Walk by the Spirit

We are told to walk by the Spirit and not by the law. We also are told the summation of the law is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. To love your neighbor as yourself.
For instance I can be faithful to my husband, not divorce, be submissive, be married for years, meet the needs I am called to do and not love my husband at all. It is only by the Spirit we love. We receive the love of God. Jesus actually loves through us. He teaches us how to love and what love is.
Love is not getting someones approval and being a door mat. It also is not control and having your own way. Expressing that through anger or bitterness.
You must be taught. Scripture tells us the way of love in 1 Cor. 13, but to fully understand it the Spirit has to write it on our heart. He has to empower us. Humble us. Sometimes it is through experience in maybe failure to love. Maybe success in learning to love in SPirit and in truth. Laying your life down for another.
We speak truth into each others lives to grow in love. We share the gospel. Point each other to Jesus and the Fathers love. We love because He first loved us. It is a giving and receiving. It is not something we can try to do. It is a fruit of the Spirit. To grow in love we have to know the God who is love. Spend time in His presence and embrace. In His word. Jesus is the word. The scriptures speak of Him. He is the orgin of love. He shows us the Fathers love. If you have seen me you have seen the Father. We can do nothing apart from faith in Jesus living in and through us.

What do you believe?

Proverbs 23:7a
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

What do you believe about yourself?

Do you believe you are completely righteous, holy, blameless, forgiven, accepted, loved.  Do you believe you have a purpose.  That your life is meaningful.  That you are beautiful.  You were created in the image of God.

Do you believe Jesus lives in you.  That this is a great mystery He wants to reveal to you.  You live in Him.  You have the Spirit of the Father and Son living in you.  He will never forsake or leave you because that would mean He was leaving Himself.  Nothing can separate you from this unfathanable
love that is beyond our comprehension.  He will give you this love for Him.  It is a beautiful exchange.  He loves you, you love Him because He loved you first.  The Father loves you as much as He loves His own Son.  He wants you to drink in His love so much that you overflow with it.  It cannot be stopped nor defeated.  You can love the unloveable.  You can do greater things than Jesus did while He was on earth because He gave you the Spirit.  All things are possible through Christ.  You can do anything because of Him who strengthens you in your weakness.  The same power that raised Christ from the dead on the cross lives in you.  You live from the place of victory.  He will fight your battles for you.  Satan is defeated.  He has no power over you. He cannot touch you unless your Heavenly Father sees it will be good for you and for His glory.  He redeems.  He makes right, wrongs.  He brings beauty from ashes.  Your life will be a window into His Grace.  You will be a trophy for all to see Him through you.

Your Father is in control of everything that happens to you.  Everything is sifted through fingers of love so deep that the scars are still on His hands.  Everything in your life, even your sin, will be used for your good and His glory. You are forgiven.  He remembers it no more.  But when the Father looks on you He does not see your sin.  He sees the beauty and holiness and righteousness of Christ.  He said it is finished.  You are complete.  You are lacking nothing that the Father has not given you.  You are unique.  He designed work for you to do before you were born.  None of your suffering is wasted.  He has compassion for you.  He felt your pain, suffering and sin on the cross.  He will give you a broken and contrite heart.  He loves that about you.  Your humility that is actually His.  Your love for others that He places within you.  He gave you over to sin that you might know Him. He desires for you to know Him.  How else would you know His mercy except at the cross where He gave His very Son to die for you.  He sent His Son to come and get you.  He knows everything about you.  He wanted you to join in the dance and love relationship between the Father, Son and Spirit.  They had so much love they knew there would be delight in sharing it with you.  It pleased the Father for His Son to suffer and die and bring you to Him.  He is not angry with you.  It was taken out on His Son on the cross.  He felt that anger from an Almighty God and His wrath.  He was separated from His Father.  He was rejected for you never had that happened before and never to happen again.  He did this so you will never be separated.  He endured for the joy set before Him.  You are that joy.  The Father planned it and the Son carried it out as the Father shared this plan with Jesus.  He sent His Son because of His great love and desire for you.

He rescues you and you are free.  When you wonder from Him He is courting you back to His side.  He is wooing you, drawing you.  He will not let you go to far from Him.  His love won't let you go.

 You are adopted, chosen, the child of the King of the Universe.  He has given you everything you need for righteousness and Godliness.  He will meet your every need.  You are seated at the right hand of your Father with Jesus.  Everything that is His is yours.  You share in the inheritance.  You share in His glory.  He will give you a crown you can lay at His feet.  You will grow in knowing Him for eternity.  You have eternal life with Him and the saints.  You are His bride.  You can do nothing apart from Him.

