The Holy One calls me today with a blast of excitement. He is taking me into greater depths of understanding my purpose and His plan.
It's not like we ever arrive at a place where we have perfect understanding but there are those days and seasons where suddenly the random dots on the board of our life begin to be connected and take the shape of an intricate picture before our very eyes.
The Holy one has been about His business. He is, after all, the Spirit of Truth.
This has been a season of discovery. I have been in a school of sorts, where the Holy One has been teaching me about Himself; His role in the Trinity and His role in my life.
I cried out for wisdom (Prov 1,2,3,& 4). I have been pursuing it as a pearl of great price, and I am receiving the blessing that wisdom from the Holy One brings, as in Matt 13:44. I say this in all humility of heart because all the "intelligence of the human mind" can never bring the outrageous understanding of the ways of God or the peace of heart in knowing the Savior in such an intimate way.
As I pursued wisdom, at some point I got swallowed up in eternity. Time and space are not as urgent as they once were. I see through the glass darkly, yet I "see" more now than I ever have. The "clock" has slowed to accommodate my human failures and allowed me the time to learn and then re-do the tests.
I started as in "kindergarten" with simple things. The Holy One is such a patient teacher. But the truth is that He started teaching me like a loving parent before I even realized I was in school. Once the foundation of His indwelling Presence got layed, He has been setting more and more blocks into my faith wall. With each brick came lessons that taught me the fact that He is reliable.
Testimony after testimony, brick after brick, faith building trials that ended in His Divine intervention and glorious victory. The beauty of our relationship with Holiness, it is that we never arrive at the place where He is not our most desperate need. Knowing our need and His loving willingness to fill it fuels our deepest desire for more.
The enemy has a counterfeit for this and it is called "addiction". So you can call me addicted. I am. I am addicted to the love of my Savior. I am addicted to the sound of His voice. I am addicted to the thrill of life as His Bride. Hopelessly and helplessly addicted.. But unlike the counterfeit, this addiction is the best thing for me; body, mind, soul and spirit. it has no down-side.
Once you have tasted of His love, there can be no other to satisfy the longing of your heart. The Holy One wants to infect all of us with the love of Christ. There is no one ever born of women that He would not delight to inhabit.
Are you addicted too?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Rev 12: The Muntiny
The Holy Spirit calls me today. He speaks loud and clear. He is saying, "Love is a decision and forgiveness is a choice. You are accountable to Jesus Christ for both".
I ponder this truth. I know that each choice and decision we make is an act of our will. There is no such thing as "falling" in love or I "can't" forgive". There is only I "will" fall or I "won't" forgive. We humans like to think that these things are outside our control. We like to imagine that we are emotionally free to act upon every urge and unction of our flesh or that we cannot control how we "feel", so we are not accountable for the way we act in regard to how we feel.
That "lie" has caused more divorces and splits and wars between families and nations than almost anything else. So what is the Truth?
The Holy Spirit takes me back to the time before the fall. The time when the enemies of our soul, forged an alliance and conspiracy of insurrection.
The Bible speaks of the mutiny in Rev 12.
Even though veiled in symbolism, this account speaks of the "Dragon" who engaged in a war against the Throne of Heaven. Here we find that one third of the supernatural beings God created joined with the insurrection and fought against "Michael" the archangel and the two thirds remaining company of loyal Celestial Beings.
By sheer numbers, the loyal out weighed the "traitors" so the "Devil" was hurled down into the earth realm where he continues to wage war against the Holy One by assaulting this created world and God's most beloved creation: MAN.
Ezekiel 28:11-17 is yet another picture of the historic event. It is stated that this wicked One was originally created and ordained as a "guardian cherub", placed in Eden to oversee God's Beloved. But pride and jealousy consumed him and corrupted his wisdom. He became a competitor to our Creator God rather than a defender of His Majesty.
The very one who was anointed to guard God's glorious creation, inspiring man to worship, in the love of his Creator, set a new course to destroy man and ruin that intimate fellowship of God's desire.
The "Devil" or "Satan" as he is called, lost his privileged position and is now filled with fury, consumed by pride and like a roaring lion in the earth realm, on the prowl looking for who he can devour.
There is no greater drama than the one being played out over the souls of men. No story with more action than the truth of the battle being fought every day. Good vs evil, light vs dark. Eternity hangs in the balance for every one ever born of woman.
Lest we become too afraid of the evil one or too incredulous of the truth, it is important that we read the end of the story and find out that "we win"....The Champion of our souls is the victor and Heaven with our Creator is the prize.
But that is not yet the conclusion of the matter, because the battle rages, and there are still more potential casualties in this eternal power play.
The battle is real, the players are real, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, is real. The Holy Spirit has been sent from Heaven. He was released from Heaven to indwell and empower God's people to wield Heavenly Authority on earth as it is God's Will in Heaven.
The Holy Spirit reminds me that His wisdom and the Lord's strategies in this "supernatural war" are high above our human ways and our thinking. We must rely on His indwelling Presence and the Word of our Holy God to teach us these Heavenly strategies in the war against the evil ones.
We must surrender to His Holy ways, that seem so upside down to human thinking especially while under the narcotic influence of the destroyer.
Back to the original statements of this morning's conference:
Love is a decision and forgiveness is a choice. By the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit, we are not victims of our emotions. We have the ability to choose and therefore we stand accountable for our choices. By allowing our emotions to flow unfettered and undisciplined by this truth, we can become the very weapons the enemy would use to destroy ourselves and other people.
While the devil provokes our flesh to hate or hold things against other people, in the end, those attitudes will conscript us into his evil service, where we become the enemy of the very Throne and Kingdom we say we will die to defend.
Unless we see the enemy's manipulation in our choices and decisions and yield to the Holy One instead, we actually become (however unwillingly) "members of his mutiny".
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Why Worry?
The Spirit is calling today. I love the way the Father has orchestrated, arranged, and ordained our existence since before the beginning of creation itself. But still I worry.
Holy One, I hear you say, "Do not worry, Do not fear, Be anxious for nothing" (Matt 6:25) and I have to wonder, "why not?" I was born into a fallen world with a body of flesh and a mind vexed with toxic poison ingested by my ancestors, Adam and Eve, I.E. the knowledge of good and evil. Is it any wonder, then, that I worry, with the knowledge of what there is to fear?
Then the picture begins to unfold. "I have planned for every eventuality the future holds. You wake up every morning with the indwelling Presence of the Holy One, Christ in you, the Hope of glory (Col 1:27). Add to that, you wake up every morning with the loyal Heavenly Host; Celestial angels beyond the human ability to number or count, who have been assigned to your defense and protection in the execution of the Father's Will in your life.(Psalm 91:11 & Heb 1:14) Now tell Me, why do you worry?"
I understand what the Spirit is saying. I am strengthen from within and protected from without. I am in the full wrap of my Father's Sovereignty. He calculated the entire event of the fall well in advance, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save me and released the Holy Spirit to indwell me. That takes care of the inward problem. Then, because we have a "super natural" enemy, He sends His created supernatural legions of loyal angels to battle the mutinous ones who are assaulting me.
In light of that Divine picture, I am compelled to say, I really don't know why I should worry. Be anxious for nothing seems like a "no-brainer" if I capture and hold to that picture in my heart and mind.
Victory has been assigned to me and I must enforce it. This is the point of this morning's meeting. The Holy One assures me, "I have not given any directive you cannot obey. I have not asked of you anything I have not equipped you to accomplish. I am with you to deliver you to victory. Trust Me."
But, what if...? I hate the "but, what if's". To begin a sentence with that means I am operating at a level of unbelief, a favorite attack by the enemy. "But what if?", has already been resolved in God's ordained Sovereignty and He has filtered every circumstance that can ever touch my life through fingers of love. Nothing in my life is without His fingerprints of love.
