FEAR the destroyer of destiny

October is always a challenge in New England
seasons changing, leaves beautifully transforming into classic Fall...
temperatures dropping,
darkness falls earlier and occult activity kicks up...

flip through your TV movie guide and what are your choices...
- The Reaping - Disturbia - House of the Dead - Poltergeist - The Exorcist -
all created to bring FEAR into the hearts and minds of men...

FEAR - My first pastor use to love acronyms...here is what he shared...
F - false E - evidence A - appearing R - real

think about it, fear where does it come from?
I believe the "father of lies", Satan, the devil, Beelzebub, Lucifer.........

if we agree on this why do we fall for his lies so many times?
especially knowing that they will take us down.......

since the days in "The Garden" men have been deceived...
that day when we stepped out from the canopy of God
and began to establish a culture of concealment...covering up our sins

we, as a human race, ended up living under the reality that was put there by hell

FEAR...fear produces what we are afraid of...
deep fears, insecurities and wrong ideas....
it keeps us from moving in the FAITH we are called too...

FEAR is not a weakness it is a SIN...

we feel bad if someone points out that we are doing something wrong...
that our behavior is unacceptable,
or that we are deceived by lies that have embedded themselves in our souls
don't let shame stand in our way...

WHEN WE FEAR ...
WE BECOME a PART of the CULTURE of CONCEALMENT...

we must acknowledge our weaknesses and get set free...
Dr Phil says (although he may have swiped this from Paul)
We cannot change what we don't acknowledge...

if we allow just a little bit of fear in our life...
it will want more...it is ravenous...like a fire
it is married to UNBELIEF
we can't give it any place

we are suppose to be delivered from fear not held captive by it
when the enemy comes as an angel of light...with human reasonings
if we believe it, it will slowly try to destroy us...
it is deception... and the nature of deception is this:
...WHEN YOU ARE DECEIVED YOU DON'T SEE IT...

I heard a preacher say that FEAR
is the result of man's infection from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil

that the fruit from this tree gave mankind a religious framework to evaluate
his life separately from God's Word about him...

man looked at himself with a system of good and evil
and many of us still live in that system today...

NOW HERE'S THE TRUTH: JESUS! the living Word of God
He has destroyed the power of every lie of the enemy...
He declared "It is finished!" and it was...
God's Word is forever settled in Heaven
Let us settle  this fact on Earth...

Let us receive the purifying of our faith
through the perfect love of God expressed in Jesus!

in Him we can be transformed,
into His likeness...
He is our model, He is our goal...no other

Let's get our eyes off of ourselves (and others)
and put them on the Author and Finisher of our faith!

In Him, We are a Overcomers!
Together, We shall Overcome!

                                              song: "He loved me to the end"
                                    I won't give up, He loved me to the end,
                                     I will press on, He loved me to the end,
                And so I will love Him, I have to give Him everything,
                                                 I'll set my eyes on things above,
                  I'll be faithful unto death, to be with Him in Paradise,
         We will overcome, by His blood, He loved me to the end!
                                                                    - Believe it ~ selah

times of refreshing! a foretaste...

What are your days like?
Do they begin with time with God?
I would encourage you to give Him the best of your day...
That your days may be transformed from ordinary to extra-ordinary...
                                                              from natural to super-natural!
Do you believe in/for the supernatural intervention of God in your life today?

For John and Peter it was just another day...
       but for men of prayer, everyday holds great opportunity 
       as they make their daily trek to the temple to seek His face,
       He will meet them  today with His right arm of power!

Acts 3 : Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

*thought...do you think you would have noticed this man and stopped or would you have kept your focus and kept walking towards your plan to worship God in the temple

~ This lame man simply wanted to be supported in the condition that he was in...
but God wanted to completely change his condition.

    AND THIS, MY FRIEND,  IS WHAT THE LORD SPOKE LOUDLY & CLEARLY TO MY HEART ABOUT THIS MORNING IN MY DEVOTIONS...  
                                                            FOR US...

     You see, Peter and John had no interest in supporting this man in his situation.  
They wanted to transform his life by the power of the risen Christ.
     "It is not the Church’s business in this world to simply make the present condition more bearable; the task of the Church is to release here on earth the redemptive work
of God in Christ." (LaSor)   amen!

"And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."
So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you:
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up,
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them;
walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking
and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms
at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and
amazement at what had happened to him."

     The Lord spoke to my heart this morning that many of us are no longer in the place where we, by faith, really expect something "good" from God. That because of past disappointments or weariness in our time of "wait training" we are more ready to settle for much less than God wants to give us, and our low expectations are often robbing us.
      One of my personal signature scriptures is Psalm 62 :
" FOR GOD alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you set upon a man that you may slay him, all of you,
like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?
They only consult to cast him down from his height [to dishonor him]; they delight in lies. They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
(but) My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him. He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved. With God rests my salvation and my glory;
He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God! Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]"

   We are called to be a people of his presence..."presence not polish"...
in other words would you really rather have a promise of opulence "silver and gold"
or be able to walk in the authority and power of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
    Does "an aqueduct of mercy" (Providence) pour out dollar bills or the unending power of the Lord our God?
    In this season, of final preparations, we must trust the Lord to grant us the supernatural ability to trust Him for something completely out of the ordinary in our lives...we must ask Him to grant us the gift of faith!

     As I look at Acts 3 I see that the lame man did have an expectation of Peter, but oh what a gift he received, far beyond all that he could have imagined..."Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength."
    This power that brought this healing is the word "power" from the Greek word dunamis which also means "dynamic ". It is Holy Spirit who gives us this power, the power to be a witness of who God is!!!

Acts 3:19-21 "Repent ... that your sins may be blotted out,
so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord..."

      so...What does this mean for us who are already saved??
It means that in this season we must turn around in our thinking and actions.
There is a hope for us who believe...that as we repent of all unbelief (and habitual sin if necessary) ...we can turn around in our thinking, in our hearts, in our actions, in our very lives ... (and in this place we can turn around the lives of others...)
    
     We can, by an act of our will, break all agreement with every lie that contends
with our faith in God's Word, with God's promises!

     Where are you at the time of prayer?
     Let us learn from this lame man who fastened his eyes on Peter and John...
     May we be ones who look past the things of this earth and fasten our eyes
on the author and finisher of our faith, Our Lord Jesus Christ!
     Be wise, be diligent in this hour...
                          be cleansed, be obedient, be prayerful and have faith to receive!

    As we await the time when Jesus returns and rules the earth in righteousness, the fullness of the times of refreshing... let us at least partake of a foretaste!

   Father, We commit our hearts to Your will, in a hope to hasten the approach of
Your son, Jesus... in our absolute obedience to You, Father, in full cooperation
with Holy Spirit... We say that we agree with You and in faith believe that for all
who believe, all who will extend our faith that we will receive a measure of this
great refreshing!
   We thank you, Lord Jesus, that in Your name, healings, miracles,
sign and wonders are our portion (in Providence and throughout the world)
as we boldly believe in faith!

                                                    ~selah

Top Gun... nobody wants to crash & burn

it's true isn't it...
the first time I saw Top Gun I was fascinated by everything about these pilots...
their ability to stay focused,
their ability to work together,
their determination, their skill,
their ability to "lock on" to a target...and then to blast it out of their way!

the alternative to being a "top gun" was unfortunately to be one who "crashed & burned"
............everybody wants to soar & succeed nobody wants to crash & burn.............
............especially in the Christian life..................................

Col 3:1-2 ...aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.

     *there's a key to soaring high and fulfilling your high calling in Christ...
                      set your minds and keep them set on what is above ...

set your minds: lock on to the Word of the Lord that speaks to your situation, 
                                                             that carries in it the promise of victory...
 and speak it out, speak it into the situation at hand...
        Faith comes by hearing...so say it "out loud"...shout it out!
                                    

                              Boldly declaring your victory in Christ!
take that "rhema" Word and send it like a missile,
                              to blast and utterly obliterate
                                                                        ...every thing....every thought....
                                                          every argument and theory and reasoning 
                                                          every proud and lofty thing
                                         that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God;
                                               and lead every thought and purpose away captive
               into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)...2 Cor 10

                                              

We are called to soar, and we are expected to succeed...He has provided everything.

2 Peter 1:3 "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness,
through the [ full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

We are prophetically called to raise up eagles...
           Eagles fly high! They are strong, powerful, overcoming, soaring!
                                  They symbolize courage, foresight and strength...
                                  They can set their sight on things afar off and 
                                      steadfastly stay focused on them until they are attained!

   You are an eagle...so spread your wings...and fly
                                set your sights on those high places
                                fly toward the "Son" and He will sustain you
                                                                     He will guide you
                                                                     He will transform you...             
                  "But those who expect, look for, and hope in the Lord shall change and renew their strength and power;
they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint or become tired." Isaiah 40:31
                                                                       
                                                                       ~selah
                                
                                  

Tags: set our eyes

the humility of honor

sometimes it feels as if there is no place to run 
                                              no place to hide
                                                            to find safety
                                                                       comfort
                                                                        rest  for my soul...

sometimes the pressures of life press in round about me...
                                                             how about you ?

how shall I respond???  ... you?
in those times I often remember songs that bring me strength
                                                 songs that remind me of earlier days
                                                 times of great trial that always led to victory!

                                        " I go to the rock of my salvation 
                                          I go to the stone that the builders rejected
                                          I run to the mountain
                                          And the mountain He stands by me
                                          When the Earth all around me is sinking sand 
                                          On Christ the solid rock I stand
                                          When I need a shelter, when I need a friend,
                                          I go to the rock...
                                          Where do I go, where do I go 
                                          When the storms of life are threatening
                                          Who do I turn to when those winds of sorrow blow
                                          And is there a refuge in the time of tribulation
                                          Go to the rock, I know he is able, I go to the rock" 
                                         

the Bible tells us that David often went to the cave of Adullam to seek refuge...
                                                   (1Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, Pslams...)
 
                   In Psalm 57 he sings this song to his God:  
    7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.
    8 Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 
    9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations.
  10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. 

                In Psalm 142...this is his "mantra"...
                5 I cried out to You, O LORD:
                   I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.
                6 Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; 
                   Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I.
                7 Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; 
                   The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

      WHY was David so sure, so secure ???
       In the midst of countless contradictions, WHY was he so confident???
       Because he was a man after God's own heart,
                     a seeker of His presence,
                     a seeker of His face,
                     he was a man who submitted to his God,
                     he knew God and understood his ways...
               and he stood against the cry of the crowds...
                     in the "humility of honor" he found his deliverance...

      1Samuel :4 Then the men of David said to him,
“This is the day of which the LORD said to you,
‘Behold, I will deliver Saul into your hand,
that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’”
And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him
because he had cut Saul’s robe.
6 And he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to him,
the LORD’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him,
seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.”
7 So David restrained his servants with these words,
and did not allow them to rise against Saul.
And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.
8 David also arose afterward, went out of the cave,
and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!”
And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth,
and bowed down...

        Dennis Cramer says this: "If you want to be shown honor and favor, 
                                you must first show honor and give favor where it is due. "
        So my question to you dear friend is this:
Do you currently owe a debt of honor to anyone?
      Do you need to show favor to anyone?
         You must first show genuine honor and give sincere favor to others,
        and then God will bestow the same back to you. I had to first show it
        and give it before I got it! The same is true for you.
  First you sow, and then you reap.
            It is a season for you to "sow" honor and favor.
                      Your spiritual success depends on it!
                                     The ground is ready. Sow now! " 

     It is a principle in God...

Psalm 91 ~ Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God ~
 14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
         I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
         I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Prov 11: 16  "A gracious woman retains honor,
              17  The merciful man does good for his own soul..."

Prov 13: 18 "Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction,
                   But he who regards a rebuke will be honored."

Prov 15 "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
              And before honor is humility."

Prov 18 : 12 "Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
                    And before honor is humility."

Prov 22: 4 "By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life."

Prov 29:23 "A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor."

 So how shall you respond???
      I hope like David...I hope like Jesus....
      
 "So David died in a good old age,
                  full of days and riches and honor." 1Chron 29

 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels,
         for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor,
               that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." Heb 2:9

through out the Book of Revelation we hear all sing of Jesus:
 “ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom,
                                                  And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
“Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne,
                                                                     And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

                                                                                     ~selah

 

Tags: through the cave to the rock

Tags:

Who do you say that I am?

you cannot gain by sacrifice,
                                  what you lose by disobedience...

 

when I heard this quote it just riveted me ...

it's so true
it's so sad
it's such a lesson in life...

choose to obey the voice of God
                            the guidance of Holy Spirit

choose to learn from the life of the absolute obedience of Jesus Christ...

what does "absolute obedience" imply:
                                                      it implies "absolute humility"
                                                      it implies "absolute loyalty"

so who is He who demonstrated such "absolute obedience"?
      "          He who stands in "absolute authority"...
      "          He who understood His unique identity...
                

Jesus said, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).
That means He claimed to be nothing less than God in human flesh.

Jesus embodied every element of God's character.
Colossians 2:9 says, "In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form."
He was perfectly holy (Hebrews 4:15).
Even His enemies couldn't prove any accusation against Him (John 8:46)

God requires holiness of us as well.
1 Peter 1:16 says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).

The Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him

    The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16).
    Therefore He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). 
He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.
    Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15); and "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine" (John 8:31). 

 "God planned for us to do good things and to live as He has always wanted us to live. That's why he sent Christ to make us what we are." Eph 2:10 ~esv  

    Jesus is the sovereign Lord. When you obey Him you are acknowledging His lordship and submitting to His authority. There is no area of your life that you withhold from Him.

     The Bible says Jesus is...
     The living God, the Holy One, the Savior, the only valid object of saving faith, of love... the sovereign Lord, and the righteous Judge.

  Heb 10  “ Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
                   But a body You have prepared for Me.
                6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
                   You had no pleasure.
                7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
                    In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
                    To do Your will, O God.’”
              36 For you have need of endurance,
                    so that after you have done the will of God,
                    you may receive the promise:
              37 “ For yet a little while,
                     And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
              38  Now the just shall live by faith;
                    But if anyone draws back,
                    My soul has no pleasure in him.”

           ...so...Who do you say Jesus is?
                     This is the inescapable question. 
                      And your answer will alter your life forever...
                      Because He alone can transform you and
                                                         give your life eternal purpose... 

                   (to me) it is only when you live in this knowledge of Him
                   that you can release yourself
                                          to "absolute obedience" to Him?

may your heart's song today be this:
               "refiners fire
                my hearts one desire
                is to be holy
                set apart for You, Lord
                I choose to be holy
                set apart for You, my Master
                ready to do Your will..."
                                                                                       ~selah
           
     

 

 

 

 

                         

simplify & shake the earth

I attended a funeral service last week
it was for a quiet woman who lived a very, very simple life...
at one point they played this simple, Amish (Shaker) song...
that epitomized the style of this sweet women's life....

Tis a gift to be simple, Tis a gift to be free
   Tis a gift to come down where you ought to be
And when you find yourself, In the place that is right
   It will be in the valley, Of love and delight
For when true simplicity is gained, To bow and to bend, We shan't be ashamed
  To turn and turn, Will be our delight
Till by turning, turning, We come round right
  Tis a gift to be simple, Tis a gift to be free
For the proud are cast down, Deeper than the sea
 The first shall be last, And the last shall be first
And the meek shall inherit, All of God's earth"

interesting...a gift to be simple...simple life...simplify...I like it!

I must be honest I really didn't no much about the Amish, Shakers, Quakers sects...
So I began to seek out the rest of the story...

"The Way of the Inner Light"...Quaker founder, George Fox...
a radical man that lived in radical times... a non conformist, a city shaker...
a man who wanted to try to return to the pure & simple values of the New Testament.
He was dedicated to simple living,
and wanted those who call themselves Christians to understand how to live
                                                                             "in but not of this world"...
            "Oh, therefore you who know the light, walk in the light."
                         He would proclaim this wherever he traveled!
 
            Anyway, Fox had noble intentions and although he was a defender of the weak and powerless...and was described as "being ravished with the sense of the love of God", he had some serious flaws; such as being a lone ranger who answered to no one,
He eventually believed that he was endowed with inner revelations that were more reliable than those found in scripture...eeeeekkk...
...such delusions often befall many of those who refuse accountability...

         nevertheless...what about simplicity...it may very well still be a great gift...
         "simple"  not complex or compound, unpretentious, humble, not elaborate 
                       or artificial, unassuming; modest, uncomplicated...

           Considering that today our world is not so different from Foxes England of 1643...or America of 1960...
                             "I saw that most people preferred their lives of consumption       
                           (consumerism in 2007) to the radical approach of the first Christians..."

          My husband would certainly lead the cry of the "Minimalists"...less is more!
          I would say this, find rest for your soul, seek peace...
                                                                   seek His face...
                                                                   love His Word...
                                                                   worship Him...
                                                                   pray to Him & obey Him...
                                                                   live a purposed life,
                                                                   live a generous life,
                                                           then  do your best & rest!
                                                                                                          ~selah

        

songs from the fire!

"Jesus said, a tree is known by its fruit.
  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things." Math 12:34

when I was a little girl I loved to dance...
I especially loved musicals that had a lot of dance in them
Fred Astiare & Ginger Rogers, Shirley Temple & Arthur Treacher... and my very favorite

                       Gene Kelly... what a dancer, so full of life, energy, strength!
                       Incredible dancer...in one movie he even danced on the ceiling!
           (yes young ones, google the names, a great part of American culture...)

                      anyway, His most famous dance was "singin' in the rain"

                       Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
                          Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo 
                                 Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
                                    Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo...

                                     I'm singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain
                                    What a glorious feelin', I'm happy again
                                     I'm laughing at clouds, So dark up above
                                     The sun's in my heart, And I'm ready for love
                                     Let the stormy clouds chase, Everyone from the place
                                     Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
                                     I walk down the lane, With a happy refrain
                                     Just singin',  Singin' in the rain
 
                                                   Dancin' in the rain
                                                        Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
                                                              Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
                                                                      I'm happy again!
                                                                               I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!

                                                     Why am I smiling, And why do I sing?
                                                     Why does October, Seem sunny as spring?
                                                     Why do I get up, Each morning and start?
      Happy and head up, With joy in my heart
                                            Why is each new task, A trifle to do?
                    Because I am living  A life full of you.  (wow)

 

                                                      someone once said that there is a song that arises 
                                                 out of the kiln as the pottery is fired to full strength...
                                       it is in this fire of His love that the vessel is fully fashioned
                                                  it is in this very place, in this fire that we are released
                                                  freed from impurities
                                                  freed from selfish desire
                                                  freed from the carnality that militates against His rule
                                                                                              bringing us to the next level
                                                taking us closer to the place that our soul cries out for

                                                             closer, closer, closer to the heart of God
                                                             slowly progressing
                                                             always in the process
                                                                                       of becoming more like Him
                                                    of becoming what I was always intended to be

                                                               feel the power in His presence
                                                                       feel the power of His love
                                                     it is a fearful place of total surrender
                                                                  trusting all to the one I love

                              what shall my soul sing from the fire?

                     what shall my heart's song be in this place?

           may my heart be filled with  sweet peace, joy, and  holy surrender....

                                                                   trusting Him to bring me through...

                                                  "All to Jesus I surrender;
                                                    Now I feel the sacred flame.
                                                    O the joy of full salvation!
                                                    Glory, glory, to His Name!"

                                                                                                       ~selah

Tags: insights from Isaiah & Jeremiah