The Spirit calls me this morning. The great "day" of thanksgiving has past, but the need to be thankful is ever present. My heart and mind are loaded with outside stimulation of emotions firing every cylinder in my engine.
My heart aches for those I love scattered from coast to coast and continents to islands remote and far away and my heart delights in those near enough to hear their laughter and feel their hugs. I weep for those we have lost and rejoice for those we have gained.
The battle rages and there are deep questions that have no answers.
BUT...the Holy Spirit........calls.
He knows my thoughts. Do I dwell too much on those we have lost? Those we are separated from for various reasons? He speaks to me, "No for that's the Heart of the Savior."
He gently handles my sorrow. He helps me past the agony of judgements reminding me that Jesus said He did not come to judge the world but to save it. John 12:47
Do I dwell to much on self incrimination about what I might have done differently to keep the peace? He helps me past all the guilt reminding me that Jesus said He did not come to bring peace but a sword and that sword would divide the closest relationships. Matt 10:34-37
Salvation and the Sword, what an interesting picture and for some, a conflict. But as The Holy One continues to guide my thoughts, I know they are completely intertwined and part of His Sovereignty. The plan of Holiness to bring us back from the dark abyss of the fall.
Why are we left here after our own salvation except to be the unique expressions of Christ to the world that touches our lives.
True believers have felt the Sword.
True believers know what it is to be on the opposite side of salvation and hope.
True believers understand that, absent the Sword of conviction and a sense of division, the need for repentance will not be found and eternal salvation will not happen. People will die and will feel conviction and will face ultimate judgement but too late for them to change. The Sword must do it's work.
Salvation has been offered to all mankind, but it is and always will be a choice. The Sword of Christ brings all of us to the place of choosing.
True believers lives are to offer an example of that choosing.
Does my life radiate my choice? Does Christ though His Holy Spirit in me manifest the separation and consecration of Holiness to the point of creating a conflict with the worldly people around me?
Do I represent Christ and HIS Sword with the testimony of how in humility it worked on me? The reminder of the Sword of Christ kills my pride....it has to...for I was once an enemy of the Cross and no different than those I judge.
The Sword of Christ will create conflict but it's perfect work will lead us to repentance and thereby to salvation. May I always remember how it worked on my life and pray for that same perfect work in others. Salvation and the Sword.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
God's provisions are Never Late
The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. Last night I was reminded about the overwhelming Sovereignty of our God, and what He will do to facilitate His plans and purposes in and through our lives. Further, He reminds me of what He is willing to do in such a supernatural way so that we will not doubt where all provision comes from. He tells me, "My provisions are never late and and I will always sponsor My Will. You need to stop striving."
The impossible occurs from an impossible set of circumstances. In God's Will, provisions have been established to meet the need before it is ever known. Such is God's Sovereignty. He is outside of our comprehension and knows the end before the beginning of any and all matters.
God is never late in what He provides and His provisions always arrive at the appropriate time in His Will. Matt 2:7-18 is the account of the Magi coming to the house of the "Christ" child, Jesus. and His mother, Mary and Joseph.
The ancient prophesies spoke of the "Son" of God called out of Egypt. But Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The journey of the Magi must have been long and hard. In the days of our rapid mobility and fast travel from here to there, from place to place, it's hard to remember that their journey was long and their guide was a "star" in the east leading them to an unknown place to worship a newborn King. It has been said that it took years for them to get to their Divine destination. Jesus was no longer an infant, possibly 2 years old when they finally arrived.
With them they brought extravagant and costly gifts suitable to honor the King they were about to meet. Joseph and Mary were humble people, and Joseph was a carpenter by trade. Little did they know about the danger soon to erupt from the murderous rage of King Herod. And little did they know of the need for the provision the Magi were compelled to bring.
Scripture tells us that "when they (the Magi) were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream". He was told to go to Egypt. Joseph immediately obeyed and left for Egypt where they stayed until the death of Herod. Scripture doesn't tell us what the cost of such a trip and duration of a stay might have been, but no doubt that the gifts of the Magi funded it. The Holy One speaks to my heart, reminding me that such provisions accompany all who will but seek the Lord's will.
In my personal life experiences, looking back, I can see the absolute truth to that reminder. Two years ago, I was blessed to be a part of a move of God and received a double portion in my cup.
The plan was to travel to Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, to witness the finalization of the adoption of one of my grandchildren, and see first hand the mission field one of my sons has worked in for many years. From there I was to travel with him to attend a WYAM DTS where he was to teach in New Caledonia.
Personal resources did not permit such an expensive trip but the Lord sent love gifts though different people to fund His will for me in the situation. It was the desire of my heart to be able to go and meet the people of this beautiful land out of which my granddaughter was to come forth and then to see my "missionary" son operating in his calling.
Weeks before I left, my son called to inform me that the plane scheduled to take us from Vanuatu to new Caledonia had been sold and they were awaiting a replacement. Later on, the new plane was secured by the national airlines, but our travel to New Caledonia was bumped to the next day and would be delayed by 24 hours.
At the time, it was an inconvenience due to his speaking schedule as it put him late on arrival for his teaching slot, but in my heart I reasoned that the time and travel change was from the Lord. Little did we know then of an important detail over the finalization of the adoption that required a 24 hr delay in timing to make it "perfect" in God's economy.
God's plan included that my my son-in-law was to meet the birth father of his soon to be adopted daughter. Due to a legal requirement added on late by the judge to finalize the adoption, my son-in-law and my son had to travel to meet the birth father on a remote island and the only time to get there was the very day we would have been traveling from Vanuatu to New Caledonia were it not for that unexpected sale of the plane and delay it created. The language barrier as well as other custom issues required the help and presence of my son to go with my son-in-law. Without the delay, he would not have been available to assist. Many, many details in God's amazing plan required that 24 hour delay.
The very fact that the Lord would sell a nation's only plane to facilitate His Will for our family is a brain buster, but speaks to His super natural intervention in our lives beyond our ability to fathom.
Provisions made before the need is fully realized and supernatural timing adjustments to put us in the slot of His perfect will, are just examples of the "Being" and actions of our outrageous and indescribable God. If the Lord's Will for us is always so perfectly funded and impeccably timed, why are we not completely, desperately, seeking it for our lives each day instead of striving for our own "will" to be done.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
The impossible occurs from an impossible set of circumstances. In God's Will, provisions have been established to meet the need before it is ever known. Such is God's Sovereignty. He is outside of our comprehension and knows the end before the beginning of any and all matters.
God is never late in what He provides and His provisions always arrive at the appropriate time in His Will. Matt 2:7-18 is the account of the Magi coming to the house of the "Christ" child, Jesus. and His mother, Mary and Joseph.
The ancient prophesies spoke of the "Son" of God called out of Egypt. But Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The journey of the Magi must have been long and hard. In the days of our rapid mobility and fast travel from here to there, from place to place, it's hard to remember that their journey was long and their guide was a "star" in the east leading them to an unknown place to worship a newborn King. It has been said that it took years for them to get to their Divine destination. Jesus was no longer an infant, possibly 2 years old when they finally arrived.
With them they brought extravagant and costly gifts suitable to honor the King they were about to meet. Joseph and Mary were humble people, and Joseph was a carpenter by trade. Little did they know about the danger soon to erupt from the murderous rage of King Herod. And little did they know of the need for the provision the Magi were compelled to bring.
Scripture tells us that "when they (the Magi) were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream". He was told to go to Egypt. Joseph immediately obeyed and left for Egypt where they stayed until the death of Herod. Scripture doesn't tell us what the cost of such a trip and duration of a stay might have been, but no doubt that the gifts of the Magi funded it. The Holy One speaks to my heart, reminding me that such provisions accompany all who will but seek the Lord's will.
In my personal life experiences, looking back, I can see the absolute truth to that reminder. Two years ago, I was blessed to be a part of a move of God and received a double portion in my cup.
The plan was to travel to Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, to witness the finalization of the adoption of one of my grandchildren, and see first hand the mission field one of my sons has worked in for many years. From there I was to travel with him to attend a WYAM DTS where he was to teach in New Caledonia.
Personal resources did not permit such an expensive trip but the Lord sent love gifts though different people to fund His will for me in the situation. It was the desire of my heart to be able to go and meet the people of this beautiful land out of which my granddaughter was to come forth and then to see my "missionary" son operating in his calling.
Weeks before I left, my son called to inform me that the plane scheduled to take us from Vanuatu to new Caledonia had been sold and they were awaiting a replacement. Later on, the new plane was secured by the national airlines, but our travel to New Caledonia was bumped to the next day and would be delayed by 24 hours.
At the time, it was an inconvenience due to his speaking schedule as it put him late on arrival for his teaching slot, but in my heart I reasoned that the time and travel change was from the Lord. Little did we know then of an important detail over the finalization of the adoption that required a 24 hr delay in timing to make it "perfect" in God's economy.
God's plan included that my my son-in-law was to meet the birth father of his soon to be adopted daughter. Due to a legal requirement added on late by the judge to finalize the adoption, my son-in-law and my son had to travel to meet the birth father on a remote island and the only time to get there was the very day we would have been traveling from Vanuatu to New Caledonia were it not for that unexpected sale of the plane and delay it created. The language barrier as well as other custom issues required the help and presence of my son to go with my son-in-law. Without the delay, he would not have been available to assist. Many, many details in God's amazing plan required that 24 hour delay.
The very fact that the Lord would sell a nation's only plane to facilitate His Will for our family is a brain buster, but speaks to His super natural intervention in our lives beyond our ability to fathom.
Provisions made before the need is fully realized and supernatural timing adjustments to put us in the slot of His perfect will, are just examples of the "Being" and actions of our outrageous and indescribable God. If the Lord's Will for us is always so perfectly funded and impeccably timed, why are we not completely, desperately, seeking it for our lives each day instead of striving for our own "will" to be done.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
The Birth of Majesty
The Holy One calls me this morning. Wrestles abound and thoughts of His Majestic Being take me out of the mental conflict of worldly thoughts.
With the celebration of the Birth of our Savior right around the corner, I always have to stop the spin into the worldly push for gifts, and tinsel, and distractions off the point of origin which is the Babe in the Manger. The day when Majesty zipped Himself into humanity and took on flesh, so that our human eyes might see what our human brains cannot begin to comprehend.
John 1:1 says, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." It is a huge mistake on our part to minimize what went on over 2,000 years ago in the human arena of life and the Divine arena of Eternity. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
A flash back to Genesis comes to my mind, when Adam and Eve were in fellowship with the Creator.
Gen 3:8, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord as He was walking in the cool of the day". Due to their rebellion and sinful disobedience, scripture says, "and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees." From there, they experienced the ultimate separation from the "Source" of all that exists. They experienced separation from the "Word" which is the source of all; all reason, all expression, the rational principle that forms and governs all things. Remember that in creation, God "said" and it was so.
Separation from the "Word" and we call Him, God, is ultimate death, beyond any human ability to describe and beyond the human concept of the breakdown and termination of the physical body. It is a death so profound that, I believe, our human relational minds and souls cannot even fathom that degree of separation until after it has occurred.
BUT GOD
......GAVE......HIS.......SON.......THAT.....WHOEVER.....BELIEVES.....IN......HIM......SHALL.....NOT.....PERISH.....BUT.....HAVE......ETERNAL.....LIFE...........John 3:16
because of the fall, man was already condemned, but then the Word says,
FOR.....GOD.....DID.....NOT.....SEND.....HIS.....SON.....INTO.....THE....WORLD.....TO.....CONDEMN.....THE.....WORLD.....BUT.....TO.....SAVE.....IT.....John 3:17
Majesty zipped Himself into humanity
The Word became flesh
God came and dwelt among us
But Why?
To restore man to his original relationship with the Creator. To redeem and reconcile and re-set man back into fellowship with the Source of All, from which man was separated in the fall.
The entirety of the Old Testament was written to men for their eyes to look forward to the Birth of the Messiah Redeemer. The entirety of the New testament was written to men for their eyes to look back to the Birth of the Messiah Redeemer. For on that day, God fulfilled His promise to send a Savior into the world, and since man, despite all his most heroic efforts cannot be found adequate to save anyone, God came into this world Himself.
Luke 1:35 tells of the Divine intervention of Holiness into our world. Mary, the chosen vessel for the Divine Birth was naturally confused. When the Divinely supernatural collides with the principles that govern the natural, questions and wrestles do come. Mary was no exception. Here she is a young virgin recently betrothed, yet not married, together with the ancient writing that spoke of a virgin being with child. Isaiah 7:14. "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give brith to a son and will call Him Immanuel, "God with us".
Our human minds seem to be able to readily accept things in the future, until the day it becomes our reality, and defies our concept in the "natural".
Mary questioned, the angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. And Mary's answer was priceless, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."
Another year in the history of man, brings us to the manger yet again. The Truth of our Savior will be presented along with the endless temptations to bypass the stable and head to the mall. May we allow our hearts and our heads to bow in reverance and awe before the Holy One who chose a manger over a palace to begin His walk among us.
Oh and just so we don't get too comfortable with His "humanity", let us never forget that He returned to His place of Glory after He fulfilled the Holy requirement for the redemption of our souls.
Rev 1:13-17, "And among the lampstands was someone, "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all of it's brillance. When I saw Him I fell at his feet as though dead."
This is the true identity of the One who zipped Himself into humanity 2,000 years ago in a manger.
May the awe of who He is flood our hearts and minds until we see Him face to face.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
With the celebration of the Birth of our Savior right around the corner, I always have to stop the spin into the worldly push for gifts, and tinsel, and distractions off the point of origin which is the Babe in the Manger. The day when Majesty zipped Himself into humanity and took on flesh, so that our human eyes might see what our human brains cannot begin to comprehend.
John 1:1 says, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." It is a huge mistake on our part to minimize what went on over 2,000 years ago in the human arena of life and the Divine arena of Eternity. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
A flash back to Genesis comes to my mind, when Adam and Eve were in fellowship with the Creator.
Gen 3:8, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord as He was walking in the cool of the day". Due to their rebellion and sinful disobedience, scripture says, "and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees." From there, they experienced the ultimate separation from the "Source" of all that exists. They experienced separation from the "Word" which is the source of all; all reason, all expression, the rational principle that forms and governs all things. Remember that in creation, God "said" and it was so.
Separation from the "Word" and we call Him, God, is ultimate death, beyond any human ability to describe and beyond the human concept of the breakdown and termination of the physical body. It is a death so profound that, I believe, our human relational minds and souls cannot even fathom that degree of separation until after it has occurred.
BUT GOD
......GAVE......HIS.......SON.......THAT.....WHOEVER.....BELIEVES.....IN......HIM......SHALL.....NOT.....PERISH.....BUT.....HAVE......ETERNAL.....LIFE...........John 3:16
because of the fall, man was already condemned, but then the Word says,
FOR.....GOD.....DID.....NOT.....SEND.....HIS.....SON.....INTO.....THE....WORLD.....TO.....CONDEMN.....THE.....WORLD.....BUT.....TO.....SAVE.....IT.....John 3:17
Majesty zipped Himself into humanity
The Word became flesh
God came and dwelt among us
But Why?
To restore man to his original relationship with the Creator. To redeem and reconcile and re-set man back into fellowship with the Source of All, from which man was separated in the fall.
The entirety of the Old Testament was written to men for their eyes to look forward to the Birth of the Messiah Redeemer. The entirety of the New testament was written to men for their eyes to look back to the Birth of the Messiah Redeemer. For on that day, God fulfilled His promise to send a Savior into the world, and since man, despite all his most heroic efforts cannot be found adequate to save anyone, God came into this world Himself.
Luke 1:35 tells of the Divine intervention of Holiness into our world. Mary, the chosen vessel for the Divine Birth was naturally confused. When the Divinely supernatural collides with the principles that govern the natural, questions and wrestles do come. Mary was no exception. Here she is a young virgin recently betrothed, yet not married, together with the ancient writing that spoke of a virgin being with child. Isaiah 7:14. "Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give brith to a son and will call Him Immanuel, "God with us".
Our human minds seem to be able to readily accept things in the future, until the day it becomes our reality, and defies our concept in the "natural".
Mary questioned, the angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. And Mary's answer was priceless, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."
Another year in the history of man, brings us to the manger yet again. The Truth of our Savior will be presented along with the endless temptations to bypass the stable and head to the mall. May we allow our hearts and our heads to bow in reverance and awe before the Holy One who chose a manger over a palace to begin His walk among us.
Oh and just so we don't get too comfortable with His "humanity", let us never forget that He returned to His place of Glory after He fulfilled the Holy requirement for the redemption of our souls.
Rev 1:13-17, "And among the lampstands was someone, "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all of it's brillance. When I saw Him I fell at his feet as though dead."
This is the true identity of the One who zipped Himself into humanity 2,000 years ago in a manger.
May the awe of who He is flood our hearts and minds until we see Him face to face.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Vessels of Transport
The Holy One calls me this morning. The time change makes it easier to rise up energized. My body clock is already causing activity to my brain, as the wall clock has been moved back one hour.
I wake up thinking about the Lord and Christmas and what His birth represents to those of us who believe. The Holy One has spoken abut a new season about to unfold. I am a habit person and cling to the familiar, so any preview of a new season usually has me shaking on my old familiar boots.
I know the Lord is stretching us, but in the time frame of history we are living, the changes are coming way too fast, which makes our reliance on the Holy Spirit within even more essential and almost desperate lest we get carried off by the flood of dissipation the world is offering.
Thinking about Christmas and the Babe in the manger, our Savior and Sovereign King, my mind is comforted by that familiar setting. Then the Holy One paints a different picture in my mind. He shows me the Magi, the star and the vast desert across which they trekked in search of the new born King. Matt 2
He said, "you are a vessel of transport". Interesting picture. "The Magi were on a mission to bring the riches of this world to the Heavenly King, Jesus. Now you have the riches of Heaven to take to the world. Will you be My vessel of transport?"
The picture is clear. Our Lord, though the indwelling Holy Spirit within the hearts of true believers, reaches and touches the world of people. We have the privilege and responsibility to be His vessels of transport. Across the street or around the world, every place we go, we take the Holy One with us. Conversely every place we refuse to go, we withhold the Holy one from touching ground.
Since Jesus left saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you, His position is clear. But there is our part in this love relationship. To serve Him we must be willing to push out, be bold, like the Magi. We must be willing to follow the star of His will across the desert, taking the riches of God's love into the dry and thirsty places. The riches of Heaven are ours to share.
Way back in history, the Magi were driven by desire to find and honor the newborn King. It consumed their lives. Today we have the wondrous opportunity to be driven to serve and honor the Risen King. May that focus consume our lives today.
We are vessels of transport. The question is "are we willing to go?"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
I wake up thinking about the Lord and Christmas and what His birth represents to those of us who believe. The Holy One has spoken abut a new season about to unfold. I am a habit person and cling to the familiar, so any preview of a new season usually has me shaking on my old familiar boots.
I know the Lord is stretching us, but in the time frame of history we are living, the changes are coming way too fast, which makes our reliance on the Holy Spirit within even more essential and almost desperate lest we get carried off by the flood of dissipation the world is offering.
Thinking about Christmas and the Babe in the manger, our Savior and Sovereign King, my mind is comforted by that familiar setting. Then the Holy One paints a different picture in my mind. He shows me the Magi, the star and the vast desert across which they trekked in search of the new born King. Matt 2
He said, "you are a vessel of transport". Interesting picture. "The Magi were on a mission to bring the riches of this world to the Heavenly King, Jesus. Now you have the riches of Heaven to take to the world. Will you be My vessel of transport?"
The picture is clear. Our Lord, though the indwelling Holy Spirit within the hearts of true believers, reaches and touches the world of people. We have the privilege and responsibility to be His vessels of transport. Across the street or around the world, every place we go, we take the Holy One with us. Conversely every place we refuse to go, we withhold the Holy one from touching ground.
Since Jesus left saying, I will never leave you nor forsake you, His position is clear. But there is our part in this love relationship. To serve Him we must be willing to push out, be bold, like the Magi. We must be willing to follow the star of His will across the desert, taking the riches of God's love into the dry and thirsty places. The riches of Heaven are ours to share.
Way back in history, the Magi were driven by desire to find and honor the newborn King. It consumed their lives. Today we have the wondrous opportunity to be driven to serve and honor the Risen King. May that focus consume our lives today.
We are vessels of transport. The question is "are we willing to go?"
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Who Do You Trust?
The Spirit calls to me this morning. The trials and temptations to give knee-jerk reactions to what life brings has been heavy on my mind. The Spirit speaks through the watches of the night. The subtlety of His voice calls me into consciousness.
He calls to me and I know I need my first cup of coffee to be alert to what He wants to talk about this morning. Whispers of His wisdom float through my mind. "Each trial you face is a test of obedience. They are not random, they are not coincidence, they are opportunities for refinement through and through".
Right now, life seems like a furnace of intense heat. Discomfort is all around and from every angle there seems to be some unmitigated disaster.
Then the Holy Spirit speaks, "You trust Me for eternity, will you trust Me now?"
It's easy to defer trust for the next life when it seems so far off. But hard to trust for the next step here on earth when the pathway seems so covered by chaos and confusion and uncertainty. My knee-jerk reaction is self-reliance. I think I know what I can do, what I can tolerate, what I can manipulate to protect my "comfort zones" at any and all cost.
Heb 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God". The Spirit speaks, "You have faith in what you can do but what about faith for what I can do? Faith for what goes beyond your flesh capacity?"
Every trial is designed to take us beyond our own ability to resolve it. Refinement happens through surrender. Most all of us are confronted by situations we did not go looking for. How do we react? Is our first reaction self-pity or self-reliance?
The Spirit speaks to my heart, "I want your first and most overwhelming reaction to be to bring it to Me. Stop trying to find your own answers, your own solutions, or orchestrate your own deliverance. Then, I want your next reaction to be obedience to My Word and My commands. I am here to enable you, but you must co-operate."
As I look back over the years, I see those knee-jerk reactions, and what they cost me and even where they stumbled me. But each one offered a life lesson that enables me to whole heartedly agree with the Holy One today. I say, "yes, Lord. Fill me with the sense of your Presence and manifest the fruit of your Life within".
Today, even as fear grips my mind, as I surrender it all to the Holy One, His presence promises the fruit of His faith to believe all things. Faith for His Divine control. Faith for His deliverance. Faith for His restoration. And in that faith, I know I can Trust Him.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
He calls to me and I know I need my first cup of coffee to be alert to what He wants to talk about this morning. Whispers of His wisdom float through my mind. "Each trial you face is a test of obedience. They are not random, they are not coincidence, they are opportunities for refinement through and through".
Right now, life seems like a furnace of intense heat. Discomfort is all around and from every angle there seems to be some unmitigated disaster.
Then the Holy Spirit speaks, "You trust Me for eternity, will you trust Me now?"
It's easy to defer trust for the next life when it seems so far off. But hard to trust for the next step here on earth when the pathway seems so covered by chaos and confusion and uncertainty. My knee-jerk reaction is self-reliance. I think I know what I can do, what I can tolerate, what I can manipulate to protect my "comfort zones" at any and all cost.
Heb 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God". The Spirit speaks, "You have faith in what you can do but what about faith for what I can do? Faith for what goes beyond your flesh capacity?"
Every trial is designed to take us beyond our own ability to resolve it. Refinement happens through surrender. Most all of us are confronted by situations we did not go looking for. How do we react? Is our first reaction self-pity or self-reliance?
The Spirit speaks to my heart, "I want your first and most overwhelming reaction to be to bring it to Me. Stop trying to find your own answers, your own solutions, or orchestrate your own deliverance. Then, I want your next reaction to be obedience to My Word and My commands. I am here to enable you, but you must co-operate."
As I look back over the years, I see those knee-jerk reactions, and what they cost me and even where they stumbled me. But each one offered a life lesson that enables me to whole heartedly agree with the Holy One today. I say, "yes, Lord. Fill me with the sense of your Presence and manifest the fruit of your Life within".
Today, even as fear grips my mind, as I surrender it all to the Holy One, His presence promises the fruit of His faith to believe all things. Faith for His Divine control. Faith for His deliverance. Faith for His restoration. And in that faith, I know I can Trust Him.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Road to Distinction
The Holy one calls me this morning. I am deep in thoughts about the times and concerns over what to expect as evil unleashes its final volley of torment into the world. I hear the Holy One enter into my thoughts and establish our conversation. He reminds me, "The enemy's goal is well understood: to destroy the creation that God loves the most I.E. Man."
With all the wisdom of the wise at evil's disposal and now the Internet in full swing with no filters to slow the deception from being dispersed around the world into every generation alive, people are being separated from truth and into the grip of evil deception in exceedingly great numbers.
For every opportunity to research truth, there are countless open doors leading to deception. The Holy One quotes the Savior, "Narrow is the way that leads to life", "Broad is the highway that leads to destruction". Matt 7:13. This generation is more tempted by the broad highway than any other generation to ever live. In this "end of days" scenario, it is mind boggling as to how many alternatives to the One True God are being offered and how many counterfeit saviors are being followed.
God promised His people persecution for their faith. But He also gave a promise to make a distinction between those who serve Him and those who do not.
The Spirit takes me to His Word. In the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and from the last Divine words spoken before the first coming of Christ, God said to His people: Mal 3:14, "You have said it is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out His requirements, by going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty. But now we call the arrogant blessed and certainly evil doers prosper and even those who challenge God escape".
As a follower of Christ, I can relate to that perspective and there are many moments when self-pity follows that line of thinking. But the Holy One provokes me to read on to vs 16, "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard". "A scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His Name."
As the trials intensify and the world becomes a blast furnace of refinement for the Believer, what am I sharing with others? Does self-pity saturate my conversations? Do my words drip with the toxic poison of "poor me"? If so I will most likely miss the promise that follows, "They will be mine when I take up my treasured possession, I will spare them just as in compassion, a man spares the son who serves hm and you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
Is this the day and does the Lord want to make a distinction but our testimony of faith speaks of betrayal? Heb 11:1, says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The road to distinction is not the easy road. it is narrow and not just in the belief that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, but also in the boundaries that the Holy Life places us within.
While the world can enjoy all the perks that the compromise of God's commands provides the lost, we have limits on what we can have, or do or think. Our ultimate reward is being deferred and we are called to be separate. But we are not called to be morose or joyless or unhappy in our loyalty to the Supreme and Sovereign God of all Creation. We are to rejoice in the Lord, always.
This passage exhorts us and reminds us that there is a day on the calendar for the Lord to set His hand of blessing upon our lives in ways that we and all will see the distinction between those who serve God and those who do not. God will be glorified as we serve Him whether though our joy filled sacrifice of those things that are not ours to hold, or through the lavish blessings and evidence of his Presence in those provisions while the world does without. Either way, It is our responsibility to serve Him and rejoice in the process.
The Blessed Presence of the Holy Spirit in my life totally makes up for anything the world has to offer. As I seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, all the rest that I need will be added unto me....Now that's a distinction......Matt 6:33
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
With all the wisdom of the wise at evil's disposal and now the Internet in full swing with no filters to slow the deception from being dispersed around the world into every generation alive, people are being separated from truth and into the grip of evil deception in exceedingly great numbers.
For every opportunity to research truth, there are countless open doors leading to deception. The Holy One quotes the Savior, "Narrow is the way that leads to life", "Broad is the highway that leads to destruction". Matt 7:13. This generation is more tempted by the broad highway than any other generation to ever live. In this "end of days" scenario, it is mind boggling as to how many alternatives to the One True God are being offered and how many counterfeit saviors are being followed.
God promised His people persecution for their faith. But He also gave a promise to make a distinction between those who serve Him and those who do not.
The Spirit takes me to His Word. In the book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament and from the last Divine words spoken before the first coming of Christ, God said to His people: Mal 3:14, "You have said it is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out His requirements, by going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty. But now we call the arrogant blessed and certainly evil doers prosper and even those who challenge God escape".
As a follower of Christ, I can relate to that perspective and there are many moments when self-pity follows that line of thinking. But the Holy One provokes me to read on to vs 16, "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard". "A scroll of remembrance was written in His Presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His Name."
As the trials intensify and the world becomes a blast furnace of refinement for the Believer, what am I sharing with others? Does self-pity saturate my conversations? Do my words drip with the toxic poison of "poor me"? If so I will most likely miss the promise that follows, "They will be mine when I take up my treasured possession, I will spare them just as in compassion, a man spares the son who serves hm and you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
Is this the day and does the Lord want to make a distinction but our testimony of faith speaks of betrayal? Heb 11:1, says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The road to distinction is not the easy road. it is narrow and not just in the belief that Jesus is the only way to Heaven, but also in the boundaries that the Holy Life places us within.
While the world can enjoy all the perks that the compromise of God's commands provides the lost, we have limits on what we can have, or do or think. Our ultimate reward is being deferred and we are called to be separate. But we are not called to be morose or joyless or unhappy in our loyalty to the Supreme and Sovereign God of all Creation. We are to rejoice in the Lord, always.
This passage exhorts us and reminds us that there is a day on the calendar for the Lord to set His hand of blessing upon our lives in ways that we and all will see the distinction between those who serve God and those who do not. God will be glorified as we serve Him whether though our joy filled sacrifice of those things that are not ours to hold, or through the lavish blessings and evidence of his Presence in those provisions while the world does without. Either way, It is our responsibility to serve Him and rejoice in the process.
The Blessed Presence of the Holy Spirit in my life totally makes up for anything the world has to offer. As I seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, all the rest that I need will be added unto me....Now that's a distinction......Matt 6:33
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Paradise Found
The Holy Spirit calls to me this morning. I realize the clock is ticking and the days are passing too quickly. I wonder why all the deadlines? Why do we live in such bondage to the calendar and clock?
Well, that's the way it's always been, except when I was very little and didn't understand the school year or worry about bed time cutting my day of adventure short. What if I could return to that kind of life? What a wonderful rich thought to ponder.
Then the Holy One speaks, "That's the way it was in the garden before the fall." There is so much that is distressing to me about the fall. All that sinful man and the arch enemy of God the Creator could plot together, in unrestrained flesh, creative evil, arrows to the heart and poison to the mind.
Don't most of us look around and long for days gone by? That one Christmas when life, for a sweet moment was just right. Or that vacation in the mountains, when the silence of the of the world pressing in, permitted the symphony of the forest to be heard.
The Holy One calls to me, "Come away with Me this morning, let's go back to the garden." What a delightful invitation. I feel huge smile come across my face as I think about all that could mean:
Walking with my God in the cool of the morning,
Surveying the handiwork of the Creator on display.
Feeling the smallness of my being on one hand and the bigness of my value to my Beloved on the other.
Sensing His Presence all around me and the magnitude of His love that I cannot begin to understand.
All the thoughts I had of doing things today or the vexing questions that plague me, even those that focus on my "purpose", seem to melt away. And then it occurs to me that the most incomprehensible thought in my mind comes to be: "All is well with my soul."
"Lord, I want to live here in this moment". He responds, "You can". One of the greatest blessings that came as a result of the death of our Savior on the Cross of Calvary is the ability to return to life in the garden before the fall.
Think of it. Life lived in constant contact with the Creator of the universe. Constant contact with the Source of all that we know. Constant contact with the Sovereign Power and Eternal Being who knows everything past, present and future. Constant contact with the One who gives us our value and purpose and our next breath with which to live it out.
Jesus came to restore us to the One True God...Himself, and to the life potential that was set before Adam and Eve to work and take care of the Garden of His Creation and everything in it.
As a result of the fall, all was lost. The original glory of man, the original relationship that God Himself ordained, the peace and pace and carefree life in "paradise" that we all long for in our heart of hearts. But in the amazing plan of our merciful Creator, redemption has come. We have been redeemed, bought back, re-set to reclaim what has been lost and empowered to take back what has been stolen.
We accept that Jesus died for our Eternal Salvation and we know that somehow, on the day of our death here, we will begin our life elsewhere, but there may be many years and a lot of problems to fix between now and then, between here and there.
The Holy One continues to speak about what the resurrection of My Savior means and brings to my earthly life today. Jesus, when speaking about Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:10 said, "I have come that they (His sheep) may have life and have it to the full."
But what does that mean when we have sick babies, empty bank accounts, spouses who have left for greener pastures or a "you're fired" slip on our desk? The trials of life in a world reeling from the fall
are a stark reality of what we must deal with. But the promises of our God are all yes and amen for those of us who believe and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior.
The Holy One calls us to bring all our burdens to the One who can lift them, the One who can heal them, the One who can replace anything that has been lost or stolen.
The clock and calendar are antagonistic to the sweet life with our Savior and we have been programmed to march to that beat. We are limited in our time with the Lord in the cool of the morning. We are distracted by the responsibilities we feel to the world system, without realizing we are not to be under it's rule. We are overwhelmed by the size of our problems, forgetting the One who controls all things. And we are tormented by our lack of value in the eyes of those we share life with, while the love of the One who died for us never gets past our head into our hearts.
I find that unless I am willing to make and take the time for my Beloved, the clock and the calendar will continue to rule my life. The Spirit is calling me, reminding me that each day I have a choice. I can join Him in the garden where all is well with my soul, or I can run headlong into the world that beckons me, postponing one of the greatest blessings He died to give me: a life on earth engulfed in His love, with a second chance in the Garden of God.
I choose the garden.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Well, that's the way it's always been, except when I was very little and didn't understand the school year or worry about bed time cutting my day of adventure short. What if I could return to that kind of life? What a wonderful rich thought to ponder.
Then the Holy One speaks, "That's the way it was in the garden before the fall." There is so much that is distressing to me about the fall. All that sinful man and the arch enemy of God the Creator could plot together, in unrestrained flesh, creative evil, arrows to the heart and poison to the mind.
Don't most of us look around and long for days gone by? That one Christmas when life, for a sweet moment was just right. Or that vacation in the mountains, when the silence of the of the world pressing in, permitted the symphony of the forest to be heard.
The Holy One calls to me, "Come away with Me this morning, let's go back to the garden." What a delightful invitation. I feel huge smile come across my face as I think about all that could mean:
Walking with my God in the cool of the morning,
Surveying the handiwork of the Creator on display.
Feeling the smallness of my being on one hand and the bigness of my value to my Beloved on the other.
Sensing His Presence all around me and the magnitude of His love that I cannot begin to understand.
All the thoughts I had of doing things today or the vexing questions that plague me, even those that focus on my "purpose", seem to melt away. And then it occurs to me that the most incomprehensible thought in my mind comes to be: "All is well with my soul."
"Lord, I want to live here in this moment". He responds, "You can". One of the greatest blessings that came as a result of the death of our Savior on the Cross of Calvary is the ability to return to life in the garden before the fall.
Think of it. Life lived in constant contact with the Creator of the universe. Constant contact with the Source of all that we know. Constant contact with the Sovereign Power and Eternal Being who knows everything past, present and future. Constant contact with the One who gives us our value and purpose and our next breath with which to live it out.
Jesus came to restore us to the One True God...Himself, and to the life potential that was set before Adam and Eve to work and take care of the Garden of His Creation and everything in it.
As a result of the fall, all was lost. The original glory of man, the original relationship that God Himself ordained, the peace and pace and carefree life in "paradise" that we all long for in our heart of hearts. But in the amazing plan of our merciful Creator, redemption has come. We have been redeemed, bought back, re-set to reclaim what has been lost and empowered to take back what has been stolen.
We accept that Jesus died for our Eternal Salvation and we know that somehow, on the day of our death here, we will begin our life elsewhere, but there may be many years and a lot of problems to fix between now and then, between here and there.
The Holy One continues to speak about what the resurrection of My Savior means and brings to my earthly life today. Jesus, when speaking about Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:10 said, "I have come that they (His sheep) may have life and have it to the full."
But what does that mean when we have sick babies, empty bank accounts, spouses who have left for greener pastures or a "you're fired" slip on our desk? The trials of life in a world reeling from the fall
are a stark reality of what we must deal with. But the promises of our God are all yes and amen for those of us who believe and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior.
The Holy One calls us to bring all our burdens to the One who can lift them, the One who can heal them, the One who can replace anything that has been lost or stolen.
The clock and calendar are antagonistic to the sweet life with our Savior and we have been programmed to march to that beat. We are limited in our time with the Lord in the cool of the morning. We are distracted by the responsibilities we feel to the world system, without realizing we are not to be under it's rule. We are overwhelmed by the size of our problems, forgetting the One who controls all things. And we are tormented by our lack of value in the eyes of those we share life with, while the love of the One who died for us never gets past our head into our hearts.
I find that unless I am willing to make and take the time for my Beloved, the clock and the calendar will continue to rule my life. The Spirit is calling me, reminding me that each day I have a choice. I can join Him in the garden where all is well with my soul, or I can run headlong into the world that beckons me, postponing one of the greatest blessings He died to give me: a life on earth engulfed in His love, with a second chance in the Garden of God.
I choose the garden.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Humanity's Dominion
Lately intercession has called me to remember our role as the immortal image bearers of our Majestic Creator God. The Holy One calls me to ...
-
The Holy One calls to me this morning. Life with my Lord is never dull. While deep trials mark my pathway, I know He is taking me to places ... -
The Holy One calls to me this morning. The last days of summer are winding down, fall is about to make its glorious appearance in the annu...
-
Shalom my faithful Kingdom Warriors. Let us take a minute to remind ourselves: At the Cross, and due to the sacrifice of Yeshua, the rules ...