Life has been so simple lately. Somehow, it just feels easy this life I live. Thankfully, my funk from a few posts back is over and it seems like anytime an emotional wave comes over me, one that is not good, it is quickly over. I determine to get out of it quick until I have peace back, inner peace! I decided recently to just rest and focus on Jesus. Jesus. I never realized how sweet is the name of Jesus. The other day I taught my one year old how to say Jesus, quite by accident. He just kept saying it, after hearing me, over and over and just smiled and giggled. It was too precious and I hope I never forget the beauty of the moment. But, what I realized in the moment, was how saying His name just brings such peace, such a feeling of all is right with the world. The conference I was at recently, during worship I could hear a woman nearby just saying in such a sweet whispery voice, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I found that hearing her say His name filled me with a rest I simply can't explain unless you've felt it yourself. Interestingly, I just read my daily devotional by Joseph Prince and he talked about calling on the name of Jesus. His name is like ointment, or a sweet fragrance poured out. He says, when you call upon the name of Jesus His fragrance is poured forth and anointing is released. Calling upon the name of Jesus can raise your spirits when you are downcast or feeling low. It's true, I've tried it!
What I realized is God has really set us up to succeed if you think about it. He has given us so much in Christ. Everything that can usher blessing and wholeness into our life has to do with Jesus. Believe on Jesus, call upon Jesus, remember His death when taking communion, believe that by His stripes we were healed, realize it is Jesus who lives in you, that is your hope of glory, and that because of Jesus you can be in constant fellowship with the Father, live from the truth that you are living the Christ life, He wants to live it through you!! How can we fail, how can we live in pain, or anguish when we know that in Christ Jesus we have so many abundant provisions. If you feel restless or stressed, sick or weary - realize you can live free from those things in Christ. It is not you who live, but Christ lives in you and through you!! It's all about Jesus, for Jesus, because of Jesus!!! Thank you Jesus for the abundant life you have given to us!!
This was the song I put on for Christian and I to sing together, when he learned how to say Jesus. It was the cutest thing, he really sang the part that repeated Jesus over and over!!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
It's all about Jesus.............
Life has been so simple lately. Somehow, it just feels easy this life I live. Thankfully, my funk from a few posts back is over and it seems like anytime an emotional wave comes over me, one that is not good, it is quickly over. I determine to get out of it quick until I have peace back, inner peace! I decided recently to just rest and focus on Jesus. Jesus. I never realized how sweet is the name of Jesus. The other day I taught my one year old how to say Jesus, quite by accident. He just kept saying it, after hearing me, over and over and just smiled and giggled. It was too precious and I hope I never forget the beauty of the moment. But, what I realized in the moment, was how saying His name just brings such peace, such a feeling of all is right with the world. The conference I was at recently, during worship I could hear a woman nearby just saying in such a sweet whispery voice, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. I found that hearing her say His name filled me with a rest I simply can't explain unless you've felt it yourself. Interestingly, I just read my daily devotional by Joseph Prince and he talked about calling on the name of Jesus. His name is like ointment, or a sweet fragrance poured out. He says, when you call upon the name of Jesus His fragrance is poured forth and anointing is released. Calling upon the name of Jesus can raise your spirits when you are downcast or feeling low. It's true, I've tried it!
What I realized is God has really set us up to succeed if you think about it. He has given us so much in Christ. Everything that can usher blessing and wholeness into our life has to do with Jesus. Believe on Jesus, call upon Jesus, remember His death when taking communion, believe that by His stripes we were healed, realize it is Jesus who lives in you, that is your hope of glory, and that because of Jesus you can be in constant fellowship with the Father, live from the truth that you are living the Christ life, He wants to live it through you!! How can we fail, how can we live in pain, or anguish when we know that in Christ Jesus we have so many abundant provisions. If you feel restless or stressed, sick or weary - realize you can live free from those things in Christ. It is not you who live, but Christ lives in you and through you!! It's all about Jesus, for Jesus, because of Jesus!!! Thank you Jesus for the abundant life you have given to us!!
This was the song I put on for Christian and I to sing together, when he learned how to say Jesus. It was the cutest thing, he really sang the part that repeated Jesus over and over!!
What I realized is God has really set us up to succeed if you think about it. He has given us so much in Christ. Everything that can usher blessing and wholeness into our life has to do with Jesus. Believe on Jesus, call upon Jesus, remember His death when taking communion, believe that by His stripes we were healed, realize it is Jesus who lives in you, that is your hope of glory, and that because of Jesus you can be in constant fellowship with the Father, live from the truth that you are living the Christ life, He wants to live it through you!! How can we fail, how can we live in pain, or anguish when we know that in Christ Jesus we have so many abundant provisions. If you feel restless or stressed, sick or weary - realize you can live free from those things in Christ. It is not you who live, but Christ lives in you and through you!! It's all about Jesus, for Jesus, because of Jesus!!! Thank you Jesus for the abundant life you have given to us!!
This was the song I put on for Christian and I to sing together, when he learned how to say Jesus. It was the cutest thing, he really sang the part that repeated Jesus over and over!!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Behold the Glory of Jesus in You......
I have been SO blessed by the daily devotionals I receive from Joseph Prince. Every time I read I am bombarded with such grace, that it almost seems to good to be true! That's how it should be when we hear grace preached! That said, I'd like to share this with you!Behold The Glory Of Jesus In You
2 Corinthians 3:18
18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Of course, you see yourself.
Beloved, God does not want you to see yourself in the natural — small, troubled, weak, sick, broke and a loser. God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you — healed, strong, rich, whole and complete, because Christ is in you. (Colossians 1:27)
God wants you to behold as in a mirror the glory of His Son who is in you by His Spirit. As you behold the glory of the Lord who is in you, God’s Word says that you are being transformed from poor to rich, sick to healed, loser to winner — from glory to glory!
The world may say to you, “It can’t be that easy. You can’t be transformed just by beholding the glory of Jesus. No way! You must do something about you. If you don’t put in effort, nothing will happen. If you don’t do anything, nothing will change.”
But the world will never understand that as you are beholding the glory of the Lord who is the successful one in you, you are being transformed from a failure to a success. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours, or by your working hard to get ahead of others, but by the Spirit of the Lord!
As you behold the glory of the Lord who is the healthy one in your sick body, you are transformed from sickness to health. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours to keep fit, eat well and stay healthy, but by the Spirit of the Lord!
My friend, what can be easier than beholding the beauty of the Son? So stop focusing on self and self-effort. Look away from these things and begin to behold the glory of Jesus who is in you right now, and you will begin to behold the miracles that you need!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Behold the Glory of Jesus in You......
I have been SO blessed by the daily devotionals I receive from Joseph Prince. Every time I read I am bombarded with such grace, that it almost seems to good to be true! That's how it should be when we hear grace preached! That said, I'd like to share this with you!Behold The Glory Of Jesus In You
2 Corinthians 3:18
18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Of course, you see yourself.
Beloved, God does not want you to see yourself in the natural — small, troubled, weak, sick, broke and a loser. God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you — healed, strong, rich, whole and complete, because Christ is in you. (Colossians 1:27)
God wants you to behold as in a mirror the glory of His Son who is in you by His Spirit. As you behold the glory of the Lord who is in you, God’s Word says that you are being transformed from poor to rich, sick to healed, loser to winner — from glory to glory!
The world may say to you, “It can’t be that easy. You can’t be transformed just by beholding the glory of Jesus. No way! You must do something about you. If you don’t put in effort, nothing will happen. If you don’t do anything, nothing will change.”
But the world will never understand that as you are beholding the glory of the Lord who is the successful one in you, you are being transformed from a failure to a success. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours, or by your working hard to get ahead of others, but by the Spirit of the Lord!
As you behold the glory of the Lord who is the healthy one in your sick body, you are transformed from sickness to health. And this is not accomplished by any effort of yours to keep fit, eat well and stay healthy, but by the Spirit of the Lord!
My friend, what can be easier than beholding the beauty of the Son? So stop focusing on self and self-effort. Look away from these things and begin to behold the glory of Jesus who is in you right now, and you will begin to behold the miracles that you need!
