In recent days I've prayed to the Lord for greater joy and peace. After all this was my birthday week and I had anticipated a day filled with fun activities and making great memories. And it was nice. Many friends and loved ones sent thoughtful greetings and I was treated to lunch at one of my favorite Indian buffets then on to a full-body acupressure massage and pedicure - aaaah. However, at the end of the day, as I laid down to sleep, I felt a twinge of sadness and had to ask myself, "Hmm, what is this about?" After all having a play-date with my friend enjoying a vacation day with pay!
In the morning though the feelings returned and so I prayed to the Lord about them. I poured myself my favorite flavored coffee and turned on my most loved praise playlist but by mid-afternoon I had to step away from my desk. I just couldn't shake it off and needed to intercede on my own behalf and boldly asked the Father for an anointing of happiness. I wasn't even sure if one could ask for such a thing because I know Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world." So I decided to be a big girl and to just get over it! Still, I hoped I wasn't asking for too much. However, it was at that sincere point of prayer that an anointing of strength and peace entered my mind and spirit and it became clear to me, for the first time, that joy is one of the gifts of the Spirit given to us by the Lord. Amen!
Now I know about the gifts of tongues, of healing, and of eternal life. We have learned and know that it was by the Holy Spirit that Jesus rose from the grave and that that same Spirit that now lives and in resides in us who are Believers. It's just that it is news to me that there is actually a gift of the Spirit - or an anointing - to free us from sad feelings. It is called the Oil of Gladness.
In Charles Spurgeon's article, The Oil of Gladness, I read, "The divine Spirit has many attributes, and his benign influences operate in divers ways, bestowing upon us benefits of various kinds, too numerous for us to attempt to catalogue them. Amongst these is his comforting and cheering influence. "The fruit of the Spirit is joy." In Acts 13:52 we read, "The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost." Wherever he comes as an anointing, whether upon the Lord or upon his people, upon the Christ or the Christians, upon the Anointed or upon those whom he anoints, in every case the ultimate result is joy and peace. On the head of our great High Priest he is joy, and this oil of gladness flows down to the skirts of his garments. To the Comforter, therefore, we ascribe "the oil of gladness."
Wow, how awesome! We shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. His Word is the Sword of the Spirit and I take it to wield at the very root of those feelings. Thank you Lord for I have received the best birthday gift of all!
"THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,"
Isaiah 61:1
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That is why God, your God, anointed you rather than your companions with the oil of gladness
Hebrews 1:9
Charles Spurgeon 'The Oil of Gladness'
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Satisfying
Question. Have you ever been to a new restaurant and found you were not able to make a decision on what to order - you know, what you'd be satisfied with? Heads up, I'm that one! I've tarried long over menus finding it hard to decide. For example, I discovered a new restaurant the other day called 'Lemonade'. After seeing all the choices and checking out the menu for quite a while, it was hard to decide. Everything looked so good! I gazed at the display of items and asked a few questions, but was still unable to choose what to order. I was unsure of what I would eventually like. I finally settled on a few items and they tasted fine but after all was said and done (or eaten!) I wasn't completely satisfied and knew the next time I came I would order something new.
Thinking about it I find it it's been that way in life! As I searched for the will of God for me and as I worked at this job or that; taking a class or signing up for some new training, over time I found that even though I had grown and learned new things, I was not quite satisfied with what I had 'ordered' and eventually decided to change course. All the while in the back of my mind hoping that I wasn't overlooking some great opportunity or missing my 'appointed time'.
However I was always on course. All the things I've done, everything I've experienced and everything I have learned - and most importantly every prayer that I have been praying and the grace God has been showing me is bringing me to an appointed time. You see every step I have taken has been ordered by the Lord, and has been bringing me closer to what He wants to do in and through me. Amen!
So as we are continuing to seek His will, listening to His Holy Spirit and praying consistently in line for where He's leading us, Jesus is confirming exactly what to do and the results will be increasingly satisfying. How good is to know that we are in the will of God and to know that our efforts are in step with His Spirit and we are moving in the right direction!
So I'm encouraged! Even though 'I' didn't know in the past what to ask for in prayer or what to do for my life, the Lord has always been right here, ordering for me, making sure my joy will be full and the will of the Father be done. Hallelujah!
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24 NIV
“The very steps we take come from GOD; otherwise how would we know where we’re going?”
Proverbs 20:24 MSG
“The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].”
Psalm 37:23 AMP
“And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21 AMP
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
Habakkuk 2:3 NASB
Thinking about it I find it it's been that way in life! As I searched for the will of God for me and as I worked at this job or that; taking a class or signing up for some new training, over time I found that even though I had grown and learned new things, I was not quite satisfied with what I had 'ordered' and eventually decided to change course. All the while in the back of my mind hoping that I wasn't overlooking some great opportunity or missing my 'appointed time'.
However I was always on course. All the things I've done, everything I've experienced and everything I have learned - and most importantly every prayer that I have been praying and the grace God has been showing me is bringing me to an appointed time. You see every step I have taken has been ordered by the Lord, and has been bringing me closer to what He wants to do in and through me. Amen!
So as we are continuing to seek His will, listening to His Holy Spirit and praying consistently in line for where He's leading us, Jesus is confirming exactly what to do and the results will be increasingly satisfying. How good is to know that we are in the will of God and to know that our efforts are in step with His Spirit and we are moving in the right direction!
So I'm encouraged! Even though 'I' didn't know in the past what to ask for in prayer or what to do for my life, the Lord has always been right here, ordering for me, making sure my joy will be full and the will of the Father be done. Hallelujah!
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:24 NIV
“The very steps we take come from GOD; otherwise how would we know where we’re going?”
Proverbs 20:24 MSG
“The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step].”
Psalm 37:23 AMP
“And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21 AMP
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
Habakkuk 2:3 NASB
Monday, May 30, 2016
It is Love
I was so fearful yesterday. Actually I felt fearful for the last couple of days. I had spoken with someone who brought me information about someone else and it didn't settle well in my spirit. It wasn't any bad news at all but it was just the way they relayed it, sort of like, "I know something you don't know," and it resulted in feelings and emotions of trembling fear and doubt. Fears that my prayers weren't going to be answered therefore I was being presumptuous in my position in Christ.
Fast forward, there I was on Sunday at the altar, praying for strength, courage and victory in Christ. Being the author of a blog about taking an axe to the root of shame and rejection, there I was standing with feelings of shame and rejection!
What is that about? Is it that fear is at the root of shame rejection? Is it that the Lord is allowing me to be tried? You know, sort of like, "You talk the talk, so can you walk the walk?" Is it that my foundation in the love of Christ is being 'field tested'? I will give a resounding, "Yes"!
Praying about this I came across a devotion that read, Our heavenly Father sent his Son to die for our sins and weaknesses. And without fully knowing and fully understanding that kind of love to you, you will never have a stable or permanent foundation!*
Wow! Well then I can honestly say I am thankful that the Lord has tested me and proven my foundation to be tried and true. I am fully rooted and grounded in the love of Christ and it is His LOVE that casts out all fear. It is LOVE that takes an axe to the root of shame and it is LOVE that swings the axe 'spot on' at the root of rejection.
I'm grateful for the storm. I know that Jesus is the 'I' in the storm. He is the calm and stillness in the mist of what seems to be spinning out of control – my resolute position in Christ, for it is His love that has saved me and it is His love that will sustain me.
Love, love, love!
I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of His love,…
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
Noted source:
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Uncomfortable?
Sometimes a little discomfort is good. For example, early the other morning I was trying to fall back asleep but my back was hurting. It did not matter what side I laid on or which way I turned my neck, I could not get to sleep again - the pain and discomfort was too great. I had to get up. But I am glad I did.
As it was, once I was up, stretched and got moving, the pain began to dissipate. I opened up the Word and prayed as I began what I thought would be my usual morning routine. However, it was anything but! In the quiet of the twilight, without any distractions, the Lord spoke to me an encouraging word, answered my prayers and inspired me in a fresh and unexpected new way. I soon realized how blessed I was for that pain!
Isn't it the same case with the eagle teaching it's eaglet how to fly? She removes all the comfy down feathers in the nest she once painstakingly laid to now get the chick up and out of the nest? She knows the baby eagle has wings to fly and has a great expanse of the heavens just waiting for it to explore. So she methodically removes everything that at one time made the nest so comfortable (and necessary for that stage of development) in order to motivate the eaglet to get up, stretch its wings, and do what it was born to do - soar. And so are we!
So it is true for Eagles as it it with us, as the saying goes, "We only change when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing." And I know the Lord is saying it is not business usual; Behold I do a new thing. (Isaiah 43:19)
So, I thank God for a little discomfort. I have renewed strength and am inspired and reignited for the journey ahead. The sky's the limit and He has given me hope!
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Grace-power
I went out to shop after work again and felt horrible. I've experienced this for a while now and I believe it's a distraction from the enemy. (Not the feeling horribly but the habitual shopping!) Hitting corners or as the saying goes, "Shop till you drop." The only thing that was missing from this picture was the bumper sticker, 'I break for Sales!' So I prayed and asked the Lord, what's wrong? He said, Your days of wondering are over." And that's what I've been doing for years. If I'm not in the stores I'm off to this meeting or that meeting, attending this conference or that conference.
Well, I definitely need to put the brakes on and even though I know I've entered into a Sabbath season and a year of Jubilee, I admit it's been difficult to put it into park. Ripping and running has been my modus operandi for as long as I can remember.
Maybe I feel like I have to be doing something to be okay and not just wasting time. Perhaps it's the root of rejection's fruit (fear) budding again with the habitual feelings of needing to perform in hopes of being viable and worthy. Honestly, I am finding it a challenge to 'dial it down' a bit and change this compulsively busy lifestyle.
But it's a new season and a new day and the Lord has said, "Behold, I do a new thing." Alright, how do I behold it? Perhaps if I just accepted God's grace and power in every area of my life - not just for salvation and for sobriety but also for my daily routines, for my temperament and for my personality and to always believe He's got it all under control. Surely then I could just...relax!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxietyon Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Well, I definitely need to put the brakes on and even though I know I've entered into a Sabbath season and a year of Jubilee, I admit it's been difficult to put it into park. Ripping and running has been my modus operandi for as long as I can remember.
Maybe I feel like I have to be doing something to be okay and not just wasting time. Perhaps it's the root of rejection's fruit (fear) budding again with the habitual feelings of needing to perform in hopes of being viable and worthy. Honestly, I am finding it a challenge to 'dial it down' a bit and change this compulsively busy lifestyle.
But it's a new season and a new day and the Lord has said, "Behold, I do a new thing." Alright, how do I behold it? Perhaps if I just accepted God's grace and power in every area of my life - not just for salvation and for sobriety but also for my daily routines, for my temperament and for my personality and to always believe He's got it all under control. Surely then I could just...relax!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxietyon Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Trust
There's a saying by Victor Hugo that speaks of a bird perched on a fragile branch. She sings away - a song heartfelt and sweet - though she is aware the branch beneath her is breaking, she knows she has wings.
I know she trusts in what her Maker has given her, wings, and I trust in the Lord Himself and what He's promised to give me in His Word. He's promised to give me hope and a future. For faithful is He that calls me and also will perform it. And He that has begun a good work in me has promised to perfect it, Amen!
Oh the joy of confidently singing hymns of praise and worship to the Lord in Whom I've placed my trust, as my branch (issues) bend in the wind and threaten to break with the weight of my cares and everyday trials. To encourage and edify myself at all times and in every circumstance.
Oh to be like that bird!
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Ephesians 5:19
Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalm 37:5
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you.
Proverbs 22:19
I know she trusts in what her Maker has given her, wings, and I trust in the Lord Himself and what He's promised to give me in His Word. He's promised to give me hope and a future. For faithful is He that calls me and also will perform it. And He that has begun a good work in me has promised to perfect it, Amen!
Oh the joy of confidently singing hymns of praise and worship to the Lord in Whom I've placed my trust, as my branch (issues) bend in the wind and threaten to break with the weight of my cares and everyday trials. To encourage and edify myself at all times and in every circumstance.
Oh to be like that bird!
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Ephesians 5:19
Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalm 37:5
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I have taught you today, even you.
Proverbs 22:19
Saturday, April 30, 2016
God is a Consuming Fire
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:28–29
I have been reading in a book called 'Come to Gilgal for the Circumcision of the Heart' by Dr. Purnell Hewing. In this book she talks about the believer and how we must allow the Holy Ghost to eliminate deep-rooted sins buried deep in the sin nature in order to cleanse the heart of sin (for we know it is written, "...out of the heart flow of the issues of life.")
So yes I am thankful and worship God because He indeed is a consuming fire but not only as I thought before. In my understanding then this consuming fire was something to be afraid of - to dread so "I better praise Him, or else!" But today this is not so. No, this is good thing and a joyous thing!
Now when I tremble its because of an overwhelming sense of awe and gratitude; my God truly is a consuming fire! He consumes my flesh and the dross with it. The dross of fear, insecurity, vanity, doubt and unbelief and burns it all off. Praise the Lord! My worship and thanksgiving to Him is for What He is and Who He is and what He can do and has done in my heart. Hallelujah!
Excerpted from "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence" by Sarah Young
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
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