Award from a "super" Supernatural Christian

I appreciate the award presented by Given55. If you would like to read the comments I made about it, please refer to her blog. She has a great blog for those of you who think that they may have spiritual gifts which are supernatural. Reading her blog, helps one know of the struggles in having these gifts, and that others experience similar struggles. It also encourages you to step out and use the gifts, as the Lord directs and leads.

Lessons from the Wilderness

With each trial that comes our way, whether it be from without, or from our own making, there are lessons the Lord would have us learn from them. Sometimes we respond in the correct manner; sometimes not. Last week I felt very threatened by "something" that seemed like it wanted to control and manipulate me. I assigned it to a certain person, which, was in itself not the correct way, as God says, "we wrestle not with flesh and blood." Even though this person has unknowingly used these methods of the flesh to get his own way for many, many years, he is just an innocent pawn of the enemy, and truly "knows not what he does." I can now pray for his delverance, now that the Lord has gotten everything in it's proper perspective for me.
Another thing He showed me is about the log and plank thing. I have inadvertently used fleshly methods in the past, and still in the present, to get my own way. He is delivering me of this in a most incredible way. The Lord is revealing His unconditional love and acceptance to me, and in doing so, is casting out the fear that I have had. This fear has caused me to control (unknowingly, most of the time) others, so that "nothing will happen," and so that they won't withdraw their love for me. By God replacing this fear with His loveI am gaining a security that will stand, and the temptation to fear, and then control, is lessened because, I am realizing truly that His Love IS ENOUGH. It is sufficient, even if I did lose everything else. It is a long road to get to this place though. He has me on this road, for He desires that my security and love be for Him alone, with no other competing lover. He knows that if my love is divided, that I will fall. (A house divided falls)
With this understanding, I am realizing that this other person may have the same fears, and just needs the love of the Lord to come and wash him over, so that he can become free also. I have taken some steps to reach out to him lately, so that God's love in me can touch him. I had sang a heart prayer to the Lord a few years ago, and it remains my prayer today. The words are; Flow through me, Flow through me. Open up my heart, and let your mercy flow. Flow through me. Flow through me. Let your mercy flow through me. Well, all these stirrings and rumblings and what feel like painful attacks, probably is the Lord molding and shaping me in His image, so that His mercy can flow through me. (A good spanking and a good scrubbing bath never felt good anyway, but it is good FOR US, especially if we want the Lord to show Himself through us for others' sake.)
So, in retrospect, this discipline (one translation says 'scourging') affirms that I am the Lords, and that is encouraging. As a result, as I rely upon the empowerment of the Lord, I am planning on continuing to hold this one in prayer, and to respond to the Spirit as He directs as far as reaching on in the natural realm. I feel God responds to the prayer of intercession to help someone be delivered from the power of darkness, which is what control and manipulation stem from. I pray that for me too, as I am subject to it. LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME AND MY BROTHER. Amen.
Thanks to those of you who gave counsel and prayed for me over this situation.

Seeking the Counsel of Many

I hope I can communicate what I am asking counsel and perspective about effectively. What is on my mind and heart is this: What do you do when you are pretty confident that someone is trying to manipulate you for the purpose of controlling you? I have run into this monster before, and have tried to defeat it, but it seemsl like I usually end up feeling guilty, and I am the one to suffer internally because of it. It seems to throw me for a loop. Even though, I feel that Jesus would not have us succumb to this kind of control, still it oppresses me. Then the thoughts come in that say-How do you really know this someone is trying to manipulate you? How do you know it's not just you not wanting to do what they want you to do because of your own rebellion or selfishness or fear of being controlled? These are tormenting, because they always keep you wondering what really is the truth here. I have asked the Lord about all of this, and as far as I can hear, He spoke to me by saying: "There is security or wisdom in the counsel of many," from the book of Proverbs so I am thinking that He is saying, "Ask the Body," and I will speak through them. I really want to "kick that demon's butt" hard, so he will never be able to put me in this quandry again. I just hate that he is able to shake me up like this. What do you do when that happens, and how to you respond either in the spiritual realm or in the natural when you are dealing with the people involved.

Hop On the Bus, Gus

I have something to share, I think, from my time in the wilderness. (Or house arrest, as I termed it.)
I was sort of walking around my house this morning, feeling lost and not really knowing what to do. I really wanted to just do my craft project and forget about everything else, but I knew that I needed to get dressed. I had one committment for the day, and that was to teach art class (at 1:00 p.m.) to my 3 grandchildren who are home-schooled. And, I had envisioned myself going to town (25 mi. away) and turning in my registration to a fitness place, and then exercising. Well, I really didn't want to do that. The day was overcast, and I wanted to stay home. So, I did decide to get dressed, but I was still in my searching mode-meaning I try hard to hear the Lord everyday to know what He wants me to do for the day. Most of the time I end up feeling lost, and not really knowing if I have heard Him or not, but I assume that I have anyway.
As I was getting dressed, I began to sing, "Slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. Don't need to be coy, Roy. Just set yourself free. Hop on the bus, Gus. Don't need to discuss much. Just drop off the key, Lee. And set yourself free."
It occured to me that maybe it was the Lord singing through me to me. I said, "Is that you, Lord?" I felt affirmed in my spirit that it was Him!!! He was telling me in a way I could understand that I just needed to "set myself free." He had already done that for me, and now I needed to receive it. I said, "Free from what, Lord?" He said, "Free from doubts, fears, your perceptions, the doctrines you noose yourself with. Free from self-condemnation. Free from the future, free from your past. Free from having to know. Free from your self-protections. Free from fear of yourself if you receive the freedom." I knew the list could go on and on, but I was intrigued by Jesus singing this to me through me. It was as if it burst forth through me! Would he sing these things in this way? Does He talk to us through contemporary songs that humans have penned, so that we can understand what He wants us to know? I believe that He does. I believe that He will go to any means, using any words and methods to get what He feels we need to hear for our freedom.
Many years ago, He gave me a mental picture. I was sitting on a prison bench, and He was in the doorway which was opened with His arms outstretched towards me, as if to say, "Come, receive the Kingdom that I have procurred for you. It is yours, if you will get up and start walking." These were the same words, (in other words) He was telling me now. "Set yourself free. The only thing that is stopping you is within you." He was just using a different method to try and reach me now.
Needless to say, I am jubilant in my spirit, but there are still things in me that resist this freedom, but I am in full expectation that He has overcome them in me, and that He will not be satisfied until I defeat these things He has already defeated in me. Hallelujah!!!! Keep coming, Lord Jesus.
Know that the same is true for you, too. He has freed us. We are free from sin and death, and from all that entails. We are free from our limitations, our self-sabotaging ways, free from shame about who and what we are, (because that is not really us anyway) we are free from defeat, and free from apathy. free from our own selfishness (we are crucified with Christ) free from being critical, judgemental, and negative, we are free from depression, and free from disappointments, free from it all!!! We have to fight, though, to procur the freedom He has already won for us, as strange as that sounds.
I pray for us all, His precious Body, that we "attain to what He has attained for us," and that we fight against what is weighing on us to defeat us, as it is this weight that God, Himself uses to cause us to rise up and be strenghtened to take back the freedom that He has for us. My mom used to say, "When she (meaning me) gets enough of it, she'll do something about it." Aren't we all like that? The things that have had their way in us for soooooooooo long, we finally get tired of them, and let God's spirit rise up in us, and say, "Thus far, and no more." When we finally draw that line and hold that line, we walk in His victory and freedom.
So, excuse me, I am going to go catch a bus, because this place (the stuck place that I've been in) is getting me down. I've been singing this sad, country girl dirge tooooooooooo long now. Time to do a victory dance, even if I am captive to this world and an alien here. Afterall, HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD!! Ya wanta come with me?

 

 

Original, non other than Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel. In this case, the lover would be one's own fears.