Only Believe........

We know that the only thing we 'must do' as new covenant believer's thanks to the finished work of the cross the Jesus did on our behalf, is to believe. A simple concept, right?!! Straight forward enough to know if you are sweating and striving you are missing it. But, I am coming to realize that as simple as the truth of that is, it's the hardest thing to actually 'do' much of the time. I find myself lately, getting caught up with worry, and with condemnation. I realize I am being hard on myself, when God is not. Why is that? Because I am not 'resting' to believe in what He already accomplished for me. The fact that it is Christ in me, keeping me, holding me and molding me. Not me figuring out my life into categories and seeing which ones need the most work, and which ones I have down pat. Nope, nuh uh. When I realized I am worrying, or letting my heart be troubled, I soon realized I am not resting in His shalom peace. Only I can 'let not'. So thankfully, here I am again at a point of realization that I am trying to make something happen in my time, that God is not. He just wants me to lean back in His arms and love on me. Wow!! Is it really that simple and yet SO incredibly difficult at the same time. I suspect this will be a life long lesson for me. How about you?

Turn your eyes upon Jesus......

I have to admit, I had an emotional roller coaster of a day yesterday. I could not get myself out of my woe. I fought and fought in my mind all day. But, honestly I was just blue and very weary of how my circumstances were not lining up with my inheritance. The reality is I am who God says I am, no matter what, and God is loving, good, sovereign, and for me, no matter what. Sometimes, I just don't understand the why's of life, I really don't.......I wish I did, but I don't. So what do I do in these times of confusion, these times when my feelings seem to take over and consume me? Somehow, someway I want to get to a place where I can "let not my heart be troubled",  because He has given me all things in Christ. Christ is enough, Christ is my all in all. His grace IS sufficient for me!  No matter what my circumstances are, and how I respond to them or feel about them. I just want to look at Jesus, to behold his beauty and be still before Him, resting in all He has accomplished for me. I think when I rest in Him, the worry or anxiety releases and grace begins to flow. His peace, His shalom (nothing missing, nothing broken) is available to me, and I just want to live more fully in it! Thank you Jesus, that you are my everything!!

I was reminded of this simple song last night, when I realized the simplicity of the Gospel yet again. I may not like where my emotions take me, and struggle to conquer them on my own. The truth is I can't conquer them. Looking at Jesus is my only hope of freedom, my only answer to getting off emotional roller coasters! 

So I am turning my eyes upon Jesus..................will you join me?!!

Grace flows in worry free areas of your life

Lately, I am finding God is giving me more and more peace, or should I say shalom, in several areas of my life. And because of His peace in these areas I do not tend to worry or get stressed out. Things just flow, and there is so much ease where there never was before. However, there are some areas that I do worry about, like our lack of finances. This has been an area that has only gotten worse, not better. And the fact that my husband worries doesn't help! We both fuel each others worry in this department. 

I truly believe God is my provision. He promises to provide. And I believe that the gospel includes a remedy for my finances. Sozo, salvation, includes my prosperity. So, why does my reality not line up with this? It's the same as with sin, and sickness. If I am focusing on the problem and not what Christ has done and promised me, I will live in unbelief. Doubt will creep in and distract my gaze from where it should be. 

So here I am reminded yet again of my circumstances, but I am not to let myself be defined by my circumstances. I refuse to live that way. 

That shared, I was looking through some of the clips of Joseph Prince sermons on YouTube, and found this one. It truly blessed me and reminded me that I can live in God's peace in all areas so long as I do not worry and doubt. I hope it blesses you too!! I only wish I could see and hear the whole message!!

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!!