I have been many days since posting the last blog. The Spirit calls every day but my days have been so full of wrestles that I haven't been able to post all He has had to say to me. The closer we walk with the Lord the harder the evil one fights to separate us from our Leader.
I pray you have heard Him call and experienced the riches of fellowship with the Holy Spirit yourself during this time of joy and celebration of the birth of our Savior.
We are almost at the end of yet another year and one year closer to the coming our our King in His Glory. We can rejoice that the days of our troubles are almost over and our unfathomable eternity will be revealed. But there is still work to be done, lost souls to be found, and even warnings to be delivered for those who have fallen away.
Today the Spirit warns.
The world is spinning out of control and the gauntlet has been laid out. Will we, who have tasted that the Lord is good, be faithful? Within the body of Christ there is much that is grievous to His Spirit. Adultery, divorce, immorality, compromise. The list of outrageous failure within the Body of Christ is long and we have grown apathetic. Where is the conviction? Where is the humility and where is the repentance?
Today the Spirit calls me to read Ezekiel 3:16-21 with fear and trembling. I am accountable for my own failure to repent and turn as the Spirit reveals sin in me. But this passage takes my accountability to an uncomfortable place....to confront another with their sin...and warn them.
This is something we would much rather not read and not have to be responsible to obey. But it is in the Word and must be studied and if we are true to our Lord, obeyed.
All of us are capable of sin...the flesh is not yet made perfect. There are sins that we have no business pointing out in another unless we are invited by them to do so. But there are sins that lead to death and this passage tells us that we are accountable to warn the ones at risk. This takes great wisdom and we must be under the control of the Holy Spirit when we undertake to warn.
What does it take to warn those heading to divorce without cause outlined in scripture. The destruction of the family is evil in the eyes of the Lord.. What does it take to warn those involved in immoral behavior. Immorality is evil in the eyes of the Lord. What does it take to warn those involved in adultery? Breaking of our vows in marriage is evil in the eyes of the Lord.
We have become so afraid of stepping on toes and losing friendships that we fail to see our own accountability before God to warn. Ezekiel clears this up. If you do not warn the wicked or speak up to dissuade him from his evil action, he will die for his sin and "I will hold you accountable for his blood". vs 18 "But if you warn him and he does not turn from his wickedness or his evil ways he will die but you will save yourself." The passage even speaks of a righteous man who turns from his righteousness needing to be warned and our responsibility to speak out the warning.
These are treacherous times. Temptations come from all directions and few rely on God's Word for their decision making wisdom. The lines get cloudy and situational ethics prevail. Now is the time for all of us who call ourselves "Believers" to draw close to the Lord through His Spirit...listen for and to the warnings He gives to us personally and for others, then to speak out to warn those who are at risk....Love warns...
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Immanuel....God With Us***
"The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son and they will call Him Immanuel which means "God with us" Matt 1:23.
The Spirit calls me today and says, "let that sink deep into your heart and mind..."God with us".
"Why do you fail to realize the powerful purpose that the Father had in sending Jesus Christ, His Son in human form so long ago? His purpose was to usher in a New Covenant. People who lived and died before Jesus Christ was born were not all lost or unsaved by God. The purpose of the "New Covenant" was to establish and model the "new" relationship potential between God and His beloved Creation...Man.
God's desire over man since the Garden was to enjoy deep intimacy and fellowship with him for all eternity. Free will, the flesh with all it's choices and an evil arch enemy providing temptation at every corner, requires a very supernatural "covenant".
Hallelujah....that our God had the perfect plan...and executed it over 2000 years ago. Christ in us the hope of glory...Col 1:23....(and unity with our God.)
The "New Covenant" involved one last and final sacrifice for sin. One Holy Lamb slain. One Holy life given to stand under the Righteous judgment of our Holy God to pay the mandatory price of death for sin. "The wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord".
The Cross of Christ is the place where God's ultimate judgement of sin was poured out upon the Savior of the world who is Jesus Christ. Now each one of us must decide whether we will accept the Holy Substitute provided by God, to be our personal Savior or to blow off the priceless gift of Salvation and stand in the place of taking that wrath upon ourselves.
There is no other choice when it comes to God's Righteous judgment. We must either accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and substitute, or take personal responsibility for sin and have God's final judgment fall upon our own head.
"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."
What we must believe ABOUT Him is that He came to be the Savior of the world. But what represents belief IN Him is that He paid the price for me personally. I acknowledge the right of Holiness to condemn me for falling short of the Perfect standard required for salvation. In humility of heart I willingly accept and embrace Jesus Christ as being the only One who can save me from the wrath and judgement of a Holy God.
Christmas is the day we celebrate the Priceless gift; the coming of the Savior of the world. The fact that God chose to come in human form blows my circuits. The fact that He would die for me so I can live forever with Him is hard to fathom but the the fact that He loves us so much He would come from Heaven and all of it's glory to relate to His beloved creation in our arena is beyond my comprehension.
I cannot even begin to process and handle all that it means..Immanuel". But I am convicted that I must seek to know the fullness of a life now and forever that bears the evidence of "Immanuel"....God with us. What amazing things might we see and do if only we believe.
As we celebrate this great historic day on the calendar of our days, may we all come to the manger in thankful appreciation for the One who was placed there and why. If the humble Savior is not enough for anyone, may we consider this:
We bow at the Manger or we bow at the Throne of Judgement, but sooner or later all will bow:
Philippians 2:10-11 "Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father."
I choose to bow at the manger.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Spirit calls me today and says, "let that sink deep into your heart and mind..."God with us".
"Why do you fail to realize the powerful purpose that the Father had in sending Jesus Christ, His Son in human form so long ago? His purpose was to usher in a New Covenant. People who lived and died before Jesus Christ was born were not all lost or unsaved by God. The purpose of the "New Covenant" was to establish and model the "new" relationship potential between God and His beloved Creation...Man.
God's desire over man since the Garden was to enjoy deep intimacy and fellowship with him for all eternity. Free will, the flesh with all it's choices and an evil arch enemy providing temptation at every corner, requires a very supernatural "covenant".
Hallelujah....that our God had the perfect plan...and executed it over 2000 years ago. Christ in us the hope of glory...Col 1:23....(and unity with our God.)
The "New Covenant" involved one last and final sacrifice for sin. One Holy Lamb slain. One Holy life given to stand under the Righteous judgment of our Holy God to pay the mandatory price of death for sin. "The wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord".
The Cross of Christ is the place where God's ultimate judgement of sin was poured out upon the Savior of the world who is Jesus Christ. Now each one of us must decide whether we will accept the Holy Substitute provided by God, to be our personal Savior or to blow off the priceless gift of Salvation and stand in the place of taking that wrath upon ourselves.
There is no other choice when it comes to God's Righteous judgment. We must either accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and substitute, or take personal responsibility for sin and have God's final judgment fall upon our own head.
"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."
What we must believe ABOUT Him is that He came to be the Savior of the world. But what represents belief IN Him is that He paid the price for me personally. I acknowledge the right of Holiness to condemn me for falling short of the Perfect standard required for salvation. In humility of heart I willingly accept and embrace Jesus Christ as being the only One who can save me from the wrath and judgement of a Holy God.
Christmas is the day we celebrate the Priceless gift; the coming of the Savior of the world. The fact that God chose to come in human form blows my circuits. The fact that He would die for me so I can live forever with Him is hard to fathom but the the fact that He loves us so much He would come from Heaven and all of it's glory to relate to His beloved creation in our arena is beyond my comprehension.
I cannot even begin to process and handle all that it means..Immanuel". But I am convicted that I must seek to know the fullness of a life now and forever that bears the evidence of "Immanuel"....God with us. What amazing things might we see and do if only we believe.
As we celebrate this great historic day on the calendar of our days, may we all come to the manger in thankful appreciation for the One who was placed there and why. If the humble Savior is not enough for anyone, may we consider this:
We bow at the Manger or we bow at the Throne of Judgement, but sooner or later all will bow:
Philippians 2:10-11 "Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father."
I choose to bow at the manger.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Out of Bondage
The Spirit calls and I say, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."
Today, the thoughts of yesterday's reading of the Word of God flood my mind. Meditating & processing takes time so there are days when the blog must wait for another entry. Not that I didn't hear the Spirit speak yesterday but the Lord unfolds His plans hour by hour in my day and sometimes the Spirit speaks in preparation not just in explanation.
With the U.S. in such a difficult place and the reality that so many of us are suffering losses, the Word is such a comfort to my soul. The government is doing all it can to try to control us and take away our freedom, and I can't help but compare our plight with that of Israel in the days of Egyptian bondage. In those days, each one was indentured to the Pharaoh's "society", slaves assigned to building his empire in exchange for their daily provision.
They were provided just enough to give them the strength to work, but not enough to give them the strength to resist or flee their bondage. Day after day, year after year, the only break being their celebrations of hope that one day the Holy One would set them free and take them to "the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob" Gen 50:24.
And the Lord heard their cry of misery.
I delight to read how there was a day on the calendar when God said, "Enough". A day when He would begin to move this nation within a nation out of their cruel bondage to another, better place. The Pharaoh was not prepared to lose all the slaves so he heaped upon them tighter and tighter restrictions, with more and more demands of their time, strength and energy, all in the hopes of breaking their "spirit". But God's Will for His people could not be stopped then and cannot be stopped today. He promised and He delivered.
Exodus 3:7-8
"The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey."
I just love how the Word of God is relevant to each one of our lives and every generation can find their own situations spoken about and find the solutions to their situations revealed within It's pages. The Holy Spirit shows us, through the Bible, that God IS the same yesterday,today and tomorrow.
Today I find my hope in the account of the Red Sea crossing. The Lord has heard my cry of misery and is on the move. I know I can make the journey out of bondage in confidence that the Lord goes before me and is my rear guard no matter what. I know His Will is to deliver me from anything that holds me in bondage. He hears my cry of misery always and He will part the Red Sea to deliver me from any hand of any Pharaoh.
We each have our "Egypts"and our "Pharoahs". But none is more powerful than the Lord who promises to deliver us from their hand.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Today, the thoughts of yesterday's reading of the Word of God flood my mind. Meditating & processing takes time so there are days when the blog must wait for another entry. Not that I didn't hear the Spirit speak yesterday but the Lord unfolds His plans hour by hour in my day and sometimes the Spirit speaks in preparation not just in explanation.
With the U.S. in such a difficult place and the reality that so many of us are suffering losses, the Word is such a comfort to my soul. The government is doing all it can to try to control us and take away our freedom, and I can't help but compare our plight with that of Israel in the days of Egyptian bondage. In those days, each one was indentured to the Pharaoh's "society", slaves assigned to building his empire in exchange for their daily provision.
They were provided just enough to give them the strength to work, but not enough to give them the strength to resist or flee their bondage. Day after day, year after year, the only break being their celebrations of hope that one day the Holy One would set them free and take them to "the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac & Jacob" Gen 50:24.
And the Lord heard their cry of misery.
