Ladies and Gentleman



Several months ago a phone call came to me that was quickly diverted into a confrontation challenging me as a woman with his belief that women should not be leading or “teaching” any Biblical information to men.  The challenge for me was that his comment did not resonate as truth with my spirit, but it did resonate with some past teaching or behaviors in some church-life where I too, had heard it, but had to let it drop by the way-side when I knew what God called me to do.  I was in more fear of not obeying God than man and went to the places He called me.

That phone call led me into a thorough amount of research and study that I did in the Bible as if I was holding onto the LORD’s hand in Spirit as I was led from Old Testament through New  Testament as well as looking into historic events when it seemed to be contradicted in a couple of verses. The research was nourishing to what was already set on my heart. Peace and strength were given in His Word and the evidence of God’s persistent use of women in ministry was woven throughout.

If you have some struggles with whether or not women should be in leadership roles or, if you as a woman, have felt led by His Spirit and you held back or if you felt like you, as a man, should invite a woman into that kind of position, but again, held back, this may help you.  Today I received this link that has several lessons on the matter that go completely through the scriptures that His Spirit led me through when I researched the work.  He’s teaching it in the same way the LORD revealed to me as I read it. Pastor Jerry Dirmann from The Rock, a Foursquare church in Anaheim, Calif. did a series that you can find in this link listed on Life and Liberty, “Women in Ministry Series.”   

This teacher goes further than I saw in that he sees that the barring of women to serve as God has gifted and called in leadership has been one of the worst tactics Satan wove in misinterpretation and written into the doctrines of man.

Session 2 addresses the most often cited verses in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 11. 

In addition to what I found in 1 Timothy, Paul was writing to Timothy who was in Ephesus. The people in Ephesus had a religion where the priests were women and the source of their religion is that they worshipped a goddess and part of the worship was over her virginity. This is where the weight of instruction from Paul to have Timothy teach to them there that a woman's salvation is in child-bearing when Christ was born of a woman from where Salvation came.

Feel free to share this with anyone you may know that may be blessed or encouraged or is looking for direction. The sessions are lengthy, but packed with great information.  It took me a long time to go through this scripturally on my own, so this is a blessing to have it all in one spot for you.

In the Beginning I Found Prosperity

 

 

When we believe we can earn what the LORD gives and that somehow now, we deserve it; that eliminates grace. When we think we should live in squalor as payment for our sins and suffer to make us worthy enough of Him; that also eliminates grace.

Earthly squabbles over the message of God’s will for us to prosper and be well is amped up in my Facebook world. It’s like my siblings fighting and I’m the youngest thinking, “But Dad really does love us and wants to take care of us.” I’m hearing arguments about my brothers and sisters in the family of God that are Bible teachers professing such things as God’s blessings and prosperity.  I don’t understand why Christians are giving verbal persecution of brothers and sisters in Christ for saying that God desires us blessed? Or why they seem to think we can only really worship God if we have some lashes on our own back and live in lack? Wouldn't that be an abusive Dad?

God’s will is not that, but the world will persecute us.  There is a difference. God isn’t the one with the whip unless it’s at the ones in the Church misrepresenting His grace and goodness and keeping them from coming to Him in the fullness of His love and by what He GIVES and who He is. It’s what Luther promoted. He was anti–penance and pro- grace.

The money changers were making the people exchange their money offering to the “old money” or currency from the past. Not only were they making people exchange it to the old way, but they were trying to profit from it themselves by making worshippers lose some of what they have and pay for what is old.  Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove out those who were making it harder to worship and robbing from what the people had. He chased off the sacrificial animals they were selling, too. He said it was to be a house of prayer, not a business. They were taking and trying to profit from what is freely given, what is theirs to do in relationship with Him without payment and receive His presence. Free. Because of Him. Because of God’s Grace and Love. Matthew 21:12 and John 2:14.

.Jesus had come.

The heart of God and His giving is at the very beginning.  

The big one: Genesis 1:27  He made us in His image.

28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. –Notice how it is from the trees and fruit that bore fruit and would produce more by its seeds. It is the blessing of more and of life.

31 God saw all that He made and it was very good.

Chapter 2 speaks of the streams that came up from the earth and watered it. It is like the living waters of grace out of the rock. It lists the first river in verse 11 that winds through the garden as Pishon. Some interpretations of the meaning of Pishon is to spring up and disperse. It goes on to say the river winds through the land of Havilah where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.)

