that in our relationship, we are still a team. The Lord has co missioned me to serve him and the word co-mission implies that I still have a part to play. The Lord's way is to commission His servant to do His will, but in the process we have much to learn and on earth we will never arrive at a place where we have it all in a bag without a desperate need to depend on His indwelling Spirit.

This pause in the action has allowed me to go deeper and see more of what the Lord's Character is all about. Prayerfully it has allowed the Holy Spirit to bring this servant more into conformity to His Character as well.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Wisdom From Above

2011-10-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. I am so thankful to hear His voice amid and above all the clamor of "what-ifs" that start from the moment my conscious mind wakes up. Much is being taught in the struggles of my life, day by day and situation by situation. I know there are two ways to handle all of life's problems....my way and His way.

The "grooming", the "sanctification process", as the Bible calls it, is life long. Allowing the Holy Spirit more and more authority and control over my thinking and doing, is the real battle at it's base. The battlefield is in the mind and I need wisdom.

What lie have I believed about my God? What corrupt perspective has been grasped by the mind still polluted by the fruit of that tree, our ancestors ate from? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Thinking it of great advantage to be "like" God, knowing good and evil, Adam and Eve got tricked, bamboozled, out slicked. The truth is that in our humanity, our minds were not wired with a reject button when evil presents itself. The reality is that evil somehow tickles our senses, comforts our flesh and fuels a rebellion in our hearts against the good, against the One who designed us for fellowship with Holiness.

But God.......In the design of His Beloved, our Creator, provided each and every one of us with free will. The freedom to choose requires a choice and so it is. We all have a choice to make. We all must choose who we will serve; God or self. For all the "whoopee" about serving the devil, when we rebel against the Holy One, the one we are really serving is self. The enemy doesn't care if we serve him or not, so long as we do not serve God.

Somehow the prospect of self-serving doesn't seem so evil. It seems natural and justifiable. But that is the biggest, baddest hook the enemy uses to keep us in bondage.

Today the Holy One takes me back to where it all started. Gen 3:5, the serpent said to Eve, "For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil". Then, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom", she ate.

The impact of that original sin has traveled throughout the ages and generations of men, still touching our lives today. Through the Word of God and the testimony of the life, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, we have been given the privilege and opportunity to re-set our computer and live out a life as before the fall in fellowship and relationship with our Creator God, and, with all the blessings that fellowship with Him brings.

We can live a life where all the wisdom we could ever want or need comes from the Throne of our God through the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

James 1:3 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God". Wisdom holds great appeal to us humans. Wisdom was one of the appeals the devil used to tempt Eve. With the increase of knowledge, we can see the minds of men bending further and further away from our Creator. Empires are being built, "Ziggurates" are in every corner of the world, as monuments to the plans of men living a God-less, self-serving life.

The Holy Spirit stands ready to impart to us the wisdom of a Holy God, but the self serving mind will not hear of it. Wisdom from above puts us in submission not control. Wisdom from above emphasizes the provider not the receiver of such a gift. Wisdom from above brings Glory to God not glory to men.

The Holy Spirit's counsel brings the warning: look to Me and my Word for your wisdom.

In the quiet of the morning, I do look to my Counselor. All the decisions I need to make boil down to the one: to serve the Lord my God or to serve myself; to seek and secure His wisdom and live under His ruling authority or launch out to build my own Ziggurates in rebellion of the One who died for me.

I know full well that my God has an opinion about everything that touches my life. In every situation it is my responsibility in our love relationship to find out what that might be and adjust my thinking accordingly.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Encounter

2011-10-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. The trials of late always seem to be a battle royal and the battle always has sides; opposing sides, lines drawn, choices made that oppose things central to my core.

The Holy One calls me this morning to speak into the situation and give me His perspective. In the distance Jericho sits impenetrable from the human point of view, the troops are antsy, ready to engage the enemy and Joshua is looking at the huge fortress of a city, contemplating. The Spirit takes me to His word and Joshua 5:13.

"Now, when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand". (This has been interpreted to be an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Himself.) Joshua went to Him and asked if this Warrior was "for" Israel, or their enemies. The Man with the sword replied, "neither, but as the Commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come."
Joshua was told to remove his sandals for he was standing on Holy Ground, yet more evidence that this was an encounter with Holiness.

Joshua fell face down in reverence and asked what message the Lord had for (Joshua) His servant. Being of a warrior type mentality, I see life as a battle. When the Holy One speaks to me through His Word, very often He takes me to the great battles of Biblical history. I see things from a perspective of good vs evil, light vs dark. I know that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but truly against powers of darkness in the heavenly realms.

On the eve of the battle to push forward into the promised land, the Lord wanted to make one thing clear. Joshua was commissioned to fight God's battle not the other way around. Even on the issue of opposing sides or points of view, God has only one...His. The nation of Israel was called to represent the One True God to the world.

The titanic battle, the epic struggle is against the devil and his hordes of fallen angels, AKA demons.
The nature of this epic struggle is to win the hearts and minds of God's most beloved creation AKA man.

Since the very beginning of the existence of man; since Adam and Eve fell in the garden, the devil has used lies and 1/2 truths about our Creator to destroy the relationship that God desires to have with us, yet God continues to speak and to appear in our lives and circumstances to reveal Himself. Throughout history from Old testament to New, God has always revealed Himself to those who were searching. And so it is today.

The Holy Spirit speaks if we will but give Him audience. Joshua fell face down in reverence and in anticipation of a "word" from the Divine Messenger.

When we are in contemplation of our life circumstances, looking at the battles we face or situations we encounter, are we open to a visit from the Holy One? Joshua was. As a result, he was given the most incredible and unique battle strategy to ever come out of a Commander-in-Chief. But before the strategy was given, Joshua needed a better perspective of the battle and his position in it.

We are called to battle, but as much and as personal as it may be or become, the truth is that we, as Christians, are servants of a Holy God. We are to be servants of His Holiness in whatever life circumstances may become ours to face or fight because the battle belongs to the Lord, and it is His. We are to represent Him to a lost and dying world.

Joshua has this amazing encounter with the Lord Himself, and in his humility and awe received his commission to be at the head of God's human army to lead God's people, God's way.

I pray we all might have such an encounter. I pray we will always remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. It is for His Glory, and His Honor, and His purposes that we are commissioned to fight.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Covenant Keeper

2011-10-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. The topic of our conversation has to do with vows. Our covenant with Him is obviously 2 sided, and He has spoken about the importance of knowing and doing my part. Today, He speaks to the vows I have made in my life, not just to Him but to another.

We make vows and enter into covenants with people throughout our lifetime here on earth. When it comes to "vowing", it is the marriage vows we are most familiar with. In our society and in our lives, one of the biggest days on our calendar of events is the day we come together to exchange vows. The wedding day.

So much preparation usually goes with it. The people we invite to share our big day. The food we select and prepare for the celebration. The place we choose to exchange our vows. But then there are the vows themselves. The entire celebration revolves around the bride and groom making vows and promises to each other in the presence of their chosen witnesses.

The ceremony is somber yet celebrated as 2 people promise to bind their hearts together. The ceremony takes place in the natural and the guests are present to witness this covenant between the bride and groom.

But there is also a great cloud of witnesses in the heavenlies that not much attention is given to. And then in the ultimate seat of Witness sits the Lord God of all Creation, who has given men and women this priceless privilege: a newly formed unit within which to live, love, find pleasure, strength and protection. The wedding initiates the ordained relationship called marriage and we make our vows to that end.

The question the Holy One brings to me this morning is the one that brings a new perspective to the vows we make. It's not about the "who to", but rather it's about the "before Whom" do we make and take our vows. We make and take our vows before the God of all living things. We exchange our vows and enter into a covenant before a Holy God who is the ultimate Covenant Keeper.

In these days, when vows are broken and covenants destroyed all the time, both inside and outside the Church, the Holy One speaks to the real problem. At the core of our vow breaking, covenant trashing attitude is a total disrespect and disregard for the One before Whom our vows were made.

If we are just talking to each other expressing our emotions of that moment in time, then it is no wonder we run to the divorce courts and file our papers then walk free to pursue other relationships without a break in our stride. But if we have it in our hearts the understanding that we made our promises before a Witness who will hold us accountable for broken vows and covenants, it is not that easy to walk away.

And then to realize that the marriage union is an earthly symbol of an eternal relationship with the Lord Himself, our accountability is even greater to remain true to our vows.

As much as we are covenant breakers, the Lord our God is a Covenant Keeper. Psalm 105:8 tell us, "He remembers His covenant forever, the word He commanded for a thousand generations."

The test of covenant keeping on the human level reveals a lot about us. It tests the integrity of our hearts and our word. But it also puts to the test our respect for the One who is a witness to our covenant and the one who ordained marriage itself.

When we can find no reason on earth to remain true to our covenant, then maybe it's time we look past the earth realm and find our reason in the heavenly realm, remembering, before Whom we made our vows. Humans will always give us an excuse to break any covenant.

Justification abounds to terminate our most intimate relationship. Yet as a Christian who belongs to and follows a Covenant keeping God, we are all without excuse and must remain true to our vows, no matter what the world says.

Marriage and family are under attack like never before in history. It is not a question of "if" our marriages will be attacked but only when. When the trial hits our marriages will we remain true to our covenant vows spoken in the Presence of our Covenant keeping God? The amazing truth behind our Covenant keeping God is that He will enable us to be like Him.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Power of Worship

2011-10-04T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Holy One calls me this morning and I find that He has placed a song in my heart. This is odd for me since I have no great voice for singing and since the trials of my life weigh so heavy upon me. But there is song...and it is worship. A little off key and not too melodious in expression, yet a song none-the-less.

The Holy One has over and over taken me through the battles I face, to the great battle Jehoshaphat was facing in 2 Chron 20. Spoken by the Spirit through a Levite in the great assembly, the Lord told King Jehoshaphat and all who lived in Judah and Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid nor discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours but God's." He went on to describe the Lord's directive, "tomorrow march down against them." He told them where the enemy would be. He affirmed that they would not have to fight this battle. He told them, "take up your positions and stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Don't be afraid, don't be discouraged, go out and face them and the Lord will be with you."

So convinced of the Lord's promise of victory, King Jehoshaphat declared to the people the success that their faith and God's Word would bring. After consulting with the people, it was decided to appoint men to sing praise and worship the Lord for the "Splendor of His Holiness." Those worshippers went out at the head of the army, singing "give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever."

What a unique strategy for battle, sending men out at the head of the fighting men, armed with praise and worship to the Holy One. Arms lifted up, not in defense but held high in praise.

When facing such a potential for destruction and even annihilation, how amazing that the people were, given over to praise and  given victory without a sword leaving it's sheathe.

The scripture says that while God's people began to sing and praise Him, the Lord set ambushes against the 3 (not just 1) armies coming against His people. The Holy One has shown me a great weapon in the war, a powerful weapon with which to enter a "battle" against evil and that powerful weapon is worship

The song He has placed in my heart will grow and become a symphony of praise. Prayerfully my voice will improve through use, but the most overwhelming point He has made to me today is that worship and praise belong to the One who calls me to battle for His Honor and His Kingdom.

As a battle strategy, the praise of God's people was simultaneous  to the Lord setting ambushes for the enemy's armies, all of them. Praise keeps our eyes on the Splendor of His Holiness and off the threats that the enemies of our life are trying to impose.

Praise is our labor of love while God does what we cannot.

Praise is a hard thing to remember to do when it seems that evil is compressing us from all sides. But praise and worship is the one thing that can catapult us out of our despair and into the very Presence of the One who holds all things in his loving and capable hands.

Expending my energy in praise and worship while God fights the battle, is an amazing strategy for victory. I am so thankful that He has taken me to this place.

Our God is worthy of all our praise, just because of Who He is, but then to realize that our praise to Him defeats the dark forces arrayed against us makes for a double portion of delight.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 No wonder there is a song in my heart......

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Intellectual Faith

2011-09-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls to me from deep within my sleep state. The first thing I hear is, "Beware of intellectual faith".....As I am getting my first look at the clock, it is still dark outside, but the Holy Spirit continues...."the faith that remains in the mind only....the faith that comes out of knowledge brought to the mind but never makes it into the heart. The "knowledge" of God is different than the "experience" of God."

As I began processing His profound statement, I realize that for faith to be real, it must have personal experience from which to draw. Each one of us, called to live a life of faith, must have a personal experience with our Lord. We each must have a personal testimony that brings together all the knowledge we have "about" our God, as we live to see and feel the wonder of a life "with" our God.

The enemy, the ancient foe of mankind attacks the mind and debates the knowledge of the Holy One. Since the very beginning of man's days upon the earth when Eve fell and enticed the first Adam to follow her lead, the curse we bear is the knowledge of good and evil.

The fruit of that tree opened the door to our minds, where the enemy of our souls could challenge and question our thoughts and plant lies about our Creator that would repel man and separate us from our God.    This ancient foe has a name and in scripture it is called "Nebo" or "Nebu", the Babylonian god of learning (education) and is found referenced in Isaiah 46:1.

The heart and the mind are two different things and I see that there is knowledge in both. We can have heart knowledge that comes from experience, and have head knowledge that comes from a book.
Paul spoke of it in Eph 3:17-19, "and to know this love that passes knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God".

The Sovereign God of all Creation who sits enthroned above the Heavens, desires to be in a personal relationship with each in of us and is willing to orchestrate all the personal experiences we need to have heart knowledge of Him. He has given us His Word, the Bible, but The Almighty has also made the way through the Person and life of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for us, His Beloved, to experience and enjoy a personal relationship with Himself.

Jesus came to show us the Father. Jesus came to assure us that the One who has given each one of us the breath of life, desires to be personal; so personal that He wants to dwell within our hearts.

The indwelling Presence of God, Himself, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, wants to make our heart His home. The intellectual mind cannot fathom such a mystery. The Who, the how, even the why is beyond our mind's imagination and the human intellect cannot begin to explain it. But the heart has the ability to accept it as Truth.

With this mystery that the heart can accept, comes supernatural intervention into our lives that give us our tangible personal experiences with the One who is Spirit. God orchestrates and ordains the circumstances whereby He reaches into our lives and becomes strangely visible. The impossible happens, the unlikely occurs, desperate needs are fulfilled where there is no viable means on the horizon. Miracles, we call them miracles and rightly so.

To experience Divine intervention and gain heart knowledge, means that we must live at risk. The human demand for control is turned upside down when God moves in our lives and most try to live within well defined comfort zones. Trials come and threats to our security abound, but it is at those times when, in desperation, our hearts cry out. When the human mind has no answers for our dilemma. When everything we understand with our mind unravels. It is in those times that our hearts begin to know.  As the Almighty begins to act in our behalf, then we begin to gain the heart knowledge of His Presence.

I ponder why the Spirit has brought this up. I think He is warning about a move by evil in these end times to corrupt the "knowledge" of the Holy One. I believe the warning comes to make sure my faith is based on knowledge and experience together. Like the man born blind who was given his sight at the hands of Jesus said, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know, but what I do know is this, I was blind and now I see." John 9:25. Heart knowledge, experience, a miracle from God that changed his life forever.

Are we living in the anticipation of daily miracles, and life changing experiences that are a standard against the lies of evil and doubts about our God? Are we willing to live at risk so our Lord can demonstrate His Presence in our lives not just for our own sake but for the sake of His Glory made visible to the world around us?   Or are we hanging into an intellectual faith, that won't be needed until the last day we draw our breath here on earth? A faith that remains within the limits of our human mind and reason, but never makes it to our heart.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Patience In The Process

2011-09-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls to me this morning. A strategic victory has been won and a long standing prayer answered. The Spirit reminds me that even in the rejoicing over a great battle won, the work must continue until the last day and the Lord Himself returns for us. "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." Phil 1:6 "Do not grow weary in doing good." Gal 6:9

His words help me to realize that the moment of great victory in a battle fought and won pass quickly and are to be savored and celebrated, yet are not the end. Once saved, the battles we face are part of the process. The ultimate goal is to bring each one of us into the conforming image of Christ Jesus Himself and bring Glory to God in the transformation.

The Spirit calls me to look back over my life and trials. In each one, the pattern was similar:

The trial hits. Shock and confusion permeates my heart and mind, the heat turns up, the questions swirl. God, where are you? God, why is this happening? God, what do I do?

But the trial continues. No quick fix comes. I gain my footing and get up. I know myself well enough to understand, it is not by my own strength that I find a place to stand. It is the Lord Himself who has begun to lift me up.

But the trial continues. Battle lines are drawn, the enemy of my soul keeps the arrows coming. Relentlessly he assaults me. God's Word and His promises are my only comfort. Thanksgiving comes out of the storm for this place of relief.

But the trial continues. Faith, hope, trust, love are all challenged from within my mind, Even the promises I hold onto seem like dandelions in the wind, blown and scattered.

Then the Holy One finds my ear. He takes me to the one verse that has helped me weather trials in times past. Isaiah 54:16. A familiar friend speaks, "See, it is I who have created the blacksmith who fans the coals into a flame and forges a weapon fit for it's work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc."

Out of context, and all alone, this verse would seem to paint my loving Creator as a cruel and heartless Being, bent on my destruction, sending the enemy on a search and destroy mission against me. And, the evil one wants me to stop right here in my thinking and understanding of why I am suffering. The enemy tries to use this scripture to discourage me. For it is, after all, the Word of God.

But as I read on, the hope comes, "no weapon forged against you will prosper. You will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord".

I am reminded that each struggle, each trial, each battle, each heartache has a purpose and a point know to the One who created my inmost being. I am a work in process. I was not born in the image I was destined to have. Changes need to take place.

Resolution of my trial is not the end goal. Transformation of my heart and mind is. The trial is only a means through which the Holy Spirit of Christ can work me into His image. The "battle" for me, is the place of perspective, where I must choose priorities and decide what is worth fighting and dying for.

For me, the battle must be fought for the Holiness and Righteousness and Honor of my Heavenly Father, and for the Glory of my King Jesus.

The trials of life will continue. Battles will be fought and won. But the end comes when the King comes. Until that day, we will continue to be in the process of refinement, in the process of being transformed into the likeness of the King Himself.

He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Love Requires Performance

2011-09-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me this morning. In my personal life, much work had been done in my marriage and the covenant of love has been on my mind a lot. The Spirit calls me this morning and speaks of the covenant between my Lord and I. So today, I take the time to remember the covenant I entered into WITH my Savior when I asked Him to BE my Savior.

