The Holy One calls to me this morning. Winter is setting in. Life is slowing down in the forest: leaves are turning and falling, birds have gone south for the season, and the carnivore bugs that were such an annoyance yesterday have all but disappeared.
The Lord has been teaching me to slow down too, seize each moment and deal with what is in that moment as His gift. It has required a different attitude toward life and I am beginning to capture the moment as a "freeze-frame" rather than a "fast-paced-action", "get-to-the-bus-stop-before-it leaves" kind of perspective.
I am learning that to "walk" in the Spirit doesn't mean to "run" in the Spirit. Much can be overlooked if I sprint rather than walk. Today, my wise Counselor draws me into His Presence to talk about just being here and savoring the moment with Him.
There are so many books written about prayer as the communication with God: how to get there, what to do with our list of desperate needs, what "order" prayer much be approached with. But in this moment, when the deepest connection has been made, all the "how-to's" fade and I see the futility to my end of the relationship.
The Trinity is beyond our human comprehension in so many ways, yet today I see the Majesty of the Three in One. Before time as we know time, God "was". And, past this earth's expiration date, God "will be". But right now in this moment, God is the Great I AM. He is present now, as He is in each eternal moment that comes and then becomes a part of eternity past.
His message to me this day, speaks a little more of the mystery of who He is. Being drawn into His Presence is an invitation given and accepted. He is the Host and we are the guests.
The Holy Trinity is a community in and of Himself. We have been invited to become a part of that Divine Community through the person of Jesus, the Christ. Our reconciliation with the Trinity has everything to do with the action of The "Jesus One". Jesus came to make peace with His creation. He invites us to join His Community and to have relationship with the Trinity.
For those who have accepted His magnanimous invitation, Jesus equipped us to join Them through the mystery of His indwelling Holy Spirit. To be part of that Divine community called the Trinity, we must undergo a change: a heart change, a Spiritual re-birth.
In and of ourselves we cannot pull it off no matter how hard we try. "Apart from Me", Jesus says, "You can do nothing". Outside of the box I understand to be "works", I have found a deeper more profound meaning of that Truth for me today. I can come into His Presence only by invitation and only because of the Holy Spirit who changes me to be like "Them".
John 14:17-20, "On that day (Pentecost), you will realize I am in My Father, and you are in Me and I am in you". For a long time I have known that Heaven will have no citizens who march to their own beat or have their own agenda to serve. All the self-exaltation parts of the human will fade and die when the enemy who stokes and challenges our pride is no more.
The years we have been given on earth are a gift from our Sovereign Creator to allow each one of us the time to seek out and discover who He is and, in free will, to make the decision to accept His gracious invitation to join Him in Community.
As I sit in His Presence this morning, I realize I have nothing to give that He has not provided. Our amazing God is the Source of everything. He needs nothing, not even me. His unfathomable love is not like mine needing reciprocation. He is the ultimate Benefactor and He invites us into His eternal world.
I would love to glorify my Lord for all He has done and given for me. But in the hard reality of Truth, I cannot. However, He can glorify Himself through me and all I have to do is yield.
To yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit is not doing anything for Him. It is simply allowing Him to do all the more for me. The question for me today is this, "will my pride be able to handle that Truth?"
When Jesus came and took on a flesh body, He left all His Glory behind. He emptied Himself. Today in His Presence, as part of His community and in unity with my God, I know I must do the same.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The Lord has been teaching me to slow down too, seize each moment and deal with what is in that moment as His gift. It has required a different attitude toward life and I am beginning to capture the moment as a "freeze-frame" rather than a "fast-paced-action", "get-to-the-bus-stop-before-it leaves" kind of perspective.
I am learning that to "walk" in the Spirit doesn't mean to "run" in the Spirit. Much can be overlooked if I sprint rather than walk. Today, my wise Counselor draws me into His Presence to talk about just being here and savoring the moment with Him.
There are so many books written about prayer as the communication with God: how to get there, what to do with our list of desperate needs, what "order" prayer much be approached with. But in this moment, when the deepest connection has been made, all the "how-to's" fade and I see the futility to my end of the relationship.
The Trinity is beyond our human comprehension in so many ways, yet today I see the Majesty of the Three in One. Before time as we know time, God "was". And, past this earth's expiration date, God "will be". But right now in this moment, God is the Great I AM. He is present now, as He is in each eternal moment that comes and then becomes a part of eternity past.
His message to me this day, speaks a little more of the mystery of who He is. Being drawn into His Presence is an invitation given and accepted. He is the Host and we are the guests.
The Holy Trinity is a community in and of Himself. We have been invited to become a part of that Divine Community through the person of Jesus, the Christ. Our reconciliation with the Trinity has everything to do with the action of The "Jesus One". Jesus came to make peace with His creation. He invites us to join His Community and to have relationship with the Trinity.
For those who have accepted His magnanimous invitation, Jesus equipped us to join Them through the mystery of His indwelling Holy Spirit. To be part of that Divine community called the Trinity, we must undergo a change: a heart change, a Spiritual re-birth.
In and of ourselves we cannot pull it off no matter how hard we try. "Apart from Me", Jesus says, "You can do nothing". Outside of the box I understand to be "works", I have found a deeper more profound meaning of that Truth for me today. I can come into His Presence only by invitation and only because of the Holy Spirit who changes me to be like "Them".
John 14:17-20, "On that day (Pentecost), you will realize I am in My Father, and you are in Me and I am in you". For a long time I have known that Heaven will have no citizens who march to their own beat or have their own agenda to serve. All the self-exaltation parts of the human will fade and die when the enemy who stokes and challenges our pride is no more.
The years we have been given on earth are a gift from our Sovereign Creator to allow each one of us the time to seek out and discover who He is and, in free will, to make the decision to accept His gracious invitation to join Him in Community.
As I sit in His Presence this morning, I realize I have nothing to give that He has not provided. Our amazing God is the Source of everything. He needs nothing, not even me. His unfathomable love is not like mine needing reciprocation. He is the ultimate Benefactor and He invites us into His eternal world.
I would love to glorify my Lord for all He has done and given for me. But in the hard reality of Truth, I cannot. However, He can glorify Himself through me and all I have to do is yield.
To yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit is not doing anything for Him. It is simply allowing Him to do all the more for me. The question for me today is this, "will my pride be able to handle that Truth?"
When Jesus came and took on a flesh body, He left all His Glory behind. He emptied Himself. Today in His Presence, as part of His community and in unity with my God, I know I must do the same.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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