John 2: 1-11

“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana, of Galilee,  and the mother of Jesus was there.

And both Jesus was called,  and his disciples, to the marriage.

And when they lacked wine,  the mother of Jesus saith unto him,  They have no wine.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?  Mine hour is not yet come.

His mother saith unto the servants, Whatever he saith unto you, do it.

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of purifying of the Jews,  containing two or three firkins apiece.

Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water, And they filled them up to the brim.

And he saith unto them, Draw some out now, and bear it unto the governor of the feast. And they bore it.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not from where it was (but the servants who drew the water knew), the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

And saith unto him,  Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine and, when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana, of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”

This passage of scripture is bursting with symbolism of what Jesus was on the earth to do.  It is a portrayal of what he was sent to earth by the Father to accomplish.  How simply, and beautifully,  it lays out the plan of salvation.

There were six waterpots of stone, earthen vessels, symbols of our earthly temples.  Six is the number of man throughout the scriptures.  The waterpots were empty until Jesus told the disciples to fill them with water.  Water represents the life of God: John 4:14..” “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  Zechariah 13:1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” John 7:38 “Whoever believes in me,  as scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.”  Water is  also  a type of the Word as it says the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (John 1: 14) and we are cleansed by the washing of water by the word (Rhema). (Ephesians 5: 26)

Wine is symbolic of the blood of Christ as in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper.

In Corinthians 11: 25 ” After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”

So the earthen vessels, representing mankind, were filled with water, representing life, and Jesus turned them into wine, representing His precious blood that would be shed at Calvary.  Jesus was presenting a tutorial, if you will, of what He was about to do on the earth.  The miracle manifested His glory and caused the disciples to believe on him.

Ezekiel 36: 25-27 “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them.” This, my friends, is the pure heart of God; that we turn away from all filthiness and all idols, and allow the Lord to purify our hearts. His desire is to pour in the oil and the wine and restore us in His image, that we will truly be what He created us to be.  The cry of our heart should be that God would reveal our filthiness and our idols to us that they might be purged from us and we will come forth in holiness, vessels fit for the Master’s service.   We live in a fallen world and we desperately need the “washing of water by the Word”.  We can become desensitized to the “filthiness” of the world, not even recognizing how it has affected us.  It is in His presence that He reveals to us what needs to be cleansed, convicting us of sin and idolatry.

Tucked into the story of turning the water into wine is the key to living a victorious Christian life.  A nugget so rich,  so essential and so vital to being an overcomer.  Verse 5 reads: “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatever he saith unto you, do it.”  So simple yet so profound.  Satan will make absolutely certain we have numerous voices competing for our attention.  Many times the truth is right in front of us in plain sight and we overlook it, clamoring for what the latest, most popular manmade method is of walking out our Christian faith .

There is a song that goes like this, “When my Savior calls I will answer, When He calls for me I will be there, When my Savior calls I will answer, I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.”  I have learned through the years that Jesus is ever speaking. He is nudging through the work and office of the Holy Spirit, telling me, in that still small voice, what He would like me to do.  The problem is I don’t always hear Him. Am I listening? Are you?  He is speaking through His Word. Are we prayerfully reading, attentive to His voice as we do? Are we in our prayer “closet”,  basking in His presence.  What an honor, what a privilege to be able to go boldly before the throne.   That is where the power comes from, power to overcome the things of the world.  “Shut in with God, in a secret place, there in the Spirit beholding His face,  gaining new power to run in the race, I love to be shut in with God.”

I believe we would all be quite shocked to know exactly what God considers an idol.  Webster’s Dictionary says it is an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed or any person or thing regarded with admiration, adoration or devotion. Basically, it is anything that takes our time, energy, resources and focus away from Him and His purpose for our lives.

Galations 2:20

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

“Whatever he saith unto you, do it.”  Amen and Amen.

 

There are so many emotions raging in the hearts of people as we watch, seemingly helpless, as the drama unfolds regarding the Supreme Court.  I hesitated to even “go there” in this blog.

As I sought the Lord on behalf of the situation, the Holy Spirit began to nudge me to take “pen in hand”.   The Word tells us we are to be salt and light in the earth.