God placed man in an incredible place of blessing, provision and it was “very good.” It was about blessing, fruitfulness, increase, power to subdue and rule (not each other, but the animals), food provision all over the earth and good gold. It was given.

Our hope for glory is what He is going to provide in His presence. Why do people believe others should not teach that He desires us to flourish, grow and be blessed? He says in the world we will have tribulation, but take heart, because He has overcome the world.  It is in the world we live that gives suffering, persecution and drives us to carry our own cross because we won’t deny the Father. 

It is to the magnitude that Jesus left the splendor to be one with us to the lowest of this earth. Humble and serving to come into the difficult and painful place of our sin infested world here to provide for us a way out while we are here. He came as a way to have His joy in all circumstances, His presence, and to understand His love to bless us in whatever ways He will.  Did He not provide a coin to pay taxes in a fish’s mouth? Did He not provide more than enough food?  Did He not heal, drive away demons, and raise people from the dead here on earth?

He brought the Kingdom to us. He paid the penance of sin so we didn’t have to.  Why are Christians verbally beating people for believing in His goodness? For believing in the different ways that He blesses and gave His gift of grace? Did the LORD not multiply and double all the wealth that Job had following the suffering that Satan was permitted to bring upon him? Did He not give the Hebrews the wealth and plunder from Egypt when He delivered them out of bondage?

We can’t think that allowing Satan to have his way with us in lack, poverty and illness brings glory to God. What brings Him glory is loving God and blessing Him no matter what the world tries to put on us.  Because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Let’s not heap with Satan accusations on believers of Jesus; that they are ungodly for believing in various ways of God’s prosperity when the Word of God begins with prosperity.

 God’s objection to wealth is when we become dependent on it instead of Him, hoard it or we do unholy things to obtain it. Making wealth a greater love and keeping it instead of following God is lack; as Jesus told the rich man that the one thing he was lacking and what needed to be done for him to be a true follower of His was to let it go and give it to the poor and then he will have treasure in heaven. Mark 10:21. Jesus saw what needed to be corrected in his heart. Jesus also looked at him with love. But, the actions to correct it made the man sad because he loved his riches more.

The promise of prosperity comes to every believer as Jesus said to the thief next to Him on the cross, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  Luke 23:43

“So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!”

~ Martin Luther





Depth of Field

 

 

 

 

 

A woman died who was close to my age. Cancer. She left a husband, some children at home and a grandchild. She loved the LORD and sought healing over and over again. She could recite scripture like no one I had known.  When I prayed for her, words would spark up a Bible verse that would affirm it and she would softly say the verse aloud. Verse after verse came to her mind. She, when healthy, served in countless ways and did so much good for this world. Then, she brought serving in her death. She said to me, “I have shown my children how to live, now I am showing them how to die.” As her body weakened, her spirit strengthened.

When her body did die, it was heartbreaking. None of it seemed right. What could possibly be good about this, LORD? I wept through tears as I asked Him,” WHY?!”  In my grief I suddenly saw a stage prop of a cloud.  It was cut-out, man-made, crude and only two dimensional.  It was an imitation of a cloud for an act or portrayal of life on a stage. 

As soon as I saw that cloud the vision cut to a different one. Out at the end of the horizon were real clouds. There was a massive forming cloud, beautiful, multi-dimensional and blossoming as if it were in the process of creating something new. It billowed in light and motion, overwhelming me by what was incredibly beautiful and real to the contrast of the cut-out, flat, cloud, sitting on a dusty stage floor.

 

The vision gave a depth of insight that I could have never attained on my own. God revealed how temporal this life is here on earth, like a play. It is a moment that has representations of what is real, true, deep and immense, but displayed with and in earthly representation things that physically have little dimension by comparison to the depth of His Spiritual life. 

Who she is now and where she is; is much more real, amazing and alive than ever before. Her life there is an incredible birth of life, spirit, purpose and belonging in comparison to what is so limiting, temporal and decaying here.

How she lived here had an audience.  We cheered for her and we felt the sorrow when the curtain closed, but she walked off into what is real life.