He wants you to have continual, ongoing relationship with Him.  Where your thoughts become His thoughts.  Your will becomes His will.  You are one.  You will lean into Him and press into Him and He will just know your thoughts before they are on your mind.  You will trust Him and know He is so for you.  Your prayers will not cease.  Not that you talk to Him all day long but you share your being with Him.  It is a love relationship between a Father and His children.  A husband and His bride.  This is the church.  He will give you peace and joy beyond comprehension as you learn to trust Him.  You will delight in one another. You will sing and dance and party.   You will long for His presence as you ache inside for His nearness and rest.  It maybe a struggle at times to trust Him but He will give you faith as you ask Him.  You will not always be faithful but He will ALWAYS be faithful to you.  He will give you promises and wisdom and knowledge and gifts to serve and love.  Your delight will be in giving as you receive from Him.  He will lead you.  He will impress on your heart what you are to do and illuminate your path.  He will teach you and comfort you and counsel you.  You will hear His voice through His word, His love letter to you.  Jesus is the word.  He will speak to your heart as He writes His word there.  He will give you a love for His creation and teach you to create beauty as you enjoy Him.  You will begin to see His glory everywhere in everything.  You will come to know His character.  But He will always surprise you.  He will widen your tent and stretch your faith.  Give you ministry and power to tell others who they are and about this Jesus and Savior and Father who united you with them with their Spirit.  Through Christ.  About this love relationship with the Trinity. He will give you the words and tell you when to listen.  When to ask for forgiveness and when to speak the truth in love.

He will call you to worship Him in the oddest of times.   Your heart will long to worship them in Spirit and Truth.  It will not be just on Sunday but it will be a part of your everyday life. He will call you to honor and adore Him for who He is and what He has done.  You will lift Him up.  Your burdens will fall off like rain.   He will sustain you and bring you much joy.  Lifting you above your circumstances to a life of faith and trust.  You will never be the same.  You will begin to see Him for who He truly is.  He will be the most important person in your life.  

These are just some of the things the Spirit is making true in my heart.  What do you believe?

I Could Explode

Our evening...Talking with Sarah of the things of God. Danny cooked pork roast.. I cooked the rest of the soul food.
We ate when Danny got home from church. The kids listening to a sermon on line. Talking about devotionals and daily bible reading. Cars getting stuck. Having to get the tractor and pull my son out. Talking to my grandson about life in Christ.
Then ending the night with Duck Dynasty laughing my head off. I don't even watch television. Just this with my guys.
I am so thankful I could explode. Jesus makes everything beautiful.

His Body

I want to share this so desperately. I am weak and tired and not thinking clear. So I am praying for the words you might hear and for Gods strength.
Romans 12:4-8
New King James Version (NKJV)
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Sitting on my sofa, trying to think of what God had been teaching me, of the suffering in my life, being still in this sickness, but being in His presence. I was on my computer. It was dark and getting late. I had voiced my restlessness, my struggle to believe and need to be loved within myself lifting these things to the throne of Grace.
Then I heard the door slowly open. A familiar voice I had not heard for way to long called out. It was my friend whom I love. She walked around the corner. My heart was beyond joy and excitement. How had she known my heart was longing for just what she could provide. It was a gift from God.
We called another friend and said ok, you coming tonight or in the morning. After a quick chat with her husband we were off to go get her.
It was as if we had never been apart. We picked up with our stories of joy, pain, confession, enlightenment, wisdom, the gospel, truths beyond ourselves only imparted by God. We encouraged, loved, listened with compassion, wondered, filtered what God was doing and where He might be going through the circumstances and people in our lives.
We were dancing with the Trinity. The Spirit was filling us up and we were being a part of each other and sharing the life of Christ that was so alive and vibrant within each of us.
We talked and listened til 1:30. We woke early and began again where we had left off with only 4 hrs of sleep. No one wanted to move for fear we would miss the heart of each other and of God through us. We talked til early afternoon.
It was time to part. But we took something so grand with us as we went our separate ways. We embraced with hesitancy of parting. Our minds, hearts and souls had been stretched.
We felt the pressing of the Spirit to take the love, wisdom, comfort we had received to the world beyond the room we shared. Our faith had been strengthened, our hopes were within us and our desire to love with truth and boldness but gentleness was pouring from our hearts within. Living and being through us.
We had been with God. We had been one with Him and each other through the vulnerability and honestly and of meeting the needs of each other. We had functioned beyond our capabilities into the realm of our giftedness. God's glory and the fruit of the cross of Him now living in and through us to each other was realized. We were and are the body of Christ.

All of grace

Sometimes I write just to hear myself think. This is one of those times so if you don't want to read that is fine. I am going to pretend you are and that the Lord hears my heart.
We have had a ruff 4 years here. I tried to say I had faith and trusted God in the situation and I am sure there was some of that. But my tendency is to try to be strong for everyone, You know instead of being weak and finding my strength in the Lord. Well to do this I put my head in the sand. Or you could say I go into denial about my situation. These are old habits that I thought were gone.
Just recently as there is some type of end to a phase of the situation I started coming out of denial. I started seeing what had happened. What we had been through, those I love. Then about 2 days ago I begin to just cry at times with no warning. Then I would get angry and hateful at even those I cared about. I guess I was truly angry at God.
During this time the Spirit has been revealing things that need change in me. That I am not as spiritual as I think I am. And old truths in a deeper way. It was things about my relationship with God, Father, Son and Spirit. I have been reading like crazy. Listening to talks, and sermons. Asking some their opinion and experience in communing with God through the Spirit.
I have been on a roller coaster, from denial, crying, being angry, understanding deeper the things of God and His love for me. And last but not least my need for forgiveness from others but much love from others and the God of my heart and my life. You see it is not me that is trustworthy. It is not me that is Spiritual. It is me that needs a Savior and a Father to love me and the Holy Spirit to teach, empower, and so much more. What I am seeing is there is a desire in us to have unbroken intimacy with God. God desires for us to not only receive His love but to rest in it. And to love Him in return. To keep close to our heart the truth of the gospel. It is all of grace.

Chosen for Hardship

Colossians 1:24

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I ^[a]do my share on behalf ofHis body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking ^[b]in Christ’s afflictions.

I don't want to push my beliefs on anyone. I think when we get to heaven we will find out none of us has theology all right. It will take us all coming together as one in Christ to be whole. I would like to share something I have struggled with for years. Somethings are just to grand for our comprehension and we much accept it on faith. I wondered if God is in control of all things, even the things we perceive as being bad. Then how is He good and what about my free will. Ro 8:28 says that God uses all things for our good and His glory. I have lived long enough to see some of the really hard things in my life for good.

John Piper has a book called Future Grace.  It talks about because of Gods faithfulness and grace in the past we can trust it and Him for the future.  He proves Himself faithful even in the thought worse circumstances.  It is almost like the bigger mess there is for Him to redeem the greater His glory.  Could you be chosen for hardship?
I have free will also. It was explained to me that our free will and Gods sovereignty run along side each other like railroad tracks. They work together and hand in hand.
I enjoy reading Joni Ereckson Tada. She has been in a wheel chair since her accident when she was a teenager. She says God was in control of her accident and He loves her beyond words. She provides wheelchairs in her ministry for others who do not have one that needs one. She says her accident drew her closer to God than she would have been. She also says she can't wait til heaven when she will dance.
I have heard that everything that happens to you have been sifted through hands of love. James Dobson said difficult things in our lives is like a parent needing to get a shot for their childs ear infection. It is for the care, love and healing of the child. But the child doesn't understand only the pain. But they trust their parent.
Shall I receive the blessings of God only when they seem pleasant. Or do I trust that nothing happens to me beyond Gods control. He is in the business of our eternal good, His glory and making us more like Jesus. Sometimes these bring pain to refine the dross from the gold in our lives. At that time the gold reflects the image of its craftsman. He is the potter. We are the clay. The clay must go into the fire to be shaped into His masterpiece. Scripture says God brings calamity, restoration, healing, redemption, love.
Gods perfect plan for the cross of Jesus was before the beginning of time. If Jesus can suffer for good. THen I should identify with Him to know Him and the power of His resurrection. God gave us over to sin that we might know His mercy. He even uses our sin to bring us closer to Him.
I have an addiction in my life. I hate it but it humbles me and causes me to stay on my knees. It is a thorn in my flesh.
Like the thorns on His head and the sword in His side. It pleased the Father for Christ to die to bring us to intimacy with Him and our job is to love and trust Him. And to believe He is who He says is. His ways are not our ways but He loves us enough to even have us suffer for our good.
If you believe another way, that is your choice. If you are unsure. Ask the Father to show you His ways. Be willing to be open minded and not afraid of change.

Written on our Heart

We picked up my nephew from school. He was so excited he had made an "A" on bible. He then said but I don't want to say my verse. His mom said have you already forgotten it. I told him it was still important to memorize his verses from the bible. I explained that when he got older and was in situations that the Spirit of God that lives in him, would bring the verse to mind and heart that he needed. I said you might not remember it word for word but the meaning and what you need will be in your heart. The Spirit promises to write Gods words on our heart as we read and study. The bible is for all situations of life. Look to His words as His Spirit leads you no matter what the circumstance. The Spirit will impress them on your heart and mind. As you lean into the Gentle Shepard He will guide you with His staff of the living word.

In My House

• Great time with my friend, FAMILY. Thinking back on our last couple of days I am just trying to take it all in. There were tears and many laughs. Hugs and I love yous. Prayers, blessings, request, thanksgiving. The sharing of old stories some new to some. Remembering those we loved who are with Jesus.
  I am just kinda amazed how different we are but how alike we are. We would fight anyone for each other. The family blood runs through our veins. We are bonded forever. Even my dear friend Martha who writes with me we had not seen each other for years and it was like I had just seen her yesterday.
  There is a special bond between the family of God. My cousins talked about all the different denominations in our family. We shared our different ways of worship. How diversified we all are. In heaven we will be more united. We will be one with our God and each other. There will be no separation. Our differences will be the very thing that makes us beautiful to our Lord. There will be such love and joy among us and our Lord and Father. Even now we have an unconditional love for each other because of being family and the family of God.
  I don't know. I am just thinking. It was really neat. We even prayed for those that weren't there and missed them. No one could take their place. There was a void with them not being there. THat is the same in the family of God. No one can take your place. You Father has a special place and a special destiny in this amazing Family of His.
  If you have friends you are blessed. If you have family you are blessed. If all you have is Jesus you belong to a family bigger than you can even imagine. We now even are to meet each others needs and support each other. We need the body, the family. Our families now are nothing but a picture of a bigger picture of the family that is ours now and forever more.

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    Jim Puntney Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. 
    
    My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 
    
    You know the Way to the place where I am going."
    
    "I am the way and the truth and the life. ~ Jesus

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What voice are you hearing?

What Voices Are you Hearing?

Our heads are full of thoughts, voices. Have you tried just to be totally quiet? What are the voices you are hearing. What are they telling you? Several years ago I tried to be quiet in my thinking. I heard all kind of voices. Things I had to do. Condemning voices. Lies about who I was.
I had to learn to bring these voices up against the word of God to find out what was truth and what were the lies of Satan. What were thoughts I was believing that were of God. I had to learn what I was really believing about God and myself.
If the voices were quick and convicting they were of God. If they made me feel like I was unworthy and condemning they were not of God.
I learn to reject the thoughts that were not true. The ones that said I was not Gods daughter and that I did not believe in God as my Savior and Lord. To fill my mind of life, goodness and hope. I learned to renew my mind. That I actually could have the thoughts of God.
I learned to listen for that still small voice that spoke to the spirit of God. To read in His word who I was as a child of the King. What my inheritance was. How God loved me and how there was no condemnation for those who were in Christ Jesus. How Gods Spirit lived inside me and would never leave me. That nothing, not even sin could separate me from my Lord. That I was forgiven because of Jesus death on the cross. That the Father loved me as much as He loved Jesus. That all that was His was mine. I learned to have the Spirit direct my path and speak words of affirmation to me.
This may take some time but it is so worth it to discipline to learn to hear and trust the word of God to you.

Riding the Fence

Riding the Fence.

Do you ever find yourself riding the fence with someone or a group of people. Maybe you stand for God with your friends but not with your work friends. Are you afraid if you bring up Jesus with this person that doesn't believe it will hurt your relationship. But the hardest sometime is your family. They may think you are preaching or a hypocrite. Someone may think you think you are better than them. Are you thinking you don't know what to say?
You can start by telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners. That He came for you. Then you might share what Jesus is doing in your life. Have someone pray for you while you are sharing. Pray yourself and for their hearts to be open.
You can be the most eloquent person but it is the Spirit who has to work in order for someone to believe and trust Christ with their life. Ask for forgiveness. Have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Lets get off the fence. We can live whole hearted for Christ.

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