Why worry?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Holy One, I hear you say, "Do not worry, Do not fear, Be anxious for nothing" (Matt 6:25) and I have to wonder, "why not?" I was born into a fallen world with a body of flesh and a mind vexed with toxic poison ingested by my ancestors, Adam and Eve, I.E. the knowledge of good and evil. Is it any wonder, then, that I worry, with the knowledge of what there is to fear?
Then the picture begins to unfold. "I have planned for every eventuality the future holds. You wake up every morning with the indwelling Presence of the Holy One, Christ in you, the Hope of glory (Col 1:27). Add to that, you wake up every morning with the loyal Heavenly Host; Celestial angels beyond the human ability to number or count, who have been assigned to your defense and protection in the execution of the Father's Will in your life.(Psalm 91:11 & Heb 1:14) Now tell Me, why do you worry?"
I understand what the Spirit is saying. I am strengthen from within and protected from without. I am in the full wrap of my Father's Sovereignty. He calculated the entire event of the fall well in advance, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save me and released the Holy Spirit to indwell me. That takes care of the inward problem. Then, because we have a "super natural" enemy, He sends His created supernatural legions of loyal angels to battle the mutinous ones who are assaulting me.
In light of that Divine picture, I am compelled to say, I really don't know why I should worry. Be anxious for nothing seems like a "no-brainer" if I capture and hold to that picture in my heart and mind.
Victory has been assigned to me and I must enforce it. This is the point of this morning's meeting. The Holy One assures me, "I have not given any directive you cannot obey. I have not asked of you anything I have not equipped you to accomplish. I am with you to deliver you to victory. Trust Me."
But, what if...? I hate the "but, what if's". To begin a sentence with that means I am operating at a level of unbelief, a favorite attack by the enemy. "But what if?", has already been resolved in God's ordained Sovereignty and He has filtered every circumstance that can ever touch my life through fingers of love. Nothing in my life is without His fingerprints of love.
Why worry?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Value the Gift
The Holy One calls me into consciousness today. Sanctification is a looooong process. So much to take in and so much to get rid of. I sense that today, He and I are going "deep" and I wonder what will be unearthed today.
Sanctification is a word that many like myself can barely wrap my brain around. To be "sanctified" is to be made "Holy". Other words translate: "consecrate", but to "make Holy" seems to be the easiest definition to grasp.
Once we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and commit our lives to following Him, that loooong process of "Sanctification" begins. The Holy Spirit sets up shop in our hearts and has every "right" to get rid of things that no longer belong there.
In the beginning the huge vestiges of life B.C. (Before Christ) are eliminated mostly because they are so visible and identify us with that old life. With the help of the Holy One, who indwells every Believer, we can ditch the "drinking, immorality and running with the world" that compromises our new life and testimony.
The sanctification process is looooong. Did I say that before? In fact, it is life-on-earth long. It is a never ending process here. It is sometimes delightful as we get rid of sinful behavior patterns, other times quite painful as we are required to get rid of pleasant fleshly pursuits, but like a bulldozer clearing a field of rubble, it just keeps going, like it or not.
The Holy Spirit calls me today to talk about the value of our Salvation. In this long process of Sanctification, the Holy One speaks to the problem of apathy. Apathy can de-value the gift. He takes me to the account of Esau in Gen 25:27-34.
Here was a man who had a "birthright". He was the oldest of twins born to Isaac & Rebekah. Back in the day, the birthright was a powerful blessing that governed the inheritance of the father to child. It was given to the firstborn son, because that child symbolized the father's strength and vitality.
As the account unfolds, Esau came into his brother's tent, quite famished. By his assessment he said, "I am about to die", and in exchange for a bowl of lentil soup that Jacob, his brother had been preparing, Esau sold his birthright.
The Holy Spirit pointed out to me that at that moment in his life, the birthright was not as important as his next meal. Easu was a man who failed to value his great blessing and in the course of his daily existence, in view of his immediate "needs", saw no benefit and therefore was willing to sell his birthright.
The Spirit said, "There is a deep problem brewing if you fail to value your salvation." If we fail to live in the place of gratitude for all that the blessing will mean to us one day, we might be tempted to "sell-out".
The picture in my head, is one of a young woman, betrothed to the most wonderful man she has ever met, enduring a separation while he is away on business. At first she is so excited and in awe of his love and her great fortune, but as his absence drags on, her focused attention & enthusiasm dwindles and she wonders if it was just a figment of her imagination. She loses the image of his face and the warmth of his arms wrapped around her and the picture of her future as his wife, begins to fade.
Others compete for her attention. At first she refuses but then. bit by bit, she gives into their invitations to "join them and have a little fun". "He's away, and if he even exists, he will never know. He won't care that you just wanted to have a little fun while you are waiting for him..after all, nothing changes your love for him if you truly love him." Excuses abound, but she has "allowed" her love to grow cold.
To be honest, I do not know if our salvation can be lost, our "birthright" blessing and inheritance sold, our engagement called off, but I do know that we are in a process of being made Holy and it is imperative that we remember why.
We are being sanctified and made Holy for the sake of the One to whom we belong and have given our pledge of loyalty. We are to be the glorious bride, loyal to our Beloved Groom to the very end of our earthly existence amid all the temptations to do and be otherwise.
In the dark days we are facing, may we value our salvation more not less. May we remember and remind each other of our King and His Kingdom to come. May we remember the days of our first love and what the promises of eternity will mean some day.
The truth of the matter is that our salvation is the greatest blessing of our lives here on earth as well. In access to the Throne of all power and authority, through the Blood of our Savior Christ Jesus, we, as the "saved", have privileges here that are incomparable to anything in the world.
However, if we are prone to forgetfulness, or distracted by our flesh attraction to the things of the world, we may become tempted to exchange our endless "banquet table" of blessings for a simple bowl of soup, not even realizing our great loss.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Sanctification is a word that many like myself can barely wrap my brain around. To be "sanctified" is to be made "Holy". Other words translate: "consecrate", but to "make Holy" seems to be the easiest definition to grasp.
Once we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and commit our lives to following Him, that loooong process of "Sanctification" begins. The Holy Spirit sets up shop in our hearts and has every "right" to get rid of things that no longer belong there.
In the beginning the huge vestiges of life B.C. (Before Christ) are eliminated mostly because they are so visible and identify us with that old life. With the help of the Holy One, who indwells every Believer, we can ditch the "drinking, immorality and running with the world" that compromises our new life and testimony.
The sanctification process is looooong. Did I say that before? In fact, it is life-on-earth long. It is a never ending process here. It is sometimes delightful as we get rid of sinful behavior patterns, other times quite painful as we are required to get rid of pleasant fleshly pursuits, but like a bulldozer clearing a field of rubble, it just keeps going, like it or not.
The Holy Spirit calls me today to talk about the value of our Salvation. In this long process of Sanctification, the Holy One speaks to the problem of apathy. Apathy can de-value the gift. He takes me to the account of Esau in Gen 25:27-34.
Here was a man who had a "birthright". He was the oldest of twins born to Isaac & Rebekah. Back in the day, the birthright was a powerful blessing that governed the inheritance of the father to child. It was given to the firstborn son, because that child symbolized the father's strength and vitality.
As the account unfolds, Esau came into his brother's tent, quite famished. By his assessment he said, "I am about to die", and in exchange for a bowl of lentil soup that Jacob, his brother had been preparing, Esau sold his birthright.
The Holy Spirit pointed out to me that at that moment in his life, the birthright was not as important as his next meal. Easu was a man who failed to value his great blessing and in the course of his daily existence, in view of his immediate "needs", saw no benefit and therefore was willing to sell his birthright.
The Spirit said, "There is a deep problem brewing if you fail to value your salvation." If we fail to live in the place of gratitude for all that the blessing will mean to us one day, we might be tempted to "sell-out".
