Lying down

When was the last time you read...really read the 23rd Psalm? Better yet, have you prayed it, read it out loud, or turned it into a prayer of Thanksgiving?  Try speaking it, as if you've never heard it before.  Make it personal...from you to the Lord:

   “Lord, You are my tender Shepherd.  Because of You, I’ll never lack anything I truly need. You remind me to lie down on cultivated fresh, soft grass, beside Your restful water of life. You restore me inside and out...my body, my mind, my emotions. You have sealed Your powerful and comforting Spirit within me, where no one can ever take it from me.  I am Yours forever.

   When I am afraid or face attack from any enemy, in human or spiritual form, You care for me right there in the midst of it, right in front of it all.  Even when I walk through fearful times and places, You are with me; your protective rod and guiding staff give me comfort and reassurance that I need not fear. Your Truth overrides all factual circumstances. I need never fear anything or anyone, because You never leave or forsake me.

   You pour the oil of Your Shalom over my head and gently rub it into the infected and wounded places.  Your provision for me  is gloriously abundant, so much so that I can’t even contain it all, and the overflow floods out onto other people.Dear Lord, You are good, tender-hearted, gracious, merciful, and full of lovingkindness.  Your nature causes these blessings to even chase after me, when I am running in the wrong direction, looking to the world around me to still my fears and satisfy my needs.  Forgive me for looking away from the light of Your countenance to any idol of my heart.

   You suffered incomprehensibly for me, not only to give me abundant life now, but so that I could be with You, dwell with You, that we might never be separated from one another forever...and ever...and ever.....The vocabulary of chronology is totally insufficient to describe Your great promises, Faithful One.

   How can I ever thank you enough for all this? You tell me...Lie down; accept and receive; be thankful; and love Me back....  Yes, Lord.  Amen, so be it.

****************************

"Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life...."  --Psalm 23:6; CJB
"Fear not, little flock, for the Father is pleased to give you the Kingdom."  --Luke 12:22

The Power of Conception

Most of us know by heart Paul’s instruction to be transformed by the renewing of your mind [Romans 12:12].  Recently, I’ve been listening to eye-opening teaching on this subject by people such as Barry Bennett (Conception in Your Heart); Andrew Wommack (series on Imagination); Duane Sheriff (Orlando o Gospel Truth Conference 2019, multiple sessions).  My own conception of this verse is now so much greater than before.  [See also my post, Ministering to the Lord].

The term imagination has been pretty much relegated to the realm of fantasy.  Their interpretation, however, based on the Greek and Hebrew understanding of the original text, involves transforming your mind by seeing what God sees, seeing what God says...envisioning His will for you and for His kingdom, whether through His written Word or His Rhema Word.  He wants us to turn our eyes from what we can see, touch, and hear in the natural world, and from our feelings and circumstances; and see, instead, the Truth beyond what our western world calls the facts of the situation.

Ever since I started listening to teachings explaining the power of Conception (in both senses of the word) , I’ve begun to see new insights in my daily Scripture readings, as well as in my prayer time. I’ve often stopped and tried to visualize the situations taking place in the Bible (see through the eyes of the participants, etc.). In fact, it has stirred up questions in me for the Lord. I’ll ask Him, “Why this?” Or “Why that?” or “How is this possible, Lord?” Or “What did you mean by this? I don’t
understand!”  I’ve found He loves questions; it means we’re truly delving in and trying to understand at a deeper level. Some days I don’t make it past a single verse in my Scripture reading.

As mentioned in a previous post, the word Yetser has been translated: frame, conception, imagination, and meditation.  When I didn’t make it past one verse and was trying to paint a picture of the statement or event in my mind, I was meditating, imagining, trying to conceive it. When we apply faith and belief to conception, we’re in a position to conceive (or give birth to) what God says and desires to become a reality in this physical world:  from Spirit manifested into physical reality.  His Reality, His Truth is so much greater than anything our ’unrenewed’ minds can conceive (in either sense of the word).  Ah, but when our minds are renewed and transformed by meditation on and conception of what He says, then we begin to see the fulfillment of what He promised:  “you shall do greater works than these...”; “all things are possible for those who believe...”; “you shall say to this mountain...”; “by His stripes you were and are healed...”

In a previous post, I encouraged us all to try to draw on paper what we’re trying to conceive, whether with stick figures or with artistic skill.  The Father loves the heart of what you’re trying to depict.  He isn’t concerned about the level of your artistic talent.  (Remember the pictures your children brought you?). Draw pictures of yourself with Yeshua, with the Father, with the Holy Spirit. Draw a scenfrom the Bible. Draw something beautiful from His creation and thank Him for it. Draw a memory of an encounter with Him (at any age). Create drawings of thanksgivings. Paint scenes of how the Word describes Him (your refuge, your shield, your strong tower, your delight, your Father, your shepherd, your mother hen; singing over you.  Look for images of Him in the Word and record them in a journal. Then gradually draw them one by one.  Trust me; He’ll love them.

Imagine people who are currently struggling: now imagine them (with faith and belief in your heart) whole, happy, and fruitful.  Imagine marriages, finances, health, and every other aspect of people’s lives, including your own, in a state of Shalom, in  wholeness in every sense.  Conceive, envision, depict, meditate on what God sees, wants, and desires to become manifest...and what He has already accomplished in the spiritual realm at the Atonement.  “It is accomplished.”  Not just for one day in heaven, but for now.


********
If you’re interested in listening to the teachings referenced at the beginning of this post, you can go to YouTube and search the names of the people,  along with a search term  like “conception” or “imagination. If you have Roku, you can add Andrew Wommack Ministries channel to it. There you’ll find all his teachings, including the one on Imagination, as well as titles like God Wants You Well, Believer’s Authority, the Balance of Grace and Faith, Spirit, Soul, and Body, and many others.  If you have any difficulty finding any videos , please be sure to comment on this post  with a question,  or email or fb message me.  Don’t be offended if a video challenges your current understandings. They did mine, but I am utterly convinced, now, of their truth. Look at their fruits in massive signs and wonders taking place. (“By their fruit you shall know them.”). Personally, I am more interested in pleasing God than in guarding my own spiritual pride.)

Ministering to the Lord

In my January 30th post, we were exploring Chronicles, and I broached the subject of what it might mean to minister to the Lord as New Testament believers. So I’ve been exploring and asking the Lord what that really means. In some ways, it is akin to my search for what pleases God. [posts 11/8-11/13].

Personally, I am in what my friend Joan W. refers to as a time of  'betwixt and between.'*  In a new geographic location, having moved away from my previous ministry as worship leader (and occasional teacher) at a wonderful little 'manger' of a church, I am unsure how and where and what the Lord wants me doing, now that I'm retired from full-time work.

However, as I read repeated references to 'ministering to the Lord,' I heard the Lord say, "Why don't you focus on ministering to Me?  I enjoy your ministry.  I figured I must have made that up in my head, because why would the God Who created the solar system and universe upon universe need or want 'ministry' from little me...or from anyone?

The truth is, according to His Word, He is blessed by our loving on Him.  All of us.  Want to 'lead worship,' encouraging intimacy with the Lord by the music you choose?  Sing to Him, all by yourself.   Want an outlet for what you're learning from Him?  Tell Him how excited you are about what you're learning.  Want to create beautiful paintings of His creation?  Draw pictures of you and Him together.

I am a consummate stick figure artist.  Yet, God has been guiding me in expressing the love I have for Him (and He for me) through little sketches no one but He sees. We laugh together over them, but He isn't ridiculing my attempts. He tells me He enjoys my art.  He'll do the same for you.  (I found a really good eraser..not those awful ones on the end of pencils.)  He'll say, "Try it this way."

He's opened my eyes to what is around me so that individual elements in His creation almost vibrate before me as He calls my attention to them.  I tell Him, "Wow, Lord, that flower is such an amazing work of art!  Look at the detailing!  I want to draw that.  My efforts may be woefully inadequate, but my heart sincerely desires to express how lovely I find this world in which He lovingly placed us.

We take walks together.  Sometimes I forget He's with me, as my mind wanders around.  I tell Him I'm sorry I forgot He was there by my side.  I don't want to forget...ever.  Sometimes he directs me down certain streets so I discover hidden spots of quiet beauty.  He'll do it for you.

Sometimes we dance. He will dance with you as if there's no one else in the world.

Just let Him know you want to 'love on Him' in ways that please and minister Him.  He enjoys us.  He enjoys interacting with us, as true friends do.  Not everything is of cosmic import to Him.  He likes being with us, laughing with us, playing jokes on us, and drawing out the unique personalities, gifts, and eccentricities He created in us.  He likes to have fun with us.

Ministering to the Lord is, yes, praise.  It's telling Him how much You appreciate Him, not only for what He's done, but for Who He is. It's sincere and devoted worship. It's affectionate reverence.  It's pushing aside other demands to spend 'devotional' time with Him.  It's hungering after what He has to say to us, in both His written and spoken Word. It's loving on others in His Name.  But, most of all, I believe, it is getting to know Him more and more intimately, so that our lives are filled with ongoing interaction, spoken and unspoken, in joyful abandon to Who He is.

You might say, "I could never do those things you do.  It's just not me.  Well, just be you!  Ask the Lord to show you what He considers ministry to Him from you.  He only created one of you, and your experience with Him will be unique.  He doesn't want you to be anyone but you with Him.  But you might discover, when you stop predetermining what you can and can't do with Him, that He'll surprise you with a new form of Yetser.  [Translated in the Scriptures as all of these:  imagination, meditation, frame, and conception.]  Are you open to new conceptions as you minister to the Lord?
********************************************
*Betwixt and Between, by Joan Weller
** Here are some Scriptures referring to 'ministering to the Lord.'  I can't put them all here, or you'd never get through them all. 

Psalm 17:15  15 As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].
****************************************************************************
Psalm 16: 1 Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself.

2 I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You.

5 The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot.

6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage.

7 I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety,

*******************************************************************************

2 Chronicles 5:13-14 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

13 And when the trumpeters and singers were joined in unison, making one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for song and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever, then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud,

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

*************************************************************

2 Chronicles 6:41  41 So now arise, O Lord God, and come into Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength and power. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your saints (Your zealous ones) rejoice in good and in Your goodness.
******************************************************* 
2 Chronicles 30:
21 And the Israelites who were in Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with instruments of much volume to the Lord.
*************************************************************
27 Then the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to [God’s] holy habitation in heaven
***************************************************************
2 Chronicles 31:2 2 And Hezekiah appointed the priests and the Levites after their divisions, each man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the camp of the Lord.
*******************************************************
2 Chronicles 29:27-28      "...the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets and with the instruments ordained by King David of Israel.

28 And all the congregation worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

30 Also King Hezekiah and the princes ordered the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness and bowed themselves and worshiped.

31 Then Hezekiah said, Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.

**************************************************************

1 Chronicles 6:32   

32 They ministered before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting with singing until Solomon had built the Lord’s house in Jerusalem, performing their service in due order.

**************************************************************

Exodus 40:34-35 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

34 Then the cloud [the Shekinah, God’s visible presence] covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle!

35 And Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Ready to Jump On?

Remember those career days at school, where you could bring your parent in to share what he or she did for a living?  (In my school days in the 50’s and early 60’s,  it was pretty much just the dads.). This morning I was envisioning what it would be like to take my ABBA to school for career day.

Can’t you just picture holding his hand and introducing Him:  Hi everybody...this is my dad! He created the whole world and all the universes,  just by speaking! He keeps everything going, too! He is so good and kind and wise.  He’s the perfect dad. It might take Him quite awhile to tell you His job description, so maybe we should eat our lunches here in the classroom.  I’d like to say He’s just mine, but I know He wants to adopt all of you, too. So pay attention, everybody. He has the best job ever!

Are you proud of your Heavenly Father? Do you guard His reputation when people try to slander Him? Do you stand up for Him when His character is maligned? Are you more afraid of what others think of you than you are how God is regarded? I’ve had to ask myself these questions.

When people attribute illness and death to my Heavenly Father, do I speak up? When someone asks why He took a child or gave someone cancer as a teaching opportunity, am I quick to jump up and say, “Hey, that’s not my dad! He’s not like that! Don’t you say that about my daddy! He’s a good dad, a great dad. He would never do that!  [Obviously, He gives us mature ways of communicating that truth, but that attitude should be what rises up in us.]

As children, many of us were quick to praise and defend our earthly fathers, who were so very imperfect. Why do we not declare how good our perfect, Heavenly Father is, who gave everything for us so we could be with Him both in this life and forever? Why do we timidly stand back while even Christians slander him?  Is it because we’re uncertain about Who He really is and what He’s really like? Have we let doctrines and philosophies and circumstances dictate our understanding and replace our delving first-hand into His Word?  I know I have.

No more. I am seeking the truth about His nature as never before, and He, who always answers prayers for wisdom, has given me a seat in His Healing Academy of the Holy Spirit. I can’t get enough of these new understandings of His Word. Finally, after decades of setting certain Scriptures aside because I didn’t know what to do with them (“You shall do greater works than these....If you say to this mountain...”) my eyes are being opened to the hows and whys of what Jesus said.

Jesus didn’t say “...gotcha...just joking!” when He spoke those words. Neither does He toy with us and tell us to do things that are ridiculously impossible, although that’s what it had seemed like to me. There are people and ministries right now living out His statements with signs and wonders...massive numbers of healings, deliverances, resurrections from the dead...blind eyes opened, deaf ears hearing, the depressed freed, the addicted delivered, the paralyzed walking.  Greater works indeed! Yeshua doesn’t lie.

The proof is in the pudding, and you and I can enter in, if we’re willing to let go of our pride and be humble enough to learn.  To be more concerned about fulfilling God’s purposes in our lives than we are in our own comfort, or in leaning on our own understanding. To repent of being modern day Pharisees and, instead, say, “teach me, Lord!”  “I believe; help my unbelief!” “Show me my error. Let me see you as You really are. Forgive me for maligning Your character in my mind and heart and speech...and for being silent as others have done the same.  You are so Good. You want us well and provided for in body, soul, and spirit. You suffered and died not only for our sins to be forgiven, but for us to have everything we need for abundant lives here and now. We place ourselves in Your life-giving School of the Holy Spirit and say, ‘Lead us on!’”

*****************************************
If you want to join the class in which I'm currently a student, try listening to any of these people (searchable on YouTube), who are living out Jesus' first century call:  Andrew Wommack, Audrey Mack, Barry Bennett, Bill Johnson, Randy Clark, Todd White.  The eyes of your heart will be enlightened, as mine have been, and you'll never be the same, as you follow where Yeshua will take you.  Remember, humble yourself...and He will lift you up....  If you think you already know it all (you've read it, studied it, taught it, heard it all before)...you won't be able to receive the truth of it, by seeing new insights into His Word.

• Barry Bennett:   https://youtu.be/zhaRZMM7YA8   [and dozens of other teachings]

• Panel at Healing is Here Conference 2018:  https://youtu.be/VJ-K6XlaHnc 

• Todd White, Heaing is Here 2018:  https://youtu.be/-6Aak2mT-lU   [fast forward in about 7 minutes]

• Audrey Mack, Healing is Here 2018:  https://youtu.be/7NjpqTOmUr8    (part 1); https://youtu.be/eTvAF57o_hc  (part 2)
• [see also Healing is Here Conference 2019, sessions 10 and 11 (fast forward in 1 hr, 15 minutes! for session 11)]
• 
  
• Andrew Wommack:  https://www.awmi.net/healing/ 

Continuing to learn from Chronicles....

As I continue on my journey through Chronicles, verses are popping out at me in a fresh way. This morning I read about God (through  David) setting up the duties of the priests from Aaron’s line,  and the Levites from the line of Moses.

The priests were set apart to sanctify him as most holy and to consecrate the most holy things, that he and his sons might burn incense before the Lord, minister to Him, and bless in His Name forever. [1 Chronicles 23:13] At first I was confused by the two hims in this passage. However I realized that the first was Aaron, the human High Priest, and the second Him was God. 

As New Testament believers, after everything changed with Yeshua (see yesterday’s post), we form a royal priesthood.  [1 Peter 2:9]. It is our assigned and glorious purpose to minister to Him and bless in His name.  Yeshua is our great High Priest, and He has called us all to fulfill the role of Aaron’s sons.

He has also called us to be Levite’s, whose duty was to oversee the work of the Lord’s house [1 Chronicles 23:4]...and to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise in the evening; and to offer all burnt offerings to the Lord.

Where David set aside the sons Asaph and of Heman the ‘king’s seer’ to prophesy with harps, with stringed instruments, and with symbols, now we are all called to praise and prophesy, as inspired by the Holy Spirit given us at Pentecost.  No longer do only certain people receive a word from the Lord. All of us who are open to the Holy Spirit’s work within us are given the privilege. How awesome that even the least in the Kingdom of God* is honored and called to praise, prophesy, 
serve, minister to God, and bless others in His Name. 

As we ponder these thoughts in the context of our daily lives, let’s ask the Father how we can better fulfill these roles to which He’s called us, as believers in His Name. Furthermore, let’s reorder the list above and place minister to Him as our first priestly priority.

What does it mean to minister to the Lord?  Stay tuned...
***************************
*Matthew 11:11

Everything changes...

I have not read Kings and Chronicles anywhere as often as I have read the New Testament, or even other books in the Old, such as the prophets. But recently, my sweet daughter-in-law referred me to a passage in 2 Kings involving Elisha, in which he directed people to dig troughs in the ground to make a place to receive what God had for them. [2 Kings 3:16-20]

This set me on a path to read all of Kings and then the two Chronicles, which are so totally entwined. Once we make it through all the genealogy, we discover much treasure buried there. I had forgotten just how much.

The last few days, I have been reading about David. Today I came to the point where he took a military census, against the advice of Joab, the commander of his armies.  This upset God greatly. Why?  Because David was then relying on human strength for success. It was God who, despite situations of greatly inferior numbers, had brought the victories David had experienced.

Even after he repented, David was afraid to go before the Lord in the Tabernacle. He followed God’s direction to build a ‘local’ altar, but he did not have confidence to travel and come before the altar in the holy Tabernacle tent, itself. [1 Chronicles 20:30]

I was immediately reminded that everything changes with Jesus.  Even David, beloved mighty man of God with such a heart to serve Him, was unsure of his welcome after his sin.  Remember, even the man who touched the Ark of the Covenant to steady it, lost his life in the process.  [2 Samuel 6:1-8]

We, however, never have to be afraid or uncertain whether we’re welcome at God’s altar or at His feet. It’s all because of Yeshua. We may well be coming before Him with a great sin (or a long series
of ‘smaller’ ones) on our hearts. We may be thinking our sin is too great or we’ve repeated a sin once too often for Him to tolerate our presence. Yet Yeshua paved the way, now and forever, for us not only to survive coming before our Most Holy God, but to be encouraged and welcomed in His Fatherly arms. We no longer need fear death, or even condemnation, before the Throne. We’re welcomed as precious children, naughty though we may have been.

Yes, as a child of a Father Whom we love and desire to please; Whom we hate to disappoint; Who we want to be proud of us; we are grieved at grieving His Holy Spirit.  But we should never fear running directly to Him in our sorrow, never be uncertain of our welcome. Everything changes from Old to New....all because of Yeshua.

You, even if you feel least in the kingdom of heaven, are greater than David, greater than Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and even John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man who had ever lived up to that time. [Matthew 11:11]

Yeshua cancels every curse, from the Garden forward. He makes us righteous and worthy to stand before His Holy Father and receive His great and tender love. He stands in the gap as the Great High Priest and Intercessor for all who trust in Him. He sets us free from captivities of body, soul, and spirit. Everything changes with Him....how incomprehensibly wonderful is His gift to us.  Be sure to tell Him so this very moment.  And while you’re there, stay awhile.....

Need a good soak in the tub?

This is my first Christmas in this new season of my life. I can luxuriate now in large doses of quiet on a weekday morning, with no parameters looming. I’ve often wished to soak in the tub of the Holy Spirit’s presence and dwell in the reverence and holiness of the time of angels and shepherds, keeping the shopping world at bay while His Star shines forth onto the silent hillside of my heart .

Even so, my ‘get-er-done’ personality is tempted to jump up and accomplish various tasks on my to-do list. I have to say no to this Martha self and tell her to wait, while I participate in my Mary’s ‘better part’.  When one is soaking in a tub, the door is closed to everything outside it. So should it be in the tub of the Holy Spirit.  The light of God’s candle shines, the fragrance of lavender wafts in the air, the sacred music touches the deep places of body, soul, and spirit.

This morning, as I was remembering and longing for the holiness and intimacy of some church experiences past, Adonai reminded me that this exquisite intimacy is always available to me, no matter where I am. His habitation beneath His Canopy, His Tent of meeting with its canvas flap, is open day and night because of His gift of Himself as Emmanuel.

There is an old praise song whose lyrics say, “Commune with Me...beneath the wings of the cherubim...I’ll meet you there...commune with Me....” Whether woman or man, we are His Bride; He draws us under the bridal canopy as His own forever. As Babe, Bridegroom, and Mighty Savior, He is always Emmanuel, God-with-us. He longs for us to come with swift, expectant feet into His dwelling place, where we find He’s also chosen to dwell within us.

Emmanuel, God with us, is also God within us.   When we yield ourselves to Him in grateful abandon, we are encompassed by Him in such a way that we don’t even know where we leave off and He begins. Yet we revere Him as Holy beyond our understanding. That He paid the price for us to be wholly and completely His in the midst of His holiness, is incomprehensible but wonderfully true.

Let’s push from us, as my mother used to say, ‘the tyranny of the urgent’ and instead urgently run into the arms of His Holy Spirit. Let’s soak in the vibrant quiet of the Holy Night and all that He offers us because of it, rejoicing in the Gift of His all-encompassing Presence.

Fruitfulness, fun, and rest, Part II (fun!)

Fun...
In the balance of our lives, there’s the  fun component.  Somehow, we tend to relegate fun to the less necessary, idle aspect of our lives...the wasting time compartment.  There definitely are time-wasters that can regretfully consume huge portions of our day (online black holes in time, too much television, digital games we play ad nauseum, etc.), but I believe these are different than what we referred to as play when we were young.  Have we forgotten how to play as adults?

When I was young in the 50’s and early 60’s, we used to play outside most of the day. We would invent new games almost on a daily basis. We rode our bikes, played games with balls, made up imaginary role-play scenarios, set up scenes with various toys, built structures with blocks, played board games (sometimes playing both sides), climbed trees, read books, and colored pictures. Creativity and imagination played large roles in our day.

God is Creator, as well as Saviour, Giver, Comforter and Guide. I believe He delights in the elements of play and creating in our lives, even (especially?) when we’re of an age where it’s more difficult to get our bodies to do what we want them to. [I’ve nixed learn to play guitar from my lengthy retirement activity list, since my arthritic hands are uncooperative.] For Him, we are still the young person we always were, despite our outer appearance. He still enjoys watching us play, the same way we enjoy watching our own children play. [I still love hearing my grown kids have fun and laugh together.]

The Father told me recently that Play keeps our hearts younger and more tender. He warned me not to let my heart grow brittle and cold as I aged.. I discovered He's all for fun, in balance. So have some fun! Do a puzzle, read a book aloud with different voices for the characters, play a board game that fosters laughter (no cut-throat competitions). [Ever played Apples to Apples?] Watch or listen to an old children’s classic*.  Recently I’ve had the urge to revisit Narnia (in both print and film Use your phone to record family members and friends answering fun questions. Ever play Would you Rather...?..or Coke or Pepsi? Ask those you love a question from their childhood. [What was your favorite board game? Birthday cake? Toy? Vacation? Christmas memory? Ice cream? Outdoor game? Best memory with your mom...your dad?...with your sibling?  Or even, what was your most difficult time?

It’s amazing what you’ll find about about those you may have known for a very long time. You hear their 💕  It will also help you know how to pray for them.  Are their wounds from the past that need healing? [See Fruitfulness in Part I.]. God loves hearing you share your heart, too. You'll find that Play, then, can also  become an aspect of  Rest*.
*****************************
*Listen to the language..the expression and vocabulary in the children's classics, and you'll see how far current writing has deteriorated in this light.  Try something like The Secret Garden or an adventure from an earlier century from authors like Alexander Dumas or Robert Louis Stevenson.  Read aloud a classic story to your grandchildren, in installments. Make it come alive for them.  

**Watch for Part III, where we explore the various forms of Rest.

Fruitfulness, fun, and rest, Part III (Rest)

Rest

This morning I was prompting myself to pursue the last of our trio of topics, Rest. Although I’ve written and spoken about this topic before, I wanted to receive fresh insight from the Lord about it. When I created the title of this three-part post, I had not yet reached Hebrews in my current (oft-repeated) journey through the epistles.  As I opened today to where I had left off yesterday, I found myself in Hebrews 3 & 4.  Lo and behold (drum roll, please), I found it to be all about God’s rest. Don’t you just love it when that happens? God is so eager to answer our questions, so delighted we are delving into His Word, that it’s as if He opens the Bible to the right page and sets it in our lap. 

Now, we’ve been discussing fruitfulness, fun, and rest.  Obviously, this is the section on Rest, but truthfully, all these three aspects of our lives intersect. Additionally, there are multiple uses of the term Rest. Being fruitful and having fun can also produce rest in their own ways. 

Isn’t it interesting how exhilaration and productivity are often followed by a sense of relaxation and rest? After we tense our muscles, for example, we’re more conscious of their not being tensed.  I usually don’t want to do my exercise routine, but after I do, I feel both invigorated and relaxed. Looking at this in the different context of our spiritual lives:  After we’ve worked diligently to be constructive and fruitful, there is a sense of deeper rest that follows.  More so than if we were simply inert. Inertia isn’t the kind of rest we’re after, is it?  In fact, the couch potato life usually makes us feel sluggish and discontented.     

A good, deep sleep is also a gift designed by God to help heal our bodies, assist our souls in processing the events of the day, and bring us restoration and re-invigoration. A refreshing ‘power nap’ can also be a blessing, for those who can take advantage without waking up groggy and disoriented. Just drifting in the midst of the chapter of a good book can carry us into needed rest.

When God speaks of entering His Rest in Hebrews 3 and 4+, He isn't discussing sleep patterns, is He?  His deep and abiding Rest involves our souls and spirits in a state of Shalom.  Not just eternal rest in Heaven (although that is absolutely implied), but in this life on earth, in the midst of often chaotic circumstances...no matter what is happening at the moment.  This rest involves a bedrock faith and certainty that, as He promises in Hebrews, He will never, no never, no never forsake us.**

Just sitting still in His Presence; not necessarily saying anything, but simply opening our hearts and spirits to Him and waiting on Him; bring His Rest.  Our heartbeats slow, our breathing deepens, and we are enveloped by the cloud of His Love.  The sunshine streaming through the window onto our shoulders becomes a caress from His hand.  Finally, that elusive peace we've desired takes up residence in us.

Every form of rest (through play, fruitfulness, sleep, quiet time with Him...) are all a gift from Him.  We need the balance of work, fun, and rest in our lives for our triune beings to be healthy.  When it's time for us to enter into His forever Rest in Heaven, we'll experience fun, fruitfulness, and relaxation there, too; but to a depth He says we can't now even imagine in our mind's eye.  Don't plan on being bored on a cloud somewhere....you're going to be resting in His permanent Shalom in the midst of fruitfulness, creativity, and fun.  I can't wait.  He's even promised me visits to The Hundred Acre Wood. What special place would you like to visit with Him?  Ask Him about it.  I bet you'll hear a delighted chuckle and a promise in response.

**********************************
He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.  --Psalm 23:2     [The Passion Translation]

Now God has offered to us the same promise of entering into his realm of resting in confident faith. So we must be extremely careful to ensure that we all embrace the fullness of that promise and not fail to experience it. For we have heard the good news of deliverance just as they did, yet they didn’t join their faith with the Word. Instead, what they heard didn’t affect them deeply, for they doubted. For those of us who believe, faith activates the promise and we experience the realm of confident rest!  --Hebrews 4:1-3  (+ all of chapters 3 & 4)

My heart and soul explode with joy—full of glory! Even my body will rest confident and secure.  --Psalm 16:9

I say to myself, “If only I could fly away from all of this! If only I could run away to the place of rest and peace.  --Psalm 55:6

O Lord our God, let your sweet beauty rest upon us and give us favor. Come work with us, and then our works will endure, and give us success in all we do.  --Psalm 90:17

Now I can say to myself and to all, “Relax and rest, be confident and serene, for the Lord rewards fully those who simply trust in him.”    --Psalm 116:7

I am humbled and quieted in your presence. Like a contented child who rests on its mother’s lap, I’m your resting child and my soul is content in you.  --Psalm 131:2

But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.   --Proverbs 1:33

You will sleep like a baby, safe and sound— your rest will be sweet and secure.  --Proverbs 3:24

...because God is your confidence in times of crisis, keeping your heart at rest in every situation.   --Proverbs 3:26

For the Lord will never walk away from his cherished ones, nor would he forsake his chosen ones who belong to him.   ---Psalm 94:14

By contrast, we have already come[ad] near to God in a totally different realm, the Zion-realm,[ae] for we have entered the city of the Living God, which is the New Jerusalem in heaven![af] We have joined the festal gathering of myriads of angels in their joyous celebration!   --Hebrews 12:22

“I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip[c] on your life!”  --Hebrews 13:5b

Fruitfulness, fun, and rest, Part I (fruitfulness)

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!]

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.

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)