Side by Side Hand in Hand

Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Psalm 139:8-10 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Psalm 139:11-12 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

I played Hide and Seek with God for a lot of years. Now, 36 years later, I shake my head in wonder just thinking about the childish arrogance that believed I was winning my game.

All I had to do was cover my eyes and God disappeared…

Like an imaginary friend, I believed He existed ONLY when I wanted to play. I would become angry when He wouldn’t play. The worst hissy fit came when He wouldn’t play by MY rules and began to show me it wasn’t a game at all.

“Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

It is cute when a baby discovers they have a certain power over these “all-powerful useful people” called parents. The little guy can make the big guy smile, laugh, cry, play, worry… for a short time in life we do have the nuclear button at our beck and call.

And then…

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.

It’s time to grow up… It is time to learn the hardest truth of every life that has been allowed to breathe…

WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL!

But… learning the truth and living in agreement with the truth are not the same event.

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; (1 Corinthians 13:11)…

Ready or not here I come! Ready or not… life happens!

And thus begins the game of hide and seek. I believe the PRIZE we compete for is… the throne… godship over our world and all who would venture into it. This is what we seek…

What do we hide from?

The ultimate truth… God IS and we are not Him!

Whether we deny or believe, that which is known about God is evident within us; for God made it evident to us. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made (Romans 2:19-20)

Fortunately for mankind God IS love and 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 13:4-7)

Relatively speaking, when one is loved like this, who doesn’t begin to BELIEVE that it is ALL about ME and NOT about the LOVER. We begin in a womb that provides the quiet sanctuary for 1 cell me to multiply and become the whole me. I didn’t see anyone doing that FOR me…

In our childish imagination we set out to conquer the noisy, somewhat cold and often hurtful environment we were so rudely pushed into. At all costs we must return to the place where we can keep becoming the whole god – it’s just a matter of time.

I admit, in our imagination, it FEELS like the greatest mission in life. We even carve out weapons of manipulation that give the illusion of power and might. We may even be creative enough to build a kingdom that appears to be sustained by my every whim, everything that is relative to ME.

But… ready or not here comes life! For every bubble built… there is an appointed time for it to burst!

From our childish perspective, anyone who participates in bursting our bubble is our enemy. We are wrong…

The TRUTH is not our enemy. The fact that we are NOT in control is the truth that will set us FREE…  You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32).

Our bondage comes when we determine to build our “life” upon anything other than the truth.

Thirty six years ago I “found” the TRUTH I was hiding from.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

The part that took me awhile… the part that I attempted to manipulate… the part that resulted in a useless hissy fit…

The Truth doesn’t play by MY rules… Truth, and the freedom it supplies, must be lived in agreement (unity) with it.  I must choose to abdicate my throne and serve the One True King. I must learn to live in unity with His rule.

His rule – His authority as Creator over my life, is the thing I spend my life loving and hating and seeking and hiding from all the days I have on this earth.

My better days are those that I stop hiding and seek Him (He is not hiding!)

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 

My BEST days are still to come… when I am fully grown and stop playing my childish games…

Jeremiah 29:14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

Probably awhile to go before I get there…

But until then… If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

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

 

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; 

Remember your first tantrum? Probably not as they usually take place when a child learns about that evil word “NO”!

For most of us it (the tantrum) was triggered by being kept from our mobile investigation of anything on the path of immediate gratification. Without awareness of, or respect for danger, we PURSUE immediate gratification so as to FEAST on the fruit of our insatiable hunger for happiness (whatever that means in the moment).

It is in our human nature to both explore our world and taste of its fruit. It is also in our nature to HATE any and all limitations – natural and/or artificially governed by outside sources – that stand in our way.

I don’t remember my own tantrums (don’t want to remember those I’ve thrown in the last few days). However, being a mom, I’ve witnessed my children, creatively following in my footsteps. Being the age I am, I’ve also witnessed or read about historical tantrum events that some might call breath-taking.

