Psalm 91 Revisited

     We can only claim the protective promises in Psalm 91, if we are "under the shadow of His wing." Some may say, "if we are His children, He will protect us." But, I propose that we must submit under Him, to be under His shadow. Our protection is directly tied in with our submission. I am seeing this more clearly every day.
     Remember when Jesus said that He would have gathered Israel as a mother hen gathers her chicks, His chosen people at that time, but that they wouldn't let Him? Yes, He expressed His sorrow over that reality, because they were going astray, or away from Him and His will, and He knew there would be trouble for them outside of His covering, and He hated to see that happen to the ones He loved.
     It's the same for us today and always. If someone insists on their own way, and refuses to submit to His wisdom and ways, they become "sitting ducks" for the enemy and others who may take advantage of  them or lead them down the wrong path, that leads to destruction. If we, however, choose to trust God, and acknowledge Him in all things for our life, we can rest assured that He will offer us that spiritual protection and peace in whatever happens in our lives.

Avoiding satan's Power of Influence

     Do you suppose one of the reasons God tells His people to "come out from among them and be separate" is because He knew the power of influence someone who is not walking in His ways, can have on another who has claimed Jesus Christ, as in "what does righteousness have with unrighteousness, or what does Christ have with Belial"? I have observed this "power" (which of course, ultimately, is the power of the enemy to devour God's people) in the past 8-10 years, between dominate or people of "authority" over people who are weak-willed and followers, and it has been personally painful to watch. I have seen people compromise their former standards in the Lord, which they once were strong in, and lower them, because others around them, influenced them by demonstrating their carnality, knowingly or unknowingly. This had manifested in loose language, dress, materialism, the pleasures of this world, emphasis on physical vanity instead of on His internal values of character, and justifying evil in movies, books, etc, and calling it "good," because there was a little bit of redemption in them. Again, it's the enemy stealing the purity of God's people, and their saltiness in this world, by tainting their lives and witness to God's holiness and true ways. God's Spirit within me is grieved!!! Is yours?
     Each gathering with people in our lives, must be put before the Lord as to whether it is His will for us to attend or not. Sometimes He has us go to be a witness of His light and love, and sometimes He has us stay. Again, it's the case of "the cloud by day" and "the fire by night"; the signs He used for the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness. (Ex. 40:36-38) Sometimes the power of evil or unrighteousness, would be too strong for even us to resist, that He tells us to stay. Other times, even though that power of influence will be present in a gathering of people, He has us go anyway, to be the influence over that unrighteousness, and "greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world" empowers the situation.
So, it's imperative that we, as God's people, SEEK HIM in every situation, especially since the times are becoming so evil in and through others, and licentiousness (doing whatever the "flesh" wants without regard to what God wants) is rampant, even in those who formerly called themselves His, and who still are deceived into thinking they still are. ("If  you love me, you'll do what I command."-John 14:15) Many who call themselves His, think they can do whatever they want to do, and say they still love Him. He says that we cannot.  These can have great influence on those who either don't know the truth, or because they are weak and give into the passions of the flesh, or because they don't seek Him and His will in any and all things in their lives. All these things, can subject anyone to be dragged into this influencing power of satan, and can cause people to forsake their relationship to Christ, or at the minimum their effectiveness.
Oh, how dark is that darkness that tells us we are in the truth, but really are getting further into the darkness, and don't even know it. Watch who you hang out with, for it was true in the past when it was written, and is becoming more apparent today that "a little yeast spoils the whole batch." "Coming out from among them," can be life saving, in the physical, but also in your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Sometimes it's just a matter of what is most important to you: your own will, or being accepted by other people by compromising God's holy standards, or what He wants and desires for you, His child. Choose today who you will serve, for today is the day of salvation! We may not have tomorrow.
    

Encouragement Waters the Soul

     Criticizing other people almost never helps them overcome things, but emboldens the sin nature to continue in it's sin. I am having to learn this the hard way; by personal experience.
      In the past, I  had a bad habit of being critical of others, mostly due to my own insecurities. With a desire to feel accepted and valued, I resorted to this destructive behavior.  As I've grown in the belief of how God sees me, as being accepted and valued, the need to criticize has decreased. I am getting stronger because of His love, and am being set free.
     I had to experience someone else's disgust of me to realize the negative power and potentially debilitating effect criticism can have on my progressive growth in Christ. Because I am not fully free of my insecurities, their verbal pointing out of my "backsliding" in the area of criticizing, presented me with a decision to let their criticism affect me negatively, or decide to disregard it and "march on to Zion."
Had God not worked in me His acceptance and value to the degree that He has, I would have been powerless to choose to not let the criticism have it's way in me. And so, I learned something about the negative power of criticism, and the effect it can have on others, in this personal sowing and reaping process.
     On the flip side, encouragement and acceptance of others, results in the increased power for them to embrace God's loving acceptance and value, and move forward in Him.
     And so I pray: Lord, help me be aware of insecurities in all of us, and to be a person who sees and expresses the positive to others, watering Your progress in them,  as you conform them to Your image. Help me work with You in this, and not against You. Forgive me for criticizing others, and tearing them down in this way. Deliver me from this destructive habit, and help me build others up. Thank you for Your mercy towards me; "while I was yet a sinner, you died for me," and offered me your blessed forgiveness. Amen.
    

The Cup of Iniquity?

"WHEN THE PERSON'S PERSONAL INIQUITY IS FILLED UP, GOD WILL THEN SPEAK TO THE PERSON HIS WORD, AND THROUGH REPENTANCE THAT PERSON WILL OVERCOME."

     Someone whose writings I subscribe to through email had written the above statement, which I found most interesting. I'm not sure whether or not this truth
can be verified in the Scriptures, but I am looking into it. I'm also not sure I understand fully what it is saying, but I am definitely going to seek the Spirit of truth about it.
     It seems to explain, however, why man can't help man, if their desire is to continue in their sin, whether in "being good within themselves" (our filthy rags) or in "being bad." Only if they "come to the end of themselves" to hear the voice of God, will they be ready to let Him change them (repentance) and will enable them to come to Him and be able to walk in His ways.

Yes, Lord!!!

     I've known I was called by God since I was 10 years old. When I was in Vacation Bible School, and I first learned about the Great Commission, I heard the call personally to "Go into all the world" and share the Good News. I even went home and told my mother that I found out the reason that we, as believers, were put on this earth. She patted my head, and said, "that's good," not realizing the impact that "call" had on my life.
     My focus on this call was "off again, on again" as I was sucked into life as we know it. But, never did the call go away, and it's still with me today at age 62. My heart has always been for world-wide missions.
     God has let me be a part of one-on-one evangelism locally in various ways, in ministry in India, and most recently the Philippines. I have used my talents to sew school uniforms for Africa children, have been privileged to help fund several others who have gone overseas for missions work, missionaries who are over there already, and give to indigenous works. Currently, I have designed a tract for a group in India to be used during Hindu festivals, as a call to come to Christ and be set free from rituals, etc. He has let me encourage many overseas in the Lord, and I was able recently to give the testimony of how God rescued our family out of darkness in the Philippines.
     I don't feel like this call is over either. Even at 62, I am wanting to "go ye" to wherever and whatever adventure He sends me on, even though, within myself, I am not adventurous. His empowerment and being active "in the call" is the most exciting and fulfilling experience I know of.
     If you have a call on your life, and I truly believe that everyone does, listen to the voice of God for the next move He would have you make in that call. It may be just to make a phone call, or write an email, or do something small which will be a part of Him connecting you with someone or something else. You may not even understand what He is doing, but He calls us all to "hear His voice and not to harden our hearts in unbelief," but to take action in response to that voice. If we allow Him to connect the dots, soon a glorious picture of His call in our lives will begin to take shape and form, with Him giving us the awesome opportunity to walk in it. All these calls He gives are part of the good works He ordained us to walk in, since the foundation of the world, all for the purpose of giving Him glory!!!

P.S.-I've noticed there are a few people from Malaysia reading this blog, and was wondering how you found it, and if you are viewing it as a group or as individuals. If any of you would like to email me, my address is:
 pmb24@bellsouth.net.

Where Are You?

     Have you ever groped for God in the dark? What I am referring to is times when you find yourself drowning in the presence of dark thoughts, emotions or actual happenings, and you can't find Him. It almost feel like you are a little child, lost in the middle of a thunderstorm, with lightning raging all around you, and you are desperately needing the loving comfort of your mother, but she is no where to be found. Your needy heart comes up empty as it grasps for something to hold onto.
    I'm wondering what He develops in us, in those times, when we cannot even sense His presence and it seems as if He is refusing to comfort us. Is it that we are in sin, or does He just withdraw Himself at times for purposes we don't understand?
     I know one thing: I don't like it one little bit! I think of David when he cried, "and don't take your Holy Spirit from me!" and I can only imagine he says that with great desperation.
     When this happens, though, one thing is for sure. The reality of God being in control is no more apparent. You want Him, you can't find Him, and you can't do anything about it. Maybe that is the exact thing He is trying to show us-He is in control and we are not!!! Perhaps He is once again using this lost and lonely experience to demonstrate His sovereignty, even over when we can feel His presence and when we can't. Could He be wanting us to exhale with resignation and surrender once again, and say, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done."?

P.S.- I read part of The Screw tape  Letters by C.S. Lewis. It was a writing from a senior demon, to one in training. I won't quote it, but paraphrasing he wrote saying that the believers who God withdraws His presence from and they still choose to follow Him by obeying His will, are the ones who are the biggest threat to the kingdom of darkness.

Ideas as Bread

      I am having thoughts of family, because Thanksgiving is approaching. It's as if our minds are programmed in certain ways at certain times of the year which connects those two things.
      I caught myself imagining having a "cousins day" with my first cousins, but also with distant cousins who I don't really know very well, and for some reason, I am wanting to get to know them better. The fact that we are connected "by blood" and therefore making us family, is motivating me.
     I want to know about their growing up years: where they lived, what they did, if they got together with their other cousins much and if they were close to them-things like that. And, of course, there will be the typical "remember whens."
     I imagine us all sitting around somewhere in a big room, coffee in hand, sharing these things. Am I crazy to think that this really could come about, and that they would be willing to put everything else aside to make room in their life to do this?
      It's these kind of thoughts that discourage me, and often I just forget about things I would like to do without even sharing them. 'Oh well, you're going off on one of your imaginary trails,' I tell myself. Maybe these kinds of thoughts should be discarded in my life, and I should mention it to someone, and see what happens.
      What if this desire of my heart, is something that the Lord has put in there according to His plans, and that He wants to do something with it through me? Now, that puts another slant on things.
     I already have planned on calling my cousin about something else; why not bring this up to him for his reaction? In God's Word it says to "cast our bread upon the waters," (Eccles. 11:1) which actually means giving of our substance, but would it be too much of a stretch, to take it as a principal of giving in any form? Could it also apply to giving away an idea, and not holding it back? If I held it back, I could be depriving others of something God may want to do, as a result of the plan being carried out in reality.
     The Scripture goes on to say that we don't know when something might happen in our own lives (paraphrase) and then we might have a need also, and, if we do, then what we had given may be returned to us many times over at that time. I think the idea here is that we don't have to hoard what God has given us, because God will provide for us if we have needs in the future. It speaks of one's heart of trust towards God, and our resulting actions in giving in any way, shape of form.
     If this is the case, maybe when we have certain ideas, desires, etc. and they have been given to us by God, we should not "hide" them but we should share them and in this way, we cast them on the waters, or give them freely without reservation.  I think I'll do that.

 

The Undertow

      It saddens the soul whenever God, with His sword, divides the bond that had once held two people together. Although, I understand that "soul ties" are not healthy, and that these understandably must be broken, I'm speaking of a division that once was a good one, based on both people having the self-same spirit, and mindset concerning the ways of the Lord.
     It's like the one person has drifted out to sea, leaving the other on the shore, never to return, and you know you are going to miss them terribly. More concerning though, is the fact that they are going into deep waters, and will face grave danger there, even if they don't realize it, because there are plenty of people out there to help convince them they are just "having fun" and "enjoying life." What they won't tell them is the cost of being there, in relationship to their walk with God. But you know it.
     I'm referring to being on the narrow path. If a path is narrow, not many can walk on it. The broad path, or the path of destruction, holds many. God tells us that. I believe  a person can begin on the narrow path, and decide (subconsciously or not) to go over to the broad one. With God's mercy and forgiveness available, it is possible, for the person to "come to themselves", and return to the Father's house. The difficulty increases, though, in the amount of time they remain "out to sea," reveling in the world's fun, in it's self-indulgent values, accoutrements, and involvements, as does their ability to see how far they've drifted.
     Maybe that is how God divides with His sword; by the decisions we make. And, He tells us that is why He came. "I came not to bring peace, but a sword." Matt. 10:34-36. Is this the same thing as dividing the tares from the wheat; the sheep from the goats? And does it begin way before we die? In our decisions in life, do we begin to divide ourselves from each other unknowingly, and in doing this, it is inadvertently God's dividing us because in His foreknowledge, He knew whether or not we would "endure to the end, and be saved."?
      

The Real Utopia

     I am finding that if my will or agenda is the driving force in any situation, whether it be "gathering in the name of the Lord" or in daily life and relationships, or even in social settings, than I can't experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; that place I posted about yesterday.
      It's about "letting go of control" and turning it over to Him in trust. I have been struggling with that all of my life, and it has been a very hard thing for me to do. Recently, though, I've been "doing it," (only as a result of His work inside of me am I able) and, as a result, He has let me experience that place where His love and will presides, and it has nourished me in those few moments in time.
      It is a place where there is complete harmony, as God the Father, is synergized with God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit and the love that is flowing from one to another, is so that is catches another up in that, and everything else a  person has ever feared goes away. It's also a place that isn't a place, in that geography as we know it, doesn't exist in this place; neither does time or physical dimensions. Only the Love the 3 have for each other; that same place Jesus prayed that we would be taken along with Him as He prayed His last prayer on earth. It is the Oneness of them, bound together by their Love. There is no controversy or disagreement there; only the cleansing peace that springs out of the Love that brings all things together. It is the restoring place of all things. Just writing about it is swooping me up in it. It's a place I don't just want to visit, but I want to live there forever. It is the utopia the whole creation has been looking for. Jesus is the door to this place. Come in  and sup with Him and the Father, and the Holy Spirit. There is a Love feast going on at all time, in this realm. He wants us to join Him there.
    

The Joy of Our Salvation

     When God told John to "come up here", while He was on the Isle of Patmos, He took him to a place in the Spirit where God's perspective was. I think that we can learn to live there daily.
     I got a glimpse of this perspective today, when He showed me "the joy of persecution." Now, according to our natural understanding, those two words together, "joy" and "persecution" cannot be so.
     When others come against us because of our love of and faith in Jesus Christ, and harm us in some way, big or small, and we respond by letting Him have His way through us, it is a joy, knowing that He is getting the glory, and in knowing that we become more like Him as we yield to Him.
    How do we get to that place? Is there a route in going there? I think it is in being caught up with the fellowship of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and this is the ultimate joy!!! Living in that fellowship daily is the place where nothing else touches us, but His presence and His peace.

 

 



Giving Him All of Us

     I've come to the end of myself again! I've been eating healthy for about 2 years now, and lately it seems like I can't do it anymore. Could it be that these past 2 years, what started out as relying on His strength, has somewhere along the line, become relying on my own? How and when does that happen?
     The Lord is speaking to my heart, through this, and showing me how totally dependent He wants me to be on Him, and how unreliable my own strength (will power) is. It can last awhile, but then it's gone. It has it's limits.
     Each and everyday He wants us to ask for His help in all things, big and small because to depend on ourselves is to put our trust in "horses and chariots", or to worship "idols." Our God is a jealous God. He is jealous for our total trust.

 



Facing Yourself; A Daunting Task

     Is it possible to think you hear from God one day, and then the next realize that you just lied to yourself subconsciously to try and justify getting out of what He is actually leading you to do, but you lack the courage to do it? Oh, the tangled webs we weave, or could I just get by with "you are fearfully and wonderfully made?"

Living in the Light of Forgiveness

     Forgiveness is something God offers when we receive salvation through Jesus Christ. When we are in Him, we already are forgiven. That truth is too big to contain!
     It's not how sorry we are, and if we express it with many tears or not when we violate His ways, or even if our confession is sincere enough that determines if He will forgive us, for that would be based on what we do. No, it is a gift He offers us, and is already present when we do sin.
    When many people think of sin, they think in terms of external behavior, but when Jesus lived on earth, He taught that to "sin" is a matter of the heart. While it's true that our heart sins can affect our outward behavior, it is the deeper issues inside of us that He is looking at.
     What are some heart sins? They involve anything which violates the "law of love," such as judging, hating, cruelty, selfishness, jealousy, lust, unforgiveness, and more. They all stem from letting our flesh have it's own way, as the substance of the flesh is that beast called PRIDE. With that in mind, most people spend a large part of their day, in their heart, violating the law of love.
     How can we possibly then confess the many sins of the heart, throughout the day, so that we can "make sure" we are forgiven, if that is what is required to be forgiven? There is a  religious group that confesses "known sins" and "unknown sins" to cover that base, but there is something wrong with that. It's as if  they believe it's up to them to do the right thing each and every time, making sure nothing is overlooked until they are convinced their sins are forgiven, and still, by observation, I have seen that they still are uncertain.
    But, by being in Christ, we can be certain that our sins are forgiven. God looks at Him, and His sacrifice on our behalf, when He looks at our hearts. You could say our sins died with Him on the cross. So, do we need to even look at the sins we commit in our heart, or when we do recognize them, should we just look at the cross where they died, and were cast into the sea of forgetfulness, with sorrow towards how our sin made Him suffer, and in gratitude to Him for what He did for us?
     If you have any insights about this, I welcome your comments, as I am examining this myself. I am looking at forgiveness and wanting to know more about it, in terms of what that looks like as being in Christ.
    

Contentment As a Covering

     Disappointment is the result of believing we deserve something other than what we are getting in life. Underneath this is a distrust in God's care for us, so we use ways to cause others to give to us what we feel we deserve, whether it be money, love or attention. Even if they do "deliver", we are left unsatisfied still, because we know they did not give with a willing heart, but from one which was controlled by us, and they relented only so that we would stop talking about it and they could get relief, or out of fear, false-guilt, or as an attempt to out manipulate us and our tactics. ( which is all just self-preservation) Continued disappointment can lead to despair; a dark hole that is hard to get out of. In fact, without the rescuing power of the grace of God, we cannot. However if we truly want out, His Grace is there reaching out to us to bring His supernatural deliverance, by way of forgiveness. I don't know how many times He has come to my aid, even when the enemy is on the 9.99999......... count as I lay on the boxing ring floor wounded. Suddenly, and I don't know exactly how, I am standing again ready for another round, empowered by His Grace alone.

"Godliness with contentment is great gain."- I Timothy 6:6.

The Pain (but oh, the gain!) of Consecration

     Jesus went through the pain, as He laid down His will (take this cup from me) for the will of the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. As the Elder brother, so the younger brother. Are we greater than our Master?

Gaining Christ

Wondering-When someone lets the Lord  crucify their flesh, and they die daily to their own will resulting in becoming more consecrated to the Lord and His will, is there an equal and opposite loss in their life?

Pain

     Our own desires for comfort and for our physical bodies and lives to be pain free, is just that-"our desires." In our carnal selves, we crave to be relieved of any and all sufferings, and we will use many means to do that. Accepting pain from any source in our lives is to accept the will of God. He uses the pain we accept, for reliance on Him to either deliver us from it, or trust Him with it and through it.   He also uses it for His purposes, as we give it to Him. This is a hard reality, but is also part of surrendering our wills (or carnal desires) for His, so that He alone can be glorified.

Choosing to Go All the Way With Him, Even unto Death

     Choosing to follow and bow down to our own carnal will and desires is to choose to push Him away from crucifying our flesh. No crucifixion; no resurrection.

God's Heart for His Functioning Body?

     The other afternoon I experienced a most refreshing and unusual gathering at my home. Two couples and one single man came to share Christ, as we sat in a circle in the living room, along with my husband and I.
     The single man is someone the Lord has called to travel around the country and sit in on home group meetings. He shared an observation that the groups that met everyday were the ones who, in his opinion, seemed to function as a unified body.
      Another different happening that I observed was when someone would share something with the group, he would then ask the group what their response was, pointing out that we all had the spirit of counsel and wisdom. My presumption was that, with all of our inputs, we could derive at His guiding truth, by combining them.
     Then another observation I had was that he was a meek person, which I don't see very much, so it stood out. I believe that if we had not asked him questions about what he did, than he wouldn't have shared. He didn't come in with all the answers trying to push them down our throats, as some "leaders" do. There was no arrogance that I could observe. He reminded me of a little lamb. Later my husband said that he should have asked him what trials he has had to go through to get him to this point.
     So, I'm chewing on all of this. I have prayed many times that God would reveal how we, as His Body, were to function in His eyes. What is His heart's desire, I have wanted to know. Could these things He put before my eyes be some of what He wants as His Body gathers? I think so. They just seemed "right" and "good."