I see how a "covenant" is a mutual agreement between 2 (or more) parties. I see how many have failed to grasp the truth, that the covenant relating to our salvation is a mutual agreement between an individual and the Most High God of all Creation. Many have accepted God's end of the covenant but failed to grasp their individual responsibility in the covenant. I see that many do not see the truth that a covenant is a 2 way contract with obligations and privileges from both parties.

Jesus came to die for all mankind, to pay the high cost of sin against a Holy God. But, each one of us must ask that His death and sacrifice be counted as the one paid in our own personal behalf. Someone has to die for the sin of mankind and personally atone for the personal sin of each one of us who ever walked the earth. Each one of must choose to ask that Jesus be our own personal Savior.

Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth and in an outrageous act of love, paid that price for all of us, dying to save each life. God acted out His love for me and I entered into a sacred romance in covenant with Him. Now I must reciprocate acts of love unto my Beloved.

Non believers are not obligated to love God back. They have not yet entered into the sacred romance and Holy Covenant like unto a marriage. But for those of us who have embraced the love of God and accepted the action He took to prove His love, for us, there is an obligation in love, to act out demonstrations of love.

Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will obey My commands" John 14:15. "If you love Me". Jesus is Asking all who love Him to act in a way that reflects our love FOR Him.

The Spirit is saying to me, "What will you do to act out your love for Me?"

Opportunities abound in this fallen world to demonstrate and act out our love for Jesus. Do we consciously perform acts of love for our Beloved? Does the world know we love Jesus by our actions and then do they know that we act in such a way because of our love for Jesus, and not just because we are a "good person"? Is our love relationship glorifying the King of Glory who first loved us?

Sometimes I forget in the day to day struggles touching my life, that my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, is looking for me to act out my deep love for Him as I respond in this earth realm to earthly challenges. Some are love actions that come easy but some go so deep that I do what I do only because He has asked it of me, and only by His Spirit living within my heart, which is Glorifying to Him not me.

I am very aware as I look around that many have accepted Christ's promise and responsibility in the covenant I.E. He died to pay for their sin, providing the assurance of Heaven as their final destination, but then they fail to take up their personal responsibility and promise in the covenant I.E to proclaim to the world, Jesus as their personal Savior and also to submit and surrender to Him as Lord and Master, in obedience to His commands.

As the day approaches when Jesus will return to earth for His people in all His Glory, maybe it's time to go back and remember the covenant we entered when we first got saved. Maybe it's time to remember our first love and perform those important acts that reflect our love for our "covenant" Savior.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Responsibility of Maturity

2011-09-14T04:48:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me this morning, as I look at where I am and ponder why all the craziness is pressing down on me. As gentle as a spring breeze blowing through the forest, the Spirit said,
"It is the responsibility of maturity to model My Son".

The words were not spoken as a challenge for me to buck-up and stop whining. Nor as an indictment of all my past failures and lessons taught over the course of my life. Today, the sweet voice of the Shepherd of my soul, gives me an answer, an explanation and a time to pause in humble gratitude for a new perspective.

True Vine-live is living and growing to produce more fruit, to the Glory of our Father in Heaven. As the years in the Vine pass, sometimes the growth is so subtle that we don't track the reality that we are maturing.

The pruning hurts; the cutting back and off of useless twigs that seem to just appear out of nowhere. That wrong attitude, that deceitful motive, that inappropriate response that grieves the Holy Spirit. Snip, snip, snip. We whine, we cry, we plead for relief, but the work by the hand of the "Tend-er" of our soul continues. John 15:1-2.

Looking back at where we have been and where we are today is the one way to chart our maturity. Looking back one day is not a long time to chart our growth, but looking back one year or one decade and things become clear. The process is agonizingly slow. The human heart and mind takes time to renovate and be renewed.

I am thankful that the One who calls me to "remain in Him" and the One who tells me that "apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5), is faithful to continue and complete the work He began in me so long ago. Phil 4:6

As we continue on our Journey with Jesus and growth in the Vine, can we see all the transformation in ourselves and our lives taking the shape of the Son of God? Can others see it in us?

Looking back, I can see it now, and I pray that you can too.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him

A Time To Remember

2011-09-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me even as the enemy's sabres are rattling in my ear. The battle is raging, the victory out of view, and the lies of evil pummel the battlefield of my mind.

He says, "Come away with Me for a while. I want to talk to you about altars and memorials and the importance of remembering what the Lord has already done in your life."

The old testament is full of accounts of altars and memorials to the Lord being built as reminders for the people lest they forget what the Almighty, Sovereign God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has done for His people in times past. Altars of sacrifice, memorial stones along the way, to identify, celebrate and give praise to the Lord for His Divine intervention, rescue, protection, provision, and promises fulfilled.

Gen 8:20, Noah built an altar after exiting the Ark of his deliverance.
Gen 12:7, Abram built an altar after receiving a visit and a promise.
Exodus 17:15, Moses built an altar after a long victorious battle
Judges 6:24, Gideon built an altar after a personal encounter with God's angelic messenger.

Joshua 4:4-9, Joshua, at the Lord's command chose 12 men and 12 stones to be taken out of the Jordan at the place where the Lord parted the waters and the nation of Israel crossed over into the promised land. The twelve stones were to be a lasting memorial to the people of Israel and that future generations would be told how the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.

As I sit in the quiet of His counsel room, the Spirit takes me back in time to previous personal battles, where I can recall amazing miracles of rescue and deliverance by the mighty hand of my God.

A kaleidoscope of life experiences. Trials represent testimonies and year after year, the Lord has provided a myriad of trials and enabled me to gain a storehouse of memories; altars and memorials in my mind and journals that testify of His love and faithfulness.

Today is a day to sit with the Holy One and remember His miraculous intervention and loving care for my life. As I sit and reflect on the past and ways the Lord has brought me though other desperate times, I find the peace just knowing He will do it again.

The battle rages but my heart has peace. The threats of evil are overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony.

I am thankful that the Holy Spirit knew exactly what I needed today. A walk through some old reminders of His powerful protection and Presence. I am thankful for all those altars and memorials to remember. For unless I can recall those victories in the past, the current battle might just overwhelm me. How gracious of Him to remind me.

The Lord my God has been faithful over all my life. He never changes so I will not be destroyed. Malachi 3:6

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Where Does Your Allegiance Lie?

2011-08-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today as I am watching the shake up of my world. The battle rages and lines are being drawn. Jesus has said, "I did not come to bring peace but a sword" and that sword will divide some of our most cherished relationships. Matt. 10:34.

The question we face is where does our loyalty lie? To whom will we pledge our allegiance when the battle comes to our door or worse yet when it strikes our closest relationships?

We, in America, know little about the "rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world" or the "Spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms" spoken of in Eph 6:12. The strategy of evil here in America seems to be to neutralize the Church and her Warrior calling.

The enemy tries to drown out the call to war coming out of Heaven, with polite and pleasant "works" while administering sleep inducing sedatives. He is deceiving the army of God with perks and benefits that would cause them to trade in their powerful weapons and "beat their swords into plowshares" before time, while the battle is still raging.

The Spirit speaks daily about the danger of "unholy alliances" we are tempted to enter into. Today He calls me to consider the original call to compromise that was made in the Garden of Eden.

Eve was the delight of Adam's heart and made in a likeness of beauty that pleased all his senses. She was given as a gift and the flesh and blood completion of him as a man.

All was well until temptation to disobey God's only command and reject His stark warning was presented and, in an act of her free will, Eve chose the fruit of dark rebellion. Once the act of disobedience was complete, Adam was invited to join in Eve's wickedness and partake of the forbidden fruit.

Adam's decision was a different one. Beyond the forbidden fruit, Adam had to choose between his relationship with His Creator God and his relationship with Eve. Adam's allegiance was tested and it fell to his flesh. We all may well say, "well, who could blame him?" Yet, looking back, generations of people since that day would likely say, "Why did you throw away your amazing life and future just to please your senses?" (For Adam it was an issue of failed leadership but that is a subject for another day.)

Betrayal of the Creator may represent the ancient dilemma that caused the original fall of man, but that is the same dilemma we will all face in our lives today.

Compromise threatens all of us and not just in doing things that call us to repentance. The real threat of compromise is in the place of our allegiance and loyalty to the One who died for us.

The Spirit is calling, asking, in the battle that is raging, "Where does your allegiance lie?" When the sword of Christ begins to divide and decisions of loyalty must be made, where do we take our stand? Does our Lord and Savior have His rightful place in our life and does He have our undivided, unwavering loyalty, where we will forsake all others and stand with Him? Or do we forsake Him and align ourselves with those who walk in the ways of this fallen world?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Where Have You Pitched Your Tent?

2011-08-02T09:21:00.001-07:00

The Spirit calls me this morning. Life has been so hectic and chaotic for months and lives have been forever changed. My blog has sat silent but the Spirit continues to speak to me each and every morning.

The dust of the battlefield is finally clearing, so I can spend time processing the wisdom and putting the details together in my mind.

As the Lord's arrival is imminent, we are all being called to give careful thought to our ways. We are all being shaken down and out. We are being tested to see what is in our hearts, before we are called to have audience with our King where we will be required to give an account of how we lived our lives here on earth.

Most fail to realize the seriousness of our choices. Jesus has said, narrow is the way that leads to life eternal. Grace has been reduced in our minds through some teachers to a distortion of true accountability.

Perfect love and perfect justice come together under Grace. Liberties have been taken and the dread associated with a Holy God has rarely, if ever, been felt.

The Spirit calls me this morning to look at Lot's life and where he pitched his tent. Lot was Abraham's nephew. He had moved with Abraham, and spent years in the presence of the Patriarch, God's chosen.

The day came when the Lord had so blessed them with livestock and other things, they needed to separate. In Gen 13, Abraham and Lot discussed the division, and Lot was given the choice of the land. Gen 13:12, "So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordon and set out for the east." Vs 12, "Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tent near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord."

As the account continues, we fast forward to Gen 18. In this chapter Abraham gets a visit. Gen 18:1-2, "the Lord appeared to Abraham. Abraham looked up and saw 3 men standing nearby."

Abraham was privileged to have an encounter with the Trinity, and the Lord revealed the purpose for His visitation. "Then the Lord said, The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous, that I will go down and see if what they have done is a bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know it."

The Lord came to Abraham, His friend, shared with him the Divine purpose about to be fulfilled and even the "why" behind it.

Abraham was given the great privilege of a visit, but we can also see though this account a picture of the intimate relationship between God and His covenant people. We, in Christ Jesus, are God's covenant people and have access and privilege before our God to intercede and voice our thoughts, concerns and fears for others in the pathway of God's Divine judgement.

But today, the Holy Spirit calls me to look at Lot's life and where he chose to pitch his tent.

The wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah was so great that the outcry against it reached God's ears. Lot chose to live just outside the city, perhaps thinking that he could live with the perks without the liability. It is quite obvious that this close proximity to such wickedness had an impact on Lot's life and his family suffered as a result of where he pitched his tent.

When the angels of destruction were given the assignment to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the real devastation of the family unit was revealed. Lot attempted to barter his virgin daughters to the crowd of depraved men about to assault the "heavenly" visitors sent to destroy them.

As I look at Lot's life, I realize the ultimate risk of living in such a place of compromise. For whatever the reason, Lot had no impact on the place of wickedness. Conversely, that place of wickedness seemed to have a great impact on him and his family. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah was about to be destroyed, not even Lot's pledged sons-in-law were willing to listen and leave town with him and his family which included their wives-to-be. Lot was not able to persuade anyone, that judgment was about to fall.

God's mercy was the only thing that spared Lot and his family from being destroyed along with everyone else in that corrupt place. With judgement about to be executed, Lot was still hesitant. Gen 19 says, "when he hesitated, the men grasped his hands and the hands of his wife and of his 2 daughters and led them safely out of the city.

God is so faithful up to the last minute providing a merciful rescue even to those who might hesitate in fear.

But once the family was on the road to safety, God's command and warning, "flee for your lives. Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere on the plain", was not heeded nor obeyed and Lot's wife died along with all the others associated with the ungodly city.

God's mercy has an expiration date and we don't know when it will arrived until it is too late. There was a day on the calendar when the door of Noah's ark closed and all those outside the ark perished in the flood of God's judgment.

The Spirit is calling to all of us, "beware where you pitch your tent". The world is full of evil. Temptations abound for us to participate at different levels of life. Yet, we as believers are called to be separate, bound to our God and His principles of Holiness.

Today the Spirit has revealed truth about the dangers of living on the borders of wickedness: compromise with wickedness, tolerance of wickedness, apathy toward wickedness. Lot apparently did not have the reputation for witnessing the truth about a Holy God to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. At the moment of Lot's appeal to the depraved citizens of Sodom to leave his guests alone, they told him to get out of their way, saying further that Lot had come to them as an alien and now, "wants to play the judge".

God warns His people, "give careful thought to your ways". In these end times, knowing the judgement to come, we must all consider where we have pitched our tents. Are we in that border town, having no Godly impact on those around us and in danger of the judgement that will come upon the earth?

Are we bartering our children to the whims and demands of the world, failing to protect them from worldly dangers whether by assault or acceptance of ungodly principles of living?

Are we so entrenched in the lifestyle of the world that we cannot leave it's perks even if our eternal lives depend on it?

Where have you pitched your tent?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Build Up the Temple

2011-05-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls to me this morning. I have been on a personal journey, surveying what may well be called the "ruins", symbolic of lives shattered by trials. The Holy One calls me to read His Word of indictment spoken through the prophet Haggai.

The heat is up under all of God's people as well as the world we inhabit for yet a while longer. Truly there is a new world coming, but for now, we live in a fallen one and are subject to painful trials.

The Lord spoke to His people in the days of Haggai and I hear Him speaking to us today as well. The Lord was asking them to give careful thought to their ways, their life choices, and their priorities. The people of God then, as many are today, were compromised and conflicted.

This is a call to give priority to the One True God we are called to honor, worship and obey. The Lord speaks to us and says, "give careful thought to your ways". "Is it a time for you to be living in your paneled houses while the house, (God's Temple) remains a ruin?"

Since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Savior of the world of those who believe,our bodies have become the temple of our God. Our hearts have become the "Holiest of Holies", the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and His Throne of authority and power within.

But seriously, how many of us give thought to our ways when we focus on the outward adornment of our lives represented by the physical while the temple of Holiness within remains a ruin?

We rise up each and every morning pressured to do the bidding of our bodies and the world around us, while the Holy Spirit is ignored and left out of our daily choices, decisions, and activities.

What a mistake and Oh how we suffer for it. God's Word says, "you expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the Lord Almighty, because of My house that remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."

The symbolism is really so clear. And as the Word through Haggai continues, God said to His people then, "I am with you". When the remnant of His people began to connect the dots, and recognize the correlation between their sinful attitude and a defeated life, they stood in fear I.E. worship of their Holy God. The Lord was then pleased to move and scripture says, He "stirred up" the Spirit of the remnant to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.

At this turning point, the ancient people of our Holy God were given the promise of blessing as they obeyed His Word to them, giving priority to His Temple and His Presence in their lives.

It was a call to Holiness
It was a call to prioritize the Lord and His Glory
It was a call to return to covenant and obey their end of the contract

God is speaking the same message to you and I today.

We need to focus on the temple of His Holiness.
We need to do that which builds up His dwelling place within.
We need to bring Honor and Glory to the Lord God Almighty as the priority of our lives.
We need to learn from our circumstances and not fear or become discouraged only "work".

"Be strong for I am with you", says the Lord God of the universe. "A time is coming (or may well be here) when I will once more shake the heavens and the earth and I will fill this House with Glory" (the Glory of His Presence). "The glory of this present house with be greater than the glory of the former house and in this place I will grant peace."

For those of us who believe, the Holy Spirit is the indwelling Glory of the Lord Himself. As we work on making the Holy Place of God's Presence (His Temple/our Bodies)a fit habitation through our obedience and yieldedness to His Will, He will be Glorified and we will flow in the gracious peace that only God Himself can provide.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Dirty Feet

2011-04-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Holy One calls me today. The life of Job is the subject of our early morning conference. I have asked the Holy One to help me understand the purpose behind the heat of my life circumstances. He has already spoken that it's not ever about "why me?", but rather "what am I to learn and how will it glorify my Heavenly Father and my Lord?"

Ask the right questions and answers abound.

Today the Holy One leads me through Job's seemingly disastrous life. Passing through the understanding that Satan is the perpetrator of every evil thing, Job's venting his agony and his friends offering merciless counsel, I come to Job chapters 32-38 and the words of Elihu. While not "perfect" in wisdom, Elihu seems to come closer to the understanding of the Almighty than Job's other friends.

Elihu became angry in listening to the men. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. He was angry with Job's friends because they found no way to refute Job yet condemned him.

After patiently listening to the older men, Elihu speaks through the next chapters and upholds the integrity and Righteous Sovereignty of our Holy God. He seem to cut through the "self-righteous" arguments of self-pity and victimization at the hands of an indifferent Creator.

His discourse sets the stage for Holiness Himself to speak, beginning in Chapter 38. But back to the wisdom brought through Elihu's counsel, I glean important points to ponder and apply to my life circumstances today.

Once again, the words of the ancients speak to our issues and problems of today. The Lord's indictment has been to me and those who are in despair over apparent victories being afforded the darkness. Like Job, it has been so tempting to shout "but I'm the good-guy here. Why have You allowed this sorrow to come to the good guys?" "Why are the hands that desire to do good things tied and being put subject to those of evil intent?"

Job 34:33, "Should God then reward you on your own terms when you refuse to repent?"

Repent? Am I guilty and in need of repentance? The heat of every situation reveals something wrong in the heart. The Holy One has scrutinized me and found something amiss.

Peter had need for the Lord to wash his feet. The Lord told him he didn't need a bath but only to have his feet washed. The feet walk the fallen earth and become dusty and dirty in the process. To wash the feet of the dirt we pick up along the path is somewhat like our need for daily repentance.

As Christians, even Disciples, we are subject to wrong thoughts which if allowed to remain unchecked can take us deeper onto muddy pathways. To allow the Holy Spirit to scrutinize and correct us is imperative to our journey with Jesus unto our eternal destination along the highway of Holiness.

The Holy One points me to Job 35:9, "Men cry out under a load of oppression, they plead for relief from the arms of the powerful, but no one says, "Where is God my Maker, who gives me songs in the night?" He goes on to say, "God doesn't answer nor listen to their empty pleas when men cry out, because of the arrogance of the wicked."