Matthew 5: 13-15

“Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost it’s savor, with what shall it be salted?  It is thereafter good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. ”

Salt gives savor, piquancy, zest and flavor.  Light brings illumination and stimulates sight and makes things visible; as a verb it means to set on fire.

The word abomination means: horror, repugnance, disgust, utterly loathsome and repellent; anything or anyone abhorred. Strong language for sure.  This verse is clearly telling us that God hates a false balance.

Our text continues in Proverbs verses 11: 3 and 6, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.   The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but transgressors shall be taken in their own iniquity.”

Our position as Christians has to be to bring salt and light to the world.  We are to pray that God will use us as His Ambassadors, directing us and leading us in a way that will bring glory to Him.  We may find ourselves wrought with anger as Peter was when he wielded his sword in the garden; and it is alright to be angry, as Jesus was angry at the money changers in the temple,  but without sin. (Matthew 21:12).

There are things we must do as salt and light and God will direct .  We should pray earnestly and fervently that we will be led by the Spirit.  Prayer moves the Hand of God and it is essential that we pray.  This is a spiritual war and it must be fought “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit sayeth the Lord.” ( Zechariah 4:6)  That does not mean we are not to stand up and be counted. The Bible tells us to “speak the truth in love” and that we must do.  We must guard our hearts and minds as we go forward for the enemy has taken the gloves off and he wants to make us stumble and cause us to move out of love.   We can have righteous indignation and still walk in love.

As David asked of his brethren in I Samuel 17: 29 “…Is there not a cause?”   Then in verse 45 David said “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.”

As do we in the hour in which we live.  Our God reigns and He shall prevail.   We are to follow His lead and remember that we, too, go forth to fight the enemy in the name of the Lord of hosts.  I have always loved the fact that David selected five smooth stones.  Five is the number for grace.  Grace means to endue with divine favor.

Amen and Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew 13: 24-30

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field:

But, while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field: From where, then, hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.  The servants said unto him, Wilt thou, then, that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while you gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will  say to the reapers, Gather together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Recently I was visiting with a dear friend.  She remarked during our conversation that she has told the Lord that she wants to “be standing with the wheat” when the Lord comes.  Long after we had finished our conversation, my mind kept thinking about what she had said.

A tare looks like counterfeit wheat.  The enemy who sows it among the wheat is well aware of this.  When they are both young, it is very hard to tell the difference.  By the time you can tell the difference, it is too late to remove the tares without harming the precious wheat.  Wheat and tares often share a common root system.  Another difference in them is that when the wheat is full and heavy with grain, it seemingly bows its head.  The tare, on the other hand, does not bow but appears obstinate.  It is an imposter and has no grain.

What a poignant, searing description the Lord was revealing about the hearts of men.  Wheat is “ripe unto harvest” and bends its neck because of the heavy grain.  The tare remains stiff and unwavering and has no intention of bowing to anyone or anything.

The servants asked the Master if they should remove the tares but he instructed them to let them grow together until the harvest for fear of harming the wheat.  He explained that he would tell the reapers to gather first the tares and bind them and burn them, but to gather the wheat and place it into his barn.

First of all, this parable tells us it is difficult to tell them apart.  They look alike and grow alike.  When considering how to identify the tares, we must seek the Lord for discernment.  Tares are trying to fit in with the wheat.  They will talk the same talk and often they will go through the motions of worship the same as the “wheat.”  However, they were planted with a purpose and that was to mingle in and appear the same but to what end?

The tare is thought to be a seed of the darnel plant. Webster’s Dictionary describes it as  a weedy rye grass often appearing in grain fields; when its seeds are infested with a certain fungus, they become poisonous; to have stupefied qualities such as to bring into a state of stupor; make dull, or lethargic; to astound, amaze or bewilder.  Let that sink in. 

It is critical that we identify the tares among the wheat.  This calls for discernment.  Again we turn to Webster’s Dictionary. Discern: having keen understanding and insight; being able to distinguish one thing from another; having or showing good judgment; being astute; having keen perception; acumen.

Jesus explained this in a parable.  He wanted us to comprehend the deep meaning of what was being said.  He was telling us that there would be those “in our same field” who are imposters.  We are to be aware of this and pray for discernment.  He  told us in 1 Peter 5:8 that we are to be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil,  is going about like a roaring lion to see whom he may devour.

Sober and vigilant.  Does this describe us?  Are we prayerfully beginning each day with time spent with the Lord?  Are we allowing quality time to hear His still, small voice?  He tells us that He is waiting for the time of the harvest to separate the wheat from the tares.  The enemy of our soul knows the hour in which we live.  He knows his time is  short.  Would he not be commandeering the tares to try and destroy the wheat before it is harvested? The answer is a resounding YES.  It behooves us to not be “business as usual”, but to be on guard, making decisions based on discerning the will of the Father.  It is not a time to become lethargic, passive, or comfortable in our field.  We need to cry out to the Father for wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  He tells us He will give it to us.  All we need to do is go to Him and ask for it.  Ask that we are able to discern the hour in which we live.  The door will be shut and the hour is coming when no man can work.  We must have a passion for what He has a passion for and that is souls.  And we must have a passion for HIM and HIS WORD.  Have we been lulled to sleep.  Will we be standing with the wheat when the reaper comes to separate the tares?  Are we longing for His return? He used a Bride and a Bridegroom for a reason.  They want to be together; to know one another; to recognize each other’s voice and be drawn like a magnet one to the other.  The Lord wants us to be preparing ourselves for Him and watching and waiting with great anticipation for His return.  His will not be a tepid relationship with His bride. Are we deeply in love with the Lord?

Now I would like to share what was either a dream or vision I had last night.  It was one of those times where there was no doubt in my mind that the Lord had visited me in the night season.  There is no way I will be able to adequately portray what I felt and saw in the spirit: however, I know it needs to be expressed.  Here is my best effort to do so.

There were angel wings rustling about. They were in a hurry.  A magnificent table was being prepared.  There was a scent so strong and so pure and so unbelievably present. It was like every flower ever created was in full bloom and permeating the air.  I heard a tinkling sound like the ultimate in fine crystal being handled ever so gently.  Gorgeous pieces of silver utensils were being laid out in a precise manner, each possessing its own space on the table among the flowers.  Heavenly beings were racing from one place to another.  The anticipation level was palatable.  Great care was being given to the smallest detail.   I knew in my spirit that preparations were being made for the Bride to appear.  There was going to be a celebration that would marvel any celebration ever.  I felt so strongly in my spirit that it would be happening soon.

Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”  The time is coming soon when the Father will say to the Son, “It is time”.

Revelation 19:7

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”

Revelation 22:20

“He who testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

 

 

 

Psalms 90: 9, 12,  17

“For all our days are passed away in thy wrath, we spend our years as a tale that is told.”

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

There is nothing quite like reading a really good book.  It is a pleasure to start one and realize it is one that is going to be hard to put down.  The Bible tells us in Psalms that our days are likened to a “tale that is told”.  We are writing in our journal of life with each new day. Every choice we make, every word we speak and every action we take are part and parcel of our story.

Proverbs is full of instruction regarding how we should live our lives.  As we ponder the verses and meditate upon them, prayerfully, we will begin to walk uprightly and our lives will reflect the Spirit of the Lord who abides in us, a testament to our having spent time in His word and in His presence.

Proverbs 2: 1-7

“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee,

So that thou incline thine ear unto  wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hidden treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find knowledge of God.

For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a shield to those who walk uprightly.”

Proverbs 3:1-6

“My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments;

For length of days, and long life and peace, shall they add to thee.

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart;

So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man,

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not upon thine own understanding.

In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The Lord is instructing us to incline our ear unto wisdom, apply our heart to understanding, to cry after knowledge, to lift up our voice to understanding, to seek wisdom as we would seek silver, and to search for wisdom as we would search for  hidden treasure.  He further tells us to bind mercy and truth about our neck and write them upon our heart and if we do these things, the word says we shall find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. What a magnificent promise.  The word of God is full of promises. We can claim them for ourselves as we do the things He instructs us to do.