As a parent, these hissy fits of “But I NEED!” are somewhat adorable in their attempt to control their world, as they know it should be. Alas, as a parent, one knows that adorable gets moldy, and smells to high heaven, when not packaged properly… it can even cause debilitating sickness, causing the victim to be unable to process the realities of life.

Once my children declared their knowledge (by the cutting of their eyes toward me and what I asked of them) of the choice they felt they had, tantrums of any sort were no longer tolerated. If they insisted upon telling/showing me their disapproval with noisy threats and angry disparagement of my parental skills, I ended the war with solitary confinement until such time as we could engage in peaceful understanding of the rules of law that THIS HOUSE (my house) operates under.

Simple… NO!

Bloody… NEVER!

Painful… ALWAYS! For parent and child!

There is nothing more heartbreaking (God KNOWS), than hearing your child spew hatred toward you and what you have worked to provide. Most of these moments are nothing but smoke – gone the minute reason returns – unfortunately, in the real world we live in, it is possible that this childhood hatred both lives on and flourishes in those children and/or households who refuse to grow out of hate and into 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.

In our world, hatred does happen. No longer is the attempt to demand, manipulate, or bully our way into ruling our world, even remotely cute or understandable. What was once childishness, left unchecked can and often does morph into evil.

EVIL HURTS! Heartbreaking doesn’t even begin to describe the pain and suffering it intends toward its victims.

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. 

Our childish tantrums are not evil… they are human. But… our childish tantrums give our enemy the opening through which he can send in his minions of war criminals. And this, my fellow siblings, is the REASON it is imperative that we SHUT DOWN the evil’s doorway (tantrum throwing) and GROW INTO love.

The love of God… our Creator who knows the plans that He has for us, – plans for welfare and not for calamity – plans to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

The Art of Throwing a Tantrum begins with the enemy teaching us to look for a desire yet unfulfilled… Eve “saw” that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise (Genesis 3:4) A desire that any “reasonable” person would pursue!

The Art of Throwing a Tantrum knows that the desire is not only unfulfilled it is restricted. Eve knew what God said (so did Satan by the way!), and clearly they were living the GOOD LIFE. It wasn’t a question (excuse) of NEED.

The Are of Throwing a Tantrum hinges on dedication to the authority of one’s life… “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15)

Please note that Eve never intended to give authority to Satan. Much like the rest of us, Eve was really only considering her own assessment. She never contemplated the consequences of disobeying the rule of law… God’s law.

The Art of Throwing a Tantrum must never consider consequences. IF there are consequences, and IF they are enforced, and IF they cannot be avoided, we can always attempt to sway the verdict by bringing it before the court of public opinion. But in order to WIN the fight, we must push through fear and confront the disagreeable nay sayer with, “I’ll show you!” action.

And then comes… REALITY.

REAL (mostly unwelcome) CONSEQUENCES.

If the consequences of throwing a tantrum were suffered only by the thrower of the tantrum, we would all readily and summarily witness the earned discipline and move on with our lives, hoping that the perpetrator has indeed given up the study of this art form.

Unfortunately, disobeying the rule of law (even when we escape the immediate discipline), has far-reaching ripples that effect our entire world… for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption (Romans 8:20-21). Disobedience ALWAYS ruins the peace and enjoyment of a household… even this household called earth.

I guess there must be many excuses for throwing a grand hissy fit in today’s world. And, I am definitely not saying there isn’t ever a time to unite against an enemy intent upon causing disruption and destruction. However, in hindsight, I wonder if Eve would still believe her assessment and action was worth letting evil have a place in their world.

When we look at our own assessment of what should be, and we choose who we will serve to make it happen… when we throw our tantrums over  a small piece of the fruit (our right to maybe do something, sometime, when and if we want to), instead of seeking to end evil’s reign of terror in our neighbor’s not so blessed land… when we look back will we be proud to say we did it our way?

Will our apple be WORTH the cost of the eating?

Some may laugh at the idea that an apple caused our fall from paradise. I would just remind them that the apple didn’t cause anything, the disregard for the Creator (who gets to make the rules) and the choice to disobey caused the fall.

Some, unfortunately do not recognize the Creator and therefore His right to rule. But none can dispute that there is evil that goes on in this world… where did it come from? And, none can dispute that most, if not all, of the evil, is carried by the hands of a human being who was born and raised just like all of us.

This last weekend, while I watched my sisterhood gather together to be as nasty, no nastier than those they believed wanted to take away their “fruit” (the right to decide what happens in my body) called abortion, I saw a picture of four other members of our sisterhood, in another country, sitting with chains (held by the average terrorist male) waiting to be sold. Their worth sometimes being calculated for a mere pack of cigarettes.  I wonder what their terrorist would have said if they started chanting about their rights to their own bodies.

Both, the women believing and bragging that nasty was the way to show their authority and the men who thought so little of another human being’s dignity, have one source – one cause for such display… evil!

Evil wishes to destroy all that is God declared was “Good’ when He created. Evil laughs when it degrades God’s creation. Jesus wept…

Siblings… we must grow up.

We must throw away our desire to manipulate, bully, and demand our way and ONLY our way.

We must STOP practicing The Art of Throwing a Tantrum…

We must… Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31)

We must begin to practice The Art of Throwing a Love Tantrum!

Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

God’s Word tells us that LOVE NEVER FAILS! (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Oh, and by the way… His Word NEVER returns void! (Isaiah 55:11)

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

 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Once Upon a Time… Such were some of you… 

and me… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

But… you were washed – you were sanctified – you were justified

If… you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10)

Change… from unrighteous

To…

 

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Through nothing we have done… through nothing we have deserved… through nothing we can offer…

We are changed!

Therefore… from now on we recognize NO ONE according to the flesh; (saint or sinner) … if anyone is in Christ, HE IS a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5;16-17)

It all seems soooo EASY… It all seems sooooo IMPOSSIBLE… It all seems sooooo MAGICAL… sooooo Bewitching…

Galatians 3:1-3 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

We begin to believe that WE are the author and perfecter of our faith. We begin to believe that WE have become experts in SIN(and sinners) DETECTION.

We begin to believe we were NEVER Once Upon A Time like THOSE PEOPLE!

We become JUDGES instead of PRIESTS! We become LEGAL EXPERTS at what is or is not the “proper” works of the Law instead of PROCLAIMERS of the excellencies of Him who has called you.

We do indeed live in a world that specializes in judgement. There isn’t a moment when we are not being told the lies of our enemy that we not only have a RIGHT to judge but we are HIGHLY QUALIFIED!

Genesis 3:4-5 “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good from evil.”

We are tempted!

Did you know that being tempted is NOT a sin… at least not OUR sin.

We have an enemy and he is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) In every area, in every venue he is actively pursuing hatred of God and hatred of each other. He encourages accusations because he IS the accuser of the brethren.

We are tempted to become an accuser like him! We are tempted to make ourselves a “higher” creation by tearing down God’s greatest creation – our fellow human.

We are tempted to answer his call to war by retaliating with his kind of weaponry.

We try to legitimize the temptation (like Eve) by seeing the VALUE of it… good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that it was desirable to make one wise (Genesis 3:4)

Once Upon A Time we could have easily justified EATING OF THE FRUIT of temptation.

But now… it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)

We desperately need to let God work!

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. 

Once Upon A Time we FOUGHT God like some in our world do today. Once Upon A Time we were one of them… the worst of the worst… destined for eternal destruction.

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. 

Surely, the world still operates the same old way, but inside us new things have come… a new name… CHILD OF GOD!

We have been set free from the old things! But we still live in our Once Upon A Time world that is hurtling toward destruction.

We cannot escape the violence and hatred, we cannot ignore the devastation happening around us.

We have no right to judge, though it is a human trait to try to find the cause of our misery and destroy it before it destroys us. But I ask you, what exactly does judging accomplish?

Does it promote unity which will allow us to join together in building up rather than tearing down?

Does it keep evil away? Not even for a minute!

Does judgement fulfill anything except a momentary desire to pound the gavel so that we might pretend to be in control?

We are far from the rule of law in our country, which is meant to produce safety and peace and freedom. We are a country built on freedom – freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. I am ALL IN!

I believe in the law… but… I believe there is only ONE LAW by which we can learn the art of living abundantly for now and eternity… the law of LOVE! Not the human brand – the  “Idiot’s Guide to Love”. God’s love!

John 3:16-19 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.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son go God. This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light

We, who are saved by Jesus, and have become children of God, have to live in this playground of bullying and bullies. Once Upon A Time we were the bullies doing the bullying… but today, the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 

I bet you know some people who are just like you were – Once Upon A Time! I bet some are even your neighbors!

Once Upon A Time you might have hated them…

Today, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18)

New things have come… it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13)

Our Once Upon A Time has now become… A Time Such As This…

God doing His work in each of His possessions!

There is a training manual for playing the game of life His Way… it’s called the Bible.

But don’t try life-training by yourself! Join all of God’s children for Family Game Day/Night, happening now in His Throne Room… “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:19)

Not a minute of time spent in the presence of God will be waisted. Whether for conversation, training or communion, God’s Words spoken into our lives by Him, will ALWAYS accomplish what He sends them to do!

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

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

ANOTHER epiphany! I feel like my 2017 mantra is, “I didn’t know that!” or “That’s not what I was taught!”…

Is there such a thing as too much joy?

The other night, as I was preparing to close my eyes for the night, I was thanking God for the day. It happened to be the same evening as the Divine Appointment my daughter and I have scheduled every Sunday and Wednesday. It is a time when we go before our Abba together, to pray for those needs and people the Holy Spirit puts in our head (and our hearts) to speak to Daddy about. It is indeed a Divine Appointment that we share with all His other children with Jesus walking among us.

I was thanking God for Nikki and for our time with Him. I was thanking Him for this opportunity that I am so not qualified for. I was thanking Him for… HIM… a GOOD GOOD Father, for JESUS… our Righteousness, and for the Holy Spirit… who dwells in us and seals us with the covenant of The Three that cannot be broken. I was thanking Him for this thing we call prayer.

Is there such a thing as too much joy?

I have been taught the holiness of prayer… be serious… this is the stuff of WORSHIP! We are approaching the God who is so holy, Moses would have died if God had not protected Him from seeing His face. We are in the house of our holy God who speaks and things happen!

I have been taught the verbiage of prayer… one must ask for the “right” thing, with the right “tone”, in order to be assured they will “get” the right answer!

I have been taught what the results of prayer should be… of course always from the perspective of a “mature” Christian – NOT the heart of a child who desperately wants her own way!

In other words, I was DOING the PRAYER THING, getting ready to put my day away!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear… 

No, not reindeer and Santa… that was two weeks ago.

Before the eyes of my heart, a vision of healing took place. My healing.

I didn’t “pray” for it… I wouldn’t have known (much less admitted) that I “needed” healing.

I wasn’t medically sick, although in hindsight what I had was THE MOST terrible disease of our humanness, a disease which would indeed kill any and all joy. I had an WEARY with bitterness and unforgiveness. I was HEAVY LADEN with the idea that someone had treated me badly – details forgotten but I”m sure it was REALLY BAD!

I have been taught that we should never approach prayer with such an attitude (also called SIN). In hindsight… I was definitely NOT prepared to enter the Throne Room nor dressed appropriately – my robes of white had gotten dirty in this playground I call home.

But God…

Jesus said… “Come to Me” 

All… and I CAME.

Weary and heavy-laden… junk and all!

Is there such a thing as too much joy?

As I laid in bed, in the midst of thanksgiving, I WAS HEALED!

And I knew…

God’s Throne Room is the place to go WHENEVER there is a need… WHOMEVER has the need… WHATEVER the need is… HOWEVER the needy can get there!

I have always worried that I would not know what to ask for and how to ask. Often I have depended upon the Holy Spirit to do my praying for me… In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.(Romans 8:26-27)

Yes, Scripture tells us to… ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)

But… my head doubts what my heart longs for… do I even know what I long for?

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

My heart longs for REST!

Rest for my soul…

This is what is found in God’s Throne Room.

Will I always get my request? YES!

Maybe not my way… or to my liking!

Luke 11:11-13 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” 

God ALWAYS gives the PERFECT gift! The one(s) we NEED most of all! When God speaks His life into us, His word will NEVER return void…

Isaiah 55:10-11 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 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.”

I went to the Throne Room with lots of requests, never imagining I needed healing. When the Holy Spirit gave me the vision of that healing, I knew that I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer!

It is Throne Room Time… “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden”… Nikki and I will see you there!

And FYI… THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH JOY!!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 12:1-8 And He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine-press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 

I believe, deep down inside we KNOW the truth. We know we have done, are doing, and will do ANYTHING to attempt escape from the  consequences of living our lie.

Since Adam, every human (except Jesus) has been born with his spiritual DNA which proclaims our self-righteousness. Without God, we will choose the path that proclaims our need and therefore our innocence, toward whatever sin it takes to accomplish the filling of our deep, deep desire for satisfaction.

We KNOW… but NO ONE ELSE can know, for then I might be judged for the sin and MY golden goose of wealth and power and happiness might be taken away.

We KNOW the TRUTH… but if it were not for the MESSENGER(s) of righteousness  we could KEEP OUR SIN(s) SECRET!

From day one of our sin, we refuse to give it up (because how then will we ever be satisfied?), and we revert to inventing and honing our Standard Operating Procedures manual, to say and do everything BUT give it up.

Some of us focus on killing the message…

In our day and age (not much different than Adam who said, “The woman YOU gave me”), we use innuendo and just a dash of “truth” to PROVE the message untrue and worthless. If those around me are truly our friends they will WANT TO BELIEVE and therefore will JOIN OUR CAUSE to spread the news. Should anyone argue, group think will isolate and bury the arguments in the fine art of “putting lipstick on the pig”… the pig of lies.

In our Scripture, Jesus is telling a parable that shows what happens when killing the message no longer works. We WILL “tweak” our SOP manual (Standard Operating Procedure)… we WILL begin KILLING THE MESSENGER…

“A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine-press and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.

THE TRUTH! We don’t OWN the vineyard! God owns the creation of and publishing rights to us. For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13)

GOD did all the heavy lifting of building each and every one of us. GOD put the vat in our life to make, catch, and store the wine HE intended on producing. GOD built a strong tower (Himself) to watch over His vineyard and then HE… GOD rented it out to us by giving us the lease called FREE-WILL. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. (Psalm 139:16)

Unfortunately, free-will (ability/responsibility to choose) doesn’t take away the lease price – the care and planting and harvesting of the fruit and most of all the SHARING of the produce with the TRUE OWNER of the vineyard. Free-will doesn’t negate the wages of the choices we make… the judgement… we might call these wages, the consequences of grape-vine growing.

We celebrate the crops of glorious fruit and maybe even get drunk on the idea that we accomplish ALL OF THIS on our own. We begin to think that we CAN HAVE IT ALL so we choose to delay the consequences/wages of our lives… At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers.

We KNOW when our fruit isn’t good and/or we KNOW when it is too wonderful to part with (in our opinion)… They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others.

We choose to KILL THE MESSENGER! Over and over again…

God pursues His beloved vine-growers and we beat His couriers and send them away empty-handed and wound them and treat them shamefully and even kill them.

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

What do we do?

He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 

Still today… there are those who believe that if we can KILL GOD, we inherit the world!

We KNOW the truth… Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.

We act as if we have no part in the killing of the messenger. We blame the Jews and Romans for killing the messenger (the owner’s son). We try kill the message of our guilt… we try to turn our backs on the messenger as if HE DOES NOT EXIST… ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

THANK GOD that He had one more to send.

THANK GOD that He sent His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON and not just a parable of His Son!

THANK GOD… for today.

Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means “God with us.”

GOD WITH US…

God has NEVER given up on us!

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin (abandoning the owner of our lease) is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rather than KILLING THE MESSENGER… let us run to Him and abide in Him… let us produce His fruit in the vineyard we lease.

Let our MESSAGE, pressed from the fruit of His life in us, make the PERFECT WINE and only the PERFECT WINE, to be stored in the heart of our wine cellar…

Let us make a NEW SOP… let us celebrate the good news of great joy!

OUR SAVIOR LIVES!! The REASON for this season… Have a JOYFUL Christmas!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this reason… Ephesians 3:14-19 I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

It’s not that I don’t want to pray for people…

But…

There is NEVER enough time in the day for everything that needs doing! There are TOO MANY NEEDS to pray about! There are NO WORDS to guarantee the desired outcome! And finally, WHO AM I to decide what someone needs or doesn’t need?

Don’t get me wrong… I love my time in God’s Throne Room. I feel privileged to be given a seat at Jesus’ feet and I know that every person God brings into my “space of influence” is a gift I should treat with SPECIAL CARE.

But…

I am at a loss for words and confidence when I pray for requests I have been given to take and lay at heaven’s altar. Not that I shouldn’t stand in the gap with my fellow countrymen of this earthly travail… there are times that REQUIRE as many “army buddies” one can get to DO the TURTLE FORMATION (shields up and circle formed to protect from fiery arrows coming upon us). Ezekiel 22:30 “I searched for a man among them who would build up a wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land… but I found no one.”

Most times the need is to protect from our enemy but sometimes… maybe a lot of times… the need is to protect from ourselves – our plans and desires that put us in real danger of closing ourselves off from our REAL Protector – God, who does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance… 2 Peter 3:9.

Then there are those requests for prayer, where the person is not asking for standing in the gap WITH them, they are asking for you to stand IN PLACE OF them! Not necessarily alone if they have asked several people to pray, but definitely without them. Some think that their voice won’t be heard by God (judged by the answer they didn’t want), or some find it just to risky to ask, for fear they will not get what they need want.

Barring the compliment (??) that my warrior prayers are more apt to be heard and fulfilled, I HESITATE to stand before God with requests I SUSPECT should only be COMMUNICATED and ANSWERED between Father and Child (maybe even a “wrestling match” between the two now and then)!

Please note that I am NO WHERE NEAR the expert on prayer delegation. I’m just an amateur, who shakes in her boots with IMPORTANT requests and messages contained in the bag I pack for my visit to the throne Room.

So… in order to do the “job” WELL…

I CLAIM a favorite prayer of the apostle Paul… not for purposes of plagiarism in order to have the RIGHT WORDS… but I claim them because they are GOD”S WILL for His possession and therefore will NEVER RETURN VOID!

I bow my knees before the Father… if you are asking me to pray honey, THIS is WHO I RUN TO!

From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name… He KNOWS your name and He’s GOT YOUR NUMBER (the very hairs on your head!)!

He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith… I don’t care who you are! THIS right here is EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER NEED!

That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, (P.S. you have to COME to the Throne Room often for this knowledge – NO SUBSTITUTION for class participation!) that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God… Talk about an answer to prayer! IF you know this… than YOU KNOW there is NOTHING… neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, or depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus… (Romans 8:38-39)

I think I have found the PERFECT PRAYER…

Oh, Lord God, our loving ABBA… grant that I, and my precious, precious gift you have given me (fill in any name with any request I have been asked to pray for) may be able to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ. That both of us… along with ALL YOUR SAINTS… will be rooted and grounded in love. So that in all these things (needs/wants/whatever) we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:39)

I’m soooo excited!!!!!!

I found the prayer that answers all my (and everyone’s) concerns, needs, wants, emergencies… I can go to the Throne Room now with joy instead of trepidation for those who I am partnering in prayer with!

My only question now is… Do I HAVE TO TELL THEM I may be changing the wording of their requests just a little?

Or… is all they need to know SOMEONE’S PRAYING…????

LET’S PRAY!

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

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