How much less should we expect answers, when we, who claim to "know Him" say, "it looks like evil doers prosper, the arrogant are blessed, even those who challenge God escape or that God does not take the least notice of wickedness" without the thought of God's Righteous & Sovereign timing for justice, His supreme authority and His control over all the issues of men and nations. It is the utmost arrogance to cry the blues on one hand and yet refuse to Honor His Supremacy when we do not understand His ways.

How dare we question the ways of our Holy God and Judge the Judge of all things as being indifferent, apathetic, care-less or any one of a myriad of adjectives that are an affront to His majesty and His mercy and especially His love.

God comes in awesome Majesty
The Almighty is beyond our reach and exhalted in power.
In His justice and great righteousness, He does not oppress.

In the presence of men and unseen witnesses, we are called to testify. Our lives bear witness to what we believe about our God. Has the awe and wonder of our Sovereign Creator given way to dark depression over the temporary circumstances of life.

Has our testimony of His love been jaded by the lies of Satan working through difficult times? Have we gotten into the sinful habit of saying or thinking that God is not just or that His arm is too short to save us? If so, we are agreeing with the dark and despicable traitor of our King.

I must shift my focus off circumstances and dwell upon His Majesty. Having been indicted for self-righteousness, I come to cry out for mercy not justice. I must be willing to wait patiently and watch for what will reveal His Glory in my life circumstances. It is His righteousness that is beyond reproach and I will do well to remember this next time I question His ways.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Surrender

2011-04-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

For the last days, the Holy One has allowed me to feel the buildup in my frustration over my personal agendas being thwarted. He calls me this morning to talk about these issues.

Life circumstances have become dicey lately. I am well aware of how my daily life is so affected by the choices and decisions of other people. We talk about "free will" and the personal consequences we suffer at the decisions others make in the course of them exercising their "free will".

My life choices have seemed to boil down to how to deal with the circumstances that occur as others around me choose to go through life. Trials that represent suffering hit hard and fast and they all seem to emanate out of decision's others have made that touch my life.

But is that really true?

The Holy Spirit eases me into the subject of this morning counseling session through His grace and mercy in the acknowledgment that He understands. He points to all the things lately that have frustrated me and I know in my heart that I have audience in His chamber. I can sense He receives my grievance and complaints without judgment as we just relate heart-to-heart. He agrees with the fact that I "feel" like I do, but then He has called me to change my perspective which ultimately changes my emotions.

When the Holy One begins to speak His wisdom to me, I understand that I must move in agreement with truth and come willingly to His side of the issue.

He begins with the "free will" truth. While I might be reeling with the free will of others, He points out that my "free will" to follow Him is the more important factor in my life situations. It is not their free will bringing forth the strain, but rather my free will to walk with my Savior that has emphasized the distance from them and brought forth the pain.

As a Christian and Disciple of Christ I have made a commitment to my Savior. I must follow Him and His Word. As those I know and love choose otherwise, relational strain will occur and even goals and agendas will be different.

The Holy One begins to walk me through the frustration and I see His point of view. Even if the agenda I am pursuing happens to be a plan sent from heaven, I must stop trying to achieve it in my own strength as it will never happen that way.

Even if those I love seem so far removed from the truth, I am not their savior nor do I possess the role or title of "Holy Spirit" in their lives.

I agree with my Lord on both points and I see the wisdom. Now comes the hard part for a controlling person like myself: release control! Funny that He just pointed out very subtly that I have no control anyway. But now He tells me to "release" what I do not have. How easy is that?

Perspective, it's all about perspective!

And, He reminds me that I am a bond slave of my Master, responsible only to do HIS will. I have chosen to be His disciple and my free will should have been completely discharged in that direction from that point forward. My free will is to be His servant and serve in whatever capacity He calls me to serve.

All those frustrating situations will melt away if I surrender each one to the "control" of the One I serve and then live with whatever He chooses to do in each situation I face.

Contentment follows surrender and each situation in life requires the surrender of my will to serve my Beloved, as I promised on the day I accepted Him as my Savior and Lord.

Are you agonizing and frustrated by thwarted personal agendas or other people in your life? Is it time for you to surrender?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

For Those Who Fear the Lord and Honor His Name

2011-04-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Circumstances in life have been so difficult lately. As I look around, it seems that evil is dominating the battlefield. Justice doesn't seem to fall to the "just" in any situation. The "good guys" seem to be suffering at the hands of the "bad guys" and those who are shaking their fists in God's face seem to be getting away with walking a dark pathway without consequence.

The Spirit calls me this morning to set the record straight. He takes me back to His Word and the book of Malachi.

Life with the Holy One in charge means He has permission to enter the deepest caverns of my mind and move through the thoughts that are hiding there, even and especially those thoughts that are at cross purpose with Truth.

The Holy One is able to expose them to His light. The mind has a whole cabinet of lies deposited there by the enemy of our soul. The Indwelling Holy spirit will seek and destroy those lies but we must trust Him and allow our ungodly thoughts to be challenged and exposed without fear.

The pressure to "appear" righteous from the outside can be so great that we deceive ourselves from within. On a human level we filter what we allow our friends to know about us from the fear that "if they really knew the real me, they wouldn't want to be my friend".

We learn early that if we want to be accepted, we must appear to be what we think others will accept. The Holy Spirit cannot be so fooled. He knows every hair on our head and every thought in our mind. There is no point in attempting to deny our vagrant thoughts to Him and so deceive ourselves.

This morning He points me to Malachi 3:13-18. While I am so full of a form of righteous indignation for what I see, as He speaks to those thoughts, I understand that they represent impatient betrayal of my Beloved.

"You have said harsh things against Me", says the Lord. Yet you ask, "what have we said against You? You have said it is futile to serve God." (Is this what I was really thinking?) "What did we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape".

Wow what a picture of my deepest thoughts painted on the pages of the Holy Scriptures. The thoughts are real even though very subtle and not fully formed. Yet as I focus on God's assessment of my unspoken thoughts, He tells me that these "things" represent the "harsh things" that are being said against Him and that unchecked they can travel the pathway of deeper doubt.

These thoughts do not belong in my mind for I have the Indwelling Spirit who provides for me the very Mind of Christ Jesus. The lies, the deception, the unbelief, shuffle out as the bright light of Holiness exposes the dark corners of my mind.

The standard for right thinking is established. There must be no compromise with doubt or cynicism or complaining about God's handling of life circumstances even if it appears that those who challenge God's rule escape unscathed.

Malachi 3:16 gave the game plan for believers in how to deal with the unfair issues of life. "then those who feared the Lord talked with each other." "Those who feared the Lord and honored His name". If ever there were days and times for the Body of Christ to talk about the Resurrected Savior and His coming Kingdom, it is now.

The days are surely full of evil and the darkness is coming, yet we walk in the Light. For yet a little while longer we have time to bring the encouragement of our eternal destination provided by the Love of God through Jesus to the lost and dying world. For yet a while longer, we have the freedom to gather and encourage each other with the truth about our loving and merciful Creator God. For yet a little while longer we have the promises to look forward to thus proving our faith before they become fact where faith is no longer required.

To operate in faith is a privileged and limited opportunity.

God says of those who fear Him and talk with each other for mutual encouragement in the faith, "They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, I will spare them just as a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked between those who serve God and those who do not."

As we await the ultimate fulfillment of this promise when Christ comes to claim His own, may we find the encouragement to hold firm to the promises of our merciful God in the day to day events that take place all around us. Is it time to speak to others who fear the Lord and Honor His Name reminding ourselves and them that all God's promises for His people are yes and Amen?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

"Behold I Am Comming Soon"

2011-03-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

The return of the Lord is imminent. The hand writing is on the wall. The signs are all around us. The whole world is in chaos. We are living in the days the prophets dreamed about. We are a chosen generation to be sure.

While these are exciting times from an eternal perspective, with all that is being shaken down, it is easy to get discouraged. The Spirit calls me this morning to talk about my focus. I guess He was noticing my discouragement.

He said, "Unless you are focusing on the end game and the Return of the King, you will suffer under discouragement, and apathy will soon follow." So the next question is about how to refuse to be discouraged and avoid the drift into apathy.

The early church was energized and the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread like wildfire. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the crucifixion of the Lord that captured the hearts and minds and imagination of the people in those days, but rather the resurrection of the Man called Jesus. Many were crucified in those dark days, but none were raised from the dead.

Their focus was on the hope of eternal life through the fact of the resurrection of the once dead Savior of mankind. As I look around the Body of Christ I am saddened by the apathy so many have to the greatest news to hit our planet.

Not only did our Savior rise from the dead, but He left here promising to return. In the view of many witnesses, Jesus ascended toward Heaven.

Acts 1:9 "After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly 2 men dressed in white, stood beside them. "Men of Galilee", they said,"Why do you stand there looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you will come back in the same way you have seen Him go."

How can I become apathetic or discouraged when that kind of message has been given to us? The message of Christ's return should surely cure any case of "apathy" as we anticipate it at any moment. As I let those words sink into my brain, I can feel a surge of encouragement coming up from the Holy One within.

Rev 22:12, in the words of Christ Jesus to John, His beloved disciple: "Behold I am coming soon. My reward is with Me. I will give to everyone according to what he has done." The King of Glory has promised to return and then....promised a reward, according to what we have "done".

Do we think that we will earn any reward for being asleep at the switch? For having missed great opportunities due to apathy or indifference? The question then becomes, "What in the "world" am I doing with so great a message entrusted to those of us who know Him?"

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us and He is coming back soon to pick us up.

Are you ready? Are all your friends and family ready?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

To Serve God His Way

2011-03-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls to me this morning. I am frustrated by selfishness. I see it all around me. I see it IN me. We live out our lives centered for the most part on our desire to be the master of our own destiny, the captain of our own ship, plotting our own course with a myriad of self-centered agendas.

We ever live to protect and defend our own comfort zones, to keep our own personal status-quo. It is in this atmosphere that most seem to find their place of service "unto the Lord". It is in this atmosphere of my life that the Holy One speaks to me this morning.

The Lord is dealing with my heart and mind of judgment. As He is teaching me, so many of the lessons He has for me personally come out as He catches me judging others.

Matt 7:1-3 says, "Do not judge or you will be judged. For by the same way that you judge others you will be judged and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own?"

Back to the selfishness that I see, I realize I am guilty as well. However, the Holy One is only using this example of my judgmental mindset to take me deeper to the point of our conference this morning.

What he wants me to ponder is my role as servant....HIS servant. By showing me the selfishness of others, He is indirectly pointing out the selfishness in me. When the Lord calls us into His service, we don't necessarily get to vote on where that service might might take us or what that service might involve.

Unless we come to "serve" with a heart of surrender to the Master, our service can very easily become self-service. We tend to gravitate toward what we like to do to serve God or others, or what we can do in our own strength, or even where we might be able to gain personal satisfaction or affirmation or reward for ourselves.

The Holy Spirit is asking me to assess my life of service. Have I been serving my God, His way or my way? As I look at all the selfish pursuits I have under taken to control my own comfort zones, I can see how so much of my idea of service has been self imposed, self-centered and self-motivated.

The Holy One reminds me of the words of Jesus, my Lord and Master, in Matt 7:21,"Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only He who does the will of My Father in Heaven".

Have I been seeking the will of my Father in Heaven, to serve Him here on earth? Or rather, have I been doing the things that promote my will on earth? I can judge no one but myself and in this place of personal assessment, I must allow the Holy One, through my submission to His authority and government over my life, to make the call to service for this servant to answer. And then I must make it my ambition to serve the Lord His way.

This attitude of life may put us in different places than we would choose for ourselves and it will most likely take us far out of our comfort zones. But it is necessary for us, so that at the end of our days here on earth, we can hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant".

How are you serving God? His way or yours?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

An Attitude of Gratitude

2011-02-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

The Holy One calls me this morning. News of a world gone crazy filters into my mind through the TV and other media along with conversations with others who are grieved by what we hear.

Put the world events together with the personal trials I have been facing and the picture can be quite dismal.....

But for GOD....

And the Lord must be factored into each and every detail of what I see unfolding. This is what the Holy Spirit calls to me to discuss this morning in our early time of meeting together.

I have felt the pressure mount up in the details of life trials to the point that I am beginning to feel very much under the rock rather than on the Rock. The volley of enemy arrows has been relentless, spiritually, mentally, physically, relationally, and financially. Discouragement abounds as evil plays it's hand. Expectations fall hard on my mind. It is in the mental trauma of unmet expectation that faith becomes a challenged issue.

As I look at the trail the journey has taken us down, I begin to see that the provisions were always there. Manna appeared when we needed it, but we had hoped for a banquet table.

Today, the Holy One speaks to an attitude that needs to be corrected. He asked me "why do you despise My provisions? You have a pride that needs correction, and a despair that is unwarranted".

As I look back at where I have been to the place I find myself today, I can clearly see how I am guilty as charged.

Phil 4:6-8, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING make your requests known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".

Thanksgiving and gratitude is the key. To have an attitude of gratitude helps keep us in a humble and peaceful state of mind. We can look at life seeing all the problems, full of despair for what isn't right, or we can ask the Lord to show us His Divine fingerprints often invisible to the naked human eye.

That God has His hand on on our lives is a fact. But as facts can often be overlooked or missed until a light reveals truth, We can go and form a judgement that God has forgotten us or that evil is more powerful than the Creator of all things.

The enemy of our souls is constantly trying to separate us from the Love of our Father in Heaven. It's a mental game filled with lies, deception, and a tweaking of truth.

The Word of God is our standard against all the lies. Has God truly forgotten me? His Word says different. Can we expect trouble in this world? His Word says we will have trouble. But in that trouble, His Word also says we can have His peace.

Today, the Holy Spirit speaks to my troubled mind and says, "a thankful heart is a peaceful heart".

Today I need to look through different eyes and see all there is to be thankful for and about. Right "focus" makes all the difference "in the world". What in the "world" is causing you despair? Look instead to all that is good, noble, praiseworthy, excellent and concentrate on these things.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Clock Is Ticking

2011-02-17T04:06:00.000-08:00

The Spirit calls to me this morning and I feel urgency in my soul. There is so much in life happening so fast. The clock is ticking, time is wasting, the decisions are needed......fast, and the "window of opportunity" seems to be closing.

The Holy One speaks to slow down my racing mind. I am thankful.

A few minutes in His Presence and I re-set my thinking....He re-sets my thinking. The world and all it's whoop-la fades away and it's just "us".

I hear Him say, "Be aware of the enemy's trap". I Peter 5:6-9, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering."

Persecution takes many forms, but the enemy's goal is to get us to deny our faith. Backsliding can be rightfully described as taking matters into our own hands, refusing to allow God to bring forth His purpose in and through the trials.

When we take our eyes off Jesus, our Lord and Master; when we seek to find our own answers and human resolutions, we open the door the devil needs to come in and destroy us. That is in part why the volley of enemy arrows is so fast and furious and relentless. He is baiting us to return fire in our humanity.

The devil is no match for Jesus Christ. He is no match for Jesus inside me, but he can easily defeat and conquer the human. His game plan is to bait me into a human reaction, outside of Godly wisdom. He strikes when I am most tired, weary, sick, weak, angry, bitter, frustrated, hopeless or proud.

The Holy One tells me to slow down, wait patiently for the Lord and His resolution. "Be still and know that I am God". Refuse to react to the "tyranny of the urgent". God's timetable is eternity and I am to be living according to His timetable.

The human clock is ticking. Do I respond in haste or wait upon the Lord?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

In The Heat Of Our Trials

2011-02-12T06:22:00.000-08:00

The heat is on, the temperature is rising, life in these end times has become like a furnace. What does God want from His people, ordained to be alive and with feet on planet earth for such a time as this?

The echo in my mind are the words of Jesus in John 15:16, "You did not choose Me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then will the Father give you whatever you ask in My name. This is My command: Love one another."

We are all facing trials of various kinds. No one is exempt. So long as we have a breath in our body, we are undergoing trials. How we face and endure those trials become the issue, not how to avoid them, for trials are inevitable.

As the Spirit calls me this morning, I am emerging from a battle for marriage and family so fierce that the hours and days seem to have no beginning and no end. The sense of time has been lost, and it has been one long, dark night in my life and in the life of my family.

The Holy One reminds me that He has never left my side. He will never leave me nor forsake me, yet the preoccupation with the incoming firey arrows has made it hard to concentrate on His voice.

Today there is a peace. I pray the dark night is over, but in the peace I need to understand what I am to glean, what I am to learn in and from this trial.

The words of my Savior brought to my mind by His Spirit, tell me to look closely at the fruit I have been bearing during this trial. Jesus is The "Fruit Inspector" over all who are called by His name.

It is the Spirit within who will bring us into the conforming image of Christ Jesus, our Savior, so long as we co-operate and yield to His rule in our hearts and lives. And it is the Spirit within who must manifest His fruit, (His nature) in, to and through us as we face all the challenges this life has to offer.

So what purpose in our lives do trials fulfill? "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts...see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." When I look closely at what the trial has revealed, I see that the conflict has exposed some pretty rotten "fruit". God already knows what lies buried deep within my heart but it's through the trials that I begin to see what the Lord already knows is there.

When things are moving smoothly in my life, I can control my reactions, but when the battle rages and the heat gets turned up, I react spontaneously and I confess, I am shocked by how I react and what comes bubbling up to the surface.

The old nature is truly still alive and well. Gone is the self-exalted pride in my personal righteousness. I am humbled by the reality of my responses and broken by how far I still am from the mark. The Holy One brings me to awareness and repentance in our time together this morning.

He asks me to consider what fruit has been challenged in the trial and what rottenness has been revealed. That becomes the point and lesson I must focus on.

The fruit of the Spirit...(I.E. His nature) IS love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. His Presence brings all these character qualities to life in me. What has been challenged? Where do I need the work in surrender?

Today there is clarity and I praise Him for it. The heat of the trial is having it's perfect result in me because it brings me back to Him, the only source for the fruit I am to bear.

What trials are you facing today and what "fruit" is being challenged?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Ready To Serve

2010-11-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls, are we listening? We are commanded to pray without ceasing. How do we stay in this constant place? We have been going through a study on prayer, given for our "Further in Faith" woman's retreat. We are at the end of the word "prayer", the acronym given for the purpose of this study.

"R" stands for ready to serve.

The end is really the beginning of a whole new life as a servant of the Most High. As the Holy One has worked through each element of the intimacy with Himself. We have been drawn into the Holiest of Holies...into His Presence. We have a perspective as to how to remain in the place of never ceasing prayer. It's all about relationship and keeping the lines of communication open and flowing back and forth.

