Colossians 2:2-3 "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Have you been to camp lately? I haven't and was a little surprised as I looked up at the highway sign and read a familiar name, one I see daily, Camp Wisdom. The Lord spoke to me clearly and said, "all My children need to attend this camp".
I know we all, especially as we get up in age, think we have a lot of wisdom, but I have found that I only have begun to know the wisdom of the Lord. What I have realized is that for the first part of my intimate walk with the Lord, He spent a lot of time unlearning me of the things I thought were His Word, His ways. Those things I learned through religion, and in the world. Our ways are not His ways. We can only assume to know His ways until, unless, we call on Him and submit to Him completely. Until that time we will never truly gain wisdom and knowledge.
Seek - Wait - Find are the words the Lord gave to me concerning the wisdom camp.
We must seek the Lord with all our hearts, putting aside all thoughts of self, our own desires and wants and completely dedicate ourselves to knowing the Lord. I looked up the definitions for wisdom and knowledge in Webster's and this is what I found, it was so interesting. One of the definitions for knowledge was "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association". One for wisdom was "the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships". To gain knowledge we must be familiar with that person through experience with them or association with them. Wisdom is to be able to discern, to know their inner qualities through an experience or association with them. So in order to gain knowledge or wisdom of our God, we must spend time with Him, quality time. So it is of utmost importance that we seek the Lord, without reservation, without thought to anything but seeking Him, desiring to be with Him, to learn from His own heart what He is like, who He truly is.
Wait - here is where so many of us lose the battle; we seek and then we are to wait. Wait on the Lord for His perfect time. As we wait on Him, for those words from His heart to instruct us in His ways, He develops us in ways that we need in order to truly serve Him. We need to be willing to wait on the Lord no matter how long something takes. The Lord has reasons for having us wait different times, some things will come to us right away, some things take a good while, but the Lord's time is perfect. He knows what we need, what we can handle and just what it will take for us to get His will into our spirits, into our hearts. So we wait, and as we wait, He shows us more and more of His love, His sweet joy and His beautiful peace, we learn more of His heart.
The day comes, the glorious day comes, when we Find what we have longed for. The wisdom comes flooding into us as we find that we have become so close to the Creator of our lives, the Lover of our souls, that we can feel His heart beating as one with ours. We find that with this new wisdom, knowledge pours into us as we read His Word, as we minister to others, discernment comes from the Lord as to their true needs, and love pours through us to them. Our prayers become strengthened, and effective. Our beautiful prayer language flows from us constantly as we know that the Holy Spirit is communicating in a direct line straight to the Father's throne. We can feel the flow of language between the Spirit and the Father and the answers flow down to us, giving us the mercy and grace we were seeking, the results that we prayed for.
Knowledge and wisdom comes from a true, deep, honest relationship with the Lord, our Father, when we seek to know Him, to know His heart, to commit ourselves to Him to have His will done in our life. When we desire to spent time with Him, giving Him all our love, worshiping Him for just Who He is, our Beloved Father.
You are wondering if this camp is expensive? No, the tuition has been paid in full. Our Savior paid the price at Calvary, completely, when He shed His blood to redeem us and give us access to the Father, to have this beautiful relationship with Him. There is a complete road map available to all that wish to attend.......the Word of God gives all the directions, all the encouragement to keep on the right road, and it tells of the rewards of finding wisdom and knowledge of our God.
03-14-12
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
THERE REALLY IS.....NO PLACE LIKE HOME
John 14:23 "Jesus replied, "if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."
This evening on the way home from work, I was talking with the Lord and asking if there was something special He had for me to write tonight. There is always something He has for me, He just gives it to me at different times. Sometimes I have it in the morning, sometimes later in the day, and sometimes I sit at my computer and wait on Him in the evenings. I never know when He will tell me what to write, I just trust Him and He always gives it to me in His timing. Tonight, though, as I was driving, and asking if He had something for me, all I heard was "home". I just thought it was because I was on my way home and was anxious to get home and relax, rest in the sanctuary the Lord has made for me.
And now, I know it is still "home" that He was telling me. The blessing of "home", there is really no place like home. I believe that everyone at one time or another complains about their home. There may not be enough room, you get tired of the struggle to keep it up, or the bills that come in concerning the home, and you just air it out.....that you are tired of "home". Or the family might be having relationship struggles.....I know this can make you want to run away from home. I can remember a time or four that these thoughts crossed my mind. Such thoughts can drive us so far from the teachings of the Lord.
When we make our Lord God a priority in our homes, when He is the first thought in securing the home, the first thought in moving into the home, and the first thought each day in the home, then "home" becomes a place of refuge, a place of precious love. The peace that the Name of Jesus brings into a home is unlike anything known to man. Picture yourself on the bank of a river, feet dangling in the water, the sweet sounds of birds in the trees, quietly singing, and the gentle sounds of the water moving through some rocks.....peace, peace, peace. You say your home is not like this. I can imagine it is not, mine wasn't before either. It took a lot of effort on my part to see the beauty, the opportunity that a home could be, adding to the peace in my life.
