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Mark 4:3-8 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

I don’t know about you, but some days my soil has everything but seeds and good soil!

I know this parable is talking about different people, but some days… I feel like I am multiple personalities.

Mark 4:13-20 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Some days everything I have “sown” is eaten by the birds… What I have read or studied or seen in action, does not make it to the soil of my life. The seeds of Scripture fall on the side of the road to my life. Those places where I have not removed the side paths to idolatry. Satan, the prince of false gods on this earth, sends his minions immediately to take away the word which has been sown. It’s gone! Even if I spend hours trying to REMEMBER that GREAT WORD I heard today.

Some days the seeds that God plants do begin to root and grow little sprouts…  these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 

The rocky places, where I have built altars to showcase MY prizes. Instead of doing the heavy lifting to remove the WRONG altars from the ground, I et them lay where they have fallen.  I do receive the truth with joy and I am sooooo very excited that I HAVE RECEIVED, but distraction always comes and my soil is unprepared to give the seed a deep and well nourished root space. Truth will always root, but the roots need depth (shade and moisture) to protect them from scorching heat of suffering (or disappointment) until they are strong enough to fight the elements this world can and does dish out. The rocks from the altars fit for the wages from the god of materialism do nothing to protect from the times of our lives… check out Ecclesiastes 3:1 – an appointed time for everything – a time for every event under heaven

Oh yeah, don’t forget the days my life is THORNY… and the seed is sown among the thorns. The Truth is planted and roots are growing deep… but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 

There is a aging, left-over, personality inside of me that YEARNS for more of the “Good TIMES”. I imagine being the star of all the fairy tales my soul remembers from childhood. Can you see it? My name in lights and everyone crowding around, breathlessly waiting for my opinion on the current matter. “Me neither! NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!”

But if it did… or could… maybe I should prepare just a little… just in case. Now I must FOCUS all my attention (the truth will take care of itself) on what if and how to and all the rest of the fairy tale lies. Remembering to click my ruby slippers three times and leaving my glass slipper for my prince to find will surely multiply the real-estate needed to grow MY OWN BLEND of seed… and… it (my own blend of seed) will steal from the truth to grow bigger and better fantasies.

And then there are days when I awake to FACT that harvest time IS COMING. On these days I realize that my whole life depends on harvesting the fruit that grows from planting and caring for the seeds sown from the Word of God.

And those days are the ones on whom seed is sown on the good soil; and I hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

Enough to feed and give health to my body and those with whom I can share the fruit of the harvest given to me.

Good soil… soil meant for planting – deep and rich with Holy Spirit infused wisdom and knowledge. Soil moist with God’s provision of living water made up of His love and grace and mercy. Soil free of the rocks of worthless pursuits that give me nothing but heartache, anxiety and stuff to take care of. Soil plowed with the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, prepared to receive His seed by our acceptance, sealed with the sale (I bought the deal!) recorded and published in The Lamb’s Book of Life that all of the property rights have been turned over to His ownership.

Sometimes my life does feel like “WHACK A MOLE” with the different Mary’s of my old plantation popping up. Some days… I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, buy I am doing the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)… the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (Romans 7:18)

Romans 7:24 Wretched man woman that I am… Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Jesus… JESUS CHRIST… JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD…

Yeshua… our Messiah!

He will come in and take ownership.

He will dwell in the land even before it is made perfect.

He will talk dirt with you, and teach you (and provide) the necessities for the fruit filled harvest to come.

How do I know? He TALKS DIRT with me everyday, in every way, with every one of the different personalities that pop up their ugly piece of my soul.

He doesn’t abandon His property for lack of good soil… lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)

He speaks the Truth into the dirt of my life, and we are set free from the rocks, too little soil, the thorns and weeds.

The only thing He doesn’t do is take away our choice to participate… our choice to learn about the soil of our life.

We all need to Talk Dirt… We all need to ask… “What do I have in my soil today?”

From experience I will tell you… John 8:32 You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Free to grow… and grow… and grow…

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

Deuteronomy 32:11 “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. 

I can only imagine baby bird’s first flight… maybe somewhat like mine when God is… Training me up in the way I should go (Proverbs 22:6) 

Stirring up the nest…

Some baby birds can’t wait until they fly away! Not me, nope, I’m one of those that hold on with EVERY appendage! I see everything that can (and I imagine will) go wrong… all the rocks heading toward me as I fall…

But, in this world there is no option, every baby bird must learn to fly – even if it is just for a moment and even if it is low to the ground.

