A good day with the guys in the heat. We discussed God's sovereignty, providence, human suffering and the anointing. How God has this plan and certain events are destined to come to pass in God's plan but at the same time we have free will and our choices matter. The 'anointing' is linked to suffering. Olives are crushed to get oil. The anointing breaks the yoke (our training to function a certain way naturally). To be free we will suffer. Jesus suffered to set us free and we suffer in degrees if the anointing is operational. How we suffer is linked to our free will. Do we suffer because of bad decision making or do we 'suffer well'? God's plan is going to come to pass but we can be 'co-laborers with Christ' and God in His sovereignty (His free will) may very well answer prayer or just intervene on our behalf out of love in special ways that glorify Him.
I want God to 'show up' in the spaces I enter into. I want an anointing and a more than natural manifestation. He does that if the olive gets crushed. We fall on the rock and get broken but the gift is so great. The pain is fleating but the glory is forever. Jesus was crushed for us and that suffering is finished... still... in Him we suffer many things with Him.
I want to keep this in mind when I've been pushed outside my comfort zone and I'm trying to make things work. I'm try to make bricks with no straw. A great deliverance is coming for my mind if the result is that those olives get crushed.
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Saturday, July 25, 2020
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Fear Or Joy
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." - 1 John 4:18 ESV
Fear and joy (love) take up the same space in our soul. They can not co-exist. I either have one or the other. Deception and fear always co-exist. We are afraid because we feel the need to preserve something and there are unknown factors that might prevent that from happening.
This season has been a real test for many of us. Joy can slip away if fear takes root.
Perfected love! Wow. God is in control. Nothing I do can make God love me less or more. Jesus has dealt with the sin issue for us. Nothing can separate us from God if we have believed in what Jesus has done. That pushs fear out and joy takes it's place.
--
Fear and joy (love) take up the same space in our soul. They can not co-exist. I either have one or the other. Deception and fear always co-exist. We are afraid because we feel the need to preserve something and there are unknown factors that might prevent that from happening.
This season has been a real test for many of us. Joy can slip away if fear takes root.
Perfected love! Wow. God is in control. Nothing I do can make God love me less or more. Jesus has dealt with the sin issue for us. Nothing can separate us from God if we have believed in what Jesus has done. That pushs fear out and joy takes it's place.
--
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Strength To Strength
At times we go from oasis to oasis...
Psalm 84:5-7 ESV - "Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion."
Strength for the journey means moving from strength to strength. Sometimes the day is a dry place we need to be refreshed before we go.
Jesus often prayed all night to be ready for the day to come. I've never done that but to get up and be refreshed before my 'day' begins has been a very worthwhile practice.
--
Psalm 84:5-7 ESV - "Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion."
Strength for the journey means moving from strength to strength. Sometimes the day is a dry place we need to be refreshed before we go.
Jesus often prayed all night to be ready for the day to come. I've never done that but to get up and be refreshed before my 'day' begins has been a very worthwhile practice.
--
Friday, July 10, 2020
Rereading Philemon
The last few days I have been reading Philemon over and over again. It is truly an abolitionist text. Onesimus is a slave and Paul is sending an appeal to the Church. Paul never comes out and condemns slavery. I believe the Holy Spirit communicates a new value system to these people through the Apostles words. This person can no longer be property once this value system is adopted. No person can be. Nor can we oppress people if these concepts sink in. I love this book more and more as I read it.
It is a short book (letter). I included it below and plan to reread it a few more times over the next few days. These are concept we must understand today.
"You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." - 1 Corinthians 7:23 ESV
We were purchased by Christ's blood so He could set us free. That is God's method of adoption. He isn't a 'white Savior'. He is the Messiah.
As free people we can live lives that promote freedom. What a priveledge.
-o-
"Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus-- I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it--to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." - Philemon 1:1-25 ESV
--
It is a short book (letter). I included it below and plan to reread it a few more times over the next few days. These are concept we must understand today.
"You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." - 1 Corinthians 7:23 ESV
We were purchased by Christ's blood so He could set us free. That is God's method of adoption. He isn't a 'white Savior'. He is the Messiah.
As free people we can live lives that promote freedom. What a priveledge.
-o-
"Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus-- I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it--to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." - Philemon 1:1-25 ESV
--
Saturday, July 4, 2020
That First Ten Percent
Give the first 10% to God.
It is a great principle for money and for life because then you start out on the right foot. There is a principle I heard recently, 'Create before you consume' which reminded me of this. Make something first and then look at what others have done. Draw then look at drawings other people have made. Paint then look at paintings. Write a post then look at other posts. If that is the order procrastination will go out the window and instead of negative comparison you can be inspired by others.
The days I get up, pray a little, get in the Bible and maybe pray or just talk to God about what I have read are always the best days. That first 10%, or more, went to Him but there was a transfer I can not measure also.
Beholding Him transforms us. He creates in us before we go and consume anything from others when we give Him the first and best of what we have... time.
--
It is a great principle for money and for life because then you start out on the right foot. There is a principle I heard recently, 'Create before you consume' which reminded me of this. Make something first and then look at what others have done. Draw then look at drawings other people have made. Paint then look at paintings. Write a post then look at other posts. If that is the order procrastination will go out the window and instead of negative comparison you can be inspired by others.
The days I get up, pray a little, get in the Bible and maybe pray or just talk to God about what I have read are always the best days. That first 10%, or more, went to Him but there was a transfer I can not measure also.
Beholding Him transforms us. He creates in us before we go and consume anything from others when we give Him the first and best of what we have... time.
--
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