What changed, you ask? The first thing that changed was my attitude. Attitude has a lot to do with how we see things in our daily life. Whereas before I tried to do things in my own power, and when they did not work, my attitude was not great. It has nothing to do with the way I love the Lord, I told myself. Try that one and see if the Lord lets you rest that night. Usually when my attitude would not be what the Lord expected from me, we talked about it at night.....sometimes all night. The Holy Spirit would begin His work about the time I went to bed and usually by the time I got up, the work was complete in that area. I spent a lot of nights with the Holy Spirit dealing with attitude.
But the thing is, once I saw what was happening, how I was trying to do things my way, in my power, in my manner, once I let go and let God, things began to change. My home became my sanctuary. My home became a place of refuge that the Lord had provided me. It doesn't matter if you have a big house, a small house, a one room apartment....if it is where you live, it is your home. When you let the Lord preside over your place of residence, it becomes a real home. A real home where you can be the kind of person that the Lord made you to be; a wife, mother, father, husband, or if you are single, widowed as I am, or if you have roommates, this house will be a home because you have learned the most important fact in establishing a home......God first, God ruling in your home.
Where the Lord is, when He is the Lord of your heart, that is where home is. You can spend a couple nights at a friends, in a motel, or in a pitched tent, if the Lord is there in residence with you, if He is given authority over you, then you are home. Loving the Lord, giving yourself to the Lord, this will establish the real home. The Lord will establish Himself in you, His Holy Spirit will make His home with you and you will be at home no matter where you are.
Thank You, Lord, for making Your home with me. Let me always be mindful of the blessings You have given me, for the home you have established for me....my sanctuary with You, my refuge in You. Never let me forget, my precious Lord, that wherever I am, and loving You as I do, I know You will be there also, and that makes it a home. And there is no place.....like "home".
03-13-12
This evening on the way home from work, I was talking with the Lord and asking if there was something special He had for me to write tonight. There is always something He has for me, He just gives it to me at different times. Sometimes I have it in the morning, sometimes later in the day, and sometimes I sit at my computer and wait on Him in the evenings. I never know when He will tell me what to write, I just trust Him and He always gives it to me in His timing. Tonight, though, as I was driving, and asking if He had something for me, all I heard was "home". I just thought it was because I was on my way home and was anxious to get home and relax, rest in the sanctuary the Lord has made for me.
And now, I know it is still "home" that He was telling me. The blessing of "home", there is really no place like home. I believe that everyone at one time or another complains about their home. There may not be enough room, you get tired of the struggle to keep it up, or the bills that come in concerning the home, and you just air it out.....that you are tired of "home". Or the family might be having relationship struggles.....I know this can make you want to run away from home. I can remember a time or four that these thoughts crossed my mind. Such thoughts can drive us so far from the teachings of the Lord.
When we make our Lord God a priority in our homes, when He is the first thought in securing the home, the first thought in moving into the home, and the first thought each day in the home, then "home" becomes a place of refuge, a place of precious love. The peace that the Name of Jesus brings into a home is unlike anything known to man. Picture yourself on the bank of a river, feet dangling in the water, the sweet sounds of birds in the trees, quietly singing, and the gentle sounds of the water moving through some rocks.....peace, peace, peace. You say your home is not like this. I can imagine it is not, mine wasn't before either. It took a lot of effort on my part to see the beauty, the opportunity that a home could be, adding to the peace in my life.
What changed, you ask? The first thing that changed was my attitude. Attitude has a lot to do with how we see things in our daily life. Whereas before I tried to do things in my own power, and when they did not work, my attitude was not great. It has nothing to do with the way I love the Lord, I told myself. Try that one and see if the Lord lets you rest that night. Usually when my attitude would not be what the Lord expected from me, we talked about it at night.....sometimes all night. The Holy Spirit would begin His work about the time I went to bed and usually by the time I got up, the work was complete in that area. I spent a lot of nights with the Holy Spirit dealing with attitude.
But the thing is, once I saw what was happening, how I was trying to do things my way, in my power, in my manner, once I let go and let God, things began to change. My home became my sanctuary. My home became a place of refuge that the Lord had provided me. It doesn't matter if you have a big house, a small house, a one room apartment....if it is where you live, it is your home. When you let the Lord preside over your place of residence, it becomes a real home. A real home where you can be the kind of person that the Lord made you to be; a wife, mother, father, husband, or if you are single, widowed as I am, or if you have roommates, this house will be a home because you have learned the most important fact in establishing a home......God first, God ruling in your home.
Where the Lord is, when He is the Lord of your heart, that is where home is. You can spend a couple nights at a friends, in a motel, or in a pitched tent, if the Lord is there in residence with you, if He is given authority over you, then you are home. Loving the Lord, giving yourself to the Lord, this will establish the real home. The Lord will establish Himself in you, His Holy Spirit will make His home with you and you will be at home no matter where you are.
Thank You, Lord, for making Your home with me. Let me always be mindful of the blessings You have given me, for the home you have established for me....my sanctuary with You, my refuge in You. Never let me forget, my precious Lord, that wherever I am, and loving You as I do, I know You will be there also, and that makes it a home. And there is no place.....like "home".
03-13-12
Monday, March 12, 2012
HEAVEN'S SWEET RAIN
Hosea 10:12 "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."