Once we have touched the very Throne of Heaven and we are confident of the One who is the source of all blessings up to and including out next breath and heartbeat, we are ready to serve His Will and trust in His ways.

This is the point at which we can move out in confident service. We can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us our assignments, and the ability to accomplish those tasks to the Glory of His Holy Name.

As we begin to operate in Trinity unity, according to the Words of Christ Jesus, He will bring His great victories in and through our lives. Nothing will be impossible. Mark 10:27 says, "Jesus looked at His Disciples and said, "with man this is impossible but not with God. All things are possible with God". And again, John 14:13, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things because I am going to the Father."

We have been placed and positioned where we are by God's great Sovereignty and our freedom to choose. Both end at God's Heavenly Throne. Where we find ourselves is in the Lord's over arching plan for our lives as servants of the Most High. Life is not random nor does God make any mistakes. You and I were ordained to be here on planet earth for such a time as this.

Our life of service is to accept this truth and seek His directives and then be obedient to the Heavenly visions and the voice of our Shepherd.

As I was preparing this last portion of the message, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "A servant gives no thought to reward, but only to do the Will of the Master. The work of a servant must be done out of love for the Master, not repayment for the task accomplished, otherwise he is a hired hand who can be fired or discharged.

As I pondered that , I could see how we can get hung up on "works" and the expectation of reward. This is very different than expecting answers. The expectation of answers is the faith we need and the answers will bring Glory to the One who orchestrates them. But the expectation of reward, is a self-centered pre-occupation.

Our motive for serving the Most High must never boil down to "what's in it for me?" That in reality is an attempted theft of God's Glory and leads us to a ruinous life of self-glorification. The expectation of reward unmet can also lead to bitterness and self-pity.

Reward can mean different things to different people in different situations. Whatever we think we deserve because of our "work" must be set aside or else it might dictate an ungodly motivation, that the Master will not honor.

Our attitude as a servant must always be, "Abba Father, Your will, Your way, it is my honor to serve You."

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are His to manifest in and through our lives. We have been ordained at conception to have gifts, strengths and talents placed within us for the use by the Holy One. Being ready to serve is to acknowledge this and to surrender ourselves with all we have been given for the EXCLUSIVE use of our Master. The gifts of the Spirit are not nor ever will be self-generated gifts or talents.

We may have human talents or giftings but unless we surrender them to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to empower them to bring glory to the Trinity, they will always fall way short of the potential. It is not with our independent power or authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy or drive out demons, yet this is what Jesus said we can and should be doing as servants of the Most High.

Here again, it needs to be emphasized that we are His servants. By His Holy Spirit within, we received our individual assignment and by His Spirit and authority we have all we need to carry them out.

In our role as servant of the most High, our eyes will see God do amazing things even through us. Being ready to serve is now a matter of corporate unity with the rest of God's chosen servants. None of us are called to be lone rangers. God's will and His ways involve the entire Body of Christ. Each one of us represent a piece in God's Heavenly jigsaw puzzle of His plan and His people.

Our gifts strengths and talents are given to be used by Him for the common good. In I Corinth 12:4 "there are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of One and the same Spirit and He gives them to each one as He determines."

As we come to the close of this study, we have entered into the Holiest of Holies as individuals, to bind our hearts and minds to the Lover of our Souls. This study on prayer has been a call to relationship and intimacy and fellowship with the Creator of our lives and everything we know. In this place of established unity with the Trinity, we can take our position and posture as servant with confidence that we have all we need to accomplish His will in and through our lives.

May our lives always reflect the peace that comes from unbroken fellowship with the One who calls us to Himself and may we all move out from here fully devoted to our Master and King, saying, "here I am Lord, send me!"

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Expect Answers

2010-11-03T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls and tells us through His Word and His voice to expect answers to our prayers. We have been going through different aspects of a life of never ceasing prayer. The Lord has given an acronym for this study, and that word is PRAYER.

Today we come to the "E".

"E" stands for expect answers.

When we are on the same page as the God of the universe, there is no reason NOT to expect answers. The promise of answers is throughout God's Word.

We should never think or act as if prayers are like gumballs we throw at a wall and always wonder which ones will stick.

When we are in the wonderful place of never ceasing prayer in Trinity Unity, we are living in our rightful role as co-governors of God's created world. And as we petition our Father to send what we need from our heavenly homeland, He is willing to pour out the supernatural resources and evidence of His being. Jesus, in His model prayer, prayed, "Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven".

In Heaven all things operate according to the Father's Will. We know from God's Word that those who rebelled His Rule and Authority were expelled and will never be able to return to cause Him any trouble.

Even the Devil in all his self-exalted pride and supernatural power was unable to usurp God's Throne and His Will. While this world is in it's fallen state and evil is able to cause chaos and confusion for yet a little while longer, still, in the Heavenly realm, all things operate according to the Father's Will and the principles of His Kingdom.

In prayer, we can tap into what is going on in Heaven to petition that those things come into the reality of our lives in the earth realm. Jesus did this during His life on earth.

We are privileged to access the Throne of all power and authority and to experience the supernatural intervention of God's power in and through our lives. The only requirement is relationship.

We are the child of a King. We have access to our Father as we remain in intimate relationship. John 14:13, Jesus said, "and I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask Me for anything in my name and I will do it." John 15:7-8, "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. This is to My Father's Glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My Disciples."

Why would the Lord give us such Carte Blanc when it comes to us asking for, and Him promising to send answers. Why would the Creator of all things promise His visible intervention into our lives? John 14:13, "And I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father."

Look at it this way, Jesus came to bring Glory to the Father. The Holy Spirit was sent to bring Glory to the Son, and we are called to bring Glory to all Three.

The world and most people operate in darkness. Nothing changes who God is: God is who He is. However, our understanding of who He is will impact our relationship with Him and determine our future for all eternity.

The Word says, the Kingdom of Heaven is not a matter of talk but of power and authority. I Corinth 4:20. The believer's life should be a conduit of God's powerful authority for the sole purpose of bearing testimony of His Glorious Being, His Presence, His Sovereignty and His love for His Creation. Jesus said of His people, "you will be my witnesses to the world". God's miraculous answers provide the testimony of His Being. We should live a life of miracles.

All of us are building up a faith wall, one brick, one situation, one answer to prayer at a time. As our faith wall is built up, we will see greater things begin to happen, as we become bolder in asking for the "impossible".

In our "little faith" place, we will begin to recognize the Lord's Presence. He is always with us, but due to our immaturity (and unbelief), He may "seem" to remain silent.

As we have our eyes and ears opened we will become more and more aware of His faithful Presence and give Him the Glory as we "see" His hand on our circumstances. We will begin to trust and as we trust we will seek His ways more and more. Then greater answers will come as we listen and follow His directives.

Faith is progressive, it grows and builds on past experiences. My faith wall is full of miracles so I expect answers, but I had to "grow" to expect them.

Jesus was a man of prayer. His relationship with the Heavenly Father was maintained throughout the recorded days of His life and ministry through prayer.

I always ponder the strangest things and I wonder what details Jesus might have received from Heaven's Throne about the miracles He chose to perform in the lives of those He met. He said that He only did what He saw the Father do in Heaven and He only spoke His Father's words. Prayer was His link to the Heavenly realm and it is ours as well.

God does speak to His people. Just as in the days of old when God spoke to Abraham about the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Gen 18:17. "then the Lord said, "shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" God explained to Abraham the future of Sodom and Gomorrah and the reason for the judgement.

God spoke to Moses the same way. God spoke throughout the ages to His people and He will speak to us as well. We are His servants. As we nestle into the Father's arms and His Presence, He will give us our assignments, His directives and the resources including the faith to believe all things are possible.

Everything we need is available for the asking. the only question is, "Will you believe it? And expect answers?"

What visions has God given you? What desire do you have? Personally? A healed marriage? A healed family? A life of purpose beyond survival? Confess to the Lord if you need more faith for what you desire or need to have happen in the circumstances of your life, so that God, the Trinity will be Glorified.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will be glorified as we give those needs up for intervention and The Father sends the visible answers.

If the answers do not appear, go back to the Throne for more wisdom, greater understanding, or to know what in your petition might need to be changed or what in your perspective of God's Will or His Way is off?

Like Mary and Martha, who would not have fathomed the possibility of a resurrection unless their petition for a healing was denied. Notice they did not run away from the Lord when their brother died and ended all their hope for life. They pressed in to understand why Jesus did not return to heal Lazarus as He had healed others. They expressed their disappointment and even their bitterness of sorrow.

The Lord can handle all our emotional honesty,even our bitter disappointments when we are told, "no".

We will stop here for some side-bar time with the Lover of our souls who holds all the resources we need to serve His will and impact the world of people we live among.

The Lord can handle all our emotional honesty,even our bitter disappointments when we are told, "no".

We will stop here for some side-bar time with the Lover of our souls who holds all the resources we need to serve His will and impact the world of people we live among. Pour out your heart with the expectation of answers. God always provides answers. If you are discouraged, ask Him for His faith...the fruit of the Spirit is Faith...The Spirit is on board to give us His.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Expect Answers

2010-11-02T01:58:00.000-07:00

Yielding to His Will & Ways

2010-11-01T05:44:00.000-07:00

We have been following the call of the Spirit, leading us into greater awareness of what is it to have a life of never-ceasing prayer. He has given an acronym to follow in this study on prayer and the word IS prayer.

We have gone through the lesson on "P" which stands for preparation, the "R" which stands for Repentance, the "A" which stands for acknowledge our dependency and today we are at the letter,

"Y" which stands for yielding to His Will and His Ways.

One day the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "you trust Me but do you trust My ways?"

Whenever the Holy One asks me a question like that one, I know He knows the answer but wants me to go deeper into discovery about myself and our love relationship. So, I take the "bait" and begin to ponder that question. He obviously makes a distinction between the big issue of trust as in for my eternal salvation, and the smaller things where I get hung up and anxious in life circumstances.

We all have need and we all have desires. Neither of these things are sinful in and of themselves. We are faced with the need for food and shelter, etc. Then there is desire. We all desire to be loved and in relationship, and even to help each other thus being appreciated.

These are not things we have to run away from. God created us. He set us up with needs and desire. In His Masterful Creativity, the Creator designed the created to need and desire Him. However, it takes time and introspection to recognize that God is at the baseline of our needs and desire and He is the only One who can bring the ultimate fulfillment to both.

The next step in our life of never-ceasing prayer is to allow Him to bring those needs and desires into our lives, His Way. This is what it is to yield in part: to allow without demanding priority or rights. The Lord took me to John 11 and the account of the death of Lazarus to emphasize this lesson.

Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha were beloved friends of the Lord. It so happened that Lazarus became sick. Jesus was in a different place and received message that His friend Lazarus was ill. Mary and Martha were concerned for their brother's health and knew Jesus to be the Healer. They had, no doubt, witnessed His powwer over sickness and disease.....so they sent for Him.

The Holy Scriptures tell us that Jesus tarried. He didn't rush to heal His friend but in fact, stayed longer in the place where He was.

Then, the unspeakable worst thing that could happen did. Lazarus died. For Mary and Martha, this death was even more devastating than the emotional loss of a beloved brother. In the culture of the day, Lazarus represented their security and their future. So Mary and Martha's futures as well as their hearts were broken by his death.

So they mourned. All they wanted, or desired and needed was to have Lazarus healed and restored to them. When Jesus finally arrived, they were crushed and hurting and even bitter because they "knew" Jesus as capable of healing their brother. But Jesus had a better plan, a Glorious plan. His Will, God's Will was always to restore Lazarus to Mary and Martha, but His way was through the death and unbelievable resurrection of this man.

The Lord pointed out to me that the sister's desire and the His will were one and the same, but His ways are not like our ways. By delaying the answer that was to come, Jesus was drawing them into deeper understanding about who He is. This is the message and the reason we must yield in prayer and say, "Thy Will be done" and accept how God's Will is enacted in the circumstances of our lives.

We are privileged to take our desires and needs to Him in prayer, but then, in trust we allow Him to work things out His way. If our desires are not in our best interests and according to His desires for us, then we must ask Him to change them. He has created us to desire but we need to look to Him for what we are to desire as well as for the fulfillment thereof.

Remember that He is Sovereign, outside our frame of understanding. He knows all things, how they begin and how they will end. He sees the end from the begining and what is down each and every pathway. He is trustworthy to lead us beside the still waters as well as the rushing stream. Why rely on our limited view of the road ahead when it is God who knows the map?

When we "know" that our desires are Ok and fall within the guidelines of the Word of God, we wait and yield to His ways of bringing them into our reality. All of the most disasterous things can happen in our lives when we try to fulfill our desires our way. Our desires may truly be God's Will, but unless we yield to His ways of bringing forth His will, we may miss something amazing but far more worrisome, we may actually fall into the enemy's agenda in our self-serving efforts and demands for resolution on our terms.

Independence is the refusal to yield to the authority of another. Rebellion is to follow the established rule of authority. Let's stop here to get our minds on the Lord's Will and try to gain His perspectiveon our lives, generally or specifically. Ask Him to speak to you about trusting and yielding to His ways. If you fear His sovereignty, confess that and repent, asking the Holy One within to set a new course for trusting and yielding to His Ways.

Here is another time to listen with your heart. Let the Holy One lead yiou into all Truth. Don't be afraid of what you might hear even if it contradicts your present course of life. God's Will will never contradict His Word but it will often contradict our thinking.

Don't worry about being a little "schizophrenic" at this point becasue you are in fact the "possession" of another....The Holy One within is bringing you into Trinity Unity away from self-serving, self-protecting, self-providing, self-centeredness. I.E. As yield to the Spirit, we are surrendering the Throne of our lives to His rule. As He establishes his government within we are safe.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Dependency on our God

2010-10-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd post and the 3rd letter in the acronym the Lord gave us for our Further in Faith Fellowship retreat last week. The Spirit called a few of us into the peace and quiet of our backyard forest where my home is located to have a meeting with Him. This is the Study He gave on the subject of Prayer.

"A" stands for acknowledge our dependency.

We have been through the praise of preparation to enter into the Holy Place of meeting with our God. We have seen a different side of repentance and taken our humble place before His Throne on our knees...Today we will consider and acknowledge our dependency upon our Sovereign and Almighty God.

When we got saved, we received the Holy Spirit. When we were "born again" the process was completed in an instant. Christianity is not just a mental or emotional exercise. Jesus did not come to introduce us to a new set of laws and rules for sin management. Yet many think that this is what Christianity is all about.

Christianity is the full blown possession by another. We always think of "possession" as being demonic because Satan has stolen and counterfeited God's plan for our unity with Himself.

It was God's plan and when Jesus said, in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you", this is what He meant. He was leaving physically but was going to send another counselor. He said we would "know" Him for He lives with us and will be in us; this is the unity (potential) that a believer lives in. Jesus said, "I am in the Father, and you are in Me and I am in you". He goes on to say that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth and will teach us all things.

We were never meant to be independent. It was always God's plan and His Will that we be dependent on Him. The idea that we get saved and then float around here on earth aimlessly looking for good deeds to do without a dependent relationship on our God is a lie.

Jesus likened Himself to a vine and us to the branches. We must remain in vital connection and dependency on the "vine" He even said, "apart from Me you can do nothing". Over and over the reality of our "designed " dependency is spoken.

It is important to remember that we have an enemy who is the "devil" and his band of demonic forces who hate God and His people. The war against God and His people rages every day (this is subject of another study), but we need to remember the enemy will try to convince us to "go it alone", leave the safety of God's protected Will and strive for independence.

In the big picture,the enemy is only a tool in the hands of the Master, used to refine us. Life and trials then become lessons in trust, dependency, and surrender.

Remember the call is to "pray without ceasing". There are struggles we all face most of the time and we need God's wisdom to deal with them all of the time. The closer we move to the heart of God in our love relationship, the more we will delight in Him and the more we will learn to say, "Thy Kindgom come Thy Will be done" on this earth, here and now, as it is in Heaven.

The Holy Spirit within is the 3rd person of the Majestic Trinity. He is God and yet dwells within us. His presence assures us that whatever God's Will for us happens to be, we are able to accomplish it, not by our own strength or power or might, but by the Holy Spirit's power and even His righteousness as He dwells within out hearts.

When we finally get to the end of ourselves, and say "I can't",the Holy Spirit says, "I Will". But the reverse is also true. When we say, "I will" (as from pride or self-reliance), He says, "OK, give it your best shot, but if you will, I won't". The point is when we try to power through our way, who's glory are we seeking?

This is not an excuse for inaction, but rather the necessary posture for unity. It is continuous dependency. Just like God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work in harmony with each other, we join them in privilege as part of the "team" in the execution of the Father's Will.

In our acknowledged dependency, God is glorified. God is revealed and by the successful execution of His Will, He is glorified and we are blessed. I have a dear friend who mentored me in this acknowledged dependency on the Holy Spirit.

In her life of ministry she recently went to a 3rd world country. When she arrived, she got a "Word" from the Holy Spirit that the mission had changed and she was called to use her primary gifting of "deliverance'. There were so many people in bondage and "demon" possessed that she ended up teaching and instructing in Biblical deliverance and spiritual warfare.

During the deliverance of one woman who had a small baby, the Lord spoke to her and told her the woman was going to throw her baby. She was told to get ready, so she passed the word to a fellow worker who got in position to catch the child. The woman did, the worker did and what would have been a horrible tragedy was averted because she was listening to the Holy Spirit.

When dealing with the enemy and God's will or the life decisions we must make each day, we must understand that the Lord knows all things. He knows the enemy's strategy, and the end from the beginning and just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, the Holy One within will teach us how to do the same and show us the pathway of His Will.

We are going to stop here, for you to look within for the Holy One. If you are saved He is there. This may be your time to get aquainted with His voice. Invite Him to reveal and manifest Himself, then look for him and listen for His voice.

If you already know Him, Praise Him for His powerful Presence. Celebrate that you are His servant and that He is always within to guide you, comfort you, heal you and help you no matter what life brings. You are safe and secure because He will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

What is Repentance?

2010-10-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of the study on prayer the Lord gave for our "Further in Faith Fellowship" retreat. Further in Faith Fellowship has been formed to facilitate a deeper Faith walk for all who desire to grow and want to be challenged by like-minded people.

The Lord gave me an acronym to follow for this study on prayer. This is the 2nd letter in the word,PRAYER.... "R"

"R" stands for repentance.

We all know that the overall definition of repentance is "to be sorry". Guilt and condemnation will bring us to a place of repentance. Sin is a human condition and we all experience the weight of it. As the saved, our first encounter with our Holy God is in repentance.

