Beautiful Discipline

The Spirit through Paul tells us that correction from the Father is necessary if we are truly to be counted as sons of God.

 As painful and difficult as that correction may be, we must not run from it or even try to lessen it.

 The flesh is so deceitful and we are so clever in justifying ourselves that it takes insight from the Spirit to show us that certain situations that are occurring are not to be denounced or attributed to the Evil one but are, in fact, the Father's hand upon us removing our fleshly ways, our lust driven motives our worldly pursuits.

 Oh Father, thank you for your patience with my dim wittedness in  feeling self righteous when in reality I am an unclean vessel not fit for being used in honorable ways in your household! I truly DO want to be a vessel of honor! Help me not to squirm out from under your chastening hand but stand still so I can receive the peacable fruit of righteousness that your pruning will produce in my life

Covered

As I was driving today, I saw some women and children who, I believe, practice the Muslin faith. They were crossing the street, 3 mature women and a small flock of children. All the females had colorful scarves on their head that flowed down their backs and long, ankle length skirts.
As I drove past, I thought about the constraints that our religions put on us, but that we willingly accept, because we feel this is how we serve God or how we fit into the purposes He has for us. As women in that faith, and in other religions as well, the covering of the head, either at all times or when in religious settings, is considered appropriate for females.

But this isn't just a religious, i.e. man made attempt to reach/serve Yahweh since the bible does say a woman should be covered.

For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 1 Cor. 11:6

This had been a source of question and concern on my part for a number of years. I have spoken FOR head covering for about the last 5 years; the previous 5 years or so, not sure one way or the other, and the years previous to those, believing it was just a quaint, outdated custom.

So how have I gotten here, to this place of wearing a scarf/hat most days than not?

I definitely wear something on my head if teaching in public and often times if I'm just teaching the children,although as of late I haven't consciously thought about it - probably because I'm in a scarf as a matter of course so If I do take it off, I forget that it IS off since my normal manner of functioning is in a covered state regardless of what I'm doing.

That last sentence strikes me: "my normal manner of functioning is in a covered state regardless of what I'm doing."

Is it spiritualyzing it too much to say, covering is a matter of the heart? No, I don't think so.
If we are in subjection to our own husbands, do well and are not afraid, are we not then 'covered'? And then, the outward symbol has a real validity, not just a legalistic form. Like all symbols, it's intent is to reflect a truth about our hearts state/motivation. We as married women (and that is all believers who are betrothed to the Lord) don't want to find ourselves in rebellion to the hierarchical authority the Father has established. Women, in this physical realm, are portraying that spiritual picture by the covering of our heads.. It speaks to a spiritual truth that the principalities and powers understand even if those we walk among in this realm don't understand it.

The World's System is Man's God

Man says:

I don't need God's provision, I have my money, a job, insurance,  and/or I know people (or the government) who will help me. Science has made it easier for me to live longer and healthier. I'm educated and anything I don't know I can look up online, or if need be, go back to school. All types of media, recreational events, social gatherings, and such not keep me entertained and feeling good (at least for a time) about my life. What do I need an archaic, kill joy god for?

Mankind believes it can mitigate the results of the fall by the systems it has instituted.

I'm thinking this is one reason the Father says not to love the world (it's system of operation) and the
things of the world (what's produced by the world's system that helps us cope with our fall induced separattion).

We use the world to replace Him.

When we don't want to turn to the Father for our life, but prefer to make our own way in this world,
we HAVE to have some type of systems to help us cope - things are too difficult on this side of Eden.

Not only do the systems allow us to cope but also allow us to  pursue our lusts (flesh, eye, pride of life) and build a world  that accommodates and perpetuates those lusts.

 I think this eases the pain/distracts us from pondering on our life-lessness.

And while this way of functioning is very obvious in industrialized countries, I believe that all of mankind, no matter how impoverished or technologically deprived, resorts to some type of 'world system' creation to help overcome/cope with the results of the fall.

Unrepentant man, just like Cain, is separated from God and goes off and "builds a city". Was he thinking 'Fine, God, I can do this without you!"

 I'm not sure.

I do think the Father wants us all to come home though.

Thank you Yahshua for making a way. I love you.

The Cost of Community

From  The Naked Church  by Wayne Jacobsen:

I’ve worked around one simple point in this entire chapter:
Community can only happen among disciples—people desiring
to be changed by Christ into his image. The reason that community
is so elusive is because most church program is geared
to people who only nominally want to serve God. They desire
less to grow in relationship with him than they do to escape the
agony of hell.
There’s nothing wrong with the church having meetings where
this kind of people can be touched, but to pass it off as the life
of the church is grossly inaccurate. Such people are too carnal to
discover the depth of relationships which Jesus wants to build
between believers.

"The reason community is so elusive is because most church program is geared to people who only nominally want to serve God."

From Webster 1828 dictionary:

NOMINAL, a.

1. Titular; existing in name only; as , a nominal distinction or difference is a difference in name and not in reality.

2. Pertaining to a name or names; consisting in names.

I was speaking to a believer a few months ago, asking the person why they didn't seek the things of the Lord in a greater degree, and, in a moment of frustration, told the individual that they are a nominal believer. I look back on this statement and feel that maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh. The Father is leading us each according to what he knows we are capable of understanding and the direction He wants our lives to go. I feel like believers should desire to want to know the Father better and to be more like Christ - but - even that desire itself isn't coming from us, but the spirit/Spirit within is moving us to want more of Christ's life.

So, who am I to judge something like this? I have been blessed and given great grace to want the Father and Son the way that I do. Should I hold this as a badge of honor and see everyone else as less than me because they don't feel the same way? It may be that He has given me this hunger for Him so that I can be a source of encouragement for others whom He is in the process of enlightening. I don't know. Yashshua  Himself didn't act 'better than'  despite being surrounded by so many (evveryone!) who were spiritually blind and spiritually immature.

And it's not like I know a great deal about Who the Father is, What this Life is about, and Who I am in this Life (the mantra I quote to my children about walking in reality and not the vanity of our minds and the illusive, deceitfulness of the world system).

But I WANT to know the Father better! I WANT to be conformed to the image of the Son!

When I read this section of Wayne Jacobson's book today, I was like 'Yes, that's right brother!" The institutional setting of what the world calls 'church' had become so artificial feeling to me that it was almost physically painful to sit through a 'service'.  There was no true community. No real 'knowing' of one another and seeking to grasp the Father's mind in one another's lives. No, 'what's the Father saying to you' 'Here's how he's been dealing with me'.

" Such people are too carnal to discover the depth of relationships which Jesus wants to build
between believers."

Oh my spirit groans as the reality of what he is saying is painful but true. The Sunday (or Saturday/Sabbath)  service is the epitome of what it means to be a believer to very, very many of God's people. Their relationship with the Father is measured on church attendance and being involved in its various programs. And you're REALLY considered to be moving up in your faith/relationship with God if you are 'over' a 'ministry'.  Let's not even mention if you've been 'led' to start building your own ministry - you have truly arrived!

Yet, even saying these things, I believe the Father can and will work with individuals who feel that this is how you grow in your relationship with Him. I was in the institutional setting for many, many years and yet, here I am now on the outside and looking back in with, what I believe, are clearer eyes to see how far short this flurry of activity is to walking in a moment by moment relationship with the Father.

I still have lots to learn. No stones being cast; just thankful to read of others who have seen what I am now seeing.  What this former 'pastor in an institutional setting' has come to realize about that type of setting is what I am coming to see as well. It was a 'schoolmaster' to prepare me for real life in Christ.

Hold my hand Lord as we journey together.

Narrow Way

As I was thinking thoughts unto the Lord, I was telling the Father how I wanted to get back on track with my eating habits. After a month of staying away from many carbs in January, March has found me once again going back to my comfortable eating habits and has produced the inevitable weight gain.

Thinking about how I want to simplify my life and how excesses of anything can be an outward manifestation of spiritual disharmony, I realize my 'excess' weight is an indicator of a focus on satisfying my flesh instead of dying to flesh and walking a crucified life.

I don't want that.

As these thoughts were circulating through my head, I began to picture the believer's walk as being one that goes through a passage way. I pictured the new believing person as being very bloated,  and balloon like - fleshly.

Despite the person's condition, he/she was still able to get through the gate but it was an uncomfortable, tight fit.

In order to move forward, the individual had to 'loose' some of his girth. This was fine at first but as the person moved further along the tunnel like passageway, the opening became narrower, forcing the person to stop until more of the excess 'fluff' was gone. In some instances, the narrowness of the tunnel was the instrument itself that shaved off the extra material as the person literally forced himself to move forward through the passageway.

The further along the person went the narrower and narrower the tunnel was  and more and more 'body baggage' had to be removed until the individual was now a normal size silhouette of a person, no longer bloated.

With this new shape, the individual found that the tunnel no longer felt so narrow even though it was much, much narrower than it had been at the beginning of the entrance.

This 'thinking unto the Lord' encouraged me but was also intimidating in that I realize that the further along the path I get with the Lord, He will expect a corresponding maturity and removal of those things that I rely on, lust after, are self willed over, etc.

The Father says, "Fear not for I am with you, I have called you by my name,thou art mine"

I say, 'Help me not to shy away from your chastisings Father but to receive sonship with a glad and grateful heart'

Grown up Baby

As I was lying down thinking thoughts unto the Lord the other night, I was tempted to say 'Why, Lord?'
This was in response to thoughts I was having on some difficulties I was experiencing.

Before I could go further with my, 'why' train of thought, I began to think of what it's like to be a child.

A five year old may want to eat cookies - and nothing BUT cookies - for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The conscientious parent says 'No' and the child whines 'Why?!' 'They taste good, they fill me up, they look yummy, so WHY!?'

As I was pondering this mental scene, I began to see myself in the parent's/Heavenly Father's place.

We as the mature being with experience and greater foresight understand what can occur on a diet made
up solely of chocolate chip cookies. To the child, however, we are being unreasonable if not downright
mean for denying them something that appears to be so good.

Then I thought about how I see this situation in myself and others so much.
'why won't you let me have this relationship, job, possession, etc.'

Mind you, this is pertaining to those who may even care to ask the Father His will in a given situation.

When the door is shut or we feel a 'No' wafting into our spirit, we, no, "I" feel inclined to whine 'WHY!?'
But I long to see from your perspective Father. Even in typing that sentence I feel the thought coming to me 'It's not about seeing from My perspective; it's about trusting me'

Ah, yes, Father. You who can see the beginning from the end; You who always has my best interest at heart; You who knows what I REALLY need will not deny me any good thing.

Like the five year old child, my natural man thinks it knows better. Like Eve in the garden, I tend towards believing the lie. Help my unbelief, Lord.

I just don't realize how blind I really am . Just like the child, many things don't seem to make sense so reasoning situations out according to my own understanding, or following the path of least resistance, or doing what's practical feels right - but I don't want to live by feelings; like an overgrown baby!

I want to exercise my senses to know what is right, as the writer of Hebrews tells us, so that I can be mature and able to handle 'strong meat".

You are SO good Father! Thank You for Your Holy Spirit Lord.Thank you for your loving kindness and tender mercies!

Bad Fruit

There is no help within mankind.

I was reading a blog post by a fellow God lover (http://edgeofthewilderness.blogspot.com/)who spoke about how mankind tries to pull himself up
by his boot straps and the futility of these attempts.

And how most if not all of the religions recommend that as the path to fulfillment, enlghtmenent or
whatever the 'goal' for that group of people is. (I hope I haven't mis-stated what he is trying to express)

This made me think about  a person I was dealing with the other day who is suffering from what, as far as I can tell, is some type of paranoia. Mental delusions.

I spoke to the Father under my breath and asked Him to rebuke the spirit of confusion and paranoia. I spoke to the spirits themselves and told them they had no place in that vessel for that person has said they are a believer.

I've done this before and there seems to be relief but it doesn't last.

This got me thinking about how the mind that will not yield to the Lordship of Christ is subject to it's own desires. That is NOT good!

As we walk in  the fruit of our own self directed desires, we are led further from the Truth of God and become subject to demonic enticement. There is no good thing in our flesh, Paul tells us and our minds need to be renewed so we can think thoughts after the Father.

For all mankind, even those who say they are believers, if we continue refusing to yield to the gentle inclinations of the Spirit that direct us to die to self, take up our cross, yield ourselves to the various chastimsents the Father allows for us, renew our mind through the Word and whatever else speaks of new life in Christ, then we expect nothing else but an eventual consuming of selves into a black hole of self delusion, mental/emotional anguish and hopelessness.

The Father doesn't want it this way.

WE are choosing these destructive paths that eventually may lead to an eternal separation from the Source of Life - is it any surprise though? We won't choose life on 'this' side of immortality so we receive the fruit of our doings on the other side; and the separation is made complete.

Mankind must cooperate with the work the Father desires to accomplish in us - for our OWN good!
He won't force Himself, and those of us who are trying to be His disciples, we can't force people either.

We must:                            
In meekness instruct(ing) those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth (2Tim 2:25, KJV)

Notice the emphasis; it's GOD that must move upon the person to repent and acknowledge what is true,

Clear - Part 3

I was sitting with a woman the other day in a government facility awaiting my
turn to get help with tax paperwork when she said, "Look at that."

I looked at where she was pointing and saw a small bit of wadded up gum wrapper
laying underneath the water fountain.

Then with a smirk in her voice, she said, "someone is supposed to be cleaning around here!"

I would not have given the small piece of paper a thought if she had not pointed it out.

I know a few other people like her. Every perceived 'wrong' is talked about in disdainful tones
and the people who have commited these 'wrongs' are vilified.

I felt sorrowful in my spirit and said to the Lord, 'Why do people have to concern themselves with
such minor, insignificant things?'

I was going to go on with another stream of thinking when this wafted into my mind:

"To the pure, everything is pure, but to the defiled, everything is defiled."

I recognized this as a verse from the bible although I didn't know chapter and verse. I have
since found the verse in Titus1:15 and in the KJV it says:

"Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled"

Corrupted or polluted is used in place of defiled in at least a couple of versions I looked at.

Then, a comment about another verse came to my mind: "We see splinters in other's people's eyes because we are actually witnessing the plank in our own and projecting it outwards onto others."

Then came: "The evil one comes but finds nothing in me."

Ok, the Lord had my attention. He knows I want to be a 'Clear' (see this post about being a clear) so I was excited about Him bringing these thoughts to me.

I told the Lord in my mind as I sat there, "I don't want to be 'unclean'. I want to be pure. I know that because I am seeing this trait in someone else that it most likely is present in me (ok, not most likey, IT IS),

Later that night, I thought about how Jesus said that it is not what goes into a person that makes them unclean but what comes out.  I told the Lord again that I want to be clean/pure on the inside but that I don't know how to do it. The verses came to my mind that talked about how shall a young man cleanse his ways? By taking heed to the Word. And the verse where Jesus told the disciples, Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. So I agreed with the Lord that His Word will make me clean.

I thought too, that it won't just be the written Word but the internal Word that the Father speaks to me by way of the Spirit. 

Part of me being able to hear the Lord clearer will depend on me allowing myself to be washed by His Word and coming in line with what He intended for humanity to be. It's a circle process: The Father speaks to me His Word, I submit and am cleaned; as I'm cleaned I hear the Father/His Word better and I'm cleaned so I can hear even better....

I love you Lord. Continue to accomplish your will in me in conforming me to the image of your son.

Difficult People are MY problem, not Theirs

I was reading on Crossinthewilderness.blogspot.com and the author, Bonita, was talking about how the trials we go through can show us where our weaknesses are.

This got me thinking about the current difficulties in my life and what the Lord is showing me and how my weaknesses must be submitted to God for His enabling Grace to do its transforming work.

One of the things I have been asking the Lord about is 'how do you deal with difficult people?'

After having this thought in the back of my brain for a couple of months, I felt this thought coming to me:
"I deal with YOU, don't I? You can deal with others the same way I deal with you.'

Oh.... o.k....

 I had been so focused on how OTHERS personalities are so difficult or trying and how they should try to change how THEY act, but I forgot about the plank in my own eye.

Then I thought about how we as people deal with young children. We are patient (for the most part) with their fumblings and mistakes; we deal compassionately with their little personalities.

I felt like the Lord was showing me that that is how he dealt with the disciples and how he also views us modern day disciples.

The Lord's flesh and soul were under His submission through the Spirit. People didn't 'rub him the wrong way' with their personalities because that type of reaction emanates from flesh and soul. He sees humanity with an eye of love and compassion, like a Father to his children.

This same spirit must be manifest in ME through the Spirit - die to flesh and submit my soul to the direction of  the Holy Spirit within.

Consuming Fire of Love

"As you go through the history of the early church you will see
suffering, sacrifice, hardship, persecution and spiritual opposition,
mixed with joy, humor, hope, not a little determination and an almost
inconceivable commitment to the cause of Christ. And all of those
things taken together illustrate one all-important dynamic that I believe
has been mostly lost over these past two thousand years of practiced
religion - a true, life-changing reality of Christ in the hearts and lives of
believers!
And, I believe this reality can only be found in the atmosphere and
activity of His true church. It is a reality of Christ that can only be
found in a moment-by-moment relationship with Him, where He is the
first thing we think about when we wake up in the morning and the last
thing we think about before we go to sleep at night. It is a reality that
melts our hearts as we experience His love and a reality that makes us
eager to know His purposes and willing to obey His every word. A
reality that demonstrates the depths of His kindness and mercy, the
scope of which constantly amazes us. The reality of a Lord that is so
great that we know our constant praise of Him will never adequately
define His greatness! A reality that takes us from glory to glory
(actually from one personal experience to the next), transforming us
into His wonderful image and a reality of Christ that constrains and
consumes us. Then finally, it is a reality that causes us to know with
certainty that His church is not comprised of some group that meets
together on Sunday morning in the big building on the corner to enjoy
their multimedia presentation, promote their programs and perpetuate
their traditions and rituals. It is, instead, made up of people all over
the world who meet with Him continually and individually, striving to
maintain a personal relationship of intimacy with Him."

Oh, my goodness! This is the heartfelt expression of Ken Brown from the introduction of his
chronological arrangement of the New Testament.
Parts I REALLY like:

"It is a reality of Christ that can only be
found in a moment-by-moment relationship with Him, where He is the
first thing we think about when we wake up in the morning and the last
thing we think about before we go to sleep at night"
My heart is on fire with Love for you Lord and you
truly are on my mind from my first waking to my laying down of my head at night.

and:

"The reality of a Lord that is so
great that we know our constant praise of Him will never adequately
define His greatness!"
 It is frustrating to be limited by my meager vocabulary in proclaiming my praises to my great God.

and finally:
The part that he put in italics at the end. How naive to think that our 'services' can ever substitute for the fullness of a life lived out on a moment by moment basis in the presence of the Father! The traditional, institutional mind frame has us viewing 'church attendance' as the 'main course' of our fellow shipping with the Father when in reality, he desires to make our whole daily existence a buffet that both us and Him are continually partaking of.

Gimme that old time religion-but not THEIR way

I was thinking earlier today about all the many, many churches that you can find on the street corners of  our cities. Many of them have been there for years.

I started thinking about one church that I had heard about which recently celebrated their 100+ year anniversary. At the time, I thought 'wow, they've been around a long time' and didn't give it too much more thought.

But today, I started thinking, why would a 'church' boast about how long it's been in existence?

It seems that the Father was always on the move, in both the Old and New testaments. It appears that His notion of progress for His people was to initiate a project but after His purposes were fulfilled, He moved the individuals on, reorganized various people into different groupings and then began a new project for a season, after which he moved individuals on, reorganized various people into different groupings....

This pride we take in an assembly's (not 'church', WE as people are the church) longevity, I believe, is not good.

It speaks, at the least, to a  lack of discerning the Father's will and at the worst to a rebellious and \hard heart.

The fluid, amoebic nature of the Body of Christ prevents it from being nailed down, boxed in, institutionalized. Each member must be free to move about this life as the Spirit gives expression - just like the Spirit Himself, This makes establishing some set-in-stone weekly, monthly, yearly programming difficult if not downright impossible.

For example, if one individual is being used of the Lord - during one season in their life- to tend to an elderly aunt's needs, however and whenever those needs arise; if another individual is led to walk among the homeless and serve them; if a family is led to take to the road and serve those the Lord brings across their path, If - on and on and on. How will these individuals (or think about even an assembly full of these type of Spirit led individuals) be able to maintain or even attend some type of set programming week in and week out?

Being tied to a weekly,monthly,yearly 'program' without allowing each individual/family the freedom to be used in this world the way the Father desires will produce a calcified, dead, powerless 'church' - isn't that what we are seeing? We make up for true 'life in Christ' by filling out ossified 'churches' with lots of activity giving the appearance of life ..."but denying the power thereof'. We become the tree Jesus cursed that had leaves but no fruit.