© Copyright Joseph Prince, 2006. All rights reserved.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Keys to understanding Romans 5,6,7,8
Last night I listened to Ryan Rufus most recent message, from City Church International. And I must say, I was greatly encouraged. He preached on his favorite four chapters of the Bible, Romans 5,6,7,8. He did not get in depth or into content, but wanted to give the context for these amazing chapters. His goal was to help clarify them further to arm and equip folks to go and study the chapters for themselves. I greatly appreciated this! Romans 5,6,7,8 are the bedrock chapters of truly understanding grace! The theologies and doctrines of grace come from these four chapters, as a package, and it is not a good idea to isolate certain passages and build theologies around them! (that point is so true and hugely helpful to point out!!) So when you are reading a Scripture that gets confusing and doesn't line up with the grace you find in these chapters, you probably are not reading it in it's proper context. I find this helpful advice!!
I wish I had time to transcribe this message on here, but instead I will throw up a few notes and encourage all to go check it out! I really love Ryan's style of preaching, he is so refreshingly straight forward and funny too!!
So, what is Romans 5-8 talking about?
-It's talking about 2 states of being, 2 positions that people can be in, 2 races - those who are in 1st Adam and those in last Adam (or in Christ). The theme is contrasting those 2 states or positions, are you in Adam or are you in Christ?
He also pointed out, that in these chapters when it talks about sin, it's not talking about individual sins, it's talking about a state of sin.
Romans 5 - is all about people's position, in Adam or in Christ. In chapter 5, verse 19 in the KJV, it says; "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Ryan pointed out that it's important to see, the word "made". There is nothing you and I can do to, to become sinners, or to become righteous. Both are imputed, or a gift.
Romans 6- is contrasting a position of sin, or a position of righteousness. People in Adam are in sin, people in Christ are in righteousness
Romans 7 - is contrasting those who are under the law and those who are under grace. People in Adam are in sin and under law, people in Christ are in righteousness and under grace. You can't be both under law and under grace, to go back under law from grace or to fall from grace is spiritual adultery.
Romans 8 - NO CONDEMNATION, for those who are in Christ, who walk after the Spirit. People who are in Adam are in sin under the law and walk in the flesh, people who are in Christ are in righteousness under grace and walk in the Spirit.
That is a very brief summary. I highly recommend checking this message out( the message, in between worship, is only 40 minutes or so). I especially love the part that he discusses on the confusion over the last half of Romans 7, one of the Scriptures I have really wrestled with since coming out of a sin conscious driven church culture. Good stuff!! Check it out!!!
Keys to understanding Romans 5,6,7,8
Last night I listened to Ryan Rufus most recent message, from City Church International. And I must say, I was greatly encouraged. He preached on his favorite four chapters of the Bible, Romans 5,6,7,8. He did not get in depth or into content, but wanted to give the context for these amazing chapters. His goal was to help clarify them further to arm and equip folks to go and study the chapters for themselves. I greatly appreciated this! Romans 5,6,7,8 are the bedrock chapters of truly understanding grace! The theologies and doctrines of grace come from these four chapters, as a package, and it is not a good idea to isolate certain passages and build theologies around them! (that point is so true and hugely helpful to point out!!) So when you are reading a Scripture that gets confusing and doesn't line up with the grace you find in these chapters, you probably are not reading it in it's proper context. I find this helpful advice!!
I wish I had time to transcribe this message on here, but instead I will throw up a few notes and encourage all to go check it out! I really love Ryan's style of preaching, he is so refreshingly straight forward and funny too!!
So, what is Romans 5-8 talking about?
-It's talking about 2 states of being, 2 positions that people can be in, 2 races - those who are in 1st Adam and those in last Adam (or in Christ). The theme is contrasting those 2 states or positions, are you in Adam or are you in Christ?
He also pointed out, that in these chapters when it talks about sin, it's not talking about individual sins, it's talking about a state of sin.
Romans 5 - is all about people's position, in Adam or in Christ. In chapter 5, verse 19 in the KJV, it says; "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Ryan pointed out that it's important to see, the word "made". There is nothing you and I can do to, to become sinners, or to become righteous. Both are imputed, or a gift.
Romans 6- is contrasting a position of sin, or a position of righteousness. People in Adam are in sin, people in Christ are in righteousness
Romans 7 - is contrasting those who are under the law and those who are under grace. People in Adam are in sin and under law, people in Christ are in righteousness and under grace. You can't be both under law and under grace, to go back under law from grace or to fall from grace is spiritual adultery.
Romans 8 - NO CONDEMNATION, for those who are in Christ, who walk after the Spirit. People who are in Adam are in sin under the law and walk in the flesh, people who are in Christ are in righteousness under grace and walk in the Spirit.
That is a very brief summary. I highly recommend checking this message out( the message, in between worship, is only 40 minutes or so). I especially love the part that he discusses on the confusion over the last half of Romans 7, one of the Scriptures I have really wrestled with since coming out of a sin conscious driven church culture. Good stuff!! Check it out!!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Patricia King addresses the Todd Bentley situation...
I really don't have much to say myself on what is going on with Todd Bentley. I would much rather pray for him and pray for restoration than I would to assess what is going on and why. That said, I would much rather share this video of Patricia King sharing.....check it out, if you are at all struggling with what is going on, I think it is worth a few minutes, as I think it just is encouraging for the body as a whole!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Consider the butterfly.....
Just the other day, I took my four boys along with my mom to a local arboretum to visit a butterfly exhibit. This is the time of year to see butterflies in all their stages. Butterflies are one of my favorite creatures. They are so whimsical. I just love them! We got to go inside a special butterfly house, or habitat created just for them, as well as for us to observe them up close and personal. It was delightful! The boys were so intrigued as they went around searching for caterpillars and spotting the various butterflies, that would flit and float by. Summer dreaminess at its best! Anyway, I wanted to share this little picture my mom took. It inspired me to create this poem. It came to me as a New Covenant version of a Proverb.
Consider the butterfly
consider it's life and let it free you....
Look at the process
of fantastic wonder
into true beauty and freedom!
Before it finds its way into the world as a new creation,
emerging from egg, to caterpillar,
and then it must go through a greater process,
a transformation.....
to become it's true form as a butterfly!
Time spent bound inside itself,
as a chrysalis,
it hangs on a thread waiting to be released.....
and one day, it happens,
as nature would only predict,
the hatching from the coma,
and slowly it let's out its tender wings,
it is fragile and weak, yet it was born to fly and fly it will.
Time allows the butterfly to adjust
and out of nowhere, it takes flight.........
gracefully flitting and floating to and fro,
lightly and easy, flowing along
tasting all of natures goodness in each and every colorful flower
so many riches, so many good things to taste and to see.....
such a life of freedom, of pure simplicity,
allowing itself to be nurtured by nature itself.....!!
This is a life of pure freedom,
one that is meant to be enjoyed,
and lived to its fullest, in it's final truest stage of life
as it was intended to be -unbound and living free!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Reflecting.....
Today I was thinking a lot about my last post, "A confession" as well as my post, "I just want more of Jesus". Many thoughts came to mind, in fact my mind never shuts off and probably more like a million thoughts have swirled around and around in there. One thing I realized as I was reflecting on the post, "I just want more of Jesus" was , if I have Jesus, all of him in me - if I already have him how can I still need him. The reality is, I am His and He is mine. So what's my problem? I don't always live in that truth, I think I need more of Him, because I somehow need to get in His Presence and it be manifested to me. But the reality is, I am already in His presence, I am already seated in heavenly places. One of the benefits of the cross was that the curtain of the temple was torn in two, and I can now enter into His Presence. I have unlimited access to the throne room of grace. So, if I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus, and I have an indwelling Christ living in me, and I am complete and whole in Him, what more do I need? Or should I say, why do I feel the need to have more of Jesus or more of His presence. He is always near, He is always present, His presence is always available to me. I am often not aware of it! When I don't sense His presence it's not because He isn't near, it's because I am somehow not allowing myself to be aware of Him. (or at least that is how I currently see it and understand it!)
The truth is, there is no striving, no need for longing - I am secure. However, my body and soul long to live in this unseen reality, this eternal truth. What I am saying is, that is my longing to experience him tangibly. To know Him more. To sense His nearness. I am finding that God is kind and He allows us to experience Him in a way our senses can get a hold of. Knowing that I am a carrier of His presence is an amazing truth. However, having my body and soul experience this reality here and now in this seen earthly realm is simply wonderful as well. I am grateful for both!