The picture in my head, is one of a young woman, betrothed to the most wonderful man she has ever met, enduring a separation while he is away on business. At first she is so excited and in awe of his love and her great fortune, but as his absence drags on, her focused attention & enthusiasm dwindles and she wonders if it was just a figment of her imagination. She loses the image of his face and the warmth of his arms wrapped around her and the picture of her future as his wife, begins to fade.
Others compete for her attention. At first she refuses but then. bit by bit, she gives into their invitations to "join them and have a little fun". "He's away, and if he even exists, he will never know. He won't care that you just wanted to have a little fun while you are waiting for him..after all, nothing changes your love for him if you truly love him." Excuses abound, but she has "allowed" her love to grow cold.
To be honest, I do not know if our salvation can be lost, our "birthright" blessing and inheritance sold, our engagement called off, but I do know that we are in a process of being made Holy and it is imperative that we remember why.
We are being sanctified and made Holy for the sake of the One to whom we belong and have given our pledge of loyalty. We are to be the glorious bride, loyal to our Beloved Groom to the very end of our earthly existence amid all the temptations to do and be otherwise.
In the dark days we are facing, may we value our salvation more not less. May we remember and remind each other of our King and His Kingdom to come. May we remember the days of our first love and what the promises of eternity will mean some day.
The truth of the matter is that our salvation is the greatest blessing of our lives here on earth as well. In access to the Throne of all power and authority, through the Blood of our Savior Christ Jesus, we, as the "saved", have privileges here that are incomparable to anything in the world.
However, if we are prone to forgetfulness, or distracted by our flesh attraction to the things of the world, we may become tempted to exchange our endless "banquet table" of blessings for a simple bowl of soup, not even realizing our great loss.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
My Weakness, His Strength
The Holy One calls me today. He wakes me with yet another lightening bolt of truth. Funny how He always seems to address the deepest thoughts that I haven't really articulated. Talk about an intimate relationship!
His Truth this morning; "My power is made perfect in your weakness." Could it be that yesterday I was so frustrated by work and my own failure to get things done right, that His compassion for me required intervention? To admit I am weak is hard. To admit that I cannot do something seems so unacceptable to a "performance" mentality. I hate being weak. I hate the frustration that I cannot accomplish something or claim the credit even in my own heart and mind for some degree of victory in my daily tasks.
I debate, "but Holy One, you don't understand, I am performance oriented and legalism requires perfect performance or else I have to change the rules, or move the standard. There can be no "weakness" admitted, no matter how true. "Try harder" is the battle cry.
"Doesn't your head hurt from continuing to hit the brick wall?"
"Yes, but I still have to try. Maybe, if I run at it from another angle, it will fall down!" And the debate goes on, until we get to the very core of the issue.
"Human pride is the enemy of My Glory. Human ability is boundless, just look at the great tower of Babel. I created man with boundless creativity and talent...BUT If I allow man to move in his great abilities without Me, it would result in his ultimate destruction. Pride would trip him up and lay him low." Looking at my own pride issues I know what the Holy One says is true.
My dull mind starts to rev up and see the "truth". So this is what Your "Anointing" is all about. It is Your plan to take my weaknesses and empower them so when I do what I cannot do in and of myself, the Glory and recognition will go to the Rightful One who deserves it, because You are the Creator of all who gives man his abilities in the first place.
While legalism strives to do and be perfect in and of "self", the Word of God says, that in Christ Jesus, I can do all things.
I realize I have been set up. Without this Truth, my failure is certain. The world, the flesh, and the Devil all pervert this truth. Each day we are tempted to approach and do things in our own strength, which only leads to striving. But each day we have the Divine privilege to engage the Holy One in what we have to do. With Him on board, nothing is impossible. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, for His is my strength in weakness and His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinth 12:9)
Paul wrote, in 2 Corinth 12:10, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest upon me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong".
Paul's message is not just for missionaries on the battlefield, but also for me living in the day-to-day challenges to operate a business with limited natural ability.
Today, I know that I can and must take my frustrated self-effort, lay it at the feet of my Creator God and say, "I cannot but You can. Please take my weakness, fill me with your strength and be Glorified in the results". I praise God and my Savior that today is a new day.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
His Truth this morning; "My power is made perfect in your weakness." Could it be that yesterday I was so frustrated by work and my own failure to get things done right, that His compassion for me required intervention? To admit I am weak is hard. To admit that I cannot do something seems so unacceptable to a "performance" mentality. I hate being weak. I hate the frustration that I cannot accomplish something or claim the credit even in my own heart and mind for some degree of victory in my daily tasks.
I debate, "but Holy One, you don't understand, I am performance oriented and legalism requires perfect performance or else I have to change the rules, or move the standard. There can be no "weakness" admitted, no matter how true. "Try harder" is the battle cry.
"Doesn't your head hurt from continuing to hit the brick wall?"
"Yes, but I still have to try. Maybe, if I run at it from another angle, it will fall down!" And the debate goes on, until we get to the very core of the issue.
"Human pride is the enemy of My Glory. Human ability is boundless, just look at the great tower of Babel. I created man with boundless creativity and talent...BUT If I allow man to move in his great abilities without Me, it would result in his ultimate destruction. Pride would trip him up and lay him low." Looking at my own pride issues I know what the Holy One says is true.
My dull mind starts to rev up and see the "truth". So this is what Your "Anointing" is all about. It is Your plan to take my weaknesses and empower them so when I do what I cannot do in and of myself, the Glory and recognition will go to the Rightful One who deserves it, because You are the Creator of all who gives man his abilities in the first place.
While legalism strives to do and be perfect in and of "self", the Word of God says, that in Christ Jesus, I can do all things.
I realize I have been set up. Without this Truth, my failure is certain. The world, the flesh, and the Devil all pervert this truth. Each day we are tempted to approach and do things in our own strength, which only leads to striving. But each day we have the Divine privilege to engage the Holy One in what we have to do. With Him on board, nothing is impossible. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, for His is my strength in weakness and His power is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinth 12:9)
Paul wrote, in 2 Corinth 12:10, "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest upon me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong".
Paul's message is not just for missionaries on the battlefield, but also for me living in the day-to-day challenges to operate a business with limited natural ability.
Today, I know that I can and must take my frustrated self-effort, lay it at the feet of my Creator God and say, "I cannot but You can. Please take my weakness, fill me with your strength and be Glorified in the results". I praise God and my Savior that today is a new day.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Divine Healing
The battle rages and it surely takes it's toll. I wake up today with back pain. Over the years, I have had to admit, I live with tension. Tension that is visible and obvious to me. The way I sleep is a good indicator of my anxiety. Sometimes, I find myself in a round ball of tense muscles, reluctant to accept the peaceful relief that the Lord designed in sleep.
The Spirit calls me today to deal with my "inner man".
I have had pain episodes in the past and God has mercifully healed them all. I have been pain free most of my life and relatively unconscious of my physical body. I praise Him for that.
The human body is a magnificent work of Creative Genius. It is designed to function as a housing for our spirit and soul from cradle to grave and then transform into a glorious eternally enduring new "thing". I say, "thing" because it is so beyond our comprehension & description, words cannot define it. But for now, the body is a tent to care for as the dwelling place of Holiness....our "temple".
I am a firm believer in Divine Health and Divine Healing. There are too many scriptures that confirm God's special attention to the physical needs we have and our ability to trust Him to meet those needs. When "accidents" are absent but even then, God oversees our entire being to include health and healing. From Old Testament to New Testament, the accounts of God's healing power and willingness to heal us are abundant.
Today I am so aware of that pain in my back, the sciatica, the nerve that runs from lower back down the legs. Time to seek my Healer.
I am also a firm believer in the physical effects that our thinking brings to bear on our bodies. The world sees it as mind over matter and challenges us to "forget about it", "focus on something else". When that doesn't work, we seek a Dr. and he gives us a pill to bring temporary relief. But that, for me, is like unplugging the red "check engine" light in your car. It doesn't find and fix the problem, it just ignores the warning.
I have been choosing to unplug the red "check engine" light, pop a "relief" pill on some days and just "suck it up" on others. Forget about it and it will go away. WRONG!
The Holy One calls me this today because He loves me. He calls to all of us because He loves us.
He calls to me to check on my "stinkin' thinkin'". "Stinkin' thinkin'" is what the enemy sends into our thoughts; lies, unbelief, faithlessness. The "stinkin' thinkin'" is so powerful it affects our health and interrupts our body's ability to heal.
God's Holy Word is our instruction manual for the care and keeping of our life...the great gift He has given each one of us. Embodied in His Word are the instructions to enable us to live healthy productive lives. We are exhorted to forgive one another and even our enemies. We are to rid ourselves of malice, fear, anger. We are to love unconditionally and laugh liberally for laughter is good for our bones, which is the place our body builds up our internal immunity. The fruit of His Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, all the elements for good living.
Today, He calls me to talk about my back pain as the Great Physician that He is. For some, the Holy One brings instant healing & relief. For others, He brings a time work through Dr.'s and treatments. In my life He has used both. But in all cases, the beginning of healing was to sit under His great wisdom to unearth the core/cause of the problem as it relates to my attitude & thinking and then seek for His resolution.
My healing glorifies the God of all Glory, Jesus Christ. It is the physical evidence of His power and love. It provides a testimony to be shared. I take the responsibility to seek the restoration of my physical well being, in glory to His indwelling Presence. So I must seek the wisdom of the Healer and ask, "How do you, Lord, want to be glorified in this situation?"
Some pain is allowed for our instruction. Some pain is allowed for glorious miraculous healing. Some pain is allowed for eternal understanding awaiting explanation, to identify with the cross of our Beloved Savior. Whatever the "allowance" in His Divine Sovereignty, the pain is better suffered in the counsel room of the Holy One.
Today the Spirit is calling me into His counsel room. What is your pain today? Physical? Emotional? Relational? Spiritual? Perhaps you are pain-free. The counsel room is also available to sit in praise and worship for your "blessing" and to hear what He would like to have you do with your vitality.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Spirit calls me today to deal with my "inner man".
I have had pain episodes in the past and God has mercifully healed them all. I have been pain free most of my life and relatively unconscious of my physical body. I praise Him for that.
The human body is a magnificent work of Creative Genius. It is designed to function as a housing for our spirit and soul from cradle to grave and then transform into a glorious eternally enduring new "thing". I say, "thing" because it is so beyond our comprehension & description, words cannot define it. But for now, the body is a tent to care for as the dwelling place of Holiness....our "temple".
I am a firm believer in Divine Health and Divine Healing. There are too many scriptures that confirm God's special attention to the physical needs we have and our ability to trust Him to meet those needs. When "accidents" are absent but even then, God oversees our entire being to include health and healing. From Old Testament to New Testament, the accounts of God's healing power and willingness to heal us are abundant.
Today I am so aware of that pain in my back, the sciatica, the nerve that runs from lower back down the legs. Time to seek my Healer.
I am also a firm believer in the physical effects that our thinking brings to bear on our bodies. The world sees it as mind over matter and challenges us to "forget about it", "focus on something else". When that doesn't work, we seek a Dr. and he gives us a pill to bring temporary relief. But that, for me, is like unplugging the red "check engine" light in your car. It doesn't find and fix the problem, it just ignores the warning.
I have been choosing to unplug the red "check engine" light, pop a "relief" pill on some days and just "suck it up" on others. Forget about it and it will go away. WRONG!
The Holy One calls me this today because He loves me. He calls to all of us because He loves us.
He calls to me to check on my "stinkin' thinkin'". "Stinkin' thinkin'" is what the enemy sends into our thoughts; lies, unbelief, faithlessness. The "stinkin' thinkin'" is so powerful it affects our health and interrupts our body's ability to heal.
God's Holy Word is our instruction manual for the care and keeping of our life...the great gift He has given each one of us. Embodied in His Word are the instructions to enable us to live healthy productive lives. We are exhorted to forgive one another and even our enemies. We are to rid ourselves of malice, fear, anger. We are to love unconditionally and laugh liberally for laughter is good for our bones, which is the place our body builds up our internal immunity. The fruit of His Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, all the elements for good living.
Today, He calls me to talk about my back pain as the Great Physician that He is. For some, the Holy One brings instant healing & relief. For others, He brings a time work through Dr.'s and treatments. In my life He has used both. But in all cases, the beginning of healing was to sit under His great wisdom to unearth the core/cause of the problem as it relates to my attitude & thinking and then seek for His resolution.
My healing glorifies the God of all Glory, Jesus Christ. It is the physical evidence of His power and love. It provides a testimony to be shared. I take the responsibility to seek the restoration of my physical well being, in glory to His indwelling Presence. So I must seek the wisdom of the Healer and ask, "How do you, Lord, want to be glorified in this situation?"
Some pain is allowed for our instruction. Some pain is allowed for glorious miraculous healing. Some pain is allowed for eternal understanding awaiting explanation, to identify with the cross of our Beloved Savior. Whatever the "allowance" in His Divine Sovereignty, the pain is better suffered in the counsel room of the Holy One.
Today the Spirit is calling me into His counsel room. What is your pain today? Physical? Emotional? Relational? Spiritual? Perhaps you are pain-free. The counsel room is also available to sit in praise and worship for your "blessing" and to hear what He would like to have you do with your vitality.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Your King is Calling
The Spirit calls. Today I am so thankful. The Holy One reminds me that for most of us in the U.S.A. our boundaries have fallen in pleasant places. We live in a protected land, with blessings too numerous to count, established on a Biblical foundation unlike any other nation, and I am grateful.
The persecution that our brothers and sisters around the world have faced for their belief in Jesus Christ hasn't yet risen to the level of life and death here in America.
While our freedoms are being being casually legislated away, the real persecution has been more circumstantial and simply an invasion of our comfort zones. Our enemies are the faceless phantoms who have provided busy schedules and distractions galore so we will not take up arms against them. These represent the "persecution" of our faith....and the anesthesia to keep us from being a threat.
The Spirit is calling to the Church, "wake up from your slumber, Your KING is calling"!
The Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus told Peter, about His Church, in Matt 16:18"The gates of Hades will not overcome it." The Spirit is calling, "Your boundaries have fallen in pleasant places but now it's time to take the fight to the enemy."
He showed me a picture of the gates of Hades. From our side they are like splintered, dilapidated wood. But from the inside, where people are trapped they look like impenetrable walls of bronze. If we do not storm the gates, which we have the power in Christ Jesus to do, then many will be lost forever to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Compromise, appeasement and apathy all create a lukewarm church, a sleeping church, a "dead" church. The only One who can wake the dead is the Holy Spirit. He is the Fire from Heaven who will burn up the sacrifice...(you and me, as the "Church") and change our apathy forever. We each have a role to play in storming the gates. The battle is raging, the time is short and we need to wake up.
I pray the Spirit's fire will descend upon the church in America so we will be remembered at the end for having gone out in a "blaze of glory" in honor of our King, Jesus. What is your part to play in these end times?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The persecution that our brothers and sisters around the world have faced for their belief in Jesus Christ hasn't yet risen to the level of life and death here in America.
While our freedoms are being being casually legislated away, the real persecution has been more circumstantial and simply an invasion of our comfort zones. Our enemies are the faceless phantoms who have provided busy schedules and distractions galore so we will not take up arms against them. These represent the "persecution" of our faith....and the anesthesia to keep us from being a threat.
The Spirit is calling to the Church, "wake up from your slumber, Your KING is calling"!
The Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus told Peter, about His Church, in Matt 16:18"The gates of Hades will not overcome it." The Spirit is calling, "Your boundaries have fallen in pleasant places but now it's time to take the fight to the enemy."
He showed me a picture of the gates of Hades. From our side they are like splintered, dilapidated wood. But from the inside, where people are trapped they look like impenetrable walls of bronze. If we do not storm the gates, which we have the power in Christ Jesus to do, then many will be lost forever to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Compromise, appeasement and apathy all create a lukewarm church, a sleeping church, a "dead" church. The only One who can wake the dead is the Holy Spirit. He is the Fire from Heaven who will burn up the sacrifice...(you and me, as the "Church") and change our apathy forever. We each have a role to play in storming the gates. The battle is raging, the time is short and we need to wake up.
I pray the Spirit's fire will descend upon the church in America so we will be remembered at the end for having gone out in a "blaze of glory" in honor of our King, Jesus. What is your part to play in these end times?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What's Your Testimony? ***
The Holy Spirit calls me today to talk about one of my favorite subjects; His miraculous intervention in our lives. I love testimonies. Testimonies are real life stories of how Jesus has moved in people's lives. I love to hear testimonies. I love to share my personal ones and I love to share other people's testimonies that I hear along the way.
I have learned to look for the miraculous in the everyday because God's hand is always there.
I remember a long time ago, when I worked in high school ministry among the teens how much I prayed that they would see miracles. I understand for faith to be faith we all need personal testimony of what Jesus has done for us. That does not undermine the definition of faith..."The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen" but sooner or later we must experience the "things hoped for".
In fact, the very essence of evangelism is to simply tell someone else what Jesus, the Son of God, has done for me personally, and how that causes me to know the truth: That God, the Father, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save me, that I should not perish in judgement for my sins but live forever with Him. John 3:16. Testimony of the Lord's miraculous intervention in our personal lives makes our faith viable and real, not foofy and ethereal.
The testimony of the early church was not that Jesus died on a cruel cross, but rather that He came back to life. His resurrection was the real testimony, and that testimony spread like wildfire because no one had ever risen from the dead until He came on the scene. Jesus' claim that He is God was validated by His miracles. He said, "even if you do not believe my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." John 14:11. The most life and earth-shaking miracle was the resurrection.
The Spirit reminds me again, "If you want the next generations (my children and theirs) to see miracles they have to be put at risk, is that what you want?" He knows that the "risk" is not what I want, but the miracles are, so I say, Yes, Yes, Yes!
To me, worse than being put at "risk" and gaining a life changing miracle as a personal testimony, is living a life of status quo; apathetic, full of doubt, head knowledge without heart knowledge ending our days with no understanding of God's power and authority and personal experience of His deliverance.
When I speak of being put at risk, I don't mean living on the edge, looking for danger, throwing ourselves in front of a bus. Being at risk can mean any trial in life bigger than our human capacity to resolve it. But in that trial, looking for the hand of the Lord to provide a vibrant testimony of deliverance. A way out that speaks of His intervention. Trials are and always will be a part of life, so the risk is there any way, but it's who we look to when we are at risk. How does the Lord want to use our risk to Glorify His Name?
Most humans stick to the highway when given a choice. The path of least resistance is the one we choose. The one with all the comfort inns along the way. We gravitate toward what we know we can control and defend our "comfort zones" unto the death of a life of adventure and risk.
Yet we know from Biblical history that Israel always seems to be at risk, as were the Disciples. From the exodus of Israel out of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, to Paul's missionary journeys where he found himself shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous viper, God's greatest interaction with His people has been dramatic, life and death situations that He alone brought them through unscathed and over flowing with testimony.
Testimonies are the best way to communicate the Gospel. I have witnessed: sight restored to one hopelessly blind, an international child placed in the loving arms of a childless couple, a young man, at the brink of death due to meningitis, while Dr's were convinced death was eminent, miraculously healed and restored to life. Testimony after testimony of the Life and message that Jesus brought to earth: God is real; His love is real, His power is real. When a personal testimony of that Truth rocks your world it's hard to keep silent.
So what in your life with Jesus do you have to share? If you come up empty, maybe you just need to be willing to be put at risk.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I have learned to look for the miraculous in the everyday because God's hand is always there.
I remember a long time ago, when I worked in high school ministry among the teens how much I prayed that they would see miracles. I understand for faith to be faith we all need personal testimony of what Jesus has done for us. That does not undermine the definition of faith..."The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen" but sooner or later we must experience the "things hoped for".
In fact, the very essence of evangelism is to simply tell someone else what Jesus, the Son of God, has done for me personally, and how that causes me to know the truth: That God, the Father, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save me, that I should not perish in judgement for my sins but live forever with Him. John 3:16. Testimony of the Lord's miraculous intervention in our personal lives makes our faith viable and real, not foofy and ethereal.
The testimony of the early church was not that Jesus died on a cruel cross, but rather that He came back to life. His resurrection was the real testimony, and that testimony spread like wildfire because no one had ever risen from the dead until He came on the scene. Jesus' claim that He is God was validated by His miracles. He said, "even if you do not believe my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." John 14:11. The most life and earth-shaking miracle was the resurrection.
The Spirit reminds me again, "If you want the next generations (my children and theirs) to see miracles they have to be put at risk, is that what you want?" He knows that the "risk" is not what I want, but the miracles are, so I say, Yes, Yes, Yes!
To me, worse than being put at "risk" and gaining a life changing miracle as a personal testimony, is living a life of status quo; apathetic, full of doubt, head knowledge without heart knowledge ending our days with no understanding of God's power and authority and personal experience of His deliverance.
When I speak of being put at risk, I don't mean living on the edge, looking for danger, throwing ourselves in front of a bus. Being at risk can mean any trial in life bigger than our human capacity to resolve it. But in that trial, looking for the hand of the Lord to provide a vibrant testimony of deliverance. A way out that speaks of His intervention. Trials are and always will be a part of life, so the risk is there any way, but it's who we look to when we are at risk. How does the Lord want to use our risk to Glorify His Name?
Most humans stick to the highway when given a choice. The path of least resistance is the one we choose. The one with all the comfort inns along the way. We gravitate toward what we know we can control and defend our "comfort zones" unto the death of a life of adventure and risk.
Yet we know from Biblical history that Israel always seems to be at risk, as were the Disciples. From the exodus of Israel out of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea, to Paul's missionary journeys where he found himself shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous viper, God's greatest interaction with His people has been dramatic, life and death situations that He alone brought them through unscathed and over flowing with testimony.
Testimonies are the best way to communicate the Gospel. I have witnessed: sight restored to one hopelessly blind, an international child placed in the loving arms of a childless couple, a young man, at the brink of death due to meningitis, while Dr's were convinced death was eminent, miraculously healed and restored to life. Testimony after testimony of the Life and message that Jesus brought to earth: God is real; His love is real, His power is real. When a personal testimony of that Truth rocks your world it's hard to keep silent.
So what in your life with Jesus do you have to share? If you come up empty, maybe you just need to be willing to be put at risk.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
What Is There to Fear?
The Spirit calls me today. He reminds me that He is my Healer. I cry out to Him to come and do His wonderful work. I am such a mess and desperately need Him to help me sort things out. When I say I am a mess, it's all about my thoughts.
People in my life are a constant challenge to me. The enemy's assaults through people in my life are a challenge to me. But it is my reaction to all the challenges that mess me up.
To walk in the Spirit is a discipline of surrender. The hardest thing for me to give up is the personal sense of guilt for failure. Legalism has had a grip on my life since childhood and the perfectionism of keeping it's requirements can be exhausting. I think deep, analyze what I do against the standard of legalism and continue the sin spin....
The past season with the Holy One has brought awareness of this pattern and some degree of healing and I believe that this new season is going to break the mental sin spin. The process is slow but, then, eternity is without end so the clock and calendar doesn't matter to the Lord.
Today the Lord has asked me about my "anxious" thoughts. I love when He begins to question me to make me think and articulate to Him those thoughts, because I know He is going to reveal truth and that truth will set me free.