In this world, we must learn to fly for even the nest is not free of predators or the need to escape some things we might call comfort …our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

God is hovering… don’t be scared!

He has says to us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Just don’t expect me to say, “Wheeeeee!”

I’ve never been sky diving (and do not plan to either!) but I go and watch overtime Nikki does. Even she, who has the courage to challenge her fears (albeit with a professional strapped to her back), doesn’t jump without confronting the small, but annoying reality, that this could be her last flight. It helps her tremendously, to know her Father God is underneath her should it turn into her flight to heaven with Him.

He spreads His wings and catches us…

When times get tough and the winds swirl around us and spin us upside down, He is our Daddy, teaching us to fly. When we are bruised by the falls and our wings are broken – He carries us on His pinions…

Pretty heady stuff, this flying. For some of us, once we get the hang of it, you’d think we never had ANY scary moments. Some even take to creating dives, and loops, and heights that leave the rest of us with our stomachs in our throat and our hearts in seizure mode.

We are all destined to fly… some of us are just a little less daring.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 

It is God’s good pleasure that we should fly.

My problem is that I want to be the one to file my own flight plan.

I waste an inordinate amount of time looking (and waiting) for the “perfect flight plan” rather than just flying toward Him and His plan for me to become perfect in Him (like He’s taught me). “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45)

The perfect flight plan…

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 

God’s plan!

But I won’t (can’t) do it without His wings beneath me. Sometimes that means my eyes have to be on Him, rather than on what’s in front of me. Sometimes it means my perspective of what I see is unrecognizable to my human eye and unimaginable to my human brain. Sometimes I have to jump out of my nest and begin the journey before I can begin to learn how to fly.

To jump, I have to trust my Abba.

To fly, I have to obey my Abba.  

To mount up with wings like an eagle…  I need to wait for my Abba! Yet those who wait for the Lord… they will mount up with wings like eagles, (Isaiah 40:31)

Have you started your flying lessons yet?

It’s pretty heady stuff!

We can’t begin to realize how wonderful it is until we are on the ground and looking up to see where we’ve been or where we might go in the next lesson.

Now we see it all “dimly”… but someday we will MOUNT UP with eagle wings.

Flying High AND Spreading Our Wings!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

 

Ephesians 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

EVERY. SPIRITUAL. BLESSING…

Not just one… or two… or even a stocking full… but EVERY!

HE. CHOSE. US…

Not after we did something/anything to deserve such grace… but BEFORE the foundation of the world!

In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

PREDESTINED. ADOPTION…

According to His will – His grace – His benevolence!

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.

WE. HAVE…

Not maybe, not sometime, not a little… LAVISHED!

In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

NO. MYSTERY…

He made it known to us and gave us the wisdom and insight to know His will!

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

WE. ARE. HIS. PREDESTINED. HEIR…

We have His inheritance!

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. 

After hearing His message, you believed… and…

YOU. WERE. SEALED. WITH. THE. HOLY. SPIRIT…

God’s own possession!

Fourteen verses of ALL. THE. REASONS. FOR. THE. SEASON!

Any questions?

If you were wondering what you were going to do tomorrow (Thanksgiving Day), start with thanking God.

If you were wondering what you were going to be thankful for, above is the FEAST of items that will keep you busy for infinity.

If we look only with our earthly eyes, our blessings can fade quickly in comparison to our “needs”. When we are asked to give our “reason for the season” at the Thanksgiving table, let us not be embarrassed because we do not have MUCH to be thankful for.

Tomorrow, (and every moment from now on) let us look within and use the eyes of the Holy Spirit…  let us BE. THE. PRAISE. OF. HIS. GLORY!

My prayer for you and all of your loved ones (and your enemies too)…

The Lord bless you, and  keep you;

The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”

And… have a wonderful… pressed down… shaken together… full… and overflowing… DAY OF THANKSGIVING!

I love you!

GOD. LOVES. YOU. MORE!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

Isaiah 55:12 “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

I can only imagine…

God spoke this to His beloved Israel (and therefore us because we are grafted in). WE KNOW that what God speaks… So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) will INDEED happen!

INDEED… I believe it happens now… Thy will be done on earth, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!

I believe a celebration, the likes of which we have yet to see, happens EVERY TIME a heart is fully given to our God.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

We do see dimly… we go into some of our churches (buildings of religion) and we say to each other, “SHHHHH!” and “Behave like serious adults!”.