Acknowledging our sinful state, we come to the cross where our Savior died in our place and paid the price for our sin as an individual.

Being sorry for our sin is only half of what true repentance is all about. True repentance is "to feel such regret over an action or intention so as to change one's mind."

This is a critical part of repentance and I truly believe that our ignorance of this side of repentance is why we live such defeated lives and with a breech in our intimate love relationship with our Lord.

Once we have been saved, it has been said that our sins are forgiven, past present and future. So is repentance just a onetime action or state of mind to lead us to God's forgiveness and once saved, it's all over?

The Lord showed me something very interesting a little while ago. I was studying the book of Amos. I am relating to a lot of the warnings that God has given throughout His Word through the Prophets of old.

As I was reading in the book of Amos, there was a judgment about to be executed against not only Israel's enemies but upon Israel herself. God was at the end of His patience with the rebellion and disobedience of His people. He had warned them and called to them, but they were willful and chose to ignore the ones He had sent to teach them and even those He sent to warn them.

Amos was a shepherd, not a professional prophet. He was sent by God. As he was getting the message from God about what Holiness was about to do, in the form of visions, Amos was in extreme distress at what he "saw". He cried out to God, almost in protest, and he begged God to stop what He was about to do as seen through those visions of the future. And then, scripture, in the King James Version says, "God repented" for what He was about to do.

This blew my circuits. God is not nor would He ever be "guilty" of anything. His is the standard of all Holiness and Righteousness, so why would the Holy Scriptures say "God repented" except that the word repentance has another side to it than the one we most often think about as it relates to us.

To repent is to change one's course of intended action

It is important in our love relationship to get past the limited definition of repentance that stops at being sorry. To be sorry with no intention or plan for changing direction is very dangerous. We can see from scripture that God ran out of patience with the nations of Israel who would repent when the heat was on but then return to the same violations over and over again.

I think of the people who go to "confession" only because this is a visual we can relate to. Confession is not repentance. And repentance is a lot more than saying a few "Hail Mary's", doing some pertinence, making promises to "never do that again".

Not only do we lack the power in and of ourselves to change but this is, to me, a sad example of "cheap grace" which is a whole other study.

The importance of this side of repentance is this:

There may be things we are doing, thinking, pursuing that do not produce guilt. We may be moving in a direction that is at "cross purpose" with God's plan and purpose in our lives. We may think that if we are not in "sin" as we define "sin" then we are OK and there is no need to change course.

In this place of repentance, we bow in humble confession of our known guilt and sin, but now, we should also, cry out that the Lord show us where we are at cross purpose with His Will. Many are trying to serve God their own way..not His way. Here is where we need to get lined up with God's plan and His purpose. "For not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of My Father." ****while this refers to people who would try to access God through a way other than through Jesus Christ, who is the ONLY way to the Father, still the point is to turn away from that which is at cross purpose with God's Will in any situation.

God will speak to us. If we put ourselves in His Presence and at His feet, He will speak. I have found that God has an opinion about everything.

In this place of repentance, we become open to His thoughts, His directive, His Will because this is where surrender begins.

Practicing the lesson is part of the training in Righteousness, so we will stop here and find a place to transact our business with God. Confess what needs confession, express regrets for what conviction the Holy One brings and receive His forgiveness. But then, ask the Lord to show you where you might need to change your direction to line up with His Will. Write down what God tells you, what you might be hearing Him say to you.

In the Lord's prayer, we were taught to pray, "Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done on earth as it is (being done )in Heaven.

My flesh is stubborn which is why I pray, "Oh Abba, rule the mule". God is merciful and gracious and gentle with His child. I personally prefer to be in bent knee position, but sometime I sprawl out face down like King David who fell prostrate before the Lord. Find your own "position" that seems right to you...but do what He is asking of you.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Prepare to Pray

2010-10-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Spirit is calling each one of us to go further in faith. Prayer is our end of the Sacred Romance between us and our Creator God. Prayer is the unbroken communication and fellowship with the One who calls us unto Himself. We are to pray without ceasing; to stay in constant contact and endless conversation with our Beloved.

This is the beginning letter in the acronym God gave us for our women's day retreat outside my home in the forest. PRAYER is the acronym and...

"P" is for preparation

How do we prepare to pray? As we are to pray without ceasing what is our constant frame of mind to be? First and foremost to prepare is to remember who God is.

God is Creator of the Universe and all things in it. We have to get outside ourselves and our little world in order to truly see God.

God is absolute authority...He is Sovereign. There is no one greater, no one more powerful, no one beyond or beside our amazing and Sovereign God. He knows the end from the beginning and is all wisdom.

God is almighty, all powerful, all knowing, ever present.

God is perfect, above reproach, beyond our judgment, flawless and never makes mistakes.

God is eternal, always has been, always will be throughout all the generations of men and beyond.

God is Majestic, high above the common place. He is grand, stately and glorious. Words simply cannot describe His Being.

God is protector and provider. No circumstance is beyond His resolution. No enemy is more terrifying than our fierce protector.

God is Holy. One definition of Holy that I really like is: sound (as in of sound mind), happy, whole.

God is our "Abba" meaning "daddy". He is personal, loving, kind, and the One who knows every cell in our body and every hair on our head.

God is our Savior, having paid the ultimate price for our sin to insure our eternity with Himself.

God is the Holy Spirit of all Truth.

As we "prepare" to pray, let's all just stand in awe of Him and call out to the God of the Universe in our own way, declaring who you see that He is. Prayer is personal and the words that describe Him are personal to each one of us.

Prepare to enter into His presence by declaring your praises to Him for who He is. Forget about who is around you...or what they might think...We are here (in the forest) to meet up with our Glorious God. So stand, reach out to Him, look up, past the trees and just let your voice call out to Him in praise for who He is. Our Abba hears our cry amid the cries of all His children. He knows our individual voices...

Remember that our God is 3 in One....The Trinity...Praise all three...God, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Honor Him with your praise and worship. Let all the cares of the world grow dim, take you time....you are on Holy ground.

Now that we have cried out to our Sovereign and almighty yet personal God, in continuing preparation, we must remember and declare who we are. For this we will kneel before our Maker in humble confession of our desperate need. We are the created, we are the weak, we are the needy, we are desperate. We are "Eve"in the garden who was deceived and we are the one who Christ died to save.

This is not time for repentance but rather to acknowledge our position with respect to our relationship with our Holy God. God gives grace to the humble and here is where there can be no pretense because our Abba father knows every cell, every hair, every thought we have. Here we kneel in humble reality that we are dependent on our Creator God for our next heartbeat and our next breath.

There is nothing wrong with being dependent, in actuality we are designed to be this way. To be proud and independent is to be tweaked out of our original shape. On our knees before our King and our God is how we are designed to be. We come into His presence with gratitude and a thankful heart. If your knees cannot handle this position, put your mind to work and use your imagination...bow your head and mentally kneel before your King.

Let's spend some time at the feet of our Lord in preparation. Talk to Him and declare who you know yourself to be.

The Spirit is calling. can you hear Him?

Is This The End of Days?

2010-10-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since my last blog. The Spirit has not been silent but rather, on the contrary, He has been giving me the information I needed in order to fulfill an assignment in service to my Lord Jesus Christ.

Together with one of my daughters, I was given a vision of a woman's day retreat to be held outside in the forest where I live. The preparation has been intense and typically whenever I have been given a lesson to teach or share, first I must live the lesson. It must become a reality to me or I cannot export it. I must live it or I cannot lead it.

The last weeks have been just that. The Spirit has called me to receive, glean, and apply what I have been given. I am now able to blog what I have been taught and what was shared at the "Further in Faith Fellowship", a ministry that I am now a part of. The next days of this blog will follow the teaching I was given by the Spirit to share with the women and you.

Further in Faith Fellowship Women's Retreat 10-23-2010

As we look around us there is no denying that this is end times, end of days, last curtain call, shop about to close. However you look at it, the end of all things is drawing near. One of the most telling fact of end times is that man has no answers for what is happening. We hear of wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and floods in various places.

I come from California and I have felt earthquakes. I don't know about you but earthquakes are pretty scary to me. We lose our footing, the bottom drops out from under us, the earth and everything shakes down during an earthquake. I never lived through a flood but I can only imagine the helplessness one must feel. The one good thing about living through an earthquake or a flood is that it helps us to decide what is important. We grab our family and head for a safe place.

Forget trying to save the sofa,all the stuff that seems so important the minute before an earthquake or flood is forgotten as we huddle together and cling onto each other.

There are different kinds of earthquakes or floods that shake us down. Some are physical, some are emotional, some are financial, some are relational. One thing they all have in common is, once they hit us, we figure out what is most important.

Jesus spoke about the end of days in Matt 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

In Matt 24, Jesus says, "No one knows the day or the hour not even the angels in Heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. He went on to say that, just like the days of Noah before the flood, people would be going about the business of living: eating, drinking, marrying."

Back then no one knew what was about to happen, except one man named Noah. Noah was listening to God. Noah was in lifestyle obedience and was saved during the flood that wiped out every living person except him and his family.

Gen 6:9-22 is the account of Noah. Notice that in 6:13, God SAID to Noah....and then He proceeded to give Noah important directives that Noah heard and obeyed. In the end Noah was saved from the destruction that God ordered due to the corruption of people on earth. If Noah had not been listening, or if Noah had not taken God's directives to heart or ignored them, he would have been swept away like everyone else. But Gen 6:22 says, "and Noah did as God commanded". Noah was in a relationship with God.

The study I have been given by the Lord to share with you is on the subject of prayer. Prayer is so much more than just asking for things. Prayer is God's call to relationship.

When Paul says that we are to pray without ceasing, it's hard to imagine how to do that unless you understand that prayer is our end of the love relationship with our Creator God who we call our Heavenly Father.

To pray without ceasing is to remain in constant contact with the One who created us for fellowship with Himself. To pray without ceasing is to communicate in endless conversation with our Beloved. On earth we stay in constant contact with those we love. When they are gone from our sight, we text, we call, we e-mail, we figure out ways to keep in constant relationship. This is what prayer should be.

The Lord has given us an acronym to follow with each letter representing an important facet of prayer, made easier to remember. He wants us to focus on the bullet points.

"P" stands for preparation

"R" stands for repentance

"A" stands for acknowledge our dependency

"Y" stands for yield His Will AND His Ways

"E" stands for expect answers

"R" stands for ready to serve

Over the next week I will post to this blog the details of what the Spirit has shown me in each of these categories that is in His heart for His people. I was amazed to hear from Him and realize how much more depth of relationship and victorious living is available for all of us through what He has shown. I pray you will read this and then take the time to just get away with Him and let Him speak to you heart.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Desires of Your Heart

2010-09-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls me today. He speaks to me about "desire". The promises in His Word are endless. Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart".

The Holy One is showing me that He knows better than I do what it is that I desire. He is the indwelling Spirit of all wisdom and He inhabits my heart and my heart is where desire originates.

I have to admit to Him that what I think I desire, may not in the end bring delight. Should I not know my own desires? Confusing, until He speaks of our history together.

The Lord moved us to a wonderful land 2 years ago in February. But 4 years ago, I never would have thought to desire this land; never would have thought this land would have been available to me and not knowing how much I would love living in the forest, I would not have thought to ask for it as the desire of my heart to dwell in.

Now, this land has become a symbol of desire I didn't even know I had until the Lord provided it. It is a gift and blessing prepared for me and my family before it ever became a petition.

I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving and joy in delight each and every morning that I wake up here. And best of all is the truth that the Holy Spirit has shown me that He knows best what will make me happy, content, and full of thanksgiving in my heart. In our love relationship with our Creator, the Holy Spirit is our constant source for every good thing within, including our next breath and our true desires.

God knows each one of us so intimately because He created us, having knit us together while we were in our mother's womb. He implanted our gifts, strengths and talents and even our weaknesses so we would always have to rely on Him.

Today He reveals to me that our deepest desires are ones He is willing to provide because from the very start, He has placed them within our hearts. The Holy Scriptures say, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". The operative words are "delight yourself in the Lord" What does that mean and how are we to do it?

I have found that from sun up to sun up there are wonderful things in each of our lives that track back to our Creator, worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. Daily, in spite of burdens, trials and difficult situations, we are surrounded by the Glorious evidence of our Creator's love.

Everything in the created universe was formed to delight us. The Masterpiece of the Master is the created universe into which His most valuable Creation, (man) was placed...to find his delight in the One who created it and him.

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and life to the full." John 10:10. Jesus came to reveal the relationship we can have with the One who gives life. God came and walked among us to the delight of those privileged to know Him in human form. But as the Holy Spirit confirms, Jesus sent Him to delight us from within and then to enable us to delight in the Lord our God in return.

Is there any among us who cannot find a peaceful place in the created universe where we cannot delight ourselves in the One who created it? Watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset? A breath taking mountain top or peaceful stream in the valley? A gaze up at the stars so far away or looking at the delicate beauty of the emerging butterfly just out of it's cocoon.

Each and every one of us can put our minds to delight in the Lord, and be filled with gratitude for who He is and what He gives.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart", even those you didn't know you have.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Good "God" of Good Men

2010-08-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

The Holy One calls me this morning to weigh in on some deeply troubling questions I have been wrestling. There is only one Truth and that is His. More and more I see that we are about to begin living the Book of Revelation and the true "End Times" prophecy as no other generation has in the past.

Rev 1:3 says, "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near".

It can be argued that this was written and dispersed so long ago that each generation can read and glean from it's challenging message. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate Counselor, Guide and Interpreter of the Word of God, and He has taken me to this place to answer the questions in my heart of hearts.

The end times scenario is all about the ultimate war between the God of all Creation and the devil who became His enemy by choice and insurrection. It was a fatal and ludicrous position to take because the "creature" will never ever over-take or usurp the Creator who created him.

Just as man, a wonderfully created being, will never ever become the God of all Creation regardless of his glorious attempts to become Him, we will always be the "created" and in spite of all our great achievements in this world we will never become the Creator of the Universe and beyond.

The Book of Revelation begins by saying that it is the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" to "show His servants what must soon take place" This book was written specifically for the "servants of Jesus Christ" and they are the only ones who will have an understanding of it's message through the Holy Spirit.

It has been said that the Bible is God's love letter to His people and unless you are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ and therein a child of God, you are reading someone Else's mail.

As we speak and for generations past, there have been times of "revival" and a call to return to traditional if not Biblical values. When the enemy of goodness and mercy has been given a foothold in our society and over our lives, there comes a backlash by decent and good people to reclaim that which has been stolen. There is a wave of revival beginning but I question in my heart what sort of revival it may be.

The Book of Revelation depicts the persecution of true Believers, those who have come to the saving knowledge that there is only one very narrow way that leads to Eternal Life and that is faith in the Gospel Truth about Jesus Christ: Who He is,(The only begotten Son of God), why He came, (to save the world of men from sin and the judgement to come) and where He is today, (seated at the right hand of all Power and Authority).

The message of personal honor, hope and charity can be embraced by people of all walks of life and from every religion and it can impact the world for good. Our founding fathers were anointed to establish a government with freedom and justice for all people, as we were all created equal by our Creator. Free will was God-ordained, and our freedom to choose our own personal "belief" system is foundational to our Nation's Constitutional protection of individual rights, just as free speech is protected.

It is hope inspiring to see those from differing faiths come together and challenge all people to be the "best" that man can be according to the moral code and conscience he has been given. But as a believer, I realize that man's best will always fall short of God's standard and without a personal relationship with the Savior of mankind and His indwelling Holy Spirit, Eternity in Heaven will be lost to those who rely on "one" they may see as the good "god" of good men.

Our job will always be to witness the Truth about Jesus Christ to the world around us. Our job will always be met with persecution, whether it be the darkest evil of a man's mind or the greatest good of a man's heart not yet "home" to the Holy Spirit.

Lest I get so full of compassion for the good, moral but unregenerate souls I meet along the way, the Holy Spirit reminds me that I did not write the Book but I am responsible to share what it says.

I cannot begin to comprehend what awaits us in Eternity, but God does. Somehow the God of Eternity knows that Heaven will require a unity beyond what man can achieve even when operating at his moral best. To God's Word we must all be true. The good "god" of good men is a counterfeit and we must never forget that fact.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Repentance: To Change One's Mind

2010-08-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today to talk about the ongoing sorrow I feel for ungodly decisions that have littered the course of my life. His deep and unfathomable love leads us to repentance but today, He wants to take me to a greater understanding of what repentance really means.

I have been reading the book of Amos about his call to prophesy and speak God's indictment and judgement that was about to fall on Israel and her surrounding neighbor nations.

I read about the end of God's patience with fear and trembling for those who push against His Sovereignty and fail to see the ax about to fall. Because we live in such a privileged time of Grace, the "Church" age, when His mercies are new every morning, we may become complacent about His powerful authority and brilliant Holiness.

The Old Testament and God's dealings with His Beloved Israel are a sobering reminder that a day of ultimate judgement is coming in spite of what we see and know people are "getting away with" in the world today.

To understand the Truth about our God is to respect His Majestic Sovereignty and always remember that He created us not the other way around.

Our only hope for existence is in His grace and mercy for all have fallen short of His righteous requirements for life, especially eternal life. Even our best efforts fall so short of the mark, except for mercy we would all be assigned the fiery pit of an unimaginable hell.

As the Holy One deals with my pride, I always come down to the reality of my own personal lack of worth. Having been raised "legalistically" the continuous sense of guilt and condemnation is ever present but mixed with the push toward the deceptive exalted pride of "works".

Today the Spirit had something to show me that blew my circuits and with successful application of His wisdom can change the conflict forever.

My personal Bible is the NIV Study Bible. Today I picked up the King James version in a random sequence of events. I have been studying the book of Amos so I went there to read. What I discovered was a lightening bolt to my mind.

In Amos 7, the Lord showed Amos the shepherd/prophet what He was about to do.

Amos 3:7 reads, "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets." Interesting that God chose a shepherd, outside the "religious" community to use as a spokesman to His people.

This causes me to believe that a prophet is simply a person who is so intimately aquainted with the Lord and His voice that he is privileged to know what the Lord is about to do before He does it, whether one day or thousands of years in advance.

Amos was so horrified by what he "saw" was about to happen to God's people that he interceded (almost in protest). My Bible reads, "so God relented and said, "This will not happen". When I read the same passages out of the King James version, the text reads, "God repented".

I pondered this long and hard. I know that God is not "guilty" and is always above and beyond reproach, so what does this mean, "God repented"?

