This blog post is divided into three parts, taking a look at three aspects of our lives: fruitfulness, fun, and rest.
*******************************************
Whether you’re retired like me, or still working...or both working and raising a family, there is always the question of balancing the various aspects of your life. When you’re younger and are juggling children, work, home maintenance, and your own times of rest, the balancing act is more obvious. As a retired person, you look back and wonder, “How did I ever do it all?” It becomes obvious that God’s grace, along with His plan for the phases of our lives, was the key.
However, if you’re like many of us, you felt guilty ever sitting down and relaxing. I find that, even in retirement, I sometimes feel guilty spending too much time having fun. I think about the need to be more productive...not in growing an income, but in growing God’s kingdom. The Bible calls it fruitfulness.
I’ve heard acquaintances refer to being bored in retirement. I can’t imagine how one could be bored with so many opportunities to create and to volunteer. So many groups and individuals need help and would be thrilled at the donation of our time. We have only to look around within a small radius to see where we could be of service.
However, fruitfulness isn’t only fostered within the context of working for free somewhere. It’s also found in the brave conversations we have with friends, coworkers, and strangers. It’s found in our prayer life, in the sharing of an encouraging word, in the kingdom-building gifts we give to our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, long-term friends, and the salesclerk we met yesterday. It’s found in our willingness to be vulnerable and bold and share the Good News without foreknowledge of how it will be received.
Has he given you gifts and talents you haven't really explored? Maybe now is the time. Is there a way you're longing to express your heart for Him to others? Don't be afraid to try. If the longing is there, He will give you the skills to pursue that avenue of expression, I have a friend who had never painted in her life. God showed her, right in the store, what to purchase and then how to paint, He also showed her how to create banners for her church, when she'd never sewn before. Don't assume you don't have the ability to create something which could bless others. I recently heard about one woman who knits booties for newborns for Birthright, someone who raises money for books to give to children's hospitals, and another who recycles cards by using pieces to create new ones for shut-ins and other lonely or grieving people.
Ask the Father in what ways your life could be more fruitful for Him. Be bold in the asking! But also know that the elements of fun and rest are also part of His abundant life plan for us. [See Part II: Fun!]
Friday, October 4, 2019
Monday, September 23, 2019
Nutrient-dense food
So, the new by-word in nutrition is ‘nutrient-dense.’ I remember reading a list a number of years ago of the top 10 foods for good health. The nutrient dense list has some overlap, but also a surprise or two. The idea behind nutrient dense food is rather like getting the most bang for your buck...except the most bang for your food intake.
These made the top-10: Salmon, Kale, Seaweed, Garlic, Shellfish, Potatoes, Liver, Sardines, Blueberries, and Egg Yolks. I bet potatoes surprised you. They’ve been bad-mouthed for too long, I think. Obviously, shellfish has it’s drawbacks where mercury or other ocean contaminants are involved...and liver, which traps toxins in a body, may be questionable. Sardines and seaweed have rarely made the popular list. Regardless, when it comes to the most nutrients packed into food, these are the heroes.
I was thinking this morning about density in the Spirit. Our spiritual nutrition can become fluffy and rather fly-by-night as we grab the occasional fast-food snack on the run. We can get by for awhile ‘eating’ this way, but soon our energy flags and we begin feeling not quite right. We think back and realize we’ve hardly spent any quality time with the Lord.
That happened to me this morning. As I finally sank, with a sigh and a pillow, into my prayer chair on the deck and closed my eyes, abandoned to Him, it was like immersing myself in a nutrient-rich bath in His Spirit...fragrant and soothing, dense with His Presence. I realized how dry I’d become in such a short time, moving about...flitting from here to there, as if I could keep going with only old, rotting food to sustain me.
There was a reason God only gave the Israelites enough Manna for each day. Those who tried to keep it for the next, found it rotted. He knows of what we are made...and what we need to sustain the life He’s given us. Real life, not the shadow to which we sometimes attribute the the name, is what He wants for us. Let’s take a look at our diets and choose to immerse ourselves, within and without, in the nutrient-dense spiritual food He supplies.
At the cross, Jesus provided for us His full Shalom of body, soul, and spirit: His body, the Manna for our health, wholeness, and provision of every kind; His blood for our forgiveness, now and for eternity. Let’s be sure to seek and receive His gift of Manna, the physically and spiritually dense bread🥖 of life, by resting in Him daily, not just on a snack and go basis.
These made the top-10: Salmon, Kale, Seaweed, Garlic, Shellfish, Potatoes, Liver, Sardines, Blueberries, and Egg Yolks. I bet potatoes surprised you. They’ve been bad-mouthed for too long, I think. Obviously, shellfish has it’s drawbacks where mercury or other ocean contaminants are involved...and liver, which traps toxins in a body, may be questionable. Sardines and seaweed have rarely made the popular list. Regardless, when it comes to the most nutrients packed into food, these are the heroes.
I was thinking this morning about density in the Spirit. Our spiritual nutrition can become fluffy and rather fly-by-night as we grab the occasional fast-food snack on the run. We can get by for awhile ‘eating’ this way, but soon our energy flags and we begin feeling not quite right. We think back and realize we’ve hardly spent any quality time with the Lord.
That happened to me this morning. As I finally sank, with a sigh and a pillow, into my prayer chair on the deck and closed my eyes, abandoned to Him, it was like immersing myself in a nutrient-rich bath in His Spirit...fragrant and soothing, dense with His Presence. I realized how dry I’d become in such a short time, moving about...flitting from here to there, as if I could keep going with only old, rotting food to sustain me.
There was a reason God only gave the Israelites enough Manna for each day. Those who tried to keep it for the next, found it rotted. He knows of what we are made...and what we need to sustain the life He’s given us. Real life, not the shadow to which we sometimes attribute the the name, is what He wants for us. Let’s take a look at our diets and choose to immerse ourselves, within and without, in the nutrient-dense spiritual food He supplies.
At the cross, Jesus provided for us His full Shalom of body, soul, and spirit: His body, the Manna for our health, wholeness, and provision of every kind; His blood for our forgiveness, now and for eternity. Let’s be sure to seek and receive His gift of Manna, the physically and spiritually dense bread🥖 of life, by resting in Him daily, not just on a snack and go basis.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Flypaper flag
Do you ever wrestle with anxiety, even though your trust in your Heavenly Father seems strong?Sometimes, despite our deep faith, anxieties seem to swarm about some of us like annoying insects. “Go away!” We say. "You have no place here. Go back to the humid jungle of unbelief.”
We know our Good Father has always taken care of us and those we love, when they were willing to receive His care. His faithfulness has been rock solid in the days behind us (though we sometimes need hindsight to make our vision clear). Why, then, do we still sometimes find ourselves ineffectively attempting to bat these anxious flies away? Thankfully, we’re not God, or we would probably say to ourselves, “Really? You’re anxious again? Why are you worried? After all these years of my watching your back and answering even the smallest of your concerns, you still don’t trust me? I’ve had it with you.”
How thankful I am that He never gives up on us or forsakes us, despite our failings. He remains our Coach, however. He doesn’t just consign us to chemical imbalances, family histories, or spirits of fear and dread, saying, “Well, that’s just the way you are” or “That’s to be expected, considering your family’s vulnerability to anxiety.” Instead, He says, “Let me help you get free from this.” He never wants us to remain in bondage. He came to set the prisoners free.*
There are different forms of anxiety, but He can help us with them all. One type is sometimes called ‘free-floating anxiety.’ There is no particular issue triggering the anxiety. It is rather the state of being anxious. This week, the Father gave me a picture of a flag made of flypaper being held aloft. He said that in this type of anxiety, it’s as if we’re sensing we either are or should be anxious about something and mentally reach out to catch things swirling about our minds to turn over there and fixate upon. In fact, our flypaper flag has caught so many bugs that our minds jump from concern to concern (even things long over and done with...mistakes made in years past and even resolved!). We can’t seem to take control in this ‘battlefield of the mind,’** despite our best efforts.
For some of us, something’s out of whack in our body systems. For some, we are worried and anxious about a particular situation. Regardless, the answer is always from Him. He doesn't want us to say, “I’m just a worrier.” Or, “I guess I’ll never be free of this....I’ll just have to live with it.” As our Coach and Cheerleader, He guides us with strategies for overcoming. Some directions include Scriptural warfare through declaration of His Word. Other times, He just makes us laugh at ourselves. Case in point:
“My Child, take down the flag!”
“What flag, Lord?”
“The flypaper one. You’re holding it in the air to see what to roll around in your mind and worry over in your anxious state.”
“The what??? Oh....I get it.”
“Let me help you to escape the swarm cloud.”
“Yes, please....and thank you.”
He then reminded me to:
1) Recognize what is happening and identify it as the spiritual battle it invariably is, even when the anxious state involves biological issues.
2) Keep the arsenal of His powerful Word loaded in the chamber of our minds and hearts. Record (index cards, notebooks, digital files, sticky notes on mirrors....use whatever works best), ponder, and digest it so that it becomes a nutritive part of our strength...coming to mind quickly in battle.
3) Use it! A weapon hanging at our sides is the same as one shelved in a closet. Keep verses ‘at the ready’ to declare. We musn’t wait to search for them when we're anxious. Attention Deficit Disorder thrives in the anxious state. We will be tempted to default to some sort of other seemingly entertaining ‘escape’ to divert ourselves, which will only delay the real solution. [However, watching, listening, reading, puzzling, etc. can later help us, if the content is not inconsistent with His Word.]
4) Play peaceful Christian music [like Hidden in My Heart ***(Scripture set to music); Quietly, a Piano Album; Julie True (soaking music); Fernando Ortega; and others.
5) Breathe in His Holy Spirit. Talk with the Lord. Tell Him, "I'm breathing You in, Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your Presence. Please calm my mind...my soul and spirit. Quiet the beating of my anxious heart. Help me to rest in You. I and all my family belong to You. Thank You for caring for all of us, as a Good Shepherd cares tenderly for his sheep. We are Yours.
6) Use your lifeline: Call a trusted friend who understands the principles of spiritual warfare and is sensitive to the particular challenges of anxiety. Don't spend long rehearsing the problem. Rather, ask her/him to pray (on the phone or in person).
7) Read scriptures, like the 23rd Psalm, out loud. Personalize it. Make it first person. For example. You, Lord, are My (Our) Shepherd. You give me a quiet place to lie down in green pastures. You are leading me now beside still waters. You are restoring my soul.... I'm breathing in the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for caring for me and for my family even in the dark valleys. Thank you for anointing us with oil, even in the presence of our enemies....Thank you for feeding and caring for us so tenderly. Nothing is too difficult for You. Nothing too big or too small to receive Your attention. Help me now to receive Your Shalom of body, soul, and spirit. In Jesus' Name Amen.
8) Remember, you're never alone in this. He will never leave your side. He is for you and wants you free. He suffered immeasurably and died for it. Don't wait for heaven. He wants this deliverance for you and for me now.
____________________
*Psalm 146: 6b-8a
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed
Who gives food to the hungry
The Lord sets free the prisoners
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down
**Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer (If it's been awhile since you read this classic...or if you've never gotten around to reading it, now's the time.)
***Hidden in My Heart; (Volumes 1-3); Quietly, a Piano Album by Jay Stocker; Julie True (just about any album takes you right into the Presence of God); Fernando Ortega (many great albums)
We know our Good Father has always taken care of us and those we love, when they were willing to receive His care. His faithfulness has been rock solid in the days behind us (though we sometimes need hindsight to make our vision clear). Why, then, do we still sometimes find ourselves ineffectively attempting to bat these anxious flies away? Thankfully, we’re not God, or we would probably say to ourselves, “Really? You’re anxious again? Why are you worried? After all these years of my watching your back and answering even the smallest of your concerns, you still don’t trust me? I’ve had it with you.”
How thankful I am that He never gives up on us or forsakes us, despite our failings. He remains our Coach, however. He doesn’t just consign us to chemical imbalances, family histories, or spirits of fear and dread, saying, “Well, that’s just the way you are” or “That’s to be expected, considering your family’s vulnerability to anxiety.” Instead, He says, “Let me help you get free from this.” He never wants us to remain in bondage. He came to set the prisoners free.*
There are different forms of anxiety, but He can help us with them all. One type is sometimes called ‘free-floating anxiety.’ There is no particular issue triggering the anxiety. It is rather the state of being anxious. This week, the Father gave me a picture of a flag made of flypaper being held aloft. He said that in this type of anxiety, it’s as if we’re sensing we either are or should be anxious about something and mentally reach out to catch things swirling about our minds to turn over there and fixate upon. In fact, our flypaper flag has caught so many bugs that our minds jump from concern to concern (even things long over and done with...mistakes made in years past and even resolved!). We can’t seem to take control in this ‘battlefield of the mind,’** despite our best efforts.
For some of us, something’s out of whack in our body systems. For some, we are worried and anxious about a particular situation. Regardless, the answer is always from Him. He doesn't want us to say, “I’m just a worrier.” Or, “I guess I’ll never be free of this....I’ll just have to live with it.” As our Coach and Cheerleader, He guides us with strategies for overcoming. Some directions include Scriptural warfare through declaration of His Word. Other times, He just makes us laugh at ourselves. Case in point:
“My Child, take down the flag!”
“What flag, Lord?”
“The flypaper one. You’re holding it in the air to see what to roll around in your mind and worry over in your anxious state.”
“The what??? Oh....I get it.”
“Let me help you to escape the swarm cloud.”
“Yes, please....and thank you.”
He then reminded me to:
1) Recognize what is happening and identify it as the spiritual battle it invariably is, even when the anxious state involves biological issues.
2) Keep the arsenal of His powerful Word loaded in the chamber of our minds and hearts. Record (index cards, notebooks, digital files, sticky notes on mirrors....use whatever works best), ponder, and digest it so that it becomes a nutritive part of our strength...coming to mind quickly in battle.
3) Use it! A weapon hanging at our sides is the same as one shelved in a closet. Keep verses ‘at the ready’ to declare. We musn’t wait to search for them when we're anxious. Attention Deficit Disorder thrives in the anxious state. We will be tempted to default to some sort of other seemingly entertaining ‘escape’ to divert ourselves, which will only delay the real solution. [However, watching, listening, reading, puzzling, etc. can later help us, if the content is not inconsistent with His Word.]
4) Play peaceful Christian music [like Hidden in My Heart ***(Scripture set to music); Quietly, a Piano Album; Julie True (soaking music); Fernando Ortega; and others.
5) Breathe in His Holy Spirit. Talk with the Lord. Tell Him, "I'm breathing You in, Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your Presence. Please calm my mind...my soul and spirit. Quiet the beating of my anxious heart. Help me to rest in You. I and all my family belong to You. Thank You for caring for all of us, as a Good Shepherd cares tenderly for his sheep. We are Yours.
6) Use your lifeline: Call a trusted friend who understands the principles of spiritual warfare and is sensitive to the particular challenges of anxiety. Don't spend long rehearsing the problem. Rather, ask her/him to pray (on the phone or in person).
7) Read scriptures, like the 23rd Psalm, out loud. Personalize it. Make it first person. For example. You, Lord, are My (Our) Shepherd. You give me a quiet place to lie down in green pastures. You are leading me now beside still waters. You are restoring my soul.... I'm breathing in the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for caring for me and for my family even in the dark valleys. Thank you for anointing us with oil, even in the presence of our enemies....Thank you for feeding and caring for us so tenderly. Nothing is too difficult for You. Nothing too big or too small to receive Your attention. Help me now to receive Your Shalom of body, soul, and spirit. In Jesus' Name Amen.
8) Remember, you're never alone in this. He will never leave your side. He is for you and wants you free. He suffered immeasurably and died for it. Don't wait for heaven. He wants this deliverance for you and for me now.
____________________
*Psalm 146: 6b-8a
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed
Who gives food to the hungry
The Lord sets free the prisoners
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down
**Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer (If it's been awhile since you read this classic...or if you've never gotten around to reading it, now's the time.)
***Hidden in My Heart; (Volumes 1-3); Quietly, a Piano Album by Jay Stocker; Julie True (just about any album takes you right into the Presence of God); Fernando Ortega (many great albums)
Friday, August 23, 2019
Whiskey and water?
When we were in Ireland, we were introduced to various whiskies and their levels of quality. Those considered best advertise a triple distillation process for purity of taste and experience.. When choosing a water filtration system (pitcher, faucet, or whole house), I searched for the one which would remove the greatest number of contaminants. However, I also wanted an alkalizer to reduce the level of acid in the water we were drinking, since cancer grows in an acidic environment. In fact, acid in our various drinks (coffee, tea, alcohol, soda...) exacerbates a variety of medical conditions, including inflammation.
This morning God spoke to me about acidic speech, convicting me to alkalize mine. The acidic tongue causes inflammation, too.* He then recommended a triple filtering process for the mouth. It reminded me of Rotary International's Four-Way Test:
1) Is it the truth?
2) Is it fair to all concerned?
3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
I suspect God is on-board with Rotary's questions, since they appear quite scriptural. However, He recommended to me His own verbal filtration process, as well:
Filter 1: Filtration through time (Count to 10 before speaking and then 'speak the truth in love.') [I got a kick out of that one. It sounded so 'un-spiritual.']
Filter 2: Filtration through His Word (Does what I am about to say, or the way I'm saying it,
violate the Word of God, literally or at its heart?)
Filter 3: Filtration through His Holy Spirit (Would what I am about to say grieve the Holy Spirit?) [Obviously, filters 2 and 3 are inextricably woven together.]
Am I speaking with honor and respect, no matter how angry I might be? Am I speaking hard truths in love, with a merciful heart? Will what I am about to say edify or tear down? Do I take offense easily? Am I carrying resentment? Am I speaking forth everything that comes to mind, regardless of its possible impact on others? Scripture has a great deal to say about the power of the tongue, for both good and evil. Let's ask the Father to help us immerse our tongues in a triple-filtered bath. He understands our struggles and never condemns us, but He desires our sanctification, both for our good and for His Kingdom.
For most of us, it has been a gradual process of purification of our tongues: from foul-mouthed...to
purified speech... to kind words in response to anger...to speaking what will build up, even when it takes courage to do so to potentially volatile recipients. I find, however, that sometimes it's three steps forward and one step backward (or is it the other way around?). The sanctification process is rarely linear, I think. Let's not get discouraged, but rather keep voluntarily re-entering the filter pitcher. Even now, we can look back and see the gradual progress we've made toward alkalization. God is able to finish the work He began in us when we first gave ourselves to Him in grateful love. He's delighted every time we make the right, hard choices, but His love is constant, Remember, He's both our Coach and our Cheerleader. Go ahead...make Him grin!
********
*For example, you should not say, as these characters do from the Water Valley series by Jeff High, which I’m enjoying,
“Constance, don’t you need to go somewhere dark and hang upside down for awhile?”
“John Horacio Harris, it’s a good thing I’ve got the love of Jesus in me. Because, otherwise, I would have slapped your nose around to the back of your hairy head. You’d go to your grave looking like Cousin It from the Adams Family.”
— The Fullness of Time; WaterValley, Book 4 by Jeff High
****************
I would quote a variety of Scriptures here, but I have an entire notebook on the power of the tongue. If you've never really studied this topic, start with James, Proverbs, and the Psalms. If you copy the 'tongue-related' verses down, your hand will get weary, but you'll have a greater grasp of how important our speech is in God's eyes...to either create or destroy.
Here are just a few:
"Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget." --Prov 19:11; The Message
Ephesians 4:29-32 [Look this one up now, especially in the Amplified version.
"A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense." (same verse in NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. --Galatians 5:22-23; Amplified
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" --Prov 15:1
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. --Psalm 37:8
And on a positive note:
"Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them." --Mark 11:23
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. --Ephesians 4:15
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." --1 Thess 5:11
This morning God spoke to me about acidic speech, convicting me to alkalize mine. The acidic tongue causes inflammation, too.* He then recommended a triple filtering process for the mouth. It reminded me of Rotary International's Four-Way Test:
1) Is it the truth?
2) Is it fair to all concerned?
3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
I suspect God is on-board with Rotary's questions, since they appear quite scriptural. However, He recommended to me His own verbal filtration process, as well:
Filter 1: Filtration through time (Count to 10 before speaking and then 'speak the truth in love.') [I got a kick out of that one. It sounded so 'un-spiritual.']
Filter 2: Filtration through His Word (Does what I am about to say, or the way I'm saying it,
violate the Word of God, literally or at its heart?)
Filter 3: Filtration through His Holy Spirit (Would what I am about to say grieve the Holy Spirit?) [Obviously, filters 2 and 3 are inextricably woven together.]
Am I speaking with honor and respect, no matter how angry I might be? Am I speaking hard truths in love, with a merciful heart? Will what I am about to say edify or tear down? Do I take offense easily? Am I carrying resentment? Am I speaking forth everything that comes to mind, regardless of its possible impact on others? Scripture has a great deal to say about the power of the tongue, for both good and evil. Let's ask the Father to help us immerse our tongues in a triple-filtered bath. He understands our struggles and never condemns us, but He desires our sanctification, both for our good and for His Kingdom.
For most of us, it has been a gradual process of purification of our tongues: from foul-mouthed...to
purified speech... to kind words in response to anger...to speaking what will build up, even when it takes courage to do so to potentially volatile recipients. I find, however, that sometimes it's three steps forward and one step backward (or is it the other way around?). The sanctification process is rarely linear, I think. Let's not get discouraged, but rather keep voluntarily re-entering the filter pitcher. Even now, we can look back and see the gradual progress we've made toward alkalization. God is able to finish the work He began in us when we first gave ourselves to Him in grateful love. He's delighted every time we make the right, hard choices, but His love is constant, Remember, He's both our Coach and our Cheerleader. Go ahead...make Him grin!
********
*For example, you should not say, as these characters do from the Water Valley series by Jeff High, which I’m enjoying,
“Constance, don’t you need to go somewhere dark and hang upside down for awhile?”
“John Horacio Harris, it’s a good thing I’ve got the love of Jesus in me. Because, otherwise, I would have slapped your nose around to the back of your hairy head. You’d go to your grave looking like Cousin It from the Adams Family.”
— The Fullness of Time; WaterValley, Book 4 by Jeff High
****************
I would quote a variety of Scriptures here, but I have an entire notebook on the power of the tongue. If you've never really studied this topic, start with James, Proverbs, and the Psalms. If you copy the 'tongue-related' verses down, your hand will get weary, but you'll have a greater grasp of how important our speech is in God's eyes...to either create or destroy.
Here are just a few:
"Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget." --Prov 19:11; The Message
Ephesians 4:29-32 [Look this one up now, especially in the Amplified version.
"A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense." (same verse in NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. --Galatians 5:22-23; Amplified
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" --Prov 15:1
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. --Psalm 37:8
And on a positive note:
"Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them." --Mark 11:23
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. --Ephesians 4:15
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." --1 Thess 5:11
Monday, August 12, 2019
“Who’s on first?”
Sometimes in the first hour of my day, I’m tempted to pick up the book I was reading the night before. But I’ve realized that I want to hear Adonai’s Word first, then the words of others about Him. Other words should come last, and what I read should never be something He would find offensive.
People have sometimes made fun of me because of my limited choices in viewing and reading. (My Netflix and Amazon watchlists should probably be under the Kids icon.Well, minus the history, travel, and classic authors.) However, Adonai tells us that our bodies are the temple of His Holy Spirit; He actually lives in us. Just because that fact limits our entertainment choices, doesn’t imply we just have to go with the flow of our current culture.
I am distressed that I can’t watch something uplifting on Amazon now, without being subjected to dreadful advertisements first. God just asked me the following question after I wrote that line: “Why aren’t you doing something about it?” I haven’t contacted Amazon, have you? What if all Christian subscribers did? This is part of why values have degraded so far. We all think there’s nothing we can do....that that’s just the way things are.
When I started this post, it was about listening to God’s words first in the morning. Did He just hijack my post? Well, He is the One Who initiated the blog, despite my resistance. So He can do whatever He wants with it. In the end, it really is the same message. Who and what is more important? Pursuing the rabbit trails of distractions that lead away from time with Him? Being concerned about the thoughts and opinions of other people, over and above His? Making sure I am entertained for hours, no matter how distressing the content would be to Him?
When you feel that prompting in your spirit to take advantage of the “off” button...or to not take advantage of the “on”, don’t override it. I have that very struggle, but when I compare that temptation with the will and pleasure of the One Who has given His all for me, and is warning me not to do something damaging to my soul and spirit, then there’s only one obvious choice.
I listened to a sermon yesterday in which the Bible translation of obedience was loyalty. It caused me to ponder Scriptures I knew well, in a different way. Where is our true loyalty...whether it’s first thing in the morning...or late at night? To whose voice are we listening and where is it leading us? Whom are we choosing to follow? If it means tossing a book to the side, removing the power cord from our devices, or even kicking our foots through the screens, if necessary....where will our loyalty lie?
It is not a matter of legalism. (Some people, due to circumstance and situation, aren’t able to use ‘firstfruits’ time in this way. Yet the first fruits of their hearts are His, and He knows it.) And, anyway, who would want forced dutiful ‘love’ and loyalty? I would never want my children or spouse to feel they had to hug me out of duty first thing in the morning. Would you? It’s a matter of the heart, and He can always read ours. The question to me is, does our true longing and loyalty rest on His?
*Just had to laugh at myself, because I realized that I wrote this post first, before my prayer time, because the thought above came at the beginning of my 'porch time' with Him. I could hear His chuckle....
People have sometimes made fun of me because of my limited choices in viewing and reading. (My Netflix and Amazon watchlists should probably be under the Kids icon.Well, minus the history, travel, and classic authors.) However, Adonai tells us that our bodies are the temple of His Holy Spirit; He actually lives in us. Just because that fact limits our entertainment choices, doesn’t imply we just have to go with the flow of our current culture.
I am distressed that I can’t watch something uplifting on Amazon now, without being subjected to dreadful advertisements first. God just asked me the following question after I wrote that line: “Why aren’t you doing something about it?” I haven’t contacted Amazon, have you? What if all Christian subscribers did? This is part of why values have degraded so far. We all think there’s nothing we can do....that that’s just the way things are.
When I started this post, it was about listening to God’s words first in the morning. Did He just hijack my post? Well, He is the One Who initiated the blog, despite my resistance. So He can do whatever He wants with it. In the end, it really is the same message. Who and what is more important? Pursuing the rabbit trails of distractions that lead away from time with Him? Being concerned about the thoughts and opinions of other people, over and above His? Making sure I am entertained for hours, no matter how distressing the content would be to Him?
When you feel that prompting in your spirit to take advantage of the “off” button...or to not take advantage of the “on”, don’t override it. I have that very struggle, but when I compare that temptation with the will and pleasure of the One Who has given His all for me, and is warning me not to do something damaging to my soul and spirit, then there’s only one obvious choice.
I listened to a sermon yesterday in which the Bible translation of obedience was loyalty. It caused me to ponder Scriptures I knew well, in a different way. Where is our true loyalty...whether it’s first thing in the morning...or late at night? To whose voice are we listening and where is it leading us? Whom are we choosing to follow? If it means tossing a book to the side, removing the power cord from our devices, or even kicking our foots through the screens, if necessary....where will our loyalty lie?
It is not a matter of legalism. (Some people, due to circumstance and situation, aren’t able to use ‘firstfruits’ time in this way. Yet the first fruits of their hearts are His, and He knows it.) And, anyway, who would want forced dutiful ‘love’ and loyalty? I would never want my children or spouse to feel they had to hug me out of duty first thing in the morning. Would you? It’s a matter of the heart, and He can always read ours. The question to me is, does our true longing and loyalty rest on His?
*Just had to laugh at myself, because I realized that I wrote this post first, before my prayer time, because the thought above came at the beginning of my 'porch time' with Him. I could hear His chuckle....
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Stuffings
Anyone have an old stuffed animal you’ve kept from your childhood? Mine is an old orange-furred bear named Henrietta. I say ‘orange-furred,’ but if you saw her, you wouldn’t be able to tell the original color of her fur, since most of it was loved off through the years. If you lifted her arm or examined a few crevices, you’d see what her fur looked like new. My father also had to replace her ears and nose, which started falling apart when I was still in elementary school.
I’ve had Henrietta for nearly 63 years. One year we had 3 hurricanes in a row in Florida and had to evacuate. (FYI...God miraculously rescued us from even the one predicted as bringing certain destruction.). When your whole family can only take, from everything you own, what fits in your 2 cars, you realize quickly what your heart considers your most precious possessions (besides your children, of course!). We packed a few clothes, our case of videotapes of the children, some of our photo albums, and our important documents. In addition, each family was able choose one or two items we treasured. With little need for deliberation, I grabbed Henrietta for my take-along. She was a treasure to me, when others would have long ago consigned her to the thrift shop or dumpster.
This week I was telling the Father (as well as Yeshua and the Holy Spirit) that if I were able, I’d ‘squeeze the stuffin’s’ out of Him, because I loved Him so much, and He’d brought Me so faithfully and tenderly through the decades of my life. He, in turn, said He’d like to do the same, except He’d have to be careful because He is so much stronger than I. This made me laugh. (He makes me laugh a lot.) He then gave me a picture of hugging me so hard that my fluff came through some of the worn seams.
Remember The Velveteen Rabbit and how beloved he was to the boy, despite his tattered state (even more so than a new animal in pristine condition)? The Father told me that we are like that to Him as we age. Far from our being devalued as we age, our value is inestimable. We are irreplaceable and precious to Him.
So, if your fur is wearing off, and some of your fluff is protruding through some of your seams, no worries. He told me that since He’s in the business of Restoration, He’s also a superb Stitcher.
I’ve had Henrietta for nearly 63 years. One year we had 3 hurricanes in a row in Florida and had to evacuate. (FYI...God miraculously rescued us from even the one predicted as bringing certain destruction.). When your whole family can only take, from everything you own, what fits in your 2 cars, you realize quickly what your heart considers your most precious possessions (besides your children, of course!). We packed a few clothes, our case of videotapes of the children, some of our photo albums, and our important documents. In addition, each family was able choose one or two items we treasured. With little need for deliberation, I grabbed Henrietta for my take-along. She was a treasure to me, when others would have long ago consigned her to the thrift shop or dumpster.
This week I was telling the Father (as well as Yeshua and the Holy Spirit) that if I were able, I’d ‘squeeze the stuffin’s’ out of Him, because I loved Him so much, and He’d brought Me so faithfully and tenderly through the decades of my life. He, in turn, said He’d like to do the same, except He’d have to be careful because He is so much stronger than I. This made me laugh. (He makes me laugh a lot.) He then gave me a picture of hugging me so hard that my fluff came through some of the worn seams.
Remember The Velveteen Rabbit and how beloved he was to the boy, despite his tattered state (even more so than a new animal in pristine condition)? The Father told me that we are like that to Him as we age. Far from our being devalued as we age, our value is inestimable. We are irreplaceable and precious to Him.
So, if your fur is wearing off, and some of your fluff is protruding through some of your seams, no worries. He told me that since He’s in the business of Restoration, He’s also a superb Stitcher.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Three impossible babes...
Has God ever foretold you of the impossible coming to pass? If so, what was your reaction? I’ve experienced or witnessed everything from excitement to willingness to confusion to fear to anger to abject denial.
Did you ever wonder at the differences between Gabriel's responses to Abraham, Zechariah, and Mary...when they were each told of absolute miracles about to take place? I've always wondered why Gabriel was angry at Zechariah and consigned him to muteness, when He was not angry at Abraham or Mary. Their responses to the news of an ‘impossible child’ to be born seemed so similar.. All three questioned him (or God, directly) as to how these things could be, would be possible. Abraham even laughed. (It wasn't just Sarah.)
Abraham: “You’ve got to be kidding! Do you know how old Sarah is?” [Is this the human emblem of faith from Hebrews and Romans laughing at God?]
Zechariah: “That’s impossible! Do you know how old I am? I need some confirmed data here."
Mary: “But how will this be, since I’m a virgin?”
One of the downsides of our current electronic communication, versus face-to-face conversations or phone calls, is that we can’t hear intonations or inflections or see gestures and facial expressions. The entire attitude and connotation of what we’re saying is affected by how something is said (as well as conventions like punctuation, currently missing in most texts.) For example:
“Really!?” 1: You’ve got to be kidding! That’s ridiculous! I’m having trouble believing that happened. Are you making this up?
“Really!?” 2: WOW...that’s fantastic! I’m so happy! How did this/will this take place? [Laughing in astonishment]
“Really!?” 3: I don’t believe it for a minute. You’re really stretching it here. Your credibility with me is sinking fast.
“Really!?” 4:: Wow...that’s a lot to take in. My head is swirling here.
Since we weren’t eyewitnesses of these encounters (wouldn’t that have been awesome?), we don’t know the tones of their reactions or the expressions on their faces. However, we can perhaps infer from Gabriel’s reaction, the attitudes of their hearts.
Abraham: “Ha Ha! That’s outrageously, impossibly wonderful! But if He says it, it will happen! I just can’t fathom how.... Have you seen Sarah lately? And I’m, well, you know.”
Zechariah: “I’m sorry, I’m just not believing this. It’s impossible, since Elizabeth and I are older than the hills. Nope. Not happening. Where's your proof?”
Mary: “This is amazing! I am so honored and am the Lord’s handmaiden. But can you tell me how this will come about, since I have never been intimate with a man?”
I guess the real question for each of us is: What is our response to God when He tells us of, or calls us to, the seemingly impossible? Do we remind ourselves that He is the God of the impossible? That nothing is impossible with Him? That, despite what ‘know’ with our human brain and mind, He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the world and is able to do all things...that our one job is to trust Him? We certainly may, like Mary, ask Him how these things will take place, as long as we have the attitude that they will and that we are His handmaidens or handmen, as the case may be. [FYI...He may or may not answer the how question, either, but we are welcome to ask. Sometimes the answer is, as He once told me, 'wait and see!']
Mary, and I believe Abraham also, was simply asking about the how, not questioning, as was Zechariah, the will be. Therein lies the cosmological difference. Let's make sure we're ready to jump onto the moving train of God's will be, rejoicing in what He is doing, rejoicing that we are called to be part of it, and questioning only where we fit into His Plan.
Abraham: “Ha Ha! That’s outrageously, impossibly wonderful! But if He says it, it will happen! I just can’t fathom how.... Have you seen Sarah lately? And I’m, well, you know.”
Zechariah: “I’m sorry, I’m just not believing this. It’s impossible, since Elizabeth and I are older than the hills. Nope. Not happening. Where's your proof?”
Mary: “This is amazing! I am so honored and am the Lord’s handmaiden. But can you tell me how this will come about, since I have never been intimate with a man?”
I guess the real question for each of us is: What is our response to God when He tells us of, or calls us to, the seemingly impossible? Do we remind ourselves that He is the God of the impossible? That nothing is impossible with Him? That, despite what ‘know’ with our human brain and mind, He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the world and is able to do all things...that our one job is to trust Him? We certainly may, like Mary, ask Him how these things will take place, as long as we have the attitude that they will and that we are His handmaidens or handmen, as the case may be. [FYI...He may or may not answer the how question, either, but we are welcome to ask. Sometimes the answer is, as He once told me, 'wait and see!']
Mary, and I believe Abraham also, was simply asking about the how, not questioning, as was Zechariah, the will be. Therein lies the cosmological difference. Let's make sure we're ready to jump onto the moving train of God's will be, rejoicing in what He is doing, rejoicing that we are called to be part of it, and questioning only where we fit into His Plan.
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” --Luke 1: 13--15; 19-20
“Do not be afraid,Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” --Luke 1: 30-38
Genesis 17:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
Genesis 18:10-12 New International Version (NIV)
10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[d] 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. --Romans 4:18-21
Friday, July 19, 2019
Looking for a good GP?
When we see a medical specialist, we are always asked the name of our General Practitioner, our GP. This morning, while battling a throat virus, I was thanking God for being the Great Physician, another term which could be applied to the acronym. However, it occurred to me that God isn't 'just' our Great Physician, He is the best of Nurses. A doctor comes in, diagnoses, prescribes, and leaves. This is when the nurse (whether male or female) comes in to minister continual care, down to our most minor needs.
We may not see the doctor again until the next day, but the nurse cares for the nitty-gritty needs of our illness, perhaps even tucking us in at night and making sure we are warm enough and have plenty of fluids nearby. If we have difficulties in the middle of the night, it is the Nurse who comes at our call.
Perhaps it is a greater tribute to our tender, ministering Father and to His Holy Spirit, to attribute to Him the acronym GN, even more than GP. He is most certainly a General Practitioner, as well, however, since He is the answer to every need we have.
In fact, He fulfills the total job description of ministry to our bodies, our souls, and our spirits. The next time He bends toward you, hands you a cup of living water, and brushes the hair from your sweaty, fevered brow, let Him know He is your Everything.
We may not see the doctor again until the next day, but the nurse cares for the nitty-gritty needs of our illness, perhaps even tucking us in at night and making sure we are warm enough and have plenty of fluids nearby. If we have difficulties in the middle of the night, it is the Nurse who comes at our call.
Perhaps it is a greater tribute to our tender, ministering Father and to His Holy Spirit, to attribute to Him the acronym GN, even more than GP. He is most certainly a General Practitioner, as well, however, since He is the answer to every need we have.
In fact, He fulfills the total job description of ministry to our bodies, our souls, and our spirits. The next time He bends toward you, hands you a cup of living water, and brushes the hair from your sweaty, fevered brow, let Him know He is your Everything.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Should we be expecting a different one?
Have you ever felt very sure of something you heard from God and then later wondered if you had gotten it all wrong? That what you heard must have come from your own thoughts and imagination?
John the Baptist had already baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and seen the skies break open and the Holy Spirit rest on Jesus in the form of a dove. Talk about confirmation! Yet, here he was rotting in chains in a dank prison. Could he have gotten it all wrong? Was that supernatural vision he saw just a figment of his imagination? Or perhaps the dove marked Jesus as only another great prophet, as some even now relegate Him. Or perhaps the dove was real, but John had misheard God’s previous instructions concerning identifying the Messiah.
Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man who’d ever lived up to that time. [Matthew 111:11]. Not Abraham, not Moses, not Elijah or Elisha...not even David! Yet here he was, after confidently devoting his whole life to preparing people for the coming of the Messiah, not sure if he’d made a mistake.
When our circumstances; the things we can see, hear, feel, taste, and experience with our bodies...and even our souls; don’t line up with what we’ve perceived and apprehended through our spirit, what now? Do we assume we’ve misheard God or perhaps misunderstood His promises? If even John the Baptist wondered, how much more should we be aware that we, too, are subject to such discouragement?
However, that should never be the end of the story. It is by affirming our faith and our belief, despite what we see with our physical eyes, that we will see that which God sees, and see that which He desires manifested for us in our natural world. We must walk out our faith and belief in what God has said, with our ears plugged and our eyes masked to anything contradictory shouting at us from the sidelines, until we see what He has said come to pass. We musn’t assume that we’ve misheard God, that we’ve misunderstood His Word, or that He doesn’t want that healing or provision for us. Or even, as many think, that He doesn’t really care about us in that very personal way.
If the prison walls seem dank around you, and the fetid water is seeping through around you, know that He hasn’t forgotten you in the least, and that His desire and plans for you are for His Shalom of body, soul, and spirit. See what He sees in your ‘mind’s’ eye. Keep walking toward the door withevery expectation and belief in its opening when you place your hand on the locked knob and turn the
handle.
*******************
*“...John the Baptist, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing, so he sent a message to him through his disciples asking, ‘Are You the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?’ “ Matthew 11:2-3
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), being the proof of things not seen and the conviction of their reality [faith comprehending as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”
—Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible)
“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” —Proverbs 3:5 (Amplified)
John the Baptist had already baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and seen the skies break open and the Holy Spirit rest on Jesus in the form of a dove. Talk about confirmation! Yet, here he was rotting in chains in a dank prison. Could he have gotten it all wrong? Was that supernatural vision he saw just a figment of his imagination? Or perhaps the dove marked Jesus as only another great prophet, as some even now relegate Him. Or perhaps the dove was real, but John had misheard God’s previous instructions concerning identifying the Messiah.
Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man who’d ever lived up to that time. [Matthew 111:11]. Not Abraham, not Moses, not Elijah or Elisha...not even David! Yet here he was, after confidently devoting his whole life to preparing people for the coming of the Messiah, not sure if he’d made a mistake.
When our circumstances; the things we can see, hear, feel, taste, and experience with our bodies...and even our souls; don’t line up with what we’ve perceived and apprehended through our spirit, what now? Do we assume we’ve misheard God or perhaps misunderstood His promises? If even John the Baptist wondered, how much more should we be aware that we, too, are subject to such discouragement?
However, that should never be the end of the story. It is by affirming our faith and our belief, despite what we see with our physical eyes, that we will see that which God sees, and see that which He desires manifested for us in our natural world. We must walk out our faith and belief in what God has said, with our ears plugged and our eyes masked to anything contradictory shouting at us from the sidelines, until we see what He has said come to pass. We musn’t assume that we’ve misheard God, that we’ve misunderstood His Word, or that He doesn’t want that healing or provision for us. Or even, as many think, that He doesn’t really care about us in that very personal way.
If the prison walls seem dank around you, and the fetid water is seeping through around you, know that He hasn’t forgotten you in the least, and that His desire and plans for you are for His Shalom of body, soul, and spirit. See what He sees in your ‘mind’s’ eye. Keep walking toward the door withevery expectation and belief in its opening when you place your hand on the locked knob and turn the
handle.
*******************
*“...John the Baptist, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing, so he sent a message to him through his disciples asking, ‘Are You the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?’ “ Matthew 11:2-3
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), being the proof of things not seen and the conviction of their reality [faith comprehending as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].”
—Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Bible)
“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” —Proverbs 3:5 (Amplified)
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Challenging...
Sometimes when our more comfortable beliefs are challenged, we react in fear. From where does the fear arise? I’ve come to realize that I quickly refute what might well be a new, fruitful insight because to accept it as truth would mean a radical change in what I believe and, as a result, in how I live my life. It might also affect how people see me and whether they trust me ever again. It might end in severe disappointment
My mind wants to return to its grooves of explanation for why I don’t see the fruit I should be seeing. “Ah well,” I say. “Sometimes God works in mysterious ways.” Or, “God sometimes chooses to heal and sometimes He doesn’t.” Or, “I’m sure God doesn’t expect me to muscle into this situation and proclaim something so outrageous. What if it doesn’t happen?”
The problem, however, is that Jesus said, “You shall do even greater things than these [what you have seen Me do], because I go the Father.” [John 14:12]. Or, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed and do not doubt....you could tell this mountain to be cast into the sea and it would be done...” [Matthew 21:21]. Or to the centurion, “I have not seen so great a faith in all of Israel...Go and let it be done as you believed it would...” [Matthew 8:13]. What do I do with these pronouncements? Sweep them under the rug as poor translations or relegate them to ‘gloss,’ because I can’t begin to fathom how to put them into practice?
Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve tried to either ignore them or attribute them to the first century disciples, or frankly tell God, “You’ve got to be kidding!” However, there are those on this earth who are seeing come to pass exactly what Jesus spoke. In fact, they’re seeing this kind of fruit born on a regular basis, including multiple resurrections from the dead.
So now I have a choice. I can re-bury my head, or this ‘old dog’ can be humble enough and expectant enough to learn how all this is possible...to put myself in a position to minister and expect
to see healing of body, soul, and spirit in those around me. Not just by platitudes or by what I know
of human comfort or my current level of spiritual insight, but by the impossible reality of God’s life-changing power available right now to anyone who asks and is open to receive in faith, including me.
And if I don’t ‘get it right’ the first time, I’m going to persevere until I do...or until it’s time for me to go Home. I know it will please Him that I am trying to learn better how to see “His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
No matter how many times we fall on our faces trying, He’ll always be our Coach and Cheerleader. Let’s be brave and throw ourselves into the fray, believing that no matter how impossible it seems, what He said is true for right now, for today. Let’s seek to know more about this promise of physically manifested healing for ‘whomsoever will.’ No matter what people may think of us or what we think we already know, let’s trust that He will be pleased by our humble heart and our readiness to listen, and that, completely abandoned to Him, we will be able to rejoice at His ‘We’ll done, good and faithful servant!’ [Matthew 25:21]
**********
For those in Florida interested in learning from someone who has seen thousands of healings, including resurrection from the dead, missing organs come into existence, cancer banished, and blind eyes restored to sight....Andrew Wommack will be in Orlando February 7-9. I will be there with bells on. If you’d like to join me, go to www.awmi.net and select Events. If you’re a friend from another state, go to the website and watch his God Wants You Well series beginning the end of July 2018, as well as the Healing Journeys testimonies from people from all over the world. If you have Roku, add his channel, Andrew Wommack Ministries, and go to the Healing Journeys icon or any of his teachings. They’re all free, including the conference itself.
My mind wants to return to its grooves of explanation for why I don’t see the fruit I should be seeing. “Ah well,” I say. “Sometimes God works in mysterious ways.” Or, “God sometimes chooses to heal and sometimes He doesn’t.” Or, “I’m sure God doesn’t expect me to muscle into this situation and proclaim something so outrageous. What if it doesn’t happen?”
The problem, however, is that Jesus said, “You shall do even greater things than these [what you have seen Me do], because I go the Father.” [John 14:12]. Or, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed and do not doubt....you could tell this mountain to be cast into the sea and it would be done...” [Matthew 21:21]. Or to the centurion, “I have not seen so great a faith in all of Israel...Go and let it be done as you believed it would...” [Matthew 8:13]. What do I do with these pronouncements? Sweep them under the rug as poor translations or relegate them to ‘gloss,’ because I can’t begin to fathom how to put them into practice?
Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve tried to either ignore them or attribute them to the first century disciples, or frankly tell God, “You’ve got to be kidding!” However, there are those on this earth who are seeing come to pass exactly what Jesus spoke. In fact, they’re seeing this kind of fruit born on a regular basis, including multiple resurrections from the dead.
So now I have a choice. I can re-bury my head, or this ‘old dog’ can be humble enough and expectant enough to learn how all this is possible...to put myself in a position to minister and expect
to see healing of body, soul, and spirit in those around me. Not just by platitudes or by what I know
of human comfort or my current level of spiritual insight, but by the impossible reality of God’s life-changing power available right now to anyone who asks and is open to receive in faith, including me.
And if I don’t ‘get it right’ the first time, I’m going to persevere until I do...or until it’s time for me to go Home. I know it will please Him that I am trying to learn better how to see “His Kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
No matter how many times we fall on our faces trying, He’ll always be our Coach and Cheerleader. Let’s be brave and throw ourselves into the fray, believing that no matter how impossible it seems, what He said is true for right now, for today. Let’s seek to know more about this promise of physically manifested healing for ‘whomsoever will.’ No matter what people may think of us or what we think we already know, let’s trust that He will be pleased by our humble heart and our readiness to listen, and that, completely abandoned to Him, we will be able to rejoice at His ‘We’ll done, good and faithful servant!’ [Matthew 25:21]
**********
For those in Florida interested in learning from someone who has seen thousands of healings, including resurrection from the dead, missing organs come into existence, cancer banished, and blind eyes restored to sight....Andrew Wommack will be in Orlando February 7-9. I will be there with bells on. If you’d like to join me, go to www.awmi.net and select Events. If you’re a friend from another state, go to the website and watch his God Wants You Well series beginning the end of July 2018, as well as the Healing Journeys testimonies from people from all over the world. If you have Roku, add his channel, Andrew Wommack Ministries, and go to the Healing Journeys icon or any of his teachings. They’re all free, including the conference itself.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Tumbling down the sides....
Unless you are a brand new Christian, you probably know Matthew 5 and 6, often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, pretty much by heart. So it is often challenging to read it with a fresh eye. (No pun intended on Matthew 6:22.) This morning, I was attempting to do so with the following verses:
“Do not gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy...but gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” —Matthew 6:19-21
And we all begin singing Kumbaya, I mean Seek Ye first....
However, instead, God gave me a funny picture of myself running back and forth in and out of Heaven, adding treasures to my stash, with Him smiling at me and giving me a thumbs up. Once again, He made me laugh out loud. I always have to check with Him on these humorous thoughts, to make sure it’s not just Julie’s bizarre imagination. But He just smiled at me with confirmation and the reminder that, after all, we had indeed been searching the Scriptures for what gives Him pleasure.
Gifts of charity, thoughtfulness, and self-sacrifice, without the left hand knowing what the right hand is doing—not to mention other humans—provide the stash. They make Him happy, and He, who by nature can’t seem to receive without giving back in geometric proportions, stores up every single gesture of kindness on our part in a heap of His own gifts for us, which reach so high they start tumbling down the sides like a cup running over.
We choose kindness, mercy, and charity, giving away both the tangible and the intangible, to make Him happy. But since He’s the originator of Paul’s phrase outdo one another in showing honor, He takes joy in secretly magnifying the treasure trove waiting for us. Go ahead, give Him pleasure; take delight in helping others behind their backs. It will never be behind His.
PS: Remember, try not to get caught!
*********
Psalm 23:5
Romans 12:10
“Do not gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy...but gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” —Matthew 6:19-21
And we all begin singing Kumbaya, I mean Seek Ye first....
However, instead, God gave me a funny picture of myself running back and forth in and out of Heaven, adding treasures to my stash, with Him smiling at me and giving me a thumbs up. Once again, He made me laugh out loud. I always have to check with Him on these humorous thoughts, to make sure it’s not just Julie’s bizarre imagination. But He just smiled at me with confirmation and the reminder that, after all, we had indeed been searching the Scriptures for what gives Him pleasure.
Gifts of charity, thoughtfulness, and self-sacrifice, without the left hand knowing what the right hand is doing—not to mention other humans—provide the stash. They make Him happy, and He, who by nature can’t seem to receive without giving back in geometric proportions, stores up every single gesture of kindness on our part in a heap of His own gifts for us, which reach so high they start tumbling down the sides like a cup running over.
We choose kindness, mercy, and charity, giving away both the tangible and the intangible, to make Him happy. But since He’s the originator of Paul’s phrase outdo one another in showing honor, He takes joy in secretly magnifying the treasure trove waiting for us. Go ahead, give Him pleasure; take delight in helping others behind their backs. It will never be behind His.
PS: Remember, try not to get caught!
*********
Psalm 23:5
Romans 12:10
Thursday, January 3, 2019
The Rope
In the Midwest, snowstorms can be so pervasive that people tie a rope between the house and the barn, so they can follow it back and forth without getting lost in a blizzard. Those new to the area might think this precaution unnecessary. However, those wiser and more experienced know that self-reliance can kill you in a whiteout.
Sometimes that kind of arrogance can lead us into dangerous places in the rest of our lives, also. We assume we have an inherent sense of direction and don’t really require assistance. However, in a spiritual whiteout, it is easy to make a quarter turn without realizing it and walk directly into frostbite of the heart.
No matter how many years...how many decades we’ve walked with the Lord, or how many Bible studies we’ve done, how many spiritual fads, methodologies, and ideologies we’ve seen come and go, we still need to follow Jesus’ admonition that “blessed are the poor in spirit.” Humility of heart acknowledges that the longer we live, the more we are aware of what we still have to learn. Wisdom and humility are paired hands in a fruitful servant who desires to honor God and make Him known.
Let’s not forget to humbly hang onto the Rope as we navigate the challenges of our current culture’s chaotic winter, striving to serve as a beacon in the disorienting and chaotic blizzard around us.
Sometimes that kind of arrogance can lead us into dangerous places in the rest of our lives, also. We assume we have an inherent sense of direction and don’t really require assistance. However, in a spiritual whiteout, it is easy to make a quarter turn without realizing it and walk directly into frostbite of the heart.
No matter how many years...how many decades we’ve walked with the Lord, or how many Bible studies we’ve done, how many spiritual fads, methodologies, and ideologies we’ve seen come and go, we still need to follow Jesus’ admonition that “blessed are the poor in spirit.” Humility of heart acknowledges that the longer we live, the more we are aware of what we still have to learn. Wisdom and humility are paired hands in a fruitful servant who desires to honor God and make Him known.
Let’s not forget to humbly hang onto the Rope as we navigate the challenges of our current culture’s chaotic winter, striving to serve as a beacon in the disorienting and chaotic blizzard around us.
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