Monday, May 28, 2018

Jealous

Everything’s quiet, except the bustling noises here and there of those passing by. No one is paying you attention. They all pass buy, leaving the thoughts in your head to turn ‘round and ‘round. Once in a while they’ll stop by, but you feel like a fool.

The thoughts that turn in your head, what could have been and what could be, oh if only! You get up and leave the room, trying to push the thoughts away. Then in the silence of your heart, you hear Your Father in Heaven speak. He gently encourages you in love, reminding you He is still with you. He comforts you with the comfort only He can give, which He longs for you to give away to others going through similar hardships and pain. They’re never the same but He is. He allows us to go through hardships so we might have a compassionate heart as He does.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.Your heart leaps for joy at the sound of His Voice. What makes it so different from all the others? His love and wisdom, oh His Voice condemns not, but convicts bringing to light the secrets of the heart that we might be filled with more of Him." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5


Returning to the old place, the battle in your mind still unfolds. Yet this time a discontentment bubbles forth — a Holy Discontentment. In desperation you long for something more, for these hopes and wishes to be pushed out of your mind that you may find true life in Him. Then you’re reminded again by that still, small voice in love. Beckoning you higher, if only you’d be willing to be made lower. For the only way higher is to go lower.

“You can have all your heart desires, your own pursuits and a life just the way you’re dreaming, but you won’t have Me.” A burden sinks farther into your heart, “You can do as your please have all your pleasures satisfied yet not have Me to walk with you.” A pain pierces your heart, swallowing you discover a tear dripping from your eye. You have a choice to make. The decision could seem daunting for those who know not His Ways. He is a jealous God longing for every single part of us. Are we willing to give Him our all? If we choose this path of joy each day, loving righteousness and hating sin, humbling ourselves we will find His Power to cause the most boring day turn into something more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

Sitting for hours with not much to do, where will we spend our time? He has given us a burden for His Ways, the fire is lit and glowing now. The enemy wants to snuff it out, but the more blows enfold around it, the brighter it glows.

The choice is clear, to have all of our Father is enough. To walk through the valley of the shadow of death with Him, is the desire of your heart fulfilled, for He will bring joy through the storm. He is sufficient, if we only would give up our time and efforts, our way of pleasing Him, yes, even our own pursuits to find Him to be — everything and all we need. He came to bring life, and life in abundance.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10



Music: @AudreyAssad

Monday, May 21, 2018

Lukewarm

Something I’ve been finding is, how easy it is to attempt to seek for the Fathers hand and all the good things and promises from Him, while grasping with your “free” hand, all the exciting bells and whistles which steadily flow by.
Are they bad in themselves? No, but these are the most dangerous to us. We must be very careful how we live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of our time for the days are evil.* Why are they dangerous? They are fine things which look pretty and fun, yet secretly they may be drawing us away from our pure, simple love and devotion to Christ. 
The enemy wants us to be lukewarm or complacent. If we are wholeheartedly desiring the Lord, we are dangerous to the enemies kingdom. Like a threat, he will find us completely out of his plans thus he will act. How? In such subtle ways, hoping we will not notice or pay attention to his schemes. He ultimately wants to deceive us like he did Eve, from our pure, simple devotion to Jesus. 
Jesus desires to have every single part of us, as it says in James 4. He is jealously desiring to fill each nook and cranny. He opposes the proud, giving grace, His mighty power to those who are humble. Those who are honest, humbly acknowledging their need for Him. Like a child being aware of their utter dependence on the Father. 
When we pour out our lives for Him we will find, we will never be disappointed. His joy is our strength! We never need to be disappointed or discouraged although the enemy likes it when we are in this stage. Then rather than our Father being able to use us, we will find ourselves stuck in a rut. 
Can we discern how the enemy is trying to make us lukewarm? Romans 12:1-2 reminds us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice and to renew our minds; so that, notice, so that you will be able to test and prove what God’s will is, His good, perfect will. It goes on later to speak about considering ourselves from a humble position, God being everything and us being not more highly than we often think ourselves to be. We can pour out our lives so Christ can be manifest, so His love and life can be glorified but we must, {there’s no other way} than to get out of His Way so His glory can be seen. 
There are many wonderful things in this world the Father has given us to enjoy. Do they have control over us, or do we control them? Are we finding ourselves being distracted by these dangerous passing pleasures that we find less time for the Lord? Are we holding on to them while trying to reach out for God too? 

A true joy comes when we renew our minds to His perspective. It’s the only true joy we can ever have. We cannot muster it up on our own.
His joy brings strength. 

Will we be taken up by the gift, of the giver? Will we find ourselves longing for more of Himself, thanking Him for who He is and longing yet to go deeper with Him? The load is lifted, He knows what we need. Let not the enemy try to pull us away causing us to think we can figure this one out. We need this, or that, yet in asking with the right motive we will find Him faithful as we draw nearer to Him, we will find Him drawing near to us. He will give us discernment and wisdom as we continue hungering and thirsting after Himself.


Monday, May 14, 2018

Preparing for Battle

"Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times." John 13:36-38


When the Father warns us about the upcoming battles, do we find ourselves thinking, "I will lay down my life for you Jesus!"? Don't we have this desire? Yet another warning comes to our heart, to be on guard.


Will we prepare for battle?


As Jesus speaks to our hearts, what do we do with the Words He speaks? Do they, like a seed fall to the ground? Will they die as we seek to loose our life for Him or do they remain there waiting, struggling to live thus remaining dead forever?

There is a battle ahead, do we think we can fight it in our own strength? Thinking we can lay down our life for Him? Yes, we long to lay down our lives for Him and the desire is a good start. Yet if He warns us about the battle, shall we not prepare earnestly seeking Him in prayer? How can we prepare for battle?

We each have our own battles the Lord knows we need to go through. {He is faithful, He has promised to supply all our needs, even the challenging ones which make us more like Himself, even these battles we don't understand} He speaks this word next, right after Jesus warned Peter about falling and denying Him three times. "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me." {John 14:1} Although we may be tempted, although it all may seem like darkest night, believe in God, believe in the Son. In Luke 22:32 Jesus also says to Peter, "but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." He is praying, interceding for us! Not that we wouldn't fail, but that our faith would not fail.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." Ephesians 6:10-11


There is a spiritual battle for us to fight and Paul explains it well in Ephesians, about wearing the armour of God so that we might be able to stand against the schemes of the enemy. He has tactics which he tries to get us down. Will we be brought down by them? Or will we lift high the shield of faith, distinguishing all doubts the enemy brings? If he can manage to get us to doubt God and His Mighty Power in our life, TODAY, he can bring us lower. Yet we can see God's power even here, that He wants us to stand firm against the enemy and He not only desires that we will, He is able to help us! His power is mighty and He gives the desire to do what He wants us to do and the power to do it. Peter had the desire to do God's will, but lacking the power {when Jesus asked Peter to pray with him, he fell asleep; Luke 22:32-62}. We see by the verses below also how important prayer is.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." Ephesians 6:12-18


This battle, although it seems at times as though it is with the people and our closest family members, it is not. The enemy wants us to be focused on them, but we must seek to humble ourselves, renewing our minds to this perspective. If we think of ourselves more highly than we ought, this battle will never be won. God will oppose us, we will find ourselves in the dust, alone. We must be humble ourselves before the Lord, drawing near to Him we will find He WILL draw near to us!

Are we lacking power? This week, although I longed to lay my life down for my Love, my Lord -- I found myself doing the very things I didn't want to do. I found the battle to be more real. It was more challenging than I thought. I was trying to fight the battle on my own, like Peter did when he threw his sword at the man and cut off his ear that night. We do this in our own ways, trying to fight the battles in our own strength. And what a wonderful Father, who binds the broken hearted. He then waits patiently for us to reach that place within ourselves, spent and empty, needing His Power to fight this battle.

There is a battle to fight, are we willing to prepare? It is the road through the Valley of Loss*, where we must loose ourselves in order to be saved. The road of Humility, resisting the enemies schemes as the Lord enables us to discern them. This calls for wisdom. Are we prepared? Have we sought the Lord for more wisdom? Are we treating His Way seriously or are we half-hearted?

Are we weak? Do we feel this fight and battle too strong for us? The Joy of the Lord is our strength. {Nehemiah 8:10}

Have we counted the cost? This battle will cost us. e v e r y t h i n g. Are we ready to give up our own way of fighting this battle? I pray we will be serious as we step into this battleground. It will not be easy, but if we seek to humble ourselves, we will find His more than willing to help us. He is right there waiting, willing, longing that we will be empty so He may fill every part of us. Praise God. What a wonderful Father we have!

James 4:1-10




Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Light the Fire Again

Have you ever felt yourself trying to remain in the darkness? Hiding from the truth? Wishing you would not be found out? Hiding the true feelings of your heart for fear of hurt and shame? It’s true, we as humans hide in the dark for fear of being exposed because our deeds are evil. We don’t want to be around those who are different at times because we know what they will say. Sometimes we cannot avoid this, but they keep on reminding us in love of the truth.

“But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." -John 3:21 


How beautiful, when we do what is true, in obedience to what He is desiring from us, we will long to come to the light. He even goes deeper still » He gives the desire to do what He wants us to and the power to it. Philippians 2:12-13 What a wonderful Father. He will light the fire again, in our hearts causing us to burn with His love in our hearts. It is by faith we go on, trusting He will do as He has promised.

Brokenness

There is much brokenness in the world around us. It seems these days one could look right and left to find «someone» hurting, in fear enslaved, sorrowful. 

It is not these heartaches themselves we see that matter, it’s how we respond to them. 

Will we respond in  f a i t h  or  f e a r

At a ladies retreat on the weekend, to find still others who are hurting, who have pain and sadness. Then you hear the question, “Why would a loving God allow this?” Is the answer not yet simple? It is too simple, perhaps that it is not wanted. These light and momentary trials are producing something {2 Cor. 4} which far surpasses anything earthly. It’s these hard things which create a deeper emptiness. A deeper need for something m o r e » and it will never be satisfied until we REACH out, groping if indeed we truly long, desiring to find our Father. He is truly a Father who cares for His children, desiring they would WANT to follow Him. He will not force us, but He allows hard things in the hope that we «will» desire after Him, He will answer and come to us, giving us a peace that goes beyond all understanding. It’s a journey, we ought to keep giving up the thoughts which battle within the doubts. “Does God really love me?” Faith knows He does and He will satisfy, do we believe?