I delight to read how there was a day on the calendar when God said, "Enough". A day when He would begin to move this nation within a nation out of their cruel bondage to another, better place. The Pharaoh was not prepared to lose all the slaves so he heaped upon them tighter and tighter restrictions, with more and more demands of their time, strength and energy, all in the hopes of breaking their "spirit". But God's Will for His people could not be stopped then and cannot be stopped today. He promised and He delivered.
Exodus 3:7-8
"The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey."
I just love how the Word of God is relevant to each one of our lives and every generation can find their own situations spoken about and find the solutions to their situations revealed within It's pages. The Holy Spirit shows us, through the Bible, that God IS the same yesterday,today and tomorrow.
Today I find my hope in the account of the Red Sea crossing. The Lord has heard my cry of misery and is on the move. I know I can make the journey out of bondage in confidence that the Lord goes before me and is my rear guard no matter what. I know His Will is to deliver me from anything that holds me in bondage. He hears my cry of misery always and He will part the Red Sea to deliver me from any hand of any Pharaoh.
We each have our "Egypts"and our "Pharoahs". But none is more powerful than the Lord who promises to deliver us from their hand.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Clash of Kingdoms***
The Spirit draws me today into a "Heavenly Perspective". He has been training me in my quiet times and even throughout the day to pray according to the model prayer given by the Lord Jesus before He returned to His place of Divine authority in Heaven.
I see how important the "Lord's Prayer" is in understanding "how" to pray but now I am moved to see "why". Matt 6:9-13,
Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
Honor, respect, reverence, and relationship is revealed in those words.
Your Kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
We belong to another Kingdom than the one we presently reside in. The kingdoms of earth established by men have risen and fallen throughout the course of the history of man's days upon the earth.
When Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago, something amazing took place. The kingdoms of men got invaded. Jesus birth was nothing less than an invasion by the King of our Heavenly Kingdom and there has been a clash of kingdoms ever since.
As believers, we have the Word of God and the Prophetic Word of "Revelation" included, that we know and trust will come to pass in God's timing. But even knowing that the earth will some day be completely renovated when Jesus Christ returns to take up His place of rule does not exempt us from continuing to do our part in what our King began so long ago during "The Great Invasion".
We ever live as citizens from another world. When Jesus walked the earth, He commissioned His Disciples to preach, "The Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, drive out demons". The continuation of His commission in Matt 10:7-39 reveals the war He declared on earth, what we will encounter and what we might expect to see in this clash of kingdoms.
Important to remember, we do not continue this invasion without the King's authority, support, resources and protection, which is why the model prayer is so important to our success and victory in this clash of kingdoms. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.....on earth as it is in Heaven!
Our Heavenly Kingdom is nothing like the earth realm. The Kingdom of Heaven is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating furnace. Broken things are made new; hearts, lives, bodies, relationships. Our Heavenly kingdom represents all that is good and a fulfillment of all we need in life here and for all eternity.
Consider what our King revealed during His first appearance that is to be our model and goal as we live our lives in this temporal earthly kingdom. So much can be said here and now but I leave that to the Holy Spirit to reveal to the reader as He calls each one of us personally to Himself.
Kingdom rules apply to it's citizens and so do all the Kingdom benefits. Jesus never took up dual citizenship. His loyalty was to His Heavenly Father. We must always be loyal to our Father, our King and our Heavenly Kingdom never to take up duel citizenship or forget to whom and under whose authority we belong.
To our Father we pray:
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
But all that must start with a "Heavenly Perspective" during this clash of kingdoms here on earth.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Happy Feet
Oh how I love the Lord's sense of Humor. Some of the visuals He gives are funny to me. I find myself dull of mind at times and I am so blessed when the Spirit paints a picture to make a point.
The Holy Spirit has been working with me on my "walk" with Him therefore "feet" are the subject of today's early morning meeting. The Spirit reminds me that there is so much work He desires to do through my life. While He is the One who will manifest Himself through me it is up to me to take Him into the world of people around me. I must take the initiative and walk the steps that will take the Holy Spirit where He wants to go.
He wants me to go with "happy feet" willing and even dancing with the privilege and opportunities He will provide to manifest His Presence and Power over the circumstances in other people's lives.
I see myself as that penguin in the movie with "happy feet" taking the Spirit where ever He wants to go in the sheer joy of Who is inside of me just wanting to bust out, in anticipation of what He is going to do next to bless the people I encounter.
Being shy by nature and not bold, the past has been earmarked by reluctant feet. All my body weight dragging against the forward motion of feet that are being asked to go into unfamiliar places.
Today is a new day. Now that I understand that is not me the Spirit wants to place in unfamiliar places but rather Himself. It's about getting to places where the Spirit wants to go among people He wants to manifest blessings toward and I am His vehicle to get there. Understanding this takes the fear out of "performance issues". I am only the vehicle to transport the Holy One to His intended destinations. It is not my "right" to dictate where we go but it is my privilege to watch Him work there.
This may sound like I am "losing" my life but then "whoever loses his life for My sake will find it". Matt 10:39. And then, John 10:10, Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."
What glorious opportunities await those with "Happy Feet" going with the Spirit and finding the full life that only the Lord can give.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Holy Spirit has been working with me on my "walk" with Him therefore "feet" are the subject of today's early morning meeting. The Spirit reminds me that there is so much work He desires to do through my life. While He is the One who will manifest Himself through me it is up to me to take Him into the world of people around me. I must take the initiative and walk the steps that will take the Holy Spirit where He wants to go.
He wants me to go with "happy feet" willing and even dancing with the privilege and opportunities He will provide to manifest His Presence and Power over the circumstances in other people's lives.
I see myself as that penguin in the movie with "happy feet" taking the Spirit where ever He wants to go in the sheer joy of Who is inside of me just wanting to bust out, in anticipation of what He is going to do next to bless the people I encounter.
Being shy by nature and not bold, the past has been earmarked by reluctant feet. All my body weight dragging against the forward motion of feet that are being asked to go into unfamiliar places.
Today is a new day. Now that I understand that is not me the Spirit wants to place in unfamiliar places but rather Himself. It's about getting to places where the Spirit wants to go among people He wants to manifest blessings toward and I am His vehicle to get there. Understanding this takes the fear out of "performance issues". I am only the vehicle to transport the Holy One to His intended destinations. It is not my "right" to dictate where we go but it is my privilege to watch Him work there.
This may sound like I am "losing" my life but then "whoever loses his life for My sake will find it". Matt 10:39. And then, John 10:10, Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."
What glorious opportunities await those with "Happy Feet" going with the Spirit and finding the full life that only the Lord can give.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wait Upon the Lord***
Today the Holy Spirit calls to me as my patience is being tested in
every way. Waiting for a new season to begin while desperately wanting
the last season to end doesn't seem to have that clear cut line in the
sand. Floating in a sort of limbo marks some of the long days on this
leg of my journey with Jesus.
He gently takes me back to His word:
Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
I have to admit that waiting drives me crazy. How did I ever get so impatient? Waiting is just one of the hardest things I have to do.
The Spirit reminds me today that "waiting" is the test that causes many people to stumble. Our response to God's deliberate delays to our need for immediate gratification in answers and resolutions develops character in us and character brings hope.
He gently takes me back to His word:
Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
I have to admit that waiting drives me crazy. How did I ever get so impatient? Waiting is just one of the hardest things I have to do.
The Spirit reminds me today that "waiting" is the test that causes many people to stumble. Our response to God's deliberate delays to our need for immediate gratification in answers and resolutions develops character in us and character brings hope.
Romans 5:4, "suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given to us."
My impatience has driven me to seek my own resolutions and the pressure to make split second choices or bad ones seems to come from every direction. But the deeper question for me is "why did I live so long with such a temporal perspective and fail to see that God's time table is eternity?"
The Spirit draws me into that eternal perspective. The Spirit comforts my heart. As I learn from Him, He teaches me to slow down. He instructs me to let go of striving. This life is not an Indy 500 race but a journey, a road trip of wondrous discovery and I have to ask myself "what is the rush?"
Today I ask the Spirit to re-set my pace. Help me to stop racing to the "resolutions" but instead look for the opportunities to "work out" faith in every situation.
Every trial comes with a myriad of opportunities to watch, record, and stand in awe of God's sweet sovereignty. Waiting upon the Lord is the only way we have the time to register the impressive wisdom that the God of all Creation reveals to us in the small details that add such dimension to our lives.
As believers we are living our eternal lives now. The Spirit brings the ability and the encouragement to wait but He also brings the promise of even greater things IF we wait, like say, the "gift of the baptism with the Holy Spirit" as Jesus promised in Acts 1:4. I can now see that the Spirit's gifts and anointing only come with patience. How many times have I failed to "wait in Jerusalem" for the power to come before I tried to do the "work"?
Looking forward with focus on God's intervention into each new day in itself produces a peace in the waiting. Faith says He will never leave us or forsake us.....so why not savor the moment and find the greater things He is prepared to do as we wait?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
My impatience has driven me to seek my own resolutions and the pressure to make split second choices or bad ones seems to come from every direction. But the deeper question for me is "why did I live so long with such a temporal perspective and fail to see that God's time table is eternity?"
The Spirit draws me into that eternal perspective. The Spirit comforts my heart. As I learn from Him, He teaches me to slow down. He instructs me to let go of striving. This life is not an Indy 500 race but a journey, a road trip of wondrous discovery and I have to ask myself "what is the rush?"
Today I ask the Spirit to re-set my pace. Help me to stop racing to the "resolutions" but instead look for the opportunities to "work out" faith in every situation.
Every trial comes with a myriad of opportunities to watch, record, and stand in awe of God's sweet sovereignty. Waiting upon the Lord is the only way we have the time to register the impressive wisdom that the God of all Creation reveals to us in the small details that add such dimension to our lives.
As believers we are living our eternal lives now. The Spirit brings the ability and the encouragement to wait but He also brings the promise of even greater things IF we wait, like say, the "gift of the baptism with the Holy Spirit" as Jesus promised in Acts 1:4. I can now see that the Spirit's gifts and anointing only come with patience. How many times have I failed to "wait in Jerusalem" for the power to come before I tried to do the "work"?
Looking forward with focus on God's intervention into each new day in itself produces a peace in the waiting. Faith says He will never leave us or forsake us.....so why not savor the moment and find the greater things He is prepared to do as we wait?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Do You Trust His Ways?
The Spirit is calling and today He reminded me of a conversation we had a long time ago. I am thankful that the Spirit reminds us of lessons we may have forgotten or been tempted to ignore.
Sometimes the reminders come in the form of having to go around the mountain one more time like the Israelites had to circle Mt. Sinai in their wilderness experience due to rebellion and disobedience. Lessons refused translate to more "opportunities" to obey. (I.E. more trials of the same sort until we come into agreement with God)
But sometimes the reminders come in the form of a flash back to important truth, spoken previously, to comfort our weary minds and hearts. Today came one such reminder.
A while ago the Spirit told me about myself....He said, "you trust Me but you don't trust My ways". While that may seem like a contradiction, He took me back to the Word and the account of Lazarus, Mary and Martha on the event of Lazarus' death in John 11.
Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus when their beloved brother was sick. They were devastated that He failed to come in time to heal their brother. Lazarus was dead....good and dead.....when Jesus finally arrived. They trusted Jesus to do what He had previously done for others as God and didn't understand this "betrayal". But for them, the Lord had something greater in mind.
Their ultimate desire was to have their brother back. They wanted him healed and returned to his place and role in their lives. God's desire was the very same thing. The only difference was in the way God planned to accomplish it.
We trust God in the ultimate sense, but then falter when His ways are unclear and our desires or desperate needs are postponed. Mary and Martha wanted and expected a healing to restore their brother. The Lord wanted and delivered a resurrection. His ultimate provision was exactly what they desired, but God's way was unfamiliar to them and required a greater trust.
As I face the days of uncertainty and waiting for resolutions and answers to my heart's desires, am I willing to trust in His ways as I ultimately trust Him? "For my ways are so much higher than your ways" says the Lord in Isaiah 55: 8-9.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Sometimes the reminders come in the form of having to go around the mountain one more time like the Israelites had to circle Mt. Sinai in their wilderness experience due to rebellion and disobedience. Lessons refused translate to more "opportunities" to obey. (I.E. more trials of the same sort until we come into agreement with God)
But sometimes the reminders come in the form of a flash back to important truth, spoken previously, to comfort our weary minds and hearts. Today came one such reminder.
A while ago the Spirit told me about myself....He said, "you trust Me but you don't trust My ways". While that may seem like a contradiction, He took me back to the Word and the account of Lazarus, Mary and Martha on the event of Lazarus' death in John 11.
Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus when their beloved brother was sick. They were devastated that He failed to come in time to heal their brother. Lazarus was dead....good and dead.....when Jesus finally arrived. They trusted Jesus to do what He had previously done for others as God and didn't understand this "betrayal". But for them, the Lord had something greater in mind.
Their ultimate desire was to have their brother back. They wanted him healed and returned to his place and role in their lives. God's desire was the very same thing. The only difference was in the way God planned to accomplish it.
We trust God in the ultimate sense, but then falter when His ways are unclear and our desires or desperate needs are postponed. Mary and Martha wanted and expected a healing to restore their brother. The Lord wanted and delivered a resurrection. His ultimate provision was exactly what they desired, but God's way was unfamiliar to them and required a greater trust.
As I face the days of uncertainty and waiting for resolutions and answers to my heart's desires, am I willing to trust in His ways as I ultimately trust Him? "For my ways are so much higher than your ways" says the Lord in Isaiah 55: 8-9.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Jesus is King!
Today, the Spirit reminds me that my Lord and my Savior is also my King. Here in America we don't operate under the authority of a King and therefore may have a problem understanding the Sovereignty of a King's rule in His Kingdom.
The King's will is not up for discussion, debate or a vote. His authority is final and while He may give audience to those in His kingdom, His authority requires allegiance and submission by all His loyal subjects.
Those under His rule experience the blessings of His Kingdom and when the King is righteous and powerful, the people enjoy great peace and victory.
The Holy Spirit has encouraged me to pray in all matters the prayer our Saviour taught us to pray in Matt 6:9-11:
The King's will is not up for discussion, debate or a vote. His authority is final and while He may give audience to those in His kingdom, His authority requires allegiance and submission by all His loyal subjects.
Those under His rule experience the blessings of His Kingdom and when the King is righteous and powerful, the people enjoy great peace and victory.
The Holy Spirit has encouraged me to pray in all matters the prayer our Saviour taught us to pray in Matt 6:9-11:
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
The Kingdom of Heaven does have a King, His name is Jesus. He is the Father's Son. If we are citizens of that great Kingdom, we must acknowledge our King in all ways.
We who live on this side of the Cross, have a different mandate than those who lived before Jesus came as the suffering Messiah. Jesus is now seated on His Heavenly Throne as King. Our mandate is to share the great news of the Kingdom of Heaven and the love of the One who rules and reigns from there as He modeled through His life and time here on earth.
The Kingdom of heaven is beyond our scope and comprehension but can be described as a paradise where all that is good, lovely, and supportive of our entire being is provided. Jesus came to show us His Kingdom and the Father of all creation. But the Kingdom of Heaven is not for everyone. Matt 7:21. It is only for those who come to love and acknowledge and submit to the King and the Father who sent Him.
All are invited to become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven but some will refuse because they do not care to be under the authority of the King or subject to His rule.
Today I am convicted because I am here to represent my King and my Kingdom. I am here to see what this world of people needs that my Kingdom and my King can provide. I am here as a servant and loyal subject of my King to do what He did when He came the first time, and to show people what His Heavenly Kingdom is all about as a form of encouragement for them to become part of the Kingdom of Heaven too.
In my own strength this is impossible but the Spirit has been sent by my King to facilitate His will through me.
My King, may the Spirit find me a loyal subject ready to help advance our Kingdom on earth and do Your will as it is being done in Heaven.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Conformed to His Image
The Spirit woke me this morning in a gentle but powerful way. The first thought that met me was a question, "Do you realize that to be conformed to the image of Christ Jesus is also to be conformed to His power and authority?"
When I consider what it means to be conformed to His likeness, realizing it is the Father's will for us (Romans 8:29), I usually see this conformation as a "painful" re-configuration of who I am. To be conformed to His image has been in my mind, at least, like being pressed against my nature and therefore in a sense, painful.
But the definition of "conform" means to bring into agreement, and that is not a painful term at all. It is our Father's will that we be brought into agreement with the likeness of His Son, and by the Holy Spirit this otherwise impossible agreement can be made with delight. As we agree, we change.
While I have been wrestling the issues of humility, gentleness, unconditional love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, self control, the Spirit just introduced the other side of His Glorious Image which is power and authority over the enemy and his works.
To be conformed to the likeness of our Savior and King is to radiate His powerful authority over evil no matter where it appears. We are to represent Him against the darkness of the times and to confront the evil in His powerful authority.
For many, we have not considered this aspect of being conformed to His likeness. We may have engaged in such a confrontation but without the true understanding that this is part of being conformed to His likeness and therefore lacked the confidence in our stand. We may have failed to recognize this other side of His Glorious image to which we are called to be in "agreement with".
Holy Spirit, please bring me into agreement and conform me into the complete image of my Christ Jesus.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
When I consider what it means to be conformed to His likeness, realizing it is the Father's will for us (Romans 8:29), I usually see this conformation as a "painful" re-configuration of who I am. To be conformed to His image has been in my mind, at least, like being pressed against my nature and therefore in a sense, painful.
But the definition of "conform" means to bring into agreement, and that is not a painful term at all. It is our Father's will that we be brought into agreement with the likeness of His Son, and by the Holy Spirit this otherwise impossible agreement can be made with delight. As we agree, we change.
While I have been wrestling the issues of humility, gentleness, unconditional love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, self control, the Spirit just introduced the other side of His Glorious Image which is power and authority over the enemy and his works.
To be conformed to the likeness of our Savior and King is to radiate His powerful authority over evil no matter where it appears. We are to represent Him against the darkness of the times and to confront the evil in His powerful authority.
For many, we have not considered this aspect of being conformed to His likeness. We may have engaged in such a confrontation but without the true understanding that this is part of being conformed to His likeness and therefore lacked the confidence in our stand. We may have failed to recognize this other side of His Glorious image to which we are called to be in "agreement with".
Holy Spirit, please bring me into agreement and conform me into the complete image of my Christ Jesus.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Perspective
When the Spirit speaks, it's interesting how the same situations can look so different. It's all about perspective.
It has been said that repentance is really to have a change of mind... By that definition, the closer I get in that intimacy with the Holy Spirit, the more I change my mind about the way I have thought about most things. I do repent for the carnal mindset, once the Spirit begins to reveal Truth and gives me the Mind of Christ from which to think.
Our perspective must change as we tap into the Mind of Christ and it only takes a little reading of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to prove the point.
From the Mind of Christ there is nothing impossible in this life. Jesus came to show us the Father and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven becomes ours once we accept Jesus Christ as our King.
From our perspective on earth, there are all kinds of impossible things, however in the Kingdom of Heaven all that is different. In the Kingdom of Heaven there is no sickness, disease, blindness, poverty or death. When Jesus came and confronted those things we judge as impossible, things changed:
It has been said that repentance is really to have a change of mind... By that definition, the closer I get in that intimacy with the Holy Spirit, the more I change my mind about the way I have thought about most things. I do repent for the carnal mindset, once the Spirit begins to reveal Truth and gives me the Mind of Christ from which to think.
Our perspective must change as we tap into the Mind of Christ and it only takes a little reading of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to prove the point.
From the Mind of Christ there is nothing impossible in this life. Jesus came to show us the Father and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven becomes ours once we accept Jesus Christ as our King.
From our perspective on earth, there are all kinds of impossible things, however in the Kingdom of Heaven all that is different. In the Kingdom of Heaven there is no sickness, disease, blindness, poverty or death. When Jesus came and confronted those things we judge as impossible, things changed:
Jesus fed the multitude with a young boy's lunch. John 6:8-13
Jesus paid his taxes with a coin recovered from the mouth of a fish. Matt 17:24-27
Jesus restored or actually gave sight to a man born blind. John 9:1-8
Jesus even raised Lazarus from the dead. John 11:43
Jesus, through His life and ministry opened our minds to a whole new view of our life and trials here. Our circumstances can be our undoing or our circumstances can be the doorway to a whole new life where the miraculous intersects with and governs our world.
The early church was focused on the resurrected life of our King and their "heavenly" perspective rocked their world. They actually believed Jesus when He said, "greater things will you do...." John 14:11-14. But it all begins with perspective made available to us through and because the Holy Spirit will give us the "Mind of Christ" if we ask.
My desire is to have the Mind of my Christ; to think His thoughts about every situation I encounter every day. I long to live with the Kindgom mentality that sees nothing as impossible.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
In The Last Days......*
The Spirit calls me on this day to be thankful, and then reminds me of the Father's great promise recorded in Joel 2:28 and again in Acts 2:17:
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people
Your sons and daughters will prophesy
your young men will see visions
your old men will dream dreams
even on my servants both men and women
I will pour out my Spirit.
I doubt that any who know God's Word and see what is going on around the world would argue that these are not the last days spoken of by the Prophets of old. The collapse of societies everywhere speaks to the reality that our times are coming to an end.
This means that time is short for the salvation of the lost. The stakes are high: lost souls yet to find their way into the Kingdom of God. It is God's unfailing mercy that He is willing to pour out His Spirit and give evidence of Himself though supernatural signs and wonders to the unbelieving world.
