Take Root and Write

Purposeful Prayer

Prayer is deathless. God has shaped the world through purposeful prayer from believing hearts. Soulful petitions united by faith continually appear before the Throne-of-Grace. Prayer has always been a living presence before God. He has never been an absentee Father. Rather whispered or silent our supplications ascend to God's ear through Jesus, our High Priest.

Jesus has always known our hearts desire and has pledged to present our petitions to God. The administration of God's kingdom is beyond human understanding (Jeremiah 32:17). What is not beyond understanding is... He has always been with us (Hebrew 1:3).

Pondering:

If life is a chain-of-events and God is in control, why do we feel like a weak-link? Sometimes the mind cannot form the desperate words needed as we fall before the feet of Jesus. We are powerless to express what we are going through. Why are we mute when we need to pray and seek God's comforting presence? What purpose is there in prayer if we cannot find words to express or get answers?

A Chain of Events

No one within King David's family or community could have imagined the spiritual chain of events surrounding a shepherd boy predestined to become a great and powerful King. God's purpose for David, the shepherd boy, was to become David, the king; honored as a mighty warrior. Despite being King David, he still made some terrible decisions. So, why did God pick David? . . . because David had a heart of integrity.

Pondering:
I have good intentions. However, at times determining the purpose of a series of painful events seems pointless. We think our lives are not turning out as expected. In fact, it sometimes seems that nothing brings lasting joy or satisfaction anymore. I love God, but how does He expect us to understand what it all means? Where are joy and purpose when it's impossible to understand heart-breaking events? Where do we go for answers when feeling incomplete?

"I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm I will make him strong" (Psalms 89:21NLB).

Coaching:

The youngest of seven brothers, David, a simple shepherd boy, was happy in the wilds playing his music to a herd of sheep and goats, singing songs, and watching the stars. He had no ambition for anything other than what he was already doing. Being alone in the wilderness as the guardian of his father's herd was an honor to David; who fearlessly protected the herd with his life (1 Samuel 16).

A Glorious Paradox

"Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside by body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell" (2 Corinthians 12:3-4 NLB).

What purpose did God have in translating Paul into heaven to hear wonderful things... then silencing him? The Apostle heard, understood, and most likely saw unfathomable mysteries... why, because God was preparing him for his life-purpose. Paul was destined to change the world. Unfortunately, however, he had to enter into blindness before he could see. God still speaks today . . . yet, we cannot always hear.

Pondering

What purpose is there in baffling us with things we do not understand? The Word is our manual for life, so why do we often struggle to understand many of its verses?

If the Lord freely reveals mysteries to those He chooses, even though we are unworthy, would God actually reveal mysteries to someone . . . like me?

Love's Porthole

"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10 NASB).

There are several reasons the New Testament uses the word (Gk. charisma) "gift or gifts." Greek and Hebrew words often have multiple meanings therefore, the language usage and sentence structure can change the meaning of a word.

God's purpose in opening love's porthole is evident in the gift of His Sons death on the cross (John 3:16) and the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). The grace-gift of eternal life (John 3:36) is God's ultimate redeeming purpose. The key that unlocks the porthole of God's understanding and wisdom... is love.

Pondering:

How can one understand the Bible when some of the stories and concepts seem complicated? Do we have to become scholarly in order to discover the mysteries of the Word, or understand God's purpose? Can we  know His purpose without understanding Hebrew or Greek Should we read only the parts we understand and skip over the hard parts?

Coaching:

God's purpose for the Bible is so that by understanding His words, we can love Him back. Grasping the mystery-concepts strewn throughout His Word comes through the Holy Spirit. We are not all destined to become scholars, unless that is our gift. However, all of God's children are destined to understand the mysteries of the Scripture in the deepest reaches of the human soul by the witness of His Holy Spirit... through love, prayer, and study.

A Season of Giving

"But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and His gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:15 NLB).

Viewed in ancient times and in various ways, gift giving had multiple purposes. A gift given for political aim and bribery for an official's vote was very common. Giving someone a present had an array of purposes in Old Testament societies. Cultures and norms based on ones standing in the community influenced the motive behind giving tributes. . . just as they do today. Has the nature of humankind gone through changes or are we unchanged since ancient times?

Old Testament Scriptures on giving:

• A dowry for a wife (Genesis 34:12)
• A tribute to a military conqueror (2 Samuel 8:2)
• A bribe (Exodus 23:8; Proverbs 17:8; Isaiah 1:23)
• A reward for faithful service and to insure future loyalty (Daniel 2:48)
• A gift for the poor (Esther 9:22)

The Flavor of God - Part 3

God's Attribute of Love

What are personal attributes? What is God's purpose in giving us individual talents and gifts? If we understand the answer to these two questions, we learn who we really are, how to achieve our life-purpose, and we discover more about who God is and about His attributes.

"In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly" (Romans 16:6-8 NLB).

Attributes are character traits that compose the essence of a woman; flavors of God that He shares with us. A woman's essence is the root, core, or the heart of who she is. Our essence is the elements or qualities of our nature that personify our soul, spirit, and our fundamental nature. 
 
Pondering: Who is God? What are His attributes? In order to understand and fulfill our life-purpose, does God give all of us divine gifts? If we do not know what our special talents are, can we ask God to reveal them? However, if we already know our special strengths, why does God wait so long in opening doors for us to share them?

The Flavor of God - Part 2

  

Bathed in Righteousness

Isaiah, the prophet, wrote moving passages that truly reflect the wonderful flavor of God. His prophetic and emotional expressions describe a suffering Messiah who will one day save the world. Passages from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah are some of the most beautiful words ever written as proven in the following Scripture:

"Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary" (Isaiah 40:31 NASB).

In Hebrew this verse means, "we cause our wings to rise, lift our wings high, like the eagle". Widely read passages expressing this premise include: Isaiah 1:18; 17:14; 26:8; 40:3; Ch. 53.

Isaiah describes Jesus as the righteous Lamb who sacrifices Himself. Unlike man, Jesus was born righteous. Under divine circumstances, His mother, a righteous young girl, gave birth by the power of the Holy Spirit which allowed Jesus to be born both physiology and spiritually righteous.

Pondering

In today's culture it is impossible to live righteously. We are born with a sin nature, while Jesus is not; He is God. Flawed in our human nature, it is unnatural for us to achieve a righteous life. How does God expect us to live a righteous life?

Sifting the Flavors of God - Part 1

Humility

"Some persons grumble because God placed thorns among roses. Why not thank God because He placed roses among thorns" (Benjamin Franklin).

For the next few weeks, we will concentrate on the attributes of God in the hope of expanding our souls to absorb Him; the goal being a deeper spiritual relationship through asking, "Who is God?"

Recently my mentor Dr. Pitman, went home to be with the Lord. He said something I will never forget and want to share with you: "What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes." He was talking about blessings and discipline. In the light of blessings, we we talking about who God is, and why He wants us to be like Him in order to execute His blessing on us.

Pondering: Is humility cultivated through God's grace or do we develop it? Unless God blesses us with humility, it doesn't come naturally for most of us. So if that is true, then how does a non-humble woman become humble? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Neither of these characteristic are necessarily humble. However, a desire for Gods' truth is in the attitude; doing whatever it cost to find answers whether we are out-going or shy. Are you willing to pay whatever it costs to know God's truth and character. . . no matter what?

Coaching: By God's grace, the Holy Spirit shapes the character traits of meekness, gentleness, and humility in the human soul. However, the key to obtaining godly character is through a willingness to be fashioned for God's purpose and in His likeness.

Mary Magadlene the Shepherd

Counted among  the inner circle surrounding Jesus, Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-3) became one of the most misunderstood women in the Bible. As part of His inner circle, Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus and experienced a rich and satisfying life as a teacher to Christ's followers. Prior to encountering Jesus, she fell victim to seven demons. After encountering Jesus she dedicated her life to serving Him. In ancient times being possessed was an indication of physical or spiritual illness.

Mary Magdalene was present with Jesus at the cross along with a few other women, and was at the tomb for His burial. She is famous for being the first person to see the resurrected Christ. Her illness was severe enough that it may have involved setbacks (Luke 11:26). However, she was a healed invalid and became a living example of the healing power of Christ.

Pondering: What are the characteristics of a women teacher or leader? What can women do in today's liberal culture to be a teacher for Christ? Does age or gender matter? Do we have to live a perfect Christian life to lead others? Why did Christ pick a woman to be the first person to see Him resurrected in a culture that viewed women as property with few civil or legal rights?

"Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons" (Mark 16:9 NASB).

Coaching: Jesus knows His sheep by recognizing a true heart. He provides them a real safety and assurance (Psalms 23). He gave His life for everyone (Psalms 22) and He will return for the faithful. Jesus saw in Mary Magdalene the characteristics of a true leader to His flock because her heart was pure, and her countenance exuded peace. She outwardly showed the world that she shared the true joy of God with the highest of problem-solving devices... contentment, through Christ. He chose her to be the first to see Him after death. Her pure heart and devotion to Jesus was evident and it was revolutionary to honor a woman with such a distinction in ancient days.

God shares His joy for our benefit; joy is the sister to contentment and a characteristic of knowing God intimately. Mary knew her Savior and that her life-purpose was to follow Jesus. A believer's thinking becomes stable by the Word; not destabilized by circumstances. Viewed in the light of God's purpose our life transforms from lack of self-confidence to contentment. Mary's healing may have happened over a period-of-time but her with her spirit-cured she became free to pursue her purpose.

We inherit God's virtuous-love that brings into being a personal love for Him and a motivation to love all people with gracious-love, that allows us to function at maximum capacity in both categories. That is what being occupied with the person of Christ mean (Philippians 1:21). He knows we are not perfect no matter our age or gender. His universal purpose is for us to know and love Him. Through His Word and the Holy Spirit, we metabolize His divine knowledge and deepen our relationship with Him as we grow. The next step after deepening our spiritual growth is to serve Him. 

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance. I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13 NASB).

To be Occupied with Christ:

• A believer must stabilize her thinking by studying the Word conscientiously.
• A believers' heart is evident through contentment given by God.
• A believer receives joy through the stages of spiritual maturity.
• A believer knows God intimately by loving Him back.
• A believer gains divine knowledge and spiritual growth.
• A believer receives virtuous-love for Him, and gracious-love for others.
• A believer grows in knowledge and want to serves God.

Challenge: Staying in spiritual childhood causes us to stagnate. The beginning of spiritual maturity is putting God first. Are you content digging into the Word? Are you thinking in a stabilized manner or is your thinking destabilized? Do you understand how virtuous-love for God intensifies? Do you have gracious-love for others? Do you know what purpose God has designed for you? A you a leader in God's kingdom?

If you are not experiencing these characteristics... there is still hope. One of the many reasons our God is so gracious is He waits until you are ready. He does not force anyone to submit to Him. He does not want slaves, He wants children who love Him back. Can you do that? Can you let go of pride, release stubborn thinking, and quit handling life all alone. Satan's big deception is making us feel like we do not need God to handle the details of life. Mary Magdalene's life turned around completely, she spent the rest of her life in peace and contentment.

I challenge you to take a good look inside your soul. Are you still in spiritual childhood? If so, you know what to do. So... just do it. It is your choice.

A Minor Fall or A Major Lift

Words are so powerful. They can send us soaring into heavenly worship, lull a baby to sleep, or capture the heart with romance. Words can also fling us into the depth of despair leaving a lasting scar on the heart of a woman. Whether we are hurt by words or another form of sin, we have the choice whether to experience a minor fall or a major lift.

We make mistakes, we pray and confess, and amazingly our heavenly Father forgives us. He opens His sweet arms and brings us back into fellowship. No one is a perfect Christian; we will sin because of our sin nature. Even the Apostle Paul stated he continued doing the things he did not want to do, yet he came closer to being a perfect Christian than probably anyone in history.

Give yourself a break and stop felling guilty because you had a few minor falls into sin... we all do. God wants us to be joyful and glad (Psalms 100). It is simple, first confess to you Father, and apologize to the recipient of your angry words. God wants us to be joyful and glad (Psalms 100). To say I am sorry, opens the door to vanquishing guilt and allows God's joy to flow down and lift us high in a major way.

"Those who have been born into God's family do not make practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God" (1 John 3:9 NASB).

Pondering: Can a Christian live in the flesh? Why do we continue to find it difficult to forgive? The Bible says, if we are born of God, then do not sin. This statement is so clear throughout the New Testament that there can be nothing to contradict it. A believer cannot claim to have God in her and live with resentment, hate, or hurt feeling that we cannot release. This verse (1 John 3:9) is talking about continuing the practice of sin; confession causes us to realize sin as something we no longer desire (1 John 2: 1-2).

Thy Kingdom Come - Part 3

Keys to the Kingdom

The adversary loves to alarm and make us fearful. However, there are keys to knowing how God wants us to handle life's challenges. Emotional balance through faith and rest in our relationship with Christ opens us to the knowledge of Scripture teaching us how to dress in His armor (Ephesians 6). Our Lord is clear in  Scripture about covering our hearts with the cloak of humility as Jesus did when He walked the earth.

God handles our battles no matter where they originate. Remember, our job is guarding our soul like a sentry. God and His host of angelic troops battle for us whether the enemy is human or spirit.

Pondering: For some of us spiritual warfare is an uncomfortable subject. In actuality, it is a blessing to learn and prepare for spiritual battle. However, obsessing or spending too much time worrying about the possibility of spiritual attack is not a spiritually healthy balance .

"But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 5:16-NABS).

Coaching: God's armor protects us from the influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil. The allegory of the armor is, in essence, incorporating the mind of Christ into our attitudes and actions by learning God's Word and praying for our needs and the needs of others . . daily. God's imperative to retain the mind of Christ leads to a deep spiritual awakening.

Thy Kingdom Come - Part 2

God's Protection

"Stay alert Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are" (1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT).

The above verses from 1 Peter remind me of the horrors that Nero (a cruel leader of the former Roman Empire) who applauded, as entertainment, the lions that viciously mauled Christians in the coliseum. Satan desires to maul and consume us spiritually so we become believers without a testimony. The deceiver actively seeks opportunities to attack us, especially in the areas we areweakest (James 4:7-8).

Peter encourages us that we are not alone in our suffering when we struggle with our sin nature. We have the Holy Spirit and Christian sisters and brothers throughout the world who understand. It is a good idea to get involved with a church and participating in a Bible study and it is important for believing women to have a support system for friendship and prayer.

Pondering: Can Christians experience demon possession? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that a Christian can be possessed however, the bigger issue is that we can be tempted, influenced, and generally "bugged" by our adversary. The question is what do we do about the bugger? Last week we pondered (Ephesians 6) where God explains through Paul what the armor of God means. The Book of Hebrews is another great resource explaining the pattern of faith we need to wear our armor.

Thy Kingdom Come - Part 1

In the Meantime

"Prayer is that mightiest of all weapons that created natures can wield" (Martin Luther).

As believers we live in the earthly realm while longing for another. We exist in time, yet anticipate a kingdom that will never again consider times properties. Instead, we will carry-on with Jesus for eternity. Have you ever pondered the feeling of anxiety while looking forward to an event that is in the future? You are not alone. All of God's creation, including nature, waits restlessly for His return and the joy of experiencing an eternity of completeness. Nevertheless, here we are on imperfect planet Earth. The fulfillment of that completeness in time is born of Christ alone through the working of the Spirit.

Pondering: Have you ever longed to close your eyes in a quiet secluded place; to sit and bask in the beauty of Christ? Embracing His all-knowing eyes is no less a thirst than our need to glimpse His face and submit to His love when we are together in eternity is a joyous event. An overwhelming soul-desire swells up inside us at the strangest times as an undeniable urge to close out the world and enjoy a solitary walk with Him.

When I shut my eyes, my mind's eye perceives Him as He walks toward me. His smile is powerful! A deep sense of belonging burst forth like fireworks when I realize that I am His, and He is mine. Like the song says "From lives first cry, to final breath, Jesus Christ controls my destiny." Praise God, otherwise I would be in a world of hurt. But, I have the hope of His glorious return.

Truth or Consequences

How do we fall in love with God? Where does the internal strength come from to harvest the determination to serve God regardless of our circumstances or consequences? Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are a case in point (Daniel 10). Their unwavering belief rooted them in a determination regardless of the consequences to serve God; that decision could have meant their death.

What made them strong enough to stand against the pressure of an ungodly society? How could such young teens possess such clear purpose? God loved Daniel and his friends as He does us today. Listen to the words of a mighty angel sent by God to comfort Daniel in a vision.

"Then he said to me, Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words" (Daniel 10:12  NASB).

No Vacancy

You could almost see cold vapors leaping off the innkeeper's countenance as the desperate man explained that his pregnant wife was about to give birth and he urgently needed a room. The innkeeper heaved a sigh, studied the man for a brief moment, and responded, "Sorry... we have no more rooms left but you can stay in the stable with the sheep and goats if you like." Frozen where he stood, Joseph watched as the innkeeper turned and walked away. Joseph's reality was shaken; he cannot provide a room for Mary to give birth.

Pondering: Do you sense Joseph's desperation? It was not a pretty choice; a barn with animals or nothing. The story of Christ's lowly birth relates symbolically, as well as literally, to the essence of His humility and love for us, yet we don't always make room for Jesus. He often is secondary or completely turned away in our hearts; no room. Do you value Christ enough to allow the Master to occupy you heart?

Coaching: When Jesus grew up, the Pharisees treated Him as an outsider because their hearts waxed cold. Frozen in a dark place, their minds became unyielding. Our hearts should break when we reflect on the years that many of us spent keeping Jesus out; it's the same today as it was in Jesus' day.

Jesus left Nazareth because the citizens, including his own siblings, did not believe Him. Our human attitudes and perception can shift with a slight tilt of unchecked emotion. These emotions cause us to turn away from Christ and blame God for our sufferings. It can happen to anyone when our sensitivities are controlled by the sin nature.

Spiritual Stockholm Syndrome

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological shift that occurs in captives when the face a grave threat, but shown acts of kindness by their captors. The captives tend to sympathize with their captors. The captors are essentially self-serving. When subjected to prolonged captivity, captives can develop a strong bond with their captors.

Pondering: Stockholm Syndrome named after a 1972 bank robbery that took place in Stockholm, Sweden when robbers held bank employees hostage for six days. The victims developed an emotional attachment to their captors. They even defended their captors after their ordeal. The term "Stockholm Syndrome" was  coined by criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who assisted the police during the incident and referred to the syndrome in a news broadcast (Wikipedia).

Remember Patty Hearst, the millionaire and newspaper heir kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army and held hostage for two months. She actively took part in a bank robbery with the SLA and went to prison for her participation. It was later believed she was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome.

Coaching: Christian women can suffer a type of Stockholm Syndrome when sin takes us captive. As we face desperation and misery, we cry out to God for deliverance; if God does not immediately help, some decide He is not listening and hopelessness sets in.

"Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions made us alive together, by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:3-5 NASB).

Free to Think

If we were mind readers, we would know how to deal with others. However, since we have not quite mastered that art, the only way to gauge someone is by their words and actions. Through my personal experiences, I discovered that a God-controlled mind actually goes through spiritual heart surgery. My mind needed major surgery because of spiritual decline. Actually, I needed a divine heart transplant to correct my stinkin' thinkin'. The Holy Spirit helped me understand the adjustments I needed to make in order to throw off the shackles of a worldly mind-set and become a freethinker in Christ. My mental cravings and emotional responses were all wrong; I was self-serving. The Spirit changed my heart but not through any natural law or design on my part. It was born from gradual steps of prioritizing the right things that helped me transform from self-serving bend to a God-serving attitude. Talk about an adjustment.

Pondering: Have you ever stepped back from your relationship with God? You know, storing your Bible in the closet for a few months; busy with kids activities, committees, or household chores. Most women tend to take on too much. We get busy with all that life demands and forget to make time for ourselves. Life erupts into chaos and clutter. There was a long season in my relationship with God when I grew week from a lack of spiritual nutrients. My heart was starving as I drifted in and out of a stormy life and muddled through a thick unholy fog.

Coaching: Life can feel strange when a woman saved by grace is living outside her relationship with the Lord. To be out of touch with Jesus is a huge step backwards often caused by stinkin' thinkin'. James calls those 'out of fellowship' unstable and illustrates their condition by using a wave on the sea. Picture a tidal wave building up such momentum that when it crashes on shore the force destroys everything in its path. The damage comes from a destructive undercurrent created by an earthquake releasing the dangerous wave. The same thing happened to me. By allowing a painful incident to build into a mental earthquake, stinkin' thinkin' invaded my mind and started the inevitable tidal wave. It was like loosing control to a force I could not stop. If we allow ungodly thoughts to churn in our minds, we give permission for a dangerous mental undercurrent to cause destruction within our hearts. This, in turn, will seriously affect our relationships with family and friends.

Reaching In or Holding Out

Within the essence of a woman is a place of liberty, a place of freedom to contemplate and ponder deeper thoughts. We own a private place that cultivates our purpose, composure, and nurtures a deep understanding of our entitlement to linger in silence within our spirit. She will journey a great distance within her own conscience to reach-out or perhaps reach-in. Some simply brace themselves to hold-out or hold-on.

A woman deserves time to explore who she is. Our purpose is out there somewhere... or is it? Maybe our purpose is within. We need a place where time has no restrictions so we can freely stand in the presence of God. God reaches out to meet us in the silence and escort us into a more mature meaning of the cross. We inherit the spiritual right to enter into this silence as royal daughters of the King.

The Holy Spirit connects with the human spirit to heal broken hearts and adorn us with His love, compassion, wisdom, and knowledge in a place of peace.

"Jesus was going through all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:35-36 NASB).

Pondering: How do we acquire silence within when everything around us is anything but silent? We find silence by surrendering the secret areas in our life we have held on to because we do not want to let go. However, God knows all about these secret areas of sin. He is simply waiting for you to realize He is waiting. Silence is not easy, it is a desired practice that allows us to accomplish our goal of sitting in silence listening to the voice of God, instead of asking Him to do things for us. We learn compassion, wisdom, and knowledge as we grow in silent time with Him.

The Purpose of Love

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul" (Psalms 23:1-2 NASB).

As our hearts age, sometimes we need to run and sometimes, we need to stand in the quiet. Life often consumes us with second-hand soul clutter; that is when Jesus takes our hand. His love sets free our appreciation of beauty in little things. . .like raindrops filled with sparkles-of-light drifting sideways in the wind.

We see His masterpieces in the fluttering wings of a multicolored butterfly. Perhaps it's watching a silver-haired couple married fifty years smiling at each other while stealing a quick kiss; the beauty of Gods' love. Finding the depth of divine love is in the desire for spiritual freedom. Despite the fact that demoralization and apathy toward God is rampant in America, if we stand in the quiet we will witness His great love for creation; it touches us in deep and spiritual places.

Pondering: What is your definition of freedom? With current events in our country, we are all thinking and talking about national freedom, civil rights, civil liberties, and freedom from oppression. Maybe economic freedom is the issue or perhaps it's unemployment. For spirit-filled women it is personal freedom laced with love.

Coaching: Individuals living without Christ's love are not free. They cannot identify the oppression they inflict on others because they lack personal insight into true freedom and love. The Lord Jesus is the greatest freedom fighter and liberator that ever lived. Most Christian women have experienced seasons of resentment, anger, intense hostility, or bitter fighting; seasons that bite like an icy wind that penetrates and paralyzes it's victims leaving bitter scars. Yet the one infected with sin is often deceived, unaware of the depth of their soul damage and the emotional hurt they wreak on those around them. Sin causes suffering because of our own bad choices. Satan tries to coerce Christian women into deep trenches to hold us captive in a gloomy void if we allow sin to linger. Indulgence in sin weakens many women to the point that they will lose the strength and desire to run. Satan is a vagabond who subtlety devalues Christianity by discrediting love and spreading negative messages to the world. What can we do about it?

Salt & Light

What is the purpose of salt? Salt is a preservative, it creates a thirst, salt cleanses whatever it touches such as curing meat, and it tastes good on food. What does light do? It takes us out of darkness.

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless" (Matthew 5:13 NLT).

Pondering: Some Christian women find themselves incarcerated in a prison of darkness with no visible bars to confine them; like old salt they have lost their flavor. Some women soar on delicate wings-of-light free from a confining heart even during a windfall of travail. Why are some Christians so constrained while others fly free?

Sorrow is the product of Adams and Eve's sin (Genesis 3:16-19) because they desired to disobey God. Their original sin caused sorrow to bear down on all human hearts. However, Jesus came to impart joy and set us free. His love patterned after the Father's love is key to discovering a noble and amazing joy that is tangible, touchable, and leaves a lasting flavor tasted in obedience of the Word (1 John 2:3). His love is the salt that preserves us through trials and testing. Jesus' love creates in us a thirst for more of Him. He cures and cleanses us; you can savor His lasting freshness, you just have to want too. His love is a very seasoned flavor that stirs deeply in our soul.  

"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full" (John 15:11 NASB).

Shaping the Soul of America

Our country began as a fusion of people becoming a new unified whole resulting in a blend of cultures, ideas, and influences. We the people... are America! Founded on the common belief of "In God we Trust." Our ancestors trusted God enough to have that phrase imprinted on our currency, an inherent belief to show the world that God is fundamental to this country.

God is the author of logical and deductive reasoning, therefore He commanded us to love Him and one another. Our ancestors struggled to obey His commandments under monstrous persecutions including imprisonment and death. That type of love is emotional, passionate, and logical: love is the answer.

 "Jesus replied, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important, love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT).

We are no longer "One Nation Under God."  It seems we have become a nation where many have forgotten that love is shaped in our soul by God. What happened to the soul of America? This country believed in God when our ancestors came ashore in Jamestown. Under enormous difficulty ordinary people journeyed only to be shipwrecked, suffer from diseases, and to starve. Here is one man's story:

Pondering: "On Friday, June 2, 1609, in Plymouth, England, Stephen Hopkins boarded a ship called the Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet of seven ships headed for Virginia to start a new life. He left behind his wife Mary, two daughters and a son. Hopkins hired-on as minister's clerk for the future minister of James Town, Reverend Richard Buck. The trip had been uneventful until July 24, when a storm arose from the northeast but it was no ordinary storm, it was a hurricane. By the time the hurricane passed the ship had taken on so much water that the ballast below deck sunk five feet under water. The passengers and crew worked tirelessly for a week to save the new ships torn main seam, but it was hopeless. Hopeless, until they spotted land a few miles away. They sailed the sinking ship the last few miles in order to wedge it between two large rocks, a mile off shore. Not one life was lost as they reached the Isle of Devils in the infamous Bermuda Triangle, so named because legend swore the Isle was haunted" (Here Shall I Die, Stephen Hopkins, by Caleb Johnson).

Spiritual Warfare

As spiritual women, we certainly want to possess an inward confidence for the future and an inward delight in the presence of Christ. Last week we talked about trials and triumphs (James 1); this week we will look at the vibes of joy and the inevitable purpose filled life as lovers of Christ. Yet, we all go through spiritual warfare.

"As the deer long for streams of water, so I long for you, Oh God" (Psalms 42:1 NLT).

When we long for Jesus He leads us to a secret place where we are by no means alone. Within the soul of a lover of God there is an architect, the Holy Spirit who loves us therefore, nothing is impossible. The joy of victory is in finding our purpose waiting in that secret place. He provides a comfortable and quiet place within us where He guides, loves, and protects us through spiritual warfare.

Pondering: How do we find the strength to step into His comfort when powerful storms of life lay siege consuming our precious strength?

There is a mild southerly wind in Europe that blows up from the Mediterranean Sea bringing spring-like weather in the midst of winter. Just as dark winters lay siege on a believer, a warm Holy Wind blows in the soul of the discerning. The warm Holy Wind is the mind of the Spirit. His influence is clear if we are willing to rest in the comfortable quiet the Spirit provides, attended by His reassuring presence.

Coaching: What is spiritual warfare? According to author June Hunt, "Spiritual warfare is the ongoing conflict against the human race with its enemies; the world, the flesh, and Satan."

From Trial to Triumph

Celebrated heroes in the Bible used their failures as a catalyst for the building blocks of success by not allowing the wounds of sin control; they turned sinful failures into a banner of victory, by the grace of God and by keeping their eyes on Jesus.

 "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne" (Heb. 12:2 NLT).

Each of us go through trials (James 1:1-12) and temptations (James 1:13-27) however, the key is not to manufacture emotional toughness; real emotional strength comes through faith. True faith is a gift given only by the Holy Spirit. The evidence of faith is spiritual growth. In the beginning, faith is a decision, a resolution. The believer should stand obedient to her conscience. However, even the most sincere believer is human and not immune adversity wounds us, temptation can pull us into a web of deceit, self-pity, and denial. It is not a simple task to go from wounded to Christian champion.

"Conscience warns us as a friend before it punishes us as judge."

King Leszczynski Stanislaw (1677-1766)

Pondering: Have you ever felt incomplete looking for fulfillment or purpose? Has an incident affected you so deeply it felt unbearable? Have you been wounded by hard times? I definitely have. Those are hard questions. Painful experiences visit all of us. To be honest, I had to look inside myself to answer those questions while writing this week's column. It is not easy to be a champion when there are times I am unable to find the strength to be victorious. That is why I decided to look deeper for answers; not only for you, but also for me.

Not Just a Number

Numbers have always fascinated me. I find quantum physics extremely interesting because of the idea of particle-waves and different dimensions. The word quantum is Latin for "how great" or "how much." Most quantum physicists believe that other dimensions exist; they are researching the possibility of entering or returning from another dimension. This notion is light-years away. Wave-energy has carry-on baggage called quanta that behave to some extent like small particles with atomic and subatomic orderliness, the particles or baggage attach to the wave-energy and seem to organize themselves into a kind of system. The discovery of particle-waves opened a new branch of physics we call quantum mechanics. We cannot see subatomic particle-waves but we know they exist and have a distinct and powerful purpose.

A collider is an accelerator in which two beams traveling in opposite directions are steered toward each other (like a car crash) in order to provide a high energy collision between the particles in each beam. That is how we know they exist. When particle-waves crash they can be dangerously explosive in very small quantities.

Pondering: Have you ever wondered about the purpose of some experiences or events you cannot understand? Life is filled with changes and unanswered questions; life never just stays the same. Seasons in our life unexpectedly shift altering our purpose, crashing, changing course, and disturbing what we thought was truth or reality. Can you imagine our great grandparents understanding quantum mechanics? Everything changes. So does knowledge and so do we. Because of Adam and Eve's original sin it is physiologically impossible not to change as we grow older. That is just the way that living things function.

We Reap What we Sow on Purpose

"And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption" (Eph.4:30 NLT).

This verse means there is a seal placed on you by God Himself. Whoever believes in and has faith in Christ is regenerated, baptized into the Body of Christ, indwelt forever, sealed eternally, and continuously filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit makes every effort to teach us (Genesis 6:3). He instructs, restores, sanctifies, and comforts believers with an eternal purpose. The Spirit baptizes the believer into a union with other believers and into union with Christ (Romans 6:3-4). This is one of many distinct purposes of the Spirit during this age of dispensation. The Holy Spirit continually indwells every believer (John 14:17) and seals us for the day of redemption.

Pondering: Christian women recognize each other through their spirits, it happens all the time we meet someone and recognize the filling of the Spirit of God in them.

"Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit" (I Cor. 12:13 NLT).

The Greek translation of the last part of the verse means, we are all given one spirit to drink. Are you drinking in the One Spirit? Are you listening to His sweet whisperings voice of love?

Coaching: The previous two weeks we talked about how the Holy Spirit works in our life. He is the breath of life to those who desire Him. We talked about the consequence of sin in that it distorts or blurs the line between right and wrong. The result of sin leaves a veil of blindness that captures our spirit. Therefore, we are making a deliberate decision to live blind to God's truth while hiding in a spiritual foxhole; or we take hold of truth and live by it. The enemy searches the world-over for those vulnerable to his influence. He is looking for those who live in spiritual foxholes afraid to step into the spiritual purpose God designed for them in eternity past.

"Peter finally came to his senses. It's really true! The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me" (Acts 13:11 NLT).

Seeing Through the Veil of Blindness

My husband Stephen is legally blind with the exception of one tiny spot in one eye. Sometimes he uses a cane however most of the time his seventy-five pound Guide Dog, a black lab and the absolute center of his life gives him the independence he needs. Blaze is the sweetest dog in the world. The two of them are so tightly bonded I barely get alone time with Blaze. Blaze sees obstacles that Steve cannot see when they are walking. Stephen and Blaze go to the Dallas/Ft. Worth (Texas) International Airport every Friday to spend the day with military men and women who are deploying into the theater-of-war.

"Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began" (I Cor. 2:6-7 NLT).

After losing his sight, Steve established an on-line Bible study (The Bible in 90 Days) for our young troops being deployed. Currently, there are over one thousand and four hundred men and women doing the study in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Africa. Even blindness cannot stop the wisdom of one who is determined to serve God.

Pondering: In last week's article we talked about lifting the veil of blindness and crossing the threshold into the Holy Spirit Wind who brings freedom (Holy Spirit Wind 6/23/09). Freedom is not without the cost of war as history has taught. Spiritual blindness commands a much higher cost. Staying within the narrow confine of spiritual blindness isolates how we see things through our eyes, and how we perceive or measure situations in our mind; as a result our spirit becomes a shut-in.

Are you spiritually blind? Do you see only what the flesh wants to see in others? Do you refuse to see behind the pain when someone acts out? Perhaps facing the easy to handle problems are the only issues you handle. If so, you may be spiritually blind.

Holy Spirit Wind

"But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, these is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NLT).

The wind is a natural force of nature. The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as a Holy Wind and the Breath-of-Life. The natural force of the wind with all her power is but a feeble-breeze compared to the Holy Wind who gives us the Breath of Life. What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit in our life? The Holy Spirit takes the dark veil away satisfying our soul with new insights, new life. If the Holy Spirit does not indwell the soul, there is only flesh, which brings death.

Pondering: Have you ever witnessed an undercurrent of air bounce off the desert floor? Suddenly an enormous gust of wind propels across the desert creating a twisting whirlwind as it lifts into the air. It is an awesome sight. Perhaps you have experienced the frightening roar of a raging nor'easter. Maybe you have quietly listened in as the wind gracefully swept across the Great Divide rocketing off the surrounding mountain peaks echoing an eagle's cry.

"When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses" (Jeremiah 10:13 NLT).

Most of us have heard the echoing voice of the wind dance through trees while branches bend toward forces controlled by an unseen powerful current of air. Leaf and bough stoop to the commanding power of the wind-burst as tree branches curve into an unnatural arch powered by the wind. It is poignant and inspiring to witness such power in the wind. The Holy Spirit's voice is the mighty wind that encircles the earth granting us power in the Breath of Life, and the Holy Wind lifts the veil of darkness (Psalms 104:4) from our eyes.

"So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace" (Romans 8:6 NLT).

The Collective Purpose of Wisdom

"If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing" (I Cor. 13:2 NLT).

Love is complicated. Some women have difficult marriages. Some have children with complex problems, and some of us came from fractious families in childhood that left thick scars. Most women experience complexity in love relationships. If love hurts, what is loves purpose in the first place? God's purpose is to love one-another no matter what. However, the unkind person is hard to love without the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Love is a decision.

Pondering: Is it arrogance or innocence to define love from a woman's point-of-view? Women tend to create love labels and place the burden of such labels on those we love. How do we define the rules of the road in relationships? Perhaps it is easier to put people in neat little packages according to our frame-of-reference. Childhood experience builds layer upon layer of learning, whether positive or negative, forming our perspective. Our perspective becomes our definition of love. The question is... did we build our perspective on sand or an eternal foundation of stone? Human love is a mystery filled with ambiguity. Since woman tend to create a unique perspective of love based on childhood experiences, we need to move carefully with our point-of-view until it is formed by heaven.

What if your spouse, diagnosed with a major depressive disorder, changes into someone unrecognizable? Does your perspective of him change? How would you feel if you caught your teen-aged son in multiple lies, or your daughter secretly dating a young man you forbid her to see? Do you love your children any less, or does love become a decision rather than based on the emotions of our unique perspective. It is impossible to impose guarantees on human love because human love is fallible and changes; God's love never changes.

Thoughts That Pierce the Heart

Two men passed by my life recently. Although they did not know one another both went into eternity within the last two weeks. One man was in his early fifties, the other his late forties. One was married not quite three years, and the other had four children. One was diagnosed with cancer six months earlier, the other fell victim to a virus causing him to slip into a coma within weeks, never to awaken . Neither expected they were living their their last hours on earth. Both men loved the Lord. Both funerals became a celebration of love, laughter, and tears.

Ponderings: When thinking about a legacy what will you leave for those that pass through you life when your job is done? Whether new acquaintance or old friend, twenty-five or fifty-five, we touch each other even if for a brief moment in time. For several days I have been reflecting on memories, like old buried bones asleep inside my soul. I ask myself... has my life made an impact? Have I touched anyone's life? Do I continually search for my predestined purpose? Without permission these questions drifted into sifted thoughts as I pondered who I was in Christ. My journey began at one of the two funerals. The pastor read a scripture in Hebrews; listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you as you read this passage.

"Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:11-13 NASB).

The Word of God is (literally) alive and active. The power of Scripture is superior to a double-edged sword reaching into secret compartments in the heart of women deeper yet, into our spirit. The Hand-of-God touches our thought processes and attitudes when we study His Word. We change by the power of the Holy Spirit. His Word teaches us the difference between what is spiritual (real) or what is of the soul (sin nature) penetrating so deep as to divide soul from the spirit and reaching our core and piercing inside joints and marrow. God's Word is immeasurable, written by the Spirit who reveals the depth of the Scriptures to those willing to open the holy cover.

Sweet Sorrow - Courage to Let Go

A warm welcome accompanied by hugs, kisses, and the laughter of family and friends is usually a sign of our get togethers. Generous meals and late-night conversations indicate the excitement and enjoyment of close friends. These social gatherings overflow with heart-felt delight. However, women need fellowship with other women. The Lord Jesus Christ knows us better than anyone does yet he gave us the gift of friendship. Who knows sorrow so well but another woman. A close Christian friend knows our heart's intentions. She knows when to say something and when to be quiet and pray. A true friend stands beside us during trials. Those of us who embrace Jesus also need one another. We need Christ-like friends to lean on someone we can trust and cry with and someone to pray with us, and pray for us when sorrow edges its way into our heart.

Sorrow draws in physical, mental, and emotional pain. Soulful sorrow is a deep-reaching wound that invades the heart leaving an agonizing force that pierces the soul in its wake. Sorrow embedded in the soul feels like nothing less than a heavy steel weight sitting on our chest. The sad truth is some women suffer on the inside because sorrow runs so deep. Alone and without a friend sorrow can devastate the spirit of a woman and injure her emotions, affecting her health.

"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There is no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death" (2 Cor. 7:19 NAB).

The Book of Psalms; A Priceless Jewel

The intense luminescent red color of superior rubies sought for thousands of years is one of the trinity of precious gemstones. Rubies evoke images of riches, royalty, and passionate love. Considered the king of all precious gems the ruby is one of the hardest known gemstones, along with sapphires and diamonds. A hard mineral form called alumina crystallizes in a range of colors, supporting the rubies durability and hardness.

It is among the most durable of all gemstones. The traditional source for fine-gem rubies has primarily been Burma. Chromium is a bluish-white, hard metallic element primarily responsible for the red color. Chromium causes a fracture or crack in the growth of ruby-crystals by the inclusion of liquid, or gas contained within a ruby. Another element of growth is Rudie: a dark reddish brown or lustrous black titanium dioxide mineral forming needle-shaped inclusions throughout the ruby. When the presence of rutile in the ruby is sufficient the rutile needles cause an effect called asterism, forming a star-shaped reflection in the crystals. When fashioned into a round cut this wonderful effect results in a rare six-rayed star ruby. When factoring in all the stages, chemical changes, and the time it takes a ruby to develop, it reminds me of the metamorphic event of a butterfly, whose life is over so quickly.

Ponderings: For Christian women, metamorphose is the result of being transformed in purpose as we read the Scriptures. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we change in character and quality, like a fine-ruby. The Book of Psalms is a priceless and rare gemstone, rarer than a star ruby. The ancient text filled with songs and poems of wisdom, are miraculous jewels, intended for the passionate lover of God. A precious gem, Psalms is a cornerstone depicting the truth of wisdom considered priceless by the ancients. It also presents to all modern generations the burnish rays-of-wisdom and love paid for by the rarest red-blooded gem, the all-points of heavens' brightest star, Jesus Christ. 

The first Psalm talks about how living a righteous life changes us through quiet time with God, in relationship. A sinner invites sorrow and ruin by living an unrighteous life. To the faithful and righteous go richness and peace, followed by a passionate holy love.

The second Psalms says, "Why do the heathen rage?" refers to disrespectful nations engaged in a false purpose and rushing into bad decisions. The heathens were engaged in angry rituals which were ungodly. Righteousness requires serene, calm, and quiet meditation. 

While reading Psalms 3, I wept for David. He wrote from the heart of a father whose son gathered a multitude against him. He felt the deep wound of betrayal of his son, alongside the realization that now he (David) must run, fearing for his life. Absalom caused his own self-betrayal through indulging in jealousy and hatred embedded within inclusions in his rock-hard heart. What agonizing heartbreak for a father to endure, yet listen to what David said.

"But You, Oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me" (Psalms 3:3-5 NASB).

Coaching: Women who love the Lord morph into powerful and priceless jewels. Intense luminescent-threads (written by the Holy Spirit and inspired by the Cornerstone) throughout the Bible are the elements that change our character and quality. Jesus is the immeasurable jewel of wisdom and the red-blooded Rock in the heavens. He paid the ultimate price of love on the rarest-of-rare alters, the cross, offering us eternal life. He gave us the gift-of-purpose to stand with Him under the support and authority of God the Father. Polished and smoothed by the Father in eternity-past, executed by Jesus on earth, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the issue here is not if we are inheritors of streets-of-gold and jeweled crowns, but rather, will we accept the crown-of-purpose our King offers?

"I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. Arise, Oh Lord; save me, Oh my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessings be upon Your people" (Psalms 3:6-8 NASB).

Challenge: Waiting in a tiny crevice within your soul is a crystal-clear love message. He wants to take you on a journey of holy understand. Jesus created us to transform into rare and priceless beauties. Your purpose will form if you allow Him to change you into the rare gem He created you to be. Read His love Psalms and search your heart, think about the character he is forming in you. Within His quiet presence, He will form and transform you into understanding the purpose of His divine truth.

 

The Living Water

My father went to be with the Lord on Christmas Eve night, when I was twelve. He had a great love for nature above all, the rivers, inlet harbors, and the deep blue sea in all her unfathomable beauty. His love of the water took us to the beach where we jumped into the waves and danced to the rhythm of the mid-day current.

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, and became captivated by the splendor of the vast ocean waves crashing on the beach. We basked in God's presence while gazing at the red and orange sunset blurring the lines between ocean and sky. It made us feel like the salty brine ran through our veins. Dad felt like the ocean was part of us, and we with it. He loved the story in the Bible of Living Water from an unending wellspring. Jesus met the woman at the well and told her she could drink and never be thirsty again. Our parents loved the Lord and it showed in their lives. Dad taught us a love for nature and the ocean, and together they taught us a love for the Living Water from the Word of God.

Pondering: Have you ever felt undeserving because of past sin? Do you secretly harbor regret or shame? Is the past holding you captive, drowning out Gods' whisperings on your true purpose? How can we feel worthy in our Godly purpose while secretly living with regret? We all have seasons we wish we could redo.

Coaching: Jesus talked to the woman at the well. Listen to what He said.

"Jesus replied, If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water" (John 4:10 NASB).

Understanding God's Word

"Seek first to understand then to be understood" (Dale Carnegie, 1888-1955).

To understand, we must first learn to listen. Listening is the discipline of quieting our mental self-talk and focusing our concentration elsewhere. If we seek to understand others, does a natural path open up in others to understand us? When we attempt to understand an alternative viewpoint through the eyes of someone else there is a shift in our thought process, we are more willing to listen and perceive what someone else is trying to communicate. The principle is the same when researching God's Word, comprehensively. Searching for God in His Word is not a casual endeavor; it has to be desired. Prayer ought to precede such a holy exercise. Otherwise, we will stay on the peripheral edge of understanding our Lord.

His Word has a voice similar to a harmonic cord played on a violin in that a balanced cord echoes a pleasing resonance in the same vein of harmony between scriptures. A harmonic cord consists of three parts in order to complete a satisfying balance, as does the Trinity. Not surprisingly, we too are made of three separate elements... body, soul, and spirit. Each component completes our essence yet each is separate in distinction and design. The body is our physical venue. The soul is a place of conscience and creativity, and the spirit is for communing with God's Word. When we discover His purpose for us, we feel harmony. There is harmony and purpose in the scriptures for each of us. It is imperative to understand what we are reading before we can understand who we are, in Christ.

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12 NASB).

Change the World: Patience, Waiting, and Endurance?

"And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:4 NASB).

My husband Stephen loves to research our family history as a hobby. He experiences a tremendous amount of enjoyment gathering information, collecting facts, and exploring new data about our families while stepping back in time.

Not long ago Stephen casually strolled into the office saying he found something interesting about my fathers' family-line: I am the 40th granddaughter of Emperor Charles Franks Augustus Charlemagne. Well... needless to say this news was extremely exciting. I began researching Charlemagne and discovered that he truly made a difference in the ancient world. He altered history. Charlemagne was responsible for conquering the ancient European Muslim World changing the national religion to Christianity. There is a great deal of historical information available about the Emperor, however it was changing the world for Christ that grabbed my attention.

"Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually" (Hosea 12:6 NASB).

Ponderings: How can We make a difference in today's world? How would it feel if our purpose was to change the world for Christ? It is hard to imagine what the Disciples, and the Apostle Paul went through. They were beaten, threatened, and harassed wherever they went. Their lives were constantly in danger yet they stayed-the-course through a supernatural love for Christ. Without doubt, Paul and the Apostles learned the discipline of the waiting room. Moving on in purpose means evolving in perspective; listen to what James said about endurance.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance" (James 1:2-3 NASB).

The Weaver's Hands

Have you ever met a woman whose eyes were like piercing beams-of-light penetrating deep into your soul? When you look at such a beautiful woman do you see a reflection of yourself, or feel the need to achieve a deeper spirituality? In eternity past the "Weavers Hands" gently shaped the design of our life, spinning raw fibers as they twist and form into threads-of-life, creating in us a binding strength that cast us into an intricate pattern. God weaves His pattern-of-purpose by interlacing unique people, predestined events, and the courage to accomplish our purpose within a framework tailored for each of us individually. He created a pattern of life-events to assist and teach us to understand the gift of our purpose, and to nurture others as He does us.

Women in ancient societies would spin the flax, wool, cotton, and camel's hair necessary for weaving garments. According to New Unger's Bible Dictionary, men accomplished the art of weaving figures in a unique ornamental art form. Jesus is the true Weaver. Binding the threads-of-sin to the tapestry of the Cross He freed us from our sin nature, and united us in His design.

"So Jesus said to them, for a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light" (Matthew 12:35-36 NASB).

The Purpose of Solitude & Silence

Jesus looked for solitude and silence after the news of John the Baptists' death. He understood that solitude was a important for physical, mental, and spiritual solace. Christ realized His need for a temporary escape after ministering to the crowds; He sought rest for His human body. The Lord Jesus Christ needed rest and strength in order to complete His divine purpose. His mental pressure and emotional fatigue required a different type of solitude. He needed time to deal with sorrow over the death of John. Grieved in His human mind and emotions, the Lord longed for a restful and quiet place to think, to ponder John's death, and deal with heartache over the loss of His cousin, and forerunner. His divine spirit needed personal time alone with His Father, to be comforted, to counsel with the essence of love and wisdom the Father shared with His Son, and the Holy Spirit.

"Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this they followed Him on foot from the cities" (Matthew 13:13 NASB).

Pondering: What is solitude? Why is it important to practice silence? How can we enter into reflection so comforting we cross a threshold into the presence of God? God speaks softly and quietly to His children when we quietly, honestly, and prayerfully immerse ourselves in His Word. When we release our daily pressures, the Holy Spirit quietly prepares our hearts in silence. It takes time to give ourselves permission for tension to flow from our body, to quiet the incessant self-talk, and to relinquish our spiritual weariness into God's capable hands. Such release is like breathing out cold vapor into warm air.

"After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone" (Matthew 14:23 NASB).

Moments

Choices can produce heavy consequences. It all boils down to moments. A moment of decision to turn right instead of left can become life changing... one right turn, turned out wrong. A slow-moving moment not of our doing can alter our life. This week in California, a twenty-eight year old Sunday school teacher became a provable suspect in the murder of an eight-year old girl... life changing moments. Adam and Eve had a moment when each made a decision. Their decision placed a curse on the world and plunged humankind into ruin and changed their relationship with God. One women, one man, one decision and the whole earth changed. Life changing moments.

"Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts" (Matthew 13:19 NLB).

The Bible speaks of the character of Satan and his Toolbox of Temptation and Tricks.

Satan uses his toolbox on God's people because of his rivalry and hostility toward Christ. What caused God's most beautiful created creature to become hostile toward Jesus? Satan saw himself and loved his own beauty; consequently, pride became his master. Pride is only the beginning of a long chain-of-sins that knit together one link at a time. Once pride takes hold of the mind, other sins are born such as jealousy, bitterness, hate, vindictiveness, implacability, envy, guilt, fear, worry, anxiety, and self-pity. These are mental attitude sins.

"While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him" (Luke 24:15-16).

The Lighthouse Keeper

The purpose of a lighthouse is to guide ships into safe harbors.Although the light from the seaside structure is blindingly bright, it comes from an even stronger source;  the Bible states that God is the very essence of light. How poignant that God Himself is the light in the lighthouse guiding us into safe harbors.

"God's Word is a 'light' to one's path" (Psalms 118:105 NASB).

Christ often speaks of Himself as truth and light, and the Holy Spirit as fire. So what is truth? The Pocket Book of Theological Terms says, "God's own being and will is truth. Furthermore, Jesus Christ is the truth in that he is the revelation." Light born from darkness obeyed God's command and the earth's first dawn appeared as morning light (Genesis 1:3). Every source of truth and light rests within God. His light began in Genesis and ends in The Book of Revelation, glorifying the Bright Morning Star, the Lamb of God. He is the symbol of hope, the beacon that guides us. God is the keeper of light, in the lighthouse.

"And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb" (Revelation 21:23).

Ponderings: God knew some would listen, and others would refuse to hear His truth or see His light. Satan planned a negative thinking strategy eons ago to set a trap and we easily fall right into his trickery because we are born with a sin nature. Birthing negative thoughts is living in darkness. Trapped in a pessimistic thought pattern is a learned behavior that takes time to change. Negative thinking is a stronghold that slowly strangles the hope of facing our yesterdays, today, and tomorrows.

A Band of Women

They were four women of strength and character. Through years of suffering they watched wickedness mortally wound their beloved country. The truth, these women believed, grew from hearts of wisdom. Their tired and weathered eyes had learned to shift in the night always on alert...watching. The military forces that maintained the status quo grew from a malevolent governmental order. They lived in a country that denied even basic civil rights for women. There has always been systematic killing of people for national reasons, ethnic cleansing, or "unacceptable" religious beliefs. The stench of death destroyed the hope of returning to their ancient roots.

These four women were alone in the middle of a controversial, political breeding ground of evil. The rest of their faction ran and hid for fear of losing their lives. However, despite the reign of terror this day was different. They were on a mission and would not be stopped or denied. You see, they were quietly preparing a body for burial. The government charged him with sedition against the regime. He was an outspoken man the aristocrats called a blasphemer of the Law. He was the only hope the four women had. His name, is Jesus Christ. 

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and Salome prepared spices so that they might anoint the body of the one they loved. What were they thinking in the middle of this hot political nightmare? They were thinking only of Jesus and honoring Him by preparing His body in an act of vast love and devotion.

"Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56 NASB).

The Pattern of Hope

 

Spiritual Couture for Women

A few weeks ago we began a series of articles symbolizing clothing as spiritual tools. We dressed in spiritual gear designed for life's battles. We put on the following:

• Boots - we walked toward our true north, Jesus Christ.
• Gloves -  helped us stop denying sin in our life.
• Bonnet - is an awareness of unworthiness, not worthlessness.
• Cloak of Christ - what Jesus suffered, and why.

"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God"  (Rom. 8:16 NASB).

Dressing in spiritual armament shields us for the trials of life.Today, we will dress to defend ourselves with an uncompromising pattern of hope. There is a universal difference between the pattern of natural hope, and the pattern of spiritual hope. Biblical hope is a supernatural "anchor for the soul." The entrance of the Holy Spirit in our life has not eradicated our sin nature... the Spirit changes the pattern of hope in our thinking. Our Godly spiritual reality-race involves a perception change. There are inevitable consequences in making lifestyle changes from natural hope, to spiritual hope. What will your choice be?

The Cloak of Christ

While writing this weeks article, a stirring began to take root, moving deep within, coming from only one place, the Holy Spirit. A question started to form, do we wear the cloak of Christ as a facade, because it feels safe?

Christ wore a cloak that only He could bear, the sacrificial Cloak-of-Death, and of hope. Simple questions enter our thoughts and inundate our minds, some of which we would rather ignore. Do we in truth comprehend the sacrifice Jesus made? He suffered the most torturous death history recorded. His severe mental and physical anguish is hard to envision, or fully grasp.To think about the extent of pain Jesus endured is unnerving. If we allow ourselves a deeper look at His suffering, perhaps we will value His sacrifice anew.

Pondering: Even though it will be hard to see, we must look at the pain His body and soul endured. Why did He allow Himself such agony? At His seven illegal trails, the guards struck His face, blindfolded Him, He was spit on, beaten, scourged, struck on the head, and humiliated with a crown of sharp thorns pushed deeply into His scalp. Deemed guilty at His seventh trial, the order was given to flog Him with a cat-o'nine-tails whip.The guards unmercifully whipped Him until His flesh lay open wide. After which, they packed His wounds with salt for fear He would not live, to die on the cross. Yet, He did not cry out during such brutality. After forcing Him to carry His own death instrument, the cross, the guards nailed His hands and feet with spikes to a wooden beam. The guards raised the cross upright, and gambled for ownership of His robe. Jesus hung on the cross in agony for several hours. From the pull of His weight, and the wounds, His strength diminished. Consequently, as His strength waned, His muscles tore loose causing His joins to slowly separate. He endured this torturous pain until He breathed His last breath.

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong, or a clamoring symbol" (I Cor. 13:1 NASB).

Coaching: Jesus rose on the third day wearing the Cloak-of-Life, a gift we inherit because of His loving sacrifice. Do we comprehend the sacrifice He made? What He created through His sacrifice was an opportunity to live for Him, through Him, and with Him. The principles within His example, and His Word, open us to His unconditional love that offers us the opportunity to wear the Cloak-of-Christ's-Love. To wear His love is to show others who Jesus is, and the love He longs to give. We do not always need to speak with words; sometime Christ's love speaks clearly of Him, through our actions.

Challenge: This weeks challenge is to wear Christ's love. Display your Women's Spiritual Couture, wherever you go. Try putting on the cloak for your family. Show them the love of Christ without spoken words, or anticipating anything in return. Who knows what His unconditional love will awaken within your loves ones. God places friends, and acquaintance's, in our lives for a season.When we become an instrument for His purpose He covers us with a Cloak-of-Love. People will be touched, and changed because of our willingness. Understanding His love and sacrifice, leads to a willing obedience. The Holy Spirit will taylor a perfect fit for us to wear the Cloak-of-Christ.

Next Week: Tune in next week to discover what the new Women's Spiritual Couture will be.

A Bonnet for Believers

The English Royal family is legendary for their extravagant hats. The more flamboyant, baroque, or showy the hat, the more the affluent women covet them. Price does not seem to be a factor. When we think of humility, do we see ourselves as a servant of the living God, or do we see ourselves as wearing a flamboyant hat to show off our feathers to casual observers? While passing through this life do we want to linger in silence before the Lord or strut our stuff wearing hats brimming with superficial pageantry?

Pondering: Why is humility an important part of spiritual life? How can we be meek when we wear heartache like a hat? How do we become humble when pain envelopes us like a blanket? Will we ever be able to forgive ourselves, or perhaps, someone else? We need walls around our heart in an effort to protect ourselves, right? Perhaps, what lies beneath our covering is necessary to hide what we do not want others to see.

Thoughts like the above are deceptive. We have no strength to waste on deception. The spiritual force we have inside can propel us to glide on the wind like eagles, but only through the direction of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever heard of Occam's Razor? It is a principle named after William of Occam who, in the 14th century, stated: "Keep things simple or simplicity is better." Keep in mind, that this is a vague explanation.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4 NASB)

Liquid Time

There are seasons in our life when we feel trapped, like living inside an earthen jar. We become like liquid inside. Time and circumstances tilt our vessel and we begin to empty out; nothing left to spill. It is not difficult to become emotionally parched, dry, or thirsty; to become absorbed into sorrows sterile ground. Our time becomes so thin and liquid we seem to descend into a loss of spiritual conscientious from the storms and pressures of existence. Christian women are quite knowledgeable regarding seasons in a wasteland of disturbing numbness. We live in seasons of spiritual battle throughout life whether we realize it, or not. How can we live with peace, joy, and contentment when battles are raging all around us? How can we keep from denial when our vessel is empty and cannot comprehend the truth?

Ponderings: How do we unearth peace in a world filled with raging storms that twist the soul of a woman into liquid sorrow, time after time? Last week we put on spiritual boots, and started walking toward worship as a protective covering; a way to peace, contentment, and a release from strongholds. After we lace up our worship-boots we begin walking toward our God; He is our true north. Next, we need to cover our delicate hands with the gloves of prayer. Gloves are made of shapes that fit the fingers, thumb, and wrist. Prayer creates a protective covering for the body, soul, and spirit of God's children.

Coaching: With hands veiled, folded, and in the protective glove of prayer, the Holy Spirit whispers guidance for the journey into contentment. It takes more of God's grace to praise Him while suffering, than when He blesses us. God's grace in us heals, whether we are poured out like liquid from an earthen jar, or we are in a time of blessing. The key is realizing His grace is enough for our needs. However, God did not create puppets so that He could enslave us to do His will. The choice to trust Him is ours. Do you believe He is there with you all the time? He loves you so much that he planned a purpose for your life. Slip on your gloves and warm up in prayer.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13 NASB).

Challenge: This week, the challenge is to stop living in denial. Take a good look at sin in your life, any sin no matter how many times you have denied it. When you are ready to stop the denial, the Spirit of God will begin the healing process within your soul much like a warm and soothing ointment. Sometimes we need to allow the pouring out in order to see the truth. When your time seems to have vanished and there is no more to give, look up to heaven, with your hands folded and covered by the gloves of prayer and your feet covered with worship boots heading true north. Know that He is in control no matter what the circumstances of your liquid time. Will you waste your time being poured out on sorrows sterile soil, or will you stand on solid ground? Where will you stand on purpose?

Nest Week: Tune in to learn the next bit of protective covering of the Spiritually Fortified Batman Suit.

Lace Up Those Boots and Start Walking

 

How can we progress into a destiny shaped for us in eternity past when we are brittle, fragile, and broken? How can we get past our delicate history to envision what God has for us today? Where is our protection? What happens to the woman who trains to run a marathon, yet never reaches the starting point?

Pondering: Life is an epic long-distance race. From our first lungful of air we fight to live. We cry and struggle, pout and shout, we love and we are unable to find love. Will we one day wonder where the years have gone? In between the struggling we feel careworn. Still, there are those that wish to sway, persuade, and influence us, only to make them feel in control. There are Pharisees among the spiritually fraught; they strive to share blindness at a price too lofty to pay. How can we endure the high hurdles of life, or run the distance with any peace, contentment, or strength for the race, when vultures are waiting in every life experience?

"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ who gives me the strength" (Philippians 4:11-13).

Coaching: When the Apostle Paul was beaten, stoned, and imprisoned he worshiped the living Lord. Worship is part our protective armor. Praising God is the foundation of our Spiritually Fortified Batman Suit. We will call worship our boots. When we lace up our worship boots we are empowering our feet to move towards truth. We may not be running yet, but we are moving in the right direction; true north. Our protective covering is shielding our feet from bruising stones, muddy paths, and snakes that would otherwise bite us in fields of hidden snares. Putting a cover over our vulnerable feet allows us to walk on a path that was destined. The act of covering our defenseless first steps protects us through faith and protects the soul of our boots. Trying on our boots of faith is a sturdy and worthy starting point in faith, and opens the door to worship, which in turn flows into contentment.

Challenge:This week I challenge you to put on your boots of faith, lace them up, and start walking towards worship. Perhaps it would be a good idea not to ask anything of Him, just worship Him for who He is, and for what He has done for you. Release negative events during your worship time. Worship God for five minutes a day for seven days, and see what happens. If you are willing to do this small exercise, you will be training for a marathon faith habit, that will strengthen and build spiritual muscle to go the distance toward your rightful purpose.

Next Week: Tune in next week to learn the next bit of protective covering from our Spiritually Fortified Batman Suit.

A Spiritually Fortified Batman Suit

"God can make you anything you want to be, but you have to put everything in His hands" Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972).

What is a soul scar? It is a lasting effect left on the mind of a woman because of a personal misfortune or an unpleasant experience. How do we maintain the wounded soul when a life experience has primed us for calloused walls that numb, shroud, and bind our precious God-given soul? If we do not eat food for nourishment our body will die of starvation. If we fail to nourish the soul, than our soul will harden. God's Word is the solution and clarification to facilitate every predicament in life that continues to imprison our heart with strongholds.

Pondering: Is it possible to heal a wounded soul? We are born with a sin nature that fights to control us. Until the dark nature within all of us transforms into a renewed, supernatural, and spiritual regeneration we cannot change who we are. Even after regeneration this process will continue throughout our lifetime because this battle of character does not depart while we are on earth. Like flowers in a field, we too will wither and fade. What will we do with our life here on earth?

"All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:6-8). 

Coaching: The Bible explains the vanity of the natural woman with all her ornaments and advantages. However, through regeneration the Holy Spirit takes us on a journey of change waiting to rest on a life-path of excellence, distinction, and rehabilitation. We transform and strengthen our human nature through spiritual fortification by the armor of God. It is like putting on an unseen Batman suit for protection. The corruptible becomes incorruptible in the course of nourishment from the Word of God. His tender scarred hands stretch from heavens door to our earthly hearts. He knocks on our soul and we listen to the sound of His knock. Whether we open the door to Jesus Christ or not, the decision is ours. If we open our heart to God's Word and pray for understanding of the Scriptures, the binding chains of strongholds will fall like dust to the ground. Each particle of dust evident to our soul as we experience release from the weighty burden.

Challenge: This week I challenge you to set up a schedule of perhaps fifteen minutes every day to read God's Word. Pray for understanding and listen to the voice of God. Change will not happen overnight, it takes time to learn and grow. Like any good habit we form, we need to initiate the first move, even if it is uncomfortable..

"The man (or woman) who surrenders to Christ, exchanges a cruel slave driver for a kind and gentle Master whose yoke is easy and burden is light"  A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) (Italics added).

Next Week: We will learn to fit more comfortably into our Batman Suit for Christ.

Cracks and Craters

Sometimes life fills us with shards of rubble. Tiny cracks in our foundation lurk beneath the surface of most women. We build ancient walls within our soul. These walls can be strongholds, aged and strong from years of emotional pain, or disillusionment. Strongholds cause the soul to close-off; they cause weakness in the fabric, like seams of life strained and frayed from pressure until we become, worn and threadbare. Our soul can become like a ragged piece of withered cloth. Life can leave jagged edges on the heart of a woman. We can easily feel forced to enter the valley of the numb, the anesthetized. Gradually, and without warning the soul deadens from injurious and painful life experiences. Pain goes away for a time. However, we revisit the vicious cycle of pain and numbness, repeatedly. Eventually, the cracks turn into craters.

Ponderings: Why do we allow human wreckage such permission to hold us prisoner in the deep crater of shadowy and secret sin? Why do we refuse to rest in the arms of Jesus? We are never too deep in the nightfall of transgression for the love of God. There is no offense too severely embedded in the ooze of sin that the One who created us from love, will not forgive. He longs for you to come home.

Coaching: The only requirement to restore fellowship with our Lord is a childlike prayer of repentance. The silhouette of first light in our soul is the Son rising in us, and a new day begins again.

"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24 NASB).

Challenge: If pride is your stronghold, than pray for humility. What is holding you back from growing in Christ? Take it to Him and lay it down before His thrown. Jesus is waiting to take you into His arms to comfort and heal the cracks and craters in your soul. This weeks challenge is to read His Word everyday without fail. Listen to the quiet voice of God, through His glorious Word. Let His Word seal the cracks and craters in your soul. 

Next Week: We will look into how God's Word releases us from strongholds.

God's Divine Design

What would happen to us if we truthfully let go of the past and the present, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and confirm God's will for our life? What would it be like to accomplish the divine destiny God premeditated in eternity past for each of us individually? Would it change who we really are? What would actually happen to us? These questions asked in the quiet, secretive, concealed place of the soul where no one dare glimpse our unease or trepidation, are very real. We all are afraid of losing ourselves at one point or another. If we make a commitment to go beyond doubt and allow God to have power over our entire life, there is where we are transported into His glory. Then, we find peace and joy.

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled faces,beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are becoming transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NASB)

Pondering: What happened when Moses came down from the mountain? Moses' countenance was so bright he veiled his face. In God's Holy presence, His magnificent glory transferred onto the face of Moses. The veil is enormously symbolic in that the Jews were subsequently blinded in their hearts and therefore could not see God's presence revealed on Moses' face. The majestic and noble reflection of God was temporary in the Old Testament because it eventually faded away. However, after salvation the New Testament glory of God transfers to our spirit for all eternity. His glory never leaves us. We can transgress falling out of relationship with our Lord Jesus, but through Christ's death and resurrection the course of repentance immediately returns the relationship back into Father and child. He remembers nothing of our failings.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)

Challenge: This week, take a close look at your goals. Are you in God's divine design for life? Have you asked Him to direct you into his plan? Ask Him to change your heart. Pray for direction to the divine course designed for you in eternity past. No matter what circumstances encumber us today, God wants to take us to a place of joy and peace.

Next Week: I will continue to look at God's divine will for our life. God Bless!

What does it take to let go? Committing Our Future to God.

What does it take to let go?

Hanna W. Smith wrote a book in 1883 entitled, "The Christians secret of a happy life," in which she said:

"It is generally less difficult to commit the keeping of our future to the Lord, than it is to commit our present."

Pondering: The future seems so far away that committing our future to God is not really threatening. Committing our present circumstances and our past to the Lord is altogether different. Why is that? Maybe it is because we do not want to burden our Lord. Perhaps we feel we can take care of the substance of life without any help. Could it possibly be that we do not want to let go of the past, or our present situation. Conceivably, we could be a prisoner to all of the above.

Coaching Concept: Faith is the substance that preserves us, and guides us through the stuff of life that seems to strangle the soul until we can no longer protect ourselves.

Philip Yancey said:

"Faith is not an insurance policy."

Eddie Askew suggests:

"Maybe it is: insurance does not prevent accidents, but rather provides a secure base from which to face their consequences."

I find these quotes thought provoking in that releasing our soul scars, bitterness, and the darkness of the past takes faith, about the size of a mustard seen. In other words, a tiny amount of faith no bigger than almost nothing iis sufficient. A minuscule fragment of faith is all that God requires; the Holy Spirit than takes us by the hand into life experience, resulting in spiritual maturity over time.

Challenge: Can you generate enough faith to fit into a mustard seed? If so, grab-hold and get ready for an adventure because the God of all creation will take you on a journey that will change you forever. I have been on a faith journey for a while, although I am by no means mature, I can promise you no regrets releasing the burdens of the past to Him. The journey of a spiritually filled life-path leads to an adventure that escorts you into peace and rest no matter what the circumstances of life. Will you decide to give this adventure a chance?

Resting in God is a State of Mind Part 3

How do you cope? When you call on God is He silent or have you heard His sweet voice? Do you have a private place to get alone with God, on purpose?

The Old Testament book of Leviticus explains peace offerings through sacrificing animals. The New Testament books explain (after salvation) how peace offerings are given through free will. A gratitude for blessings received through spontaneous devotion to God, lead us to infinite peace, and rest in God. Worship and praising God brings us to that place of peace and rest that words cannot describe.

Entering into a deeper relationship with God usually requires stages of growth we must attend. One of the most important things to understand is that as human beings we have all inherited a dual nature. After salvation, part of us is still rooted in sin and part of us is rooted in God. When we realize our dual nature continues to exist after salvation, we gain an awareness of how to cope (or battle) the duality of our nature through instructions written in God's love letters. We simply have to learn how to cope with our opposing nature through the progression God intended from eternity past, by reading Gods' Word, and praise and worship through prayer. It is through this process that God teaches us how to hear His voice.

Listening to God's Voice - Part II

What does it take to hear God’s Voice?

It takes building Christian ethics in your life, and sticking to it. God uses our life experience to start placing in us principles as habits that make us who we are. Practicing being proactive in developing a positive prayer life teaches us the importance of prayer as we talk with God. Creating spiritual habits that daily strengthen, sustain, and build us throughout our life enables us to hear God’s voice.

Pondering: Have you learned to wait upon, and trust the Lord? Have you learned to sit quietly and listen for His love song? Do you have any character traits that prevent you from maturing in Christ? Have you ever experienced God rest, or a peace that words cannot begin to communicate? How can God talk to us if we do not listen to the letters He wrote with the instructions on how to come into His presence, and hear His voice?

Coaching Concept: It takes courage to change. It takes time to realize negative characteristics inside our duel nature. Life is a journey of difficulties, rough roads, disappointments, sometimes sorrow, and many, many tears. Our time on earth is simply a time called waiting. What we do with our time is what matters. Life is going to happen anyway, right? We might as well allow the power of God to help us through life with the peace and joy that He promised. Step up this week, no matter what the circumstance of life, with your face to the wind knowing that God has your backs.

Challenge: To hear the voice of God, one must surrender the things of the flesh that impede the work of the Holy Spirit. Only you know what those things are. Only you can set yourself on this journey. He is waiting for you to hear what He has to say. Will you listen to the voice of God?