Mountains and the hills breaking forth into shouts of joy???

All the trees of the field clapping their hands???

When was the last time you went out with joy and were led forth with peace?

Instead of looking into OUR mirror, we desperately need to look, face to face, through the eyes of God.

Psalm 100:1-3 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

No, this earth is NOT ALWAYS a happy place. It is hard to imagine a place where celebration never ends! And then to imagine that it is all triggered by God’s desire, and brought to fruition by His Word!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Psalm 149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. 

Psalm 149:2-3 Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. 

We say… Thy will be done… then we grit our teeth, set our faces to permanent frown, and act as if His will is too much to bear.

As it is in heaven… do we imagine that this is eternal life? A joyless life of never ending toil and trouble?

Is this the good news of great joy we, the body of Christ, are preparing ourselves and others for?

Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba!

People! Our Daddy declares us His and He is not a quiet God. He loves to PARTY! Our churches should be a place of joyous celebration, a dim look into the mirror of heaven. What are we afraid of? Offending our God with  praises for, of, and to Him? Afraid of Him rejecting us as we run to Him shouting, “Abba… Papa… Daddy!” Don’t look in the mirror… look into our Father’s eyes of PERFECT LOVE!

In heaven His will is DONE. On earth there is a little groaning left to do…

Romans 8: 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God

But in both places, when God’s children are revealed… you “should” go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

**FYI… the reveal is to creation – not to you… you already KNOW the answer to, “Whose your Daddy?”

Do you know the Lord Jesus, God’s own Son, whom God sent so that you would not perish but have eternal life?

Have you given your heart fully to our God by saying YES to His Son and trusting Him that your adoption papers are completed, certified, and registered in the Book of Life?

If you have… listen! Can you hear the shouts of joy and the trees clapping? It’s happening in heaven!

If you haven’t… Do it NOW! You will go out with joy And be led forth with peace.

IMAGINE THAT!!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 10:38-42 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” 

It happens! Even in ministry! With the best of intentions, we take on more than we can handle then look for someone to HELP, without humbly asking for help (definitely not confessing or repenting), we move straight to the Ministry Meltdown when “someone” doesn’t JUMP to our NEED.

Deep down we know it’s no one’s fault but our own. It’s just that… I… I want to be THE woman. You know THE one… planner – manager – ministry chief… THE know it all – does all – best at everything WOMAN!

Then I look around and see Mary… MY ungrateful – lazy – good for nothing SISTER…  NOT PLAYING my game by my rules AND enjoying herself.

OMG… the nerve!

Time for MINISTRY MELTDOWN – also known as a “Pity-Party”!

In this particular ministry moment, I get to play (because my name is MARY) the “innocent” sister. I can even pretend that I did not see, hear or know my sister was suffering… mmmmm…

Mary…”Martha, who?  When Jesus walked in, I was UNDONE! Looking back on the moment, had it been anyone else with any other message, I DEFINITELY would have played THE game, with my usual, SWEET little sister self!”

Oh come on… you all have PLAYED! Both parts! Maybe even both parts at one time!

We’ve all dressed up with our costumes and masks in order to get a bag full of candy! Maybe some of us still do…

Whether it be the role of Martha, the organizer-in-chief… or the sweet sweet helpmeet, Mary. We have indeed played! And I bet, every one of us, at one time or another, in public or in private, have had the MINISTRY MELTDOWN just like Martha.

Have you ever noticed WHEN we “tell” God we might be having a problem?

Not when we are bouncing along, high on our PLAN to serve the Master… a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home… Hospitality! One of my finest gifts!

I dare say we, like Martha, give very little thought to our ability to single-handedly pull off whatever “inspired” event enters our minds… there is definitely no thought of asking the little sister (or God?) for planning advice.

It is only when we get in the weeds… Martha was distracted with all her preparations… that we begin to look for help (and that does not include help CHANGING my plan!).

Even now, with the realization that there is too much to do and not enough time to do it, we have not given up on our dream to shine. THIS IS WHEN we now point out to God the problem AND the solution… she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

Yep, passive/aggressive manipulation of the truth ALWAYS works… well not always – but sometimes… maybe never works – BUT IT FEELS RIGHTEOUS!

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things… like what OTHERS are doing… like being the BEST… like the jealous coveting of CENTER STAGE.

I admit it… more times than I care to confess… I’m more Martha than I am Mary…

When I look around at my brothers and sisters, I see their light shine and I get… jealous! Here I am, working tirelessly and relentlessly and it all comes so EASY for them! They ALWAYS get to do the good stuff!

Don’t tell me jealousy is a sin… I have even found myself jealous of those who are never jealous! I don’t want to just BE like that – I want them to NOT BE like that!

Jealousy (at least mankind’s form of it) is a sin!

The solution… only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

The solution to sin and the temptation that sends us into its spiral?

One thing…

Turn Your eyes on Jesus… Look full in His wonderful face…

Are you a Martha or a Mary?

A tip for the party planner and party goer…

Don’t have wine WHINE at your pity-party!

Have Jesus…

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

 

 

 

 

 

 

Psalm 80:18-19 …Revive us, and we will call upon Your name. O Lord God of hosts, restore us; cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

“Revive”… to regain life, consciousness, or strength… (From the dictionary on my MacBook Air)

Exactly! THIS is what happened to me last night!

I was revived… I was restored… I was SAVED!

I went to church.

No I mean…

I WENT TO CHURCH in a movie theatre where I learned, prayed, and worshipped with thousands of brothers and sisters all across the country. I knew two people… the two gorgeous souls that I came with… but I felt connected – unified – in love with ALL those attending this live family event.

“Revive 2016” hosted by Kirk Cameron… we called upon the name of our Lord God and His face shone upon us.

“Revive 2016″… teaching and training from the Word of God, prayer, and praise through music… we did it all and we were indeed revived.

Revived in order to face the truth…

Revived in order to face our calling…

Revived in order to face our God.

This world we live in wants to put us in a deep deep coma, desensitizing us to the evil surrounding us. When that doesn’t work, and our modern day prophets declare God’s Words and prepare us for battle, the world declares all of us useless and “deplorable”.  We cry out to God to “Fix our mess”, but are unwilling and fearful of getting involved in His fix. “Oh but I don’t want all that hate directed at me!

Last night I was reminded that it’s not just me. I am in an army! The army of God’s people who are called by His name…  

Last night I was reminded of the battle plan…

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

If we will come together and pray…

If we will seek His face…

If we will turn from our wicked ways…

Together we will be UNSTOPPABLE because God will… let me just say that louder – GOD WILL… hear from heaven, will forgive our sin and will heal our land!

I was revived last night. I was restored last night. And I was SAVED last night. I was saved from giving up and giving in to a world that wants to declare victory for our enemy (who is not flesh and blood – see Ephesians 6:12).

“Revive 2016” reminds us that our enemy doesn’t win… the world doesn’t win… unbelievers don’t win…

“Revive 2016” reminds us that God wins!

And God… our God… our loving and merciful and gracious Abba, God… wants us to join Him in victory.

And together, as Kirk Cameron says, “Together we are unstoppable!”

Oh, and by the way, it’s being shown again on Monday, the 24th. If it is at all possible, I HIGHLY recommend you find a participating theatre near you and join us all in our little family church gathering.

O, Lord… He WILL revive you!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible

Isaiah 58:6-7 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Today is Yom Kippur… one of the most important feasts of the Jewish year. Traditionally, it is the Day of Atonement (covering, canceling, pardon, reconciling). The day when the Book of Life,  which has been opened ten days ago for God to write His verdict of our life, is closed for this year. Today begins with fasting in order to TURN our eyes and hearts to God on His throne, that we might see… confess… repent… and be reconciled before He closes and seals the Book of Life for the year.

This is the day we have our most candid conversations with our Creator – the only One qualified to assess the days of our lives and give the verdict for what was, what is and what will come.

Isaiah 58:9 “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, 

For some, this is the day to stand, waiting for the sentencing of the Judge. To these poor souls, the song “I Did it My Way” is their life choice, there is no need for fasting or even a conference with God (IF He exists) as it will change nothing because independence is their chosen yoke. There is only one relationship worthy to be called priority in a life such as this – well maybe three relationships – me, myself, and I…

For the rest of us, who suspect that OUR way may not end well, we have been given the opportunity be yoked with God, Himself.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 

Israel, God’s first possession and the family we Gentiles have been grafted into, was given Rosh Hashanah (Days of Awe) – 10 days to celebrate the “New Year” of being written in God’s Book of Life, with Yom Kippur being given as the last day. Though this day (Yom Kippur) is a day of God’s assessment (judgment) of a life being lived, this day is to be seen as a day of celebration… a time to come boldly to God’s Throne Room… expecting love not punishment!

