The Holy One calls me today to celebrate Heavenly visions of earth-bound resolutions. Like in the days of Daniel, sometimes we are required to wait for the answers from above to reach our circumstances here on earth.
The pause is so often mis-interpreted to be a denial of our petition when God has already approved our requisition and it is on the way. Interference by the enemy can be the cause for the delay as God's Heavenly Host do battle in the Spirit realm while escorting God's provision and answer into our hands and lives.
A read of Daniel's vision of a man in the book that bears his name chapter 10, he quotes the Angelic Being sent to him from Heaven;s Throne, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard and I have come in response to them. But the Prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me 21 days. Then Michael, one of the Chief Princes came to help me because I was detained there with the King of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future for the vision concerns a time yet to come."
As the Angel, continues to speak to Daniel the overwhelming sense that Daniel describes of himself is "bowed face to the ground", "speechless", "helpless", "strength gone", "hardly able to breathe". Then in Daniel 10:15, he says, "again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. "Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed", he said, "Peace, be strong, now be strong." When he spoke I was strengthened."
As I read this account of Daniel, the Holy One speaks, "You were created to be helpless".
Tell that to all the Hollywood movie makers who portray the human with total power to survive any and all imaginable threats to our human existence. Somehow, we think we are invincible, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and ace every challenge we face given enough time to calibrate the threat. But really how many of us live in that condition day in and day out?
The picture Daniel painted helps me to realize how really small and vulnerable we are in the bigger realms we barely know exist. This passage has so many interesting things to learn and I am excited to ponder all it contains. The Holy One has taken me here today to think about the cause of delayed answers and to understand that the feelings of helplessness I experience are OK and more than OK they are actually a part of God's design. Helplessness produces dependency.
The old lie so many have been taught that "God helps those who help themselves" needs to be eliminated from our favorite list of quotable quotes. It is a lie through and through. It drives us out of a dependant relationship that God has ordained in Creation for us to experience, enjoy and thrive in. If I believe that lie for half a minute, I will search for what I can do and not petition my Heavenly Father for what He alone can do.
Then there is the issue of the delay in answer to my prayers. The pause, the silence that is deafening. This passage of scripture reveals some details of another realm that affects our life here on earth.
Answers passing through the Heavenlies, brought to us by Angelic Guardians. Spiritual resistance by evil forces. Power struggles between unseen Heavenly Beings. The ultimate victory by God's Agents created to oversee and help us. A fantastic picture of another world and it's invisible impact on our world today. Truth far more exciting and profound than fiction. And somehow we are the center piece of God's Created universe around which all this action rotates.
The feelings of helplessness grow when I consider the magnitude of all I don't know. But then I begin to realize that it's not my fault for being helpless. It is the way we were created.
The Holy One takes me to another place of comfort against my anxiety, Psalm 91 where God's Sovereignty and our protection is assured.
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord He is my fortress, my God in whom I trust." Psalm 91:9, "If you make the Lord your dwelling, even the Lord who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."
Knowing that I am created by God to be helpless and dependant on Him, I can surely trust in His Sovereign plan to take care of me. And if the unseen realm of God's creation is inhabited by such powerful beings as Angels who are assigned to guard me in all my ways, I realize being helpless isn't so bad. With all that action going on in the unseen realm in my behalf, I guess I can be patient and wait for the answers to arrive.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Truth: Expect the Backlash***
The Holy One calls me this morning. I am wide awake now. His voice is clear and His message even clearer. "Expect the backlash".
Each and every morning, we wake up to our world at war. Most do not understand this, so few are prepared to respond to what comes their way. It is not the usual kind of war where both sides are easily recognized and uniforms identify the allegiance of the people engaged. This war is a battle between kingdoms not necessarily nations, or families or individuals who disagree.
Ephesians 6:10-17, gives us a picture of the battle, through the commands it conveys. We, God's people, through the relational Body of Christ called the Church, have a high and Holy calling, ordained by the Trinity to represent God's Glory and purpose to the world of men.
Ephesians was written to convey in overview God's purpose, His plan, His power and His wisdom in design. In the world of chaos, amid never ending contention, the Church, under the Headship of Christ offers a peace and unity for all who would align themselves with God through Jesus Christ. A peace and unity the world does not and can not know. This peace and unity traverses all people, all nations, all cultures over all of time.
As Paul lays out the powerful message of God's purpose in calling His people to become a body of believers connected to one another by the Holy Spirit of Christ under one Head, he speaks to the backlash and opposition we can expect in Ephesians 6:10-12. Paul also leaves the reader with the Heavenly strategy we must follow as we contend for the faith.
"Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Jesus told us that He came to destroy the works of the devil and Paul talks about the devil's schemes.
That we have an enemy here is fact beyond doubt. For those who deny that fact, the battle is already lost. We must first acknowledge we are at war before we can begin to battle effectively. We must first identify the enemy before we can defeat him.
Paul tells us what we are up against, "for our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms."
WOW, that paints a picture of a titanic battle not just the little day-to-day problems and issues we face and call inconvenience or fate. I am thankful that Paul begins this overview of the enemies we face with the exhortation to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God....
In essence Paul is telling us to prepare for battle, and put on our protective gear. Without God's armour we will become casualties in this war. We are to be fitted in our armour of God so that we will be able to stand our ground and after we have done everything, to stand firm.
God's armour boils down to truth, righteousness, peace and faith. When the day of evil comes, he will attack each one of these places of Godly integrity on our lives.
When we take a stand for truth, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make truth seem weak and the lie seem stronger.
When we take a stand for righteousness, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make righteousness seem weak and unrighteousness seem stronger.
When we take a stand for peace, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make peace seem weak and chaos seem stronger.
And when we take a stand for faith, the enemy will attack it. He will make faith seem weak and faithlessness seem stronger.
In all the armour, the helmet of our "salvation" protects our mind. The reason this is so important is that the battlefield is the mind. As the Lord brings all these things into our life at salvation: truth, righteousness, peace, and faith, the evil one sets about to destroy them. But even the battle has a Divine purpose.
Every attack begins with a lie:
about who we are in Christ
about our relationship with God and each other
about our purpose set forth by God
about our power against the evil one delegated to us by God
about our eternal destination prepared for us by God
As we stand firm we get stronger.
The offensive weapon we have in this great titanic battle that we wake up to each and every day is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. God's Word is truth and the standard against every lie the enemy may offer.
Our knowledge of the truth and our ability to wield it as a weapon is vital in this titanic struggle against the dark forces we cannot see. The battle is spiritual, the enemy invisible and the strategy for victory Divine. Paul ties it all up with his exhortation to "pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers".
As the Holy One tells me to expect a backlash, I now know, it's time to run to the Word, pick up my Sword and pray.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Each and every morning, we wake up to our world at war. Most do not understand this, so few are prepared to respond to what comes their way. It is not the usual kind of war where both sides are easily recognized and uniforms identify the allegiance of the people engaged. This war is a battle between kingdoms not necessarily nations, or families or individuals who disagree.
Ephesians 6:10-17, gives us a picture of the battle, through the commands it conveys. We, God's people, through the relational Body of Christ called the Church, have a high and Holy calling, ordained by the Trinity to represent God's Glory and purpose to the world of men.
Ephesians was written to convey in overview God's purpose, His plan, His power and His wisdom in design. In the world of chaos, amid never ending contention, the Church, under the Headship of Christ offers a peace and unity for all who would align themselves with God through Jesus Christ. A peace and unity the world does not and can not know. This peace and unity traverses all people, all nations, all cultures over all of time.
As Paul lays out the powerful message of God's purpose in calling His people to become a body of believers connected to one another by the Holy Spirit of Christ under one Head, he speaks to the backlash and opposition we can expect in Ephesians 6:10-12. Paul also leaves the reader with the Heavenly strategy we must follow as we contend for the faith.
"Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Jesus told us that He came to destroy the works of the devil and Paul talks about the devil's schemes.
That we have an enemy here is fact beyond doubt. For those who deny that fact, the battle is already lost. We must first acknowledge we are at war before we can begin to battle effectively. We must first identify the enemy before we can defeat him.
Paul tells us what we are up against, "for our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms."
WOW, that paints a picture of a titanic battle not just the little day-to-day problems and issues we face and call inconvenience or fate. I am thankful that Paul begins this overview of the enemies we face with the exhortation to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God....
In essence Paul is telling us to prepare for battle, and put on our protective gear. Without God's armour we will become casualties in this war. We are to be fitted in our armour of God so that we will be able to stand our ground and after we have done everything, to stand firm.
God's armour boils down to truth, righteousness, peace and faith. When the day of evil comes, he will attack each one of these places of Godly integrity on our lives.
When we take a stand for truth, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make truth seem weak and the lie seem stronger.
When we take a stand for righteousness, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make righteousness seem weak and unrighteousness seem stronger.
When we take a stand for peace, the enemy will attack it. He will do all he can to make peace seem weak and chaos seem stronger.
And when we take a stand for faith, the enemy will attack it. He will make faith seem weak and faithlessness seem stronger.
In all the armour, the helmet of our "salvation" protects our mind. The reason this is so important is that the battlefield is the mind. As the Lord brings all these things into our life at salvation: truth, righteousness, peace, and faith, the evil one sets about to destroy them. But even the battle has a Divine purpose.
Every attack begins with a lie:
about who we are in Christ
about our relationship with God and each other
about our purpose set forth by God
about our power against the evil one delegated to us by God
about our eternal destination prepared for us by God
As we stand firm we get stronger.
The offensive weapon we have in this great titanic battle that we wake up to each and every day is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. God's Word is truth and the standard against every lie the enemy may offer.
Our knowledge of the truth and our ability to wield it as a weapon is vital in this titanic struggle against the dark forces we cannot see. The battle is spiritual, the enemy invisible and the strategy for victory Divine. Paul ties it all up with his exhortation to "pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers".
As the Holy One tells me to expect a backlash, I now know, it's time to run to the Word, pick up my Sword and pray.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Echos of Victory*
The Holy Spirit calls me this morning. The watches of the night brings forth the croaking of the frogs. This is my way of describing the constant barrage of enemy psyops into the atmosphere. The constant unwelcome thoughts trying to defeat me and cause truth to retreat from the battlefield of my mind.
The Holy One always comes to my rescue when my conscious thoughts can be formed. Today He speaks to a perspective in prayer, as I have been called there, to war against the dark forces that challenge all that is Holy in our earthly existence.
When the Spirit speaks, I get a new prayer perspective and strategy. Jesus said, "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you." John 15:7 As I am pondering this amazing promise for answers, the Holy One brings me to an important truth.
He said, "You have been asking for more action from the Throne, when all you need has already been given. You need to ask for the ability to claim what has already been made available."
Interesting and true. On the issue of our salvation, the price has been paid, the Savior has come, died in my place and is now seated on His Glorious Throne. He has already done all He can to save us, the rest is up to us as individuals. The "action" needed to accept the Lord as our substitute on the Cross and His death to sin as our death, is up to us. An act of our will is what Salvation requires. His action has already been taken. His victory has already been won.
I move on to ponder the battles we are all facing in our lives. The darkness in the circumstances we "see". The Holy One reminds me that things are not as they appear. The evil one is a liar. His lies form a cloud of oppression over our minds and souls and that meters out to our perspective of the circumstances we "see".
The truth is different than the lies we believe. But how do I process this new directive?
Holiness takes me back to the mystery of the power of the spoken word. "God said" and it was so. He reminds me that the weapons we fight with are not carnal but mighty unto God for the bringing down of strongholds. The Holy One cautions me that my own words can impact the battle bringing victory or defeat. Our counsel sessions are vital to living the victorious life here on earth.
The enemy croaks in my ear that all is lost, the dark is too great to be overcome, retreat is mandatory to avoid greater losses. If I agree with that lie, and act upon it, defeat is imminent.
How many battles have been lost due to my verbal repeat and subsequent reaction to the lie I hear in my ear? What victories might I have experienced with the powerful declaration of truth, "Evil is a defeated foe"! Jesus Christ is the Hero and He brought victory for all of us who call upon His name, not just for eternity future but also in the battles raging here and now.
If, as the Holy One has spoken, the battle has been already won and victory is mine, then it is up to me to appropriate it in every situation that touches my life for the Glory of my Savior and King.
I am reading a great book and a chapter in it called, "dare to imagine". It comes to me in the form of an exhortation by the Holy One to press in, know the Will of God as it is written, dare to take God at His word and proceed to the victory as if it is already done and won.
Since the Majestic God of all Creation exists outside the box we know as life, could it be that we can lay claim to victories that are future to us in the confidence that in Heaven they are already won?
How would that understanding of God's Sovereignty affect the depths of our relationship in prayer? How would that change our perseverance, our persistence, our determination to appropriate those victories here?
I believe it is time to purge our minds of the lies of the evil one haranguing us about defeat, and it's time to lay claim to the victories echoing from Eternity's Throne.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Holy One always comes to my rescue when my conscious thoughts can be formed. Today He speaks to a perspective in prayer, as I have been called there, to war against the dark forces that challenge all that is Holy in our earthly existence.
When the Spirit speaks, I get a new prayer perspective and strategy. Jesus said, "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you." John 15:7 As I am pondering this amazing promise for answers, the Holy One brings me to an important truth.
He said, "You have been asking for more action from the Throne, when all you need has already been given. You need to ask for the ability to claim what has already been made available."
Interesting and true. On the issue of our salvation, the price has been paid, the Savior has come, died in my place and is now seated on His Glorious Throne. He has already done all He can to save us, the rest is up to us as individuals. The "action" needed to accept the Lord as our substitute on the Cross and His death to sin as our death, is up to us. An act of our will is what Salvation requires. His action has already been taken. His victory has already been won.
I move on to ponder the battles we are all facing in our lives. The darkness in the circumstances we "see". The Holy One reminds me that things are not as they appear. The evil one is a liar. His lies form a cloud of oppression over our minds and souls and that meters out to our perspective of the circumstances we "see".
The truth is different than the lies we believe. But how do I process this new directive?
Holiness takes me back to the mystery of the power of the spoken word. "God said" and it was so. He reminds me that the weapons we fight with are not carnal but mighty unto God for the bringing down of strongholds. The Holy One cautions me that my own words can impact the battle bringing victory or defeat. Our counsel sessions are vital to living the victorious life here on earth.
The enemy croaks in my ear that all is lost, the dark is too great to be overcome, retreat is mandatory to avoid greater losses. If I agree with that lie, and act upon it, defeat is imminent.
How many battles have been lost due to my verbal repeat and subsequent reaction to the lie I hear in my ear? What victories might I have experienced with the powerful declaration of truth, "Evil is a defeated foe"! Jesus Christ is the Hero and He brought victory for all of us who call upon His name, not just for eternity future but also in the battles raging here and now.
If, as the Holy One has spoken, the battle has been already won and victory is mine, then it is up to me to appropriate it in every situation that touches my life for the Glory of my Savior and King.
I am reading a great book and a chapter in it called, "dare to imagine". It comes to me in the form of an exhortation by the Holy One to press in, know the Will of God as it is written, dare to take God at His word and proceed to the victory as if it is already done and won.
Since the Majestic God of all Creation exists outside the box we know as life, could it be that we can lay claim to victories that are future to us in the confidence that in Heaven they are already won?
How would that understanding of God's Sovereignty affect the depths of our relationship in prayer? How would that change our perseverance, our persistence, our determination to appropriate those victories here?
I believe it is time to purge our minds of the lies of the evil one haranguing us about defeat, and it's time to lay claim to the victories echoing from Eternity's Throne.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Cross Is Our Protection
The Holy One calls to me today. The dark days of winter have given way to what seems to be an early spring. The warmer days couldn't be more welcome as a symbol of the resurrection of new life welling up from the deadness of winter.
My mind floods with the hope that this spring will bring more than symbolic newness. My hope for resolutions, fresh starts, and renewed vision perks. The Holy One captures my imagination with what springtime brings to mind and that is the celebration of the Passover and the Cross. He speaks to my heart, "The Cross is your protection". How easy it is to forget that perspective.
When we think of the cross and the price Jesus paid for us, we don't necessarily think of it as our "protection", but that is precisely what it is.
The eternal reality is that there is a Holy God, who created us in His image. There was a garden in our ancient past when man and woman walked in fellowship with the Creator. There is an enemy, a traitor of creation who so hates the Creator that he has declared war on God's Beloved. Under the enemy's deceptive and hypnotic power, man fell and has been subject to the degrading influence of his evil agenda ever since.
Over 2000 years ago when time was ripe for man to be redeemed, God sent His Son to pay the price that Holiness demands for rebellion against the Creator: Death. A just penalty for sin.
In the most outrageous public display of affection,God Himself paid the only price high enough to atone for the man's absolute depravity and insult to Holiness: The innocent Lamb slain for the sin of the guilty.
The innocent Blood flowed over all mankind and the sin nature that bound every one of us to evil was forever broken. On the Cross where Jesus died over 2000 years ago, evil was judged and the wrath of Holiness was poured out.
But just as a gift given is of no benefit unless it is a gift received, the Cross stands embraced by some yet rejected by many. For those of us who grasp the magnitude and benevolence of the gift of Eternal Life the Savior's death provides, the Cross is our protection.
For those who deny the Cross and the One who died upon it, the wrath of Holiness against all unholiness with yet be poured out...until all unholiness is destroyed.
The Cross is the one and only place anyone can hide and be protected from the final wrath of a Holy God, who is justified in His judgement since He alone is the Standard of Holiness by which all men will be judged. "Be Holy because I am Holy", echoes throughout the history of mankind.
I Peter 1:16, "But just as He who calls you is Holy, be Holy in all that you do".
Biblical history reveals that, before God sent His son, Jesus to be the final atonement for the sin of fallen man, God's chosen people were commanded to sacrifice a lamb in symbolic atonement for sin. Generation after generation, lambs were slain in the representation of the penalty of death for sin.
Until one day on the calendar of man's days upon the earth when God who so loved the world sent:
The Last and Greatest Lamb
The final Sacrifice to be made
The only Blood innocent enough to be shed in atonement for all the wickedness the heart of man can conjure up.
And that Lamb is called JESUS.
The Truth is available for all to see and know. God's wrath was poured out on THE LAMB on THAT CROSS as a signal that we are welcome to come into the presence of Holiness with the SIN DEBT that separated us from our God, PAID IN FULL.
But the invitation is only for those who stand protected by the Cross and the relationship we have with the Son, Jesus, the lamb slain. The rest of the world of men who reject the Cross will be called to pay their own debt and suffer the wrath of Holiness upon themselves. The day of judgement is coming upon the whole earth. The only place of safety is in the arms of the only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
The Cross stands as our only protection from the wrath of Holiness: Lamb slain, Blood shed, Life given in exchange for our own.
What is the Cross to you? An event in history or the priceless protection of your eternal soul?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
My mind floods with the hope that this spring will bring more than symbolic newness. My hope for resolutions, fresh starts, and renewed vision perks. The Holy One captures my imagination with what springtime brings to mind and that is the celebration of the Passover and the Cross. He speaks to my heart, "The Cross is your protection". How easy it is to forget that perspective.
When we think of the cross and the price Jesus paid for us, we don't necessarily think of it as our "protection", but that is precisely what it is.
The eternal reality is that there is a Holy God, who created us in His image. There was a garden in our ancient past when man and woman walked in fellowship with the Creator. There is an enemy, a traitor of creation who so hates the Creator that he has declared war on God's Beloved. Under the enemy's deceptive and hypnotic power, man fell and has been subject to the degrading influence of his evil agenda ever since.
Over 2000 years ago when time was ripe for man to be redeemed, God sent His Son to pay the price that Holiness demands for rebellion against the Creator: Death. A just penalty for sin.
In the most outrageous public display of affection,God Himself paid the only price high enough to atone for the man's absolute depravity and insult to Holiness: The innocent Lamb slain for the sin of the guilty.
The innocent Blood flowed over all mankind and the sin nature that bound every one of us to evil was forever broken. On the Cross where Jesus died over 2000 years ago, evil was judged and the wrath of Holiness was poured out.
But just as a gift given is of no benefit unless it is a gift received, the Cross stands embraced by some yet rejected by many. For those of us who grasp the magnitude and benevolence of the gift of Eternal Life the Savior's death provides, the Cross is our protection.
For those who deny the Cross and the One who died upon it, the wrath of Holiness against all unholiness with yet be poured out...until all unholiness is destroyed.
The Cross is the one and only place anyone can hide and be protected from the final wrath of a Holy God, who is justified in His judgement since He alone is the Standard of Holiness by which all men will be judged. "Be Holy because I am Holy", echoes throughout the history of mankind.
I Peter 1:16, "But just as He who calls you is Holy, be Holy in all that you do".
Biblical history reveals that, before God sent His son, Jesus to be the final atonement for the sin of fallen man, God's chosen people were commanded to sacrifice a lamb in symbolic atonement for sin. Generation after generation, lambs were slain in the representation of the penalty of death for sin.
Until one day on the calendar of man's days upon the earth when God who so loved the world sent:
The Last and Greatest Lamb
The final Sacrifice to be made
The only Blood innocent enough to be shed in atonement for all the wickedness the heart of man can conjure up.
And that Lamb is called JESUS.
The Truth is available for all to see and know. God's wrath was poured out on THE LAMB on THAT CROSS as a signal that we are welcome to come into the presence of Holiness with the SIN DEBT that separated us from our God, PAID IN FULL.
But the invitation is only for those who stand protected by the Cross and the relationship we have with the Son, Jesus, the lamb slain. The rest of the world of men who reject the Cross will be called to pay their own debt and suffer the wrath of Holiness upon themselves. The day of judgement is coming upon the whole earth. The only place of safety is in the arms of the only Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
The Cross stands as our only protection from the wrath of Holiness: Lamb slain, Blood shed, Life given in exchange for our own.
What is the Cross to you? An event in history or the priceless protection of your eternal soul?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Box Canyon or the Red Sea?***
The Holy One calls me this morning. I have been in a heated debate with myself over the subject of persecution or Divine discipline. I have come to the personal conclusion that both serve the same purpose: The refinement of our souls.
Even as the circumstances heat up and both may seem the same, it is important that we properly assess our lives and the situations to ascertain what is happening. While both are used to refine us, and God is in absolute Sovereign control of each, the lessons to be gleaned are quite different because one calls for repentance and the other calls for rejoicing.
The Holy One quietly enters into the debate with, "So you are trying to decide if this is a box canyon or the Red Sea."
That's an interesting way to put it, as both seem quite inescapable. He reminded me of past performance issues, which is a polite way of identifying my gross sin. He brings to my mind one such situation whereby He spoke clearly to me through His Word in Hosea 14:1. "Return, Oh Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may offer the fruit of our lips."
When we are in a box canyon, we get there by our own will. There is one way in and one way out. The way out is to find how we entered, confess the sin that brought us into that place of the box. Repentance is the exit from the box that willful sin was the entrance into.
The Red Sea is a different place entirely. We find ourselves at the shores of the Red Sea by God's ordained will. We are usually persecuted to the Red Sea, chased there by the enemy of our God. There is no repentance that will change our position when at the shores of the Red Sea. We are going to be delivered or die. Here we find the Living God armed and ready to show His great and majestic power in and over our lives unto our rescue.
Sometimes under the heat of the circumstances, we don't stop to assess and therefore we don't understand how to react. Persecution or Divine Discipline? When the Hand that governs all things feels heavy on our lives, we need to stop and assess whether it's time to repent or rejoice.
Sometimes, we settle into life in a box canyon. High walls, no escape. Could it be that we remain there because we do not feel the need to repent? Could it be that we live less than victorious lives because we have assumed that all our sins are covered under the blood of the Jesus and there is no need to repent daily for the failures of our flesh?
The "sin" that Jesus died for is not just the sins that we and all have committed before we came to know the Saving Grace of our Savior. The sin that Jesus paid the price and redeemed us from is the "sin-nature" that everyone was born with after the fall.
The sin nature is at the core of the myriad of "sins" that we all commit, even after our salvation. Jesus's death provided a "new nature" possibility and when we are "born again", we are the recipients of that new nature. At the moment of our salvation, we are infused with the Holy Spirit who is to rule over the flesh man/woman representing our soul. We are still stuck with the flesh and its lusts until the physical death of the flesh body, at which time we will get a glorified body that we will inhabit for the rest of eternity.
Until the day we exit our earthy flesh body, the potential to commit sins is present. As we repent for these sins and allow the Holy Spirit to have more and more control of our lives, Holiness within flourishes. The Holy Spirit within is our power over the daily temptations we face in our flesh.
The box canyon life is usually lived by those who don't find the need to repent. One way in and one way out whether for issues of pride, as in, "I am already forgiven so why repent?" Or ignorance as in "I wonder why the walls are so high with no escape...guess it's just God's will".
We are exhorted in Phil 2:12 to "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
Holiness will not be found without effort on our part. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit of Christ and that means allowing Him to scrutinize us, correct us, lead us and guide us into all truth.
We are challenged in every day that we live, to make our choices and decisions based on the influence of Holiness in our lives. Sometimes we fail and sometimes we prevail. Divine Discipline comes in various forms as does persecution. Wisdom gives the discernment we need to assess and the Holy One stands ready to show me the difference even if, at any time, they both "feel" the same.
As we process where we are and the decisions we made to get there, is it a box canyon or the Red Sea?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Even as the circumstances heat up and both may seem the same, it is important that we properly assess our lives and the situations to ascertain what is happening. While both are used to refine us, and God is in absolute Sovereign control of each, the lessons to be gleaned are quite different because one calls for repentance and the other calls for rejoicing.
The Holy One quietly enters into the debate with, "So you are trying to decide if this is a box canyon or the Red Sea."
That's an interesting way to put it, as both seem quite inescapable. He reminded me of past performance issues, which is a polite way of identifying my gross sin. He brings to my mind one such situation whereby He spoke clearly to me through His Word in Hosea 14:1. "Return, Oh Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may offer the fruit of our lips."
When we are in a box canyon, we get there by our own will. There is one way in and one way out. The way out is to find how we entered, confess the sin that brought us into that place of the box. Repentance is the exit from the box that willful sin was the entrance into.
The Red Sea is a different place entirely. We find ourselves at the shores of the Red Sea by God's ordained will. We are usually persecuted to the Red Sea, chased there by the enemy of our God. There is no repentance that will change our position when at the shores of the Red Sea. We are going to be delivered or die. Here we find the Living God armed and ready to show His great and majestic power in and over our lives unto our rescue.
Sometimes under the heat of the circumstances, we don't stop to assess and therefore we don't understand how to react. Persecution or Divine Discipline? When the Hand that governs all things feels heavy on our lives, we need to stop and assess whether it's time to repent or rejoice.
Sometimes, we settle into life in a box canyon. High walls, no escape. Could it be that we remain there because we do not feel the need to repent? Could it be that we live less than victorious lives because we have assumed that all our sins are covered under the blood of the Jesus and there is no need to repent daily for the failures of our flesh?
The "sin" that Jesus died for is not just the sins that we and all have committed before we came to know the Saving Grace of our Savior. The sin that Jesus paid the price and redeemed us from is the "sin-nature" that everyone was born with after the fall.
The sin nature is at the core of the myriad of "sins" that we all commit, even after our salvation. Jesus's death provided a "new nature" possibility and when we are "born again", we are the recipients of that new nature. At the moment of our salvation, we are infused with the Holy Spirit who is to rule over the flesh man/woman representing our soul. We are still stuck with the flesh and its lusts until the physical death of the flesh body, at which time we will get a glorified body that we will inhabit for the rest of eternity.
Until the day we exit our earthy flesh body, the potential to commit sins is present. As we repent for these sins and allow the Holy Spirit to have more and more control of our lives, Holiness within flourishes. The Holy Spirit within is our power over the daily temptations we face in our flesh.
The box canyon life is usually lived by those who don't find the need to repent. One way in and one way out whether for issues of pride, as in, "I am already forgiven so why repent?" Or ignorance as in "I wonder why the walls are so high with no escape...guess it's just God's will".
We are exhorted in Phil 2:12 to "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
Holiness will not be found without effort on our part. We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit of Christ and that means allowing Him to scrutinize us, correct us, lead us and guide us into all truth.
We are challenged in every day that we live, to make our choices and decisions based on the influence of Holiness in our lives. Sometimes we fail and sometimes we prevail. Divine Discipline comes in various forms as does persecution. Wisdom gives the discernment we need to assess and the Holy One stands ready to show me the difference even if, at any time, they both "feel" the same.
As we process where we are and the decisions we made to get there, is it a box canyon or the Red Sea?
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
For God So Loved...Us
The Holy One calls to me this morning. It's Valentine's Day and that means our minds are focused on the things we can buy to convey to our beloved how much we value them. Candy, flowers, an engagement ring if you are among the lucky and have a romantic lover.
It's amazing to me how we put a day on the calendar and it becomes a symbol of our heart.
The Holy One captures my mind and reminds me that God put a day on the calendar of our history that is a symbol of His heart. There was that day, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" John 3:16. Over 2000 years ago God marked our calendar. Over 2000 years ago, God came to live among us. Over 2000 years ago, God so loved us that He laid down His life in our behalf.
What manner of love is this, that compelled the King of Glory to leave His place of honor, divest Himself of all Divine privilege and be forever changed just to win the hearts of His Beloved creation.
That kind of love is beyond our comprehension. And even more unfathomable, that kind of love is eternal Love, not for this day only, nor even this year, but eternal, always the same, never changing regardless of our reciprocation. God's love is always on display.
We, in and of ourselves, are only capable of love because He first loved us.
This is truly a wonderful day to live and laugh. A day to celebrate and enjoy the heart feelings we have for those who are so special to us.
Today, in that rejoicing of the heart, may we look to Heaven in unbridled praise and worship for the One who so loves us..... Our Creator, our Savior, our God.
I sit with my Beloved Companion today, the Lover of my soul and try to find words that can convey my love for Him. I soon find that there are none adequate. Tears begin to fall where words cannot be found. Resting in the warmth of His love, somehow that seems to be enough.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
It's amazing to me how we put a day on the calendar and it becomes a symbol of our heart.
The Holy One captures my mind and reminds me that God put a day on the calendar of our history that is a symbol of His heart. There was that day, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" John 3:16. Over 2000 years ago God marked our calendar. Over 2000 years ago, God came to live among us. Over 2000 years ago, God so loved us that He laid down His life in our behalf.
What manner of love is this, that compelled the King of Glory to leave His place of honor, divest Himself of all Divine privilege and be forever changed just to win the hearts of His Beloved creation.
That kind of love is beyond our comprehension. And even more unfathomable, that kind of love is eternal Love, not for this day only, nor even this year, but eternal, always the same, never changing regardless of our reciprocation. God's love is always on display.
We, in and of ourselves, are only capable of love because He first loved us.
This is truly a wonderful day to live and laugh. A day to celebrate and enjoy the heart feelings we have for those who are so special to us.
Today, in that rejoicing of the heart, may we look to Heaven in unbridled praise and worship for the One who so loves us..... Our Creator, our Savior, our God.
I sit with my Beloved Companion today, the Lover of my soul and try to find words that can convey my love for Him. I soon find that there are none adequate. Tears begin to fall where words cannot be found. Resting in the warmth of His love, somehow that seems to be enough.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Persecution Guaranteed
I wake this morning in desperate need of wisdom, and guidance and a strategy for a new season. The war is not over and it won't be until Jesus comes for us. The last battle was brutal, our unit took a hit and casualties occurred.
We lost a marriage covenant to divorce. Lust and immorality won the day. A family lies broken and the evil one cackles in my ear. Circumstances have been painful to process and the Holy One registers my grief.
He speaks into my hurt and confusion and the humiliation at watching the principles of Holiness trashed by a worldly system of values upheld at the expense of truth, honor and integrity. He speaks gently to my heart, "I know your humiliation. I know your grief. I know the unfairness of a worldly court of ungodly men (and women)".
Then I remembered His Word to those of us who are suffering shame or indignities for having taken our position against the standards of the world. I Peter 4:12 says, first of all, "don't be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you."
The Holy One asks me, "does it shock you that people hate you for trying to live by Biblical principles? Does it surprise you that in any debate regarding a Holy standard, most will justify or overlook failure in living up to the standard and even more to the point, will condemn you for pointing to it?"
"Don't be surprised!"
Then, in I Peter 4:13, "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ."
As I thought about my humiliation and the humiliation of my family, I was taken by the hand of my Savior, on a walk back in history to the day He hung naked on a cross. The details of the crucifixion have been well documented but the one thing I didn't realize is that "normal" crucifixion was on a cross that was 12 inches off the ground, at eye level to anyone passing by. I always visualized in my mind that, in the place of crucifixion somehow our Savior was elevated above those who were mocking, not at ground level where all human dignity was destroyed.
The visual made me weep! I know that He understands my humiliation and now I can better understand and embrace His. Knowing that He knows and understands the sorrow of such persecution and the humiliation I feel, brings a deep comfort to my soul.
And then, He directs my eyes heavenward where I catch just a glimpse of His Glory, seated at the right hand of the Father. "Rejoice so that you may be overjoyed when His Glory is revealed.
Knowing that my Savior is on His Throne and He will never again be humiliated by evil men, gives me delight. His Glory is my cause for rejoicing. In living out my life here on earth until Jesus comes again, I know I must fight on for my kingdom and my King; for His honor, to uphold the principles of His Word and obey His commands, no matter what the sacrifice.
I have it on good authority that anyone who desires to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Persecution is guaranteed. Humiliation is bound to occur as the devil plays out his end times strategy. But throughout God's Word, He encourages me with His promises for victory here that usually begin with "in a very short time", or "in a little while" or "My righteousness draws near speedily." While it is true that the Lord operates on a different timetable than we do, for with Him, a day like a thousand years, still, His Word is alive and applicable to each and every situation and decision and action I take in my world today.
The reality of persecution is not a pleasant thought. We, in American have it easy compared to other believers in this world. As the days grow darker before the great and dreadful day of the Lord's coming, with whatever suffering we are called to experience, may we remember well His ultimate sacrifice and rejoice that we belong to Him.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
We lost a marriage covenant to divorce. Lust and immorality won the day. A family lies broken and the evil one cackles in my ear. Circumstances have been painful to process and the Holy One registers my grief.
He speaks into my hurt and confusion and the humiliation at watching the principles of Holiness trashed by a worldly system of values upheld at the expense of truth, honor and integrity. He speaks gently to my heart, "I know your humiliation. I know your grief. I know the unfairness of a worldly court of ungodly men (and women)".
Then I remembered His Word to those of us who are suffering shame or indignities for having taken our position against the standards of the world. I Peter 4:12 says, first of all, "don't be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you."
The Holy One asks me, "does it shock you that people hate you for trying to live by Biblical principles? Does it surprise you that in any debate regarding a Holy standard, most will justify or overlook failure in living up to the standard and even more to the point, will condemn you for pointing to it?"
"Don't be surprised!"
Then, in I Peter 4:13, "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ."
As I thought about my humiliation and the humiliation of my family, I was taken by the hand of my Savior, on a walk back in history to the day He hung naked on a cross. The details of the crucifixion have been well documented but the one thing I didn't realize is that "normal" crucifixion was on a cross that was 12 inches off the ground, at eye level to anyone passing by. I always visualized in my mind that, in the place of crucifixion somehow our Savior was elevated above those who were mocking, not at ground level where all human dignity was destroyed.
The visual made me weep! I know that He understands my humiliation and now I can better understand and embrace His. Knowing that He knows and understands the sorrow of such persecution and the humiliation I feel, brings a deep comfort to my soul.
And then, He directs my eyes heavenward where I catch just a glimpse of His Glory, seated at the right hand of the Father. "Rejoice so that you may be overjoyed when His Glory is revealed.
Knowing that my Savior is on His Throne and He will never again be humiliated by evil men, gives me delight. His Glory is my cause for rejoicing. In living out my life here on earth until Jesus comes again, I know I must fight on for my kingdom and my King; for His honor, to uphold the principles of His Word and obey His commands, no matter what the sacrifice.
I have it on good authority that anyone who desires to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Persecution is guaranteed. Humiliation is bound to occur as the devil plays out his end times strategy. But throughout God's Word, He encourages me with His promises for victory here that usually begin with "in a very short time", or "in a little while" or "My righteousness draws near speedily." While it is true that the Lord operates on a different timetable than we do, for with Him, a day like a thousand years, still, His Word is alive and applicable to each and every situation and decision and action I take in my world today.
The reality of persecution is not a pleasant thought. We, in American have it easy compared to other believers in this world. As the days grow darker before the great and dreadful day of the Lord's coming, with whatever suffering we are called to experience, may we remember well His ultimate sacrifice and rejoice that we belong to Him.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Judgement Coming?
The Holy One calls to me this morning. So much to process with the political storm that is brewing. The two parties revving up for a big showdown come Nov, 2012. I was quite politically motivated up until the last presidential election. But when my vote was over ruled and my "party" and it's principles were over ruled, the only thing I could do was mourn. For me, it represented the death of the country I love.
The Lord spoke to my heart then and reminded me that we are in the land of exile, far from our Heavenly home. He encouraged me then with the words from Jeremiah 29:4-9. In this passage of Scripture, He spoke to me, "In the land of exile, I will be with you. I want you to live and prosper there. Pray for the land of exile and it's people."
While I mourned the death of hope, I realized that my hope was ill placed. The death of hope in the system of government was not hope in the One who gave it. The hope in the goodness of men was not hope in the only One who can make men good. During the process the Holy One redirected my thoughts and my hope.
So here we are. Deeper in the cess pool of unholy things, living under Divine indictment we deserve for having betrayed our Godly principles of life and law and justice. Having betrayed our God ordained purpose set forth at our foundation, we are all suffering corporately as if we cast the deciding vote to allow a bramble bush to lead us.
Such is the way of the Republic under which we are governed as a country. As the contest heats up, we all seem to be at a loss of intregity and any semblance of Holiness. How can we begin to discern the character of the candidates when such mud-slinging represents the rules of engagement.
In the watches of the night, the Spirit speaks to my concerns. Ezekiel 14:12-20, The parallels are unmistakable between this ancient prophecy and today's world:
"The Word of the Lord came to me, son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off it's food supply and send famine upon it. and kill it's men and their animals. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it they could save only themselves by their righteousness declares the Sovereign Lord.
The passage continues to make the point that the days are upon us when each person's right standing before the Lord is the only thing that will protect him and further to the point that we will only be saved individually.
If anyone is counting on someone else's right standing rather than a personal relationship with Christ Jesus,their goose is cooked. No longer will we be able to point to church membership, family relationship, or someone else's good behavior we may try to model. God's indicment will fall upon each one who is not under the protection and covering of the Blood of the Lamb, (Jesus Christ) who He sent to save us.
This scripture declares that we, as a country are ripe for judgement, and to look around, if we are honest, it appears to have already begun. The Holy One is silent and allows His Word to set heavy on my mind, almost as if the warning has been given.
It needs to be passed on to those who are ignorant and blinded by the voice of the deceiver who says, "peace, peace when there is no peace.", the voice that says, "your government will save you", the voice that says, "it's just an ordinary storm and you can ride it out, better days are ahead".
Unless we heed the warnings and seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, while He may be found, we will face the coming wrath and judgement alone and accountable. The indictment against a country and the judgement of famine, drought, sword, bloodshed, and "natural disasters" will be seen as mercy throughout eternity, because in each of these strong, hard circumstances of life there is still time to reprent and turn and find the Savior who died for all.
Jesus did not die for a country. He did not die for a system of Government. He died for you and me, as indivuduals created by God to spend eternity with Himself. Death on earth without a personal decision to accept the Creator's gift of life available only through the Son, Jesus Christ is death for all eternity.
The greatest grief in the heart of our Beloved Savior is for the person who remains unsaved after what He did to redeem them. For in that person's eternal existance, Jesus suffered and died in vain.
The clock is ticking, and the question looms large, where will you spend eternity? What we see around us happening in this country should serve as a wake-up call. Do you want to face the wrath of a Holy God alone? We each have a personal life and God sent a personal Savior, Jesus Christ. But do you know Him?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Lord spoke to my heart then and reminded me that we are in the land of exile, far from our Heavenly home. He encouraged me then with the words from Jeremiah 29:4-9. In this passage of Scripture, He spoke to me, "In the land of exile, I will be with you. I want you to live and prosper there. Pray for the land of exile and it's people."
While I mourned the death of hope, I realized that my hope was ill placed. The death of hope in the system of government was not hope in the One who gave it. The hope in the goodness of men was not hope in the only One who can make men good. During the process the Holy One redirected my thoughts and my hope.
So here we are. Deeper in the cess pool of unholy things, living under Divine indictment we deserve for having betrayed our Godly principles of life and law and justice. Having betrayed our God ordained purpose set forth at our foundation, we are all suffering corporately as if we cast the deciding vote to allow a bramble bush to lead us.
Such is the way of the Republic under which we are governed as a country. As the contest heats up, we all seem to be at a loss of intregity and any semblance of Holiness. How can we begin to discern the character of the candidates when such mud-slinging represents the rules of engagement.
In the watches of the night, the Spirit speaks to my concerns. Ezekiel 14:12-20, The parallels are unmistakable between this ancient prophecy and today's world:
"The Word of the Lord came to me, son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off it's food supply and send famine upon it. and kill it's men and their animals. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it they could save only themselves by their righteousness declares the Sovereign Lord.
The passage continues to make the point that the days are upon us when each person's right standing before the Lord is the only thing that will protect him and further to the point that we will only be saved individually.
If anyone is counting on someone else's right standing rather than a personal relationship with Christ Jesus,their goose is cooked. No longer will we be able to point to church membership, family relationship, or someone else's good behavior we may try to model. God's indicment will fall upon each one who is not under the protection and covering of the Blood of the Lamb, (Jesus Christ) who He sent to save us.
This scripture declares that we, as a country are ripe for judgement, and to look around, if we are honest, it appears to have already begun. The Holy One is silent and allows His Word to set heavy on my mind, almost as if the warning has been given.
It needs to be passed on to those who are ignorant and blinded by the voice of the deceiver who says, "peace, peace when there is no peace.", the voice that says, "your government will save you", the voice that says, "it's just an ordinary storm and you can ride it out, better days are ahead".
Unless we heed the warnings and seek the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, while He may be found, we will face the coming wrath and judgement alone and accountable. The indictment against a country and the judgement of famine, drought, sword, bloodshed, and "natural disasters" will be seen as mercy throughout eternity, because in each of these strong, hard circumstances of life there is still time to reprent and turn and find the Savior who died for all.
Jesus did not die for a country. He did not die for a system of Government. He died for you and me, as indivuduals created by God to spend eternity with Himself. Death on earth without a personal decision to accept the Creator's gift of life available only through the Son, Jesus Christ is death for all eternity.
The greatest grief in the heart of our Beloved Savior is for the person who remains unsaved after what He did to redeem them. For in that person's eternal existance, Jesus suffered and died in vain.
The clock is ticking, and the question looms large, where will you spend eternity? What we see around us happening in this country should serve as a wake-up call. Do you want to face the wrath of a Holy God alone? We each have a personal life and God sent a personal Savior, Jesus Christ. But do you know Him?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Key
The Holy One calls me today. I wake up to the reality that nothing changed in my circumstances since yesterday. The only relief I find is that each morning the Holy One meets me at the moment my mind registers that it is a new day.
Yesterday is gone. We cannot go back and change anything. We must press on in spite of our failures or victories. The journey with Jesus is life and eternity long, but not always on an easy, level pathway.
The latest part of the journey has been a huge mountain to climb. A long, narrow, winding pathway. The discomfort has been at times, like a fiery furnace burning my flesh and at other times, like deep thorns piercing my mind. The pain I feel and the agony I suffer is not just mine but also for what others are going through as well.
The injustice, the unfairness, the bitter things in the fallen earth. Things I know my Savior can change with one word from His Throne. Then the Holy One calls me to sit with Him. I know He doesn't have to explain Himself, but He does.
His gentle voice speaks to my heavy heart. "I know it may be hard for you to understand looking on. But I am taking my Beloved children, even you, into places of their greatest fears, not to destroy them but to heal them."
Fear is one of those hot button issues for me. I deal with it on a daily basis. The Lord in His mercy has given me great victory over many fears, but there always seems to surface some nasty, ugly, fearsome thoughts as I face the threat of harm in each new situation.
Long ago, the Holy One told me to assess things correctly and that the "threat" of harm is not harm itself. Fear is like a phantom, dark and foreboding until the light of the Son shines and reveals it is nothing more than that: a phantom.
Fear is spoken of throughout God's Word. Provb. 1:17, The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Provb 19:23, The fear of the Lord, teaches a man.....leads to life. Then we are also commanded to "fear no evil" and taught that "fear of man is a snare".
I sit with my Counselor, my mind swirling with the various forms of fear I read about in His Word. Then He takes me to Isaiah 33:5-6:
"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High. He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times. A rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure." Our God is the God of justice and righteousness, a sure foundation for all who trust in Him. He is our Source for all things and greatly to be praised.
The absolute supremacy of our God and King is assured in my mind. The Holy One continues to speak His wisdom in what He has allowed. "fear in my servant's heart and mind is the one thing that will immobilize them and neutralize their effective service for Me in a fallen earth. I must take each one of you into places of your greatest fears so that you will know no fear. To get past fear, we must walk through it .......TOGETHER!"
Each step of the way my Shepherd leads me. And as I look back at other places where fears hung me up, I realize He got me through those things, never to fear them again. He has proven over and over that He is faithful.
The truth will set us free. The Truth is that we have a Shepherd/Savior all rolled into one. Interesting. He leads us into places to save us...out of our fears, out of our ignorance, out of our unbelief, out of all those things that would cripple us and neutralize our victory over the works of darkness here on earth. Jesus said that He came to destroy the works of the devil and left us in His place to do the same. The things we fear hold us in bondage. Jesus sent His Spirit to set us free that we might serve Him more powerfully.
"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High. He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times. (The Lord will be a sure foundation for MY times,) a rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the "Key" to this treasure."
Somehow I knew that despite all my worries and concerns for myself and others, despite the way the world looks like it is spinning out of control, My Lord is in control and I am thankful that He takes the time to remind me of that fact.
So when we wake up and find ourselves in what seems to be a prison of circumstances, let us remember that we don't have to remain there. The Holy One says, "I have the key".
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Yesterday is gone. We cannot go back and change anything. We must press on in spite of our failures or victories. The journey with Jesus is life and eternity long, but not always on an easy, level pathway.
The latest part of the journey has been a huge mountain to climb. A long, narrow, winding pathway. The discomfort has been at times, like a fiery furnace burning my flesh and at other times, like deep thorns piercing my mind. The pain I feel and the agony I suffer is not just mine but also for what others are going through as well.
The injustice, the unfairness, the bitter things in the fallen earth. Things I know my Savior can change with one word from His Throne. Then the Holy One calls me to sit with Him. I know He doesn't have to explain Himself, but He does.
His gentle voice speaks to my heavy heart. "I know it may be hard for you to understand looking on. But I am taking my Beloved children, even you, into places of their greatest fears, not to destroy them but to heal them."
Fear is one of those hot button issues for me. I deal with it on a daily basis. The Lord in His mercy has given me great victory over many fears, but there always seems to surface some nasty, ugly, fearsome thoughts as I face the threat of harm in each new situation.
Long ago, the Holy One told me to assess things correctly and that the "threat" of harm is not harm itself. Fear is like a phantom, dark and foreboding until the light of the Son shines and reveals it is nothing more than that: a phantom.
Fear is spoken of throughout God's Word. Provb. 1:17, The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
Provb 19:23, The fear of the Lord, teaches a man.....leads to life. Then we are also commanded to "fear no evil" and taught that "fear of man is a snare".
I sit with my Counselor, my mind swirling with the various forms of fear I read about in His Word. Then He takes me to Isaiah 33:5-6:
"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High. He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times. A rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure." Our God is the God of justice and righteousness, a sure foundation for all who trust in Him. He is our Source for all things and greatly to be praised.
The absolute supremacy of our God and King is assured in my mind. The Holy One continues to speak His wisdom in what He has allowed. "fear in my servant's heart and mind is the one thing that will immobilize them and neutralize their effective service for Me in a fallen earth. I must take each one of you into places of your greatest fears so that you will know no fear. To get past fear, we must walk through it .......TOGETHER!"
Each step of the way my Shepherd leads me. And as I look back at other places where fears hung me up, I realize He got me through those things, never to fear them again. He has proven over and over that He is faithful.
The truth will set us free. The Truth is that we have a Shepherd/Savior all rolled into one. Interesting. He leads us into places to save us...out of our fears, out of our ignorance, out of our unbelief, out of all those things that would cripple us and neutralize our victory over the works of darkness here on earth. Jesus said that He came to destroy the works of the devil and left us in His place to do the same. The things we fear hold us in bondage. Jesus sent His Spirit to set us free that we might serve Him more powerfully.
"The Lord is exhaled for He dwells on High. He will fill Zion with Justice and Righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times. (The Lord will be a sure foundation for MY times,) a rich storehouse of salvation and wisdom and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is the "Key" to this treasure."
Somehow I knew that despite all my worries and concerns for myself and others, despite the way the world looks like it is spinning out of control, My Lord is in control and I am thankful that He takes the time to remind me of that fact.
So when we wake up and find ourselves in what seems to be a prison of circumstances, let us remember that we don't have to remain there. The Holy One says, "I have the key".
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Our Heavenly Superbowl
I confess I am not much of a sports fan. I loved it when my kids growing up participated in sports. I was a fan at that time, but it wasn't that I was a fan of the game. I was a fan of my kids on the team.
With all the excitement and enthusiasm generated this time of year for the big games played to determine the ultimate team and the ultimate victory, my mind pictures the the field, the teams, and the crowd of loyal fans.
The Holy One enters the scene in my head with gentle but sobering words, "Why do my people celebrate a sporting event with such enthusiasm yet are so reserved when it comes to victory over the kingdom of darkness and evil that is being played out every day?"
I usually see life as a battle between good and evil. A battle between the Kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Ephesians 6:11
Today the Holy One lays out a picture of life at the "superbowl" level. Jesus is our Hero, our captain and the church is our team. We go out every day onto the field. Presumably our job on the team is to press toward the goal and move the ball forward inch by inch. There are a great cloud of spectators (witnesses) looking on. We can't hear their applause with every inch of ground we gain, but they are celebrating none the less.
Just like the players, we hold a position on the team. Just like the players in the superbowl, to gain ground it takes all the strength, and vitality and determination we can find to press against the opposing forces. We are going to be battered and bruised with aching muscles and skinned elbows, it's all part of the game.
But when we see the Kingdom of Heaven advance and our King becomes the Hero to others as He is to us, that's cause for celebration. So where is our celebration over what the Lord is doing in our lives? Where's the celebration over every inch of ground gained? Where's the celebration like that of David when in 2 Sam 6:12-22, the Ark and symbol of God's Presence and blessing was being returned to Jerusalem.
Scripture tells us that David was so overwhelmed with joy that he sacrificed a bull and a calf after the Ark had been advanced a mere 6 feet toward Jerusalem. It says that King David danced before the Lord with all his might in celebration of the symbol of God returning to Jerusalem.
There were those who despised King David for his overt and effervescing worship and celebration. Such extravagant worship was offensive to some. But David modeled worship due the King of Kings. When King David was confronted by the disgruntled who objected to his behavior, King David replied, "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes".
How about you? How about me? Dare we be so exhurberant in our celebration of what the Lord is doing in our lives that some will call us undignified? I doubt the fans leaving the superbowl having spent all their energy, time and money to support and celebrate their team feel any regrets for being so undignified.
Sports and war games touch our human souls. We are hard wired to compete and win. Whoever told us we need to be so private and reserved in our faith and it's expression? Time to start a wave of celebration and rejoicing.
The Heavenly superbowl will not be over until our Hero returns for the final play in Glory and Victory enforced. But the end is drawing near. We may have only a minute left on the clock. But in whatever time is left, lets us start a rumbling of victory at the coming of our King. Let us lift our voices in worship and celebration of His coming. Hallelujah, to God be the Glory.
The Spirit is calling. can you hear Him?
With all the excitement and enthusiasm generated this time of year for the big games played to determine the ultimate team and the ultimate victory, my mind pictures the the field, the teams, and the crowd of loyal fans.
The Holy One enters the scene in my head with gentle but sobering words, "Why do my people celebrate a sporting event with such enthusiasm yet are so reserved when it comes to victory over the kingdom of darkness and evil that is being played out every day?"
I usually see life as a battle between good and evil. A battle between the Kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Ephesians 6:11
Today the Holy One lays out a picture of life at the "superbowl" level. Jesus is our Hero, our captain and the church is our team. We go out every day onto the field. Presumably our job on the team is to press toward the goal and move the ball forward inch by inch. There are a great cloud of spectators (witnesses) looking on. We can't hear their applause with every inch of ground we gain, but they are celebrating none the less.
Just like the players, we hold a position on the team. Just like the players in the superbowl, to gain ground it takes all the strength, and vitality and determination we can find to press against the opposing forces. We are going to be battered and bruised with aching muscles and skinned elbows, it's all part of the game.
But when we see the Kingdom of Heaven advance and our King becomes the Hero to others as He is to us, that's cause for celebration. So where is our celebration over what the Lord is doing in our lives? Where's the celebration over every inch of ground gained? Where's the celebration like that of David when in 2 Sam 6:12-22, the Ark and symbol of God's Presence and blessing was being returned to Jerusalem.
Scripture tells us that David was so overwhelmed with joy that he sacrificed a bull and a calf after the Ark had been advanced a mere 6 feet toward Jerusalem. It says that King David danced before the Lord with all his might in celebration of the symbol of God returning to Jerusalem.
There were those who despised King David for his overt and effervescing worship and celebration. Such extravagant worship was offensive to some. But David modeled worship due the King of Kings. When King David was confronted by the disgruntled who objected to his behavior, King David replied, "I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this and I will be humiliated in my own eyes".
How about you? How about me? Dare we be so exhurberant in our celebration of what the Lord is doing in our lives that some will call us undignified? I doubt the fans leaving the superbowl having spent all their energy, time and money to support and celebrate their team feel any regrets for being so undignified.
Sports and war games touch our human souls. We are hard wired to compete and win. Whoever told us we need to be so private and reserved in our faith and it's expression? Time to start a wave of celebration and rejoicing.
The Heavenly superbowl will not be over until our Hero returns for the final play in Glory and Victory enforced. But the end is drawing near. We may have only a minute left on the clock. But in whatever time is left, lets us start a rumbling of victory at the coming of our King. Let us lift our voices in worship and celebration of His coming. Hallelujah, to God be the Glory.
The Spirit is calling. can you hear Him?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Mission Holiness
The Spirit calls me this morning out of the "thicket of the Jordan" where it seems that I have been battling forces dark and evil for quite some time. In the watches of the night, there has been a soft word whispered that seems just out of earshot of my conscious mind. But this morning I hear it clearly.
The Holy One calls me awake to speak important understanding to my mind that has been under siege and grieved by all I have seen and experienced in the battle.
Today, He begins by saying, "Be Holy because I am Holy" I Peter 1:16.
This is one of those conversations like a parent has when they begin by saying, "If you remember nothing else I have tried to teach you, remember this". I am all ears.
The Holy One continues, "We look at things much differently than you do. Our ways are so much higher than yours." The unity of the Trinity is clear. "While you go through the trial with your eyes on the resolution, our eyes are on you."
Taking a flawed-by-sin human and bringing the person into the conforming image of Christ Jesus is the life long task of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the being of every born again believer in the Word.
All the trials we face have eternal implications. The trials are termed "firey" because if the heat we face while in them and the purpose to our lives they have in the burning and purifying us of less than Holy qualities.
When Jesus left this earth He provided all of us who would belong to Him with the Holy Spirit. He is the One who is to lead us into all Truth.
The Truth is that without the Holy Spirit we can have no unity with the Triune Godhead: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We have been born again into the family of God, only by the change in our Spiritual DNA that was made when we entered into the saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son, provided by God, the Father, activated by The Holy Spirit. Once that occurs, our unity with the Trinity is complete.
Still, the human factor of free will must come into and under the Rule of the Holy Spirit in order for our image to conform to that of our new parentage in Jesus Christ.
The process is lifelong, the work is intense and all our trials provide the catalyst for us to see what needs to be worked out of our hearts and minds so Christ can be reflected. We are to be a reflection of our Heavenly family. We are to live by our Father's values and directives so that we are a reflection of Him and so that we bring honor to His Name.
Regardless of the nature of the trial we are facing, Holiness in our process is the important issue to our Lord. Holiness is often not an issue to us. We whine, we cry, we doubt, we fear and we even compromise just to win. For many of us, we don't even "get" what Holiness is supposed to look like in our actions and reactions. Our ignorance may well be why we must repeat similar trials.
We live in a fallen earth. We were born with our original sin nature. The flesh is our constant antagonist to the Holiness within and the devil is alive and well. But Jesus has provided us with the Holy One who can and will enable us to conquer and overcome all our handicaps.
I can't help but ask my Counselor, "does this mean I need to give up the battle and focus only on internal Holiness?" His answer was clear.
"No, you must continue to fight the battles against injustice, evil corruption and compromise of my Word. to uphold Holiness and Godly standards before men. I came to destroy the works of the devil and I commission you to do the same. But in each trial and process, I want you to look for and find the golden thread of Holiness and allow Me to wrap you in it. Be Holy because I am Holy and I will show you how."
I am so thankful that life under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit is not a roll of the dice, a luck vs. misfortune game. We are not victims but rather more than conquerors. Today, I see that the Lord is after more than just an earthly resolutions that I am so in need of in my own mind.
The Lord's focus is Holiness. That is the mission, that is the goal in every trial I face.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Holy One calls me awake to speak important understanding to my mind that has been under siege and grieved by all I have seen and experienced in the battle.
Today, He begins by saying, "Be Holy because I am Holy" I Peter 1:16.
This is one of those conversations like a parent has when they begin by saying, "If you remember nothing else I have tried to teach you, remember this". I am all ears.
The Holy One continues, "We look at things much differently than you do. Our ways are so much higher than yours." The unity of the Trinity is clear. "While you go through the trial with your eyes on the resolution, our eyes are on you."
Taking a flawed-by-sin human and bringing the person into the conforming image of Christ Jesus is the life long task of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the being of every born again believer in the Word.
All the trials we face have eternal implications. The trials are termed "firey" because if the heat we face while in them and the purpose to our lives they have in the burning and purifying us of less than Holy qualities.
When Jesus left this earth He provided all of us who would belong to Him with the Holy Spirit. He is the One who is to lead us into all Truth.
The Truth is that without the Holy Spirit we can have no unity with the Triune Godhead: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We have been born again into the family of God, only by the change in our Spiritual DNA that was made when we entered into the saving relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son, provided by God, the Father, activated by The Holy Spirit. Once that occurs, our unity with the Trinity is complete.
Still, the human factor of free will must come into and under the Rule of the Holy Spirit in order for our image to conform to that of our new parentage in Jesus Christ.
The process is lifelong, the work is intense and all our trials provide the catalyst for us to see what needs to be worked out of our hearts and minds so Christ can be reflected. We are to be a reflection of our Heavenly family. We are to live by our Father's values and directives so that we are a reflection of Him and so that we bring honor to His Name.
Regardless of the nature of the trial we are facing, Holiness in our process is the important issue to our Lord. Holiness is often not an issue to us. We whine, we cry, we doubt, we fear and we even compromise just to win. For many of us, we don't even "get" what Holiness is supposed to look like in our actions and reactions. Our ignorance may well be why we must repeat similar trials.
We live in a fallen earth. We were born with our original sin nature. The flesh is our constant antagonist to the Holiness within and the devil is alive and well. But Jesus has provided us with the Holy One who can and will enable us to conquer and overcome all our handicaps.
I can't help but ask my Counselor, "does this mean I need to give up the battle and focus only on internal Holiness?" His answer was clear.
"No, you must continue to fight the battles against injustice, evil corruption and compromise of my Word. to uphold Holiness and Godly standards before men. I came to destroy the works of the devil and I commission you to do the same. But in each trial and process, I want you to look for and find the golden thread of Holiness and allow Me to wrap you in it. Be Holy because I am Holy and I will show you how."
I am so thankful that life under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit is not a roll of the dice, a luck vs. misfortune game. We are not victims but rather more than conquerors. Today, I see that the Lord is after more than just an earthly resolutions that I am so in need of in my own mind.
The Lord's focus is Holiness. That is the mission, that is the goal in every trial I face.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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