The definition of repentance is "to feel such regret over an action or intention as to change one's mind." I have been hung up on a partial definition of that word having to do with remorse or sorrow.

I come every day to repent for things the Holy Spirit reveals that are short of the mark, but then find the frustration in either re-committing or the on going guilt for my thoughts or actions. This shortfall in understanding the definition of true repentance allows the enemy to keep badgering me with this guilt and in many ways keeps me from experiencing the real objective in Godly repentance.

The Holy One speaks: "Since the Cross of Christ, the believer's righteousness in the eyes of the Father is Christ's righteousness. The indwelling Spirit of Christ is the true believer's source for transformation. The process of transformation is not just a sorrow of failure but rather a reverse of course, a change of heart and mind."

More often than not, the transformation has more to do with the issue of God's ways VS. my ways. Guilt sent by the enemy mucks up the situation. I spend more time battling the guilt than changing course. I can see that repentance is therefore, in the life of a believer, more about reversing the human course that is usually in contradiction to Holiness even if not wicked or sinful in and of itself.

God's indictment and His judgement revealed to Amos is not evil, or bad but deserved, and yet God "repented". When the Holy Spirit draws us into His counsel and shows us our humanity, I now see that He is more pleased with a change of course than on going guilt and self-judgment. "Does the lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than to sacrifice." I Sam 15:22

His convictions are not to beat us down but rather to lead us into places of His Glorious plan for our lives. The more we yield to the Holy Spirit and change our minds toward His ways, the greater will be God's Glory and our victory over a fallen world.

There may yet be time on the prophetic calendar as we anticipate the return of our King to "repent" and model lives reflecting the Holy One within, which is the only life eligible for the blessings God promises to send upon our obedience to His ways.

Is the Spirit showing you where you need to repent? The world is waiting to see Holiness in us, for without Holiness no one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Glory To God Only

2010-08-25T03:23:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. I am still deep in the wonder of our meetings and the thoughts about miracles sent to glorify the Father and the Son. I am excited by all the possibilities that are now present when the Truth about the Father's love prevails.

The enemy tries to taunt me. He persists in sending gloom and doom to preside over my enthusiasm. I realize this tactic of evil has no real power. Gloom and doom is like dirt on my life lens and can be wiped off at will.

Gloom and doom has no staying power longer than it takes me to recognize that I am looking through dirt and I can get it removed. I confess to my Deliverer that there is dirt on my lens and He makes a speedy clean up of my thoughts.

I praise my Savior for His indwelling Spirit who can change my perspective in a heart beat.

Today's meeting must be really important for the enemy to begin so early trying to cloud my thinking and present his case for unbelief. I focus my mind back to the miracles that are needed and the part we are to play in the manifestations.

The Holy One reminds me again that the ultimate goal in any supernatural intervention by the Lord is to bring Glory to our Heavenly Father. Miracles reveal His true nature of love and His great power and authority.

As our Lord Jesus Christ provided the doorway to the Throne of Heaven, oversees our petitions, and arranges for the answers, The Spirit of truth brings Glory to the Son. Miracles reveal that true access to the Father comes through His only begotten Son of Holiness, Jesus Christ.

As the individual heart surrenders to the rule of the indwelling Holy Spirit, He, the Spirit, is able to manifest His gifts and supernatural answers. Our yieldedness provides the stage for the supernatural and brings Glory to the Holy Spirit. Miracles reveal His indwelling authority through surrendered servants.

What a beautiful picture of a Glorious Trinity in unity. And what an amazing revelation of the part every believer has been given to play if they are willing.

While I am energized by this picture and my heart begins to soar in pride for what I now know, the Spirit levels me with a stark warning:

"Remember this well: All Glory belongs to God. Humans have no claim to God's Glory but many try to steal it." The Glory that belongs to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit cannot be possessed by a human. It is corrupting and does not fit our being. If we attempt to steal it, the end result is disaster and a destroyed life and work.

Isaiah 42:8, "I am the Lord, that is My Name and I will not give My Glory to another."

How many times when wonderful miracles have been sent in answer to prayers and petitions have I leaped onto the stage and tried to steal God's Glory through self-exhalation, thinking or saying, "I prayed.... I asked God.... I said.... I saw."

While I do not take credit for the answer per se, I have made it known or thought in my own heart about the HUGE role I played in it's occurrence.... Like a little child helping to bake cookies by getting flour on the floor says in the end, "Oh look at what I made".

While this may be OK for a child to take credit for what mom did, I must grow up and never allow my pride to steal the Glory from the Sovereign God who would use the miraculous intervention we experience to reveal Himself to His beloved creation.

Our job as Servant of the Most High is to bring all Glory and Honor and Praise and Worship to our beloved Lord who is the Author of all miracles.

An internal reality check would be to admit, the sometimes not so obvious fact of, God's Divinely ordained control in every situation we face. It is His control that brings any intercessor or conduit of His mercy to the place of seeing the need and then, by His Holy Spirit, supplying the faith-filled prayers for whatever God is about to do to reveal Himself in the situation.

The human part is not to "work" but rather to "yield". We are not Creator, Savior, or Healer, but we know Who is all those things. Our job is to make sure that the full and complete Glory is poured out liberally to the One who provides every answer.

Jesus gave us a view of this in John 11:41. He was standing at the tomb of Lazarus, who was dead behind the stone. "So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father I thank You that you have heard Me. You always hear Me but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may know that You have sent Me."

Before Jesus was about to blow every body's human circuits, He wanted to establish the Divine Chain of Glory. When Majesty acts, confusion can overwhelm us and we might become tempted to shut down or run around in ecstasy, be witness to the miraculous event but fail to testify and glorify the one who executed it.

Jesus said that He came to bring Glory to the Father. The Holy Spirit was sent to bring Glory to the Son. And it is our job to bring Glory to all three.

I am brought to humble repentance for all the times my spiritual pride got in the way and tried to steal the glory, even for a second, that belongs to God alone:

The Triune God of all Creation in three part harmony: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

To You be all Glory and Honor and Praise and Worship that creation can bring. Be Glorified in and through your servant.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Miracles: Our Worth or Eligibility?

2010-08-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today and as always, there is so much to talk over with Him. Everywhere I look, people need help. Within my family, within my circle of friends, within the Body of Christ, within the nation and around the world. So many are facing impossible circumstances that challenge us to our very core.

I often ponder human frailty in the face of what I consider to be a supernatural war with a supernatural enemy. The Holy One assures me that victories are surely available. I look to the Holy One for miracles because I know that without His Divine intervention, evil would wipe us out forever.

Miracles were what Jesus, the Son of God, called for in answer to the deep needs of those He met during His appearance on Earth in the flesh. Jesus came through human birth into a fallen world where evil has flexed it's controlling muscle since the very beginning of earth time.

What Jesus gave us and left to our humanity was the potential to maintain the victory He won through His own Divine nature. He conquered death, and every evil demonic grip over our lives was broken by His authority. And it is by His authority delegated to His people that we can call for the miraculous answers to the problems we face and expect to see them manifest.

In this supernatural war with a supernatural enemy, the Lord did not leave us as victims or orphans. In John 14:15 Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be IN you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you."

The Holy Spirit dwells within each Believer. For all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord, the One who died to pay the sin debt for all people, we have the Holy One within.

As I look at the world around me and see all the impossible situations that seem so beyond our human ingenuity and power to fix, the promise of the Savior stand firm. Jesus said in John 14:11, "Believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in Me or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father, and I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything and I will do it."

The promise is remarkable, almost beyond human comprehension. Without the Holy Spirit, I would buckle to the toxic lies of evil that would lead me down the road of faithless unbelief. Evil says, "qualify the promises....the Lord can't possibly mean what he says.....you could never expect to do what He did...He is God and you are not" etc, etc, etc. And the lying beat goes on. Soon I find my feet moving to that beat...away from the promises, away from hope, away from faith.

The Holy One speaks assurances that only God can give. The wisdom comes. He gently reminds me that the greater goal in any miraculous answer is the Glory that will come to the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. We receive the answers, the circumstances change and we are blessed but that is not the goal nor the purpose for Divine intervention. We may think humbly that God bends circumstances for our own sake alone, but the truth is that He delivers victorious answers for the sake of His Name, the Name above all Names.

Miracles are the earthly testimonies of the love of our God and Creator flowing to and through our lives. In and of ourselves, we are not worthy of the miraculous answers to our problems here because so many are due to our fallen nature and the supernatural enemy who uses it to defame our Creator.

But as we yield to the authority and wisdom of the Holy One within, we become "eligible" to see and enjoy the supernatural intervention by the Sovereign Hand of our Sovereign God.

The Holy One tells me, "don't get hung up on your "lack of worth" in needing answers to the impossible situations. Focus on the "eligibility" that God is waiting for. The eligibility that I will bring to you: love for and obedience to, Jesus, the Savior of your Soul."

The Holy One within is the only One who can provide us with the love and obedience to the commands of Jesus. He is our Divine Source as the Life of Christ within, and He is waiting for every Believer to yield to His Rule.

As eligible servants of the One True God, the miracles will come, not just once in a while, not just back in the day, and not just as someone else prays. But they will come here and now and everyday into every situation, through every Believer's petition....All to the Glory of our Sovereign and Holy God. Then all the world will see His Hand and feel His Love and believe in the One He sent to save us: Jesus Christ, Messiah and Lord.

Are you in need of a miracle today?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Voice of the Shepherd

2010-08-20T03:49:00.001-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. I am always excited to hear His perspective. I have been spending a lot of time working outside. The land is so beautiful but it is part of my sense of "ownership" to add my own creative touches.

I find myself working on a project that taxes me physically and yet I am compelled each day to push toward the goal even in the 92 degree heat and killer humidity.

This morning the Spirit speaks and I understand more about His government over my life. He told me that He has had me in simultaneous drills designed to strengthen me physically as well as Spiritually.

That would explain this inner call to make the forest tidier; to manage it and prayerfully make the land more hospitable. This is also what He is doing through His wake-up call every morning to meet Him for counsel. He is managing my thoughts, my heart, my whole being and making His "Temple" more hospitable.

The discipline was hard at first but the Spirit was unrelenting and persistent in His call. The wisdom I receive in the early morning meetings is far beyond my own thinking. Not that anyone else would necessarily understand because the Holy One speaks to each one of us uniquely and in the specific language of our own individual heart.

There is something so comforting about the voice of the Spirit. It is the voice of my Shepherd. Jesus spoke of it in John 10. Vs 14, "I am the Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. Vs 3, ....the sheep listen to His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice."

How many of us can honestly say we "KNOW" the voice of our Shepherd? We place a lot of emphasis on the written Word of God and so we must. But why, then, did Jesus use this analogy for us since sheep cannot read and must rely on their knowledge and understanding of the voice of their Shepherd?

Sheep without a shepherd are a pathetic sight. The shepherd is the only hope for their survival, and yet we are referred to as sheep over and over again. The fact that the Palestinian shepherd leads his sheep is not lost on me. Other shepherds may drive their sheep, but my Shepherd, the Good Shepherd leads His sheep.
With the Holy One out ahead and leading me into each new day, I can follow with a wonderful peace, knowing He will keep me safe all day, every day.

The critical issue to me is knowing His voice. How many other voices call to me in a given day to follow them unto my own destruction?

This is the reason for the "drills". The Holy Spirit is speaking and I must listen and obey. As the Shepherd's voice continues to speak and I tune my ear to the sound of it, I begin to recognize His voice and trust that as I listen and obey, He will keep me safe from all harm. I will have His Wisdom and Grace to deal with any situation I might encounter in any given day.

King David wrote this incredible Psalm about our Good Shepherd.

Psalm 23:
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters
He restores my soul
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake
Even though I walk through the valley of the "shadow" of death
I will fear no evil for You are with me
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil
My cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

With this wonderful picture in my mind, I know I must listen intently to the Voice of my Shepherd and follow Him. I must be still and hear what the Holy One has to say. I must obey and apply each directive spoken. In this way, I will become more and more familiar with the voice of my Shepherd and more and more confident to follow the voice I know is His.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Living Epistle

2010-08-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today to gather my thoughts around Him. Since we have become such intimate friends, I know He desires to direct all my thoughts. It's the thought life that controls the body and He wants all my thoughts to pass through His great filter, set up as His throne in my heart.

I marvel at the changes occurring in me since I started in the "School of the Holy Spirit". This Heavenly course teaching me the role of the Holy Spirit is life changing because it is heart healing.

It is hard to imagine that the Holy Spirit has been such a powerful force dwelling within and yet for so much of my life, I have failed to recognize and yield to His quiet voice and commands. It is shocking to realize how much self-rule/self-fool, has dominated my life and caused such fear and agony in the day-to-day trials.

Somehow, deep within, I knew I was no match for all the vexing issues that present themselves, but until I began to learn the Truth about my internal Counselor, I always thought it was up to me, alone, to navigate the mine field of this life.

I always thought that, having the Word of God, the mandates of Scripture, and the knowledge of the Holy One who died for me, I was then expected to blast into each day with all the challenges and emerge victorious on the other side.

What I was missing all those years, was the understanding of the indwelling Presence of Christ, who was sent to live His life through me. I cannot live the life of my Savior in and of myself. There is too much flesh still devastated by the fall, too much intellect, too much pride, too much control.

The toxic lie of the enemy that I can, that I MUST, fulfill my responsibility as a servant of Christ in and of my own feeble strength, has poisoned more situations than I can count. The truth is that, in and of myself, I can do nothing. In John 15:5 Jesus says, "I am the Vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." Then again Phil 4:13 says, "I can do everthing through Him (Jesus) who gives me strength."

There must be a defined difference beyond just a "thought" that empowers me to live by the Holy standard of Scripture in obedience to my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, and to be "in Christ".

His will, His way is that we be in unity with the Triune Godhead. As He was telling the Disciples about the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to come, Jesus explained in John 14:20, "On that day, you will realize I am in the Father and you are in Me and I am in you."

By the supernatural indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit, we can accomplish in the natural all that Jesus accomplished in His incarnation as God in the flesh, IF (and this is a huge IF) we recognize and yield to the control of the indwelling Holy Spirit. John 15:7-8, "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to My Father's Glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My Disciples.

This "defined" difference that empowers me to live as my Savior desires, is the mystery of the Gospel and that is "Christ in me the hope of Glory" Col 1:27.

We can never find the words to describe this supernatural action, but we can "know" it deep within. A change of mind, a change of heart, a surrender of a right, or death to a privilege that brings life to a principle, all reflect an unexplanable change.

The Holy One calls us to allow Him the freedom to live His life of the Savior through our life. Then we become a living epistle, a "letter" sent by the Lord, to be read by all who know us or all who might see and witness our faith life with our God.

Can we do justice to this great calling in and of ourselves? NEVER!

Unless the Holy Spirit is allowed to maifest the life of our Holy Savior, Christ Jesus, in us and through us, the letter we represent will be full of contradictions and not suitable reading for others who are seeking the Holy life for themselves.

In the world of people I encounter each day, my life, may be the only "epistle" from God they ever read.

So, how does my life read?
How does your life read?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Waiting For The Lord

2010-08-11T04:50:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me this morning and speaks to me about the need to wait for Him. There must be something very important about waiting. Something that only waiting for God to act can produce; something that only waiting for God to act, tests.

As I look back to God's Word, all those examples we are told to learn from seem to involve waiting for God to rescue and He always did:

Joseph in prison
Israel in Egyptian slavery
Mary and Martha and Lazarus

and each rescue was spectacular!

Conversely, as I look back over the course of many of my life circumstances, I can see that I was impatient, unwilling to wait for my Lord to rescue and therein made all kinds of bad decisions for self-deliverance with each one ending in disaster.

Psalm 27:14 tells us "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." These days call for more "heart" courage in the Lord than the Church in America has seen needed for a long time.

I have the experience of many thunder storms in my new home state. They can be the most awe inspiring, ear splitting events I have ever experienced, even beyond the earthquakes I have lived through in California.

One thing I have noticed during these thunderstorms is the few seconds delay between the flash of the lightening seen and the shock of powerful thunder felt and heard. The Holy One speaks to me about that pause, that delay and the split second anticipation of His mighty thunder. I know it's coming and there is no place to hide from it's "Heaven shaking" deafening roar.

In the thunder storm, the interlude between lightening and thunder is short and there is no way to become complacent or even ignorant about what is going to happen next; brilliant light followed shortly by a sonic boom that literally rocks my world. I can see the lightening, but it is the thunder that manifests the unbelievable power through my being.

Waiting challenges me almost more than anything else I can think of. I am a resolution person and I do not like the pain of waiting. In those interludes of delay and pause, I just can't wait for my Rescuer, and the temptation to plot and plan for my own deliverance gets intense.

This is the weakness the Spirit is pointing out to me today. He says, "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait." What He is speaking today is an encouragement in the waiting, and the directive is to be strong in the process.

What is coming will be as majestic as any thunder I have felt, but right now the sequence of delay between the lightening of Revelation and the Thunder of it's power must be spent in heart strength and wondrous anticipation.

Do you have a lightening bolt of revelation? This word is for you; Wait for the thunder and powerful demonstration of the Holy Spirit that will surely rock your world. It's coming.

"Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord"

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Cross of Christ: The Great Unifier

2010-08-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today in gentle whispers to my soul. He says, "The sword of division must come but the Cross is the great unifier of men".

As Jesus was preparing His Disciples for His death and departure through the brutal execution by crucifixion on a cross, He told them, in John 13:34-35, "A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another".

Interesting that the Savior of the world, God in the flesh, told us to love each other and stated it as a command. He also said in John 14:15 "if you love Me you will obey what I command".

As a follower of Christ, I cannot get away from the mandate to love. Love is therefore a choice, a decision, not a warm fuzzy feeling that ebbs and flows from an emotional merry-go-round of circumstances.

On a deeply personal level, once I became a Christian, I no longer have the right to follow my own "rules of engagement" toward other people, especially others who call Jesus their Savior.

Unity among Christians who come from every tribe and every nation around the world is a testimony of epic proportions to an unbelieving world who denies God and rejects His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Cross of Christ is the great equalizer of men in that it is only through the sacrificial death of God's approved substitute that allows everyone and anyone to call Jesus their own Savior and be saved. It is such an equal-to-all pathway to Eternal salvation, it boggles the mind to wonder why it is rejected by most.

God's salvation requires no birthright from noble parents, and it cannot be bought or sold to the highest bidder. The Cross of Christ saves by an individual decision over the only life that we have the power to choose for...our own.