And as for my last post, "A Confession", I am still attempting to wrap my noisy whirlwind of a mind around who I am and how to live the life. I am complete in Christ, my identity is secure and it does not waver, nor does it depend on what I do. However, I find myself longing to see myself here on earth, the way God sees me. (Perfect forever!) I guess I am not as okay with being as messy as I really am. Maybe "messy" is how we see ourselves, but God doesn't. We compare ourselves to a set standard or right way of being. God is okay with me, accepting of me, always, despite my "mess". A couple thoughts encourage me on this. One is a Scripture in Proverbs, that I became aware of due to Bill Johnson's book, "There are no poopless cows." Proverbs 14:4 says, "Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox."
"Without the ox, who makes a mess, there won't be increase. If success is measured by a clean stall we create a system that removes risk and avoids discomfort. Those who have said an absolute "yes" of surrender to God, must go beyond the edge of comfort to attract breakthrough, revival, and increase we all long for, but be ready to endure rejection from the religious systems. God is looking for a people whose heart is entirely His, no matter the response of others. His glory will then be released through a display of power upon his people."
Awesome thoughts! Another thought, is the all familiar verse, His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness. He can shine more clearly through me, when I am the mess that I am, in soul and body. If I wasn't a mess, and had it all together, God couldn't use me, I would be self-righteous. Jesus came to minister to those who were sick, the needy and the broken, not those that didn't need fixing! (in their minds, I am supposing is what He meant!!) I think being broken and messy is a good thing! I think this way of being is valuable to God. He can use us, He can shine through us! When we are broken and contrite, He will not despise us! In otherwords -Humble! If I am not willing to admit my brokenness or declare that I am a mess - not in a woeful, I am a worm sort of way, but just honest, pure in heart, openness to the fact that I don't have it all right and so I am dependent on Him to live the life through me, sort of declaration- then I would be proud, self-righteous, opposed and despised by God. (unless of course I change my mind and repent, led into truth by the Spirit - it always seems God leaves a way out for us!!)
When we get to this place, of being okay with being broken and contrite and messy and long for Him to work in and through us by His Spirit, that when we can see fruitfulness. I guess this would be the same as relinquishing control through our flesh. The Spirit then begins to shine through us, by producing fruit through us. Wow!
So far, I have begun to experience the fruit of joy like never before. Thus the name of my blog! Joy is vibrant, contagious, explosive, wild, and wonderful! God wants us to live a joy filled life! Yahoo! Peace too, has come. Not the kind of peace that we often think of, the free from noise and conflict kind of peace. The shalom kind, the shalom of God kind of peace. Shalom means wholeness or salvation. This is the kind of peace that is a fruit the Spirit will produce in us! A peace with such depth! A peace that passes all understanding, because of the truth that I am in Him, and He is in me. He is my hope of glory!!
I can't say that these fruits are fully mature or that they won't ripen more, but these fruits are there I walk around with them, enjoying them! Whereas, before grace came to me as a revelation, I felt troubled, depressed, had longings that couldn't be satisfied and I didn't understand why.
Love also, is a fruit I am aware of being developed by the Spirit in me. I feel more capable of genuine love, not because of my own human abilities or disciplines to love. But, because I am living loved by my Father. I am finding myself awakened by my Lover and my own love is beginning to flow - it's His heart of love for others coming over me in a way I have never experienced before. And it's only just begun!!
Patience, this is a fruit I am starting to see slowly blossom. Part of me, in my flesh, often feels a sense of urgency in a lot of ways. That is often why I find myself weary and confused, like in my last post, "A Confession."
Another thing I am reflecting on, is the whole talk of "our position" in Christ versus "our condition". Perhaps this phrase has created a hang up for me. Let me try and explain. If I know my "positon" is secure, but I see myself or my "condition" differently than my "position", or should I say how God sees me, or how I am in the heavenly unseen realm, this creates a conflict in me as a whole. It's saying I believe the truth of how God sees me - but I don't see me or experience me this way. This, to me, creates confusion. This is ultimately what I have been wrestling with and I believe most Christians do as well.
The question is, should I believe God, or my experience or circumstances? If salvation, is sozo, or wholeness in spirit, soul and body. Then I am complete in Him! Complete, as a whole person in Him!! Do I have to wrestle with my flesh to get it to do things to make me look on earth as God already sees me in His eyes? These are questions I am trying to wrap my mind around.
What I do know, is I am an earthen vessel, a vehicle, that Christ possesses and chooses to live His life through. He chooses to use my unique person. I am an expression of Him and a carrier of His presence.
I suppose if you boil it all down to my part, it's this. Believe. Take these truths and renew my/your mind with them. Doing this will cause us to cooperate with the Spirit, because we know the truth. The truth is what sets us free and allows us to live this Christ life, this Spirit led life!!
When we get to this place, of being okay with being broken and contrite and messy and long for Him to work in and through us by His Spirit, that when we can see fruitfulness. I guess this would be the same as relinquishing control through our flesh. The Spirit then begins to shine through us, by producing fruit through us. Wow!
So far, I have begun to experience the fruit of joy like never before. Thus the name of my blog! Joy is vibrant, contagious, explosive, wild, and wonderful! God wants us to live a joy filled life! Yahoo! Peace too, has come. Not the kind of peace that we often think of, the free from noise and conflict kind of peace. The shalom kind, the shalom of God kind of peace. Shalom means wholeness or salvation. This is the kind of peace that is a fruit the Spirit will produce in us! A peace with such depth! A peace that passes all understanding, because of the truth that I am in Him, and He is in me. He is my hope of glory!!
I can't say that these fruits are fully mature or that they won't ripen more, but these fruits are there I walk around with them, enjoying them! Whereas, before grace came to me as a revelation, I felt troubled, depressed, had longings that couldn't be satisfied and I didn't understand why.
Love also, is a fruit I am aware of being developed by the Spirit in me. I feel more capable of genuine love, not because of my own human abilities or disciplines to love. But, because I am living loved by my Father. I am finding myself awakened by my Lover and my own love is beginning to flow - it's His heart of love for others coming over me in a way I have never experienced before. And it's only just begun!!
Patience, this is a fruit I am starting to see slowly blossom. Part of me, in my flesh, often feels a sense of urgency in a lot of ways. That is often why I find myself weary and confused, like in my last post, "A Confession."
Another thing I am reflecting on, is the whole talk of "our position" in Christ versus "our condition". Perhaps this phrase has created a hang up for me. Let me try and explain. If I know my "positon" is secure, but I see myself or my "condition" differently than my "position", or should I say how God sees me, or how I am in the heavenly unseen realm, this creates a conflict in me as a whole. It's saying I believe the truth of how God sees me - but I don't see me or experience me this way. This, to me, creates confusion. This is ultimately what I have been wrestling with and I believe most Christians do as well.
The question is, should I believe God, or my experience or circumstances? If salvation, is sozo, or wholeness in spirit, soul and body. Then I am complete in Him! Complete, as a whole person in Him!! Do I have to wrestle with my flesh to get it to do things to make me look on earth as God already sees me in His eyes? These are questions I am trying to wrap my mind around.
What I do know, is I am an earthen vessel, a vehicle, that Christ possesses and chooses to live His life through. He chooses to use my unique person. I am an expression of Him and a carrier of His presence.
I suppose if you boil it all down to my part, it's this. Believe. Take these truths and renew my/your mind with them. Doing this will cause us to cooperate with the Spirit, because we know the truth. The truth is what sets us free and allows us to live this Christ life, this Spirit led life!!
A confession.....
I must make a confession. I don't get grace! I just don't get it. My natural bent is toward, what is my part, what do I have to do? How then must I live? Ugh! I have found of late that I am battling with confusion and I don't like it. I want to live in pure grace, but I confess I don't even know what that really looks like! I have too many arguments swirling around in my head and too many old voices shouting at me.This morning I was reminded of several truths, and have decided to camp around them for awhile, and not try to learn anything new. One of my favorite verses is Galatians 2:20; "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
I have an indwelling Christ, alive in me!! Wow, that's comforting! I also love Colossians 1:27; ".......Christ in you, the hope of glory" - this is my only hope of experiencing the glory God has for my life!!
Christ lives in me, He manifests His life through me and accomplishes His purposes through me! I am just the vessel He chooses to use. God chooses to use me to display His glory!!
I think I am just used to living externally, rather than internally. I am used to doing and not being. I just want to learn to live from the truth of Christ lives in me! CHRIST LIVES IN ME!! That is amazing! I can't live the Christian life myself. That's because Christ wants to live it through me!! He has given me His robes of righteousness and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor. 5:21) This is amazing......but I still ask, How do I live the life, the Christian life? I still ask that question!
I can't live it, I simply can't!! Here is the other thing I ask and want to know, how do I grow in Christ? What do I do? I don't understand how to differentiate between the fact that I am 100% perfect forever in the unseen realm, I am seated in heavenly places and I am complete and whole, in spirit, soul and body in that realm. However, in this seen earthly realm my condition does not match up to my position. I have needs and my state is not in alignment with my status. So how do I understand or carry on living and understanding the distinction between the unseen realm where I am already perfect and this realm where I am obviously not perfect. I don't want to try to become something I already am, but I also don't want to remain as I am as seen on the earth. Does that make sense?
This is my dilemma of late, and I dont' like it. It's wearing on me. I just want to rest in Him and live by faith in the eternal realm. I want to live seeing what God is doing, like Jesus did. Jesus lived on the earth, but didn't live out of this realm, He lived out of the heavenly realm.
I dont' want to focus on my performance or my part. I know God accepts me fully because I am in Christ. So what's my problem? I need to constantly renew my mind, get reprogrammed in a sense. I see so many other Christians trying to figure out this Christian life, trying to be more disciplined. I see this happening, and think I need to do it too. I guess I am still trying to conform, still trying to somehow fit in by man's terms. I think I am still trying to get rid of my old man that was already crucified with Christ and somehow hoping by my cooperation I can get the new to come into actuality more quickly. I mean do I even need to wrestle with my flesh! If I am dead to sin and alive to Christ, what is this war I am waging in my mind all about?
Well, this is where I currently live. This is my true heart folks! I will leave off with some more Scriptures and pray that by my next post I am recharged in HIM!!
Colossians 2:10; Colossians 1:22;1 Corinthians 2:10, 12, 14; Colossians 3:12;Romans 6:6-7; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Ephesians 4:24
Much grace and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ to all who read here today!!!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
A Confirming Word.....
"Never conform to those who canive and contrive in cunning craftiness in counterfeit religious authority to produce the result to which their selfish agendas aspire, for this is a form of witchcraft that will confuse and tire my people with false fire and enslave them to the liar. But seek my face, position your hearts in humility and let my true nature of goodness, righteousness, purity, the integrity of my holiness and my perfect love capture your hearts. Let my motives motivate you, my desires desire you and show kindness to you, to heal you of all pain, to soothe away all rejection by My absolute acceptance. Come surrender and yield all of yourself to me for you cannnot make your hearts pure and holy, but you can open your hearts and present your hearts to me, you can expose your hearts to the radiance of my glory, you can find in Me depths of pure kindness and you can position youself toward My presence and I will make your hearts pure and holy. Do not take matters into your own hands, do not defend yourself or fight for your vindication. I am your council for defense. I am your perfect High Priest. I am your justifier and defender and no evil can successfully stand against you. Trust me, come further into My glory, further than you have ever been before, there are realms and realities of revelation that I am about to open to you and am opening to you. I have allowed you to come through the periphereal fence that the cherubims guarded and protected my people from going into the glory before their time, before they were ready through the New Covenant. But in June 2007, I lifted that fence and my cherubims allowed you to come into that glory. You came in just but a few millimeters of a measure and now in this time since then I've allowed you to progress in the measure of a few feet or a few meters, but now suddenly I am advancing you in the measure of millimeters or feet but of miles and kilometers, a step at a time into My greater glory, into My presence. My presence will be so strong that it will softten your hearts and take out of you all forms of doubt and bitterness. I will cause you to deisre Me way beyond human recognition and the praises of men. I am in these days giving My people such opportunity to have pure hearts and those who prioritize My manifest presence as precious beyond all else, I will drop down upon them mantles - I do not say mantle, but I say mantles, mantles of My glory - of My miraculous, of my enabling, for I can trust the stewardship of these unprecendented mantles of My glory only to those who are pure in heart, who are willing to suffer persecution without becoming bitter or cynical, because they find their safety and their hiding place and their protection and their identity in My manifest presence alone."This was a word that Rob Rufus heard from the Lord to share with during his latest message, for his church City Church International, Attitudes that attract the empowering grace of God, part 4. Although this word was for CCI, I find it applicable to all who feel fed and cared for through Rob's preaching, and to those who may sense a connection to this amazing church. I also found it so confirming in several ways. One the Lord started giving me a strong desire to be pure. I found myself just asking Him to get off all the filthy stuff, both inside and out of me. Knowing that it is a work He must do in me. This is not my usual prayer or hearts cry, but one that has become urgent of late. I was so blessed to hear Rob share that the Lord is purifying hearts, He longs to do it. And not only that but He will bless the pure in heart with mantles of His glory! Amazing! Another thing that was confirming to me, was something I picked up in Bill Johnson's latest message. Bill Johnson gave a tremendous message on grace and he stressed his resolve to not defend himself in the face of persecution and accusation. I believe this was the first message I have heard Bill do on grace, and I highly recommend checking it out! (JULIE) The testimonies alone are worth it!!! Bill also talked about purity and holiness. There was such correlation between these two messages, I was thrilled!
Also, I have to point out from earlier in Rob's message he shared about an amazing encounter he had with the Lord, on 8-8-08!!! Rob didn't even know that was the date and the Lord told him to go look at the calendar. He shared about the significance of 8, being the biblical number of new beginnings. How Jesus was born on the eighth day, and rose on the eighth day. And that three eights was significant, because of the trinity and three meaning perfect!! He also went on to share that God told him, that this would be the time that all the prophecies he had been given would start to happen. It is not a time for new prophecies, it is a time for fulfilled prophecies. Now this is awesome to me, because I heard the exact same words from Jim Goll about 8-8-08, and the same word about prophecies from Julie Meyer. How confirming is that!!! I just had to share it with you all!!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
I just want more of Jesus.......a heart's cry!!!
I just want more of Jesus. I want all of Him touching all of me. All my life is in His hands. All my life in Him, all of Him in all of me. I just want Jesus to flow through me. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, won't you be to me, everything I need. Jesus, you are all I want in life. Only you can satisfy me, solely. Only you can fill me, only you can love me so completely, so lavishly. I long for your voice whispering your love to me. I long for the tender word, I long for YOU, just YOU! How can I live apart from you? If I can't be with you, I don't want to be- period- at all without you, ever! I don't want to live this life apart from you!
Jesus you are the only one that has ever loved me right, you are the only one I can cling to and know that I am accepted and loved and cherished! It's true! Thank you for showing me your love, I need more of your love all the time, I need to be saturated in it again and again, not just in words but in actual tangibleness. I am so glad you come not in just words, but in reality, in nature, and in power!! You are so kind! You know my desperate need for your tender touch!! How good it is to be loved by you! How sweet it is to be loved by you! How lovely it is to be in Your presence, to be joined with you, seated with you in the heavenly places. Oh what a rich inheritance you have made possible for me!! Your love is the best, it's better than anything this world has to offer!! It's like everything that is good and wonderful and pure multiplied by the billions. And I want to sense it even more! I want to be so convinced beyond all measure of your amazing love for me!! Behold You are beautiful, my beloved Jesus, truly delightful! You have captivated my heart! You have won my love! You have captured me, completely. Never will I be the same!! I seek you with all my heart, help me to not grow weary or faint, but to be filled with strength each day to seek you with hunger -give me more hunger for you!!
