Death Where Is Your Sting?

 I Corinthians 15:55

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  The 3rd anniversary of the sudden death of one of my Beloved sons has arrived. 

Since his departure from my sight, I have suffered in the agony of separation anxiety.  The loss of a child is the deepest grief that a parent can experience.  I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with father, mother, brother, husband and child and losing one that I loved from the moment of conception until he drew his last breath here on earth is like no other loss.

My Lord speaks truth to my wounded heart.  "I know your pain and I have planned for your comfort".

What can comfort the grief of such a loss?  And how can you know my pain?  Questions flood my mind with the honesty I have with my Lord.  But then He reminds me of the cross. 

It's on the cross where Jesus and the Father endured the greatest pain of separation in their eternal relationship.  I cannot imagine the grief of our Heavenly Father to look upon the brokenness of His magnificent creation heaped upon His only Son.  To see the brutality of humanity's heart of hatred vented on Yeshua's body when He was sent to show us the Love of God toward men.

To hear the ancient words of King David flow from the dying Son's lips, "My God, My God why have you forsaken Me?"  And to observe the fullness of the law and penalty for sin vented on the sinless Son is something I truly cannot fathom.

To think that all His suffering came about by mistake or strictly by the hands of evil men or demons, is to discredit our Creator and His complete Sovereignty in and over all things.

What then is the "comfort" for the separation anxiety we feel at the death of our Beloveds here on earth?

Understanding that both Jesus and our Heavenly Father know and have felt that horrific pain of separation, to an even greater degree, because it was perhaps the first time in eternity that their unity was broken, helps me to cope with the pain of mine. 

Why did Jesus choose suffer the emotional separation and physical death especially since He is God and could have avoided that pain?  The answer is His LOVE! His love for you and me bound Him to the Holy and irrevocable penalty for sin: both relational death and separation from our Heavenly Father and physical death of our carnal body that houses our immortal soul. 

His love sacrificed so much, so that we can be together for all eternity. Simply put, in love, He didn't want eternity to continue on without us. Jesus was not content that any should perish but rather that we might all be with Him forever where He is. Through His death and resurrection, we have the incredible blessed goodness and hope of eternal life.  And just like He said, He has planned for our comfort even before we felt our pain.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?  

 

  

     

Faith Like Elijah

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  His call starts with a challenge: 

"You need faith like Elijah".

Sickness has lingered in our household and with the winter freeze outside and siege of winter colds within, I guess I didn't realize that it might be a faith issue at base. 

As I ponder the testimony of Elijah's faith, I'm met with a visual of Elijah after bringing down fire from Heaven on Mt Carmel and slaying the priests of Baal who had led Israel astray to follow other gods.

Elijah's life story was filled with faith acts from beginning to end.  Elijah was a Prophet called by Adonai to turn the hearts of God's chosen people back to Him, and away from idolatry in the worship of other gods like the "Baals". 

Back in the history of the Children of Israel, God warned that if/when they turned after other gods, they would be subject to curses and the land would languish under drought.  (Deuteronomy 28:21).  Elijah, under Divine directive from Adonai, called for a 3-year drought to punish the sin of idolatry.  At the end of the 3 years of drought, Adonai again called Elijah to present himself to the king and the people whereby He, Adonai, would end the drought.

The hearts of the people had to be tested and a choice given them as condition of a lifting of the curse on the land.  Elijah called for a great contest between the God of Israel and the Baals.  In the great contest of Adonai's power over that of the false gods, Elijah called for the prophets and priests of Baal to set up an altar, out in the open, place a sacrifice upon it and call out for their god to ignite the altar with fire. Elijah would do the same.

After hours of calling out to Baal and ceremonial blood-letting nothing happened.  Elijah took center stage, rebuilt the broken-down Altar to Adonai, placed the sacrificial bull on it, and made petition to the One true God of Israel.  Additionally, Elijah had the altar and sacrifice flooded with water to make the altar impossible to ignite.  As He prayed for Adonai to let it be known that He, Adonai alone, is God of Israel and Elijah is His servant, fire fell from Heaven and it consumed everything: the sacrifice, the water even the stones of the altar. You can read all about it in I Kings 18

The people fell on their faces and cried out "Adonai is God, Adonai is God" as their hearts were turned back to the One True God. The priests and prophets of Baal were killed for having turned the hearts of the people away from Adonai, but the story does not end there.  The much-needed rain had to come to end the drought, but the sky was cloudless.

Elijah had faith that Adonai would fulfill His word; first in the drought, then in the supernatural event as manifestation of His power and authority by sending fire from Heaven.  But it's the following act of faith and trust that spoke to me today. While there are many instances that I might focus on when I consider this man of great faith and obedience, the one I find today is the hope and trust Elijah demonstrated for the ending of the drought and the coming of rain when looking into a cloudless sky.

When trials drag on like a 3-year drought, discouragement can run high.  God's promises of healing and restoration of health can seem very far off, kind of like looking into a cloudless sky.  Elijah knew that he knew that Adonai would send rain.  God's word was clear and there was no doubt in Elijah's mind:  Rain would come.

Elijah sent his servant to go and look out toward the sea. The servant came back and said, "there's nothing there".  Seven times Elijah sent his servant to look for rain and 6 times he returned with the same report "There's nothing there."  But on the seventh time, the servant said, "There's a cloud coming out of the sea no bigger than a man's fist."  Elijah went to the king with the good news of the coming rain just as promised. 

The point to me is this:  When Adonai has given a promise of rain (favor), we must keep looking for the manifestation until we see it in our sights.  A cloudless sky is never the last word. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him? 

 

Jesus Sets The Captives Free

He Came to Set the Captives Free

Ten years ago, my husband of 31 years made his great escape.  Imprisoned in a decaying body, he made the cross over into eternity and out of the shackles that held him bound to this earth.  By the Lord’s grace alone I can celebrate his translation.  Rather than having a funeral to mark his departure, we had a going away party instead.  Since that day I have lost more of my Beloveds, but their situation is the same: Freedom from a decaying flesh body. 

Today as always, I am thankful for the eternity that Jesus our Savior provided through His death on the cross and the resurrection hope we have in Him alone.  I cherish the Word of our God that gave us (believers) a picture of our death-defying glorified bodies that we, who belong to Jesus, can take claim to after we depart the flesh shell on earth, that houses our immortal soul.

There is so much about the man that I miss but I would not wish him back to face the pain and decline of a physical body for anything in this world.   As most of humanity, he did not exit this life as a hero but rather a prisoner.  We are all prisoners in one form or another and that is why Jesus came:  To set the captives free.

Of course, there are various forms of prison for it is a written fact that Satan is the jail keeper here on earth.  He is after all the “prince of the power of the air” (the spirit realm that surrounds earth and its inhabitants.)  One person’s prison may be addiction; another may be cancer or some other body infirmity or incapacitation or disease.  

One may be the prison of a love-less marriage or the actual place of incarceration for breaking society’s laws.   Here on earth, there may be any number of situations that represent a prison, but Jesus came to set each and every one of us free.

Soon we will celebrate the day when God wrapped Himself in flesh to walk among His creation. His birth marked His invasion into our various prisons to set the captives free from the grip of a powerful adversary who hates us. He came to buy us back for himself having paid the price with His very own blood.  

Today I celebrate freedom from Satan’s grip.  We have been redeemed and bought with a price.  Because of Jesus we believers in the One True God, can experience deliverance from any and all the mental and emotional prisons we have been made to languish in.  Some of us may even experience deliverance and miraculous physical healing here on earth.   

The Lord Jesus came to deliver us and at the beginning of His short public ministry He spoke the words out of Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

Over the course of my life, my Lord has released me from many prisons; like the prison of unforgiveness. Today I am thankful and look forward to spending eternity with the One who paid the ultimate price for my soul and has truly set me free.  And I look forward to sharing eternity with those who like, my temporal husband, (and others I have lost sight of here) are already there in His Presence….  

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

  

Fear Not

Today, with so much fear in the world that touches our lives, I am

 nudged to share a chapter out of my Book, "Heaven Bound: A

 Devotional", written during a time when fear was on a relentless

 rampage with me. 