Just as the Cross of Christ is the great equalizer, it is also the great unifier of men. Those who have sought forgiveness and found Jesus Christ as their Savior have been adopted into an eternal family. Regardless of background, nationality or time and date of earth life, we all share the common belief and faith in the One True God and Jesus Christ, His Son.

We are bound forever in gratitude to the One who saved us from eternal punishment. We are pulled together as a huge family with brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all trusting the same God and the same Savior; all looking to the same Word of Truth by the same Spirit; all in eager anticipation of the same Eternal Kingdom of the same Eternal King.

The sweet Sovereignty of our Holy God has created us for relational unity, first with Himself and then with each other. The Cross is the great unifier. Gal 3:28 says, "you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.

The sword of Christ is dividing the world. As the days grow more intense and the time of the return of our King draws near, we must remember well, our Lord's command, to love one another. "By this all men will know you are my Disciples if you love one another."

The Cross brings us all together, as we love our Lord we will love each other.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Cross of Christ: The Great Equalizer

2010-08-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. I wrestle the sorrow of loved ones who have not yet come to Jesus for Salvation. The arguments for rejecting Him vary but in the end it doesn't really matter why they do. The assassination of Faith starts early and traverses a lifetime unless the Truth is received and acted upon.

The Truth that God loves us gets trashed trough some of life's circumstances that are tragic. Rather than taking our bleeding hearts to the only One who can heal us, we turn and walk away and sometimes even blame Him for our pain.

The Truth that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus into the world of men to speak of His great love and to represent His Heart though signs and wonders and miracles of His Divine Grace gets trashed through apathy and tweaked priorities. Rather than seeking the knowledge of the One True God, we set about to control our own lives and, in essence, try to be "god" in and of ourselves.

The Truth that we all have a huge debt to pay our Creator for our sinful lives and choices gets trashed through an intricate system of justification and deceptive thinking. Rather than confessing our sin we justify ourselves into thinking that we are "good" and not accountable for having missed any standard of Holiness outside our own judgment.

The Truth that our Creator, God, in His benevolent grace, made a way for each one of us to have our sin debt paid in full gets trashed by our arrogant thinking that we can somehow save ourselves. Rather than embrace the Gift of Life, sent by the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ, we attempt to set up a way of "salvation" on our own terms.

The Cross upon which the Savior of the world died is the great equalizer and a symbol of God's mercy toward us in judgment. The absolute wonder of our Sovereign Creator is that Truth is available to all men. On the last day no one will be able to say, "I never had the Truth made available to me".

The Cross is the place where the God of all Creation executed His judgment over sin. Every man, and woman will have the same ability to accept Truth, regardless of their personal life circumstances, regardless of their nationality or family of origin, or place of residency, or color of skin, eyes or hair.

The Holy Spirit takes me to John's Gospel, where Jesus explained, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
In John 15:26, Jesus said, "when the Counselor comes, whom I will send from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me and you also must testify."

Christians have been criticized for being narrow in their belief system. We have been hated and mocked or cast as intolerant. But the Truth is that a Christian is simply a person who takes the Creator God at His word and believes in the One that He sent, Jesus Christ. Christians are people from every tribe and every nation who are bound together by the Truth set forth through the inerrant Word of God; that Jesus died for all men, to pay their sin debt and be reconciled back to the One and Only Creator God.

The Cross is the great equalizer of men for we all must bow there in need of the Savior who died and rose again. No one is exempt or above or excluded from the Cross. No one is righteous enough to stand before a Holy God and make a case for their own defense. And no one is so depraved that they are beyond forgiveness.

Jesus is the Only Savior of the world.....The Truth, the Truth, the Truth stands...for all Eternity........

Will you believe it?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Mercy of Repentance

2010-07-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. After reading the Joshua account of Achan's sin and subsequent demise in Joshua 7, I begin to process my priviledged ability to repent in a much greater way.

Each and every human has been tempted to sin and buckled in one way or another. I guess that is where our compassion for the "violator" comes from. We cannot, in and of ourselves, get past our humanity where our flesh drives our choices. It seems that wherever there is a law or limit or boundary perceived, the human will try to break it or push past it to our own destruction.

Why is it that I do the very thing I do no want to do and can't seem to do the very thing I do want to do? Paul called it "the body of death" in Romans 7:14-25 and has described it quite well.

For the simple mind the process is simple. God, our Creator, is perfect and Holy and we are not. When we understand the law we recognize that we are "law-breakers" and no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot hold to every law all the time.

Following the simple process, we confess to the "law-giver" that we have failed to honor the law. In other words, we see our failure and repent. We agree with God that we are law breakers, change our mind and our direction in the matter. God has promised that as we come to repentance, He is faithful to forgive our trespasses against Him, and the law. We are then restored in fellowship with our Creator and life goes on.

The greatest story ever told is the True Gospel. Jesus Christ died to save us from our sin and the eternal separation from our Creator God, Who now allows all who believe in Jesus Christ to call Him, our Father.

Today, the Holy Spirit calls me to focus on the blessing of repentance; our ability to say, "I blew it, I am so sorry and I will never do that again".

The account of Achan is heart breaking. God is just and so I do not doubt that there are reasons in His Sovereign knowledge of the heart and what would or could have happened to the future if Achan and his family were allowed to live.

For me, to look at the violation and the subsequent justice causes the deepest sense of gratitude that we today have the abiltiy to repent and know we will be forgiven and not stoned outside the camp.

Achan's sin and death is a stark reminder of where we would all end up if it were not for God's mercy and the price Jesus paid for our sin. Repentance is a true gift and a blessing beyond measure. One we should all utilize all the time.

It is the Holy Spirit within Who calls us to repentance. It is His conviction that points out where we trespass and His grace that reminds us we have forgiveness available.

What is the proper response to so great a salvation? Gratitude! Humble thanksgiving! Repentance is a Blessed gift. To be stuck in our trespasses with no way out is the worst nightmare I could ever imagine. Just ask Achan what it was like.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Blood for Sin

2010-07-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. The clouds of oppression form a suffocating blanket and I know I must break through whatever is cloaking the Truth. As we walk with Holiness, there are those days when the reality of who we are in the flesh condemns us.

We have been called to personal and national repentance. The dire circumstances of our nation and our personal lives have brought many back to the promises of our Holy God. 2 Chron 7:14-15, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways,(repent) then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land".

Corporate accountability becomes personal when we are called as a nation to repent. Intercession requires a weight be felt for the sin of others while not over looking our own. And the cloud of accountability swirls.

I have been reading in Joshua 5-7, the account of the Children of Israel entering the promised land. They crossed the Jordan and the first battle is the one fought at Jericho. What a great supernatural victory the Lord gave His people.

Celebration and a sense of invincibility were running high in the camp. A much smaller city, Ai was the next one to be conquered in the land the Lord God Almighty had given His people.

But then a darkness enters in. Chapter 7 is like a bucket of cold water thrown on the enthusiasm and fire generated by a wondrous victory. A smaller fighting force was sent out, but the Israelites were unable to take the city and having lost warriors in the battle, they returned to camp in defeat. Joshua sought the Lord to understand why.

It was revealed that there was "sin" in the camp. One man had violated the directive at Jericho: All plunder was to be devoted to the Lord and taken into the national treasury. One man stole things from the plunder and put them with his own possessions. He violated God's command, buried his "treasure" and in doing so brought defeat to the entire nation.

We who live on this side of the Cross, have a difficult time with the mandate of personal Holiness. The sin debt has been paid by another and we do not have to personally face the great penalty for violating God's Holiness. We, through a choice given, have the ability to see our blood guilt transferred to the Savior, on the Cross of death and atonement for our sin.

It would serve us well to look back in history to the ones whose lives were lived before the Cross. We see what price was paid for violating God's directives and commands.

Achan was the violator in question. While the elders and the leaders did not know who was to blame for the offense, God did. Tribe by tribe, clan by clan, family by family was brought forward until Achan was set apart and identified as the one who had rebelled and sinned.

The penalty was swift and sure: death to him and his family. Then all that he possessed was burned and buried. Lest we fall victim to the enemy of Holiness, we dare not have too much compassion for the violator. If we go there, these thoughts will trickle down from a general perspective of God to a personal agreement with the enemy that God is cruel, harsh, exacting and blood thirsty. We dare not even begin to attempt to judge God and His ways.

The Truth is like a nugget of gold that lies beneath layers of dirt and must be unearthed. And the Truth is, that God's Character and His Being are perfect. His laws are just. If you sin, you die. All are given the choice. In the case of Achan, one man among all the people in the nation decided to disobey the directive of their Holy God. Many may have been tempted, but only one man chose to disobey.

Everything the nation of Israel was about to do depended upon the powerful Almighty God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. This tribal family nation had been chosen to bring the knowledge about the One and Only True God of all Creation to the nations they were about to encounter. This was their mission. Their obedience and observance of His law was vital to the mission. No exceptions.

Sin in the camp had to be eradicated. Just like sin in our lives must be eradicated if we are to live a life worthy of our calling.

The church age is an "age" of grace and mercy flowing from our Holy God through the death of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is important that we recognize the mission and the calling to live a life acceptable to the One who calls us. After salvation we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who enables us to live up to the higher standard IF we yield to Him.

Just like the nation of Israel was called to be "set apart" from all the other nations on the earth, we, as the Church of the Living God, saved and sanctified, are called to be set apart from all the other people around us.

Jericho was recorded, in the minds of all who heard the account of the battle, as a supernatural victory brought through the Power of their Almighty God. Conversely, Ai was initially recorded as a humiliating defeat.

What made the stunning difference in the end was hidden sin. God is calling us to war in His name, to fight the battle so all the world will see His Glory. Victory has already been awarded the Church, because God Himself will fight the battle. But unless we deal with the hidden sin and rebellion within the camp, we will not be able to move forward; not as individuals, not as families and not as the church at large.

God will not be mocked. If we, His people, are living in the same sin as the world around us, how can we ever expect Him to bring forth His great supernatural victories. The Lord has promised to make a "distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve Him and those who do not." What represents the hidden sin in my life? What represents the hidden sin in yours?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

"Give Careful Thought To Your Ways"

2010-07-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. It's Sunday. He speaks to the constant challenge so many of us face to get to church and participate with other believers in the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord.

We have a multitude of excuses and the enemy is a master at posing the exact one that will win the battle and justify our refusal to get to our chosen place of fellowship and worship. Apathy is a great enemy of faith.

The Lord spoke through the Prophet Haggai, to the Jews who were living in a spiritual place not unlike many believers find themselves today. The shocking reality is that our lives are being affected in the same ways for the same sin that God revealed through Haggai 1:5-12: "Now this is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much but have harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

How many of us can say, "amen" to this as a representation of our lives? He goes on to say, "this is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful though to your ways. Go up to the mountains and bring down timber and build this house so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored."

In the Old Testament, the Temple was a physical building made to the exact specifications the Lord gave to His people. Since Christ came, paid our sin debt, and was risen on the 3rd day, the "temple" of His Holy Habitation is our heart, our body. The indwelling Presence of His Holy Spirit has taken us to the new understanding that we, the "saved" are indeed the Temple, the Holy place, the building not made by human hands, where He has come to dwell. I Corinth 3:16, 6:19, and 2 Corinth 6:16.

The Lord, through Haggai, continues His indictment of His people, "You expected much but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty, "because of my House (Temple) that remains a ruin, while each one of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you, the heavens have have withheld their dew and the earth, its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine and the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle and on the labor of your hands."

Could this be the answer from Heaven as to why we are in such a horrible state? Could our apathy toward the Lord's Presence in our lives and the twisted priorities we have established be the cause of what we see as our failed personal economy, government debt, and oppressive circumstances in our lives?

Even if the passage was written and meant for the people of God in ancient times, the warning and truth of this Word could not be more clear to me today. The Temple's location and configuration may have changed since Jesus Christ came, but the apathy of the human heart remains the same.

The indictment is true and work must be done to rebuild the "temple" and make it a place of Honor fit for our King. Because the "Temple" is now the human body, great care must be taken by each one of us individually to keep ourselves free from anything that contaminates or puts us in apathy toward the things important to our God.

But the Almighty Lover of our souls has not left us without hope or the "power" to accomplish all He has required of us. Through our repentance (acknowledgement of our sin) and turning our lives over to the Holy One within, we can rebuild what has been left to "ruin" Haggai 1:13, "I am with you, declares the Lord. So He stirred up the spirit......of the whole remnant of the people and they came and began to work on the House of the Lord Almighty, their God".

What work must I do to make my Heart fit for the King? What unbelief must be evicted or idol destroyed that represents the "Temple" ruin? Apathy halts the building. May each one of us "give careful thought to our ways" so that the Lord will be Glorified in His Temple and we may be eligible to represent the truly abundant life promised those who obey.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Are You Ready?

2010-07-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today. "The battle is raging and all the saints need to be at the ready to engage in this end times war." But what does it mean "to be ready'?

Good vs evil, Light vs dark; the theme of the warfare touches our lives each and every day. We can choose to remain ignorant, and deny that there is a war going on, OR, in our great human wisdom we can refuse to seek the wisdom from Heaven's Throne to gain the understanding of what the war is all about. Either way, whether by ignorance or in self-protection we will end up defeated by the enemy of our souls.

God's Word says, "the battle belongs to the Lord" and the ultimate truth is that it does. When Joshua was preparing to take Jericho, the first of many battles to be fought in the "promised land" of God's people, scripture says, "he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up and asked him, "are you for us or our enemy?" Joshua 5:14 "Neither, he replied, but as Commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come."

This part of scripture is very interesting to me because I like to think that God is for me and against anyone I perceive as my "enemy". The ground war can get very confusing unless we come to the understanding that the battle is ultimately between God and the mutinous traitor who tried to usurp the Throne of our Holy Creator and become himself a god.

Just because the battle belongs to the Lord does not mean that we are not in it. Today the Holy One speaks to the always vexing question: "what is my part?"

The picture He paints in my mind is that of His army. Each person is to be a specialist. Each person has a gift and is expected to use it for the benefit of the Body of Christ, the army of the Lord, the warring Church.

As we hone our skills in the use of our "gifts" we will be called upon to use them at the proper times. As in any battle, different specialties are called for in different situations but all are necessary to the ultimate victory.

Those who have taken the time to learn and grow in their gifts are on the font lines using them. Some are being trained for service and are waiting to step up. Sadly some are not even looking for what they have been born to do in the Spiritual arena and are languishing at the base camp.

Being ready (instant) in season and out is the important goal, and always remembering that this is not our battle but the Lord's we fight. The war is mental, the battlefield is the mind, but our part is to take the Truth about our God and Savior to the lost and dying world we inhabit.

Through the use of our "weapons", the "gifts of the Spirit", we can fight the Lord's war for the hearts and minds of His beloved creation: Man. As He manifests through our lives, others can come to know Truth.

This picture of the battle is important for me to remember each day, otherwise, I can get distracted thinking that life is my personal war and survival is the only goal.

Am I ready? Only as I surrender all that I am to the One who calls me, will I be ready. By His indwelling Presence, I can know my gift and be ready for Him to use it at the appropriate times.

Are you ready?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

God's Wrath or His Discipline?

2010-07-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

I wake to the voice of the Holy One. It is always interesting to come to our place of fellowship. I never know what He will speak next. The topics and lessons are so vast coming from the mind of the Creator of all things. Who can begin to know the mind of God? Yet, in fellowship and love, He speaks to His child.

Today I hear the Spirit speak, "There is a distinction between discipline and wrath: Look to my Word and see the distinction I make between My wayward, rebellious people and the nations that are not mine."

The Spirit takes me to His Word, Malachi 3:16-18, "Then those who feared the Lord talked to each other and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name. They will be Mine.......vs 18...and you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."

In the context of this promise, this book was written as the last prophetic word before the 1st coming of Christ, the Messiah.

We have the extreme blessing of the written historical account of the day in the saga of men when God, as Jesus Christ, came in the flesh to fulfill the Divine Mandate of the "Suffering Messiah". Prophecy spoke it and history recorded it, so we can look back and know it as fact.

We live today in the Prophetic anticipation of the return of our King, Jesus Christ. He has already accomplished all that it took to be our Savior, Messiah. He died for the sins of men since Adam fell in the garden. Jesus cancelled the curse, and paid the Blood debt associated with sin. God's wrath was poured out on Him as He died upon the Cross for all men and He was resurrected in new life, an event that was seen by many and recorded for all generations. He lives, and the Word says, He is coming back as the rightful King of all He created.

Yes, we live in the time zone of great anticipation. As believers in the absolute truth of God's Word and the inerrant aspect of the Holy Scriptures, we wait in faith knowing that the day of our King's return is imminent.

The question is "How do we wait?"

Jesus said, (of end times), "You will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness the love of many will grow cold. But he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come."

As we look around at the events taking place in the circumstances of our daily lives, over our nation, and around the world, we are all being shaken. Consequences of our rebellion of God's principles through bad choices are being served up by a Holy God. But one thing is true; there IS a distinction between those who serve Him and those who do not.

As I face the trials of this life and in this epoch time in history, I am so thankful to know that I am safe in the hands of my Abba Father, who brings me through His Divine discipline, with the goal of my refinement and not to the end of my destruction. If I am wise, I will yield to His ways of achieving His goal to refine me and not, in self pity "judge the Judge".

Remembering His promise put forth in Malachi, I must wait, in faith, knowing that every hard circumstance will work out for my good, unlike the non-believer facing similar world events.

There comes a peace and joy in the knowledge of the Truth about our God. Being prepared and through discipline waiting for a Glorious King to come and make all things new, is quite different than waiting for "death" as an end to the torment of life. I know that Jesus' death shields me from the wrath of a Holy God, so whatever unfolds in my life is a discipline to teach me not wrath to destroy me.

And this is what we have to share with the unbelieving world around us:

Rev 22:12, "BEHOLD I AM COMING SOON"

Jesus is coming soon........

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Searching For My Beloved

2010-07-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

I awaken today with a "sense" of aloneness. This is not the first day I have felt the "panic" in my soul and felt the darkness as if someone turned off the light. The Holy One has taken me down some dark pathways before, so I know that, true to His Word, He will never leave me nor fosake me.

In any love relationship, desire must be pursued. God pursues me and it is only right that I pursue Him. Song of Songs 3:1-2, "All night long on my bed, I look for the One I love. I looked for Him but did not find Him. I will get up now and go about the city. Through it's streets I will search for the One my heart loves..."