The trees, grass....they have it right. Notice how all the blades of grass stand tall, how the trees stretch their branches to the heavens. In worship position at all times. Making their sweet songs as the wind blows through the air moving, shaking, softly bringing forth the gentle noises that we cannot hear but the Creator hears them. All things were made to worship the Lord. The trees, the grass, they know from whom their life comes from. There is never any doubt with them. They know that without the mercy of the Lord to rain down on them, they will dry up and die. Without the Lord to lay it on the hearts of His children to water them, they die. So they stay in their worship position day and night, never giving up, no matter how dry things seem for them at times.
A lesson for us? I would think so. Even in dry seasons, the Lord is working on our behalf. Waiting perhaps, to see if we will still worship Him, if we will still lift our hands up to Him and praise Him. So often, the children of God want to give up. They hold in there for so long and then it seems like it becomes too much. I can see in my past where I have done that, learned a hard lesson in doing so, so difficult to think I was so very self centered that I could not see the real work the Lord was trying to do in me. So the work took longer than it should have. How gracious our Father is, not to just knock us down and forget about us when we take this kind of path, the road most traveled when things begin to get difficult. This road is usually filled with the children of God who have decided that things were too hard, they were tired of getting knocked down by the enemy....which comes in all fashions.....family, friends, work, and sadly, church. The other road, the one not quite so filled, those children who have been on the other road at one time, but learned that a road less traveled, the hard road in the beginning is the preferred road as they, as I, have found that this road in only rough in the beginning. Once on this road, once the struggles begin to be conquered, your faith intensifies and the road gets easier as you begin to see Father's plan for you, and you realize that He never leaves you to the enemy. He is always there to shield you. Hard road....but so worth the journey.
I believe I got a little off course there, but the Lord wanted that inserted here. I always go with what He says, for this is for Him, by Him, I am only His vessel. So whomever that is for, don't quit, stay on the road that the Lord has you on. He will lead you through all things.
Our worship to the Lord should be going forth in all seasons. Like the trees, the grass, our hands should be lifted up to the Lord, as we know where the rain of the Spirit comes from. We sing, Let it Rain, Let it Rain, but are we in position to receive the rain of the Spirit of God? Are our hands lifted up, are our hearts open wide, are we watching for what the Lord wants to show us? I sing, I lift my hands to You, my Lord, in worship, to glorify You alone. I bring my heart to You and lift it high for You to see the love that pours from it for You. I want to feel that Spiritual rain fall on me, day, night, always.
I am reminded of the fir trees up north, that their branches actually are weighed down. From the constant snows in the winter there, the limbs are downward. It is as though the water, the rains coming down in the cold and turning into snow have saturated them until they can no longer hold them up to the sky. Father, let me be so saturated with Your Spirit that I can not hold my arms up, that I can feel You weighing on every part of me, the heaviness of Your blessed presence falling all over me until I don't feel me anymore, only You. My desire is to feel only You, so heavily on me that I can do nothing but lay before You and tell You how much I love You. I love You so much my Lord.
Your sweet rain, Father, rain on Your children who are waiting on You this night. Lord, rain down Your Spirit, Your beautiful presence on them and fill them with peace, joy, and if needed, Lord, Your healing mercy. Rain down, my glorious Father, rain down. Rain so until all are saturated with Your love, Your touch that they will never desire anything but to continue with You, no matter how dry the season may be, no matter how tired one gets of the battle, rain down until their shield of faith becomes lifted high again. Rain down, my Beloved, rain down.
03-12-12
The trees, grass....they have it right. Notice how all the blades of grass stand tall, how the trees stretch their branches to the heavens. In worship position at all times. Making their sweet songs as the wind blows through the air moving, shaking, softly bringing forth the gentle noises that we cannot hear but the Creator hears them. All things were made to worship the Lord. The trees, the grass, they know from whom their life comes from. There is never any doubt with them. They know that without the mercy of the Lord to rain down on them, they will dry up and die. Without the Lord to lay it on the hearts of His children to water them, they die. So they stay in their worship position day and night, never giving up, no matter how dry things seem for them at times.
A lesson for us? I would think so. Even in dry seasons, the Lord is working on our behalf. Waiting perhaps, to see if we will still worship Him, if we will still lift our hands up to Him and praise Him. So often, the children of God want to give up. They hold in there for so long and then it seems like it becomes too much. I can see in my past where I have done that, learned a hard lesson in doing so, so difficult to think I was so very self centered that I could not see the real work the Lord was trying to do in me. So the work took longer than it should have. How gracious our Father is, not to just knock us down and forget about us when we take this kind of path, the road most traveled when things begin to get difficult. This road is usually filled with the children of God who have decided that things were too hard, they were tired of getting knocked down by the enemy....which comes in all fashions.....family, friends, work, and sadly, church. The other road, the one not quite so filled, those children who have been on the other road at one time, but learned that a road less traveled, the hard road in the beginning is the preferred road as they, as I, have found that this road in only rough in the beginning. Once on this road, once the struggles begin to be conquered, your faith intensifies and the road gets easier as you begin to see Father's plan for you, and you realize that He never leaves you to the enemy. He is always there to shield you. Hard road....but so worth the journey.
I believe I got a little off course there, but the Lord wanted that inserted here. I always go with what He says, for this is for Him, by Him, I am only His vessel. So whomever that is for, don't quit, stay on the road that the Lord has you on. He will lead you through all things.
Our worship to the Lord should be going forth in all seasons. Like the trees, the grass, our hands should be lifted up to the Lord, as we know where the rain of the Spirit comes from. We sing, Let it Rain, Let it Rain, but are we in position to receive the rain of the Spirit of God? Are our hands lifted up, are our hearts open wide, are we watching for what the Lord wants to show us? I sing, I lift my hands to You, my Lord, in worship, to glorify You alone. I bring my heart to You and lift it high for You to see the love that pours from it for You. I want to feel that Spiritual rain fall on me, day, night, always.
I am reminded of the fir trees up north, that their branches actually are weighed down. From the constant snows in the winter there, the limbs are downward. It is as though the water, the rains coming down in the cold and turning into snow have saturated them until they can no longer hold them up to the sky. Father, let me be so saturated with Your Spirit that I can not hold my arms up, that I can feel You weighing on every part of me, the heaviness of Your blessed presence falling all over me until I don't feel me anymore, only You. My desire is to feel only You, so heavily on me that I can do nothing but lay before You and tell You how much I love You. I love You so much my Lord.
Your sweet rain, Father, rain on Your children who are waiting on You this night. Lord, rain down Your Spirit, Your beautiful presence on them and fill them with peace, joy, and if needed, Lord, Your healing mercy. Rain down, my glorious Father, rain down. Rain so until all are saturated with Your love, Your touch that they will never desire anything but to continue with You, no matter how dry the season may be, no matter how tired one gets of the battle, rain down until their shield of faith becomes lifted high again. Rain down, my Beloved, rain down.
03-12-12
Sunday, March 11, 2012
THE CHANGING TIMES
Romans 13:11 "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now that when we first believed."
Waking up this morning, laying in the bed, just wanting to have that little extra time to rest, I remembered, the time had changed. Daylight Savings Time, lost an hour, I think it moves ahead about 2 in the morning if I remember correctly. As I lay in the bed, I began to think of how man has manipulated so much in our world, not the least of which is time. I can almost hear the Lord laughing at this, twice a year when it happens, springing forward, falling back. Our God looks down at the antics of this earth, it's inhabitants and just smiles.
There is nothing we can actually do to move or delay time. It is nice, I have to agree, especially for people that work, to be able to get home before dark. For younger folks, they have time to go out and have sports activities, yard work, just relaxing in the light of the day. For people my age, it represents getting to drive home in the daylight and not the dark all the time. Sorry, but I am so practical these days, and I would much rather drive in light than in dark.....live that way also. But time really does not change. We just move the clocks differently and not everyone does this.
I seem to be rambling now. I believe it is because I keep hearing different things from the Lord right now. I am waiting to see which direction I am going in. I never want to get ahead of God. Father, I ask that You bring to this writing exactly what it is that You would have presented tonight. If it is not of You, it has no place here. Thank You, Father.
Before time began, the Lord knew just where we would be at this day, this month, this year in our walk with Him. I believe that time is moving at a pace so much faster than it once did. Do you notice that each day begins to blend into the next day, the hours do not seem as long as they once did, the days seem to go by, the months rushing so quickly. It was just the first of January and now it is the middle of March. There is not much time left, I believe, for us to just live our lifes in a quiet, leisurely manner. The time is growing short and there are so many on the earth that are still not knowing our Lord. They might have heard of Jesus, but do not know Him. So many of the people that we encounter on a daily basis do not know Him as their Savior. We see these people every day and yet, we just smile and walk on by. It is time that we step up and do what the Lord has called all His children to do. We were made to worship the Lord, and one of the ways we can worship Him is to be witnesses of Him. God's goodness to His children should be shared. We should be telling others of the love and mercy of our Lord. When we see someone that is so obviously having a bad day, having a difficult time, that is the time we should begin to pray, ask the Lord for His power and strength, to speak to that one in His name.
A lady came into my office the other day and she was having such a bad day. I talked to her for a few minutes about how I could help her and she said "You are a Christian aren't you?" I told her I was and she asked if I would pray for her. She did not have to ask twice. I took her hands in mine and began to pray for her. She needed the Lord and she needed Him then, not later in the day. Time is now to pray and to lead others to the Lord. That time never changes, that time is now, present, this minute.
Times are changing quickly. The enemy is pushing his agendas ahead, using all his wiles to confuse people, to make them believe that a little is enough, that just knowing who Jesus is, believing that they are okay with that. The worlds ways now, pushing ahead with its sexual, lustful agendas, forcing such on young children, trying to cover up the obvious with cartoon characters, but it is there. TV sitcoms try to make acceptance of what is wrong, right. The disturbing thing is that so many, Christians included, watch them and think they are just funny. The message, whether you know it or not, goes into your spirits, and resides there, until before you realize it, you will think nothing of it yourself. Time to look at what the Lord says in His Word. Time to look at what is going on. Time is changing, but children of God are not suppose to. We are to be just like our Lord, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Faithful, trusting, believing in what our Lord has set as His rules for righteous living.
Jesus is coming soon. The condition of this world is a great indicator. If you read the Word, you know that the time is short. We have a lot of work to do. Man can move time as he wills, but our God has the time set in place, and no manipulations of man can change the time of our God. I am so blessed that my time is set in God's hands and He holds me close to Him. Nothing will surprise me, as the Lord instructs His children, the children that seek His face continually, will not be surprised when the time comes. Thank You, my Lord, that my life, my time in in You. You set time in place. You are the Keeper of the time that truly matters to me, eternity.
