When we’re under stress, especially prolonged periods of stress, we tend to revert back to relying on previously overcome coping mechanisms. Take a few moments daily to let the Lord bring to the surface any area you may be falling back into an old pattern so that He may meet your needs directly.
Be kind to yourself.
Happy Thanksgiving!
The Dependent Christian realizes that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, but doesn’t even notice. They are focused on the task that God has called them to, and aren’t distracted when others ‘do it wrong.’ Though they participate in civil activities, fulfill civic duties and abide by civil law, they are citizens of the spirit realm, and their identity and satisfaction is based on their own spiritual character and relationship with Spirit. They know Whom they believe.
“Gather My saints unto Me, those that have made a covenant by sacrifice. (Psalm 50:5)
The qualification of those presently being gathered unto Him is found in this word “saints”, from the Hebrew “chasid”, also given as good, godly, holy, and merciful. Thus we read, “Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself”, (Psalm 4:3).
There are two kinds of separation these days. There are those who “separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit”, (Jude 19). These are ego-centered, soulish people who desire to go their own way, build for themselves and will not submit to the deeper inworkings of the cross in their self-life. But, there are, also, those whom the Lord sets apart, apprehends them for His own purpose, draws them away from the crowds that He might work into them the perfections of His own will. These are in contra-distinction to those that “went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have no doubt continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us”, (I John 2:19).
What a powerful message. Once you have ‘come out from among them”, and left the Babylonish, religious system behind, to be totally joined unto the Lord, to become His will, from thereon those who are not of one spirit with you will go out from you, separating themselves from you. Do not grieve over it all; see it as a work of the Lord, that actually HE HAS SET YOU APART FOR HIMSELF. For when God sets you apart, it is because there is a difference, you are not of this world. You now belong to Him, to His kingdom. Even if you try to mingle with them, you find yourself a mis-fit. You are not of them any more than they are of you. You are marked to be gathered unto Christ. This is the handiwork of God, conforming His called ones to His image, that in them He might be glorified.
“O Thou Spirit Divine, all my nature refine,
‘Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”
This week keep an eye out for unexpected encouragements from the Lord. Things are rarely what they seem, and your trust in Him is being developed without your awareness. During this time, He will provide the encouragement and heartening you need, though it will be on His terms, and in personal ways, meaningful only to you.
Keep your head up and your eyes open!
I haven’t been posting too much lately because I’ve been volunteering during this election cycle. Though the results weren’t what we had been working for, we’ve done our part, naturally speaking.
Then there’s the supernatural-speaking, and the spiritually-speaking.
I am convinced that the Lord has much up His really-long sleeves, and it is ALL GOOD for America and GOOD for us all.
We’ve talked before about trying to understand God and what He does based on our own understanding, our own history and our own beliefs and interpretations of what others have written.
Most of our conclusions are NOT consistent with God’s Character. In fact, I rather think He’s more concerned with our mis-representing His character than with the depravity and evil in this world.
Because we have not yet learned how to hear Him on His terms, but through our own filters, He is unable to trust us with His plans. We would interfere or argue, and this not a time for either.
God is going to do what He has planned. NOTHING can stop Him. Because He has not told us what that is, and things don’t look too good right now, WHY IS THE ONLY OTHER OPTION THAT “GOD IS JUDGING US”? We think that God has warned us over and over again about the sin in our government, society and homes. We think that God has run out of patience with us — maybe a good dose of disaster will shake us out of our melancholy. This is a reflection of our own self-centered understanding, that the only options are the ones we know about. Please, let’s get real! How many times has God done something NEW! How many times do we ASK Him for something new???
So let’s be patient and let God do His thing in His time. THIS ELECTION IS NOT JUDGMENT ON AMERICA!!! This is OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD! He has crafted this situation specifically to fulfill His purposes. Yes, we react to it. Yes, we wonder and are perplexed. But we DON’T ATTRIBUTE TO GOD WHAT WE ARE FEELING AND EXPERIENCING! Though we are in the middle of outward-defeat, we are in the center of God’s plan for us, and His plans for us are GREAT Freedom, Liberty, Opportunity!
His Way! Not depending on who is elected! His Way!
So what do you and I do? Ask God! “What should I be doing now” Then test it. Then DO it! — PREPARE! Even if you don’t feel like it, ASSUME God is going to bring you — yourself — into greater opportunity, quickly. What do you need to do to be ready? Put your time, effort and energy into what He has for you to do to prepare rather than soaking up negative opinions about the judgment of God or the perilous times ahead. Use your time wisely.
God loves YOU! God loves America! God has NOT changed His mind about His Plans or Purposes.
Our best history is ahead of us QUICKLY — Get Ready — PREPARE!
God Bless America, and Honor and Blessings to us all!
This week remind yourself of what the Lord has assigned for you to do each day. Don’t be distracted by tomorrow or yesterday. Our God loves you and is looking out for you. If you need to make changes, He will tell you. Remember to test what you are hearing: “Lord, is that You.”
Joy comes in the morning.
Have a great week!
THE TRANSITION (New Testament, Pre-Resurrection of Christ, Under Law)
What did Jesus say about tithing?
The Pharisees’ Motives (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:37-54)
23:23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
37And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. 42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.” 45Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. 52Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” 53And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.
The Pharisees got mad when Jesus challenged them about why they were doing what they were doing.
This may seem like a nit-picky point, but it’s important to distinguish between these two realms. By elevating aspects of the supernatural realm, like angels and demons, we give them much too much influence and authority in and over our lives. We will only begin to walk in authority over these areas in as much as we believe we have the authority. So let’s save the term “spiritual” for those things begotten of God Himself, and “supernatural” and “natural” for those realms God has already put under our authority, even though we may not yet be walking it out.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
The pre-requisite is clearly stated, “Submit yourselves therefore to God”. The Greek word for ‘submit’ is ‘hupotasso’ meaning, to set in array under. Ah, is not this the purpose for all of our present processings? Until every part of our will bows to the will of God, and then we are able to resist the devil and he must flee from us. Fully set in array under the hand of God leaves us as ‘untouchable’ to all other forces. “My Father, – is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand,” (John 10:29).
Submitted, set in array under God, does require chastening to bring about such a submission. “Shall we much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live,” (Heb. 12:9). This is an individual challenge. He is my Father, and my submission to Him is essential if I shall ever truly LIVE. Too many only exist, torn between their own desires, and what they know to be right in God. To resist the circumstance, which He plans for our proving, is to resist the God who planned the circumstance. But as we learn to submit to Him in all things, then are we able to begin resisting the devil.
The word ‘resist’ means ‘to set’ or ‘place over against’. This is easily illustrated in the realm of our thinking. To be sure, God has been, and is dealing much with the ‘mind’, for we shall be “transformed by the renewing of our mind”. The mind has long been the battleground as evil forces seek to brainwash mankind. But we find that as we PLACE TRUTH, a positive thought over against every negative thought that arises, we gain the victory over the negative realm. Deliberately place positive thoughts over against the negative. This action is prompted and enabled by the indwelling of His Spirit. The strength for this work is His but we, through His enablement, “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling”, (Phil. 2:12).
This week don’t get overwhelmed with everything on your plate that needs to get done NOW! Focus on one or two at a time, then re-evaluate. Areas of stress may reveal an unhealed wound or unrealistic expectation. Reminder to ask: “Lord, what is the source of this? Is this something we need to look at?” Then follow through.
Have a calm week!