Listening to the Father's Voice.
Jun. 15, 2008
Immeasurable peace, joy and love
Posted in Fellowship with God
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I haven't written in quite a while, so I thought, "I can't let my almost 13 year old son to 'out blog' me!"...lol. Anyway, God has been amazingly good, as if you didn't already know that...hee hee. His love is so deep! Here is how I explained it to someone recently. It is like standing on the edge of the "The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you." 2Cor. 13:14 (The Message Bible) |
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Oct. 18, 2006
Refreshing and New Courage
Posted in Fellowship with God
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My husband and I have been taking a class at our church called "Jesus Ministry II", as sequil to "Jesus Ministry" (here I will refer to the class as JM2 for short hand reasons). A lot of the class is the discecting of your heart. Seaking the Lord on your areas of offendability, as well as the levels of offendability in each of those areas. Now some may agree or disagree with me here, but I have come to believe and am convicted that I have no rights. No right of intitlements either. Jesus didn't even claim any rights, no right to be an authority on His own word (the scriptures), no right to live, no right to be understood. In fact if you look at His life He only claimed the right to be misunderstood. Then if I should be like Him I too only have the right to be misunderstood. Now, let me tell you, that when I am seeking Him it makes this unoffendability thing a little easier. However, when I am out of fellowship (in sin) with the Lord my "defenses" go up....way up. Let me explain what defeses are. They are much like Octapus ink. An Octapus, when feeling threatened, will put out ink that will look to it's enemy like...an Octapus while the real octapus quickly excapes. It is very effective and will save the hide of the octapus in its life often. As humans, we too put out an octapus ink when feeling threatened. If you have read my other post, "Freedom...Do You Have It?", then you are aware of the four R's and praying that God would reveil and you would recognize strongholds in your life. Let me use myself as an example. A deeply root stronghold in my life that the enemy would love to regain ground on and tries very hard to take back. This stronghold for me is a fear of abandonment and rejection. I am not totally free from it but am working "toward the goal to gain the prize", as Paul puts it. If someone I care about does something that might strike that fear of abandonment/rejection in me then I ink if I don't recognize the stronghold playing out. The enemy still goes after that one using different angles to gain control of that territory. My offendability level at what someone says or does should be waving a very big red flag with a sirien that I am passively or aggressively inking, and that I need to give that area over to the Lord. Your "ink" (defenses) can be passive or aggressive. Here are some examples of passive ink; Silence, Victimization/emotional maniputlation, Isolation/running, avoidance, body language, Others may have to wrk hard or wait a long time to renew intimacy after speaking into your life (this translates into "making others 'pay' a cost for speaking lovingly and gently into your life). Aggressive ink might have some of these reactions; Defensive Posture, blame/defelction (oh can I be guilty of this), retribution, comback/competition, cutting them off before they can finish, body language, denial, Obstinate until the speaker is deflated and defeated, anger Disqualifying the speaker from speaking into your life by pointing out his or her sin or weakness (this would be another of my ink). Now, some of you might think, "Yeah, but not everyone should be able to speak into my life. If they are not spiritually where I am or not even a Christian then how would you explain that!" Okay, let me give you a biblical example. Have you read the story of King David in 2 Sam. 16 where he is running for his life from his own son Absalom who was rebleling and trying to seize David's throne? In verses 10 and 11 A rebel Named Shimei whose allegiance was with Absalom came out while King David was fleeing Jerusalem and began to taunt and curse David. One of David's own men pleaded with David to allow him to take of Shimei's head in the most literal sense. David's response was amazing; But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, 'Curse David,' Who then shall say 'Why have you done so?' David said to abishai and to all his servants, "My own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him." 2 Sam. 16:10-11 (NRSV) "David believed it was possible that Shimei was a tool in God's hand...and he was willing to listen to what Shimei had to say, believing that even in the midst of the cursings God could speak through Shemei. [David was hungry and desparate to hear from God.] He was willing to receive what was said to him in case even a tiny bit of it was legitimate. What an incredibly humble posture! Imagine listening for something from the Lord, some word of correction, in the cursings of a rebel - on one of the owrst day of your life! While the enemy hurled curses, hoping to finalixe David's defeat, David pressed throught ot victory, believig that God was in control. he believed that God had something good for him even in what seemed like a disaster. The harder things were, the more desperate he was to hear from the Lord, in any form! His utter lack of defensiveness arose out of his confidence in God's love, mercy, and power." (taken from Jesus Ministry II manuel brackets are mine) Are you ready to lay down your defesiveness? Are you ready to take humbleness to the next level? Do you make others "pay" a cost for speaking into your life? (this would include children when they ask you what the speed limit is and you know it is because they are wanting to see if you are following the law - yes I was guilty and yes I inked on my 11 year old son and had to repent later as he wasn't doing anything direspectful) In our class on Sunday night, the intructor (one of our pastors) commented 'that to the extent that you are will to let others (esspecially your spouse) speak into your life with out you getting definsive and inking (getting offended) is the extent of your hunger and desire to let God speak into your life. Your relationship with your spouse will be a reflection of your relationship with God.....Oh how true this is. I found this verse today and it explains exactly how I have felt since I have recognized my defenses. The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts." Isaiah 57:15 NLT
As I have been letting my husband speak into my life, no matter what, and not deflect or ink on him, he speaks to no cost of his own, I am the victor. I am the one who gains the prize. My blind spots are exposed and I can repent of my sins and gain refreshment and new courage, and my God's voice is more easily heard. |
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May. 17, 2006
Who is your deliverer?
Posted in Fellowship with God
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Have you ever wondered why when the Ark of the Lord was being moved by David that "...the anger of the Lord burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark" (1 Chronicles 13:10)? I have often wondered "Lord, what did Uzza do to deserve to die? Why didn't you strike David with leporsy or some other desease? This surely would have gotton David's attention. After all, Lord, wasn't Uzza just following what the 'King' was telling him to do? Wasn't his motive right?" Then today I also read Ps. 60 and when I got to verses 11 & 12 I realized what had happened. First let me back up to 1 Chron. 13, you see in my study of this I have come to know that Uzza was from the tribe of Levi. He had the responsibility for the tabernacle and its contents including the ark. In fact the ark had rested in the house of his father, Abinadab, for 20 years. Uzza knew better, or should have known better. I think Uzza may have been caught up in the excitement of being one of the men chosen to transport this very important artifact back to Israel. As well as being in the processional with the new and very admired and popular King David. Ps 60:11-12 says this,"O give us help against the adversary, For deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries." Now you might be wondering why I am using a pre-war like psalm, asking me"'Uh, don't you know this has to do with them just going out to war?" and yes I do realize that but there was a more important message here. You see the part that says "for deliverance by man is in vain." implies that one who puts his trust and faith in a man (or himself) is doing so in vain. Uzza, who I am sure knew that was the wrong way to carry the ark put his trust and faith in the new King David. He laid aside all that he knew in the excitement of the victorious David becoming king and now bringing home this important part of the worship of Israel. Uzza forgot to check with God first, just as David had forgotten to check with God. It was a given that the ark should come home, but unlike David to do so he forgot to ask God how. I am sure it all could have been avoided. In this case they all were just trusting in themselves and King David for their victory and only "through God we shall do valiantly." Is there an area of your life that you figure "If I just do it and get it under controll, god will be so proud of my victory"? I have learned that in my own strength (for that is trusting in man - myself - rather than on God) that I do it all in vain. I do not gain victory over anger, selfishness, entitlements, pride, or any sin for that matter in my strength. It is only through the Lord God Almighty, who sent His son Jesus to this earth to die for my sin. It is only thorugh the blood of Christ Jesus my Lord. It is only when I choose to accept that fact, receive it as my destiny and use the tools that He has given me (Repentance, Receiving forgiveness, Rebuking the enemy, and asking the Holy Spirit to Replace it with the Character of God that is opposit to what I was displaying) that I then have victory thorugh God (alone). With out Him I am nothing and with Him I can ride with my shoulders back, my chin up and His banner raised high in VICTORY!!!!! |
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