The depth of field of the scope of what is in our horizons and having that in focus has brought a far deeper view into God’s Word and an incredible joy to what is at the end of this field of life in Christ here. Its depth has brought powerful prayer and faith into Who He is and what He does. Those kinds of prayers from what is of His Kingdom into these temporary, two-dimensional things of this life bring His power and depth and life that He can unleash into us for all of eternity.

 He can provide clarity of vision in the midst of a prayer of brokenness and bring hope and joy in the images He can place into our mind’s eye.  Just like that! The spiritual power of Him to pop that into an earthly mind is a moments’ doing for Him and a complete change of vision and focus for me.

It is a vision to look to the things not seen and to see the things that are seen among us as temporary. It is recognizing glory in the fields of this life and the full dimensions of spirit in eternal life.

We are spiritual beings and for now, we have a body.  Looking to fullness of life is looking to its eternity and what it took in Jesus/Yeshua to bring us into such a pure and perfect place of eternal life.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 





Trying to Survive Christmas? Try Again

Trying to survive Christmas has been a phrase I have heard and one I have let myself succumb to in past Christmas’. My only peace and joy seemed to happen when I finally settled into the church pew for the Christmas Eve service after all of the shopping, baking, dinner making, wrapping and whirling up a bedazzled day of joy that was finally ready to come in the morning.

I had missed it. 

I had missed the peace up until that time and had lost a lot of joy. 

The place of peace has always been in the presence of Jesus. Sure, I’d think about Jesus, but I wouldn’t consider His presence or even imagine He was keeping up with my fast pace.  He was there at all speeds and I often only noticed when I reached the finish line.

This year, He has opened my eyes to Him and His peace now.  I had been doing it wrong.  The weekly advent to Christmas gives a periodic stop to think of Him, but sometimes the schedule seemed to get in my way.  It was one more thing to have to do.  Instead, He has met me in morning time in prayer and evening and throughout the day, every day. He has been with me in times of shopping when I ask Him to show me what is best to get and I am finding things miraculously available or even a sale.  I am seeing Him in the process. I am seeing Him in the ingredients of baking, in the ingredients of foods that He provides.  I am seeing Him in the loved ones in my life for whom I desire to give a gift of my love to them.  It isn’t a check off of my list this year.

There is peace and with that is joy. 

Considering the ways of His peace, it always came in His presence.  Isaiah 9:6 prophecies of the peace of Christ.  

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

A lot of people have troubled hearts as they try to get it all done and frankly…over with. Some are afraid their gifts won’t be nice enough or afraid they don’t have enough money or are afraid of relationship dynamics or being alone.  Jesus leaves us with his peace.  His peace isn’t as the world gives, not in perfect gifts or money spent or being in the perfect setting which is impossible in this world.  But He leaves us with His peace.  It’s in His presence of Him of being in Him and knowing that what really matters is what He has given.  It is enough and so much more.  Walking in that gift and being aware and thankful for it is like a blanket of comfort that calms even the fussiest child.  He’s here and He’s got this and what is lasting is what He gives. 

That’s when the joy comes.  When peace is found there is joy.  The fears fall away and the troubles lose their power.  The gift of peace is a gift from Jesus; from His life to us.  That is the perfect love of His.  In that perfect love, it casts out all fear. No one can out-give Jesus and when we walk in the graces of His gifts and His love, it can make this season one of peace, joy and good will to all the people. If we release our ideals of a worldly view of a perfect Christmas, fear falls away, troubles cease to matter, unreal expectations of others won’t allow disappointment to rule.  Give and release those loved ones to Him in prayer.

John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Take heart, He says.  Be in His peace.

Be in the awareness of His presence and gift of peace. Look to Him, see Him, trust Him and enjoy Him.  This is a season that the angels proclaimed that the presence of Jesus being born among us, present with us, is great joy to ALL people.

The simplest way to acknowledge Him is saying thank you. We say thank you for a gift given.  It’s a great way to start.  Every moment of every day He gives.  Hold out your hands and recognize the gifts He is giving and receive your Christmas gifts from Him. He lets us open them now.



Green Ink

 



I was looking for an email from someone who recently emailed me a kind birthday greeting.  He and his wife are incredible people of prayer and he is a retired pastor now.  They have been influential in my life and encouragers toward my first shaky steps into any kind of ministry work.