So, I listen with eager ears to what the Spirit is saying to me. I am compelled to desperately seek the spiritual gifts promised and now confident that these are the days and times when a "spirit filled", supernatural walk with the Lord is not only possible but necessary to fulfill God's purpose for those of us with the privilege of being alive at this great, grand finale of man's days upon the earth. This is a time of the final harvest and we have been chosen to participate in it.
I speak to a lot of God's people and we all seem to be full of the same desire: to know and operate in our Spiritual gifts, under the anointing by the Holy Spirit that can only come from our Heavenly Father.
God is speaking to all of us who believe and His Spirit is calling for us to walk in the fullness of our potential. Our gifts strengths and talents are given for such a time as this. But to have the power and authority and anointing necessary for us to glorify our Father and our Lord, and to share His Gospel unto the salvation of the lost, we must be under the control of His Holy Spirit.
Today, I praise God and thank Him for His Holy Spirit who speaks to all with an ear to hear. I praise God for what is about to take place in the Body of Christ and through the witness by His people of the miraculous signs and wonders that the Spirit of Holiness is working.
Jesus said to the unbelieving world, "even if you do not believe in my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 10:38) May we, the Church of the Living God, be able to speak the same word, having miracles we can point to as the evidence.
Get ready Church, for a mighty move of His Spirit. Pray that each one of us will co-operate with His Divine Will, and do our part as the Spirit desires to use each one of us and the gifts He will impart.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Age of Grace*
Seeking wisdom for the circumstances I find myself facing, the Spirit calls. He has been teaching me so much about His desire to manifest His gifts and His fruit through my life. But there are "rocks" in the river and He is in the process of removing them so that His ability to flow through me will not be slowed or hindered.
Today the subject is my judgment over people and the circumstances touching our lives. He told me that this is the Age of Grace. It is His Dispensation not mine and I have no right to make judgements regarding the worthiness of myself or any one else to receive His grace or to meter it out in incremental doses as I see fit. Ouch!
I was raised and steeped in legalism as a child. This stronghold was operational for years and tainted my perspective. It has created what I call the "sin-spin". Almost like a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle; the clothes are clean and the dirty water has been cycled out but the machine won't stop spinning.
I am basically useless in this "sin-spin" not able to exit and return to my original shape, now clean and made Holy. He told me that grace is the end of legalism and the end of the "sin-spin".
In the revelation of Himself, I see that He is both Truth and Grace. I must know both as they are important to each other. Truth identifies sin and Grace forgives it. He is the Spirit of Truth sent into the world to convict us and bring us to repentance, but He is also the Spirit of Grace who forgives us completely once Truth has been received and sin repented for.
Legalism brings judgment of myself and others. While this may be "truth" in the revelation of sin, if I don't accept and apply grace, I am not capable of sharing the Gospel for the Gospel is the "good news" of God's love and forgiveness.
Jesus said, "I did not come to judge the world but to save it" John 12:47. If my Lord came with this mission mandate, how can I operate in any different a manner toward the people He places in my life each day.
I desperately need to be filled with the Spirit who has called for this Dispensation of Grace, in order to well serve Him in these final days when it is so easy to judge and call for God's wrath.The Spirit is willing to take over, stop the "sin spin" and manifest His grace through me. I confess my weakness and I know He will be my strength. The journey with Jesus can be more difficult when we fail to grasp this truth. I am so thankful for it.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Today the subject is my judgment over people and the circumstances touching our lives. He told me that this is the Age of Grace. It is His Dispensation not mine and I have no right to make judgements regarding the worthiness of myself or any one else to receive His grace or to meter it out in incremental doses as I see fit. Ouch!
I was raised and steeped in legalism as a child. This stronghold was operational for years and tainted my perspective. It has created what I call the "sin-spin". Almost like a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle; the clothes are clean and the dirty water has been cycled out but the machine won't stop spinning.
I am basically useless in this "sin-spin" not able to exit and return to my original shape, now clean and made Holy. He told me that grace is the end of legalism and the end of the "sin-spin".
In the revelation of Himself, I see that He is both Truth and Grace. I must know both as they are important to each other. Truth identifies sin and Grace forgives it. He is the Spirit of Truth sent into the world to convict us and bring us to repentance, but He is also the Spirit of Grace who forgives us completely once Truth has been received and sin repented for.
Legalism brings judgment of myself and others. While this may be "truth" in the revelation of sin, if I don't accept and apply grace, I am not capable of sharing the Gospel for the Gospel is the "good news" of God's love and forgiveness.
Jesus said, "I did not come to judge the world but to save it" John 12:47. If my Lord came with this mission mandate, how can I operate in any different a manner toward the people He places in my life each day.
I desperately need to be filled with the Spirit who has called for this Dispensation of Grace, in order to well serve Him in these final days when it is so easy to judge and call for God's wrath.The Spirit is willing to take over, stop the "sin spin" and manifest His grace through me. I confess my weakness and I know He will be my strength. The journey with Jesus can be more difficult when we fail to grasp this truth. I am so thankful for it.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Worthy Words*
The Spirit is calling me to accountability today. He spoke into our morning conference, "The tongue has the power of life and death" Proverbs 18:21. "With our tongue we praise our Lord and Father and with it we curse men who have been made in God's likeness." James 2:9.
The way of the Spirit is love and the expression of His love comes through well chosen words as well as well chosen deeds. Worthy words are priceless to the hearer. Even brutal truth can be delivered well when under the Divine control of the Holy Spirit.
But do I surrender to the control of the Spirit over my words?
I am convicted that even though I am walking the earth with the fullness of Christ indwelling my heart, my mouth runs a course that is far from the Holiness within my heart of hearts.
I come under the refiner's fire knowing and hearing the corruption evidenced in my words. I come to repentance for the worthless words of yesterday. I realize that only the Holy Spirit can tame the tongue and then, only if I allow Him the control switch.
Worthless words create division and fuel the enemy in so many ways. I truly desire that all my words be worthy not worthless, and useful for building up and not tearing down. It is imperative that I keep a tight rein on my tongue if I am to be Christ's ambassador to the world but even and especially to fellow believers.
Today is a new day. Help me Holy Spirit, to be slow to speak and look for the Holy expressions of your love in and through the choice of my words.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The way of the Spirit is love and the expression of His love comes through well chosen words as well as well chosen deeds. Worthy words are priceless to the hearer. Even brutal truth can be delivered well when under the Divine control of the Holy Spirit.
But do I surrender to the control of the Spirit over my words?
I am convicted that even though I am walking the earth with the fullness of Christ indwelling my heart, my mouth runs a course that is far from the Holiness within my heart of hearts.
I come under the refiner's fire knowing and hearing the corruption evidenced in my words. I come to repentance for the worthless words of yesterday. I realize that only the Holy Spirit can tame the tongue and then, only if I allow Him the control switch.
Worthless words create division and fuel the enemy in so many ways. I truly desire that all my words be worthy not worthless, and useful for building up and not tearing down. It is imperative that I keep a tight rein on my tongue if I am to be Christ's ambassador to the world but even and especially to fellow believers.
Today is a new day. Help me Holy Spirit, to be slow to speak and look for the Holy expressions of your love in and through the choice of my words.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Importance of Praise and Worship*
Yesterday was a hard day. The battle was raging and I got caught in the crossfire. Ever feel like that? When the bombs are going off all around you and the fierceness of the battle becomes so apparent that you don't quite know how to process all that is happening.
The Spirit calls me to Himself this morning to teach me another lesson about the importance of praise and worship.
Wisdom speaks. "Since the beginning of man's days upon the earth, the devil has targeted humans because you are made in the very image of your God. The war the devil has declared against God is being fought in this realm in an effort to destroy the love relationship you might otherwise have with your Beloved Creator."
His strategy is to infect us with doubt. The devil orchestrates circumstances that represent our trials to try to defeat us in our faith walk. He lines up agents of darkness to carry out evil assignments against us, all with the intention to get us to doubt; God's love, God's help and deliverance, even God's existence.
But we are not to be ignorant of his schemes and the Lord has a Heavenly strategy to combat such evil and restore Divine order and control to our lives.
The strategy is simple and anyone can use it if only we would remember. Heaven's strategy is simple; praise and worship is a weapon designed to defeat the evil one. Praise and worship poured out to our Holy God defies doubt. There can be no "doubt" while we are in the place of praise and worship even if we do not understand things at the moment.
Praise and worship of our God disarms the enemy because his whole effort is aimed at creating division between us and our Heavenly Father. Praise and worship demonstrates unity between us and the Lord that is demonstrated in no other way. There is faith in "praise" and trust in "worship" that the enemy cannot get past.
Praise and worship is an act of faith in the midst of an assault that will route the enemy and destroy his agenda over our lives. God moves through the faith of His people. The greatest demonstration of our faith is in our praise and worship of the One who is worthy even, and especially while in the thicket of the battle.
Each and every day I must remember to praise and worship Him. To God be all Glory and Honor and Praise and Worship!
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Spirit calls me to Himself this morning to teach me another lesson about the importance of praise and worship.
Wisdom speaks. "Since the beginning of man's days upon the earth, the devil has targeted humans because you are made in the very image of your God. The war the devil has declared against God is being fought in this realm in an effort to destroy the love relationship you might otherwise have with your Beloved Creator."
His strategy is to infect us with doubt. The devil orchestrates circumstances that represent our trials to try to defeat us in our faith walk. He lines up agents of darkness to carry out evil assignments against us, all with the intention to get us to doubt; God's love, God's help and deliverance, even God's existence.
But we are not to be ignorant of his schemes and the Lord has a Heavenly strategy to combat such evil and restore Divine order and control to our lives.
The strategy is simple and anyone can use it if only we would remember. Heaven's strategy is simple; praise and worship is a weapon designed to defeat the evil one. Praise and worship poured out to our Holy God defies doubt. There can be no "doubt" while we are in the place of praise and worship even if we do not understand things at the moment.
Praise and worship of our God disarms the enemy because his whole effort is aimed at creating division between us and our Heavenly Father. Praise and worship demonstrates unity between us and the Lord that is demonstrated in no other way. There is faith in "praise" and trust in "worship" that the enemy cannot get past.
Praise and worship is an act of faith in the midst of an assault that will route the enemy and destroy his agenda over our lives. God moves through the faith of His people. The greatest demonstration of our faith is in our praise and worship of the One who is worthy even, and especially while in the thicket of the battle.
Each and every day I must remember to praise and worship Him. To God be all Glory and Honor and Praise and Worship!
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Thy Kingdom Come!
I love how the Holy Spirit gives me the liberty to just meander as we walk together. I truly understand on days like today, and yesterday and the day before, how the purpose is in the journey not just the destination.
We have been meandering through many meadows of truth for the last few days and the input has been amazing but also overwhelming to my finite mind.
The Holy Spirit has been correcting my thinking on a myriad of subjects not the least of which has been the subject of the economy in the world we wake up to every morning.
With all the "bad news" and fear for our economic future on planet earth, I am thankful that the topic is not out of bounds or unimportant to our God. I am thankful that the Spirit has answers for the tangible as well as the spiritual issues we have to deal with every day.
It is our blessing and privilege to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness of our Heavenly Father, so that "then" all the other things that we need here on earth will be given as well. Matt 6:33.
I have come to realize that poverty is not so much about lack of money but more about lack of faith.
As I seek the "Kingdom of Heaven", I see the true picture is one of great abundance. There is no such thing as poverty in our Father's Kingdom. There is no such thing as an unmet need. And Jesus, Himself, taught us to pray, "Our Father in Heaven, Hollowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done."
If our Father's Kingdom is one of abundant resources and Jesus told us to pray "Thy Kingdom come", why do we prefer to wallow in fear of poverty rather than pray, "Thy Kingdom come" with all it's benefits, and not just money, but also health and healing and deliverance from the vice grip of evil....etc. Why do we believe the lies that somehow God's Kingdom is only about things we can't touch or don't need here?
There is a difference between seeking first the kingdom of Babylon when finances become the big issue of our lives. The kingdom of Babylon presents a worldly perspective that is never ever going to give us victory because it has been built by an enemy who wants us forever in his control. He is a liar and unbelief results in our believing his lies in instead of Truth. Might this explain why we fail to have the faith to believe for our abundant life here?
Seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven involves being changed from an earthly mindset to a Heavenly one, from a temporal mindset to an Eternal one. It's the LOVE of money not the need or use of it that is the root of all evil.
Our Heavenly Kingdom has all the resources for an abundant life. May we learn to pray with a pure heart, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." And then give all Glory to the One who opens the floodgates of Heaven in answer to that prayer.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
We have been meandering through many meadows of truth for the last few days and the input has been amazing but also overwhelming to my finite mind.
The Holy Spirit has been correcting my thinking on a myriad of subjects not the least of which has been the subject of the economy in the world we wake up to every morning.
With all the "bad news" and fear for our economic future on planet earth, I am thankful that the topic is not out of bounds or unimportant to our God. I am thankful that the Spirit has answers for the tangible as well as the spiritual issues we have to deal with every day.
It is our blessing and privilege to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness of our Heavenly Father, so that "then" all the other things that we need here on earth will be given as well. Matt 6:33.
I have come to realize that poverty is not so much about lack of money but more about lack of faith.
As I seek the "Kingdom of Heaven", I see the true picture is one of great abundance. There is no such thing as poverty in our Father's Kingdom. There is no such thing as an unmet need. And Jesus, Himself, taught us to pray, "Our Father in Heaven, Hollowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done."
If our Father's Kingdom is one of abundant resources and Jesus told us to pray "Thy Kingdom come", why do we prefer to wallow in fear of poverty rather than pray, "Thy Kingdom come" with all it's benefits, and not just money, but also health and healing and deliverance from the vice grip of evil....etc. Why do we believe the lies that somehow God's Kingdom is only about things we can't touch or don't need here?
There is a difference between seeking first the kingdom of Babylon when finances become the big issue of our lives. The kingdom of Babylon presents a worldly perspective that is never ever going to give us victory because it has been built by an enemy who wants us forever in his control. He is a liar and unbelief results in our believing his lies in instead of Truth. Might this explain why we fail to have the faith to believe for our abundant life here?
Seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven involves being changed from an earthly mindset to a Heavenly one, from a temporal mindset to an Eternal one. It's the LOVE of money not the need or use of it that is the root of all evil.
Our Heavenly Kingdom has all the resources for an abundant life. May we learn to pray with a pure heart, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." And then give all Glory to the One who opens the floodgates of Heaven in answer to that prayer.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Master's Way
The tyranny of the urgent tries to impose it's rule over my life this morning. The Spirit calls and now there is a conflict. Do I answer the call of the Spirit or answer the demands of the urgent?
How many days start and even end like this? While the urgent claims it cannot wait, today I will put that claim to the test. I choose to answer the call of the Spirit and devote the time to Him.
This is what He says, "Each and every circumstance in life has been Divinely orchestrated within the context of God's Sovereignty." I ask, "Even the urgent that would draw me away?" He says, "Yes, just like this morning."
Then He begins to show me the purpose in this challenge. "Are you not a bond slave of Christ; bound to do His Will?" Roman 1:6. Suddenly I see how the tyranny of the urgent hammers me into spontaneous reactions or worse, spontaneous combustion, an explosion, where God's goals and purposes rarely get accomplished or fulfilled.
As a bond slave, my job is to look for the goal, purpose, lesson, directive to obey, warning to observe in every situation and to flow with it as Christ within would direct. Truly this takes time with the Master and a necessary slow down which explains why busy-ness is such an enemy.
Within this lesson there lies a picture of a bond slave so attached to the Master, so acquainted with His ways that the bond slave knows how the Master would handle every situation. Then, to have the confident assurance that as he responds in the Master's way, every opportunity to react or serve will result in the Master's goals being achieved.
Every day the choice is mine. Today I pray, "Lord please obliterate the ungodly responses within me; the temptation to react to the urgent in any way other than to insist on a slow down, so that Christ within can speak to each and every situation that comes, in the "Master's way."
The choice is mine, the choice is yours.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
How many days start and even end like this? While the urgent claims it cannot wait, today I will put that claim to the test. I choose to answer the call of the Spirit and devote the time to Him.
This is what He says, "Each and every circumstance in life has been Divinely orchestrated within the context of God's Sovereignty." I ask, "Even the urgent that would draw me away?" He says, "Yes, just like this morning."
Then He begins to show me the purpose in this challenge. "Are you not a bond slave of Christ; bound to do His Will?" Roman 1:6. Suddenly I see how the tyranny of the urgent hammers me into spontaneous reactions or worse, spontaneous combustion, an explosion, where God's goals and purposes rarely get accomplished or fulfilled.
As a bond slave, my job is to look for the goal, purpose, lesson, directive to obey, warning to observe in every situation and to flow with it as Christ within would direct. Truly this takes time with the Master and a necessary slow down which explains why busy-ness is such an enemy.
Within this lesson there lies a picture of a bond slave so attached to the Master, so acquainted with His ways that the bond slave knows how the Master would handle every situation. Then, to have the confident assurance that as he responds in the Master's way, every opportunity to react or serve will result in the Master's goals being achieved.
Every day the choice is mine. Today I pray, "Lord please obliterate the ungodly responses within me; the temptation to react to the urgent in any way other than to insist on a slow down, so that Christ within can speak to each and every situation that comes, in the "Master's way."
The choice is mine, the choice is yours.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Invitation
It's 4:00 A.M. The battle rages. Every day the battle rages. The sun is about to rise and in one way or another I will have to go face my Goliath. But for now, I am at peace in the place of meeting with my Creator, His Son and His Spirit.
I confess I am a morning person, and it's not a matter of personal discipline or sacrifice on my part to make the morning meetings. In fact, I am thankful that the Lord accommodates my body rhythms and calls me to Himself when I am at my best in terms of mental, emotional and physical alertness.
Today the Spirit calls and I try to listen. He challenges me this morning to ponder my desires. My desire is to just stay here, not have to face any battle or deal with any enemy.
I ponder how He brings such contentment to my whole being. Here, I don't need any money and the "bread" and "wine" are plentiful. This place of meeting is truly a "Heavenly Place".
Then the Spirit shows me a picture. Jesus says in Rev 3:20, "Here I am. I stand at the doorway and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me." For those who have opened the door and then become so overwhelmed with life that they are too busy to share it with the One who gives it; For those who may have even looked around for Him and found Him gone, He is reaching out again.
In this picture, He showed me how He is going house to house slipping an invitation under every door to come meet Him in the "Heavenly Place". It's an invitation to come and share life; not just future eternity but present eternity as well.
The invitation is personal. The invitation is to become His Disciple. The invitation is to come share life as those He called when He walked the earth. The invitation is there and I readily accept it.
Have you opened yours?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I confess I am a morning person, and it's not a matter of personal discipline or sacrifice on my part to make the morning meetings. In fact, I am thankful that the Lord accommodates my body rhythms and calls me to Himself when I am at my best in terms of mental, emotional and physical alertness.
Today the Spirit calls and I try to listen. He challenges me this morning to ponder my desires. My desire is to just stay here, not have to face any battle or deal with any enemy.
I ponder how He brings such contentment to my whole being. Here, I don't need any money and the "bread" and "wine" are plentiful. This place of meeting is truly a "Heavenly Place".
Then the Spirit shows me a picture. Jesus says in Rev 3:20, "Here I am. I stand at the doorway and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me." For those who have opened the door and then become so overwhelmed with life that they are too busy to share it with the One who gives it; For those who may have even looked around for Him and found Him gone, He is reaching out again.
In this picture, He showed me how He is going house to house slipping an invitation under every door to come meet Him in the "Heavenly Place". It's an invitation to come and share life; not just future eternity but present eternity as well.
The invitation is personal. The invitation is to become His Disciple. The invitation is to come share life as those He called when He walked the earth. The invitation is there and I readily accept it.
Have you opened yours?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
God's Mercy Through Me***
The Spirit calls me to just ponder God's love. When I quote, "God's mercies (compassions) are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:23), I tend to place this quote in the context of encouragement for myself or others going through trials. I have seen it for the "righteous ones", those called according to His purposes, clinging to the hope that all will go well for those of "The"faith.
But today, the Spirit took me into the back room, where I can look at His mercies without the qualifying filter of my "exalted" self worth.
What I see astounds me. It makes me stand in humble awe of the God I serve.
The Spirit showed me how His great mercies extend to all flesh especially to those we classify as "unlovables" There are those people in our lives or who touch our world for a brief moment, who can be defined as "unlovable". Those people whose personalities or character repel us. We avoid them, dismiss them, guard against them and judge them.
Upon greater meditation of His mercies, I see how God continually acts in mercy. God IS mercy. His Spirit is abounding in mercy and not just for the "good guys".
Jesus said, "I did not come to judge the world but to save it." (John 12:47)
As His ambassador, it is my responsibility to act according to His character and commands. If He plainly states that He did not come to judge the world, why do I? If His mercies are new every morning then why do I not extend those mercies?
The Spirit has shown me that the "world" is a prison camp of the enemy. Those of us who know Christ have been rescued and set free. We are called to assist in the rescue of those who are still incarcerated. But if we refuse to be merciful, we are no better than the devils who are guarding them and beating them down.
Since I am a vessel who is to carry the life of Christ into the world around me, I am convicted and compelled to repent and pray: "Abba, forgive me for stopping the flow of your mercy. Open the channel of your mercies, not for me to hold only for myself but to share with the world around me. May I flow with Your great Mercy and Love for the unlovables. May all your ambassadors flow with your great Mercy and Love for the unlovables".
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
But today, the Spirit took me into the back room, where I can look at His mercies without the qualifying filter of my "exalted" self worth.
What I see astounds me. It makes me stand in humble awe of the God I serve.
The Spirit showed me how His great mercies extend to all flesh especially to those we classify as "unlovables" There are those people in our lives or who touch our world for a brief moment, who can be defined as "unlovable". Those people whose personalities or character repel us. We avoid them, dismiss them, guard against them and judge them.
Upon greater meditation of His mercies, I see how God continually acts in mercy. God IS mercy. His Spirit is abounding in mercy and not just for the "good guys".
Jesus said, "I did not come to judge the world but to save it." (John 12:47)
As His ambassador, it is my responsibility to act according to His character and commands. If He plainly states that He did not come to judge the world, why do I? If His mercies are new every morning then why do I not extend those mercies?
The Spirit has shown me that the "world" is a prison camp of the enemy. Those of us who know Christ have been rescued and set free. We are called to assist in the rescue of those who are still incarcerated. But if we refuse to be merciful, we are no better than the devils who are guarding them and beating them down.
Since I am a vessel who is to carry the life of Christ into the world around me, I am convicted and compelled to repent and pray: "Abba, forgive me for stopping the flow of your mercy. Open the channel of your mercies, not for me to hold only for myself but to share with the world around me. May I flow with Your great Mercy and Love for the unlovables. May all your ambassadors flow with your great Mercy and Love for the unlovables".
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
In The Silence
Sometimes the Spirit gives me time to ponder what He has previously spoken. These are the days of silence from the blog.
Not that the Spirit is disengaged or inactive, but rather that His wisdom needs to be processed, applied and tested. Psalm 139:23, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts."
It's on these days when the excitement of the journey gives way to the monotony; the visual of the same landscape we seem to have passed by before. And it is here where we cannot help but wonder if we are making any progress at all.
While we would love to live on the mountaintop like Peter. We get the vision there, but at some point in time we must come to realize that the vision was given on the mountain top only to be brought into the valley to be worked and shared.
Will I be willing to come down into the valley to share what I saw? Will I get fearful, distracted, hopeless, anxious? Or will I be faithful to the Lord who gave me the vision?
"These are the days that try men's souls". (Thomas Paine)
The Spirit is calling. Do you hear Him?
Not that the Spirit is disengaged or inactive, but rather that His wisdom needs to be processed, applied and tested. Psalm 139:23, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts."
It's on these days when the excitement of the journey gives way to the monotony; the visual of the same landscape we seem to have passed by before. And it is here where we cannot help but wonder if we are making any progress at all.
While we would love to live on the mountaintop like Peter. We get the vision there, but at some point in time we must come to realize that the vision was given on the mountain top only to be brought into the valley to be worked and shared.
Will I be willing to come down into the valley to share what I saw? Will I get fearful, distracted, hopeless, anxious? Or will I be faithful to the Lord who gave me the vision?
"These are the days that try men's souls". (Thomas Paine)
The Spirit is calling. Do you hear Him?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
They Will Soar on Wings like Eagles!
The Spirit has a method of teaching me that involves pictures in my mind. I have always said, that, as a student, I am too dull to understand some things and I need the Lord to just draw me a picture.
God is faithful and will provide whatever we need to learn and go deeper into the Truth.
Much is going on in my life that, when viewed through the grid of self pity, almost looks like a punishment. So today the Spirit calls me to look at Hebrews 12:7, "endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you like sons" (and daughters).
That seems pretty clear and unequivocal but the Spirit knows the degree of guilt and self pity that can well up inside of me, taking a truth and tweaking it around. So He takes this opportunity to draw me a picture.
The visual I got is that of a fledgling eagle. Eagles are designed and meant to soar. But first their wings must become strong. The Spirit showed me that to strengthen my wings, the Lord has hung some rocks around my ankles, and if I keep trying to fly against the weight of the rocks, my wings will become strong.
"Endure hardship as discipline". Now I see that the "discipline" is not a punishment word due to anything I am doing wrong, but rather a training word:
Training an athlete goes through, training a scholar goes through, and training an eagle might go through. Training under weights designed to strengthen..the body, the mind, or the wings. In order for me soar to greater heights, the Lord has hung some rocks around my ankles.
Isaiah 40:31 says it best, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
I confess my focus and attention has been on removing the rocks rather than trying to fly. Hebrews 12 exhorts me to forget the "rocks" and work on the "wings"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
God is faithful and will provide whatever we need to learn and go deeper into the Truth.
Much is going on in my life that, when viewed through the grid of self pity, almost looks like a punishment. So today the Spirit calls me to look at Hebrews 12:7, "endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you like sons" (and daughters).
That seems pretty clear and unequivocal but the Spirit knows the degree of guilt and self pity that can well up inside of me, taking a truth and tweaking it around. So He takes this opportunity to draw me a picture.
The visual I got is that of a fledgling eagle. Eagles are designed and meant to soar. But first their wings must become strong. The Spirit showed me that to strengthen my wings, the Lord has hung some rocks around my ankles, and if I keep trying to fly against the weight of the rocks, my wings will become strong.
"Endure hardship as discipline". Now I see that the "discipline" is not a punishment word due to anything I am doing wrong, but rather a training word:
Training an athlete goes through, training a scholar goes through, and training an eagle might go through. Training under weights designed to strengthen..the body, the mind, or the wings. In order for me soar to greater heights, the Lord has hung some rocks around my ankles.
Isaiah 40:31 says it best, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
I confess my focus and attention has been on removing the rocks rather than trying to fly. Hebrews 12 exhorts me to forget the "rocks" and work on the "wings"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Battlefield Of The Mind
Life as a Christian is a battle. We were born into a world at war. Good vs evil, light vs dark..the battle rages all the time.
I have fought many battles and learned some things about spiritual warfare. I know that the enemy uses deception and lies as his primary weapon in this war. I know that the real battlefield is the mind where we seem to be constantly assailed by the lies of evil. I know that the extent and degree to which we believe those lies is the extent and degree to which we live defeated lives.
Sin cycles and failure accompany the unbelief which really translates to the belief in a lie or in a twisting of the Truth.
Seeking wisdom and wondering why I have seen such limited victories in certain areas of my life, the Spirit revealed something I really needed to know: He said, "you know and believe that the battle belongs to the Lord, but you fail to realize that the "battlefield" belongs to Him as well." The battlefield of my mind IS His and He will give victory from this battlefield.
This is called the "renewing" of the mind. The world tells us to "educate" our minds, but the Lord tells us to "renew" our minds. The more we try to fight the battle from the human vantage points and human intelligence, the more the enemy will be able to over power us and defeat us.
In my life, I have to call this idolatry...the worship of knowledge. Romans 12:2, "do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is...His good and perfect will.
Through the renewing of the mind, the enemy cannot set foot onto this battlefield and the "battlefield" then becomes a lauch pad for God's great victory over darkness. We take every thought into captivity for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The renewal begins when we commit our minds to the Lord just as we committed our heart and bodies to Him . The Holy Spirit will then take over the battlefied. John 16:13, "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth."
Will I renew my mind or just educate it?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I have fought many battles and learned some things about spiritual warfare. I know that the enemy uses deception and lies as his primary weapon in this war. I know that the real battlefield is the mind where we seem to be constantly assailed by the lies of evil. I know that the extent and degree to which we believe those lies is the extent and degree to which we live defeated lives.
Sin cycles and failure accompany the unbelief which really translates to the belief in a lie or in a twisting of the Truth.
Seeking wisdom and wondering why I have seen such limited victories in certain areas of my life, the Spirit revealed something I really needed to know: He said, "you know and believe that the battle belongs to the Lord, but you fail to realize that the "battlefield" belongs to Him as well." The battlefield of my mind IS His and He will give victory from this battlefield.
This is called the "renewing" of the mind. The world tells us to "educate" our minds, but the Lord tells us to "renew" our minds. The more we try to fight the battle from the human vantage points and human intelligence, the more the enemy will be able to over power us and defeat us.
In my life, I have to call this idolatry...the worship of knowledge. Romans 12:2, "do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is...His good and perfect will.
Through the renewing of the mind, the enemy cannot set foot onto this battlefield and the "battlefield" then becomes a lauch pad for God's great victory over darkness. We take every thought into captivity for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The renewal begins when we commit our minds to the Lord just as we committed our heart and bodies to Him . The Holy Spirit will then take over the battlefied. John 16:13, "But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth."
Will I renew my mind or just educate it?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A Walk With The King
My Pastor exhorts us each Sunday before we leave to go out and "Walk with the King". The Holy Spirit enables us and teaches us how to do it.
This is a process and new lessons are provided for me each morning when the Spirit calls.
Today the Spirit has revealed that my "control freak" mentality leads to striving and the striving leads to disobedience. His convicting Presence leads me to the need to repent for the constant striving in my mind, but His gentle persuasion pushes me on to understand the source.
He spoke to my heart and told me that I am continually striving to find resolutions to problems I encounter in life. While the problems are designed to drive us into His arms, finding their resolution is not to become the focus of my time and energy.
To find resolutions to each and every problem that vexes me is not the Godly purpose in each day or week or month or year. The Godly purpose in each new day is to seek and find fellowship with our Creator, Savior, Lord and King. Resolutions will accompany my walk but they are not be the ultimate purpose or goal.
If I can accept and apply this truth then the problems in life will not be the source of striving, frustration or victimization.
Peace follows obedience. It is interesting how I always thought that this principle applied to "doing" rather than "being". To be in continuous surrender and fellowship to the Lord's Holy Spirit is the place where "doing" and "being" come together. ...and there is where I will find peace.
Once I get past the desperate need for "resolution" and find fellowship with the Spirit in the process, I believe I will be free to "walk with the King" and most likely see the desired resolutions flow.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
This is a process and new lessons are provided for me each morning when the Spirit calls.
Today the Spirit has revealed that my "control freak" mentality leads to striving and the striving leads to disobedience. His convicting Presence leads me to the need to repent for the constant striving in my mind, but His gentle persuasion pushes me on to understand the source.
He spoke to my heart and told me that I am continually striving to find resolutions to problems I encounter in life. While the problems are designed to drive us into His arms, finding their resolution is not to become the focus of my time and energy.
To find resolutions to each and every problem that vexes me is not the Godly purpose in each day or week or month or year. The Godly purpose in each new day is to seek and find fellowship with our Creator, Savior, Lord and King. Resolutions will accompany my walk but they are not be the ultimate purpose or goal.
If I can accept and apply this truth then the problems in life will not be the source of striving, frustration or victimization.
Peace follows obedience. It is interesting how I always thought that this principle applied to "doing" rather than "being". To be in continuous surrender and fellowship to the Lord's Holy Spirit is the place where "doing" and "being" come together. ...and there is where I will find peace.
Once I get past the desperate need for "resolution" and find fellowship with the Spirit in the process, I believe I will be free to "walk with the King" and most likely see the desired resolutions flow.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
IF........
Did I mention that I am a control freak? I guess the Spirit is calling me to come to terms with the problem it causes between Him and me. He has asked me to go to the Word and read the Lord's prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Matt 26:39-42.
The familiar words that come to my mind when I remember the passage is "not as I will but as You will". In this final momentous act of submission, the Savior constrained His flesh and condemned it to death on the cross and it represents quite a message to all of us.
But today the Spirit led me to the preceding thoughts and prayers from the Son's heart to the Father's Throne. IF...begins the sentence of petition. Vs 39, "If it be possible, may this cup be taken from Me". And again in Vs 42, "If it is not possible for this cup to be taken away".
I suddenly realize how few of my petitions begin with "If". That speaks volumes to me about the degree of "self" in my petitions. Most are "Lord, please do this or send that or don't allow this or that" and the emphasis is on my understanding of the need or to offset the agony of the situation not the emphasis on the Father's will IN the need or the Glory due Him for the resolutions given according to His Will.
It's so hard to even begin to understand how my flesh enters into my prayer life but this revelation by the Holy Spirit confirms that it does and can hinder the effective prayers of a righteous person. This is a sobering reminder that without the Spirit of Christ I can do nothing.
IF, changes the control button. When I start with IF, then I am willing to accept God's will and not push for my own. When I start with IF, the Spirit can truly have His way in the situation and this is a good thing because His perspective is so much higher, wider, and eternal in it's scope than any of our own. Only the Lord knows the end from the beginning and what He is after through the circumstances of our daily lives.
I wonder what wisdom and answers will come today IF in my petitions I start with "IF "?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The familiar words that come to my mind when I remember the passage is "not as I will but as You will". In this final momentous act of submission, the Savior constrained His flesh and condemned it to death on the cross and it represents quite a message to all of us.
But today the Spirit led me to the preceding thoughts and prayers from the Son's heart to the Father's Throne. IF...begins the sentence of petition. Vs 39, "If it be possible, may this cup be taken from Me". And again in Vs 42, "If it is not possible for this cup to be taken away".
I suddenly realize how few of my petitions begin with "If". That speaks volumes to me about the degree of "self" in my petitions. Most are "Lord, please do this or send that or don't allow this or that" and the emphasis is on my understanding of the need or to offset the agony of the situation not the emphasis on the Father's will IN the need or the Glory due Him for the resolutions given according to His Will.
It's so hard to even begin to understand how my flesh enters into my prayer life but this revelation by the Holy Spirit confirms that it does and can hinder the effective prayers of a righteous person. This is a sobering reminder that without the Spirit of Christ I can do nothing.
IF, changes the control button. When I start with IF, then I am willing to accept God's will and not push for my own. When I start with IF, the Spirit can truly have His way in the situation and this is a good thing because His perspective is so much higher, wider, and eternal in it's scope than any of our own. Only the Lord knows the end from the beginning and what He is after through the circumstances of our daily lives.
I wonder what wisdom and answers will come today IF in my petitions I start with "IF "?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
My Agenda or God's Purpose?
For a long time, I have been pondering the Lord's life of prayer. I wonder, "Lord, when You walked the earth, it is said that you spent such long hours in solitude and prayer, I wonder what you were praying, as God in the flesh?"
The Spirit, I believe, has been revealing some answers to that deep, deep question in my heart and mind.
This morning I woke up to the Spirit saying, "when you finally get to the end of your own agenda, you will find the beginning of My purposes in your life"!
As I process this truth, it occurs to me that I am such a control freak. Looking back over some of my life experiences, the arrows of pain and sorrow sent the message that I need to control life and insulate myself. Legalism pushed me into the place of rigid external controls.
Then, through the next volley of arrows to my heart, my agenda drove me to the opposite pole of libertine rebellion in an effort to find my own fix for the pain. As the complications of my rebellion took over, I sank deeper and deeper into the mire of a self serving agenda.
The Spirit knows and has come to lead me into all truth.
God, the Father has sovereignly orchestrated my life experiences. From an Eternal perspective, each life experience contains opportunities and is designed to perfect me, to groom me, to expose those qualities that are to be surrendered to Him for change so that I can come into the conforming image of Christ Jesus.
Self-reliance, self-defense, self-provision...all those "self" qualities of independence need to be changed in order for me to be the loyal servant and disciple of my Christ.
So, back to my wake-up call.
I believe those long hours of prayer were spent in unifying the Savior, who was contending in a flesh body, with the Father's heart and will. If we can remember the temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness, it was a deliberate attempt by Satan to get Him to depart from His original Divine Purpose; the reason God, the Father sent His only begotten Son into the World.
The enemy has a similar temptation for you and me. He uses our flesh (self) in an effort to cause us to depart from God's intended purpose for our life and follow another course. The Spirit calls me to surrender my self-serving agenda and come into unity with Him.
If I truly desire the Father's will and purpose for my life then all self-serving must end. Am I willing to exchange whatever represents my will and agenda and plan, for the greater plan and purpose that God has for me?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Spirit, I believe, has been revealing some answers to that deep, deep question in my heart and mind.
This morning I woke up to the Spirit saying, "when you finally get to the end of your own agenda, you will find the beginning of My purposes in your life"!
As I process this truth, it occurs to me that I am such a control freak. Looking back over some of my life experiences, the arrows of pain and sorrow sent the message that I need to control life and insulate myself. Legalism pushed me into the place of rigid external controls.
Then, through the next volley of arrows to my heart, my agenda drove me to the opposite pole of libertine rebellion in an effort to find my own fix for the pain. As the complications of my rebellion took over, I sank deeper and deeper into the mire of a self serving agenda.
The Spirit knows and has come to lead me into all truth.
God, the Father has sovereignly orchestrated my life experiences. From an Eternal perspective, each life experience contains opportunities and is designed to perfect me, to groom me, to expose those qualities that are to be surrendered to Him for change so that I can come into the conforming image of Christ Jesus.
Self-reliance, self-defense, self-provision...all those "self" qualities of independence need to be changed in order for me to be the loyal servant and disciple of my Christ.
So, back to my wake-up call.
I believe those long hours of prayer were spent in unifying the Savior, who was contending in a flesh body, with the Father's heart and will. If we can remember the temptation Jesus faced in the wilderness, it was a deliberate attempt by Satan to get Him to depart from His original Divine Purpose; the reason God, the Father sent His only begotten Son into the World.
The enemy has a similar temptation for you and me. He uses our flesh (self) in an effort to cause us to depart from God's intended purpose for our life and follow another course. The Spirit calls me to surrender my self-serving agenda and come into unity with Him.
If I truly desire the Father's will and purpose for my life then all self-serving must end. Am I willing to exchange whatever represents my will and agenda and plan, for the greater plan and purpose that God has for me?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Offending Holiness?
Psalm 51 was written by King David after being confronted for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and plotting the murder of her husband Uriah.
With all the offenses David committed against people in this situation, it is interesting to see his confession to God in 51:4. He said, "against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."
As I ponder this, the Spirit begins to speak truth. At the very heart and core of our sinful choices and decisions in life, the very origins of the offenses are against the Holy One. Our sin nature is at war with the Holy Nature of our God.
We who live after the death and resurrection of our Savior, no longer have the excuse that even King David did not use. The excuse that we are not able to live according to God's Holy standards is not viable since the Holy Spirit has been sent into the hearts of all who accept Jesus as Savior. His is to be Lord of our lives and that means given the place of preeminence.
His Spirit and life, via the indwelling Holy Spirit is to be allowed to rule over our flesh in Holiness all our days. We are to be Holy because God is Holy and He has sent us His Spirit to enable us to be Holy. In and of ourselves we cannot accomplish this mandated Holiness, but with His Spirit we have no excuse not to live according to His Holiness.
In our relationships for example, we are commanded by Jesus to love and to forgive. In our flesh we may be giving people what they deserve, and that's called justice, but when we give the life of Christ inside us what He does not deserve, that is called sin.
Jesus deserves all our obedience and all our loyalty and when He asks us to love and forgive, and if we refuse or fail, it is truly against Him and Him only that we sin and do what is evil in His sight.
Could this be what King David knew when he wrote those words?
This Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
With all the offenses David committed against people in this situation, it is interesting to see his confession to God in 51:4. He said, "against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."
As I ponder this, the Spirit begins to speak truth. At the very heart and core of our sinful choices and decisions in life, the very origins of the offenses are against the Holy One. Our sin nature is at war with the Holy Nature of our God.
We who live after the death and resurrection of our Savior, no longer have the excuse that even King David did not use. The excuse that we are not able to live according to God's Holy standards is not viable since the Holy Spirit has been sent into the hearts of all who accept Jesus as Savior. His is to be Lord of our lives and that means given the place of preeminence.
His Spirit and life, via the indwelling Holy Spirit is to be allowed to rule over our flesh in Holiness all our days. We are to be Holy because God is Holy and He has sent us His Spirit to enable us to be Holy. In and of ourselves we cannot accomplish this mandated Holiness, but with His Spirit we have no excuse not to live according to His Holiness.
In our relationships for example, we are commanded by Jesus to love and to forgive. In our flesh we may be giving people what they deserve, and that's called justice, but when we give the life of Christ inside us what He does not deserve, that is called sin.
Jesus deserves all our obedience and all our loyalty and when He asks us to love and forgive, and if we refuse or fail, it is truly against Him and Him only that we sin and do what is evil in His sight.
Could this be what King David knew when he wrote those words?
This Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Perserverance
Computer failure, a fitting backdrop for this daily blog. An upset to the plan, another seemingly random blockade to moving forward in obedience to what the Spirit directs me to do.
I have to admit my life feels like a spider web of threads designed to trap me and hold me bound up and helpless.
As I was thinking about all that is "wrong" in life, knowing that Jesus came to show us how, one day, He will make all things new, the Spirit led my thoughts to Hebrews 12:1-2, "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God."
Years ago I saw the movie "The Passion" and it left an indelible image in my mind as to the suffering our Lord and Savior endured throughout the crucifixion process from early betrayal to His ultimate physical death. Knowing the account from a historical perspective, with each step He took under the weight of the cross He carried, I found myself saying, "It's almost over, it's almost over, just a little longer and you will be free, I know what happens next and you win ......this will be over soon."
While I have never had to endure such horrific pain in anything I have had to deal with in life, still I hear the Spirit say to me, "It's almost over, it's almost over, just a little longer and you will be free, I know what happens next and you win...this will be over soon."
The lesson for me in this, is to understand where Jesus placed His focus. The Word says "Jesus, who for the JOY set before Him. " Meaning He had His focus set upon the ultimate goal, the ultimate win, the ultimate victory..and therefore He endured the cross, scorning it's shame.
Even if our trials don't involve crucifixion, they are not random, "oh sucks", "bad luck" "poor me" events. Our trials come from a very deliberate enemy trying to discourage and defeat us. This is the same evil enemy who tried to defeat our Savior as he did our ancestral father and mother, Adam and Eve.
Just as our Heavenly Father's Sovereign and ultimate control sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the fallen world to save us, so His Sovereign and ultimate control will rescue us through the myriad of enemy plotted trials.
Let us not lose heart but rather fix our eyes on Jesus and the goal. I need to get a focus that looks past the suffering, anxiety and anguish to the JOY of what is to come, knowing and trusting that there is purpose to each obstacle the enemy throws in my path. We may not understand all the why's and wherefore's but we can trust that our faith through each trial will have it's reward.
Perserverence pushes us past giving up when we don't see immediate changes to our circumstances. Faith sees the coming victory and brings us joy in the process.
What are you facing today that requires perserverence?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I have to admit my life feels like a spider web of threads designed to trap me and hold me bound up and helpless.
As I was thinking about all that is "wrong" in life, knowing that Jesus came to show us how, one day, He will make all things new, the Spirit led my thoughts to Hebrews 12:1-2, "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God."
Years ago I saw the movie "The Passion" and it left an indelible image in my mind as to the suffering our Lord and Savior endured throughout the crucifixion process from early betrayal to His ultimate physical death. Knowing the account from a historical perspective, with each step He took under the weight of the cross He carried, I found myself saying, "It's almost over, it's almost over, just a little longer and you will be free, I know what happens next and you win ......this will be over soon."
While I have never had to endure such horrific pain in anything I have had to deal with in life, still I hear the Spirit say to me, "It's almost over, it's almost over, just a little longer and you will be free, I know what happens next and you win...this will be over soon."
The lesson for me in this, is to understand where Jesus placed His focus. The Word says "Jesus, who for the JOY set before Him. " Meaning He had His focus set upon the ultimate goal, the ultimate win, the ultimate victory..and therefore He endured the cross, scorning it's shame.
Even if our trials don't involve crucifixion, they are not random, "oh sucks", "bad luck" "poor me" events. Our trials come from a very deliberate enemy trying to discourage and defeat us. This is the same evil enemy who tried to defeat our Savior as he did our ancestral father and mother, Adam and Eve.
Just as our Heavenly Father's Sovereign and ultimate control sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the fallen world to save us, so His Sovereign and ultimate control will rescue us through the myriad of enemy plotted trials.
Let us not lose heart but rather fix our eyes on Jesus and the goal. I need to get a focus that looks past the suffering, anxiety and anguish to the JOY of what is to come, knowing and trusting that there is purpose to each obstacle the enemy throws in my path. We may not understand all the why's and wherefore's but we can trust that our faith through each trial will have it's reward.
Perserverence pushes us past giving up when we don't see immediate changes to our circumstances. Faith sees the coming victory and brings us joy in the process.
What are you facing today that requires perserverence?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Follow the Ark
The Spirit has led me to the account of the Israelites crossing the Jordan in Joshua 3. Under their new leader, Joshua,the Lord commanded the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant through the Jordan River. As I read the account, I noticed some interesting things.
For those of us who don't always know where they are going, I was comforted when the Lord told the people to move out from their positions and follow the Ark...because "then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before." (vs 4) Life seems to get more confusing and chaotic every day. How wonderful to be able to trust the Sovereign God to lead us. His view takes on all time from beginning to end. He knows every turn in the road, every rock, boulder, or pit that lies in our path. Who better to trust when we cannot always see what lies ahead. Not only is it His blessing to lead us..it is His command that we follow.
The other interesting thing is the next sentence.."but keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the Ark; do not go near it." As I was pondering the distance they were to keep, thinking about the reverence and respect issue, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "stop bum rushing the Ark...you give me no room to work." Then I realized that the Lord wants us to give Him room and time to bring other things into each situation that we know nothing about. We get impatient with His pace, we start to run ahead of His timing and suddenly we realized we just passed something important if we see it at all. I have recently seen this principle work out over and over as "my agenda" gets interrupted by His plan.
When Jesus walked among us, there was no stress to His gait...no apparent urgency to His pace. He took each situation that came and just squeezed out all this wonderful resolution or lesson that the situation contained. How much more peaceful and productive would our lives be if we just follow Him and give Him room to work out His amazing plan? I'm ready to follow.....how about you?
The Spirit is calling. Can you Hear Him?
For those of us who don't always know where they are going, I was comforted when the Lord told the people to move out from their positions and follow the Ark...because "then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before." (vs 4) Life seems to get more confusing and chaotic every day. How wonderful to be able to trust the Sovereign God to lead us. His view takes on all time from beginning to end. He knows every turn in the road, every rock, boulder, or pit that lies in our path. Who better to trust when we cannot always see what lies ahead. Not only is it His blessing to lead us..it is His command that we follow.
The other interesting thing is the next sentence.."but keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the Ark; do not go near it." As I was pondering the distance they were to keep, thinking about the reverence and respect issue, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "stop bum rushing the Ark...you give me no room to work." Then I realized that the Lord wants us to give Him room and time to bring other things into each situation that we know nothing about. We get impatient with His pace, we start to run ahead of His timing and suddenly we realized we just passed something important if we see it at all. I have recently seen this principle work out over and over as "my agenda" gets interrupted by His plan.
When Jesus walked among us, there was no stress to His gait...no apparent urgency to His pace. He took each situation that came and just squeezed out all this wonderful resolution or lesson that the situation contained. How much more peaceful and productive would our lives be if we just follow Him and give Him room to work out His amazing plan? I'm ready to follow.....how about you?
The Spirit is calling. Can you Hear Him?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Chosen
"You did not choose Me but I chose you to go and bear fruit...fruit that will last" John 15:16
For the longest time, I thought the "fruit" I was to bear was associated with evangelism and the "fruit" was each person brought to salvation because of my "efforts".
But the next part of that verse confused me saying, "THEN, the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name" I know that I cannot save anyone. It is the Father who calls them, and Jesus, the Savior, who saves them, so how can I bear this fruit first before asking or receiving what is outside my control or ability?
More searching for Truth...then the Spirit revealed to me that this "fruit" we are to bear is the "fruit" of the Holy Spirit spoken of in Galatians 5:22: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.
We have been chosen to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Who has been sent by the One who saved us. However, we have free will before and after salvation.
Before salvation, we have the freedom to choose our eternal destination. We have the freedom to choose to come to God through His only begotten Son, Jesus. After salvation we still have the freedom to choose. We can choose to walk in obedience to the Spirit of our Christ. We can choose to surrender to His Spirit, to be fruitful and victorious or we can choose to surrender to our flesh and live defeated unproductive lives.
The Holy Spirit calls us to surrender and allow Him to produce the fruit we are to bear. We cannot generate the fruit, we can only bear it because it is His fruit.
Vs 17 says, "this is My command, Love one another". Love is the first fruit mentioned on the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus also said, "by this all men will know you are my Disciples, if you love one another".
The Lord is a "fruit inspector" What will He find when He inspects our fruit today?
Can you hear the Spirit? He is calling.
For the longest time, I thought the "fruit" I was to bear was associated with evangelism and the "fruit" was each person brought to salvation because of my "efforts".
But the next part of that verse confused me saying, "THEN, the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name" I know that I cannot save anyone. It is the Father who calls them, and Jesus, the Savior, who saves them, so how can I bear this fruit first before asking or receiving what is outside my control or ability?
More searching for Truth...then the Spirit revealed to me that this "fruit" we are to bear is the "fruit" of the Holy Spirit spoken of in Galatians 5:22: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.
We have been chosen to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Who has been sent by the One who saved us. However, we have free will before and after salvation.
Before salvation, we have the freedom to choose our eternal destination. We have the freedom to choose to come to God through His only begotten Son, Jesus. After salvation we still have the freedom to choose. We can choose to walk in obedience to the Spirit of our Christ. We can choose to surrender to His Spirit, to be fruitful and victorious or we can choose to surrender to our flesh and live defeated unproductive lives.
The Holy Spirit calls us to surrender and allow Him to produce the fruit we are to bear. We cannot generate the fruit, we can only bear it because it is His fruit.
Vs 17 says, "this is My command, Love one another". Love is the first fruit mentioned on the list of the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus also said, "by this all men will know you are my Disciples, if you love one another".
The Lord is a "fruit inspector" What will He find when He inspects our fruit today?
Can you hear the Spirit? He is calling.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A Greater Sense of Eternity***
A long many years ago, I was involved in a prayer movement intended to keep our nation and the Body of Christ covered in prayer 24/7 for 365 days a year. The goal was attained through the networking of Chuches who would host and "man" a prayer room for that purpose, in their city, on a rotation basis.
The Body of Christ would volunteer to enter into the prayer room 2 by 2 for an hour around the clock. On one such Saturday, my prayer partner was detained so I came into the Presence of the Lord by myself.
My usual starting place was to ask the Lord how to pray for His people. During this time the Spirit called me to pray very specifically for the Body of Christ. The Lord spoke to my heart through His Holy Spirit to pray that His believers would have a greater sense of Eternity than ever before.
Inquiring minds want to know....therefore I asked the Lord, "Why"? "Why is this so important at this time?" His response to me was recorded in my heart and has been re-played over and over in my mind:
"Throughout the history of man's days upon the earth, he has lived with the perimeters of birth/death, birth/death, birth/death, generation after generation, year after year. Many count on these perimeters to set the intensity of their Spiritual walk. Many think they will have time to focus on Spiritual matters later, when they get older, after the worldly cares become less intense.
BUT...this is "the" generation who will not taste death but rather who will see the coming of the King of Glory. This is the generation spoken of in Prophesy and they must be ready at any moment for the return of the King and to be translated from life to life."
It was said of the Acts Church that they lived in the expectation of the imminent return of Jesus...."the greater sense of Eternity". It was this expectation that governed their lives. The Acts Church of early believers rocked their world. How would we, the Church of today, live life differently IF we expected the Lord to come back for us, His people today? Tonight? This week?
What would we find important? What would we be willing to do?
Can you hear the Spirit? He is calling.............
The Body of Christ would volunteer to enter into the prayer room 2 by 2 for an hour around the clock. On one such Saturday, my prayer partner was detained so I came into the Presence of the Lord by myself.
My usual starting place was to ask the Lord how to pray for His people. During this time the Spirit called me to pray very specifically for the Body of Christ. The Lord spoke to my heart through His Holy Spirit to pray that His believers would have a greater sense of Eternity than ever before.
Inquiring minds want to know....therefore I asked the Lord, "Why"? "Why is this so important at this time?" His response to me was recorded in my heart and has been re-played over and over in my mind:
"Throughout the history of man's days upon the earth, he has lived with the perimeters of birth/death, birth/death, birth/death, generation after generation, year after year. Many count on these perimeters to set the intensity of their Spiritual walk. Many think they will have time to focus on Spiritual matters later, when they get older, after the worldly cares become less intense.
BUT...this is "the" generation who will not taste death but rather who will see the coming of the King of Glory. This is the generation spoken of in Prophesy and they must be ready at any moment for the return of the King and to be translated from life to life."
It was said of the Acts Church that they lived in the expectation of the imminent return of Jesus...."the greater sense of Eternity". It was this expectation that governed their lives. The Acts Church of early believers rocked their world. How would we, the Church of today, live life differently IF we expected the Lord to come back for us, His people today? Tonight? This week?
What would we find important? What would we be willing to do?
Can you hear the Spirit? He is calling.............
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