As I thought about my anxious thoughts, I came down to the fear. I am to be a "spokesman" to certain people in my life, as a servant of the Most High. The responsibility is charged with self-doubts. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I fail to say the right thing? What kind of a spokesman am I when I am not a good debater. All the questions about how will other people receive or interpret what I say? What if I am not hearing correctly, because a spokesman must only say what is given by the one who sends them? And then, what if, in my zeal, I drive people away from my Lord and offend the very ones I am called to speak to?
The Holy One speaks, "So, you fear your weakness, as well as your zeal?"
"Yep, that about sums it up".
He showed me Peter; devoted, zealous, walk-on-water, Peter, who blew it time and again. He took me back to the account of that early morning, Good Friday situation in the Garden, when the crowd came to arrest the Lord. Luke 22:50 and John 18:10. Peter, who was armed and dangerous, had a sword. He drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.
In the Luke account beginning at Luke 22:36-51, I noticed something very interesting. The Lord gave these disciples a new directive, and warning that persecution was about to get intense. He told them to get prepared and not only would they have to be prepared to pay their own way, but also a battle was about to unfold. "But now, if you have a purse take it and also a bag, and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."
It's almost humorous, if not so serious, that the disciples took inventory and said to the Lord, "see, here are 2 swords". I can only imagine their confusion not realizing that the Lord was just giving them a heads up as to the danger they would be in as followers of Christ. Then the thought in their original thinking of the Messiah, to take on the world by the power of the sword was still on. Jesus replied, (I am sure while shaking His head at their lack of understanding of His mission), "That is enough". They missed the point but now was not the time to explain.
Very shortly, Peter was prompted to use the sword in his zeal to protect His Lord. Whatever the motivation of Peter's action, it was detrimental to the ultimate goal of the Savior and the purpose in this encounter and arrest. So the Lord stepped in to protect and preserve and heal the damage caused by His disciple. Peter got it wrong or over reacted or in fear, responded incorrectly. But in the end the Lord Sovereignly healed the ear severed by the "sword".
The point to me is that I am not to fear my failure as a servant of my Lord. I must trust that He stands ready to heal the consequences of our sometimes detrimental actions and re-actions to people or circumstances. We are all on a learning curve and at times we will "biff-it". But we must know that our Lord stands ready to offset any damages caused by His beloved Disciples, honestly acting out of zeal for Him, or fear of failure or misunderstanding His will. The Holy One wants us to thrive in our calling and stop the anxiety of the "what-ifs". What plan of the Sovereign of all eternity can I screw up, really?
So we must all go forward with confidence, not in ourselves always getting it right, but rather with all confidence in the One who calls us into action in the first place.
So, what do you have to fear in serving Him?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
People in my life are a constant challenge to me. The enemy's assaults through people in my life are a challenge to me. But it is my reaction to all the challenges that mess me up.
To walk in the Spirit is a discipline of surrender. The hardest thing for me to give up is the personal sense of guilt for failure. Legalism has had a grip on my life since childhood and the perfectionism of keeping it's requirements can be exhausting. I think deep, analyze what I do against the standard of legalism and continue the sin spin....
The past season with the Holy One has brought awareness of this pattern and some degree of healing and I believe that this new season is going to break the mental sin spin. The process is slow but, then, eternity is without end so the clock and calendar doesn't matter to the Lord.
Today the Lord has asked me about my "anxious" thoughts. I love when He begins to question me to make me think and articulate to Him those thoughts, because I know He is going to reveal truth and that truth will set me free.
As I thought about my anxious thoughts, I came down to the fear. I am to be a "spokesman" to certain people in my life, as a servant of the Most High. The responsibility is charged with self-doubts. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I fail to say the right thing? What kind of a spokesman am I when I am not a good debater. All the questions about how will other people receive or interpret what I say? What if I am not hearing correctly, because a spokesman must only say what is given by the one who sends them? And then, what if, in my zeal, I drive people away from my Lord and offend the very ones I am called to speak to?
The Holy One speaks, "So, you fear your weakness, as well as your zeal?"
"Yep, that about sums it up".
He showed me Peter; devoted, zealous, walk-on-water, Peter, who blew it time and again. He took me back to the account of that early morning, Good Friday situation in the Garden, when the crowd came to arrest the Lord. Luke 22:50 and John 18:10. Peter, who was armed and dangerous, had a sword. He drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.
In the Luke account beginning at Luke 22:36-51, I noticed something very interesting. The Lord gave these disciples a new directive, and warning that persecution was about to get intense. He told them to get prepared and not only would they have to be prepared to pay their own way, but also a battle was about to unfold. "But now, if you have a purse take it and also a bag, and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one."
It's almost humorous, if not so serious, that the disciples took inventory and said to the Lord, "see, here are 2 swords". I can only imagine their confusion not realizing that the Lord was just giving them a heads up as to the danger they would be in as followers of Christ. Then the thought in their original thinking of the Messiah, to take on the world by the power of the sword was still on. Jesus replied, (I am sure while shaking His head at their lack of understanding of His mission), "That is enough". They missed the point but now was not the time to explain.
Very shortly, Peter was prompted to use the sword in his zeal to protect His Lord. Whatever the motivation of Peter's action, it was detrimental to the ultimate goal of the Savior and the purpose in this encounter and arrest. So the Lord stepped in to protect and preserve and heal the damage caused by His disciple. Peter got it wrong or over reacted or in fear, responded incorrectly. But in the end the Lord Sovereignly healed the ear severed by the "sword".
The point to me is that I am not to fear my failure as a servant of my Lord. I must trust that He stands ready to heal the consequences of our sometimes detrimental actions and re-actions to people or circumstances. We are all on a learning curve and at times we will "biff-it". But we must know that our Lord stands ready to offset any damages caused by His beloved Disciples, honestly acting out of zeal for Him, or fear of failure or misunderstanding His will. The Holy One wants us to thrive in our calling and stop the anxiety of the "what-ifs". What plan of the Sovereign of all eternity can I screw up, really?
So we must all go forward with confidence, not in ourselves always getting it right, but rather with all confidence in the One who calls us into action in the first place.
So, what do you have to fear in serving Him?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Maze
Most all of us have a perspective of life. We see life as a puzzle to work, or a race to run or a battle to fight. I have always been the "warrior" type. I have always seen life as a battle with an enemy. Good vs. evil. While I haven't lost that picture in my mind, a while ago the Holy Spirit spoke to me about a "new season" and a different perspective of the battle.
My battles were always fought, in my mind, on horseback, like the ones in mediveal times. Swinging my Sword of the Spirit, cutting off the heads of the evil enemy forces, etc. But a while ago the Spirit told me to trade in my horse for a good set of combat boots. I really didn't like the sound of that because it meant I was going to be in the trenches not able to flee like I have done in the past. He told me to prepare for the battle to become hand-to-hand combat. Little did I know how close to my heart the battle would get.
But true to His knowledge of the future, the battle was close, the fighting was fierce but the Victory was won. Hallelujah.
Today He gives me yet another picture of life. The picture He paints is that life here on earth is like a maze. We enter it at birth and exit it at death and the symbolism of this gives quite an understanding of our desperate need for Him.
Life can be so confusing at times. Just when you think you know what you are supposed to do and think you are headed in a right direction, bam, there's a wall, just like in a maze. There are choices to be made at every corner, right or left. Without the view from the top we simply cannot know when a turn will lead us into a dead end. We don't have any concept about where we are in the "maze". Are we close to the end, half way through or just at the beginning? How many dead ends are there?
Without the wisdom from the mind of One who sees the end from the beginning outside the "maze", we are helpless wanderers not able to even begin to navigate our own way.
I meet fellow travelers in the maze every day. Some are coming from where I have been and others are in a place I have yet to see...but we are all in the maze.
This is where the Spirit of the Lord speaks to comfort my soul. I will never leave you nor forsake you and I will lead you through the corridors of the maze securing you as you go.
Provb 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Failing to seek the wisdom and counsel of the one outside the maze is a huge mistake if I ever want to make sense out of life with all the situations and people I meet each day.