The delight of the "Sacred Romance" is in the assurance that I could never lose the love of my Beloved. Song of Songs 2:16, "My lover is mine and I am His"

Even today, I know that the Holy One moves in mysterious ways and although I am incapable of fully comprehending those ways, I must give my all to following my Beloved.

In the garden of my "Sacred Romance", there are times when the Lord, plays "hide and seek" with me. Suddeenly He disappears for a while and I know that He wants me to search for Him. I know that the search will end when I find Him and there He will share with me yet another "secret" of His Being.

Today, as I begin the search, sadness comes over me as I think of what my Beloved would feel if I refused the game and left Him alone in the garden. What if I got distracted by other things and refued to search for Him. I cannot imagine the hurt it would cost His heart, if He waited and waited for me to find Him and the amazing "secret" He wanted to share, only to discover that I had left the garden and never attemped to search for Him.

So today I search. To my delight (and His), I find Him waiting...and He finds me searching.

What great treasures of wisdom and truth will be unearthed today remains to be seen. What He chooses to share with me is up to Him. But I rest content in the knowledge that we are together, (my Beloved and I), and that nothing "will be able to separate us (me) from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our (my) Lord", Rom 8:39.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Blessed Assurance

2010-07-08T04:32:00.001-07:00

The Spirit calls me today to remind me that one of His greatest blessings is assurance. He assures me that all the promises of my Father and Savior are mine.

Hope surges with the truth.

Yesterday in the world, things got so crazy after our early morning conference. The lesson of yesterday came with a test. Most lessons of the Holy Spirit come with a test after He has spoken Truth.

Yesterday, I recognized the enemy and the effort he made to distract me from applying what the Spirit commanded. The day ended with the victory of "understanding" and a peace from following the directives of my Counselor.

I glean today one of the most essential basics to my faith: Once the Lord is done using what the enemy sends against me, the opposition will be sent scattered to the four winds...gone...gone...gone....gone!

Isaiah 54:16, "See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into a flame and forges a weapon fit for it's work. And it is I have created the destroyer to work havoc: No weapon forged against you will prevail. You will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and this is their vindication from Me".

The Sovereign God of all Creation, created the "destroyer" to work havoc and is therefore, in control of the havoc this "destroyer" is allowed to work.

I cannot see into eternity, the place that awaits all who trust in Jesus having paved the way by His shed Blood. But I am assured that what I face here in terms of refining trials has been allowed for reasons beyond my natural point of view at times.

For some, I realize the "destroyer" has been allowed to escort them right up to the gateway of Heaven, to receive an even greater reward prepared for those "martyred" for the faith. Yet, a Sovereign God says, "No weapon forged against you will prevail" If those called to martyrdom could speak to us, I know they would tell of great peace and victory even as they exhaled here and inhaled in the Presence of the Lord.

Today, in our conference, the peace comes from His assurance that the Lord and no other is in Sovereign control of all things. Even the "weights" placed upon my faith muscle are His to control.

Isaiah 54:10, "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will never be shaken nor my convenant of peace be removed", says the Lord who has compassion on you."

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Trust and Obey

2010-07-07T04:58:00.000-07:00

This morning, the Spirit calls me to Himself with a question. "Why do you treat My voice commands as suggestions?"

I am seriously trying to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, acknowledging His Presence and ruling authority in my life, but the question reveals and convicts me of an attitude problem.

The Holy Spirit has been given to me as "THE" Great Counselor of Divine wisdom. Yet I seem to put His wisdom together with human reasoning to find the righteous pathways of God's Will.

That process looks good on paper and most would agree that we must think with our minds through the challenging trials the world provides. However, today, the Spirit has a lesson to teach me.

When Jesus spoke to His Disciples of the Holy Spirit to come, He said, "I have much more to say to you, much more than you can bear (or understand). But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth".

The Holy Spirit was given to enable me to think and live as Christ. The mind of Christ comes with the Spirit of Christ, but it is up to us to operate with such wisdom and trust in His ways.

James 1:5 says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

Now i see how human reasoning is plagued with doubt. All the anaylzing produces the "what-ifs" and the "what-ifs" boil down to faithless unbelief. The Holy Spirit has unearthed some toxic "stinkin thinkin". Do I trust the wisdom I have been given? Do I trust in His ways?

I must never throw what I read in the Word or what I hear from the Spirit in my heart, into the swirling cess-pool of mental human reasoning. Once there, Divine Wisdom can become just another suggestion among many as to how to resolve the issues of life. I may choose a different course of action than the one leading to victory, but far more devastating to my love relationship with My Lord, I risk offending the Holy One through rebellion and disobedience.

In Isaiah 55, God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, delares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thought than your thoughts.

I must no longer treat His commands as suggestions but rather trust and obey.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Death or Deliverance: Days of the Red Moon Rising

2010-07-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls. He wakes me up on this the beginning of my 63rd year on planet earth. I have felt in my Spirit a charge, unlike anything I have felt before.

The visual I keep getting is like the day the Children of Israel were facing annihilation by the Pharaoh; boxed between the powerful Egyptian army and the natural obstacle of the Red Sea. Exodus 14

Moses spoke into their fear. He told them to stand firm and they would see their deliverance by the Hand of their powerful God. I cannot begin to imagine the atmosphere in the air on the day the Lord parted the Red Sea for His people, but it must have been off-the-chart.

I wonder if, in the stillness and hush of impending majesty revealed, there might have been "electricity" in the air, like nothing man had every experienced before. The kind of sensation that makes your hair stand on end, with every nerve in your body reacting. That is the "charge" I feel in my Spirit and I wonder what our Almighty God is about to do.

Then, today, He speaks:

"These are the days of the red moon rising, (Joel 2:28-32). These are the days the ancient prophesies foretold. You will see My Majesty unfold"

"Rend you hearts and not your garments, Return to the Lord your God".

The Word of the Lord is alive and has held personal application for every person in every generation. While it contains the historical account of man since creation and speaks of the future end of our days upon the earth in prophecies, great wisdom and personal promises lie within it's chapters and verses; enough for each one of us to find resolutions to life's daily challenges, no matter what generation, family or society you may have been born onto.

Even so, there are some generations in history and the future that are set apart and privileged to be alive as witnesses to the supernatural intervention by the Almighty God of all Creation. We belong to such a generation.

Many may mock us as they did Noah, before the rain began. Many may chase us with murderous intent as they did the Children of Israel before the Red Sea parted, and many may demand that we bow down to worship worthless idols, images and men as they did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before God showed up in a blazing furnace.

In each of these accounts of an historical event, there was a day on the calendar and an hour on the clock, when God came, took charge of the affairs of men and the debate ended. I believe we are about to experience the day on the calendar and hour on the clock, when man's days upon the earth will give way to what every believer in Christ longs for: The return of our Savior, the arrival of our King and the end of the debate. Period.

The question is not "what day and what hour?". The question is "where will you be standing when it happens?"

Too many people delude themselves into thinking the day of the Lord is far away and in the distant future. Some do not believe that Holiness will judge men for ignoring the warnings; that a "loving God" will not hold all men accountable for the way they handle their sin.

The Bible paints a different picture. The horn could blow at midnight tonight and the only place of safety from the judgment to come is in the Provision God Himself gave: Jesus Christ, the crucified, resurrected Savior.

Jesus is like the ark of Noah. Until the judgment begins to rain down, the door of the Ark is still open.

Where do you stand today? Inside or outside the Ark?

"I will show wonders in the Heavens and and the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, (Jesus)will besaved."

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

God's Prosperity

2010-06-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls today. So much time has past since I last posted. But it's time to get back to passing along the message(s) He has been speaking in the quiet of our morning conferences.

So much is happening so fast in our lives and our nation. I feel like I am sitting on the sidelines with a "tennis neck" back and forth watching the volley between Light and darkness. Today the ball stops long enough to process the action and the message.

The Holy One takes me back to I Kings 18 and the contest between the God of Israel and the fake deities of Jezebel. It was really no contest, ever. But the people had been so corrupted by the deception of the pseudo power of Baals prophets that the Lord purposed to solve this deception in a grand and Glorious way.

The Children of Israel had forsaken the Lord their God. They had allowed compromise and were suffering the consequences on their end of a broken covenant with the one True God.

Idolatry was a common practice as the people were seeking "prosperity" from any source who promised it. Jezebel, the pagan queen of Israel's King Ahab, had set up her foreign gods. Ahab took Baal worship to an official status in adulterous violation of the Holy Covenant between God and the Children of Israel.

The conditions of the land and the lives of the people deteriorated under the compromise, drought occurred and famine followed for years.

The Holy One speaks to me, "the drought and the famine in the land is the discipline for idolatry"...WOW! hard to hear, but so true. We have become so dull to truth and numb or resigned to the reality of our circumstances, we have stopped looking to understand or asking ourselves "Why?" What lessons are we to learn? The world says, "work harder, adjust this or tweak that but keep pushing". Or, "you might as well check out. Drown yourself in pleasures because nothing is ever going to change". Both separately or a combination of the two make for a K.O. in the battle.

Personal and corporate accountability is long forgotten, and the worship of government or self has taken over. Most look at "prosperity" only in worldly terms coming from successfully navigating the system. Like being stuck on a computer game, playing and replaying the same game until we "master" the system the only problem is in the reality that the "game is fixed" and there can be no human mastery of it.

But the Word of the Lord says, "I form the light and create the darkness. I bring prosperity and create disaster. I, the Lord, do all these things." Isaiah 45:7

God's Word is true. How foolish we are to ignore it. When was the last time we sought God's heart on where our best efforts may have violated His Holy Nature and set us up for the discipline of a drought in our lives? When was the last time we even took the time to understand any correlation between our circumstances and disobedience or rebellion of His commands?

The most casual look into the I kings chapters reveals that the "drought" causing the famine was due to idolatry. It was a discipline not a bad luck situation. Idolatry, not ignorance as to how to "make the system work" was the reason for the drought (economic failure)and the famine that follows drought.

The Holy One is our indwelling Wisdom and He is the source of all the answers to all the questions we might ask. Why do we push on and hope things will change for the better when the Lord who loves us, is so willing to show us what may be in rebellion of His ways and then so willing to lead us out of the disaster?

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Just a Servant

2010-05-18T04:35:00.001-07:00

The Holy One calls me today with the most gentle reminder that I am not the core of any universe. While that may seem like a put-down, it is really one of the greatest blessings in truth.

God Himself exists outside of any box I might try to place Him in. Consequently His life pre-eminates over all things that touch my life. "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Heb 2:6

The Triune Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the core of all existance. From the moment of conception and our first cells to our last breath before exiting our human "tent", life here is all about our Creator. Everything about every one of us would have no value were it not for the value placed on us by our loving Creator.

It is from this value that God Himself has placed upon His creation, man, that we run amuck. Created in the "image" of our Sovereign God, we bear His likeness but still cannot exist without His life sustaining essence that we don't even begin to comprehend.

With our implanted creativity, man can build the towers of Babylon, put together the elements that link the world in cyberspace, but no matter what the "genius" mind in man has been able to accomplish, death happens and life as we know it ceases...yet God is still God; timeless, endless, eternal.

When, at last, we come down to the stark reality that we are not "gods" nor capable of any existance outside the permission and allowance of a Majestic and Holy Sovereign Creator, then and only then can we begin to function in the satisfying fulfillment of our life purpose.

We were created for fellowship. We were created for the pleasure of our amazing Creator. We were created to co-govern the planet and bring all glory and honor back to the Creator from whom all blessings flow. However, at some point in the great story, man lost his focus. Man began to think that he is god.....that he is the master of his own destiny, without regard to any Divine origins.

Our "free will" only goes so far in the Creator's sovereign and complete will. In the same way that the muntiny in Heaven by Lucifer was only tolerated for so long, our human rebellion in heart and mind will only be allowed to vent for so long and then we all must stand before our Creator, a Holy, almighty, all powerful, incomparable Being.

How patient is our God, who has allowed each one of us to "test" our independence and self will only to discover that we are nothing without Him. Then to have sent His only Son, Jesus, to save us from ourselves and bring us back into original fellowship.

For my heart and mind, one of the greatest blessings is in the knowledge that I am not the core of the universe but rather a servant of the One who created it.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

The Story of Two Angels

2010-05-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

The Spirit calls me today with yet more of an invitation to ask "whatever" I want according to the promise of John 14:11. With such an extravagant invitation, the human mind starts to salivate with all the possibilities. But then the sensible parts of the mind start to "qualify" the great promise leading to a dark catacomb called "unbelief".

What a dark oppressive wet blanket gets thrown over our hope when we think about our desire and the potential answers to all our prayers. We become convinced that God makes such a distinction between the quality of our prayers that we begin to debate what we should ask for. Soon the debate gets frustrating and eventually we just stop asking except in the most dire, life and death issues of crisis' that touch our lives.

The Holy Spirit taught me a great lesson long ago and reminded me that nothing has changed. It happened at the end of a day in the fall. I had to deliver a rush order in another city. I was on my way with little time for any "snafus"

The 4 lane highway stretched out before me and I took advantage of the fast lane. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a helicopter over my head. Thinking I was somehow being tracked for speed violation, I decided to slow down. The sound still continued so I changed lanes. Then the sound seemed like it came from somewhere inside the vehicle. I pulled over into the slow lane, trying to assess the source of the noise. It appeared to be coming from my car so I pulled off the freeway onto the shoulder, a safe distance from the lanes to check out what it could be.

I soon discovered that I had a blown tire on the right front. I was praising the Lord that the blow out didn't cause me to flip or swerve going at such a fast pace. That was such a miracle in my mind and I was so thankful for my "guardian angels".

I know how to change a tire so I set out to do just that. I jacked up the car, praying that no one would stop to help. (I have this fear of being assaulted or abducted off the side of the freeway when disabled...too many murder mysteries being watched, I guess). "I am woman ...hear me roar..." was my battle cry until I got to the lug nuts, which seemed to have been tightened by a machine. They would not budge. I sat there at the side of my car, and set up a "flare prayer" for more strength so I could remove the lug nuts. All I needed was to get the lug nuts off then I would be home free. I got up after praying to search for my manual to find where the spare tire might be located and to allow the "supernatural" strength to flood my weak arms.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere that I could see, a man appears from behind me and said, "You look like you could use some help". I looked around, there was no car. The "man" had walked up from somewhere, perhaps a service road close by. But since he was volunteering, I accepted his kind offer, explaining that I couldn't get the lugs nuts off the tire. He told me to get back in the driver's seat, put my foot on the brake and he began to take them off.

I got out of the driver's side, returned to the tire and watched while he placed the lug nuts in the hub cap. He said, "Do you think you can take it from here?" Self reliant me said, "Sure, thank you so much." I surveyed the tire, the lug nuts now removed and when I turned around he was gone.

What a wonderful miraculous answer to that flare prayer. God had sent His angel to help in answer to my prayer. But now I am faced with the challenge of finishing the job. I just thought to myself and then mentioned to the Lord, "I wonder why I didn't just ask for all that I needed; the flat tire changed. Why was I not thorough in laying out the entire need?" Why was I so "self-reliant?

I was mentally and spiritually kicking myself for not asking for what I really needed since the Lord had sent someone to help, when suddenly another man walked up from behind me. I looked around; again no car brought him. He said, "You look like you could use some help." The exact same words as my first "helper". This time I responded with, "Yes, I could sure use some help changing this flat tire."

He asked how I got the lug nuts off and I told him the story. He then asked if I thought it strange that the "man" didn't change the tire but only removed the lug nuts. I told him that it was all I had prayed for. By then the Spirit was starting to help me connect all the dots. Partial requests bring partial results. Ask and you will receive...I had to confess that the first "man" had done exactly, but only what I had asked him to do.

As the second helper finished changing the tire and I was about to go on my way, I asked him if I could give him a ride since he didn't have a car or pay him for his help. He responded with, "No thank you, I am just going to go sit under that tree over there."

As I am driving away with the entire event about to explode in my mind:
The love of a Father to have sent, not one, but two, Divine messengers to help and in their own way deliver this all important lesson on prayer.

The situation (after the blow out) was not life or death. The "need" was not a great heavenly priority when compared with other things I might ask my Father to send, nothing AAA couldn't have come to fix. The "quality" of this prayer was simply a flare prayer sent up in the frustration of my human weakness. But in that short space of Earth's time, I learned an eternal lesson. One that has spoken to me over and over again.

My Heavenly Father loves me and cares about all the details of my life. My Savior fulfills His promises and the Holy Spirit tutors me to ask for all that I need.

The lesson was close to home and personal. But it has been a memory that provides exciting expectations for more Divine encounters when the supernatural intersects with the natural and answers to our prayers flow liberally from our Father's Throne.

Ask and you will receive.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Ask And You Will Receive

2010-05-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit calls me today to remind me of the amazing privilege according to the promise given by our Lord Jesus before He returned to our Father.

John 14:11-14 "Believe in Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things because I am going to the Father and I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father, you may ask Me for anything in My name and I will do it!"

The Holy One is calling me to the war and to the victory. In case you didn't know it, the war is raging in these end times. It takes many forms like terrorism and the war on terror, but in reality it is the same battle that has been fought (or not) in every generation since the fall. Good vs evil, light vs dark. We have an arch enemy who is committed to our eternal destruction. We have been given life, breath, a soul and a spirit, when born into this "world" at war.

The real war is taking place beyond our senses of sight and sound, but it radiates none-the-less into our lives and creates an atmosphere to which we respond in our day to day activities. We have a supernatural enemy. It is in every way a supernatural war and involves supernatural beings, but that should not cause us to fear but rather rejoice that we have God appointed protectors and a "heads up" by our Creator through His Word.

Job speaks of the fallen angel, "Satan" as the real source of our trials.
Ephesians 6, tells that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but rather against the rulers and authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms.

We are told what our "armour" is and what to do: Stand firm, use the "Sword of the Spirit" which is the Word of God and pray.....in the spirit, and on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. And then, there is this amazing promise from our Savior, "Ask Me for anything in My name"

The battle belongs to the Lord, it is His. But it is in our lives and we are involved like it or not. The Spirit spoke to me this morning saying, "The battle has been so Sovereignly arranged for your victory through Christ that you cannot lose unless you give up. Will you take Me at My word and ask so that you may receive?"

What is my reaction to what I see in my world? Do I look around at the circumstances and see any needs? Do I acknowledge the Promises of my Savior and take those things to the "bank" in prayer believing I will receive what I ask?

Do I just walk by the needy and fail to cry out for Divine intervention from Heaven into their situation? I have been given this amazing privilege and promise...If only I will ask.

The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?