As I looked to find and re-read his message, another email came up not written by him, but he was included in the people this message was sent to along with me and two other people.  This message jolted me as I read who had sent it. It was from a precious young man who had a need for prayer. Who was facing life or death on this earth and instead came the latter. I had not deleted his message. He passed away that Spring.  From my way too overloaded pack of undeleted emails rose up his message again that he had written from three years ago to the day, Nov. 18^th, 2011.

I re-read his message, his plea, his hope, his fears, his truth, his life in the balance.  He wrote his new diagnosis in the fullness of complex scientific names and reframed them into words we could then understand.  I noticed as he wrote of the detailed procedures and the risks and the effects and the hardship that all of these words and descriptions would bring in paragraph after paragraph, were written in black ink. 

Then, as he wrote out the possibilities of what could work, what would possibly be an extension of time, what would be given in life and of life of hope and prayers and God’s unfailing hand; these paragraphs were written in green ink.  His hope for life, his trust in God, his faith, his joy and his comprehension of God with him was undeniably all as uplifted in living as the green of his ink to the greenest of living leaves and grasses that rise in the sunshine and glisten in the dew.

Though the greater amount of the letter was black as the circumstances swirled in darkness and ugly truth, his life and hope in Jesus lived bright and green.  He signed his letter with his name in green ink. And yes, he lives.  He lives with the LORD even more than he did on earth, where the throne of the King of kings has an emerald bow all around. Revelation 4:3  He left the black ink words that had their power only here and in that moment, but the power of faith, hope, life and living is forever an evergreen and is now and will be an eternal life.

His letter rose up again, three years later to the date for me to see the fullness of life still here in the green of his ink.  November 18^th. Eighteen is the number for life in Hebrew.  Chai.  His fullness of life in heaven is now and his life left life living here on earth too, as it runs through the faith of his three little boys and the mother of those children who presses on in life, in hope and love. Life is here, life is now and life will be again. As Jenny writes through the process of living through grief and finding solace in her Savior, she shares the truth in grace in her blog, Still Here And Still His.

Jeremy Erickson’s good words remain in his songs, his writing and his speaking that have been compiled and continue to rise up to the glory of God and the fullness of life in Christ. 

Life. Evergreen.

The Two Sides of Truth



If it’s truth, how can it have two sides?  The truth sets us free.  But, sometimes the truth isn’t what we want to hear.  The truth can be a blessing and sometimes it cuts, but what it cuts is the stuff we were clinging to that wasn’t real or right or would leave us exposed.  There is joyful truth and painful truth, but always, the truth sets us free.

Hebrews 4:12  ESV  For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The book of Revelation hasn’t been one I’ve been excited about.  I’ve studied it.  I like some of it, but most of it is hard for me to read. It promises that anyone that reads it aloud and keeps its prophecy will be blessed. (Revelation 1:3) It’s hard on my heart to see the trouble coming. 

 2 Thessalonians and Daniel also prophecies of the end time evil and the character traits of the Anti-Christ, False Prophet and Lawless One.  I’d rather read about love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, miracles and Jesus.  That other stuff is heavy.

Avoiding the fullness of truth leaves us exposed to be deceived. 

 If I didn’t recognize the traits of Satan’s deceptions I wouldn’t recognize the times or to know how to set myself apart from being entangled with it.  I am kept free by the knowledge of what to avoid, even if it was hard to read about.  It also removes my fear.  I know certain things have to happen prior to Jesus’ return.  It’s the truth.  It isn’t pretty, but it sets me free from fear because it was known ahead of time and like I said, there are parts of Revelation that I do like, like when Jesus returns.

There was a time when my husband played for a professional soccer team.  It was known that the current owners were going to be folding the team or selling it.  A man came in from another country and said he was planning to purchase it.  The team players and staff fawned over this man.  He said he was of the family of the owners of Harrod’s of London and other grandiose stories.  He hosted a huge party and had it catered in a penthouse suite in a large hotel for all of the players and staff. He had television interviews aired.  Everyone was eager to cater to him in hopes that he was saving the team and keeping it going.

One staff member didn’t cater to him.  She doubted him.  He knew it and said to others that she would be the first one he fires when he takes over the team.  She was young and amazingly unthreatened. She didn’t cave in.  She did some background checking.  It wasn’t as easy then because we didn’t have all of the technology to do it as we do now.  But, she discovered that his identity was false. 

He left town.  He left unpaid hotel bills.  He stiffed the restaurant that catered all of the elaborate food for the event that he hosted.  He left us all in shock, except for one.  One person that wasn’t willing to cling to any false hope.  She looked for truth no matter how disappointing it may be that this man wasn’t really going to save the team. 

Knowing the traits of end time evil keeps us from falling for what is false.  Also, knowing what is Holy to God and walking in His righteousness through His Spirit keeps us better able to walk out of our sinful pasts.  Thinking God is “okay” with things that He says He isn’t doesn’t free us from an underlying guilt.  The truth is what sets us free when we confess the guilt. 

I had a tooth that I thought had chipped.  I was afraid to look at it.  I didn’t want to see how bad it was because if I did, I knew I would have to address it.  I avoided feeling the tooth or looking at it for a couple of months, even to the point of feeling that I needed to floss, but I didn’t because then I would have to look.  If this seems extreme to you, you need to know that I have a hard time with seeing my body in rough condition.  When my children were born I was offered a mirror to see their birth just as they were being delivered.  I swiftly motioned it away with my arm and told the nurse that I didn’t want to see.  I didn’t want to see that much truth.  I would see the child when they got here. 

I ended up with a toothache that progressed to excruciating.  I knew I would have to feel the tooth and look at it.  When I did, the tooth looked fine.  It was smooth and whole.  I had ended up needing a root canal because I had allowed that little piece of food to sit in there that I should have flossed out a long time ago, but I didn’t because I was afraid to see something I didn’t want to see because I believed it to be awful.

How often do we try to avoid or not face the bad or our own bad?  By avoiding it, something else bad can get in there and get stuck and then we end up with something far worse.  But, once I checked out the tooth I could begin to know the full reality and get the true needed help and  get it fixed.  I was finally set free of the fear of a bad break, but I had to deal with getting the mess I had made by avoiding doing what was right with a now painful cleaning out with a root canal. 

The truth sets us free.

Children that have been told there was a Santa start to reach an age where they question it.  They don’t really want to know and yet they do want to know the truth.  As disappointing as it is when they hear it, there is a relief. They don’t have to succumb to the game and the effort of holding onto something that was starting to not feel real and the embarrassment of that.  The truth sets them free.

When I thought more about the power of truth both in its joy and in its harder to face view, I remembered that the armor of God in Ephesians says that we are to put on the “Belt of Truth.”  Belts keep our clothes on.  If we didn’t have it, we could become exposed, embarrassed or tripped up by something not being secured.  I move a whole lot freer when my belt is well fastened.  We’ve seen people not wearing belts and allowing pants to drag.  Have you seen them try to run?  They become tangled up and sometimes trip and fall.  Calling Truth a belt is pretty powerful. 

Doing a quick glance in the back of my Bible for study verses that had the word truth in them, it revealed row after row of examples.  What I found was that a large amount of them were in verses where Jesus was saying, “I tell you the truth…” 

John 14:5-7   5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."…

This is basic.  The Father existence of God in His holiness is not to be met with sin.  In His coming as Christ as God with us as Yeshua, “God Saves,” He gives His blood to remove the sin so that we can be with Him.  He came as a Son, as man and God, and in that flesh is the portion of Son-ship to His own fullness of God-ship and creator as Father.  He is the way by His sacrifice and saving blood in the form of man so that we can be with Him in His Holy fullness as Father.  No one comes to the Father and the supreme Holiness of Him except by His blood as Christ.

I get concerned when I read how many will be deceived in the end times.  We should spend time in the Word looking at the truth and reading all that Jesus says when He says, “I tell you the truth.”  Also, we should read who will be deceived and what they will be deceived by.  We need to know the tactics of the enemy in order to be on the defense and the offense.  It takes both.  It takes knowing truth on both sides however joyful or hard it may be.  But always, it will set us free.

Reviewing the Scripture and reminding ourselves keeps the truth on our heart and mind so that when words that come that are twisted or fuzzy and maybe even a false feel-good are presented we are able to quickly identify the deception in it or research it to see if it is validated in God’s Word.  We need to do a bit of a background check. The Word also helps us not to fear or become hopeless in the times of darkness.  Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  Sending a child to bed that is scared of the dark with a flashlight can help them sleep peacefully, freed from fear. They have a light when they need it.

