Paul, Silas, and the Midnight Hour

Sitting here at one in the morning, unable to sleep, thinking about life in general.  Pondering on what's in my heart...writing, passions, and such.  I wonder just what God has planned.  Life, in general, work, family, errands, and such all make up a day.  Yet, these are what we do....the things of life attended to and taken care of.  Deep down inside there's a wanting more....a longing.  And I know exactly what it is....God's presence.

I begin to think of Paul and Silas in the prison cell....beaten, bleak, and jailed for their belief.  Prisoners!  Captured and detained against their own will.  Yet, they endure.  They do not give up hope and cry in self-pity.  They have within them the fortitude that God gives them, to look beyond curent circumstances.  And I love what they do...they breakout in praise to God.  Yes, they had every reason to sing the blues, cuss, or carry on about the mistreatment they were receiving as most of us would do and actually do.  Not them, they sing to God.  They perceived and trusted in God despite everything.

During different times of my life, where I've experienced the deep presence of God.  Mostly, while driving alone.  Years ago, every week, I would drive two hours one way to Cincinnati.  I didn't take the interstates or major roads.  No, I chose to take the smaller roads that lead to the city.  The way in the country with the open fields  leading through the hills.  Driving through the curves and bends lined with woods.  It was a beautiful drive.  During these drives, I would turn on worship music and just sing.  Not just singing a song, but from my heart singing and feeling love for our Lord.  Something amazing would happen during these times.  I could feel His presence.  It's not something that's easily explained.  But when it happens, you know it!  Being in His Spirit...being completely in tune with Him.  The incredible love and insight during these times is far beyond comprehension.  I often wonder if this is what Paul and Silas experienced during their time in the prison.

This is what I'm missing...that deep intimate time with Him.  I believe this is what Paul and Silas had.  A deep initmate relationship with the Lord.  As they sang and worshipped God, for who He is, despite their own bad circumstances, and loved on God through it all, something amazing happened....they were freed!  God opened those prison doors, and set them free from the prison cell they were in.  Were they praying to be released?  I don't believe so...I truly believe they were just loving God and being initmate with Him.  God honored their love for Him, by setting them free.  The freedom they were granted was a by product, an outflow of God's love, God's presence.

This is what it means to give thanks in ALL things.  It's through, and in, and regardless of what may be happening in life, it's just worshipping and loving Him just because He is who He is!  That's true freedom!

Dilemia!

Dilemia!  What on the earth is happening?  Life is good and then zing!  Of course, God is in control, and He does everything for good reason, even the unexpected turn of events.  My main question...ok, Lord, what's up?  What exactly are You wanting to achieve through all this?  What?  Need You Lord!  Don't know exactly what to do through all this and how to cope and handle this.  Lord, I ask for Your wisdom and insight...Your mind...and Your peace.  Give me the cunning wisdom to handle this, to find the true source of this loss.  You know all...even why this loss.  Word of knowledge and the word of wisdom I ask.....I pray for the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of revelation to be given to me in great measure.  Thank you Lord, thank you Father, thank you Holy Spirit.  And I demand that all the opposing forces stop now!!! in Jesus Name

You said Lord to be wise as serpents, and gentle as doves....Lord, empower me through Your Spirit to walk in this word.  To be wise to the evil plans of others, and gentle through it all, and also the confident boldness to confront those who caused this loss. 

Thanks Lord!  Humbly thanking You for everything You have done.  I love you.

New Page Coming Soon - Chewing the Cud

As I'm reading the book by Leo Tolstoy, I'm faced with many thoughts and aspects of what exactly I believe.  Not to repay evil for evil...which is true.  Yet, Tolstoy's book is based on the greater scale of nations, and antiestablishment thought.  Which, quite honestly, flies in the face of my belief in a strong military for our nation.  My belief in our country standing up to enemies and foes who would invade or attempt to harm us.  Tolstoy's premise is to basically let any evil force have it's way, and not fight with violence of any type, including military force.  So, I'm pondering these two very different viewpoints, and exactly how it fits correctly with the Lord's word.  For He does have the only word/truth.  I also know that His word can be twisted or distorted.  We are also instructed in His word to test the spirits, and to rightly divide His word...that is to use it correctly and in the right context.

So, all this pondering, mulling over different scriptures, and considering and asking Him for His truth in the matter, also inspired a new section for my blog....Chewing the Cud.

Christian growth is no different from our own physical growth.  We begin young and unable to digest much.  Thus, young ones drink milk, which is easy to digest.  As a child grows, they progress in stages of food in which they are able to tolerate.  We do the same in our walk with God.  We begin, and He feeds us the milk of the word...that which is easily digested and processed.  As we grow and develop a deeper relationship with Him, he gives us meat to chew on.  It's not easily swallowed, and must be chewed before we are able to completely digest it. 

Being from a farming community, I'm familiar with a cow's digestive process...chewing the cud.  Without going into all the details, a cow chews over and over again, and I won't say whatelse, but it's a process that's involved, and takes some time.  So is the process of understanding the Lord sometimes, and what He is feeding me.  Chewing...the pondering, the meditating, the thoughts, questions, mullings, seeking, asking, searching, and researching, etc...it's all about the chewing to arrive at the point of being able to swallow, digest, and finally be nourished from "the strong meat" of His word.

Since, it is a process.  I decided it would be best to have a page to "mull and ponder".  This page will be an open thought process, and not necessarily right on track...but part of the journey to His truth.



Hebrews 5:12-14
...you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

1 Corinthians 3:1-2
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food ; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

I Peter 2:2
2 ¹like newborn babies, long for the ^a2pure ^bmilk of the word, so that by it you may ³grow ^cin respect to salvation,

Evil for Evil

Tonight I'm curling up with the book "The Kingdom of God is Within" by Leo Tolstoy.  The main premise of the book is based on Tolstoy's understanding of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

Basically, not to repay evil for evil.  This theme, I have visited myself in the past.  Knowing that you can not fight Satan with his weapons, but only with God's weapons, which are many, but include love, patience, and forgiveness.  Many times, I've been in situations where it would have been all so easy to strike back, get revenge, etc.  Yet, it's not the way.  These do not solve anything.  Matter of fact, such tactics and actions only create deeper hurts and wounds.  Revenge is never the answer.  It is an evil.  It is best to leave revenge to the Lord, as He has said for us to do.

What is revenge?  According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revenge it means:

1: to avenge (as oneself) usually by retaliating in kind or degree

2: to inflict injury in return for <revenge an insult>

Revenge is self seeking justication for a wrong or perceived wrong done. 

Notice the words "self" seeking justication....self justication.  It is about our evil/sinful "self" within looking to protect "self" from hurts, wounds, injury, and wrongs.  It's a self defense mechanism.  It is "self" looking for it's own justice.

Revenge takes many forms.  It can be shown by physical harm or confrontation or it can be a passive revenge such as a cold shoulder.  Either way, it is an attempt to hurt or injure another as a form of payment (punishment) for a wrong. 

 

We are by nature sinful creatures.  Due to the fact of the fall of Adam in the garden.  The fall, in a nutshell, created "self" as god.  Self-rule, instead of God-rule.  It is this self/sin nature that seeks revenge.  However, once we are in Christ Jesus, His nature replaces this old sinful nature within us to the point which we allow Him to do so.  (Yes, dear sweet ones, we have a part and choice in this.)  Making the choice to either go with the old self nature and be revengeful or allow the new nature of Christ to replace that old nature, and release His nature through us, which is love.  It is a choice we make, and He then empowers us to walk within the choice to love.  Yes, love is a choice!

Jesus showed us the way of the Father...to hate evil and do good.  He instructed us to leave revenge in the hands of God...who is perfect and is able to give the correct punishment of wrongs encountered.  Not to repay evil for evil.  It is allowing God to take care of us through all the pains, hurts, wounds, injuries, and wrongs experienced.  It is putting trust in Him and in Him alone....faith!

So here is the final choice...to allow revenge (which is the counterpart of hate) to rule, or to let love rule.

Real People? Any Left?

Ever wonder why there are some people who say one thing but don't really mean it?  Those who will sneak behind your back saying one thing and another to your face.  Do they really think they are fooling anyone?  Me,...I'm not polished, not a good speaker or conversationlist sometimes, and can be absent minded occassionally.  Yet, to me white is white, black is black, no means no, yes is yes,  and when not sure...it's don't know or I'm not sure.  It's  just that simple.  Not into mmind games.  I'm who I am.  So, I wonder are there any real honest people left out there?  I'm really beginning to wonder.
Be true to yourself!

Matthew 5:37

Amplified Bible (AMP)

³⁷Let your Yes be simply Yes, and your No be simply No; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

There's a scripture that says....

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

I Timothy 6:6 KJV

Contentment is an inner satisification and inner peace. Sometimes, we vision or picture a grand illusion of how things "should be". And when this illusion doesn't materialize, we become disappointed in what we actually have. And that's the whole ploy of discontentment. When we make a choice, it's possible to think...oh, just a little while and everything will be great, or thinking that it'll be no big deal. Or we believe the choice we make will solve our problems, or we make a choice with some other grand illusion in place.

And then, various circumstances arise, and the choice made isn't quite measuring up to what was pictured it would be like. And then discontent sets in and one begins to wonder if it's worth it...and all the lame rationalizations begin to come to mind.

Well, life happens and the choice made is just a part of life. I've noticed and realized for myself that the one key, after choice, is the contentment with the choice. With the inner satifisication, the settledness of the choice, the choice stands no matter what! In other words, we have to be content with the choice we've made.  If we have unreal expectations and such, and aren't happy with it, then the door is wide open for stepping back to occur....because the discontentment will always look for greener pastures in it's search for inner peace.

So, basically, don't let discontentment with life or some grand illusion of "how it should be" distort the outlook of the real reality. Be content within with the choice made and the choice will be solid and firmly established in the heart...and that is where the choices we make draw their strength and manifest.

Be content with the choice, despite anything and everything...that's one of the keys to the successful path of the choice.

Word On The Wind

Welcome! 

One of the most awesome gifts God gives, is His friendship, intimacy, and love.   And like any other friendship and love we experience, it requires spending time together being real and honest.  Talking, pondering, and exploring.  It is beautiful.  Being in His presence and learning of Him is beyond compare to any other.  It is love in the highest and purest aspect.

My heart's passion is to share and give what He speaks.  This blog is to share those deep thoughts and revelations.  Also, to share my own feelings and insights.  I'm not a preacher or clergyman...just one with a love of God and His Word, filled with His Spirit.

As His Spirit blows like the wind, I stop, listen, and feel the warm breeze of His Spirit.  And it is altogether amazing!

I invite you to join me....