 

At the end of the chapter, you will find "Points to Ponder" with

 questions for you to mediate on regarding the chapter. This Book is

 available from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.  

I hope you are blessed reading chapter 9 of "Heaven Bound"

Fear Not

The Holy One calls to me this morning. Fear has come calling

and has been tormenting me through the watches of the night.

The world news is providing a very effective backdrop of evidence

that evil is alive and well on planet Earth. Personal trials close to

home and in the lives of loved ones remind me that the war

 producing the trials is everywhere.

As Christians, we are told over and over to not fear. Philippians

4:4 is one such command: “Do not be anxious about anything but

in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present

 your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all

 understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ

 Jesus.”

The Holy One calls, and I answer out of a fitful wrestle with the

dark lord of fear. I feel like a lone sailor frantically typing out an

 SOS as waves are about to capsize my boat.

The conscious comfort of His presence and authority offers a

deep relief to my heart and mind. The Holy One reminds me how I

am like the disciples during one furious storm on the lake they were

crossing as Jesus was asleep in the boat. Matthew 8:25 says, “The

disciples went and woke Him saying, ‘Lord, save us!’ We are

going to drown.”

The Spirit speaks to me this morning like Jesus did to His disciples

that day, “You of little faith, why are you afraid?” When Holiness

puts it that way, the fear and tension melts away and the processing

can begin.

“Well,” I hesitate as my mind tries to explain my faithless

thoughts to the only One who can correct them. But before I pick

more words to justify the wretched sin, He gently reminds me of

what I already know, “Fear and faith cannot cohabitate. One

 cancels out the other. The fear you have is sin, not just an

 emotional response to the threats you hear in your mind.”

His words confirm the lessons of late regarding the need for

daily repentance and even a humbling foot washing by the Lord to

clean off the dust of the fallen world that clings to my feet.

Job was a man who experienced the deepest of trials during a

season in the permissive will of God. Satan accused him of being a

spoiled child who would curse God if his blessings were taken

 away.

The Lord’s confidence in the man was challenged by the enemy of

Holiness, and Job was put to the test while Satan brought blow after

blow of hard adversity against him.

The account of Job holds many important lessons regarding

the sovereignty of God: His permissive will, His boundaries and

 protection, His control over the adversary, and His ultimate love

 and relationship with Job, the man.

The Holy One draws me back to this account to make an interesting

point regarding fear. As I read the beginning of Job’s life of

trials, Job 3:25 leaps out as a clue to the rest of his recorded

 suffering.

“What I feared has come upon me, what I dreaded has

 happened to me.”

Could it be that Satan’s attack followed a direct line of Job’s fears

right into his life and being? Could it be that our fears provide the

open door of access for the enemy of our soul to enter and bring the

trials we experience?  If that is so, it is to our great advantage to do

 as the Lord commands and “fear not.”

The enemy of our souls is an ancient foe who is aware of our sin

nature, the fall, and the fears it brings to the hearts of men. He is the

great deceiver, so if he can keep us trying in our flesh to overcome

fear, or worse yet succumb to it, then evil triumphs.

The Holy One reminds me that not only is fear a powerful

emotion, it is also sin. “You cannot get rid of fear just in the facing

 of it. Fear, like any other sin, requires repentance.” It is important

 and most interesting to get down to identifying fear as the sin that it

 is.

I always equate sin with a strong emotion that has a flesh perk at

the end, but that is not so with fear. Fear erodes all peace,

 confidence, and assurance of good things coming to pass. Fear

 leaves me shaking and quaking and waiting for the next shoe to

 drop. Fear seems to be the one sin that has no flesh appeal, and I

 wonder, if that is so, then why do we fail to acknowledge or treat it

 as sin?

Society has alternative ways to beat the cycle of fear bondage,

otherwise known as anxiety, rather than take the sin to the Lord for

removal. Doctors prescribe drugs, therapists suggest other assorted

escape mechanisms, but nothing man can offer really cures the

problem.

The Holy One again asks, “Why are you afraid?” I noticed that

He did not ask, “What are you afraid of?” The why and not the what

is the key. There can be an endless list of "whats" to the fear issue,

 but the answer to why is simple: somewhere in the assessment of

 the situation I face and wrestle, the storm got the better of me. I

 failed to remember that the One who formed the clouds, the winds

 and the rains, is with me in the boat.

He gently repeats His question, “Why are you afraid?” But then

He goes on to cut through the fear, “For I am always with you.” 

The sense and power of His presence fills the room and my soul.

 “Fear not” is the command, and clearly, I understand He is the

 reason I can obey it.

The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Points To Ponder:

1. How do you define fear? Does it register to you as

being sin? Or does it seem more like wisdom. Reread

Philippians 4:4. Since fear is a God-given emotion,

why do you suppose it is then counted as sin? How

much does fear play a part in your life and decisions?

Are you willing to confess fear as sin in order to get

rid of it?

2. Look up Matthew 8:23–27 for your own encouragement.

Do you think to thank the Lord for being in

your boat and for His power to save you from the

storms in life? Can you recall a situation like the disciples?

faced in their storm where the Lord rescued you?

Will you offer a prayer of praise to Him now? If you

are in a storm at the moment, will you pray like the

disciples did and ask Him to save you?

3. Dealing with our sin weakness is part of being saved,

as one definition of being saved is to “be healed or

delivered out of a bad place.” The Lord is calling us

into a relationship whereby we talk to Him and relate

to Him. Healing is part of the privilege of relationship.

Confessing sin is the first step in deliverance and

ultimate healing. Does it occur to you that in your

weakness, God says He will be your strength?

4. Does this promise give you hope? Tell the Lord how

you feel. The Bible has many verses that address fear and

being afraid. Most begin with “Do not.” Look up

Isaiah 35:4. Then read Psalm 91. Each of these speak 

the command “Do not,” but each offers reasons. 

List some of the reasons we are commanded to not fear.

5. Read Matthew 28:18–20. Think about why He

would tell us in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore of all

the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe

all things I have commanded you and lo I am with

you always, even to the ends of the earth.” Do you

consider yourself as a strategic part of His plan for

the salvation of others? Are you willing to do your

strategic part? What if your strategic part is just to be

willing to allow Him to work through your life? Will

you ask Him to use you?

I Will Pour Out MY Spirit

The Holy Spirit calls me on this day to be thankful, and then reminds me of the Father's great promise recorded in Joel 2:28 and again in Acts 2:17:

In the last days, God says, 

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy

your young men will see visions

your old men will dream dreams

even on my servants both men and women

I will pour out my Spirit.

I doubt that any who know God's Word and sees what is going on around the world would argue that these are not the last days spoken of by the Prophets of old. The collapse of societies everywhere speaks to the reality that our times are coming to an end.

This means that time is short for the salvation of the lost. The stakes are high: lost souls yet to find their way into the Kingdom of God. It is God's unfailing mercy that He is willing to pour out His Spirit and give evidence of Himself though supernatural signs and wonders to the unbelieving world.

So, I listen with eager ears to what the Spirit is saying to me. I am compelled to desperately seek the spiritual gifts promised and now confident that these are the days and times when a "spirit filled", supernatural walk with the Lord is not only possible but necessary to fulfill God's purpose for those of us with the privilege of being alive at this great, grand finale of man's days upon the earth. This is a time of the final harvest and we have been chosen to participate in it.

I speak to a lot of God's people and we all seem to be full of the same desire: to know and operate in our Spiritual gifts, under the anointing by the Holy Spirit that can only come from our Heavenly Father.

God is speaking to all of us who believe and His Spirit is calling for us to walk in the fullness of our potential. Our gifts strengths and talents are given for such a time as this. But to have the power and authority and anointing necessary for us to glorify our Father and our Lord, and to share His Gospel unto the salvation of the lost, we must be under the control of His Holy Spirit.

Today, I praise God and thank Him for His Holy Spirit who speaks to all with an ear to hear. I praise God for what is about to take place in the Body of Christ and through the witness by His people of the miraculous signs and wonders that the Spirit of Holiness is working.

