Watching Gunsmoke, it was said of a man that he was being very generous in the use of ingredients he used in making a potion. The man, upon hearing the statement, walked into the room and said, stinginess is for the small hearted and the fearful.
I like that.
I desire to be a generous, even extravagantly so, person who doesn't let fear or a lack of internal character limit my ('Your', Father) expression of Grace, Blessing and Mercy in the world.
2nd musing:
I purpose by an act of my will to trust you Lord. My emotions/flesh say 'no, you see that you are in a situation that you didn't want to be in, I can't trust Him!" But I am going to disregard the voice of my flesh and the enemy. You have been so good and gracious in ways that I don't even know! You have protected, guided, fed, opened doors, rebuked the enemy, given me wants as well as needs - I am going to trust you for you are Good and Faithful and just like we want to give good gifts to OUR children you have and are giving good gifts to ME! So thank you Lord! I trust you to work all things out for my good. Help me to remain steadfast, unmoveable and always abounding in Your work. Now fulfill my Joy, return to me the Joy of my Salvation. Restore my Hope. And to You Lord be the Glory the Power and the Honor now and forevermore! Amen.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Musings OCT 18,2015, Sunday
I have felt that I needed to be God in peoples lives. I don't know if this has been a conscious effort, except where it pertains to my children, but I have acted that way with adults.
The Father gives us all free reign within his permissive will to move on whatever inclinations we have. If we don't come to him and ask for counsel or ask for counsel of the Lord through those we feel have an understanding of God's ways, then Father let's us move forward with our own desires.
That being said, the bible DOES say that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. We are God's righteousness in Christ. We can have a confidence that Father will not lead us into temptation and that He will deliver us from Evil.
The Father's leadings, however, are often designed to prune us and to mature us. That may mean that broken, unhealed, sinful places in our hearts are allowed to have their full expression,
which will lead us into temptation,
which will cause us to sin,
which will bring about circumstances that are painful/undesireable to us,
which Father will use to prune us so that we become more like Him
so that the desires of our heart are His desires,
so that His will can be manifested in the earth through us,
so that He receives the Glory.
It is all HIS work and he does it very elegantly.
He is more than capable of bringing or allowing circumstances to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we look to Him for salvation, in all it's forms. He is in no hurry and His timetable is the only one that matters..
Even though I have limited insight, I still often feel like I know what is best in a situation, not only for myself but for someone else as well.
I don't want to do that any more Lord.
I can only deal with myself and my relationship with you.
If someone asks for counsel, that's a different matter. I DO want to be an oracle of yours when you desire me to but I don't want to be the self appointed spiritual sheriff to everyone - its frustrating and often fruitless.
BUT, Lord, I do not like that other peoples decisions impact me!
But I believe you can work it out for my good (I still don't like it though!)
Help me to not be so invested in matters emotionally that I get out of a place of your perfect peace when people do what I feel like are crazy, unprofitable (spiritually) actions.
I love you Lord, I want to yield myself to you to be transformed into your faithful, trustworthy daughter.
The Father gives us all free reign within his permissive will to move on whatever inclinations we have. If we don't come to him and ask for counsel or ask for counsel of the Lord through those we feel have an understanding of God's ways, then Father let's us move forward with our own desires.
That being said, the bible DOES say that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. We are God's righteousness in Christ. We can have a confidence that Father will not lead us into temptation and that He will deliver us from Evil.
The Father's leadings, however, are often designed to prune us and to mature us. That may mean that broken, unhealed, sinful places in our hearts are allowed to have their full expression,
which will lead us into temptation,
which will cause us to sin,
which will bring about circumstances that are painful/undesireable to us,
which Father will use to prune us so that we become more like Him
so that the desires of our heart are His desires,
so that His will can be manifested in the earth through us,
so that He receives the Glory.
It is all HIS work and he does it very elegantly.
He is more than capable of bringing or allowing circumstances to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we look to Him for salvation, in all it's forms. He is in no hurry and His timetable is the only one that matters..
Even though I have limited insight, I still often feel like I know what is best in a situation, not only for myself but for someone else as well.
I don't want to do that any more Lord.
I can only deal with myself and my relationship with you.
If someone asks for counsel, that's a different matter. I DO want to be an oracle of yours when you desire me to but I don't want to be the self appointed spiritual sheriff to everyone - its frustrating and often fruitless.
BUT, Lord, I do not like that other peoples decisions impact me!
But I believe you can work it out for my good (I still don't like it though!)
Help me to not be so invested in matters emotionally that I get out of a place of your perfect peace when people do what I feel like are crazy, unprofitable (spiritually) actions.
I love you Lord, I want to yield myself to you to be transformed into your faithful, trustworthy daughter.
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!
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."
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.
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.
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.
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