Jesus’ power reigns in His Word and Truth by the breath of His mouth.

2 Thessalonians 2:8  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

John 8:31  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

 

 

Despite Us,Grace

 

 

Lately, I have been keenly aware of grace.  Not only the saving grace from God through His mercy, but aware of the kind of grace that allows us to be used by God, despite us.

Despite our faults and bad habits.

Despite our lack of faith.

 Despite our weakness.

In one person, I saw how He gave incredible Bible teaching that changes lives despite decades of her unbelief of the power of His Holy Spirit. Yet, His Spirit breathed through her and brought great revelation into many lives whether she acknowledged Him fully or not.  Grace.

Another person used derogatory words over others that were behaving poorly, yet he could speak prophetic life-giving and affirming messages from the LORD of great power and good.  There was power in the God-given words from the same mouth that housed lesser words moments earlier. Grace.

One who nervously feared and doubted had incredible fulfillment in an area of leading, that when stepping back and looking at the results, it would appear that only the courageous could have done it.  Grace.

This grace is in any and every successful result of ministry no matter how big or how small.  Not a one of us carries the stuff of our own to do what God does.  Not a one is responsible for the result except that we carried what He was doing.  To be allowed to carry that good is a servant’s grace.  As a master provides for the foods that a server sets at the table, it is by that grace that one can carry such wonderful things to be received and given to bless another because of Him. 

Acts 6:8  And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

2 Corinthians 9:8  And God [is] able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all [things], may have an abundance for every good work.

The apostle Paul saw this in himself and saw how God used him despite himself. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 

 7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.…

Walking in the awareness of this grace drops the weight of burden of believing we have to be in perfection to do any good for God. As God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  Power perfected is the evidence of God’s grace.  It isn’t our perfection, it is His.

Where His grace falls away is in pride.  How many super-stars in the faith have come to a humbling fall? Lucifer’s own fall from God’s graces was over his pride.  I beg the LORD to keep me humble through all that He does in me and He has come up with some creative ways to do that.

The first time I was going to teach with one of those cool microphones that goes over the ear was something I was looking forward to getting to use.  Not long before I was to teach, I grew this gross looking nub on the top of my ear.  It was the very ear that the audio-visual technician carefully hooked around the microphone and ear-piece over. I had to pull my hair back as he fitted me.  He didn’t say anything about the nub, but I’m sure he was disgusted and I felt my face blush red. Embarrassed and humbled, I took the stage.  A couple of weeks later, the nub fell off.

Our first time for me and my husband to go overseas to speak and teach was a thrilling time.  Not long before we were to go, another nub grew on the top of my ear.  About a week later, my husband asked me, “What is this?” He showed me his ear and there was a nub on his.  I exclaimed, “It’s the nubbin of humility!”  I shared with him what had happened to me before and how God used it.  He laughed a little.  We went on our trip to serve, nubbins and all, and when we returned, each of ours fell off.  It’s funny and definitely not normal, but I praise God for His incredible grace and His desire to keep us humorously humble in Him. 

God is able to do all sorts of good through the imperfections that we are.  We just have to say, “Yes,” to serve, be humble in Him, and He takes care of the rest despite us.  Grace. You’ve got nothing to lose but pride and everything to gain and accomplish in Him.

 

 



The Last and Greatest Day of the Feast

 

 

Today is a GREAT day to me... to all of us.

 It is the last day of the celebration of Sukkot.  The last and greatest day of the Feast.

 Sukkot is the Jewish celebration of living in “booths” or tents/temporary dwelling places, for seven days.  It is a festival to remember that God had dwelled with the Hebrew people after delivering them out of Egypt.  So as God temporarily dwelled among them, they dwell in temporary dwellings as God did when they celebrate each year.  God asked that they do this in Leviticus 23:39-43.

“But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month [the month of Tishrei], when you gather in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the festival of the L-rd for a seven day period... and you shall rejoice before the L-rd your G-d for a seven day period... For a seven day period you shall live in booths. Every resident among the Israelites shall live in booths, in order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt”

That was a long time ago. What is so special about that, you may wonder.

God gave Moses exact instructions as to how to build the Ark of the Covenant where God’s glory and presence would dwell. 

He gave the instructions that the ark would be made out of Acacia wood and overlaid with gold.  Inside would be the components of the Testimony.  The lid would be solid gold and would be called the Mercy Seat or Seat of Atonement.  On either side, facing one another, were solid gold cherubim looking upon the Mercy Seat and between the two cherubim and above the Mercy Seat rested the presence and glory of God. 

Here’s where my incredible joy takes hold.

Everything about this speak s of God’s Presence as Jesus Christ!

The Acacia wood is from a tree whose roots has the incredible ability to reach deep into the waters far into the soil even in arid regions. It is also being used in portions of Africa to improve soil and production to agriculture through its nitrogen.  It offers shade and protection for the crops, too.  This tree can be representative of qualities of Christ’s life on earth as 100 % man on earth and God as the Acacia wood of the ark was overlaid with gold.

This is what Jesus does on the last day of Sukkot; the day the priests did the water ceremony.  This is a portion shared from Hebrew for Christians.

“The seventh (and last) day of the festival of Sukkot is called Hoshana Rabba (הוֹשַׁנָא רַבָּא). Hoshana (sometimes transliterated as "Hosanna") comes from the Hebrew phrase hoshia na (הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא), meaning "save us now," combined with "rabbah," meaning "great," to refer to a great corporate plea for salvation. It was on this climactic day of the festival that the people gathered at the Temple for the water ceremony, waving lulavs and circling the courtyard while chanting "Ana Adonai - Hosiah na" (Psalm 118:25), "save us, we pray O LORD!"’

Jesus had stayed away from the festival of Sukkot until the last day of it. John 7:37-39  Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified

On top of the box of the Ark is the solid gold Mercy Seat where the priest would once a year take the blood of the sacrifice for the atoning of the sins of the people. At this time, God in His Mercy forgave.  Jesus came as the sacrifice and His blood was given for our sins.  The purity of Him as God was the blood perfect enough for the sins of the World that He gave out of love and mercy.  Solid gold. Perfection.  Only from what is of Heaven.

The two cherubim, also made of solid gold, face towards one another and their gaze is upon the Mercy Seat.  Eyes cast down as if looking from heaven and there between them rests the Presence and Glory of God. Both Old and New Testament proclaiming Christ and reflect His Presence, Glory, Salvation, Mercy and Grace.

The people cried out, “Save us!”  Yeshua, the Name of Jesus, is ‘Yahweh has become Salvation.’ Yahweh Saves!  Yeshua!

Within the Ark of the Covenant was kept what was called the “Ark of the Testimony.”  Testimony is the witness of something or the telling of events.  These incredible objects stored within the Ark and beneath the lid of the Mercy Seat at the Presence of God were the tablets of stone that had the Commandments engraved on them.  There was the gold jar of manna and there was the rod of Aaron’s. 

The Ten Commandments was the Law that God had given.  Only Jesus/Yeshua fulfilled all of the Law without sin.  A testimony of Him.

 Jesus says in Matthew 5:17  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

A gold jar held the manna.  Manna was a word meaning, unknown.  It was an unknown food provided from God and heaven.  It came with the dew, the waters of His Spirit, and when it dried, the Manna was left; their bread of life.

Exodus 16:31-32  31 The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honeyThen Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"

Jesus says in John 6:31-33  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'" 32 Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."…

Jesus, conceived through the Holy Spirit, like the dew accompanying the manna, was born in Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means, “House of Bread.”

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

The next item in the Testimony is Aaron’s rod.  It signified that he would be the high priest.  It was his rod that budded.  Aaron’s rod and the others’ were placed together and God said that the one whose rod budded would be priest.  Not only did Aaron’s rod bud blossoms from that dead stick, but the blossoms flowered and turned into almonds. 

The symbolism is great.  As Yeshua died, shedding his blood on a dead piece of wood, His dead body came back to life.  After having risen from the dead, He breathed upon the disciples saying, “Receive my Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit came upon man, now saved, and made righteous so that the Spirit of God may dwell upon man and in him.  The Spirit bears fruit as blossoms bore the fruit of almonds.  Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The rod of Aaron, the appointed high priest at the time of Moses, points to Jesus who becomes the great high priest. Producing all that Jesus does as Yahweh Saves. Yeshua.