Jesus said to the unbelieving world, "even if you do not believe in my words at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 10:38) May we, the Church of the Living God, be able to speak the same word, having miracles we can point to as the evidence.

Get ready Church, for a mighty move of His Spirit. Pray that each one of us will co-operate with His Divine Will, and do our part as the Spirit desires to use each one of us and the gifts He will impart.

The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?

Angels in our World

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  When YHWH created all things, humanity was not the only "beings" He created and breathed life into.  At what point in eternity these celestial beings were created is not know through scripture.  We know they exist and that they, like us, have a Divine role and position associated with God's purposes.

Lately I have been moved to share testimonies of the lessons I have been taught through Divine intervention.  This morning the Lord reminded me of the time He sent 2 angels when I was stuck on the side of the road.        

While usually "invisible" to our human eye, once in a while angels might take on the form of a human to assist us when we need help here on earth.  Hebrews 1:14 gives a bit of an understanding as to the role the angels play in the everyday lives of believers.  "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth (on a mission) to minister for (by, through, or for the sake of) those who will inherit salvation?"  Such was Paul's understanding of these celestial beings we call angels.  

There are many instances of Adonai's Divine intervention through His angels written about in Scripture but I wanted to share a personal story of my own.

It was a fall evening in California and as the sun was setting, a storm began to sprinkle down rain. I was on the freeway making a last minute rush delivery to a customer and running late.  Speeding down the 91 in Riverside heading into Anaheim, I heard a sound like a helicopter over head.   Fearing it was the speed police I slowed down and moved from the 4th lane into the 3rd lane.  I still heard the sound and moved into the 2nd lane but then realized the noise was coming from my car. 

I pulled all the way onto the shoulder shut off the engine and realized I'd had a blowout in my right front tire. Praising the Lord for His protection from loss of control and a worse catastrophe, I got out to see the damage. Sure enough, totally flat right front tire. I know how to change a flat so I got out the jack and tools.  

As  I was getting those things out of my car, I was praying that the Lord would help me change the tire, but in my fear of someone stopping on the freeway and the potential harm, I also prayed that no one would stop even to help.  

I found the spare, and set about to change the tire.  Unfortunately, the lug nuts had been put on with a machine and I didn't have the strength to loosen them in order to remove the flat tire.  The tension in my heart was welling up as I was late on the rush delivery and no way to finish the tire change.  I put my head in my hands and pleaded that the Lord give me the help I needed to get the lug nuts off.  I was waiting for a surge of supernatural strength.

Just then, a man appeared out of now where and approached me saying, "You look like you could use some help".  I looked around for a car and saw none.  I responded that I could use some help getting the lug nuts off the tire.  He said he could do that and told me to go into the driver's seat and put on the breaks.  I noticed he stood up so I went around the car to where he was standing and looked at the tire.  He said "Can you take it from here?"  I said "sure, I can change a tire" and with that he walked away and when I turned back around, he was gone and the lug nuts were in the hubcap. Total answer to my prayer.

Scratching my head on that one, I was talking to the Lord and laughing at myself.  Next time I will ask for all that I need.  Why didn't I ask for the tire to be changed? Many reason I suppose, but next time I will present the complete need to my Heavenly Father.

Just as I am pondering the lesson about asking for more not less, another man walks up to me from the other side of the car and says, "you look like you could use some help".  The exact words the first "man" spoke.   I looked around and again no car.  I responded better this time.  "Well, actually I could use some help changing this flat tire."

We were both looking at the lug nuts in the hubcap and I explained someone ese had stopped earlier and removed the lug nuts for me. 

He asked if I thought it strange that this man would remove the lug nuts and not change the tire?  I laughed at myself and I told him "not when you know how I prayed". He proceeded to change the tire and get me on my way. I  noticed he had no car and asked if I could give him money for his help and a ride somewhere?  He said "no, I'll just go over there and sit under that tree",  which was part of the landscape off the freeway. I drove away marveling as to how the Lord brought not one but two "strangers" to assist me.  

That experience taught me a lot about prayer; make it complete to the need you are praying about. About angels; they come in a "variety" of looks and these two looked quite scruffy. About our Heavenly Father; never underestimate the sudden appearance of His Heavenly hosts and their role in helping us in big and small ways.

I know for a fact there are angels in our world and I'm thankful to have them keeping us in all our ways.

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?

 

        

The Power of God's Love

The Holy One calls to me this morning.  Infirmity has been an unwelcome presence in our home and stayed longer than we liked.  The forest does not respect the rest that is needed and weed sprout up when no one can pluck them out of places where they do not belong. 

The Holy One uses all things in my life to teach me ad instruct me in the knowledge of Himself and to help me understand our relationship.  Being down in the weed fest of the forest brings up visions of the National Geographic show about earth, post humanity  and how vegetation will take over all our habitations.

Being overwhelmed at the view from my back door would be the understatement of the year as I see all the living areas overtaken by undesirable vegetation.  Weeds can quickly overgrow a garden and choke out good fruit, much like wrong thinking can despoil righteous works.  

The Holy Spirit begins today's lesson as I turn my attention to His gentle Presence and away from the problem of the weeds.  I hear Him say, "Many people want a relationship with Me only for the love of My power, not for the power of My love."

I have to admit, I was expecting to hear more about weeds and tares than about a "power" problem.  His wisdom begins to impact my thoughts and I realize the Truth behind the statement. At the advent of His first coming, many were looking for a powerful King Messiah, who would rescue them from the power of Rome and establish a kingdom for them here on earth.

God's chosen needed only a powerful King for them to rule and reign on earth. Imagine the disappointment when Jesus was mocked and crucified and did nothing to defend Himself or punish those who impaled him on their death stake.

Luke 23:35, "The people stood watching and the rulers even sneered at Him.  He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the chosen One".  Even the thief on the cross voiced his exceeding disappointment that this "Messiah" wielded no power that he could tap into.  Luke 23:39, "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him "Aren't you the Christ?  Save yourself and us".

Until Jesus came to show men the Father, God was distant and unapproachable except by a few and not very friendly or relational except to a few.  His power was not in question, but His love was.

The power side of humanity wants to have and control the power.  There is nothing new under the sun, so as we manage our relationship with our Lord we need to be aware of our flesh lust for power.  

We can know God as Father, and we understand Jesus came to save, but with the miraculous model of supernatural power that laced the ministry of the Messiah, we can fall victim to the possibility that a relationship with the Creator might become a power-grab of sorts.

I am sure there were some heady moments when the Lord sent out his disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, and evict demons from their human habitations.  Left unchecked, pride can rule our flesh life and make us altogether unfit for any assignment to serve the Holy One.

By His words to me this morning, I know the Holy One wants me to assess myself.  I know that He sees things in me that I may not detect and they are often times things about our relationship or my understanding of His being that need correction.

If I love my Lord I will pay attention when he tells me things that may be bothersome or a grief to Him.  Rather than defend myself, I must ask Him to show me what He sees.

Back in the day before His first coming, the people were looking for a King Messiah.  Instead Jesus came as a suffering one.  The cross cut through all their pride in relationship and the thoughts of being on the "winning team".  Loyalty to their friend, Jesus, cost them their very lives and so it is for us today.

For those who may be thinking that Christianity is like a "power grab" and that the power of Heaven delegated to the saved means an easy road and constant victory with temporal blessings for the asking, they might need to take another look at the Cross.

One of the clear distinctions our Lord made by His voluntary crucifixion unto death, is that He died to restore a relationship lost;  not through human power but through Divine love.

What does the Lord want me to glean out of today's counsel?  I see it boils down to a motive check.  Do I seek the Lord for what I want or need Him to do?   Or do I seek Him for who He is in relationship?  The sacred romance can be tainted by a love of power and desire to be on the winning team of this life.

Trials and temptations come hard and fast.  Some days I meet the brick wall of silence from Heaven and realize it is shaped like a cross.  These are the days when our true motives in following Christ get tested and checked.

Are we captivated by the love of His power or by the power of His love?

The Holy Spirit is calling.  Can you hear Him?