03-11-12
Waking up this morning, laying in the bed, just wanting to have that little extra time to rest, I remembered, the time had changed. Daylight Savings Time, lost an hour, I think it moves ahead about 2 in the morning if I remember correctly. As I lay in the bed, I began to think of how man has manipulated so much in our world, not the least of which is time. I can almost hear the Lord laughing at this, twice a year when it happens, springing forward, falling back. Our God looks down at the antics of this earth, it's inhabitants and just smiles.
There is nothing we can actually do to move or delay time. It is nice, I have to agree, especially for people that work, to be able to get home before dark. For younger folks, they have time to go out and have sports activities, yard work, just relaxing in the light of the day. For people my age, it represents getting to drive home in the daylight and not the dark all the time. Sorry, but I am so practical these days, and I would much rather drive in light than in dark.....live that way also. But time really does not change. We just move the clocks differently and not everyone does this.
I seem to be rambling now. I believe it is because I keep hearing different things from the Lord right now. I am waiting to see which direction I am going in. I never want to get ahead of God. Father, I ask that You bring to this writing exactly what it is that You would have presented tonight. If it is not of You, it has no place here. Thank You, Father.
Before time began, the Lord knew just where we would be at this day, this month, this year in our walk with Him. I believe that time is moving at a pace so much faster than it once did. Do you notice that each day begins to blend into the next day, the hours do not seem as long as they once did, the days seem to go by, the months rushing so quickly. It was just the first of January and now it is the middle of March. There is not much time left, I believe, for us to just live our lifes in a quiet, leisurely manner. The time is growing short and there are so many on the earth that are still not knowing our Lord. They might have heard of Jesus, but do not know Him. So many of the people that we encounter on a daily basis do not know Him as their Savior. We see these people every day and yet, we just smile and walk on by. It is time that we step up and do what the Lord has called all His children to do. We were made to worship the Lord, and one of the ways we can worship Him is to be witnesses of Him. God's goodness to His children should be shared. We should be telling others of the love and mercy of our Lord. When we see someone that is so obviously having a bad day, having a difficult time, that is the time we should begin to pray, ask the Lord for His power and strength, to speak to that one in His name.
A lady came into my office the other day and she was having such a bad day. I talked to her for a few minutes about how I could help her and she said "You are a Christian aren't you?" I told her I was and she asked if I would pray for her. She did not have to ask twice. I took her hands in mine and began to pray for her. She needed the Lord and she needed Him then, not later in the day. Time is now to pray and to lead others to the Lord. That time never changes, that time is now, present, this minute.
Times are changing quickly. The enemy is pushing his agendas ahead, using all his wiles to confuse people, to make them believe that a little is enough, that just knowing who Jesus is, believing that they are okay with that. The worlds ways now, pushing ahead with its sexual, lustful agendas, forcing such on young children, trying to cover up the obvious with cartoon characters, but it is there. TV sitcoms try to make acceptance of what is wrong, right. The disturbing thing is that so many, Christians included, watch them and think they are just funny. The message, whether you know it or not, goes into your spirits, and resides there, until before you realize it, you will think nothing of it yourself. Time to look at what the Lord says in His Word. Time to look at what is going on. Time is changing, but children of God are not suppose to. We are to be just like our Lord, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Faithful, trusting, believing in what our Lord has set as His rules for righteous living.
Jesus is coming soon. The condition of this world is a great indicator. If you read the Word, you know that the time is short. We have a lot of work to do. Man can move time as he wills, but our God has the time set in place, and no manipulations of man can change the time of our God. I am so blessed that my time is set in God's hands and He holds me close to Him. Nothing will surprise me, as the Lord instructs His children, the children that seek His face continually, will not be surprised when the time comes. Thank You, my Lord, that my life, my time in in You. You set time in place. You are the Keeper of the time that truly matters to me, eternity.
03-11-12
Saturday, March 10, 2012
NO ELIMINATIONS IN THE KINGDOM
Romans 3:23 "....for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"
I watch a number of programs, mostly cooking type shows, where someone is always eliminated for not being quite good enough, or falling short of the talent of the other contestants. I am so happy I am not judging these shows, as the ones I think should go are usually not the ones that get eliminated. See, there are people that are so good at what they do, so much more qualified in their field than I, they see the things that I overlook in the offerings of the contestants. But, eventually, someone gets cut, chopped, eliminated.
The wonderous grace of our Lord, of our God, secures a place for all of us in His kingdom. No one is left out. We all can come to Him with our various styles, thoughts, talents and there is a place for each of us. Each of us has a talent, a gift that we have been given before we were born. It is there inside of us. It will lay dormant, however, until we surrender our lives to the Lord and look to Him for His will for our lives. Once we let the Lord take control of our hearts, giving all to Him, those gifts begin to open up inside us and start to produce what the Lord intended. There is no choosing one over the other, saying one gift is better than the other, as each gift, each talent is designed for that one child of God. The gifts I have been given, my talents may fall short of someone elses talent. There talent, their gift, demands their heart. Mine is suited to me alone. Our Lord, our Creator, knows what will suit each of us. He will not give a talent to someone that will not be able to enjoy the gift, to appreciated the uniqueness of it for them. Not all of us are suited for each talent. I do not know if I could prophesy as some of the annointed people of the Lord. I know there are times that the Lord gives me a word for someone, and I am faithful to give that word, but I have never felt like this was a special gift to me. I could be wrong, but the Holy Spirit would have to truly show me that.