We should challenge ourselves to purpose in our hearts to read and meditate on Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.  These books will speak truth into our spirit.  They will keep us focused like a laser on living a life that is worthy of our calling as a Christian and help us be ever mindful that we are writing our “tale” with each breath that we take.  James 4:14 says, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Having a birthday causes us to reflect on our life.  I had one recently and found myself “waxing sentimental”, if you will.  My heart’s cry is to have lived my life in a way that pleases the Lord.  Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14  “forgetting those things which are behind, and  reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  We have all missed the mark in our walk of faith.  The devil delights in reminding us of every single detail of those times. But God is telling us through Paul that we are to place those things under the precious blood of Christ and press on, moving forward, completing our race with the confidence that we have through our blood covenant with Him.

I love how Ecclesiastes 12:13 says it:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”

And Malachi 3:16-18

“Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”

May we be among those who “feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.” We are writing the tale of our lives every moment of every day.  Let us walk circumspectly: cautiously; with watchfulness; with attention to guard against surprise or danger; being prudent with a desire to have careful consideration of our actions.

Above all, remember we are not alone.  Isaiah 41:10 says,

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee.  Be not dismayed; for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

And so He will. Praise His Name!

 

 

II Corinthians 5:17

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

We read and consider this verse with the knowledge and understanding that this transformation does not happen overnight.  Indeed, it is a life-long process.  God created us to be three fold beings: we are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body.   In I Thessalonians 5:23 Paul writes under the unction of the Holy Spirit “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 12: 1-2

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I remember reading these scriptures as a young girl.  I didn’t grasp the fullness of it at that time in my life; however, the Holy Spirit impressed on my mind and heart that it was critically important so I underlined it in my little white KJV Bible. The one that had my name etched in gold lettering on the front.  As I grew in the Lord, their meaning continued to grow, too, and I studied and applied them to my life as best I could.

On Sunday of each week, the services were often filled with the presence of the Lord.  The Spirit would move in our midst and there was an anointing on the music and the Word.  It was exhilarating!  Many times I didn’t want the service to end but wanted to bask in His presence and drink deeply at the well.  But then came Monday. Time for school.   It was difficult to retain that wonderful “feeling” and I would find I would slowly lose that splendid sense of well being.  Instead, a sense of failure would take up residence in my heart and mind and the following Sunday I would “feel” like I had to start over; repent and be saved anew.

The “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” part of the Word had yet to bear fruit in my life.  Through the years, I have come to better understand how our spirit, soul and body work together.  When we are born again, our spirit, which is dead in sin, is illuminated by the Spirit of God and becomes new. Praise the Lord!! However, we still have our soul  (our mind, will and emotion) and our body that need to be brought under the authority of our recreated spirit.

Each of these components have “gates” that feed into who we are:

The Body:  Sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch

The Soul:  Imagination, conscience, memory, reason and affections

The Spirit:  Faith, Hope, Reverence, Prayer, Worship

The spirit part of us has experienced a transformation when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and are born again.  It is now incumbent upon us, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to deal with our soul and our body. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  In Ezekiel we are told “A new heart also will l give you, and a new spirit will I put within you,”….”and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes , and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36: 26-27

As our faith is 1) built up through the study of the Word, 2) our hope is in Christ and His death, burial and resurrection, 3) we learn to reverence God in all we do and 4) we make praise and true worship the priority of our life, we will be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.  We will be able to come against the evil one and walk in victory.  We will truly be free from the law of sin and death. “The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”.  Romans 8:2

“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3:18

“For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”  II Corinthians 4:1

“For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man be renewed day by day.” II Corinthians 4:16

We are a spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body.  The reality is, if we are excruciatingly honest with ourselves, most of us spend more time and effort on our soul (mind, will and emotion) and our body than we do on our spirit man.  Therein lies the problem.  The tools we need to defeat the devil are outlined in the Word. Ephesians the sixth chapter lays out our weapons for us.  We just need to use them.

I was thinking about the truths I have endeavored to present here and about how needful it is for us to go from glory to glory, always moving forward toward being the image of Christ.  I remembered my struggles as a young girl, wanting to be the best I could be but falling short time after time because I was striving in my own strength.  I wanted with all of my heart to serve the Lord and worship Him.  As Christians, we are all somewhere along our path of going from glory to glory. It has to be possible for the life of Jesus to be manifested in us because the Word  says it is, but the first part of that verse also says we are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake.  That is talking about crucifying our flesh.  Living a crucified life is not a popular title for a Christian Conference but it is essential to moving from glory to glory.  As we immerse ourselves in the Word and enter into the presence of the Lord in prayer and worship, we will find ourselves becoming more and more like Christ.  We will have more victories than failures and we will see people as He sees them.  We will not be holding them to a standard birthed out of our flesh but will be able to bring them to the fountain of living water, quenching their thirst instead of measuring their walk by what we think they should be doing.  Too many are drenched in religion and void of life and liberty.  All true ministry comes out of intimacy with God.  It has been said that if we want God’s presence, we must lose our own.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When God calls a man he bids him, come and die.”