Hebrews 4:14  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

His presence at the Ark of the Covenant was the emblem of the Covenant Promise He made to Abraham as He in His glory rested upon the Mercy Seat; the lid over the Testimony of all He would do in Covenant Promise, as He dwelled and traveled in temporary dwelling places among His people.  Today, through Yeshua, we are the dwelling place of the LORD and today we rejoice for salvation and His Living Waters that He pours into us.

The joy of this day was amplified to me because I did not realize what day it was when I began it.  Over the last week, not considering the days between the first day of Sukkot, the LORD had placed upon my heart and mind the contents of His Testimony and the make-up of the Ark of the Covenant.  I have read, studied, researched and waited on Him as He revealed Himself more and more this week, completely without conscious thought to the timing.  When I realized today was the last and Great day of Sukkot, I was overwhelmed with joy for all He is and did in me through His Spirit this week.  I knew I would write it out this evening. 

 I sat in my car this afternoon in a parking lot. I looked out at this beautiful day; praising Him and listening to music. I saw a great blast of water shoot out of a five-story building.  It was firefighters training.  The water gushed and sprayed and fell to the ground. The music played and I praised Him for an overwhelming moment to see waters burst forth.  May His Spirit and His Word and His revelation of Him cause you to rejoice on this Great Day.  His loving mercy and His testimony is overwhelming.  Yahweh Saves.

 

 

 

 



That Sinking Feeling

Truth is the hand that grabs you and pulls you up.

Last week I went through a battle with self-doubt.  It was intense.  I thought I’d blown it.  I thought the last years of research and writing was for nothing and I should have not immersed myself that way.  That I should have fought to take better care of my home and worked even harder with my business.  Because, at least there, there would be something better to show for it all.  I began to believe what I thought I was called to do really wasn’t, and didn’t matter.  I was mad.  Mad at myself, and more. 

I knew the anger and frustration was Enemy related.  I know that sense of coming down on myself wasn’t what Jesus would have wanted or how He thought of me and so I believed I was in the midst of what Joyce Meyer coined, “The Battlefield of the Mind.” 

I was down.  Big- time doubting.  I even mentioned it to a friend that I felt I had a lost call.

Praying and trying to worship God, I felt distant. It was like I was far away or He was.  I was mad. I was scared and I had lost hope.   

I had to get on the water.  I needed time with God someway, someplace that I felt He was and I’d notice.  I jumped into our boat by myself and started riding down the river.  I asked God to, “Please, show me You!”   “Show me You are with me!”

That’s when it started.  I began to tell Him how mad I was.  How hurt I was that nothing turned out the way I thought it would have.  I told Him that I felt like I wasted all of my time.  When I got it off my chest, I started to feel better.  I saw some beautiful sunrays burst out from behind clouds. 

I began to sing a song out loud, “He Lives,” a fish jumped up right beside me.  An eagle flew over that I initially ignored, until it called out and I looked up.  It circled me a few times as I sang out loud while moving upstream again.  I felt so much better.  There’s something I have always loved when it seems other creatures join in with me and interact, especially in times of praising Jesus.

God was touching my heart and replacing the hurt, loss and anger with peace, pleasure and joy.

That evening, I had some quiet time with the LORD.  In that time He opened my eyes. 

He let me know that the anger, sorrow and loss hope towards Him began when I doubted.  His plan and promise has never changed.  It was me who had.  I had doubted. 

Remembering Peter, as he wanted to join Jesus while walking on the water, he initially could until he looked around himself and he became afraid.  Jesus’ response to Peter as he sank, was a hand that pulled him up as He asked, “Why did you doubt?”

 

Matthew 14:29-31

And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

It hit home.  I had called out in truth and Jesus gave me His hand and pulled me back up and showed me my doubt through His perfect truth.

The LORD also opened my eyes to His desire to have me be completely open and honest with Him in the way I am feeling.  That getting it out there in front of Him, even though He already knows it, helps me to acknowledge the truth of my heart.

 When I see it fully, He has full access to free me fully and heal me fully. We are in a whole and functional relationship when I come to Him in fullness of truth.

He did it with the Woman at the Well when she admitted to the truth of her life’s situation to Him.  She received the fullness of knowing Jesus as Messiah and Living Water.  The Woman with the issue of blood confessed her whole truth.  She received peace and healing and encouragement for her faith.

Psalm 43:3  Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

John 8:36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed