Sunday, October 11, 2015

Only two rulers in the Earth

No longer seeing any person after the flesh but understanding that each and every human is being ruled by either the Spirit of God or the flesh/spirit of this world/Satan. Whether we believer it or not, we all are moving by the inspiration of one or the other (counting the flesh/world/Satan as 'one').

Once that this is understood that it is always, no matter what, every-single-time-the-case,then"I" have to be committed to listen for the Spirit, to flow from the Spirit, to respond by the Spirit. I don't want to be flesh ruled/world ruled/Satan ruled. I don't.

Help me father. Give me revelation! Open the eyes of my heart so that I can see people as you see them and understand what spirit they are walking in. And then, to know how you want me to respond since it may not always be the same way even though it may be the same person and they may be operating in the same spirit they've operated in before.

YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And I want to be a true and faithful witness of that. I cant do it on my own.. Live through me! Christ IN ME!

Friday, October 9, 2015

Pure Love

I was thinking today that the purest expression of what the Father's love is like, that agape kind of love, can be seen in how a mother loves her child.

A mother doesn't feel envious, or  boastful against her child. She is patient and kind towards her child.
A mother is very mindful of the mental/emotional state of her child and the various stages he/she passes through and handles the child accordingly. Her thoughts are constantly for the well being of the child and wants that child to excel in all ways. It is really a sacrificial love.

As I was thinking of this, my desire began to move toward wanting to feel this way towards humanity as a whole. I thought 'surely, this is how the Father and His Son feel toward us - the way a mother does toward her beloved child'. I want to be able to deal with people in the same way that the Father does- it must be possible for Christ is in me! Allowing the reactions of others that stem from their brokenness and pain to twist my response into anything other than love(agape) shows how far I still have to go in allowing my true new creation nature to be manifest! Ugh! I hate that my growth seems to be soooo slow!

"Oh Father, think you so much for Jesus! My hope is in Him and His manifestation more perfectly through me. Your mercies upon me and forgive me for constantly falling short of your desires for my life."

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Chastening

My thinking as I awoke went to the verse that says No chastening at the moment seems pleasant but afterwards it will bring the peaceable fruit of righteousness (my paraphrasing of how I remember the verse; I looked it up later and it is found in Heb. 12:11

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby).

I thought about the fact that discipline produces fruit. This made me think that discipline is a type of pruning, since the Lord tells us that he prunes us so that we can bare fruit.  The fruit is righteousness. Then I thought about how the kingdom is 'righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit'. Then I thought about how Isaiah says that the people learn 'righteousness' when God's judgments are in the earth. The Father's chastisements are fitting us for Kingdom life.. He desires people like Himself, righteous, inhabiting His Kingdom.

Later, when I got to the computer, I looked up the verse on Biblehub. The word 'exercised' in the Greek was stated as meaning 'having been trained'. This made me think of how I often refer to God 'putting me through my paces'.  Which is a saying that, for me, would mean a type of training.  The word 'training' was shown to be 'disciplined development'. It sounds like what we do with our children I believe.

Just letting my thoughts flow (as Mark Virkler teaches) gave me this:
My kingdom is coming, I have plans for you in my Kingdom. You must be prepared. You have desired to work for me in the Kingdom, to be my honorable vessel. These things you are experiencing are necessary for that to occur. Be patient, your hope will not be in vain.
My response:
Thank you Lord. Please help me be patient. Help me be found worthy and in faith at your Son's return.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Eternal Changes

In my 'thinking unto the Lord', I was considering how it can seem hopeless, after spending time and effort in speaking and modeling the life of a believer to those around us, even those who are themselves believers, when they seem to not desire a greater walk with the Lord despite our efforts. A thought began to formulate about this issue. I began to think about vaccination in infants. The thought came 'do you remember getting vaccinated at 3 months old? My returning answer was 'no'. The thinking continued 'even though you don't remember those baby shots, they produced changes in your body that still have an effect on you from the antibodies that the vaccine generated. The SAME is similar with the lives we all are leading. Our lives aren't just for this time. Our lives that will continue past this realm have been and are being affected by the spiritual sacrifices and prayers that have occurred on our behalf. Our efforts are not "wasted".  We must have an eternal view of our existence.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Vessel of Honor