Yes, there will be mountain top experiences; times of great rejoicing in the presence of the Lord.  There will also be valleys but remember that the lily blooms there and the Lord is there with us.  Let us commit afresh and anew to stay on course.

Several years ago as I was thinking about all of this, the following came to my mind:

Satan was pondering how he could defeat this “new man” and take away his desire to go from glory to glory.  .After much deliberation and thoughtful consideration, he came up with a device to deter man and have him focus more and more on the old man instead.  He called his new invention the “selfie”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord, thy God, in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Early this year, I found myself sitting in front of the fire before the sun had risen.  My heart was heavy, so much so that I was numb.  All I could do was look into the flames; still and quiet before the Lord.  These are the times in the life of the child of God when the Holy Spirit hovers over us.  He is so close we can feel his breath.  He began to speak to my heart.  As I sat there, I felt His presence. Words began to flow into my spirit:

“Bruises of the heart are not noticed right away.  They are revealed by the occasional tear that escapes onto one’s cheek, or the endless sleepless nights, or the loss of joy in one’s countenance.

They eventually appear in many ways, however, finding a path to outward manifestation.  They are wounds that burrow deep into the recesses of  one’s soul.  They don’t demand attention but rather settle in for the long haul, taking bits and pieces of the soul, devouring the very life out of the one whom they afflict.

They are often the result of a ripping away of something we treasure, something we need to recognize as being too valued.  Something we have placed on a high pinnacle above all else; a platform reserved for someone else.

God will seek to test and prove our hearts.  We must desire to attain a pure heart devoted totally to Him.  We must place all others on the alter.  He will then return them to us one hundred fold once they are relinquished in His care, and given their proper place in the priority of our hearts.”

As I wrote what the Lord was saying, His presence was almost tangible.  There are times when we are submersed in our despair to the point that God is drawn to us and covers us with His Spirit.  He pulls us close under the shadow of His wing.  The Lord was speaking life to me that morning. He brought me to Himself and showed me that He was my All in All.  He took me by the hand and revealed my heart, broken and bruised, and set my feet like hinds feet on the path to healing.

Bruise means to crush; pound; break; shatter; to smite through.  Isaiah speaks of the Lord being bruised for us:

Isaiah 53:3-5  “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.”

There is nothing we walk through that our Lord has not gone before us.  Our finite minds are unable to fully understand what He endured for our redemption. Psalms 34:18 tells us He is near unto those who are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.   Contrite means to be worn out; ground to pieces; having deep sorrow.  The physical pain Jesus experienced on the cross was excruciating beyond our ability to comprehend; however, the pain of rejection by the Father, whose face He had to turn away, was unfathomable (too deep to be measured).  The cross represents every affliction of body, soul and spirit ever known to mankind. It was all placed on the Lord as He hung there in anguish.  We must never forget the price that was paid for our redemption; what it cost so that we could come boldly to the throne of grace.

There are going to be times of deep sorrow in our lives.  Times when despair tries to overtake us and drag us into a pit.  We have an enemy whose expressed goal is to steal, kill and destroy every fiber of our being, everything we hold dear, the very essence of who we are in the earth.  God has given us the weapons to defeat the enemy, and defeat him we will because “The Lord, thy God, in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Isaiah 51: 11  “Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 7:54-60

“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth,

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears,  and ran upon him with one accord,

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him;  and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

And they stoned Stephen, (while he prayed),  calling upon God, and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit,

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice,  Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, and when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

To set the stage , the apostles found themselves being spread really thin trying to do everything that needed to be done.   People were complaining that some of the widows were being neglected.  The Bible tells us that the twelve called the disciples together and said it was not fitting that they should leave the word of God and serve tables.  They directed them to look among the people and select seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom they may appoint over this business.  The word says they wanted to be able to give themselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

The apostles prayed and laid hands on the seven, showing that they were being “commissioned” by them to serve.  This shows these men’s hearts.  They each had a servant’s heart.  The Lord was using Stephen in a powerful way and his was the first name mentioned when selecting the seven men to serve.

Acts 6: 8 tells us that Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.  He spoke under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and the word says there were those in the synagogue who were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. I believe the bottom line is they were under conviction.  Their response was to stir up the people, and the elders and the scribes saying Stephen was speaking blasphemous words against their holy place and the law. (Words used here is Rhema, meaning the literal word of God).  They set up false witnesses and took him before the council.  Verse 15 says that “And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these things so?

Here was an opportunity for Stephen to  tone down his rhetoric to save himself.  Instead, he forged full speed ahead and gave a riveting address (Acts Chapter 7) culminating with the words: “Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did, so do ye.”

Verse 54 states: “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” They were furious and they moved “as one” to take him out of the city and stone him, laying their clothes at the feet of Saul.

Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and looked steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. (verse 55)

There are numerous nuggets in these verses. One being when the truth of the Gospel is spoken, people who hear it will have a response.  Sometimes it will be to humble themselves in the presence of the anointing of the Holy Spirit and repent and other times it will stir a great hatred and cause an evil response.  Stephen spoke the truth in love and then asked that their sin of stoning him not be laid to their charge.

Many years ago as I was reading these  verses, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about the fact that Stephen saw Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand.  It was one of those moments not easily forgotten.  I knew the Lord wanted me to see something else.  I began to look at the verses where Jesus is sitting at the Father’s right hand.

Colossians 3:1  “If ye then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

Hebrews 1:3 “Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word (Rhema) of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high…”

Hebrews 8:1-2  “Now the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, A minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.”

Hebrews 10:12  “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, sat down on the right hand of God…..”

Hebrews 12:2  “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the  joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.  The Holy Spirit spoke gently to my spirit and caused me to comprehend that Jesus stood in anticipation of greeting Stephen, the first of a multitude of martyrs, as he was ushered into His presence.  The Lord’s deep and abiding love and compassion were on full display as He welcomed Stephen home.

Galations 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

If we try to live for God without first dying to self, we will be in a constant struggle.  Ezekiel 44: 17-18 states that when the priests come to enter into the inner court, they must be clothed only in linen garments, and no wool may touch them while they minister in God’s presence. The end of this passage says “they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat.”  Sweat represents the flesh.   I Corinthians 1: 26-27, 29  “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; ”  “That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Only after our love relationship with Him is fervent  and  we are dependent on His strength, His power, and His anointing, can God safely send us out to work for it will then be “not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit”.

There were immediate consequences of Stephen’s death.  On that very day a great storm of persecution burst upon the church in Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria. The words “scattered abroad” suggest the sowing of seed.

We live in a time of great opportunity.  Stephen’s life presents a pattern for us to follow as he was full of faith and power and he spoke the truth in love.  He responded to his attackers with love. (He was following the example set by the Lord.) This can only be done by dwelling in the presence of the Lord and laying down our lives (flesh) daily (Paul said “I die daily”).  The lyrics of an old hymn come to mind, “Search me oh Lord, and know my heart today, Try me oh Savior, Know my thoughts, I pray; See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free. ”

The Word tells us that all those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  Sometimes I wonder if we consider our “persecution” to be not getting the parking spot we want or someone sitting in our pew of choice.  I realize that is a gross over-simplification, but really, do we understand  the persecution mentioned in the Word?  Are we prepared to speak the truth in love and let the chips fall where they may?  Do we tend to water down the message so that we don’t offend?  These are legitimate questions we all must answer.  Are we not suffering persecution because we are not crucifying our flesh? Not taking a stand? Not pointing souls to Calvary?

Sincerely asking God to search our hearts is a huge step.  Asking Him to then cleanse us from every sin will set our feet on the path to a crucified life.  We rarely see ourselves as other people see us but we desperately need to see ourselves as God sees us.   We can then be washed with the water of the Word and be granted grace and mercy by the One who loves us with an everlasting love.  We will then be a vessel of honor in the house of the Lord and fit for the Master’s service.

 

 

John 14: 12-14

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.

And whatever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”

Early one morning several years ago, I woke with the following words going over and over in my mind: By the Power Vested in Me.  I considered what they meant. Naturally, I thought of the minister or Justice of the Peace presiding over a marriage.  They would be performing the ceremony based on the authority that had been bequeathed to them by the State in which they lived.  Vested means clothed; robed; law not contingent on anything; absolute; settled.  In other words, when something is vested in us, we have all authority to carry it out.  Next I thought of the word power.  In scripture the word is Dunamis; to exercise authority, to have authority to accomplish something.

This stayed with me. What was God telling me. He began to show me that if men could be given power in the natural, how much more should we be exercising the power and authority God has given us.

He said we would do greater works than he did when He was on the earth.  What is wrong? Where are these greater works?

Mark 16: 11-20,

“And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.

After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

And they went and told it unto the rest; neither believed they them.

Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat eating, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not those who had seen him when he had risen.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

And these signs shall follow those who believe, In my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

Jesus upbraided them. Upbraid means to reproach, revile.

He said they had unbelief and hardness of heart. Those are strong words.

He once asked if, when He comes, would He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

There is a zeal, a passion, a fervent love we can find when we draw near to God and worship Him in the beauty of holiness.  There is a place we can abide where His heartbeat becomes our heartbeat.  We can walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galations 5:16) The word says that no flesh shall glory in His presence. (I Corinthians 1:29.)

We asked the question, “Where are the greater works?” Is it possible we need to go back to the basics? Paul said in Romans 13:10 that Love is the fulfilling of the law.  As we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will begin to abide in Him.  The greater works will come out of our deep love for the Lord. He was moved with compassion as He saw the condition of the people. Agape, the God kind of love, drove Him to reach out and perform miracles. So it will be with us.  Galations says that the fruit of the Spirit is love.  Ephesians 5:2 says to “Walk in love”.

It is essential that we know the condition of our heart.  I Corinthians 13 is known as the “love chapter”.  I encourage each of us to read it, afresh and anew.  We know it well, but do we really live it. Have we become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal to the Lord? He expects us to walk in the Spirit and to operate to a greater degree than He did while on the earth.  He was always about the Father’s business.  He was love.  Are we?

There is coming an hour when there will be no more time to “be about the Father’s business”. Our final chapter will be written. The book of our life will be closed. Are we grieved as He is grieved? Is our time spent doing the things He would do?

Everything we receive from the Lord is birthed in His love.  For God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son.  Jeremiah 17: 10 says, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the conscience, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

God has deposited (vested) His power and authority in us as His children.  We must begin to walk in that authority. As I was beginning this blog, I expected it to go a particular way but as I typed the Holy Spirit took my hand and led me to love.  We can not operate in God’s authority before we are bathed in His love.   As we surrender ourselves to Him, find our place of abiding in Him, we will move deeper into being His hands extended and fulfill the mandate that we would do even greater works.  The time is coming when another will be performing great signs and wonders in the earth and leading mankind astray.  The redeemed of the Lord must be at a level of manifesting the real signs and wonders and lead them to the One True God.

Agape, the God kind of love, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, never fails.

 

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 40: 18-31

“Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to those who have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

I don’t know about you, but, for me, the Lord comes in the “night season” and deals with my heart. In the early hours this morning, an old chorus from my youth was on my mind. It goes something like this:  Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way; thou art the potter, I am the clay; make me and mold me, after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.”

I’ve often thought the reason God speaks to us in the night is that it  is possibly the only time when our minds are quiet enough to hear His voice.  Waiting and yielding and being still; three things that we find really difficult to do in our busy world.  But sometimes we find ourselves being faint and lacking might. We desperately need His power and His might. And so it is that He brings the words of a long forgotten chorus to our mind and we stop, and consider, and partake of Him.

For, you see, He says when we are weak then He is strong. We can go to Him and nestle up and let Him be our all in all. Under the shadow of His wings we find shelter, a hiding place, a strong tower.  He knew there would be times in our walk with Him when we might faint or lack might. He made provision for us. He is speaking to our soul, “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard…….”.  He is saying I am here, come unto me, he who is weary, and I will give you rest.” 

Once we are rested, refreshed, invigorated and renewed by our Heavenly Father, we can once again pick up our sword, prepared to do battle.  Sometimes He says the battle belongs to Him and He fights it for us.  This is especially true when life has become such that we faint and lose might.  In those moments, don’t walk, but run to the One who can sustain us.  Isaiah 41: 10 reminds us that we are not in this struggle alone, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; Be not dismayed; For I am thy God. I will strength thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

And so He does. Then we are able to mount up with wings as eagles, and begin again.

 

“Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.  Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, like a child that is weaned of his mother, my soul is even like a weaned child.”  Psalms 131: 1-2

I now direct your attention to I Samuel, Chapter I.

Hannah was “in bitterness of soul”.  She was tormented in her baroness. She wanted a child with every fiber of her being.  Every year her husband, Elkanah,  would take Hannah and his other wife, Peninnah, and go to the temple to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord.  To make matters even worse for Hannah, Peninnah would taunt her, ridiculing her for not being able to have a child.  This particular year Hannah was so distressed she could not eat.  It is important to note that in her grief, she turned to the Lord.  As Hannah cried out to God, she made a vow, “O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy maidservant and remember me, and not forget thy maidservant, but wilt give thy maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and a razor shall never come on his head.” I Samuel 1:11

The Bible tells us that the Lord had shut up Hannah’s womb.  God knew Samuel before He formed him in the womb and He had a specific purpose for his life.  His desire was for Hannah to come to the place where she would be willing to give Samuel to the Lord. This particular day Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. She made a vow that if the Lord would open her womb and giver her a male child, she would offer the child to Him all the days of his life.  Would she have made this vow had her womb not been shut?

Eli, the priest, was watching Hannah as she prayed and accused her of being drunk.  Hannah explained to Eli, “No, my Lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured (means with intense agony) out my soul before the Lord….Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.”  God had a plan, it was on track to be fulfilled; however, note that when Eli prayed, the Hand of God was moved.  (This is meat for another blog, but let me say that we need to recognize that in God’s order of things, He has designed the method by which He works in the earth and that is through the prayer of His people.)

Hannah chose to wean the child before giving him to the Lord. Samuel was weaned, he ministered to the Lord, he stilled and quieted his soul. The word tells us that John the Baptist “grew, and became strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his showing unto Israel.” Luke 1:80.  Likewise with Jesus, “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40  There is a truth here, a nugget if you will.  As children of God, we need to be weaned, coming to the place in our walk with the Lord that we have moved from milk to meat. Too many are still on the milk of the word when God longs to feed them meat.  When that time comes, our desire will be to minister to God. We will not be consumed with our own needs but we will be seeking ways to be a blessing to God and to His people.

Now to the crux of this message.  Eli was living in the temple, ministering to the Lord.  One night God called out to Samuel.  Samuel was a child and he thought Eli was calling him.  The first and second time he heard his name called, Samuel went to Eli and was told that he did not call him and he should return to bed.  The third time Eli finally recognized that it was God calling the child.  He told him to lie back down and when he heard the voice again he was to say, “Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.”  The word says the Lord CAME, and STOOD, and CALLED. Samuel understood it was the Lord speaking and he answered as Eli had instructed him.  There is a pattern shown in this passage.  We are to be weaned, we are to minister to the Lord, we need to have a stilled and quiet soul and we need to be humble before the Lord.

Please hear my heart. I believe there are many children God has His hand on for a divine purpose in the hour in which we live. They have a tender heart for the Lord at an early age.  They perceive the things of the spirit and are sensitive to the voice of the Lord.  Has God placed one of these children in our care? If so, we are to nurture them, be faithful to fervently  pray for them, guide them in the things of the Lord.  I have a grandson whose favorite movie is The Passion of the Christ. He has such a tender heart. It is a serious thing in God’s eyes to be given the privilege and responsibility of rearing any child, but especially one God has chosen for a distinct purpose.  We must sense God’s moving in our own family and perceive His hand as it touches the shoulder of one of our own.

God again responded to Eli’s prayer as he asked God to give Hannah more children.  God gave her five more. Once His perfect will was accomplished, He opened the windows of heaven to Hannah. Five is the number for grace. How magnificent is our God!