It is like a basketball player would not exactly be a good horse jockey. Two different ends of the scale. Each of us has been made, designed by the Lord, to perform the work He has equipped us to do. There are some works that we are all equipped to do. Love the Lord with all your heart and soul. Love one another. And one that leaps up high on the scale......WORSHIP the Lord with all that is within you. These are for all of us. But to some....teachers, pastors, evangelists, prophets, apostles. Each a gift, each a talent given. There are so many more gifts that the Lord gives to us all.
Talent......remember the story of the master that gave his servants talents, five, two and one. The one with five and the one with two produced. The one with only one talent hid his, in fear he hid his talent. This is typical of some of God's children today. In fear of different things...fear of man, fear of failure, fear of ....yes, even fear of God, they hide the gift, the talent that the Lord gives them. And there it lays inside of them, dormant, useless, wasted. And they grow embittered, never realizing their potential, looking at others with envy of their talents and gifts, while letting theirs go silent.
Father, this is going so much deeper than I thought when beginning. I know there are reasons You have me write things, I pray this is understood by Your children.
The beginning of this writing tells of those eliminated for not being as good as the next person. But in the Kingdom of God, none of His children are eliminated, all are given grace to begin again. The Lord, our Father, wants that none of us fall short of His glory. He sent His Son, our Savior, to secure our position with Him, as His children. When your children fall short, disappoint you..... even though you are disappointed in what they did, you still fold them into your arms and give them that love, that no matter what, they are your child and you love them. Grace redeems them with you, just as the Lord's grace, His mercy redeems us to Him. He gives us another chance to let Him develop that talent in you, so you can be used to glorify Him, to use those special talents and gifts designed for just you to bless His children, to bless Him.
There is no elimination.....no cuts.....all are the best. There is a perfection in each of us that was placed there by our Creator. Open your hearts, surrender yourself to the will of our God and let Him bring out the very best in you.
03-10-12
I watch a number of programs, mostly cooking type shows, where someone is always eliminated for not being quite good enough, or falling short of the talent of the other contestants. I am so happy I am not judging these shows, as the ones I think should go are usually not the ones that get eliminated. See, there are people that are so good at what they do, so much more qualified in their field than I, they see the things that I overlook in the offerings of the contestants. But, eventually, someone gets cut, chopped, eliminated.
The wonderous grace of our Lord, of our God, secures a place for all of us in His kingdom. No one is left out. We all can come to Him with our various styles, thoughts, talents and there is a place for each of us. Each of us has a talent, a gift that we have been given before we were born. It is there inside of us. It will lay dormant, however, until we surrender our lives to the Lord and look to Him for His will for our lives. Once we let the Lord take control of our hearts, giving all to Him, those gifts begin to open up inside us and start to produce what the Lord intended. There is no choosing one over the other, saying one gift is better than the other, as each gift, each talent is designed for that one child of God. The gifts I have been given, my talents may fall short of someone elses talent. There talent, their gift, demands their heart. Mine is suited to me alone. Our Lord, our Creator, knows what will suit each of us. He will not give a talent to someone that will not be able to enjoy the gift, to appreciated the uniqueness of it for them. Not all of us are suited for each talent. I do not know if I could prophesy as some of the annointed people of the Lord. I know there are times that the Lord gives me a word for someone, and I am faithful to give that word, but I have never felt like this was a special gift to me. I could be wrong, but the Holy Spirit would have to truly show me that.
It is like a basketball player would not exactly be a good horse jockey. Two different ends of the scale. Each of us has been made, designed by the Lord, to perform the work He has equipped us to do. There are some works that we are all equipped to do. Love the Lord with all your heart and soul. Love one another. And one that leaps up high on the scale......WORSHIP the Lord with all that is within you. These are for all of us. But to some....teachers, pastors, evangelists, prophets, apostles. Each a gift, each a talent given. There are so many more gifts that the Lord gives to us all.
Talent......remember the story of the master that gave his servants talents, five, two and one. The one with five and the one with two produced. The one with only one talent hid his, in fear he hid his talent. This is typical of some of God's children today. In fear of different things...fear of man, fear of failure, fear of ....yes, even fear of God, they hide the gift, the talent that the Lord gives them. And there it lays inside of them, dormant, useless, wasted. And they grow embittered, never realizing their potential, looking at others with envy of their talents and gifts, while letting theirs go silent.
Father, this is going so much deeper than I thought when beginning. I know there are reasons You have me write things, I pray this is understood by Your children.
The beginning of this writing tells of those eliminated for not being as good as the next person. But in the Kingdom of God, none of His children are eliminated, all are given grace to begin again. The Lord, our Father, wants that none of us fall short of His glory. He sent His Son, our Savior, to secure our position with Him, as His children. When your children fall short, disappoint you..... even though you are disappointed in what they did, you still fold them into your arms and give them that love, that no matter what, they are your child and you love them. Grace redeems them with you, just as the Lord's grace, His mercy redeems us to Him. He gives us another chance to let Him develop that talent in you, so you can be used to glorify Him, to use those special talents and gifts designed for just you to bless His children, to bless Him.
There is no elimination.....no cuts.....all are the best. There is a perfection in each of us that was placed there by our Creator. Open your hearts, surrender yourself to the will of our God and let Him bring out the very best in you.
03-10-12
Friday, March 9, 2012
HOLY SPIRIT FIRE
Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because of the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Burn in me Holy Spirit, Burn in me. Everywhere you look, you hear people....ministers, evangelists, teachers, worship leaders taking about FIRE! Fire....burning fire.
I have given a lot of thought to this these past few months and sadly to say have let the subject sit on the back burner, no pun intended, but I just kept pushing it aside. But I have found that it would not leave me alone but has been stirring up in me, like a flickering flame. You know when you leave something alone for a good while, a lot of times it will either die down or begin to really take hold of you.
Such is this fire, this Holy Spirit fire. This is the work, I believe, of the Holy Spirit in God's children as they seek the Lord. I believe in the heart of a believer that is seeking to go deeper in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will keep that flame burning. When trials come, distractions of work, family, life in general, when the things of the world would cause your time alone with God to diminish, the Holy Spirit will not let that desire, that flame go out. He keeps the embers hot and refuels you with the strength of the Lord, refreshing your spirit and draws you back with the warmth of that fire....that fire of your first love, and begins to fan that flame with a fresh burning desire for the things of the Lord, for your time you are desiring to have with God, your Father.
The Holy Spirit will produce a bright flame in your spirit to show the love, the goodness of the Lord to all those around you. The fire inside of you will cause your countenance to glow from inside of you to the outside, your appearance will radiate the love of God and your desire for Him.
As I am writing this, I am realizing how very tired I am. No day off this week and none for next week or two except Sundays. But as I am thinking how tired I am, I can feel the Holy Spirit fanning those embers that have still a flicker in them. When you love the Lord deeply, even weariness, problems, whatever your circumstances are, the flame of the love for your Lord God never goes out. It may not be the blazing fire that you would desire to be burning constantly, but our Father knows there will be times as this. He looks beyond that flicker to the desire of the heart. That is when His Holy Spirit begins His work in us, restoring, refreshing, reminding us how much the Father loves us, how His goodness and mercy has poured out on us. When you begin to think on these things, you can feel that flicker begin to stir up into a mighty flame as our hearts are filled with love and thanksgiving to the Lord.
I know there is so much more to the Fire message that everyone is teaching, and I love the message. But this is what the fire of the Holy Spirit fed to my spirit today. One more way the Holy Spirit teaches me of the love of my Lord and draws from me, my adoration of Him.
God is so good to me. I love Him so much. I thank You Holy Spirit for wooing me, drawing me back to the sweet, tender side of my God. I can feel the warmth of Your fiery love for me Lord, it is stirring up the fire in my heart for You, the fire of my spirit burning high until the two flames of our love become as one fire, a blazing hot fire....inextinguishable.
03-09-12
Burn in me Holy Spirit, Burn in me. Everywhere you look, you hear people....ministers, evangelists, teachers, worship leaders taking about FIRE! Fire....burning fire.
I have given a lot of thought to this these past few months and sadly to say have let the subject sit on the back burner, no pun intended, but I just kept pushing it aside. But I have found that it would not leave me alone but has been stirring up in me, like a flickering flame. You know when you leave something alone for a good while, a lot of times it will either die down or begin to really take hold of you.
Such is this fire, this Holy Spirit fire. This is the work, I believe, of the Holy Spirit in God's children as they seek the Lord. I believe in the heart of a believer that is seeking to go deeper in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will keep that flame burning. When trials come, distractions of work, family, life in general, when the things of the world would cause your time alone with God to diminish, the Holy Spirit will not let that desire, that flame go out. He keeps the embers hot and refuels you with the strength of the Lord, refreshing your spirit and draws you back with the warmth of that fire....that fire of your first love, and begins to fan that flame with a fresh burning desire for the things of the Lord, for your time you are desiring to have with God, your Father.
The Holy Spirit will produce a bright flame in your spirit to show the love, the goodness of the Lord to all those around you. The fire inside of you will cause your countenance to glow from inside of you to the outside, your appearance will radiate the love of God and your desire for Him.
As I am writing this, I am realizing how very tired I am. No day off this week and none for next week or two except Sundays. But as I am thinking how tired I am, I can feel the Holy Spirit fanning those embers that have still a flicker in them. When you love the Lord deeply, even weariness, problems, whatever your circumstances are, the flame of the love for your Lord God never goes out. It may not be the blazing fire that you would desire to be burning constantly, but our Father knows there will be times as this. He looks beyond that flicker to the desire of the heart. That is when His Holy Spirit begins His work in us, restoring, refreshing, reminding us how much the Father loves us, how His goodness and mercy has poured out on us. When you begin to think on these things, you can feel that flicker begin to stir up into a mighty flame as our hearts are filled with love and thanksgiving to the Lord.
I know there is so much more to the Fire message that everyone is teaching, and I love the message. But this is what the fire of the Holy Spirit fed to my spirit today. One more way the Holy Spirit teaches me of the love of my Lord and draws from me, my adoration of Him.
God is so good to me. I love Him so much. I thank You Holy Spirit for wooing me, drawing me back to the sweet, tender side of my God. I can feel the warmth of Your fiery love for me Lord, it is stirring up the fire in my heart for You, the fire of my spirit burning high until the two flames of our love become as one fire, a blazing hot fire....inextinguishable.
03-09-12
Thursday, March 8, 2012
HEART TO WORSHIP
John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is; when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."
Worship, true worship, is a matter of the heart. When the heart gets involved in a matter, there is depth to it, an honesty in it, an urgency about it. The heart produces a special balance to the body, a type of chemical balance, to the body and the mind. It doesn't matter what your mind tells you, what your mind thinks, the heart has been known so many times to over rule the mind, especially on matters of love, on matters of desire.
Remember when you fell in love, it did not matter what anyone told you, did not matter what you thought, your heart ruled. This is what a true worshipers heart does now. It doesn't matter what the circumstances look like, what words the enemy tells your mind, your heart knows better. This love that I hold for my Lord, for my God, overshadows all things that are present or to come.
A true desire of the heart to worship the Lord will over rule what the mind says. If your mind says things are not going well, you are sick or oppressed, the enemy is telling you that if the Lord loved you, that you would not be going through these things....but a heart that loves the Lord God passionately will ignore all the things of the mind, of the body, as it has an overwhelming desire to worship God, has to worship the Lord.
David, King David.....what an example of worship he was. A heart that loved the Lord with all his being. No matter what his circumstances were....exiled, chased by the wild, crazy king, his own son wanting to destroy him, possibility of losing his throne....he still loved the Lord and worshiped Him. His heart overflowed with love for God, his heart had to worship Him.
Our circumstances, no matter how severe, how painful.....if our heart is filled with passionate, pure love for our God, then the only thing you will be able to do is worship Him. The afflictions that come, from the enemy or self imposed will never cause the love in my heart for my Lord to cease. In fact, these afflictions cause me to love Him even more as they cause me to realize that without Him, I could not get through the day, through one minute. He has brought me through so much, without His hand on me I cannot imagine what my life would be. I know it would not be a life of peace, joy, contentment.
My Beloved Lord. How I love to worship Him. Waking up in the morning, my heart full of love and thanksgiving for His goodness to me, my heart begins to worship and my spirit lifts the words from my heart and they flow out to Him. No words have been made to truly express my God's love for me nor my love for Him. You can use all the words that Webster has in his dictionary, but they are so inadequate to describe the depth of such a love that the Lord has for us, or that I, and you, have for Him, the true worshipers of our Lord.
I have a heart to worship my God. All that I do, all that I am, I give to Him in a form of worship. Worship is not just singing to the Lord songs of love and thanksgiving. True worship of the heart is a lifestyle, a life that is dedicated to giving to the Lord all that you have, a life that reflects His love and mercy to others that they too, will love Him with every part of themselves and have a heart to worship the Lord, our God, our Father.
03-08-12
Worship, true worship, is a matter of the heart. When the heart gets involved in a matter, there is depth to it, an honesty in it, an urgency about it. The heart produces a special balance to the body, a type of chemical balance, to the body and the mind. It doesn't matter what your mind tells you, what your mind thinks, the heart has been known so many times to over rule the mind, especially on matters of love, on matters of desire.
Remember when you fell in love, it did not matter what anyone told you, did not matter what you thought, your heart ruled. This is what a true worshipers heart does now. It doesn't matter what the circumstances look like, what words the enemy tells your mind, your heart knows better. This love that I hold for my Lord, for my God, overshadows all things that are present or to come.
A true desire of the heart to worship the Lord will over rule what the mind says. If your mind says things are not going well, you are sick or oppressed, the enemy is telling you that if the Lord loved you, that you would not be going through these things....but a heart that loves the Lord God passionately will ignore all the things of the mind, of the body, as it has an overwhelming desire to worship God, has to worship the Lord.
David, King David.....what an example of worship he was. A heart that loved the Lord with all his being. No matter what his circumstances were....exiled, chased by the wild, crazy king, his own son wanting to destroy him, possibility of losing his throne....he still loved the Lord and worshiped Him. His heart overflowed with love for God, his heart had to worship Him.
Our circumstances, no matter how severe, how painful.....if our heart is filled with passionate, pure love for our God, then the only thing you will be able to do is worship Him. The afflictions that come, from the enemy or self imposed will never cause the love in my heart for my Lord to cease. In fact, these afflictions cause me to love Him even more as they cause me to realize that without Him, I could not get through the day, through one minute. He has brought me through so much, without His hand on me I cannot imagine what my life would be. I know it would not be a life of peace, joy, contentment.
My Beloved Lord. How I love to worship Him. Waking up in the morning, my heart full of love and thanksgiving for His goodness to me, my heart begins to worship and my spirit lifts the words from my heart and they flow out to Him. No words have been made to truly express my God's love for me nor my love for Him. You can use all the words that Webster has in his dictionary, but they are so inadequate to describe the depth of such a love that the Lord has for us, or that I, and you, have for Him, the true worshipers of our Lord.
I have a heart to worship my God. All that I do, all that I am, I give to Him in a form of worship. Worship is not just singing to the Lord songs of love and thanksgiving. True worship of the heart is a lifestyle, a life that is dedicated to giving to the Lord all that you have, a life that reflects His love and mercy to others that they too, will love Him with every part of themselves and have a heart to worship the Lord, our God, our Father.
03-08-12
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)