The Lord Comes to Us!

     One day, as I was meditating on the power of speaking in tongues- the Lord showed me a busy foreign marketplace. Where everyone was bustling around, like a busy mob -shoulder to shoulder- all speaking a foreign language, various different words- all at the same time. Not a tranquil Sunday afternoon marketplace in which you would meander dreamily, but a sweaty Monday marketplace filled with a cacophony of various motions and foreign dialect. In the vision, a father and son- both English speaking, had been separated- and the father was looking, with out-stretched neck- for the son.

    

    Oddly enough, the father was not shouting- he was listening. It was the son who was doing the shouting, saying; “Father! Father! Here I am!” Even though the boys voice, was fainter than the rest of the indecipherable jargon- the father found him, immediately! Not because he was screaming louder than the rest- but because the boy was speaking English in a crowd of foreign speaking people! The father and son couldn’t see each other- but when the son shouted out to his father, in a language his father could understand- the father immediately found the son, and they were reunited.

               

    “ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Gal. 4:6 (KJV) The Message Version says, “You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as His own children because God sent the Spirit of His Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!" Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.”

            

    How wonderful is that! The Spirit of Jesus- His very Spirit is living in us crying “Abba, Father!” Before the vision from the Lord, I had always read this scripture to mean that we are left to cry out to Him, and go find Him (like it was in our power)- but instead, it is Jesus’ Spirit in us crying out to the Father God, on our behalf! We became God’s very own child when we accepted His Son, and now we through Christ- speak His language! Thank God it’s not up to me to figure out how to get to Him, I’d only get myself more lost!

            

    What is this language? What is this language that is spoken that only God hears? This language that when we are lost in a crowd- He hears, and comes to us immediately? Praise! Oh that sweet sound of praise! It wasn’t until I read Myles Munroe’s book, and the chapter on The Blessing of Judah- that I realized the full meaning of the vision the Lord had given me. The Lord comes to us!

            

    When we are in an intimate relationship with someone, like the little boy in the marketplace- we speak the same language. And though the boy was shouting, “Father! Father!” What he was really saying was “My trusted companion! My provider! My only security! Where are you?!” When we shout out to our Father, in time of need, or hopefully otherwise- we praise Him! And He hears our praise!

            

    “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3) When we praise God- He comes to us! Unlike other religions full of ‘trying to get a more heightened sense of spirituality’, when we praise our God- He comes and finds us! How freeing is that? You will never be lost, abandoned, left alone again! And once you are reconnected, and hooked up to the source of His provision- He is more than capable to set you straight again, because He not only loves you and wants to find you, He created you!

            

    “What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” Matthew 6:33 (The Message)

 

Where Have you Been?

Today's question of the day: Where have you been?

As of February 2009- Jeff and I have enrolled in Bible College. I have been writing like a banshee- term papers! I would love to be able to keep up blogging, and will let you know how school is going! 

So far we have taken 'Healing, Church History, & Old Testament II'. School has been so inspiring! My first paper was on The Atonement of Christ 'Reciprocating Action of His Death on the Cross'. The next was on 'Is America a Christian Nation? Yes or No?', and finally The Azusa Street Revival. This one spoke especially dear to me, since I have been filled with the Spirit- since I was 4. I say this not to boast- for it has been with all humility that I have been blessed by the Lord, at such a young age. 

One of the most fabulous attributes of going to school- is being able to go WITH Jeff- and to be able to fellowship, all night. We mostly discuss how big our Father is, and how without the Holy Ghost, we would know nothing!

I love you- and am blessed by you that you are reading this right now! I pray that you will continue to seek the truth and know that the Lord is with us, watching us, guiding us, blessing us- continuously!

www.blueletterbible.org

www.biblegateway.com [Try Amplified Versions- and The Message]

LOVE YOU!

 

No Need to Stumble Anymore- God is Light

Sitting in this dark bedroom- I feel a peace like no other. It is raining and the dog is snoring- and I am reading The Word of God. How appropriate that I would be reading about the Light- in a pitch black room.

1 John 1:5 says " This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in Him."

John is now 106 years old, at the end of His days- summing up all of his learning in three words... "God is light." Imagine that. God is light pure light. There is no darkness in him. Have you ever lit a candle in a dark room? There is NOTHING the darkness can do to put out the light- but the light can put a void in the darkness- this in a sense is God. 

God is that light, that light that can never be overtaken. He is the light- and if you walk in the light, you walk in him. But the darkness can't live in the light- and the light can't live in the dark, they are like oil and water. 

John 8:12 " Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

So how are you doing? I was doing horrible. I would have allowed curiosity to lead me to stray into the dark. Thinking things like; "So and so did what? I can't believe that! R- ratings are OK, I can handle it!" 

After reading John sum up the entire Bible into three words- I learned where I had been missing it. (I knew I had been missing it, because I new I wasn't receiving all that God had in store for me, I felt alone- and stuck)  I had been voluntarily allowing the world to dictate what was OK- and what wasn't- not whether it was of God or not. Whether it was something done in the Light or in the dark.

Simply put is this- a caring parent will control what their children can become witness to. If you care about your children that much- why not care about yourselves the same? I would never let my children watch the news, or read gossip magazines- I want them understanding the wonderful history of the Word, and how to pray. I should care, and finally care that much about me.

Proverbs 29:18 "If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed."

If you feel like you don't know what God is doing, or maybe feel like you are stumbling try turning on the "Lights." When you return unto the Father- He will be there ready to return unto you. Mal 3:7

Fighting the Flesh: When Everything Hurts

This is my personal story/belief- not meant to diagnose anyone...

So here it is 8:45 p.m., and everything hurts. The cold achy, stuffy, nursing the teething baby kind of pains. But I am a believer... what now?

The Bible says:  

Mal. 4:2 "But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

Psalm 107:20 "He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

Isaiah 53:5 "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."

So what's up, huh? Why would I have all these promises, available to me- and no immediate results once I speak them? Simple. I've been sinning, and I need to repent.

Sinning? Ok- so maybe that's a little harsh- I've been being disobedient. I haven't been, listening. About a week ago, the Lord dealt with me. He told me "You need to start going to bed when the kids do." Of course, I resisted (not intentionally of course). I started going to bed with them, the first night- and the second. But then things started getting busy, and I became distracted. for the last four nights- I have been up until 1 a.m.! That IS NOT what the LORD told me to DO! So of course, now that I am wiped out- I am remembering what He told me in the first place. 

Disobedience will always be a blessing blocker.

The Word of God isn't something that you can just play around with. You either believe that He is talking to you, or not. When you hear that still small voice- the more you obey Him- the clearer His voice becomes. 

If I was listening I wouldn't be hurting right now. 

The instructions were simple. "Go to bed when the kids do." What I saw as a permanent life style change- might have been just for a week, or two. I am sure He knew what was around the bend, and being the loving God that He is- wanted me to slow down... way, way down.

Our God is a loving forgiving God.

Now these scriptures have been available to work in me all along, I have now repented and have begun meditating and praising God for each and every one of them! So here I am at 9:28 p.m., being healed. Recognizing that for a moment I stepped out of His Will for me. Realizing that I let my bad habits (not of staying up late, but of NOT LISTENING), keep me from the blessing. 

Going to bed early, following His commands. Listening to how much He loves me- and wants me to avoid this pain in the future. I have learned personally- this week- that God's ways are higher than mine. And He is always, well... right!

May peace be on you dear Readers,

May your ear be in tune to His Ways.

May you diligently seek Him, 

And know that He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."

 ... and P.S.... I am going to bed on time tonight!

Today's Scripture: Joshua 1:8- True "Meditation"

Joshua 1 :8

Did you know that you can find meditation in the Bible? Did you know that as readers of the Word of God we are called to meditate in His Word?

Joshua 1:8 says-

"Don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure that you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed." (The Message)

Joshua is very specific when he says that we should indeed meditate. The Hebrew word for meditation is: "hagah". (As found in the Strongs Concordance/Lexical Aid) Hagah literally translated means: "to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak." We are called to meditate. We are called to take scripture and not just read it. We are called to think about it- repeating it over, and over, and over- until we can recall it immediately, from constant repetition. That way when trials come, we can combat them with a verbal retaliation of The Word of God.

Joshua is also clear on what we should be meditating on... The Word of God. This Word alone, will bring us success. Beware of doctrine that claims that you can do it without The Word of God- it is impossible, and it is deceitful. Joshua says: 

Meditate on The Book of the Revelation day and night, then you will get where you are going, then you will succeed.

For years, Jeff and I have practiced carrying around 3x5 cards with scriptures on them. These are our "Faith Cards." We imprint- either by computer, or hand written- the exact scriptures that we are believing God for. Where did we learn how to do this? Joshua 1:8.

There is nothing "New Age" about meditation- it is as old as the Bible itself.

There are dozens of scriptures in the Bible where you will find the word "meditate/meditation". Meditating on The Word- is the direct link between hearing a scripture, and believing a scripture can be true for you. 

For example, "I am a good person." If you repeat this over and over to yourself- you might start believing it, and in most 'worldly' circles this would be enough. Without The Word of God backing it up though- it holds no weight. If a trial comes along, that makes you feel angry and like sinning against your fellow man- you might try to remember that you are a "good person", but you will easily forget it- because after all you just made it up. (You will instantly judge yourself based on your past actions) 

But if you begin meditating not on becoming a "good person" alone,  but start meditating on a scripture like 2Cr 5:17: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." You will be able to confidently believe that you have been made new in Christ! "For greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world!" 1 John 4:4 Praise God! You can believe these thoughts- you'll be able to stand strong- because The Bible says so!

So my friendly advice would be this- if you are going through something challenging; money shortages, healing challenges, relationship miscommunication, etc.- 

1. Locate a Topical Bible Dictionary, like www.blueletterbible.org and find yourselves scriptures to meditate on for those specific issues. (In addition to your daily Bible studies) 

2. Go to the store and buy some 3x5 cards. Print out what you are believing God for on your faith cards, and look at them day and night- just like Joshua taught us. 

3. Begin meditating on God's Word, and you will find great success.

Here are some possible scriptures you could begin meditating on:

Joshua 1:8 (Prosperity) 

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (NKJV)

3 John 2 (Prosperity)

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

1 Peter 2:24 (Healing)

"Who his own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."

Psalm 91:10-11 (Protection)

"There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

Mimaymo! Recommends!

The Healthy Snack Feeding Kit, available online at www.babysrus.com

Let me preface this recommendation by stating that, "I have never used this exact product."

I have used the traditional pacifier shaped mesh bag feeder- and it is AWESOME. This is a must have for any mom. I have put banana's in it repeatedly, and just last night found myself stuffing corn, and oranges (not at the same time) in it as well. It is a fabulous product! This feeder set pictured was of special interest to me, because you can actually freeze certain foods, and place them inside the mesh bag- this would be great considering half the time I don't know what to put into the bag. (Other than banana's) This particular product has a better handle suited for infant/toddlers, than the traditional rounded shape. 

FYI: The mesh is very hard to clean. But if you work at it with a bristled brush- it comes clean enough for the next usage. I read a review on it that frozen banana's for teething babies were the best. Please read age appropriate instructions, always making sure you supervise and that baby can hold their head up sturdy with out support, and be swallowing proficiently. Enjoy! Go baby go!