Light Dawns In The Darkness

    The last few days have been a whirlwind and I realized that I haven't posted anything in awhile. So I need to explain why... As you all know my state of Texas has been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Mark and I spent a rocky Friday night, a week ago, as we heard things crashing into the side of our house during 90-100 mph wind gusts.  But as I told you last week, we declared our home and property to be the Land of Goshen, safeguarded and shielded by our Creator.  And it was so. While others in surrounding cities and neighborhoods suffered tremendous damage to their premises, with huge oaks uprooted, and tin roofs peeled away like tin cans, we barely lost minor branches.  We were blessed and fortunate beyond anything we expected.
     And as the reports and pictures started coming in from around the Lone Star state we could not escape the sorrow and empathy we had for the people of Houston who were (and still are) suffering from Biblical-proportion flooding.  But it was the smaller towns along our Southern coast who seemed to get lost in the immensity of the catastrophe.  One such town is Rockport, the first place where Harvey made landful in the early morning hours of August 25th.

     Throughout Mark's childhood, Rockport was a sleepy little fishing village that would also become a community of second homes for the wealthy and affluent.  Rockport has maintained that dual personality in the years since, but now it's 10,000+ residents all share the same misery and heartbreak... homes destroyed and lives forever changed.
     Since Mark and I suffered no loss, we were determined to find a way to help those less fortunate.  So we took some of our tithing money, accompanied by the same from a close neighbor and we bought some water, gatorade, peanut butter, tuna, gloves, towels, toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, antibiotic ointment, vitamin C, and other supplies we thought would be important in these first days when people had no power, and little hope.  A group of us Christian women got together and made up relief bags. The next morning Mark and I loaded up our truck with water, and along with our neighbor's son, Cole, we three set off to offer our help.
     It was unimaginable. The devastation was beyond any sense that I had ever known.  Houses completely demolished. Trailers just a pile of rubble.  And the trees.... they were everywhere they shouldn't be, and contorted into what seemed like impressionistic sculptures.  The supplies that we had brought suddenly seemed so insignificant. How could we make a difference when these people needed so much, and we had brought so little?
     But then I remembered what my good friend Kim had prayed over us before we left that morning. She said, "I'm praying for warrior angels to surround your truck; to make a clear path through the muck and debris, and to protect your lives as y'all travel today.  I'm praying for ministering angels to go before you and prepare those whom God has in place to be blessed by you today.  And I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to be so evidenced in your lives today, that the spiritual atmosphere of the cities and towns you drive into will be changed... desolation turned to bright futures, despair turned to hope, exhaustion turned to energy, and hatred and anger turned into joy.  May you bring comfort through our Comforter to those who need it desperately!"
     These are the words that I would remember as I stood, holding hands with a woman named Yolanda, and prayed with her.  She lived by herself, and her house was a scene of destruction and desolation.  She had been approved for FEMA housing, but there was nowhere in Rockport that qualified for housing and all the surrounding communities were just as demolished.  She would have to travel several hours to find suitable lodging and she didn't want to leave her home, abandoned to the elements or looters.  We offered her water, but without ice, the water was hardly refreshing in the steamy heat.  But she was grateful for the relief bag we had brought her, and thanked us for what we were doing. In reality, we felt like we offered little more than what amounted to a drop in the ocean.
     But like everyone we approached with our meager offering, Yolanda left us with a smile and "God bless you".  But we needed to do more! And what did that look like?  And then we turned a corner and ran into José, who was the obvious leader of a group staging at the Little Lights Learning Center, a daycare facility for children.  He was organized, efficient, and unflustered... everything you need to create calm out of chaos.  When we left that day to return home, I told him I would find a way to do more, and what did he need?  "Cleaning supplies and protein" was his immediate reply.  I was determined to make that happen.

     And as we left the wreckage of Rockport behind us, the Holy Spirit offered His solution. I would tell our story of that day, and show the world the pictures of Rockport, setting up a public fundraiser for this little town that was the first to take a hit from Harvey.  I decided to turn the fundraiser over to Jesus, telling Him, "It's yours. Make it what You want it to be, and Mark and I (and others of Your faithful followers) will be Your hands and feet. Just tell us where to go".  So, I came home two days ago, created the website "Relief 4 Rockport" and surrendered it to the Lord.  And I think He wants to do great things with it!  The response has been amazing, and Mark and I, along with my prayer partner, Kim, are headed back to Rockport this morning with two trucks full of provisions -- Cleaning supplies and protein, of course! What a blessing to be used by Christ to show His mercy to those in need!
     The last thing I want to stress is that I do not want undue accolades for this work we do for the Lord.  It is no more than what thousands of others are doing as we try to alleviate the misery in the lives of our fellow Texans.  And it is just what we are called to do by the One whom we serve.  The heroes are the people who will put their lives back together, one day at a time, hopefully looking to Jesus for comfort and strength.  And if I can share His presence and His peace with any of them, then that will be an honor.  So please keep Texas in your prayers.  We have a long way to go to recover, and we're down now, but not out.  Pray that this will be a season of turning to the Lord and great growth in individual's relationships with Him.  And pray that Mark and I will be effective ambassadors for His Kingdom, showing everyone we come in contact with His mercy, His grace, and His tender heart. And please pray that we never miss an opportunity to speak of His boundless love.

Galatians 6:2    "Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]".

"It Is Finished!"

     These are the last recorded words of Jesus as He died on the Cross.  They only appear in the Gospel of John, yet any Christian who is well-schooled in the Bible is familiar with these poignant words.  But do we, as the Body of Christ, know what Jesus was referring to?  In other words, as my husband has been asking of our Christian brethren lately, What does "IT" mean? What is the "IT" that Jesus has finished? And what does it have to do with us?
     I have seen very intelligent and knowledgable sources say that the word "finished" comes from the Greek word tetelestai, an accounting term that means “paid in full.” They will explain that when Jesus uttered those words, He was declaring the "IT" to be the debt owed to His Father, which He wiped away completely and forever. Not that Jesus wiped away any debt that He owed to the Father; rather, Jesus eliminated the debt owed by mankind—the debt of sin.
     Now, I will agree that Jesus did all that -- He certainly paid the price we all owe the Father for our sins.  But, I'm not sure that is what He was referring to as being "finished".  I guess I'm trying to say that I think the "It" He finished was something else.  Let me tell you exactly what I think...
    As I am progressing through an in-depth study of my Bible, I came across a verse in John that didn't stick out to me the first couple of times I made my way through Scripture. It happens in John, Chapter 5, when Jesus is bearing witness that everything John the Baptist said about Him is true.  But then He says, in verse 36, But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John; for the works that the Father has given Me to finish—the very same works [that is, the miracles and proofs of My deity] that I am [now] doing—testify about Me, [by providing evidence] that the Father has sent Me.  

     It is clear to me that Jesus is saying, "The Father has given me works to do and finish.  These works testify that I have been sent by the Father".  In other words, all the works He was doing -- healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead, and announcing that the Kingdom of Heaven had invaded earth in the person of Him -- have the ultimate purpose of glorifying the Father; the works of Jesus are proof that the Father sent Him.
     And so, here's where I disagree with the accepted version of what Jesus meant when He said It is finished. True, the Greek word for "finished" can mean a levy or toll that is paid in full.  But, according to Strong's Concordance, that is the secondary meaning of the word.  The primary definition of the root word, tello, is "an end of a defined purpose; the conclusion of an ultimate or prophetic act". Jesus says in John 5:36 that the Father has given Him works to finish, and that those works revolve around the miracles and proofs of His deity, which will ultimately result in the glorification of the Father.  So, when He says It is finished with His dying breath, I contend that He is saying "I have finished all the works You assigned Me to do to bring Your Kingdom to Earth and to glorify You, Father".  Jesus says in verse 36 that these works are the greater testimony about Who He is, and Why He came.
    The reason I think the modern Church doesn't see this is because it would require that we acknowledge not only the significance of "the works" He did, but that He wants us to continue those works.  That's why, within the same Gospel of John, Jesus is recorded as saying, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.  I contend that Jesus was finished with the works the Father had assigned to Him.  He had displayed His Deity through the works of signs and wonders, [healing and deliverance], and then given all who believe on Him the authority to continue those works [in John 14:12].  Furthermore, in both Matthew 28 and Mark 16, Jesus emphasizes that He wants believers to be taught to do all that He has commanded; and as they do the works He has done, it will be a sign to others to believe that the Father sent Him and that He is working through them.
     But the modern Church is uncomfortable when it comes to us performing supernatural acts of healing and deliverance, which are the works Jesus did.  It is more logical to the human mind to think that It is finished is simply referring to what Jesus did for us [in paying our "sin debt"], rather than to accept that He had finished His assignment of "works" for the Kingdom, and the mantle has been handed to us to continue them.  Can you see that the former explanation puts the responsibility on Jesus, while the latter interpretation makes us accountable for continuing His work?
     If the "IT" is simply a paid debt, it makes it easier to live the Christian life when you think that Jesus has done the work for you, rather than realizing that we are supposed to carry on the works [that glorify the Father], in His stead.  And this results in a Body of Christ that is stagnant and powerless to battle the schemes of the Adversary.  Think how much leeway we have given the devil when we only consider that the debt for our sin has been paid.  Don't get me wrong -- what a glorious gift of Grace that is!  But when you consider that there are so many people who need physical healing and demonic oppression eliminated from their lives, then the "IT" Jesus left us to do has been far from finished in our lives.  There have been so few of us who recognize our charge from the Lord, that the "IT" has barely even begun!
     Yes, Jesus finished His part.  He did exactly what the Father commanded Him to do.  But a huge part of His assignment was to model for us the work that the Father wants us to continue until Jesus returns.  As He hung in agony on the Cross, Jesus was declaring to the Father that He had ushered in the Kingdom on earth, and He had left the Father's work to be continued by those who believe in Him.  That stage of the Father's plan was surely finished. It's time we make up for all the lost opportunities to show His glory and the manifestation of His Kingdom here on the earth.  Our part of the Father's plan won't be finished until the last person accepts Christ as His Savior.  Until then, we need to use every tool He left us to accomplish that goal, and that includes the supernatural works that He did.  By neglecting them, we are not being obedient to all that He commanded us to do.  I'm not finished; are you?

Matthew 5:16     "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven".

"Calm The Storms, Father!"

     If there is one positive side effect from the forces of nature, it is that it shows both the best and worst of humanity.  But since the best of us comes from God, and the worst from the Enemy, I refuse to glorify our adversary's deeds. Instead, I want to share the wonderful presence of the Lord that I have witnessed, as we here in South Texas face a devastating hurricane.
     I love it that all the walls we put up between us come down when we face a mutually challenging and terrifying situation.  As Mark and I stood in long lines at the grocery store for water and nonperishable food, and at Lowe's where people were buying generators, batteries, and plywood, I was encouraged by the courtesies displayed and genuine concern shown for each other.  "Stay safe" was spoken to complete strangers, and people were willing to help each other and offer advice. Perhaps we each identified with our common mortality and just wanted to make a connection when confronted with our vulnerability. Whatever, the reason, I loved seeing the compassion and mercy.
     But it was the connections between my Brothers and Sisters in Christ that has been so inspiring. Mark and I have received so many texts and phone calls [from all across the country] letting us know that people are praying for us. And we have met privately with other families to spend time in prayer, revealing our requests and needs to our loving Father.  For me, I find great strength in His promises ... the Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe.  In the spirit, I picture each of our families snug and warm inside of a stone tower, sitting by a warm fire with Jesus, oblivious to the storm that rages outside.
     I also declare that my community is the Land of Goshen, which is the segment of land that Joseph bequeathed to the Israelites during his reign in Egypt.  They lived in the land of Goshen until the time of Moses, when Pharaoh refused to let them go so they could worship God freely.  So God sent ten plagues of destruction, darkness, chaos and death. But these plagues did not occur in Goshen.  God protected the Israelites in the land of Goshen through the blood of the Lamb over their doorposts, as a mark of faith.
     So I appropriate the same blood of Jesus over this community of believers, of which we are a part. I declare that our lives, families, and households are protected, and we live in the land of Goshen where no destruction, darkness, chaos or death will occur, in Jesus's Name.
     I also declare the promises of Psalm 91 which says if we abide in God and dwell in the shelter of the Most High, we will remain secure and safe, and rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He will be our refuge and no disaster will come near our tents, for He will command His angels in regard to us, protecting and defending and guarding us.  He will set us on high because we know His Name and we have set our love upon Him, trusting and relying on Him, knowing He will never abandon us.

And I find great confidence in knowing God and Jesus are the Creator of the winds, and the rain, and the seas.  Just as Jesus calmed the Sea of Galilee, He can do the same in regards to Harvey.  We have asked God to use the storm to water our drought-stricken land, which testifies to His goodness. But we cancel any assignment by the Enemy to corrupt what God has created or to send devastating  storms against us.
     In the end, we only have each other and God to rely on.  After we come out on the other side of this, I have a feeling we won't be concerned about all our "stuff", but will be praising Him for His faithfulness and trustworthiness; for His never-ending covenant with us and His steadfast love. This storm, too, shall pass, but His Word will never pass away.  And so, we cling to Him in the midst of uncertainty and the force of nature.  But I am left with this final promise ... My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. So, I face this storm with unswerving faith, knowing Who has me in His hand.  And there is no room for fear.

NOTE:  Again, I have no idea if we will lose power, or when I will be able to post again.  If I can, I will let you know how we are progressing through the duration of Hurricane Harvey.  Any and all prayers are appreciated!

UPDATE:  We survived the first night of Hurricane Harvey with gusts up to 85-90 mph

Jeremiah 10:13     When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and He causes the clouds and the mist to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His treasuries and from His storehouses. 

Waiting On The Lord: My Personal Struggle

   

      I have never shied away from sharing my walk with the Lord... whether it be my successes or failures.  And I write because there may be others of you who are experiencing the same discontentment with the pace of your journey. So today I share where I'm at along my personal path.  I am in a season of what I would describe as "teetering on a precipice"; of feeling that God has so much more for me to do, but He isn't revealing it to me, and I'm not sure why.  He's not answering my questions, and my requests for more of the Holy Spirit seem to be falling on deaf ears.  Yet, I know that I am not afraid to walk in bold obedience, or to go where He sends me. I don't think He is displeased with my work for His Kingdom, but why does our conversation seem to be lagging?
     Then, interestingly, I stumbled across this poem by Carmela Patterson, titled, Teetering On The Edge. It sums up what I've been feeling...

We stand on a precipice and teeter on the edge

O Lord, help us not to slip and fall;

Let satan not draw between us a wedge ~

Speak loudly that we may hear your Call. 

Lord, we are so weak and growing very weary

We stumble, fall, drag ourselves hour upon hour

Our eyes are swollen shut, tired and teary;

O lift our crosses with your almighty power. 

We can't live up to our own expectations

Let alone try to live up to Yours;

Help us to revel again in jubilation,

Help us fight off satan's lures. 

Our bodies, minds, hearts, souls and spirit

Suffer under the weight of the cross we carry;

Your humble submission, may we mirror it,

Permit your guiding hand not to tarry. 

It becomes clear to us that we are to blame

For the position in which we find ourselves;

In soulful petition we call upon Your Name,

Lord, forgive us and hold us to Thyself. 

Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you bring ~

Thank you for removing sin's sting ~

In gratitude and Praise to you we sing ~

You are our Lord! You are our King!

In Heaven and earth Praises ring ~

In Adoration we all sing!

You are Lord and King! ! ! 

     There it is --- the fear that satan is driving a wedge between me and God; keeping me separated from His voice by some invisible barrier.  Have I lived up to your expectations, Father, when you called me to Your service?  Is this to be the limit of how much You can use me?  Because I want to run the race with everything my flesh and soul and spirit have to offer! What is it that I am meant to do for You?
     This past weekend, I had the privilege of learning the origin and meaning of my father's surname and my mother's maiden name.  From my father's side my last name was Ellison, meaning "son of Ellis", with Ellis being from the Greek name "Elias", or the Hebrew name "Eliyahu" meaning "Jehovah is God".  Essentially, my family name comes to mean, "son of God".  From my mother's side, I am descended from the last name Palmer.  The surname Palmer was originally derived from the Old French word palmer, which was taken from the Latin word palmifer meaning palm bearer. In this case the original bearer of the surname was a pilgrim who carried palm branches back from the Holy Land. I was astounded that I carried such a strong legacy related to the Scriptures! So, naturally, I am left wondering if I am living up to those identities.
     But the weekend also afforded me the opportunity to speak to a man with great spiritual insight [after observing a training session on some higher spiritual mechanics that Mark and I are just tuning into).  This man spoke prophetic words to me as if he could see into my heart.  He said, "You are almost there! It's like there is a thin membrane between you and the Throne Room, and your face is making multiple imprints, like you are trying to break through saran wrap.  You're asking so many questions, and not waiting for God to bring you an answer before you are on to your next question.  Relax! Quit thinking so much! Rest! You will get your answers -- and your breakthrough -- in His timing!"
     And just like Carmela's poem says ... I am to blame for the position I find myself in.  I'm too impatient and want to run ahead of where God wants to take me.  About eight years ago, another man gave me a message that I was to write for God, and then he told me he had a Scripture that I should hold close to my heart.  It is Isaiah 40:31:  But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. Obviously, I have not buried that verse deep enough into my heart.
     Lord, help me to walk before I run, so that I do not become weary for the long road before me.  Help me to understand and expect that You will bring new strength and new power to me -- when You are ready to give it to me ... and when I am ready to receive it. And, Jesus, if there is more for me to do, I will gladly accept it.  But if I am thinking too highly of myself, then humble me so that I might be content with whatever assignment You give me. I do not think my work is done, but I am willing to wait for You to show me if that is true or not.  Until then, I will praise You for where You've taken me so far, and what You have shown me of Your awesome Kingdom.  I will continue to write of Your Goodness and persist in my obedience to Your call on my life. But I have to tell you that I will never stop seeking You, nor knocking on that door to Your throne room. I may not bear the righteous fruit of my family names, but I will remain a servant of my Lord through eternity, ready to do the good works You have prepared for me. In gratitude and praise, I thank You!

UPDATE:  It may be a few days before I post again, due to Hurricane Harvey. We are in the crosshairs of this hurricane, and we have boarded up, and expecting lots of winds and torrential rain, and possible loss of power for several days.  We are praying for the blood of Jesus to cover us, our animals, and our property.  Your prayers are appreciated!

Psalm 62:5    "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him".


   

Is Eliminating Our Past A Good Idea?

     I spoke to a friend the other day who had just returned from a trip to Ireland, and he was enthusiastic about his experience.  Like me, he is a lover of history, and he went and on about the historic sites he saw.  He was effusive about the castles, museums, and tours he went on that featured the struggles of ancient Ireland, the invasion of the Emerald Isle by the English, and the Crown policy of "plantation", by which English and Scottish Protestant settlers displaced the Irish Catholic landowners.  That hostility and animosity is still a part of Ireland's national character today.

     Likewise, my youngest sister has been visiting Prague, Czechoslovakia and the country of Poland this past week. She is sharing photos and her thoughts as she visits awe-inspiring 13th century churches and synagogues, the Jewish Quarter (ghetto), and the concentration camps where so many Jews were exterminated by men with evil hearts. 

     The hearts and minds of both my friend and my sister were moved and educated by seeing the rich history of these European countries.  The tour guides provided lots of insight about the historic events that took place among the ruins and majestic places they visited.  Monuments related the historic events that helped shape the current and modern country.  And the native inhabitants are eager to tell the stories of where they came from [historically], and which define who they are now.

     So, now I am forced to take a look at my own countrymen who seem unable to see the value in our history -- both the good and the bad -- and I wonder if we truly know who we are, and are we interested in being proud of who we've become.  I don't usually like to engage in current political discussions on this blog, but I am deeply conflicted when I see our younger generations calling for the removal of our Confederate memorials and statues.  It is not because I am a racist, or I condone slavery -- that would be a ludicrous accusation.  I simply do not understand how they think that destroying our memorials will 1) erase our history,  2) insure that it will never be repeated, or 3) change current attitudes, opinions or hostilities.  When they look upon these historical statues, do they really feel the memorials speak for continuing racist policies?

     First of all, they are showing their incredible lack of knowledge when they claim that every Southern general endorsed slavery; that the entire reason for the Civil War was to maintain the wicked, reprehensible, and immoral institution of slavery.  Perhaps they need to revisit the history books of decades ago [since I suspect the revisionist history being taught today is possibly in error].  But I do not want to wander into the weeds of debating what was in the hearts and minds of Southerners a century-and-a-half ago -- anymore than I want to debate the reasons why today's Southerners honor these memorials and statues. We can debate states rights, Southern pride, and white supremacy ad nauseam and never agree.

     I simply want to point out that the Irish and the Czechs and the Poles in Europe aren't pulling down their statues or destroying their memorials -- even though they could employ the same moral argument that some of the memorials are evidence of a shameful part of their past.  What's the difference in our mindset?  Perhaps the Europeans recognize, somewhere in their souls, a principle that God voices in the Bible... we should remember our past sins, but not focus on them; that our past (both good and bad) has led us to where we are today.  But it does not have to identify who we have become.
      In fact, I believe it is important to understand that our past does not have to have an influence on our present behavior.  When we can recognize our sin, repent for it, and receive forgiveness, we can look at the past without any fear of repeating it.  And we don't need to destroy the cultural memory of those sins as a safeguard against backsliding.  That doesn't mean we ignore the ugliness of our past history. It just means we don't have to hang on to it and let it continue to reinfect us.  It is important that we recognize we have evolved into a new identity... we must not forget where we came from, but instead, rejoice in who we've become.
     Do those who wish to destroy every shred of evidence of the dark days of slavery in our historical memory somehow think that it changes our history? Out of sight, out of reality, if you will?  If at the end of that awful war -- which resulted in 620,000 deaths; nearly half of the 1.26 million Americans who have died in the nation's wars -- reconciliation could take place and Christ-like forgiveness offered between our countrymen, why is there so much hate and vitriol today over the past?
     Why can we not look upon the aftermath of the Civil War and see that we, as a nation, did not suffer decades of guerrilla wars as some nations have endured after their own civil wars?  Why can we not see that the nation moved forward, despite ongoing racial struggles, and we have much to be proud of? It has been a long and difficult struggle, but there has been progress. Is there still racial prejudice and dark souls among men?  Yes, and there always will be until Jesus comes back and removes the instigator of such evil.
     But just because a statue of Robert E. Lee exists somewhere on a town square, it does not mean we are at the same place in our national character as we were 156 years ago.  That statue honors a man torn by a national debate that nearly destroyed our nation, yet he could say at the end of the Civil War, “I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South its dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings, and I have never seen the day when I did not pray for them.”  Did he own slaves?  Disturbingly, the answer is yes. And there is no amount of rationalization that can justify that fact. There are many men throughout the world from that time who will have to stand before the Lord on Judgment Day and account for that sin.
     And removing his statue will not erase the dark shadow that hung over this nation for four long and bloody years. Only the blood of Jesus can do that.  And I pray that the same evil influence that whispered hate and enmity in the ears of our ancestors, will not find minds willing to embark on another civil war.  I guess we will find out... more statues and memorials are coming down by the day.  The question to be answered is this ... when the last statue comes down, the last street name is changed, and the last reminder of the injustice perpetrated against our fellow man is totally eradicated from our cultural conscience and memory, will we all then be able to live in harmony and peace?
     Will the absence of stone and iron memorials change the hearts of those who are intent on hate? Will we at last, as a nation, be free of the temptations of the Enemy and love our neighbor as ourself? I contend that it will be the renewing our minds [to be like Christ] that will ultimately eliminate the poison that is spreading through our national discourse.  Perhaps then we can begin to listen to each other and live in true harmony.
     I wish it was as easy as pulling down a monument.  I denounce our national sin of slavery, and any attempt to limit a man from becoming all that God intended him to be ... just as I decry our current national dialogue that seems intent on destroying our unity.  We don't have to let our past failures continue to divide us. Let us look towards building new memorials and testaments to a unified future.  There is a bigger picture here... looking at all that God has delivered us from and looking forward to all He wants to do in this amazing nation!  Let it begin today!

Colossians 3:12-14   "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity".


      

   

      

How Do You Worship The Lord?

     This may seem like a rather vague question, or even one that seems obvious to most Christians who are active in their Church.  But I don't want you to answer it based on the customs and traditions practiced in your denomination.  You see, that is corporate worship, and I'm more concerned about how you worship Him individually.  Because, it is my opinion that God is more interested in how you worship Him and His Son on the personal level.
     As with so many principles of our faith, Worship can become ritualized and defined by a set of man-made traditions.  How many of you had this thought when you first considered my question ... "Worship should include corporate song and a time where our voices are lifted to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving"?  Nothing wrong with that answer, at all.  But do you limit the concept of worship to that idea, or is it your viewpoint that worship must [or should] always include a corporate display in song?  I know that this is a common impression of what "worship" is in the modern Church.  
     But let's take a look at how worship is displayed in the Bible.  Both the Old Testament Hebrew word (shâchâch) and the New Testament Greek word (proskuneo) for worship define it as "a gesture of obeisance (respect, homage, adoration, reverence, veneration, honor, submission, deference) towards God".  This gesture was often displayed by bowing down in homage to God as a superior ruler.  But, as we know, worshipping God is so much more than this singular act of acknowledgment and recognition.
     To me, worship is the result of the state of your spirit.  It originates internally, in response to your spirit's relationship with the Father.  It is an individual and personal act of recognition of our Creator; an expression of our awareness of our identity as a son or daughter of God. And it is that individuality of our worship that I think has been somewhat lost by modern Christians.  We tend to define worship by corporate standards, and even though our church services have set aside a time for the Body of Christ to sing and lift their voices to God in worship, it is the individual hearts that He is listening to.  External actions are of less importance to Him.

     So, the attitude of our hearts and spirit is the origination point of our worship, which is then acted out in some form of reverence, praise, and honor.  It doesn't have to fit a specific model or be the same for everyone.  I love how, in 2 Samuel Chapter 6, the Bible says that "David was dancing before the Lord with all his might".  Now that is worship; it shows the attitude, or position, of his heart.  And you know he was dancing in his spirit, too!  David's form of worship was total and unrestrained -- completely unself-conscious, and personal.  He didn't care what others thought, nor followed a prescribed format.  In fact, Michal, King Saul's daughter, and David's wife, scorned David for wearing a linen ephod, which is a priest's upper garment, while he danced before the Lord.
     From the research I've done, the condemnation came because this garment was form-fitting.  He wasn't dressed the way Michal thought he should be, and apparently she didn't think his actions were befitting a king.  I would agree -- David acted out of a child-like love for the Lord, with no inhibition, and pure joy. And all that Michal could see was that it didn't fit the structure of established worship.  Are you more like David or Michal?
     I think in order to answer that question, we must ask ourselves if we care about what people think -- are we trying to please God, or other Christians?  I have to admit that I have seen a great change in my husband as he worships with God-centered people who follow no set agenda for what worship should look like.  For years, he simply didn't enjoy singing hymns in a church service, and it just didn't move his spirit.  But, I have seen him in more relaxed settings, with a guitar player singing original songs that praise our Lord, and people even dancing in the aisles, hands raised high.  Unconventional? Absolutely! But I suspect that this is closer to how King David worshipped in his personal style.
     Does that mean that hymns sung in church services constitute less meaningful worship?  Of course not.  I have heard beautiful hymns sung by choirs, and soloists that have moved me to tears as my spirit responded.  I am in no way declaring that one style of worship is better than another.  I can only speak for myself and I never want my worship to become regimented or stale.  I want the expression of my worship to grow and expand, and I never want to become so self-conscious that I opt for playing it safe.  I want my worship to be heartfelt and spirit-led; reverent, yet abandoned to new heights of adoration.
     So, I come back to my original question ... How do you worship the Lord?  If it is confined to corporate worship in a specified format, I pray that your individual heart and spirit are sending praise soaring to the throne room of God.  And if you find yourself dancing with all your might before the Lord because your spirit cannot be confined in your expression of homage to our Lord, then that's okay, too.  And if the Holy Spirit leads you to spend time in silence with Jesus, meditating on all He has done for you, then that is worship, too.  Do not let anyone limit you as to what form of Godly worship is acceptable.  Worship is individual and it is personal. The Lord recognizes all worship that is centered on Him and His glory.  However you worship Him, just do it with great enthusiasm, as is befitting His Majesty.

Psalm 71:8    "My mouth is filled with Your praise, and with Your glory all the day."
   
   

Answering The Skeptics...

     I would venture that there are many of you who have read the last couple of my posts who have had serious doubt as to their plausibility or veracity.  You have questioned if my presentations have aligned with Scripture, and have perhaps struggled with accepting them as valid for Christians.  That is to be expected in the 21st Century, and is most likely the normal reaction from most Believers.
     In fact, my friends and fellow Christians who have partook in this spiritual exercise have had varied reactions and experiences.  And to be honest, it didn't surprise me, since we are products of the 18th Century Enlightenment and Age of Reason, which was an intellectual movement that emphasized reason (logical justification for an event), rational thought, and skepticism while challenging the traditional religious views of the prior centuries.  Those earlier views readily accepted the supernatural when it came to faith; of experiencing miracles and a spiritual relationship with God. But here we are, with nearly 400 years separating us from the ability to conceive of supernaturally experiencing Jesus and God, and we find it so difficult to do what God made possible ... to be brought near by the blood of Christ.

     So, I'm going to present some of the skepticism and doubt, along with the questions that arose from those who have participated in experiencing the garden of their heart.  I will begin by saying that desiring [or hungering] for intimacy with Jesus is a necessary component for being able to see "the garden" or submitting to any spiritual experience with Him.  And it is not unusual for someone who has been raised up in a rigid religious denomination to find it difficult to "let go" of this carnal world in order to experience the spiritual realm.  Paul explained this dilemma in Romans 8:5-9, For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit... You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
     That is perhaps the most difficult thing for some Christians to accept -- God created us to abide in Him in the spirit; spirit-to-Spirit, so to speak.  That's why He gave us our imaginations -- so that we can experience Him beyond the physical restraints of this earthly realm; experience Him where He resides, in the heavenly realm.  And that may be hard for other Christians to perceive because they don't truly believe their Scripture that says we can now come boldly and confidently before the throne of God (Hebrews 4:16), or that we are now seated in the heavenly realms with Christ (Ephesians 2:5-6).  We can only do that in our spirit, since our sinful flesh is still delegated to this earth.
     But so much of the teaching of the modern Church [to the Body of Christ] has not emphasized that we are three-part beings: body, soul (mind/emotions/will), and spirit.  Our bodies [or flesh] are limited to this realm. Our souls are subject to our relationship with Jesus. And our spirits have the ability to commune with Him supernaturally.  That last part has been all but purged from our Christian understanding, and the Church only emphasizes our sinful flesh and minds that are subject to temptation.
     Much of the skepticism and doubt about supernaturally interacting with Jesus and God comes from the fear of being deceived.  It is common for Christians to ask, "But can't the devil invade our imaginations, or read our minds? So how can we trust that what we are seeing in the garden of our heart is actually coming from Jesus?"  Here's my answer to that: Satan is not omniscient. He cannot read our minds. Only God is all-knowing of everything, including our thoughts.  If you are able to [in your imagination] go to your garden, that intimate place of meeting with Jesus, and you experience His overwhelming love, joy, and peace; and you hear Him say something that moves you to tears, how in the world could you ever say that was from Satan?  What purpose would Satan have for allowing you to come away from that experience with such an image of a loving Christ?
     Now, what Satan will do is this: He will send a spirit of doubt, or a spirt of unbelief against you so that, out of your own free will, you start discounting or disbelieving what you experienced. And he's always ready to use a spirit of religion to shut down any opportunity for a Believer to come into greater relationship with their Lord.  We have a perfect Biblical model for that in Matthew 23:13, when Jesus says to the religious leaders, But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so. 
     That same spirit of religion that was evident in the Pharisees is alive and active in the Body of Christ today.  The rigid religious doctrine that the Pharisees used to stifle and suppress a spirit-to-Spirit relationship among the ancient people of God is still used today to shut down a Believer's access to that heavenly realm where their spirit resides. They are simply unable to conceive of themselves as anything other than flesh and blood.
     But I also wish to remind you that if you are Saved and Redeemed by the blood of Jesus, you are a new creation, wholly sanctified, with a renewed mind.  Satan is going to do everything he can to tempt you to use your free will to corrupt the new you. Can you be deceived?  Only if you come into agreement with the devil.  If you set your heart and your mind upon the things of God, and learn to recognize His voice and see Him in all circumstances, you have nothing to fear.  You will be able to judge the fruit of that tree in your heart's garden and know whether it is a good tree, placed there by the Goodness of God.
     Now, I don't expect that the arguments I have presented here will persuade anyone that has made up their mind that we are not able to supernaturally experience Jesus.  But I would hope that they would search their Bibles and meditate upon the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8) and meditate upon the Lord's precepts and thoughtfully regard His ways (Psalm 119:15).  Because, while on earth, Jesus only acted as a man ... seeing and hearing the Father; in other words communing with Him supernaturally.  He has left us with that model for how the Father wishes to relate with us, too.
     In closing, I would like to say that among the participants of our Home Church who attempted to establish the garden of their heart, the majority of these wonderful people were able to experience some aspect of experiencing Jesus in the garden.  Some openly wept at what He showed them, and what He spoke to them.  Others, who were visiting their garden for a second time, found themselves more open to experiencing it, since their spirits had discerned His presence was real.  They ran and played with Him.  Still others were going to need a little time to process what they had "seen".  It was a new, and frankly, foreign experience for them.  And perhaps you recognize yourself among their varied responses.  That's okay.  I would just like to encourage you to ask God to show you how to have an intimate encounter with Him.  He wants to visit those who seek Him and desire Him. Let Him show you the way.

Update on Molly:  You will recall my post on Molly, the young mother who was in a coma after being in a car accident with her husband and young daughter.  She was unresponsive for weeks, and members of our community have visited the hospital in Austin and laid hands on her for healing.  She is now in Houston in an intensive rehab facility.  Her family has been traveling back and forth to be with her.  Last week, her father walked into her room, and said, "Hey, baby girl, how ya doing today?" She responded, "I love you, Daddy". She is healing! Praise you, Jesus, for You are worthy to be praised!

Jeremiah 33:3   Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 

Seeing The Garden Of Your Heart

     If the last post was outside the norm of information you have received in the Western Church, then today's post will probably seem foreign and maybe even un-Biblical to you.  But I would like to ask you to be open to some spiritual truths that are evident in the Bible, although perhaps not part of the average Christian doctrine in the modern Church.

     I told you that I would like to introduce you to an exercise in which you "see" the garden of your heart.  As I explained, Jesus used many "gardening" terms in describing a Believer's experience in the Kingdom of God -- sowing and reaping, planting vineyards, weeds that choke out the Gospel message, pruning, and harvesting, among others.  Jeremiah talked of "lives like watered gardens", and Isaiah spoke of righteous fasting, in which "you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail".  Those are all strong images that describe Believers who walk out their faith with pure hearts.
     So, let me get right to the issue that will cause some people to stumble in doing this exercise... the use of your imagination.  There will be those who will tell you that it is a dangerous practice; that our imaginations can lead us astray and that the Bible doesn't specifically tell us to use our imaginations in communing with the Lord.  First, let me say, that I agree that it is possible to be led astray by the Enemy when we do not have the renewed mind of Christ.  After all, it is by introducing lies to our minds, that the devil is so often able to corrupt God's Truth.  But with a renewed mind, we are able to take every thought captive, and use our imaginations to see receive revelations from the Lord.
     I would also submit to you that one of the reasons Jesus taught in parables was because it was easier for people to accept the Kingdom principles He was teaching by imagining the scenarios He presented.  Lastly, I would point you to 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, in which Scripture says, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him...  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit... And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual... The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned... But we have the mind of Christ.
     This passage clearly speaks of the imagination that comes from the indwelling Spirit, and which gives us understanding that seems folly to our natural man.  But our spirit being sees with the mind of Christ, and we are able to perceive things outside the realm of the natural world.  Even John Piper, the noted Calvinist Baptist preacher, has a message which says that "one of the great duties of the Christian mind is imagination".  He goes on to say, " Imagination is the faculty of the mind that God has given us to make the communication of His beauty beautiful... Imagination may be the hardest work of the human mind. And perhaps the most God-like. It is the closest we get to creation out of nothing...".
     And when we create something beautiful and "see" it in our mind's eye, it can be for the supremacy and glory of God in our minds and hearts. It can strengthen our relationship with Jesus by allowing us to imagine the spiritual reality of Ephesians 2:6... For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. It is the creative use of our mind (our imagination) that helps us to transcend the bonds of this natural world and ascend to the heavenly realm where our spirits are united with Jesus.
     So, that is the experience I want to share with you as you explore the garden of your heart.  Ready to begin?  Before you engage your imagination, I want to speak this prayer over you.... Father, in the Name of Jesus, we clean up/tear down any false and evil imaginations. We appropriate the blood of Jesus and pour it over the imagination. We declare any principality that is hindering, resisting, or blocking the imagination to be bound and cast out and sent to the pit of darkness, never to return. We declare and establish true imagination, righteous imagination, Godly imagination, imagination of Holy Spirit, imagination of The LORD. The imagination is vivid, colorful, illustrative, illustrious (glorious), detailed, has all five senses operating in it. We declare the imagination holy unto The LORD and sanctified by the Blood of Jesus. In the Name of Jesus, we confess and repent and renounce any principality that is over our imagination right now.  We allow the Lord Jesus to be Master and Lord over our imagination; so we release the full potential in Holy Spirit into our imagination and we declare our imagination is sanctified. Amen.
     Now, here are the steps to "see" the garden of your heart.  It is usually best to have someone read these steps to you, so you can close your eyes and fully engage your imagination while receiving the blessing of walking in the garden of your heart.

•  [With your eyes closed] walk toward your garden. There is an entry way, doorway, or gateway leading into your garden. What does your entry way look like? What color is it? Describe the entry way. (Is it a doorway, gateway, arch, what does the entry way look like). Open the entry way toward your garden. Take three steps in. View the scenery, take it all in; describe it.

•  There is a pathway ahead of you. A narrow path. Jesus is on the path with His hand stretched out to you. He is your Good Shepherd, your Great Shepherd. He will protect you. You know His voice and He knows yours. He is going to lead you into your garden. Describe Jesus. Approach His out-stretched hand. Go toward Him and take His hand. He is full of love, peace, joy and assurance. 

•  Walk hand in hand with Jesus on the path of your garden. There is a sound of rushing water; that sound will grow louder as you approach the River in your garden. The river in the garden of your heart has living water. The River is connected to the River that flows from God’s Throne in Heaven. The River empties into your “belly;” your innermost being. You have rivers of living water within you. As you walk with Jesus can you describe anything else you see? There is no fear in your garden, no anxiety, no uncertainty, no frustration, no anger, no issues of life. This is your secret place with The LORD. Your place of intimacy. As you and Jesus approach the river in your garden, the sound of living water is very loud now. Jesus is taking you down the river embankment and there is no fear of slipping, no fear of falling; there is no mud, no snakes. You trust Jesus totally to lead you and guide you. Jesus has you by the hand and He is walking on water and you are walking on water. Can you see yourself doing that? Walking on water. De

•  He is taking you to the middle of the river. The living water can be eaten, you can breathe it in, you can bathe in it for cleansing, for healing, for abundance, for joy, whatever you need in life, you can always drink from the living water. You are in the middle of the river with Jesus. Command there to be watery steps, a stairway down to the bottom of the river. Let go of His hand and walk down the stairway and as you walk toward the bottom, describe the water of your river? What color is the water as you go down the steps? Describe what you see, colors, take it all in. What does the bottom of the river look like, the floor of the river? If muddy, you can change it now; if rocky, pick up a rock and turn it over because it is not a rock. What do you see? (we have had people describe a colorful floor for healing, a clear floor which is an extension of the Sea of Glass, jewels and gems which are treasures in Heaven, gold which is the Glory of The LORD etc.) (If Sea of Glass, the beloved can come and trade with The LORD; or if gems, jewels or gold, have the beloved place one of these in their pocket) Return to top of the stairs and go out of the water and grab Jesus’ hand.

•  Jesus will now take you to the other embankment and you are still walking on water. Go up the embankment, look down at the soil. It’s rich, dark and fertile. Give me one testimony of what Jesus has done in your life. Just one, not necessarily the best. Just one testimony. Command In Jesus Name for that testimony to convert to a seed. You now have a seed of your testimony in your hand. Bend down and dig out about 4 inches of that rich fertile soil and place the seed in it and cover it up. Reach over to the river of living water and scoop up water in your hand, and water the planted seed. Command it to grow In Jesus Name. Describe what it looks like (tree with fruit, shrub, stalk, vine, flowers etc.) Pick a fruit off your testimony tree and eat of the fruit, taste the goodness of the Lord. You can always come back into the your garden and pick fruit and eat for you to remember The Goodness of The LORD. You can come back and pick fruit to give to someone else. You can return and plant seeds of testimony, seeds of promises, seeds of expectations, etc. Cultivate your garden daily.

•  Look over to the narrow path and Jesus is there waiting for you with His hand extended out to you. Walk back across the River of Living Water and take Jesus's hand and He will continue to lead you. Up ahead is a large shaded tree. Go to the large shaded tree in the distance. There is a bench underneath the tree. Describe the bench where you and Jesus can sit and talk. That is your meeting place with Jesus. What is Jesus saying to you right now? What would you say to Him? Have Jesus give you a hug, so He can release His love, joy, peace, comfort, assurance into you. You can now return to your gate, say good-bye [for now] to your LORD and open your eyes. The garden is your secret place for intimacy with The LORD Jesus! Your heart has four chambers, therefore, your garden has four areas that need to be discovered, cultivated and developed with Jesus leading you. 

     This may have been uncomfortable for some of you, while others may have reveled in the experience of "seeing" the garden of their heart.  Do not let anyone tell you this is nonsense or tempting your mind with guided imagery.  The exercise is designed to help you discover and establish intimacy with the Lord.  It will help you to grow your faith through your imagination as you experience Jesus in the garden of  your heart.  It allows your imagination to grow and become more vivid as you acknowledge the Goodness of the Lord in your life.  So visit your garden every day, pruning it and watering it for new growth in the Spirit. Plant additional testimonies, promises, and expectations, and share these with others and let them taste the fruit of all these seeds. The garden of your heart is yours to cultivate and care for, to plant/sow and then reap the harvest of being in the Presence of the Lord.  Visit it daily, experiencing and enjoying Jesus anew, day by day.  And may your garden grow, forever nourished by the Living Water that flows through your heart.

Isaiah 58:11   And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

An Invitation To Visit The Garden Of Your Heart

     If you have taken any serious amount of time to study the Bible, then you know how important our hearts are to God.  There are countless verses which tell us that the state of our heart is the key to our relationship with our Father in Heaven.  I would remind you of just a few of these verses, so we are clear that we must cultivate a heart for God...

Psalm 51:10  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Psalm 9:1  I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 

Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Psalm 19:14   May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 4:23  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

 Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Romans 10:10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 

1 Thessalonians 2:4  But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

     Are you getting the picture?  I could go on and on with Biblical references, but I wanted to make the point that we need to understand our hearts from a Kingdom perspective, not a carnal one.  We know that our physical hearts are made up of four chambers -- the right and left ventricles, and right and left atriums -- and we all learned in Science class how each chamber works in cooperation with the others to supply the body with oxygen and remove harmful carbon dioxide.  The miracle of this process speaks to the supernatural and intelligent mind of God, who created us.

     So, we know that the physical heart works in a designed method to keep our carnal bodies alive.  But it is the spiritual properties of our hearts that we need to understand in order for our hearts to beat in rhythm with the Lord's.  Remember, we are made in His image, so it is natural to think that He desires that our hearts resemble His so that we experience true intimacy with Him.
     And if you are able to see with spiritual eyes, you will discern that Jesus referred to our hearts in "gardening terms" ... the Parable of the Sower speaks of sowing seed, weeds that choke out the seed, and the bearing and yielding of fruit. In His teachings, Jesus also speaks of preparing the soil, sowing and reaping, watering, weeding, pruning and harvesting.  When the Word of God takes root in us, and His Spirit dwells within us, our hearts can produce beautiful “fruit” such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control -- all attributes of Believers who live from a Kingdom perspective.
    So, if, as Jeremiah says, our lives "will be like a watered garden" when they know the Lord, what does the garden of our spiritual heart look like?  Do we keep it cultivated and watered each day with the Presence of the Lord? Does our spiritual heart have four different chambers as well, from which the blood of Jesus flows in and out of?  Let's consider what the Word of God has to say about our spiritual hearts...
     Bryan Hodge has written a Scripturally-documented blog post on the chambers of our spiritual heart, and I would like to share some of his premises with you -- thoughts that coincide with what I am being shown through revelation from the Holy Spirit, and from other godly men and women who are seeking greater intimacy with God's heart.
      The Bible tells us that the spiritual heart thinks (Hebrews 4:12); meditates (Psalm 19:14); understands (Proverbs 2:1-2); and believes (Mark 11:23).  This chamber could be considered the "mind of our heart", or as Bryan Hodge calls it, "the Intellectual Chamber".  So what is the state of this chamber of your heart?  Are you mindful of God in your heart all the time?  Or do you need to purge some of the "sinful thoughts" that invade our hearts and result in unholy thoughts, practices and deeds?
     The second chamber of our spiritual heart speaks to its tenderness towards standards of right and wrong, or what we might call "the conscience of our heart".  Scripture tells us that our hearts can be "pricked" and "cut". Acts 2:37 says, Now when they heard this [the testimony of Jesus's sacrifice and resurrection] they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?  This speaks of people whose hearts are made tender to receive the message of the Kingdom.  But the Bible also tells us in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith .... speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.  In this case, sin has hardened the spiritual heart and their consciences are no longer concerned or worried about the consequences of sin.  This is a heart with no conscience.
     The third chamber houses "the will" of the spiritual heart. This is a heart that seeks to do the will of God to advance the Kingdom on earth.  God's desire and will are the intentional objective of a heart that seeks after God's own heart.  It is the purpose of that heart to discover the will of God and to be obedient in all ways.
     The fourth, and last, chamber of the spiritual heart deals with "the emotions" of the heart. The Bible speaks of the "afflictions and anguish" of the heart (2 Corinthians 2:4); the "desires" of the heart (Romans 10:1); and the "love" of the heart, for others and for God (1 Peter 1:22, Mark 12:30). A person who desires to be intimate with God must have a heart able to exhibit emotion.
     So, it is vitally important that we all inspect our spiritual hearts and see if we are firing on all cylinders, so to speak.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it very clear ... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And I know that the modern Church interprets that as a prophecy for the future.  But I would like to submit to you that Jesus was seeking people who were willing to purify and cultivate and water and weed the gardens of their hearts so that they could see the Kingdom of God that very moment.  And He still desires it from us today!
    He tells us in John 3:3,  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. That ability to see the Kingdom of God is available to us the moment we accept Him as our Savior and are born again into our true identities as spirit beings, created in the image of God.  That's why He continually says throughout Scripture, Though you have eyes, do you not see? And though you have ears, do you not hear and listen? Remember, Jesus lived His life on this earth as a human being; as a model of how we can live in relationship with our Father in Heaven.  He only did what He saw the Father doing, or what He heard the Father telling Him.  As a flesh-and-blood man, He was able "to see" God, because He had a pure heart.
     And let's not forget how He dressed down the Pharisees: But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. The religious leaders not only failed to teach that those who believed in YHWH could "see" into God's heavenly realm, but they prohibited those who were in the process of receiving that sight. They knew it was available  -- note that Jesus accused them of not entering, which implies that they knew they could -- but they did not encourage others to experience the Kingdom relationship that God desires.

    So, I know this is a rather big concept for our Western minds to grasp. We have a physical heart that God wants to transform into a spiritual heart; a heart that is like a garden -- a heart whose mind is always on God; a heart that is conscious of right and wrong; a heart whose will is intent on doing the will of God; and a heart that responds with genuine emotion toward the One who created it.  Above all else, the garden of our heart is a place we can water, tend to, and grow into a heart that bears much fruit for God's Kingdom.  What's more, with the mind that God has given us, we can "see" the spiritual garden that grows from a pure heart, and we can plant all the things we need to grow hearts that will harvest an intimate relationship with our Lord.  In the next post, I would like to introduce you to a way to experience your heart's garden with Jesus.  It will require you to "see" God and His Kingdom, both of which Jesus promises us is possible.  So get ready to tap into your spirit and watch your heart's garden grow!

2 Corinthians 3:18     "But 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 from the Lord, the Spirit".

  

"There Is Therefore Now No Condemnation For Those In Jesus Christ"

Two months ago, I wrote a blog post decrying the condemnation coming against popular Bible teacher Beth Moore.  At the time, I wrote that it wasn't quite clear why the fundamentalist, conservative website Pulpit and Pen was coming after Moore so hard.  Their complaints were shrouded in unsubstantiated grievances, and it took a lot of research to uncover the somewhat lukewarm objections that she was a woman who taught before men (which they say violates Paul's command for women to be silent in the church), and she claimed to "hear the voice of God".  But, I instinctively knew there was a deeper objection that infected this angry segment of the Body of Christ.  Now it has come out into the open....  

     Author J. Lee Grady wrote an article on Charisma News applauding the appearance of Beth Moore as a speaker at a Conference of Pentecostal associations and churches.  Grady wrote that Moore's speech was "so convicting and so saturated in the Holy Spirit .... that people wept, prayed, and sobbed uncontrollably".  Grady stated that Moore based her message on Jeremiah 12:5: "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?"  He wrote that "Moore lamented the powerless state of the modern church and called us back to the raw authenticity of New Testament faith".
     And then came the statement that has [not surprisingly] set the angry tongues wagging at Pulpit and Pen... "We are settling for woefully less than what Jesus promised us," said Moore. "I read my New Testament over and over. I'm not seeing what He promised. I'm unsettled and unsatisfied." She added: "I want holy fire!" Amen, Sister!   

     Now, it has become clear to me why there is such an ongoing and aggressive attack upon Beth Moore.  She has stepped outside the Church's rigid box of acceptable doctrine concerning the supernatural effects of the Holy Spirit, and is being accused of not following in lock-step with the man-made teachings of the Biblical text.  As she says, when you read the New Testament "over and over" with a mind and heart that seeks God's perspective on what and why He inspired the writings, you get a Kingdom mandate that is different from the stereotypical and formulaic variety of teaching and preaching the Word.  You see that Jesus wants more from us than regular Church attendance and a narrow view of our responsibilities as Christians.  He wants bold and courageous followers who [like the Apostles] dare to walk in His radical footsteps.  He wants a Church walking in His power! And that scares the majority of comfortable Christians.
     Moore is calling for renewed minds that are in step with Jesus and His promises; for Christians who have had the Light of God shine upon His Word so that they see what our Lord has called us to do in living out our faith -- Christians that see with unveiled eyes and understand with pure hearts that God is a consuming fire -- and Believers who desperately seek His Presence and that Holy fire in their own lives!  Beth Moore wants "holy fire", and so do I!
     In the Old Testament, God, Himself, lit the fire on the altar of burnt offering, and charged His priests to keep it continually lit.  As New Testament believers in YHWH, our bodies are living sacrifices upon the altar of God, and His Holy Spirit is to engulf our hearts and remain inextinguishable.  That holy fire within us exhibits God's Presence, His passion for His children and His Kingdom, and His desire to purify us for good works for that Kingdom.
     All of that is our right as Sons and Daughters of God! But that "right" comes with some conditions ... we should be crying out for, embracing, and receiving that Holy Spirit fire.  We must trust in, and rely on, the power of Jesus's Name to continue the works He did for the Father [including healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead]. We must be spiritually transformed, with renewed minds, and sanctified to do these works for the glory of God alone.  But do we see that happening in the Body of Christ today?  That is what Beth Moore is calling our attention to, and those who are satisfied and settled in their complacency are made uncomfortable by that calling.  And, so they condemn and criticize and censure.
     But how many of you can identify with Beth Moore and Jeremiah 12:5? How many of you lament the powerless teachings of the modern Church? There are so many promises given to us in the Bible; promises that we have a right to expect as Sons and Daughters of God.  But, as Beth Moore explicitly states, we are settling for less than the inheritance due us.
     Among those stated promises is this: we have been given authority to trample on demonic spirits, and are able to exercise that authority over all the power of the enemy, with no harm coming to us. We have been promised that whatever we bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Jesus gave us the promise that if we have only the faith of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to us.  We have been given the promise of treasure in heaven. We have been promised persecution -- but it will give us the blessed opportunity to testify of our Lord before the world.  We are promised a kingdom and a place at Jesus's table in His Kingdom.  We are promised that He will do whatever we ask in His Name, so that our Father will be glorified by His Son.  We are promised that He will abide in us and we will bear much fruit.  We are promised that our joy will be full, and we will not stumble.  We are promised that we will be made holy and set apart by God's Truth.  We are promised power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us; and signs will accompany us in that power.
     These are just a few of the more than 200 promises in the New Testament, and these are only the promises we can expect in this present age.  There are many more promises to be fulfilled in the future Kingdom!  But all these promises are due the Children of God who believe them and trust in Him who pledged them -- and who are willing to act out their faith.  Beth Moore and so many others are simply willing to step out in faith and receive those promises, seeking the fire and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to do Christ's bidding.
     But here's how the Enemy blinds the hearts and minds of the Body of Christ ... with headlines that scream, Beth Moore is Unsatisfied With Christ.  They are so twisted in their minds that they cannot see that it is the modern Church that is unsatisfactory to her, not Jesus!  Why are they so afraid to seek after the promises Jesus offers those who trust Him?  How do their unregenerated hearts hear the false whispers of the Enemy who translates her words into conflicting statements such as this:  Jesus promised eternal life to those who would repent and believe in Him. Is she denying that this promise is being fulfilled? Is there something more than this that she wants? Who could make such a claim? Of course, this is one of the deceptive errors of Pentecostalism and charismaticism–that God owes us anything and that His Son Jesus is not enough. And there, we also see their fear of any supernatural relationship with Jesus or the Father. That is why so many of us have also become wearied by the "footmen" of the Church.
     Can you see how Satan has blinded them and twisted her words?  Can you now understand why so many Christians are living powerless and fearful lives?  For those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see, it is not difficult to discern the schemes of the devil and the presence of a religious spirit.  But there is a remnant in this generation that is following Jesus's command to seek the Kingdom first.  We will not be intimidated nor pressured into standing down from our Lord's invitation to walk in His footsteps. I, for one, am thankful that Beth Moore is letting the Light of God guide her as she boldly and confidently walks that narrow path towards Heaven's gates. As long as she faithfully represents Jesus's Kingdom message, I will stand with her.  But it is no wonder that those who choose the easier and more frequently traveled route think themselves the wiser. I'm afraid they will find themselves put to shame by their arrogance and rejection of the Word of the Lord. It is much easier to condemn than to diligently seek the Truth.

Please feel free to click on the following links and read the article by J. Lee Grady on Charisma News, and the opposing viewpoint on Pulpit and Pen.  Then I welcome your prayerful discernment and comments. 

Matthew 15:14   "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit".