Draw from the Reserve

People have had some curve balls thrown at them this year to say the least.  But the Word stands; God doesn't change ... so we press on.

We press on from the curves to the strait and narrow path; the path of life; the ancient path.  The way offered us through the patriarchs of old. The life of faith

People need a sure thing in life.  When waves are crashing, when winds are blowing and evils howling, they need a strong tower.  A place to run to, a safe place, a refuge.  God offers all of these. He is a mighty fortress, and a help in these days of present troubles.  So as we close another year.  We look unto the author of a new one.  

Many have been pressed beyond measure this past year through great trails of their faith.  Some have pressed through attacks of sickness and disease and came to the other side, while others have lost loved ones in the fray.  But the Love of God remains sure.  The love that will not fail when one phase of life is over, and another begins.  

When a strong body experiences symptoms of demonic exposure, or someone experiences the loss of a loved one, mental fatigue can set in.  The enemy doesn't show mercy.  He will strike at you when you are down. But you must know prayer is being made ... Jesus your wonderful intercessor is praying for you right now.  

Paul knew about these wiles.  He knew what it was like to be pressed beyond measure.  He knew what it was like to suffer attack and be left laying in the street as a dead man. But it wasn't over just because the enemy had set a plan of opposition.  No, prayer was made and Paul rose up.  

Peter knew these attacks as he lay his head down in a prison cell to sleep with guards watching the door and the man, making sure he didn't escape.  Yet, in the night the church prayed and soon the angel of the Lord was actively on duty making a way of escape when it looked like there was none.  

I am not writing this to salt the wounds of those who have cried out in prayer as their loved ones crossed into glory, or while they are yet in the good fight of faith for their manifestations of truth.  

But I am writing this to oil the wounds and strengthen the souls.  The souls of those who have stood and do stand, in the heat of the battle between life and death.  I am writing to the souls that have pressed past self to selfless service for another, or stood in the heat of the battle of life. 

I write this to say there is a new day for you.  A new phase of life to enter into.  

A phase that you don't believe that you can enter.  It looks too hard.  It feels too empty.  The silence is too loud, and the nights are too long. 

But I come to you with promise.  God is with you!  

God will never leave you, He will never forsake you.  You are not alone, and there is no empty that cannot be filled.  There is no silence that can't be broken, nor night that can't be shorten with sweet sleep.  

On the inside of every believer is a reserve of power.  Power to put them over in days of adversity. And the person of the Holy Spirit is with you to comfort, and stand by you.  

So as we are closing this year out.  Let us remember that reserve.  Let us draw near to our God in our time of need meeting Him in prayer.  He is waiting ... Draw from the reservoir of power within you. An overflow of love and goodness awaits you!

Rolling in the Deep

Recently a young lady named Adele came out with a Grammy winning song, called "Rolling in the deep."   A song with amazing musical expertise and the breath-taking voice of Adele, can't help but catch the ear of a listener.

I introduced Rolling in the Deep like this, giving honor to Adele for her talent, but I will now proceed to the meat of this blog.

I woke this morning with the words "rolling in the deep" within my Spirit. I was not listening to Adele this week,  nor had I heard the song "rolling in the deep" the night before.  The lyrics were not locked in my mind as songs can, and will do.  Rather, it was simply the sweetness of the Holy Spirit getting my attention.  Thus, I turn my attention not to pop music, but unto God.

Drawing out my bible and stirring up my Spirit by prayer and inquiry  ... I begin my search.  I begin to seek to find!  Find what, one might ask?  To find the meaning, the purpose of these words which had came to me upon opening my eyes this morning.

Allow me to take you with me on this wonderful adventure.

First:
I recognize the words being  a song by Adele, so I go there.
I also realize the title must have a meaning to her.  So I search to find what "rolling in the deep" might suggest to her, after all she wrote it, (will her and Paul Epworths).

This search landed me upon an urban dictionary, defining "rolling in the deep".

Rolling in the deep is an adaptation of a kind of slang, a slur phrase in the UK called 'roll deep,' which means to have someone; to always have someone that has your back.  It also suggest that you're never on your own.  If you're ever in trouble you've always got someone who's going to come and help you, to fight with or for you.

Step two, looking further at "Rolling in the Deep".

We find it is a description of one who is experiencing the absolute "depths" of either:

1) Pure, passionate, unconditional and ethereal love. A love that takes you to new places of understanding about the human soul and the beauty of perfectly loving someone.
2) Pure, passionate, and ethereal pain caused by the betrayal, rejection or an unrequited love that takes you to new places of understanding about the potential and often very real pain and anguish of human soul caused by another person.


Since I am a Christian, who lives by truth.  Some of  this urban idea can be swallowed, while some most be spit out like peanut shells or fish bones.  

Pure, passionate, unconditional love may well be ethereal (of sort).
God is love, and yes, an invisible Spirit.  And He will take us to new places of understanding about the human soul, and the beauties of love.  Yet, He is much deeper, as he goes beyond the realm of the soul of man. He reaches into the realm of the Spirit. 

The soul of man is simply the product of  our mind, will and emotional which resides on planet earth in a body.  The deeper part of man is Spirit.  And there is a place where deep calls out to deep.  From this place understanding moves beyond the realm of the senses,  beyond the soul and physical embodiment.

As for pure and passionate love (ethereal love) betraying a person.   Eros and Philo (love) certainly can and will mislead, deceive and betray, but not Agape love.

My God (the God that is Spirit and Truth); My God (the one who came to us in the Name of Jesus) to express the God kind of faith; the God kind of life;  and the God kind of love (Agape):  He doesn't Betray, leave, nor forsake.  So as I said, chew and spit  this urban definition.

People get hurt, and yes sometimes by other people who are living from a wrong spirit nature. Sometimes they get hurt from their own wrong flesh nature, their ego, pride, lust ... etc.   But God who is Spirit always loves, heals, supports, supplies and  wills the best for us.

People can and will be betrayed, but not by My God.  He is always standing with open arms.  He is always there when we call.

Can we learn from times of pain and/or betrayal?  The answer is, "of course we can."    But it is not God's plan for  us to grow up from one hurt to the next, or one betrayal to the next. He intends for us to grow up on the milk of the Word and in goodness of His Spirit. 

He is not a God who creates harm in order to reveal His goodness.  There is plenty of evil opportunities for people to walk through.   But the evil is not from God. However, He will walk with you through all adversities and evils. 

The Word reveals that..."The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. And that The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."   

So in our troubles, we can and should cry out to God — He's waiting to help those who will call out in faith.  Then as we obey his instructions He will deliver us from existing troubles. 
*Ps. 37:17 / Ps.51:17

Yes, in this World 'many are the afflictions of the righteous'  but it is the Lord who delivers us out of them, He is not throwing us into the afflictions to prove something to us, or to grow us up, or to teach us something.

God didn't toss Joseph into the pit or the prison, nor did he send the Hebrew children into a heated fire.  But He did bring Joseph through, and the Hebrew children out, to promotion as they walked in the God kind of faith and integrity.
*Gen. 37- /  Daniel 3-

As you can already see this adventure has tied us into the Scriptures.  And with the Holy Spirits help  understanding of  Agape love continues to open.
 
Now walking through step three, let's return to the root idea of  "rolling in the deep" turning our attention to the key word "deep."  As we do let's  hold fast to the truth of the Word.  In this search we find  I Cor. 2:10-13 message translation:
  

• The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. 
• Who ever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. 
• We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.  

"Rolling in the Deep"  ... Yes, sir diving into the depths of God and bringing out what He has planned all along.  Coming out with the mind of Christ, coming out with health; prosperity; all the answers and supplies needed to get the job done! 

Listen, we don't have to live our lives by chance.  We don't float around and stumble around until we finally come up on a few of life's crumbs.  No, we dive into the deep.  We can obey the Word of the Lord and find ourselves rolling in blessings.  He is faithful.  

When it seems like there is nothing in the nets for the day.  When it seems like all you have done has left you empty, tired and frustrated.  There is one thing to do ... turn again to the deep and obey God. That is what smart men of old did, and exactly what we should do today.

Push Out into Deep Water

Luke 5:1-7

 ^1-3 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.

⁴ When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
^5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.

That is what I call an answer to a tired, frustrated man's question, and a generous supply to meet his needs.  

It is only when we learn to yield ourselves and our substance to the Lord Jesus that we can walk in such amazing victories.  These men knew this, they didn't cling to the natural substance that they recovered from the deep, but instead left behind all to follow and cling to the source himself.  
*Why would you cling to a fish when you can walk with the creator of the fishes and the seas they swim in? 

^8-10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.”  When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
^10-11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

We can see Fear was released and so was all that was in the hands of the men.  It is only when we recognize Jesus in our lives (and master fears),  that we can walk away from the temporal (one catch substance) into the daily source of all things.  

But how does a man access all that this Spiritual source supplies?
Faith!  It is called Faith!   

To live in God's best for our lives ... It will take Faith.  

• The God kind of Faith that is not afraid of mountains of adversities, pits of opinions, prisons of lies, or fires of persecutions.   
• Faith that refuses to flit around on the surface of failing mentalities, and mere ideas of men.   
• The the kind of Faith that pleases God.
• The step out of the boat and onto the water kind of faith.  
• The stand up and speak to the storm kind of faith.  
• The push out into the deep and cast out the nets kind of faith!  

So Have Faith in God,  "Roll in the Deep" and bring out what God has planned for your life all along!
 














 

Awake ... Dedicated to Chris

Recently my family and I had to deal with one of life's little eruptions.  It is called when bad things happen to good people.  My 83 year old mother (a good women) took a fall breaking a hip, which required surgery.  Because she had medication complications, I spent 36 hours without one minute of sleep.

I observed a life fully awake. The sun came up each day, and the sun went  down, but I stayed up.    I experienced light and dark; light was better, just saying!

People act different in the light! Yet in the midst of darkness light can shine forth ... If you turn it on!  And trust me by the time the midnight hour comes, you have to choose to turn it on!

During this awake period the body shows forth a strength that is not natural.  To live fully awake is supernatural, requiring an infusion of God's finest abilities.  Anyone who desires can lean in to Him for it.

I am a leaner!

I once taught a lesson from the Song of Solomon 8:5  speaking of one who makes her way by a continuous leaning on her beloved.  Knox's translation reads like this:   " who is this that makes her way up by the desert road, all gaily clad, leaning upon the arm of her true love?"   It speaks of leaning into the stronger one; the greater one!  The leaning not out of necessity, but out of love.  Love which was, is and always will be...the greatest of all.

As I shared the message from the Song of Solomon, it was received well, however, someone later indirectly voiced against 'leaning' as if they were too strong to lean. You know the type, the ones who can't lean, but they break down when something goes wrong; the ones who like to be the center of attention; the ones who want personal glory and can't applaud another for the good they do."

Well, the Glory isn't ours,  it is the Lords ... So I lean!  But as a 'leaner'  one does not lean to the flesh as a co dependent, or to substance as an addict. They must lean into the right source. That source is Jesus, the authors and finisher of faith.  Holding fast in faith with the Holy Spirit Helper.  The unseen strength of my life.  My deepest love.  My greatest joy.

Life can get messy.  Roads treacherous and darkness is a reality.  But so is the ability to shine and dispel those dark messy days.

The fully awake believer will always see the silver lining on the cloud that tries to darken a day, they will see the potential behind the mess.  Then they will lean!  They will joyfully lean in faith, to unfailing love with His strength and ability.

The foundation for every awakened  believer has been laid out in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit has been gifted to us by Jesus,  not only as a teacher of divine informative, inspirational words of life, but as a comforter, helper, counselor, advocate, intercessor, and standby!

Leaners have extended spirit eyes from which to see all things, and a helper in every situation.

The thing about the 36 hour no sleep experience (let's call it an adventure), revealed some things to me.   At the 12 hour no sleep mark,  you have to press to stay focused and alert, by the 24 hour mark, you have to simply walk it out (I mean literally WALK it out). Coming upon the rising sun of the 26 hour mark, you seem to gain a second wind.  When you hit the 36 hour mark,  you wonder if you will ever sleep again...eyes wide open, adrenaline flowing, and the speech center seems to kick in to high gear (don't believe me ask the ear).  The ear in my case happened to be my dear sister in law, Chris.  God bless her!  To Chris and all the real ears out there ... Thank you!

Notice I said the 'real' ears.  The ones that really listen.  Some people just claim to listen.  You will know the difference. So don't bother talking to those who are so self involved they fly away and never connect in the moment. A true ear is normally not noticed or mentioned often.  They just sort of hinge on and hang out.

Have you ever wondered, how many people ever come up to anyone and say, "Wow, you have the most beautiful ears."   Even when we adorn them with jewels ... People seem to praise the jewels vs the ears they are adorning.  Well, Hear this, "Ears you are beautiful and appreciated". There, I said it! Now believe it and receive!   And for all of you many hats people (the ones who like positions, power and attention at everyone else's expense)...if it weren't for the ears you would be blind ... Because your hats would blind you if the ears didn't hold them up.   Selah!

We are each members of a body ... none irreplaceable in service, but never replaceable in person or value.  God created us unique and valuable, yet replaceable in service.  That keeps us both beautiful and humble!  And for someone to try to stand in a place they are not called and equipped to ... Is a disaster ready to happen.

I have been observing many things over the past few weeks.  Mostly people and the way they are or ... aren't.  It pays to look closely.  Things are not always as they seem.  People are not always who they appear to be, and the deeper realm reaches out to reveal truth.  I am glad I have the Holy Spirit as my helper in all things.  Life is good when you walk with a friend called 'Holy Spirit'.

Those who live the fully awake life of a leaner, can share with you insights from unseen realms.   Some of those insights aren't pleasantries, but powerful information for strategic information for victorious living.

Successful pray-ers (watchers) will see and know many things before they can invade a territory.  They will also see good on the horizons and proclaim it joyfully, as they keep one eye open for adversity in the wings.  And no matter how many storms are raging around them, they don't close their eyes, instead they call upon Spirit eyes that they might see and pray from strategically.

Watchers ... Yes they must be leaners.  They cannot afford to sleep or slumber.  They don't play games with spirit truths.  They are serious about leaning in to the heart of God for details in both warnings and joyful proclamations.  They care about what matters to God.  They are diligent to look into His Word and search it for answers and directions in every situation and adversity.

Pray-ers  respect God and love people.  They are not men pleasers. They are not into favors or favorites.  They are not respecters of persons even in close relations, right is right, wrong is wrong and love is unconditional.  They are leaners ... They lean in to the Word of God and pray according to His will.  They lean an ear to the Holy Spirit who is characterized by: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

So Awake, pray-ers!  Lean in and pray out God's plan.  Don't grow weary in this awakened life of prayer.  Press in, walk it out, catch your second wind ... The wind of te Spirit and you will never want to sleep again!