Jesus you are the only one that has ever loved me right, you are the only one I can cling to and know that I am accepted and loved and cherished! It's true! Thank you for showing me your love, I need more of your love all the time, I need to be saturated in it again and again, not just in words but in actual tangibleness. I am so glad you come not in just words, but in reality, in nature, and in power!! You are so kind! You know my desperate need for your tender touch!! How good it is to be loved by you! How sweet it is to be loved by you! How lovely it is to be in Your presence, to be joined with you, seated with you in the heavenly places. Oh what a rich inheritance you have made possible for me!! Your love is the best, it's better than anything this world has to offer!! It's like everything that is good and wonderful and pure multiplied by the billions. And I want to sense it even more! I want to be so convinced beyond all measure of your amazing love for me!! Behold You are beautiful, my beloved Jesus, truly delightful! You have captivated my heart! You have won my love! You have captured me, completely. Never will I be the same!! I seek you with all my heart, help me to not grow weary or faint, but to be filled with strength each day to seek you with hunger -give me more hunger for you!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
And we danced......
Back to my continuation of the conference...........On Friday night, (8-8-08)Amy and I went together to Life Center for the evening session of the conference. We had a great time talking together while waiting for worship to start. A friend of Amy's came up, and I had remembered meeting her at the last conference. She comes to Life Center a lot as a visitor and actually lives in Lancaster and attends a menonnite church. She asked for prayer as she continues to be a beacon amidst her church. She was so evidently in love with Jesus and willing to be hated in the midst of a very religious legalistic system of people. She kept saying , I just love Jesus and I love these people, and I want them to know His love!!! She shared of her trip to Lakeland and what God did in her families life there. She shared her testimony with her Mennonite church, and they were actually intrigued. (I always say, you just can't refute someone's testimony!!)
Anyway, worship started and again it was Julie Meyer leading. Worship was wonderful, exhilerating and very long, ha!! I wish I could remember all the songs we sang, but the truth is many of them were new to me. I do remember singing, "We will dance on the streets that are golden." Amy was delighted, as this song was one of her wedding songs!!! And so - WE DANCED!!! It was so fun to really really finally be dancing in church!!! At times I would just look around at all the other worshippers expressing their joy before the Lord, and it was a sweet sight to behold. Beautiful flags and banners of sheer and colorful fabrics were waving about!! People were dancing together! There were a few paintings being painted, one on canvas a lovely ocean scene and another done on fabric with random waves of color!! It really feels alive and electric in this place! No inhibited worshippers here!!
At one point Jim Goll came up and announced excitedly what time it was, it was 8:05. It was 8-8-08, a significant date, because 7 is the number of completion and 8 is the number of new beginnings. So to be 8-8-08, was quite significant! Triple 8's, 3 being the number of perfection. So at 8:05, five being the biblical number that represents grace, Jim came up to prophesy a bit, and declare we would celebrate at 8:08. So, 8:08 came and it was more glorious than New Years Eve!! The people of God were celebrating triple new beginnings!!! Julie Meyer also spontaneously sang a prophetic song about how all the prophecies that you have been given will come to pass. If you have a prophesy you have been waiting for to come to fruition, now is the time for it to come to pass. All things NEW, NEW, NEW!!!!
Anyhow, I don't think worship ever truly ended, it was continued on and off throughout the meeting, which I loved. But, after the main time of worship ended, Bonnie Chvada came up to take the offering for the ministry. She gave a powerful little message on giving, not your typical feel slightly required and a little guilty if you don't talk that you get from those still under an Old Covenant mindset. But one of sharing of the power behind genuine giving and sowing into what the Lord is doing. I won't go into all the detail of this time, but I do have to say, I hope to hear her speak in the future.
There were many facets of the evening that I won't bother to go into, but one moment I do want to highlight, because it was just too awesome to not include. It's stories like the one I am about to share that really make me wish I could find a church body like this to worship with. Jim Goll came up with his wife and daughter, I believe to announce Heidi. Anyway, before all of that, he honored the woman who had organized all the special dances. He shared how she had been a single mom of 7 kids for a long time and just got married a year ago. She then got his attention and asked to come up for a minute. She had wanted to share a word for them, and especially for Michel Ann. She proceeded to share about a billboard she had recently seen, I guess it was one of those new kind that constantly change screens. It was a scarlet backdrop with the date 8-8-08 in huge numbers and the 0 was a diamond ring. She actually saw it twice in a row and it impacted her so much that she asked the Lord if it was a sign or a word from him. The second time she saw it, she saw in the corner it said James Free. So naturally she thought of James Goll. She asked the Lord about this and he gave her a verse, Matthew 8:8. She asked someone to look it up and read it. Bonnie Chvada found it first and read, "But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only SAY THE WORD, and my servant will be healed." Now if you remember from my earlier post, Michel Ann Goll is stricken with cancer and very ill. This woman, I wish I could remember her name, continued to prophecy a bit, James wept, and the whole congregation got up on their feet shouting and proclaiming this word for Michel Ann. I saw Bonnie jumping up and down, Heidi too, and waving their arms toward her with such desire for this to be so! Then the whole church was standing arms outstretched toward Michel Ann, shouting "HEALED, HEALED, HEALED, HEALED!!!!" OH my, it was beautiful and powerful, and to me, this was church!!!! ( if you think of Michel Ann pray for her complete recovery.)
After that intense emotional moment Jim asked Heidi to come up, and he, his wife and daughter all hugged her and prayed for her. After they finished, Heidi couldn't stand, she was full of the Holy Spirit, and it took some time before she could begin to really minister. (yup Don, as you predicted.) It was quite glorious, to be in a place with absolutely NO formality and total freedom to be drunk in the Holy Spirit. Heidi eventually gained enough composure to start speaking, and she began to share stories. I suspect that is what she does most of the time when she speaks, and I just love it!! I think I will end my post for now, and continue on again in another post about the remainder of the evening...........
Anyway, worship started and again it was Julie Meyer leading. Worship was wonderful, exhilerating and very long, ha!! I wish I could remember all the songs we sang, but the truth is many of them were new to me. I do remember singing, "We will dance on the streets that are golden." Amy was delighted, as this song was one of her wedding songs!!! And so - WE DANCED!!! It was so fun to really really finally be dancing in church!!! At times I would just look around at all the other worshippers expressing their joy before the Lord, and it was a sweet sight to behold. Beautiful flags and banners of sheer and colorful fabrics were waving about!! People were dancing together! There were a few paintings being painted, one on canvas a lovely ocean scene and another done on fabric with random waves of color!! It really feels alive and electric in this place! No inhibited worshippers here!!
At one point Jim Goll came up and announced excitedly what time it was, it was 8:05. It was 8-8-08, a significant date, because 7 is the number of completion and 8 is the number of new beginnings. So to be 8-8-08, was quite significant! Triple 8's, 3 being the number of perfection. So at 8:05, five being the biblical number that represents grace, Jim came up to prophesy a bit, and declare we would celebrate at 8:08. So, 8:08 came and it was more glorious than New Years Eve!! The people of God were celebrating triple new beginnings!!! Julie Meyer also spontaneously sang a prophetic song about how all the prophecies that you have been given will come to pass. If you have a prophesy you have been waiting for to come to fruition, now is the time for it to come to pass. All things NEW, NEW, NEW!!!!
Anyhow, I don't think worship ever truly ended, it was continued on and off throughout the meeting, which I loved. But, after the main time of worship ended, Bonnie Chvada came up to take the offering for the ministry. She gave a powerful little message on giving, not your typical feel slightly required and a little guilty if you don't talk that you get from those still under an Old Covenant mindset. But one of sharing of the power behind genuine giving and sowing into what the Lord is doing. I won't go into all the detail of this time, but I do have to say, I hope to hear her speak in the future.
There were many facets of the evening that I won't bother to go into, but one moment I do want to highlight, because it was just too awesome to not include. It's stories like the one I am about to share that really make me wish I could find a church body like this to worship with. Jim Goll came up with his wife and daughter, I believe to announce Heidi. Anyway, before all of that, he honored the woman who had organized all the special dances. He shared how she had been a single mom of 7 kids for a long time and just got married a year ago. She then got his attention and asked to come up for a minute. She had wanted to share a word for them, and especially for Michel Ann. She proceeded to share about a billboard she had recently seen, I guess it was one of those new kind that constantly change screens. It was a scarlet backdrop with the date 8-8-08 in huge numbers and the 0 was a diamond ring. She actually saw it twice in a row and it impacted her so much that she asked the Lord if it was a sign or a word from him. The second time she saw it, she saw in the corner it said James Free. So naturally she thought of James Goll. She asked the Lord about this and he gave her a verse, Matthew 8:8. She asked someone to look it up and read it. Bonnie Chvada found it first and read, "But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only SAY THE WORD, and my servant will be healed." Now if you remember from my earlier post, Michel Ann Goll is stricken with cancer and very ill. This woman, I wish I could remember her name, continued to prophecy a bit, James wept, and the whole congregation got up on their feet shouting and proclaiming this word for Michel Ann. I saw Bonnie jumping up and down, Heidi too, and waving their arms toward her with such desire for this to be so! Then the whole church was standing arms outstretched toward Michel Ann, shouting "HEALED, HEALED, HEALED, HEALED!!!!" OH my, it was beautiful and powerful, and to me, this was church!!!! ( if you think of Michel Ann pray for her complete recovery.)After that intense emotional moment Jim asked Heidi to come up, and he, his wife and daughter all hugged her and prayed for her. After they finished, Heidi couldn't stand, she was full of the Holy Spirit, and it took some time before she could begin to really minister. (yup Don, as you predicted.) It was quite glorious, to be in a place with absolutely NO formality and total freedom to be drunk in the Holy Spirit. Heidi eventually gained enough composure to start speaking, and she began to share stories. I suspect that is what she does most of the time when she speaks, and I just love it!! I think I will end my post for now, and continue on again in another post about the remainder of the evening...........
Monday, August 11, 2008
Heidi Baker......
Well as promised I continue my tales of the Women on the Frontlines Conference. Thursday night with Jim Goll was powerful! But Friday with Heidi Baker, was just as awesome, but in a different way. Both of these truly wonderful folks have such an obvious love for God that pours off of them. Heidi came to the conference totally jet lagged, missed a flight, didn't sleep and could barely walk up to the front. I couldn't believe she was even there! Apparently, she had arrived and several ladies, whom she knew just spent the entire worship time loving up on her and praying over her. When she came up to speak, she simply sat down on the steps to the podium and invited everyone to come up to the altar and just be close. As we all headed up she shared how we all just need each other, we just need to press in to His presence together. Heidi didn't really share an actual message, she just shared out of her heart. She shared how she felt so weak and so broken. She shared about some of her trials in Mozambique, and how recently she was robbed. All her technology was stolen, cameras, projects she was working on and a lot of her clothes.Some of her affiliates went out to look for her stuff and the people that took it, and all they came back with were some of her clothes filled with bullet holes. She shared a testimony of a woman with gnarled hands, who couldn't really walk and had come to Heidi's home to beg for her help. Heidi was so honest about how she wished she didn't have to see this woman. She wished she could have her sight taken, it was too painful to look at. The woman also came with a pile of kids (that's what Heidi said), a pile of kids and she had no where to go. So Heidi welcomed her into her hut and told her she would figure something out for her. I really appreciated her pure honesty, in that she is essentially a missionary to these people in Mozambique, and sometimes she just can't handle the pain and trials that come. So the whole morning was about letting yourself be weak, and letting God just love you and fill you up. Fill up the broken vessels, so He can pour out through them! She did read from Scripture a bit, the one passage I remember was Colossians 1: 24- 29, Christ in you the hope of glory!! I just love that passage!!
Much of the time we just all worshipped and ladies prayed for one another. I met Jen from Lancaster, and we prayed together. I met Kathy from Maine and we talked about our challenges faced due to broken church situations. More and more people these days are experiencing deep hurts from church splits or break ups or whatever, it is far too common! I remember hearing Heidi saying, "Why can't we just be Christians, I just want to be a Christian, I just want to be Christ like." I don't remember why she brought it up, but I think she hit something that everyone else in the room felt. I guess my re-telling may not do this meeting justice. But what I believe came out of it was good for me in the sense of it made me aware of my need for the Body and how good it can be to be really raw and broken and real in a context like that, amidst people who can't help but care, instead of being with the sharks who will attack you while you are weak.
I was undone by Heidi Baker's total pure real open self, I just loved her!! Even though I didn't experience the intense supernatural tangibleness of God like I did at the conference with Bill Johnson, I think I learned how to allow myself to be broken, and be more okay with it, because God's glory can shine through us better when we surrender and are broken - does that make sense? I realized I wanted to be more free in this way, not in a condemning performance sort of way, but I just want to be me, and I sense that the Lord is breaking me in a way to be a carrier of compassion for other women who are hurting and don't know how to let it all hang out!! That was the whole point of the conference to get to a place to be a warrior of compassion, and how can I have that warring sense of compassion for others if I am not myself experiencing my own brokenness and need for the healing balm of the Lord and the Lord's tender mercy and compassion all over me first!!! I just really believe that we need to let ourselves be loved, let ourselves be weak, so His grace can pour out and shine through!! In other words as much joy and peace as I do have in my life, there are challenges, even persecution, in the sense that you know people are opposing you. But, it's worth it to go through, knowing it's all for Him and that He will heal our hearts and strengthen our hearts.
I guess this concludes my post, but I will continue in another post, about our time Friday night................................
Heidi Baker......
Well as promised I continue my tales of the Women on the Frontlines Conference. Thursday night with Jim Goll was powerful! But Friday with Heidi Baker, was just as awesome, but in a different way. Both of these truly wonderful folks have such an obvious love for God that pours off of them. Heidi came to the conference totally jet lagged, missed a flight, didn't sleep and could barely walk up to the front. I couldn't believe she was even there! Apparently, she had arrived and several ladies, whom she knew just spent the entire worship time loving up on her and praying over her. When she came up to speak, she simply sat down on the steps to the podium and invited everyone to come up to the altar and just be close. As we all headed up she shared how we all just need each other, we just need to press in to His presence together. Heidi didn't really share an actual message, she just shared out of her heart. She shared how she felt so weak and so broken. She shared about some of her trials in Mozambique, and how recently she was robbed. All her technology was stolen, cameras, projects she was working on and a lot of her clothes.Some of her affiliates went out to look for her stuff and the people that took it, and all they came back with were some of her clothes filled with bullet holes. She shared a testimony of a woman with gnarled hands, who couldn't really walk and had come to Heidi's home to beg for her help. Heidi was so honest about how she wished she didn't have to see this woman. She wished she could have her sight taken, it was too painful to look at. The woman also came with a pile of kids (that's what Heidi said), a pile of kids and she had no where to go. So Heidi welcomed her into her hut and told her she would figure something out for her. I really appreciated her pure honesty, in that she is essentially a missionary to these people in Mozambique, and sometimes she just can't handle the pain and trials that come. So the whole morning was about letting yourself be weak, and letting God just love you and fill you up. Fill up the broken vessels, so He can pour out through them! She did read from Scripture a bit, the one passage I remember was Colossians 1: 24- 29, Christ in you the hope of glory!! I just love that passage!!
Much of the time we just all worshipped and ladies prayed for one another. I met Jen from Lancaster, and we prayed together. I met Kathy from Maine and we talked about our challenges faced due to broken church situations. More and more people these days are experiencing deep hurts from church splits or break ups or whatever, it is far too common! I remember hearing Heidi saying, "Why can't we just be Christians, I just want to be a Christian, I just want to be Christ like." I don't remember why she brought it up, but I think she hit something that everyone else in the room felt. I guess my re-telling may not do this meeting justice. But what I believe came out of it was good for me in the sense of it made me aware of my need for the Body and how good it can be to be really raw and broken and real in a context like that, amidst people who can't help but care, instead of being with the sharks who will attack you while you are weak.
I was undone by Heidi Baker's total pure real open self, I just loved her!! Even though I didn't experience the intense supernatural tangibleness of God like I did at the conference with Bill Johnson, I think I learned how to allow myself to be broken, and be more okay with it, because God's glory can shine through us better when we surrender and are broken - does that make sense? I realized I wanted to be more free in this way, not in a condemning performance sort of way, but I just want to be me, and I sense that the Lord is breaking me in a way to be a carrier of compassion for other women who are hurting and don't know how to let it all hang out!! That was the whole point of the conference to get to a place to be a warrior of compassion, and how can I have that warring sense of compassion for others if I am not myself experiencing my own brokenness and need for the healing balm of the Lord and the Lord's tender mercy and compassion all over me first!!! I just really believe that we need to let ourselves be loved, let ourselves be weak, so His grace can pour out and shine through!! In other words as much joy and peace as I do have in my life, there are challenges, even persecution, in the sense that you know people are opposing you. But, it's worth it to go through, knowing it's all for Him and that He will heal our hearts and strengthen our hearts.
I guess this concludes my post, but I will continue in another post, about our time Friday night................................
Mark Driscoll on "The Shack".....
I found this interesting, and to note, Mark Driscoll hadn't even read the book at the time of this clip......Hmmmmm!!! People just need to get over their boxed view of things and let themselves be loved. In the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that!"
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Do you see this woman?
I honestly don't even know where to begin, as I share about the conference. It was one of those times that you know a lot is going on inside and you just can't figure out what it all means yet. I know God was doing something deep in me, and I don't fully know what yet, but I believe it will be evident in time, as the fruit of my time comes out in my life.There was so much intense beauty in all that was shared over the course of a few days. One thing that struck me as I have come back and reflected is the unity that was so available there. I can't explain fully what I mean. But it was a time where so many folks, women mostly, just let themselves be loved and ministered to by the Holy Spirit. There were a lot of tears shed and much healing was taking place. I just believe God was unifying his body in a corporate way, in a healing way, to strengthen those who attended to take it back with them to their own churches, families, communities.
I just felt that this conference allowed me to grieve and process over the hurt and angst that came along with leaving my former church a year ago. The Lord allowed me to grieve and to process on a deeper level, over broken relationships, ones that no longer exist simple because I left a church. By letting myself grieve, I was opened up in a way for more healing more restoration and tender love from the Father. He showed me His love afresh and I realize, the more I let myself be loved by Him, the more I carry love for others that just comes unexplainably. I think the hard thing is, over time, I can't let the people go, as much as I wish I could, it would be so much easier. But I know that my life is not just about me, it's about my place in His Body. It also opened my heart in on a deeper level to love and have compassion for those who are longing for more of their God and need greater levels of freedom in Christ. I think we just get so hung up on right doctrines and right ways of living that we miss out on being real and totally raw and weak even! The truth is the Body of Christ is hurting! The Body of Christ needs loved up on!!!! The Body of Christ needs to chuck away all it's differences and all of the things dividing one from and another and unite in the love of God! I mean why on earth do we let hurts and divisions linger? That is missing the point of all that we have been given in Christ. I just feel like a new season is rising up, where we just need to stand together! Stand together despite all of our hurts, or fears or misgivings!
Anyway, that is not what I sat down to write about, but I can't ignore the fact that unity in Him hasn't been heavy on my heart. We all just need Him as much as the next person. We all need to stand up together and declare the wonderful works and goodness of our amazing God and Father who has caused us all to be born again to a LIVING hope in Christ Jesus!!!
Okay again, I can't help myself. Back to content.....
Thursday night, Amy and I arrived at the church a bit early for the conference. It was pouring down rain! After we had gone into the building, several people were staring out the window and someone said, "Did you see the rainbow?" I quickly ran outside to see a gorgeous full rainbow, with another faint one up above it. This gave me such joy and reminded me that the last time I had come to Life Center for a conference I had seen a rainbow the night before. Interestingly, I was wearing linen overalls covered with ladies holding umbrellas. Don't ask me why, but it seemed prophetic that I was wearing them. Several ladies and I discussed this, and as I continue on with my story it may become more clear. So moving on, we headed up to get our seats, which were all taken so we sat in the front on the floor. Worship was wonderful, led by Julie Meyer, a very prophetically gifted worship leader. Julie had a wonderful way of just getting worship to flow so that you were just quickly ushered in to the presence of the Lord. It was quite transcendant! After worship, Patricia King gave some testimonies regarding giving and sowing into the Kingdom. Then there was a beautiful prophetic act done by some ladies. They all carried red umbrellas and did a dance to a beautiful song about seasons of rain. Anyway, at the end of their song they all walked over to Michal Ann Goll, who is currently stricken with cancer and in a lot of pain and covered her with their umbrellas. (I guess you just had to be there to see the beauty in this act.) Then they all went up front and turned the umbrellas upside down as containers for people to bring an offering.
Worship continued a bit, and then Jim Goll came up to share. I had not yet heard much about Jim Goll, all I knew of him was that he wrote books and that there were two of his books I wanted to read. I was quite blessed by him that night, I will do my best to share of it here. Jim Goll was unpredictable, he was tender, crazy, really real and open, fierce and wild and passionate and just loveable!! As the focus of the conference was women, women on the frontlines, warriors of compassion, Jim spent a bit of time talking about his dear wife. I imagine she may normally have spoken at a conference like this but due to her health, she could not. Regardless, Jim did an excellent job and I believe it was crucial that a man shared at a conference like this. ( I will explain why in a bit). Jim shared that when he found his wife, he got himself a sweet deal. She was beautiful, had a 24 inch waistline, could sing like an angel, play the piano and cook for him. He said he had it made in the shade. Until one day, she started to speak up. Apparently, Jim had treated her more like a trophy and a maid than the woman she truly was. He didn't understand her true value as a woman. He shared about a time when the Lord spoke to him. He, being a man in ministry, was exposed to many "important" men of God. He had had the privilege of being sharpened by them and God reminded him of these men. Jim of course thought with pride, yup all these great men have influenced me so well. Then the Lord told him to look over at his wife asleep next to him. So he did. The Lord told him, "She has been more of a man to you than all these men combined!" Whoa! That was a turning point for him and he began to see his wife with different eyes from then on. He proceeded to talk about how for so long men in the church (meaning corporately) have not seen woman as they should. So much confusion has been in the church over whether or not women should be allowed in ministry or not. He then read a list of woman's names out of the Bible and their roles in the church. This was powerful!! This led to him apologizing to the women and asking for forgiveness for the men for how they have not seen the women as they should. Oh you could hear a pin drop! He spent at least 30 minutes walking around to numerous ladies and looking them in the eye, saying will you forgive us? He said, if he had time he'd would go to each and every woman there and ask for coporate forgiveness. There was not a dry eye in the building. What an intensely beautiful moment! I just had so much respect for this man. I wish so many folks I knew could have been there, it truly was a powerful time!! (By the way as soon as these messages and dvd's are available online, I will be sure to link to them, in case anyone may be interested in checking them out!)
He then gave a message on the woman in Luke 7. This too was a powerful message. This is the woman who came and soaked Jesus feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair and poured out expensive perfume all over him. The Pharisees had a little problem with this, they knew who this woman was. She was a sinner, a harlot. (I wonder how they knew?) And they seemed to disdain this beautiful act of worship. The text says in Luke 7:39; "Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." In verse 44, Jesus turns toward the woman, while still speaking to Simon, "Do you see this woman?" Jim really stressed how Jesus turned away from the man he was speaking to and looked at the woman. "Do you see this woman?' He didn't go on to describe her lavish act of worship, as we have all heard that point made time and time again. No, he really wanted to stress the "Do you see this woman?" He wanted to bring out the value of the woman, who she was was more important than what she did. And I suppose I will stop here and pick it up in another post......................................
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Overwhelmed......
I just got home from the conference and am totally wiped out. It was a wonderful time all in all. And I just believe the Lord did too much for me to even begin to share here until I have some time to rest and process. But I did want to share a small portion, that doesn't require much effort from me, being that the video will speak powerfully I trust. Julie Meyers led the worship. She was amazing! Gifted prophetically and gifted to take worshippers away into powerful intimacy with the Lord, she gave this prophetic song that follows. It was done this past June I believe, but they played it at the conference and talked about it in more depth. I thought it was awesome and wanted to share it with you!! As soon as my mind stops reeling, I will be back to post some content on the conference!
Overwhelmed......
I just got home from the conference and am totally wiped out. It was a wonderful time all in all. And I just believe the Lord did too much for me to even begin to share here until I have some time to rest and process. But I did want to share a small portion, that doesn't require much effort from me, being that the video will speak powerfully I trust. Julie Meyers led the worship. She was amazing! Gifted prophetically and gifted to take worshippers away into powerful intimacy with the Lord, she gave this prophetic song that follows. It was done this past June I believe, but they played it at the conference and talked about it in more depth. I thought it was awesome and wanted to share it with you!! As soon as my mind stops reeling, I will be back to post some content on the conference!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Warriors of Compassion.....
I am very excited. Today I have the privilege of attending a conference, called "Women on the Frontlines. Warriors of Compassion." My main excitement, is that I will be hearing Heidi Baker minister. Heidi passionately loves Jesus and has an amazing ministry with her husband Rolland, called Iris Ministries.(Check out their newletter and photo gallery sometime.)
So stay tuned, I will be sure to post my time at the conference when I can!!
( the photo is Heidi Baker, with children from Pemba, Mozambique where Heidi and Rolland have a home and minister.)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Something to Remember......
I am not a sinner!God isn't counting my sins against me!
I don't confess my sins endlessly to others - I don't focus on my sin!
I am a saint!
God is counting me as 100% righteous and perfect forever!
I just confess that Jesus is Lord - I focus on Jesus!
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Shack
Well, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and read "The Shack." I am grateful to William Young for writing this unique and heart penetrating book. If you haven't read it yet, go for it! Despite the book's many critics and critiques, of the theology behind it, I think William Young understands something of the Father's heart of love. That is more important than arguing theology. Nothing compares to God's love!! So go ahead, take off your skeptic cap and let yourself be enveloped by the true purpose of this book. Much grace and peace to all!!!
"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others." - A.W. Tozer
"Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal." - Author Unknown
"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading." - Oswald Chambers
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Healing is a part of Salvation.....
Healing is just salvation impacting the natural man. That's all it is. Jesus didn't see a difference between salvation and healing to the person.
We can get a little bit of an idea of this in Mark 2:9, where Jesus said, "Whether it is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?"
We've taken what God put together in the Atonement and we've made it two seperate subjects. When Jesus went to the cross, He took our sin, iniquity, sickness, and disease there. Forgiveness and healing have never been different subjects. Healing is nothing more than the New Birth affection the human body.
We see that sin takes a toll on the human body. We can look at someone who has been in sin all their life, and we can see it on them. We can tell that they have lived a rough life. Their sin has had an adverse affect. If someone is an alcoholic for a long period of time, we can see the effects of that upon them. And when people get born again and healing begins to come into their body we can see the advantages of righteousness on them.
Jesus wanted to prove to the religious leaders that He could forgive sin. The religious leaders could only go by what they saw, so Jesus showed them salvation in the natural. He healed the lame man to show how salvation works. In other words, he said, "If you can't see redemption one way, I will show it to you another. I'll prove to you that I have the power to forgive sin. I'll tell this man to get up and walk, and he will do it." He did, and they were absolutely amazed. As the power of this gospel of salvation impacted his physical being, he stood up and walked, and salvation renewed the whole man.
Salvation is not to renew part of us, but it's to have all of us impacted by all of God.
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Salvation and healing are not seperate issues. Jesus didn't see them that way. We will never walk in the full measure of power to get the sick healed until we have a proper, foundational understanding of healing in the atonement.
John 3:17 says, "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved."
Now if you look at this word "saved" in Strong's Concordance, in the Greek it means "sozo." That word means "deliver, protect, heal, preserve, save, do well, to make whole."
If you look at that word "whole" in Matthew 9:21, it says, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole."
The woman with the issue of blood touched His garment and she was made whole. That word "whole" is also the Greek word "sozo." The whole person impacted by the whole God.
In Mark 10:50-52 we read, "And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."
In this passage the word "whole" is also "sozo", "to be completed." You see salvation is to impact or make whole the person in spirit, mind and body. It's not to push this work of healing on God and think that God's will is salvation for everyone, but not healing for everyone. When we push that responsibility on God, then it's "Whatever God does is OK with us." But God's will is for salvation to impact every person and also for healing to impact every person and also for healing to impact every person.
Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
If we look into Deuteronomy 28, we see that sickness is incipient death, or death in progress.
The passage in Romans say that by on man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. Through the fall of Adam, sin entered the world through disobedience, and death by sin. Sickness is incipient death. Since sickness is part of the curse, and only God could remove the curse, then the only way He could do it was through substitution, because of our free will.
We have a will to choose - God is not a dictator. He's not trying to force us to become His children. Through substitution, He could remove the curse.
Galatians 3:13 says, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
If healing is not for us, then how can justify us, and at the same time require us to remain under the law's curse, when the Apostle Paul says you're not under the law, but under grace? (Romans 6:14)
Why should anyone remain under the law's curse if they're not under the law? That would be like putting someone in jail and keeping them there when the court has declared them innocent.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. He became our substitute. He became the curse so that the curse of sickness would come off of us and go onto Him on the cross. He bore our sickness and carried our pain.
If we're to be redeemed to God through salvation, then why should we remain under the curse of the law, which is sickness? Sickness is part of that curse. See, if the body is not included in redemption, how can there be resurrection? How can corruption put on incorruption?
1 Corinthians 15:52-54 says, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
If we were resurrected with a body still under the curse - if redemption were not impacting the physical man - and we were raised with the curse of sickness still in us, then sickness would go right up to heaven.
But Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, because He was that substitute. Sin and sickness went upon Him, so that redemption would impact the whole man, not part of man. God is coming to redeem man in spirit, mind and body. That's why corruption will put on incorruption in that day - so that healing will impact the whole person.
Since our future destiny is both spiritual and bodily, our redemption must also be both spiritually and bodily. There can be no bodily resurrection without bodily redemption. It can't happen.
Isn't God as willing to show the mercy of healing to His Body as He is to show the mercy of forgiveness to His enemies? Think about that. If salvation and healing are to impact us, and He is willing to show His mercy for salvation to His enemies, then He is also willing to show His mercy for healing to His own Body.
If Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we're the Body of Christ, then we're connected, because we have been raised with Him and we're seated with Him. We are connected. And if salvation and healing are provided by the Head, then whey should it bot also impact the Body of the Head? Why should this Body only be impacted with salvation and still have the provision of the curse - sickness - impacting the Body?
Is the Body of Christ supposed to look like the world, or is it to represent what the Head provides for it? If sickness comes from the enemy, should the things of the enemy exist in the Body of Christ? We must not look at the Church as a body of believers disconnected down here, we must see it as connected to the Head. We must have a revelation of what the Body of Christ is to look like. Not a Body with a rapture mentality. Not a Body more impacted by what the devil had done than by what God has don.
Here again, we have to go back to Ephesians 2:5-6; "Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
We're a connected Body. We must begin to exemplify all that Christ provided in the atonement as the Head of that Body.
I believe that Jesus has been looking down at His Body lately, saying, "This isn't what I had in mind. I want this Body to benefit from all that I provided when I redeemed it from the curse." Redemption is to impact HIs whole Body, not part of it.
God's purpose in sending His Son to the cross was to redeem all that He created, not part of it. God 's purpose in sending His Son to the cross was to redeem all that He created, not part of it. God did not make a disposable man. He did not say, "I am coming to redeem just the spirit of man, and I'm going to discard the rest of him.
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 says; "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
When the power of redemption impacts a person, it is to impact the whole person. We must begin to move toward that understanding of redemption.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
It doesn't say "may the God of peace sanctify you partly". I says entirely. He's saying here that the spirit, soul and body must be preserved complete. When you preserve something, you leave it in the best order possible. When you preserve peaches, you get them to their optimum condition, and then you preserve them to keep them that way.
God is saying He wants to preserve His Body. He wants His Body to represent what the Head provides, so that it will be without blame at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Jesus comes, He's coming for a Church in victory, not a church that's a victim -- a Church that is benefitting from all that He provided when He destroyed the curse, taking it upon Himself as our substitute. Salvation and healing are ours in the atonement. When Jesus comes for His Body, it's not going to be in a mess, it will be in victory, without spot or wrinkle.
(excerpt taken from Cal Pierce's teaching on "Healing in the Atonement." Cal reopened the Healing Rooms of John G. Lake, in 1999 and travels all over the US and worldwide holding conferences on Healing.)
Father's Love Letter.....
You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad.
'Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2008 www.FathersLoveLetter.com'
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