Clear - Part 2

The Father has a plan for removing the 'black velcro' from our lives.

It's called the Wilderness.

Egypt specializes in teaching us about hurt, rejection, mistrust, fear, loneliness and every other negative emotion.

I was talking with the kids and telling them that when we are freed from Eqypt, we leave that sphere of pain, only to be introduced to a different type of pain.

I asked them 'why do we have to be taken from one form of pain to this new type of pain?'

The next to the oldest said, 'so we can enter the Promised Land'

Good answer.

I told them that when we enter the wilderness, it's like we have entered in with a body riddled with cancer tumors.

We are unfit for immediate entrance into the Promised Land.

The wilderness serves as the surgeons's knife to begin to cut away the malignant tissue. It hurts but it is a healing pain.

If we cooperate.

I told them, 'can you imagine the patient wriggling around on the operating table, trying to keep the surgeon from doing what needs to be done "No! Stop! It hurts too much!" 'Yet that is what we often do as Dr. Jesus tries to remove the black velcro from our lives.'

Let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Clear

I want to be a 'Clear'

A Clear is not self consumed. A Clear walks through this earth with freedom and ease.

Children, young children, are Clears.

I think that is why Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is made of such.

Jesus said the prince of this world is coming but has nothing in me - He was the ultimate Clear.
Not ruled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye or the pride of life.

I often tell the kids that I imagine that the 'stuff'' the evil one finds in us is like velcro.

Black velcro.

 And as we move through the world, the stuff of this world and of the
evil one is also made of velcro as well. Whatever our hangups, sinful dispositions, lusts,
fleshliness, etc ( black velcro strips) they get snagged on the worldly/evil stuff
around us.

I want the Father to take away those black velcro strips. Help me cooperate with you Lord

Good People, Bad Things

I was musing over the difficulties that so many people I know are experiencing: health problems, rebellious children, financial difficulties, relationship problems etc.

I thought of how we call out to the Father 'Help us! Change this situation!' Yet, many times it seems like things not only aren't changed but get worse.

Then I thought of these verses:


Luke 13:1-5, KJV:
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?
I tell you, Nay; but , except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you,  Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

If you think about it, it seems like Jesus was being awfully callous regarding these tragedies.

As I write this, the U.S.A is just coming through the wake of the Northhampton, Ct tragedy where
a lone gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults. Can you imagine the public outrage if the media had
caught Jesus saying this?! "And you call yourself a Holy man? God's son?!"

Be that as it may, we innately know the answer to Jesus' question as to whether or not these slain people were the worst people, but that's kind of the point isn't it?

It's not that only the wicked will have bad things happen to them - how would we judge that anyway? We can't, really.  Yes, we say that we would save the most heinous judgement for the Hitlers of the world, and we probably would, but when someone cuts us off on the highway, making us almost have an accident, if we had the power we would deem them wicked and immediately have them destroyed.

To sit down and rationally and meticulously go through a person's life, thought life included, and decide what degree of 'punishments' in the way of trials a person deserves according to how they are living (and how they will live in the future) is far beyond our flawed, human abilities.

The converse is true as well.

To hand out the blessings on the same type of sliding scale is too much for our limited insight.

The reality is, we ALL are going to perish in some manner. The reality is, we ALL will face the outworkings that the curse has on the world. And, the reality is we ALL need to repent - none righteous, no not one.

What about the innocent children? It's those that are left behind that are suffering. I believe those below the age of accountability will be with the Father. The families that are suffering are like those whom the tower fell on  - are they worse than any other family?

 I am unable to judge that but chances are, they probably aren't. But they ARE the run-of-the-mill, garden variety sinner, just like the rest of humanity.

 The Word of God says they must repent (turn from their sins).  Turning from sin and to the Father through Christ is the only way from 'perishing' and receiving eternal life.

Birthing

The feelings at times are quite intense and my thoughts are constantly focued on the 'The Church' as I believe the Father desires it to function.

The Father has been so gracious in letting me come across authors who have already walked this way and are very capable of expressing themselves and what they believe the Father's heart is on this issue of the church.

It's amazing to me that I'm coming across believers who have been moving this direction even from the 1970's! (The Problem of Wineskins, Howard Snyder, copywrite 1975!) I suppose each generation has to enter into this truth for themselves. We all must move through the stages of spiritual growth. Being a part of a 'system' of 'religion' is one of the phases we all have to taste of.

I am being mindful that I need to be given the words by the Spirit to express what I feel going on inside so that whatever person I am talking to doesn't feel like I'm talking talking gibberish or that I am denigrating the 'actual' church.

I've found myself stating things like ' the Father desires to express himself through Christ by using US as His vehicle. The structure that we currently know as 'church' is a system that in essence quenches the life of Christ that desires to manifest itself to the world'. Or something like that.

One of the authors that the Lord has so graciously brought into my path is Chip Brogden. His website School of Christ     is proving to be a very valuable resource from a pastor that has left the institutional setting of what is known as 'church'. Even though I have only just begun to read through his site, it is very helpful to see how he differentiates the C.A.W.K.I. (Church As We Know It as John Fenn from SuperNaturalHouseChurch.org - another helpful brother in the Lord who has been on this path for quite a while - calls it) form the real  ekklesia that the Father is adding to daily.

Nothing needs to be 'built'. No 'movements' need to be started. No 'programs' need to be institued. What the Father started on the day of pentecost is still happening, even in spite of our feeble efforts to 'help' it along in the same manner our forefathers of Judaism tried to 'help' things along.

The living, breathing organism, living stones, branches-attached-to-the-Vine, is growing and thriving and moving along with the Rivers of Living Water that the Father is allowing to flow among the nations; moving as HE directs. No announcements required. No A & B selection needed. No 3 points and a closing.

Heart to heart, deep calling unto deep, iron sharpening iron, living our lives relationally, living my life for the rest of the Body by laying my life down, according to Yahshua's example, dying daily to the carnal Adamic nature that tries to drown out the life of Christ flowing in me, recogning mysefl dead to the things of this world but alive unto Christ. This is where my thoughts are. Consuming me; making my conversation redundant to my family and friends, lol!  I love you Lord! Let that not be in words only but in a life lived to your glory! Be glorified in me!

I know this is probably a transitional thing as I leave the world of 'churchianity' to enter into this new phase of  'living relationship with belivers of like/Christ mindedness' - not even sure of how to call it but in a way that's good. I'm not interested in 'titles' -I just want to BE.

  

The Father Speaks...

I love the way the Father will speak through circumstances and people to let His children know what is on His heart.

The past few days have been a reiteration of 'get closer to me'.

Today, I was in a bible study where a person received a prophetic word from an individual (not during the session but at their home) who told them to 'get it right'. The person didn't know what they meant
by 'get it right' since they are not in any obvious sin, but it gradually began to be enlightened to them that the Lord was telling him to clean up how he talks and to not be derailed (this time) by fear of man.
In this bible study we also talking about what the the teacher calls '3rd level anointing'. It's the anointing that brings you into the Holy of Holies and empowers you to serve (minister to) God's people.

In the bible study/prayer meeting I went to tonight, the Pastor spoke about how 'authority trumps power.' The authority that Jesus gives us through the Holy Spirit is more powerful the the powers of government, principalities and powers or anything we could 'work up' on our own. We have to position ourselves, however, if we want to have access to this power. Draw nigh to God. Let nothing interfer with getting close to Him. This was also discussed in the bible study I went to earlier in the day.

On the blog, LivingWalk, the blog owner talked about how we can get 'offeneded' in Christ - even John the Baptist was potentially 'offened' by the circumstances that his proclamation of Christ produced for him. (I had just been reading and thinking on this 'offendedness' a couple of days before this. I was also taken to the verses that talk about the seed falling on shallow ground that lets the 'sun(son)' of  persecution wither it and it becomes unfruitful.)

Washing Feet

I was discussing with my children today the connection I see between Jesus' washing of the disciples feet and the need to walk in our 'priestly' function and 'wash' one another's feet by forgiving them.

I pointed out to them how Jesus said that a person doesn't need their whole body washed; that has already been done by the washing of the water of the Word that has brought them into the forgiveness of the Father through their belief in Jesus's words.

The daily offences that we commit against the Father and against one another are our 'dirty feet' that need to be cleansed.

We need to keep short accounts with one another, pray with and for one another, and if any have committed sins, they will be forgiven and their sickness healed. (James 5:16)    

Example of Micah 6:8

In our reading in Nehemia today, Nehemia exemplifies what God requires of man. We were reading (Living Bible) about how Nehemia was angry with the leaders of Judah for charging interest and mortgages to God's people who were already struggling. The people were even having to sell their children into slavery just so they could have money to get food. He said how he and his officials were not taking any salaries and were doing all they could to help God's people but the leaders were not and should be ashamed. The leaders, to their credit, heard Nehemia's rebuke and gave back to the people their land and possessions. "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?"  Isa 58:6 KJV.

This scripture in Isaiah has particular importance for me at this time as we are leaving a family fast behind and now starting a corporate fast with the people we assemble with. In order to 'do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God'(Micah 6:8) we need to have a heart for desiring that justice is done to the oppressed and that those who are in bondage are set free. It is not wonder that the cry of my heart during this last year and into a bit of the first part of this year was 'I want to set the captive free'. God's heart is to see the captive free and the oppressed treated justly so of course His Spirit would put those types of inclinations in our heart.

Put Away Childish Things

As I was talking with my children about today's bible reading in 2 Chronicles where young king Josiah began destroying the pagan worship places and rebuilding the Father's true temple, we discussed how it seems like the 'good' kings always followed a pattern,
- destroy pagan places up to and including killing the pagan priests
- rebuild the walls and fortify the cities
- set in place officials who can start a collection so that the true temple can be rebuilt/refurbished/beautified

We discussed how this can apply to us spiritually.

- take away the things that are making us pursue idols
- put boundaries in place so that we can keep our 'city' protected from ungodly influences

and then I asked what they thought it could mean spiritually to beautify the temple? My oldest son soon said put 'good stuff there'. I asked what could that look like? My next to oldest son said, 'put away childish things'. I was blessed by both answers, particularly this one.

I began to formulate thoughts along the line of how childish things are reflected in what we see in babies/small children - bratty, gotta have their way, won't give up rights, want to do what they want to do when they want to do it how they want to do it. But we should begin to put away those type of childish responses, die to that fleshly nature and 'grow up' by putting on humility, love, giving, etc. These things 'beautify' the Father's temple and allow us to be a sweet smelling fragrance to Him in the same manner that the incense in the Holy Place wafted up as a beautiful aroma (even though these are actually in type also the prayers of the believers)

Death in the wilderness

It will require a death in the wilderness before we are fit to cross the Jordan into our promised land. The fearful us, the 'I wanna be in Egypt' us, the 'give me, give me, give me' us, the 'Hey, I'm somebody and you better recognize it' us.