How blessed are we among people that we have the help of the Sovereign God of all Creation who speaks to us, lights the pathway before us and leads us to the quiet springs and even adventures that lies within the maze. The only question is "are we seeking wisdom from the One who sees the end from the beginning?"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
My battles were always fought, in my mind, on horseback, like the ones in mediveal times. Swinging my Sword of the Spirit, cutting off the heads of the evil enemy forces, etc. But a while ago the Spirit told me to trade in my horse for a good set of combat boots. I really didn't like the sound of that because it meant I was going to be in the trenches not able to flee like I have done in the past. He told me to prepare for the battle to become hand-to-hand combat. Little did I know how close to my heart the battle would get.
But true to His knowledge of the future, the battle was close, the fighting was fierce but the Victory was won. Hallelujah.
Today He gives me yet another picture of life. The picture He paints is that life here on earth is like a maze. We enter it at birth and exit it at death and the symbolism of this gives quite an understanding of our desperate need for Him.
Life can be so confusing at times. Just when you think you know what you are supposed to do and think you are headed in a right direction, bam, there's a wall, just like in a maze. There are choices to be made at every corner, right or left. Without the view from the top we simply cannot know when a turn will lead us into a dead end. We don't have any concept about where we are in the "maze". Are we close to the end, half way through or just at the beginning? How many dead ends are there?
Without the wisdom from the mind of One who sees the end from the beginning outside the "maze", we are helpless wanderers not able to even begin to navigate our own way.
I meet fellow travelers in the maze every day. Some are coming from where I have been and others are in a place I have yet to see...but we are all in the maze.
This is where the Spirit of the Lord speaks to comfort my soul. I will never leave you nor forsake you and I will lead you through the corridors of the maze securing you as you go.
Provb 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Failing to seek the wisdom and counsel of the one outside the maze is a huge mistake if I ever want to make sense out of life with all the situations and people I meet each day.
How blessed are we among people that we have the help of the Sovereign God of all Creation who speaks to us, lights the pathway before us and leads us to the quiet springs and even adventures that lies within the maze. The only question is "are we seeking wisdom from the One who sees the end from the beginning?"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
He is Risen***
The Spirit calls to me celebrate this day with great joy. The Gospel is eternal life for me. That is truly "great news". For created beings who are hard wired for eternity, the thought of immortality brings comfort to our souls.
Eternal beings born with terminal flesh bodies suffer great distress unless we seek out and find the One who can reconcile the two. Ecc. 3:10-11, "I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
When we ponder the life and death of our Savior, as He came to show us the Father then died to pay the price that sin requires, we must not stop there. To many the crucified Christ is the most over powering image we have of our Savior, yet the Gospel doesn't end there. The fullness of the Gospel is the Resurrection and all that the Resurrection from the dead means to the heart and mind of a created being who was never meant to die. Our Creator, Maker, Savior and Lord came to conquer the single greatest threat to our eternal being.....I.E. death.
The early church gave testimony to the Resurrection as the center piece of the Gospel. Hundreds of years later, the death and crucifixion gained emphasis. The fact that Jesus came to die for my sin brings me to humble brokenness, but the fact that He walked out of that tomb and lives brings hope, joy and excitement for life without measure.
I could not conquer death, but my Savior did. The point to me is that, if He conquered death for me then He can also conquer all the other impossible issues of life for me as well.
What element of the Triune Godhead enabled this miraculous Resurrection and restoration of a body that had been tortured, brutalized and crucified? The answer is the very Holy Spirit who dwells within my heart.
The power of the Resurrection is the Power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is the One who restored life to the dead body of the Savior and is now in the being of every one who calls Jesus, "Lord". He is the Power in us who overcomes death and enables us to live the Holy Life of Christ to the Glory of the Risen Savior.
Our Savior lives. He has risen from the dead and now sits at the right hand of all Authority. He opened the channel, broke down the wall, tore the veil that separated us from the extravagant, effervescent life we were designed and created to live for all eternity with our indescribable Creator.
Now Jesus has sent forth the very One who restored His life and body in the tomb. The Glory of the Risen Savior has no equal. No other "religious icon" has ever returned from the dead to claim the victory. Our God lives, our God reigns and because we have been the blessed recipients of His eternal life by the power of His Holy Spirit we too will live FOREVER!!!!
My job right now, here on this earth is to live for the glory of my Savior in this place in eternity I now occupy.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Eternal beings born with terminal flesh bodies suffer great distress unless we seek out and find the One who can reconcile the two. Ecc. 3:10-11, "I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
When we ponder the life and death of our Savior, as He came to show us the Father then died to pay the price that sin requires, we must not stop there. To many the crucified Christ is the most over powering image we have of our Savior, yet the Gospel doesn't end there. The fullness of the Gospel is the Resurrection and all that the Resurrection from the dead means to the heart and mind of a created being who was never meant to die. Our Creator, Maker, Savior and Lord came to conquer the single greatest threat to our eternal being.....I.E. death.
The early church gave testimony to the Resurrection as the center piece of the Gospel. Hundreds of years later, the death and crucifixion gained emphasis. The fact that Jesus came to die for my sin brings me to humble brokenness, but the fact that He walked out of that tomb and lives brings hope, joy and excitement for life without measure.
I could not conquer death, but my Savior did. The point to me is that, if He conquered death for me then He can also conquer all the other impossible issues of life for me as well.
What element of the Triune Godhead enabled this miraculous Resurrection and restoration of a body that had been tortured, brutalized and crucified? The answer is the very Holy Spirit who dwells within my heart.
The power of the Resurrection is the Power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is the One who restored life to the dead body of the Savior and is now in the being of every one who calls Jesus, "Lord". He is the Power in us who overcomes death and enables us to live the Holy Life of Christ to the Glory of the Risen Savior.
Our Savior lives. He has risen from the dead and now sits at the right hand of all Authority. He opened the channel, broke down the wall, tore the veil that separated us from the extravagant, effervescent life we were designed and created to live for all eternity with our indescribable Creator.
Now Jesus has sent forth the very One who restored His life and body in the tomb. The Glory of the Risen Savior has no equal. No other "religious icon" has ever returned from the dead to claim the victory. Our God lives, our God reigns and because we have been the blessed recipients of His eternal life by the power of His Holy Spirit we too will live FOREVER!!!!
My job right now, here on this earth is to live for the glory of my Savior in this place in eternity I now occupy.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
A Holy Transfusion
The Spirit calls me this morning after Good Friday to take a peek into the tomb on Saturday, where no human eyes, at that moment in history, were allowed to witness what went on.
I always wonder about the "mechanics" of the Holy life of our Lord. I always have the deepest questions and think about those times when Jesus was isolated away from public view. I don't wonder about the specifics of the miracles that were supernatural or how they came to be in the physical, but I do wonder about the dynamics of the Holy Life of the Son of God Incarnate.
The Holy Spirit knows my inquisitive nature, directs my thoughts and provides word pictures that satisfy my desire to know.
I always wondered about the time after the Crucifixion, but before the glorious "find" of that empty tomb. Mysteries too great to fathom, yet is the Holy Spirit willing to fill in a few blanks for me? Like the mystery of the Trinity for one. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were participating in this eternal plan for our salvation.
While the Son hung on the Cross, the Father spoke from Heaven. While the "Light" of the world was being crucified, darkness covered the land. Upon His physical death, the heavy curtain of the Temple, which represented a barrier of separation between man and the Holy Place of God's Presence was supernaturally torn in two.
(Luke 23:44-46) There was an earthquake. Tombs broke open and Holy people who had died were raised to life. (Matt 27:52)
The Trinity was visibly active on that day. But what about Saturday in the tomb? What was going on? The Holy One gave me a picture to satisfy my curiosity. The picture is one of a Holy Transfusion, where the Spirit of Resurrected Life was replacing the physical blood in the Lord's physical body.
To the human body, the life is in the blood, but also the death is in the blood. The same blood that pumps through our veins to sustain our life, after death becomes the very substance that causes our bodies to decay and break down. While alive, we usually refer to ourselves as "flesh & blood", but when Jesus spoke to the Disciples after His resurrection He said, look I am not a ghost but I am "flesh & bone". That could have been just a reference to His physical visibility but then again?
While I don't understand the physiology of that breakdown, I understand that something must replace the blood to give life to our mortal bodies. I believe that it is the Third Person of the Trinity who wields that power and provides all the elements for resurrection life.
The exciting part about peeking into the tomb and seeing a Holy Transfusion taking place is what that visual means to me. I have the Holy Spirit indwelling me since I received the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior. His life sustaining resurrection power is pulsating through my veins just like my blood. On the day of my translation, He will replace all the corrosive chemicals of death within and
sustain my life for the rest of time.
Right now the Holy Spirit is actively training me to trust His Presence within. I am learning to listen, to follow His directives, surrender my will so that my unity with the Trinity can be complete. The day will come when I will need to trust Him to see me through the dark corridor of the unknown whether by physical death or rapture.
Jesus emerged from the tomb with a Glorified body. A body similar to the one we will all have on the day of our translation. Jesus died that we might have life. He provided the opening through the curtain so we have access to the Father and then He sent The Holy Spirit of Resurrected Life to show us the way.
The indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit is like receiving a life sustaining Holy transfusion. He has the power to heal us, sustain us, and resurrect us.
Have you received your Holy Transfusion?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I always wonder about the "mechanics" of the Holy life of our Lord. I always have the deepest questions and think about those times when Jesus was isolated away from public view. I don't wonder about the specifics of the miracles that were supernatural or how they came to be in the physical, but I do wonder about the dynamics of the Holy Life of the Son of God Incarnate.
The Holy Spirit knows my inquisitive nature, directs my thoughts and provides word pictures that satisfy my desire to know.
I always wondered about the time after the Crucifixion, but before the glorious "find" of that empty tomb. Mysteries too great to fathom, yet is the Holy Spirit willing to fill in a few blanks for me? Like the mystery of the Trinity for one. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were participating in this eternal plan for our salvation.
While the Son hung on the Cross, the Father spoke from Heaven. While the "Light" of the world was being crucified, darkness covered the land. Upon His physical death, the heavy curtain of the Temple, which represented a barrier of separation between man and the Holy Place of God's Presence was supernaturally torn in two.
(Luke 23:44-46) There was an earthquake. Tombs broke open and Holy people who had died were raised to life. (Matt 27:52)
The Trinity was visibly active on that day. But what about Saturday in the tomb? What was going on? The Holy One gave me a picture to satisfy my curiosity. The picture is one of a Holy Transfusion, where the Spirit of Resurrected Life was replacing the physical blood in the Lord's physical body.
To the human body, the life is in the blood, but also the death is in the blood. The same blood that pumps through our veins to sustain our life, after death becomes the very substance that causes our bodies to decay and break down. While alive, we usually refer to ourselves as "flesh & blood", but when Jesus spoke to the Disciples after His resurrection He said, look I am not a ghost but I am "flesh & bone". That could have been just a reference to His physical visibility but then again?
While I don't understand the physiology of that breakdown, I understand that something must replace the blood to give life to our mortal bodies. I believe that it is the Third Person of the Trinity who wields that power and provides all the elements for resurrection life.
The exciting part about peeking into the tomb and seeing a Holy Transfusion taking place is what that visual means to me. I have the Holy Spirit indwelling me since I received the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior. His life sustaining resurrection power is pulsating through my veins just like my blood. On the day of my translation, He will replace all the corrosive chemicals of death within and
sustain my life for the rest of time.
Right now the Holy Spirit is actively training me to trust His Presence within. I am learning to listen, to follow His directives, surrender my will so that my unity with the Trinity can be complete. The day will come when I will need to trust Him to see me through the dark corridor of the unknown whether by physical death or rapture.
Jesus emerged from the tomb with a Glorified body. A body similar to the one we will all have on the day of our translation. Jesus died that we might have life. He provided the opening through the curtain so we have access to the Father and then He sent The Holy Spirit of Resurrected Life to show us the way.
The indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit is like receiving a life sustaining Holy transfusion. He has the power to heal us, sustain us, and resurrect us.
Have you received your Holy Transfusion?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, April 2, 2010
At the Foot of the Cross
The Spirit calls me today, understanding my sorrow as I reflect on the crucifixion of our Savior. He reminds me again of the necessity of the sacrifice.
Today is "Good Friday".
From the human accountability position, it is anything but good. This day represents humanity in it's darkest hour, demonstrating the very reason God sent us His Savior.
Unfettered power in the hands of the human, exacting ultimate justice for the "sake" of society. The shocking depravity and cruelty of the cross in itself is a stark reminder of why we needed a Savior.
Justice the human way, exacts it's toll on the condemned evil-doer, but does nothing to change the inner man. Even if the guilty serve a prison sentence or are required to do penitence, the end result is usually a promise to "try" to do better and if that fails, find a way not to get caught.
But even the most law abiding citizens go over the speed limit sometimes. To say no one is perfect is the understatement of eternity. Yet God's requirement hasn't changed. The penalty for sin is death.
The law of the speed limit is 55 MPH, just 1 MPH over and I am a law breaker.
The fact that I know I am (or could be) a law breaker should drive me to the foot of the Cross. Even if the "law" of the speed limit doesn't apply, there is a greater set of laws as a human for which I am accountable before God as a lawbreaker.
These are set forth by a Holy God and compliance is mandatory or else the sentence of death will be executed.
Wow, to think that I would get a death sentence for driving 1 MPH over a speed limit is shocking especially when the penalty for murder is the same. Here is where the difference in God's justice comes to light: The goal in God's justice is to destroy the sin within. The ultimate goal is found in His love for His creation, devastated by the fall, to bring the lawbreaker back unto His righteous standard of Holiness and into fellowship with Himself. To execute the punishment of death for sin on all guilty flesh, would leave no man standing on merit..."for all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God" Rom 3:23
All of us are guilty as charged.
The fact that driving 1 MPH over the speed limit would receive the same punishment as murder hardly seems fair, yet when Holiness is the standard, any infraction constitutes an unacceptable violation. The point, to me, is that God sees all sin the same. There is no gradation for law breaking. To fail on one point of the law makes one guilty of failure. In the eyes of justice, 1 MPH over is the same as 100 MPH over and we are guilty of violating the "law" of the speed limit.
God's justice must be equal to all and it is so, that no man can boast. Man's lesser-sin-status or merit-on-works claim, has no audience in the presence of Holiness. This is God's mercy. The end of God's justice is to condemn sin within and change the inner man.
Whether our depraved sin nature placed us at Calvary driving the nails into the hands and feet of an innocent or whether it places us in a vehicle driving 56 in a 55 MPH zone, we are all lawbreakers in God's eyes. Equal justice for all means the penalty for any law breaking is the same.
Understanding this accountability is the important first step leading to the foot of the Cross. Judging God's justice to excuse our lesser sins is a no-win place to live and die.
Therefore we plead, "Come to the Cross and live". Let the powerful Blood of Jesus and the justice of our Holy God poured out on the Cross deal with your sin within. Be thankful that we don't ever have to wonder if our "good" works are enough to save us. Because on this "Good" Friday, Jesus paid the price for our sins and took the penalty for all who accept Him as Savior. For the "gift" of God is eternal life and forgiveness of sin.
The glorious "Good" about "Good" Friday is in this amazing Truth:
John 3:16-17,"For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son (to die in the place of every human for we are lawbreakers all), that whosoever believes in Him
(as the Savior who bore God's ultimate judgement and justice for the lawbreaker) shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him".
Have you made it to the foot of the Cross?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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