I am often praying, for myself and others, that I/they be vessels of honor in the Lords hand/house. As I was 'thinking unto the Lord' this morning, I began to think of the will of the Father as a river. Those whose eyes are open are open are fish who are swimming WITH the current and with purpose. Those whose eyes are closed are floating over to the sides of theriver where there are rocks and working on  things among the rocks. Some are eeven swimming against the current. These ones have veiled eyes. They are living according to the vanity of their mind and following the idols of their heart. They are still in the river - EVERYONE is in the river, it is God's sovereign will at work within the world - but not everyone (most everyone?) don't realize it. We are allowed to swim in the manner we want to within the river, but the current of the Father's will is constantly bringing forth the Father's desire even in the midst of the blinded activity of man. To be a vessel of honor is the work of the Father. Only He can give revelation of Who He is, What this life is about and Who we are in this life.
Just as Doubting Thomas didn't believe until he saw the wounds of Christ for himself (and he was a disciple!), just as those who were on the road to Emmaus didn't recognize Him. Just as Mary at the tomb didn't know him. Just as Peter and the others didn't know him standing on the shore, we too, unless can't 'see' the Christ unless are eyes are unveiled. Flesh and blood can not show it to us.
But as we pray for eyes to see and hearts to understand, the Father begins to reveal our internal idols, and as we forsake them, the veil, or at least a layer of the veil, comes off. We can begin to swim with purpose in the Father's river of love and be used as a vessel of honor.As lay down our lives, a layer of the veil comes off and we can begin to understand the Father's good and acceptable and perfect will.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Eunuchs of the Lord

I was thinking about Bruce Jenner who has recently been in the media regarding his transformation from living life as a male to living life as a female.
My heart was moved for him as I have been seeing articles on the front of magazines about him feeling suicidal.
I thought how difficult it must be to feel like you are so out of place; how not just other people's expectations but your OWN expectations are so frustrated and confused. The anger, the fear, the doubting.
I then began to direct my attention more towards what the Lord may make of this.

Thoughts began to come to me that maybe him and others like him were meant to be eunuchs for the Lord.
Matthew 19:12 from the KJV says:

For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Could it be that some of the men who feel they are born the wrong gender are actually experiencing,  from birth, the lack of male testosterone that would allow them to be attracted to women? And then, because there is no one to teach them of these things, all they can do is accept the cultural understanding that something has gone wrong and now they must 'fix' themselves.

I'm sure the evil one pounces on these type of men and brings spirits of homosexual lust to help encourage them in that direction.

As I was still thinking, the thought came, 'so where are these eunuchs today? Surely it just wasn't a situation that would be present in Paul's time?'

In talking to my husband, he said these may be the monks of today. I rejoined that what about those 'religions' that don't have places where men can cloister themselves off - like in the Protestant denominations? What happens to those men? And is it even right for those who ARE a part of monastic building communities, to live in such separated ways?

Then he reminded me that many of those DO volunteer and serve selflessly in their communities.
It seems so distant though, to me at least, for those of us who are not in the faiths that offer that type
of outlet for men.

 The many, many unmarried women in the body of Christ would seem to need the help of these 'eunuchs' without fear of the relationship turning inappropriate. Married men are often so busy with their own families or feel things could be 'weird' when it comes to helping the unmarried women.
How wonderful it would be for those women to have the strength, help, and male insight that these men could provide!

These are only musings. I am asking the Lord if I am thinking correctly. I so far have not received any 'confirming' external witness(es) so all I can think is that maybe this isn't right and that there is something else going on with these men that I don't understand.
But still, what of 'eunuchs from birth' and those who have made themselves 'eunuchs for the kingdoms sake'? Where are they in the Protestant community of believers?

Reveal your thoughts on this my Lord.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

On being 'Clear' or Dealing with People, Problems, 4

As I have stated before, I asked the Father multiple times how to deal with difficult people - how did JESUS deal with difficult people.
Today I had this thought:

Jesus didn't see the common man as being 'difficult'. That particular feeling comes from our own 'black velcro' that is within us, rubbing against the other person's 'black velcro'. The 'tugging' that occurs produces that feeling of irritation. Jesus didn't have that within Him. Not having velcro  was the same reason that Jesus said the evil one was coming but would find nothing in Him.

Our expectations of others, our pride our lusts, and our self love/self interest make up the fabric of the 'velcro'. The Father wants us to deal with this!
If we desire to be Overcomers and to allow Jesus to continue to walk in this world to set the captives free, we must allow Him to show us ourselves (prove us) and then turn from our ways and submit to Him (obedience) as He continues to transform us into His image.

I am making a distinction between the 'common man' and those in religious authority because Jesus dealt with them differently. His harsh words were reserved for those that felt they were already 'clear' but in reality they weren't.
Confessing our sins puts us in a position of being forgiven of those sins. We can't act as if there is nothing in us that needs to be removed/transformed/forgiven!

I desire your mercy Lord. Please forgive me. Help me to yield to your chastening hand so that I can be an overcomer in truth, not just in my own thinking (deceived and living vainly). Transform me Lord and let me live this life in a way that reflects YOU and pleases YOU! Amen.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Spiritual Warfare

I was reading 'Spiritual Warfare" by Dr. Stephen Jones.

On location 247 he says 'The only reason God gave Israel a physical sword to establish
that first "Kingdom of God' was because the people had rejected the Sword of the Spirit
at Mt. Sinai"

I asked the Father f this was true. The thought that came to me was 'you change enemies to
friends by establishing the Kingdom'. And then, 'you can't leave people in the same
condition you find them; do spiritual warfare"

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Our Troubled Life, Part 3

Once we have accepted the reality of our broken life in this broken world and have discontinued trying to make it into something it will never be, we can then be about the business of allowing the Father to form us into a vessel fit for His use.

We begin to feel hopeful that now we have turned our back on 'worldly' things we can make progress in our spiritual endeavors. If we have not already, we begin to press in to the life of 'church' - joining ministries, attending classes, maybe even starting a ministry of our own.

All appears well at first. We begin to have a certain level of influence in the body of Christ and are seen as a faithful, committed one that can be looked to as an example of what the church should be.
Sooner, or even years later, the hamster wheel of activity and the plate juggling begin to take its toll.
Possibly the community we are involved in seems to have a revolving door where members are present for a while but then go on their way, never seeming to exhibit the same level of commitment that we are laying forth. Or maybe it is a ministry where there are many committed but the constant in fighting and vying for preeminence has left you drained and feeling like you're the only one wanting to follow the Lord.

Welcome to the newest phase of the journey.
Trying to make a life by walking according to the traditions of religion will present a whole new type of wilderness to navigate.

As we meditate on the state we are in, we begin to see the reality that the people IN the church are the same as those OUTSIDE the church. Covetousness, envy, murder (backbiting), adultery (both with the heart and physically), discontent, depression, unbridled anger, theft, disrespect and on and on,  are realities in the institutional expression of the body of Christ. We have left, or so we believe, the worldly pull of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life only to be confronted with it among the Body. And not just in 'them', we see it in our self!

How can this be? We desire the good thing  - a life set apart for the Master's use;, a life of fellowship with other like minded believers yet we find the same fleshly desires motivating us (and many of those around us) even though we have joined ourselves in a committed way to the Body.

The realization begins to dawn:
there is something more to our life than what the world presents,
but also
there is something more to grabbing hold of life than even what our physical church membership (even if that involves taking a role of leadership) has to offer.