A Time Such as This… God’s revelation of His Will… from corporate celebration (a new year of Rosh Hashanah) to an individual face-to-face celebration (fast of Yom Kippur) with the One who created us and is at work in us.

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 

I am not a Jew who is called by God to observe the feasts He put in place, I am grafted in (Jews who believe that Yeshua is the Messiah are sometimes called “Completed Jews – I like to call myself a “Completed Gentile”) and yoked to God by the death and resurrection of His Son – our Lord Jesus (Yeshua)!

Therefor… I, like my Jewish brothers and sisters, am called to observe God’s appointed times… 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 

I am called to observe and remember… “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.” (Deuteronomy 5:1).

The “completion” difference… we  are called to observe them daily!

My Rosh Hashanah (the opening of my book of life) and my Yom Kippur (the sealing of my book of life) took place when I observed and remembered and gave myself to Jesus, who became my full covering, canceling, pardon, and reconciliation with God our Father.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

A new year… A new creation…

I celebrate EVERYDAY and ENTER God’s Throne Room for His assessment and training up through our face to face conversations (sometimes referred to as prayer).

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

For such a time as this… When you KNOW Jesus… EVERYDAY is a Day of Awe!

Isaiah 58:11-12 “And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.”

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible

 

Leviticus 19:17-18 ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. 

I heard a lady on a video the other day, talking with Jesse Lee Petersen – a wonderful man of God – who was trying to reason with her about the consequences of the evil of hate. She vehemently declared that she didn’t hate anyone BUT she approved of the organization that promoted violence to win at all cost. She had judged herself and them as being on the RIGHT side and therefore qualified to be judge and jury of everyone else. She was very passionate about the need to STAND UP FOR JUSTICE but failed to see this form of justice (vengeance of the self-appointed jury) was the very evil she was proclaiming justified the violence and caused them to riot.

Unfortunately… Hatred masked as justice is still hatred. Hatred masked as the majority group think (moral or otherwise) is still hatred. Hatred turned in retaliation for hatred, is vengeance… explainable and understandable but still… unauthorized by God!

There are those who believe that if we can PROVE our sincerity, we are declared righteous. Our hatred is justified and therefore we can willfully sin and it not be counted as sin.

I really “hate” to be the bearer of bad news… but… the only place sin is honored and the sinner celebrated is hell. And, the only person who loves hatred in any form is Satan. Now, if you think you are going to find justice with Him, you do not know evil! 1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. There is an enemy… and he isn’t flesh and blood our fellow man/woman. Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

We are a creation made with feelings and a sensory ability that without discipline can overload and self destruct. We do struggle, all of us, trying to maintain the balance, because love is so strong and full of fire, sometimes it can appear equal to hate, in its strength and power and commitment.

We get so caught up in our passion for truth and justice, that we do not recognize when it begins to be fueled by anger instead of love and peace . If left unattended, anger burns and blinds the eyes, when we no longer see clearly, our adversary steps in with his hatred to replace what started out as speaking the truth and standing up for the good of all.

God says… Ephesians 4:26-27 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. 

As Leviticus says in the first Scripture of the blog… you may surely reprove your neighbor… none of us (not one) are perfect and never need reproof and correction!

BUT… You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart… You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself!

And then comes the most important verse of all… BECAUSE… I am the Lord!

This is the will of God. If we do not obey His command to love, we sin.

Joshua 24:15 … choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living

Our choice today… god of hate – Satan.

Or our God… who so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:16) 

Maybe our problem today is our description of love and hate…

Or maybe its thinking that our words are magic… ignore the man behind the curtain saying one thing and doing another!

We definitely water down the meaning of most of our words in today’s way of life. And, if we don’t like the “feeling” we get when something is brought to our attention, we try to shut the mouth of the person saying it by making them cast-outs from the crowd of people (MY KIND of people) who know so much more and are better able to decide these things.

Rather than dealing with the lies residing in our own heads and hearts, we prefer to make others the scapegoat or deflect the attention on some other issue that caused the mistake (definitely not sin) I may have made but for all the right reasons.

We do desperately need to return to speaking the truth in love…

Ephesians 4:14-15 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

Grow up… now that’s something many of us never want to do…

We need to view ourselves and others through the spoken truth – the Word of God.

1 John 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 

Usually we only speak about what love looks like at a wedding, insinuating that LOVE is something only for the married couple. The truth is, if you cannot love outside of marriage you cannot love inside of marriage. Love looks the same inside and out.

Love isn’t defined by how YOU feel. Love is defined by what YOU do.

It is not deserved, it is given as a gift…

It is not used as a weapon of manipulation, it is used to build up…

There are not varying degrees… there is no “but” following the declaration of love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails…

Hate promotes and depends on fear.

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. 

The lady I heard say that violence is sometimes justified, obviously does not think it would ever be justified against her and her friends and family. I would imagine she would call it HATE should someone support such actions against her. And you know what… I would call it hate also!

But hate isn’t because of ______________ (fill in the blank) something you do, or something you are, or something you wear, or even something you’ve said or done that you shouldn’t have said or done.

Hate is because it’s author is Satan. It is evil!

The law can sometimes reign hatred in by judging the acts resulting from it, but the only thing that will destroy hate is love!

Love, not proved by getting everything we desire, but love proven by everything we give to God and others.

Satan is waiting to devour us…

God is training us to love…

Matthew 22:35-39 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Hate or Love? Can never be both and can never be without assessable action (words are great but action is the proof of our words).

If we all just stopped for one moment and asked ourselves which outcome would be the most beneficial for ourselves and others, which would be the smartest to choose?

Then we would know which should we give our passion too?

Which will I give my passion to? Which will you?

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible

 

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

He’s making children!

Not people who can “handle things”…

Don’t you hate it when you are in the midst of the worst suffering and turmoil of your life, and someone, offering sympathy, says, “God does not give anyone more than they can handle!”

Yeah! Say that the next time YOU are in the midst of a Tsunami threatening to take it from you.

Ok… I’ll admit it… I too thought this useless phrase sounded like hope. I thought that hearing this would be a God-sized life vest I could throw to those drowning in the pain and suffering of life. I thought so… until I was in a Tsunami… until I felt pain I could not begin to handle alone!

More than I can handle? Where does this come from? Shouldn’t I be PROUD that I am tough enough to handle these things? Should I be judged if I am not? And, if God has already decided I should be able to handle this, why should I pray about it? Shouldn’t I just “Buck UP” and “DEAL”?

To be fair, most people do not mean to be MEAN or uncaring. And most do not wish to discourage us from seeking God. Most are only trying to “fix” the problem… to help!

For those I tried to fix in my immaturity… I humbly beg your forgiveness.

For those who gave me grace and mercy when it was my turn to learn… thank you for showing me Jesus! (John 8:32 “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”)

Did you know that Scripture does not tell us that God is a faraway participant who plays with us like someone playing a game on a mobile device. He created us in His image but He does not make us Him. He gives us weapons and ways to withstand the evil in our world, but not so that we fight while He watches the battle. He gives us gifts and blessings that we might love and serve each other but not while He lounges by the pool and drinks cocktails.

He IS God, so He can and will choose what He will… Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

He IS love, and He chooses love… Matthew 7:9-11 Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish , he will give him a snake, will he? If then you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?

So, where does this idea that God gives us trouble then leaves us to figure it out come from?

There is a Scripture that says…

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 

Now, I’m not saying that temptation doesn’t come without it’s own brand of pain and suffering. Our enemy does indeed want us to think that we will SURELY DIE if we have to deny ourselves something that is CLEARLY WONDERFUL and will make us HAPPY… HEALTHY… and WISE! (Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.)

But… temptation is not the same thing as the terrible things that can and do happen to us in this world. Temptation is something we MUST handle for it requires a CHOICE. The most awesome and glorious gift God has ever given mankind, the gift that elevated man/woman to a position above the angels, is FREE WILL. Made in God’s image, we have the ability to think and then choose who, what, where, when, and how and why we will take and use God’s image as our own. We are indeed made in the image of God, able to choose and required to choose, whom we will love, and therefor serve.

Though sickness, or pain, or trauma, may “tempt” us to doubt God’s love for us, it is not the same as the temptation spoken of in the above Scripture, the temptation to willfully dethrone God from our lives and the lives of others.

God, willingly and with full knowledge gave us this option by giving us FREE WILL. Because it is a gift of God, He will never take it away or interfere with our use of it.  Free Will is truly the ultimate gift of love and thus allows the ultimate temptation – the rejection of such love.

When temptation (all temptation has but one goal – take God out of whatever is being considered) is present, a choice must be made and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Temptation requires YOU to choose, but God will not allow YOU to be given a choice you can not righteously make, and will provide you every reason to make the righteous choice. Our enemy, Satan, is the only one who hates us enough to try to take us away from our God who iS LOVE. Our way of escape, the way that we will be able to endure our enemy’s testing, the way that will always provide our way of escape… given to us by God, Himself… (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. )

So, yes, Scripture tells us that we must fight the enemy, but never alone!

We do have an enemy and it is NOT God! Whereas all temptation is to convince us to reject God and His love, God’s love for us and all of His creation is never CHANGED. Even when we fail in our battle to love God, He never fails to love us!

Yes, He confronts us when we are throwing a tantrum and threatening to run away from home because we cannot have our own way (see Job 38:3 “Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! for an example of telling everyone but God what you think…).

Yes, He trains us up in the way we should go which sometimes requires lessons of His strength. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 I (Paul), implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.) 

Yes, God allows things in our lives that do not make sense to us. But God… “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result” (see Genesis 50:19-20 –  Joseph’s response to a life completely different from his what he imagined)

 

But, in all this, God is not making Supermen and Superwomen to independently defeat every known and unknown enemy sent into our lives (sent by Satan – the REAL enemy!) for the purpose of defeating us and our God.

God is not our Personal Trainer… building muscles with which to fight every battle on our own.

God is making children… His children… who have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters… by which we cry out, “Abba! Father! (Romans 8:15)

I’ve changed… no more bootstrap living or advice giving… no more Superwoman physical therapy!

I say… let’s RUN to the One who IS SUPER…

I say… let’s take our every need – our every dream – our every hurt – our every temptation to Daddy…

Come on, I’ll cry out with you… Abba! Father! 

I say… it’s Family Time… Side by Side and Hand in Hand!

Come Lord, come!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible

 

 

Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Paul? Hadn’t laid hold of it yet? (If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Philippians 3:4-6)

Here I thought I was “getting it – on the fast track to graduation”. In comparison, I know nothing!

Discouraged? Heck no! It’s a good thing, no it’s essential that we see ourselves clearly. When we believe we have/we know/we are, everything we ever need, we have been taken to the wilderness by our enemy.

It is no coincidence that Jesus went there first… In order to defeat sin and death, Jesus had to be confronted by man’s nature (self-centered) and display the way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.)

Check it out…

Matthew 4:1-4… hungry – for food or anything else we feel we need. If we are the children of God… call it into existence!

Matthew 4:5-7… prove that you are the child of God… prove He cares!

Matthew 4:8-11… if you were mine, I wouldn’t deny you anything…

Every answer… ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’…“On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’… For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’… is about WHO GOD IS!

Every temptation is about us and an attempt to make us believe God has, or is, or will fail us. If we begin to believe our own press (what a PERFECT child I have become) we are in danger of turning our back on God and giving ourselves over to our worst enemy.

Think about it… Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, blameless as to the righteousness which is in the Law… he believed he was doing the highest work of God!

Then, he met Jesus. Acts 9:4-6 “Saul, Saul, why are  you persecuting me?… get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

Paul was schooled!

Philippians 3:7-11 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

And he learned! What he thought he knew… in his own words, he counts them but rubbish.

For a gain far greater than anything he might have derived from the Law… the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…  in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. In order that he will be ready… for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Paul, does not think he has laid hold of it yet… Why not? I brag and put on my laurel crown for a lot less than his resume.

Romans 7:14-20 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Yep, yep… perfect description of me!

Wretched woman that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Romans 7:24

Who? God, Himself! Romans 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Paul knows… Romans 8:18 For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Sufferings of this present time??? Dealing with ourselves!!!

Romans 8:22-23 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

Groaning… in labor… THIS is the definition of life on this side of heaven.

But God…

Romans 8:28-30 And we know that God causes all things to work for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, sos that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Groaning, labor, temptation, suffering, loss…

Romans 8:31-35 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (good question whose voice are you hearing?) He who did not spare His own son, but delivered Him over for us , how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies, who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Paul has the perfect response… forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  

PRESS ON toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Our response to every temptation to take over and do it our way…

BE CONVINCED… that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

PRESS ON… and lean in… we’re heading to glory! And not only this… Get ready for the ride of your life… God is good all the time!

And all the time… GOD IS GOOD!!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible