My Future...at 73

I am 73 and have a number of "damaged parts". I am not among those Christians who think that God is The Giant Tester in the Sky, something like a miserable Latin teacher I had in high school. God's "tests", they think, are for the purpose of seeing whether or not we pass or fail, or to see how much we can endure. No. God's "tests" are designed to cause us to be strengthened; for us to grow up as we move on in our journey. I have concluded also that aging is God's final reality check. We really don't know how full of pride and independence (from Him) we are until sickness or aging hits us!! Aging is humbling. BUT that can be partly a good thing if it thrusts us into the arms of our loving God who is working toward our becoming what He designed us for now and in our eternal future.

I look forward to my "Future". While there is not a lot of “future” left in this earth life, I look forward to a future of “Heaven” life, whatever that is. I do not believe it is a place to sit around on clouds and play on little harps. I expect to explore the wonders of the universe and beyond. I imagine spending time with Jesus as well as all my relatives and friends who have gone on. I also think about what challenging service that He will have for me to do. And, about having a body free of pain and suffering; a body which is youthful--and limber.

One delightful elderly patient I had was very animated one day when I went into her room. She said she was “going home next week” and was talking excitedly about seeing her former Sunday School students and others whom she had known in the past. It seems that her doctor had told her: "You are going home next week." Apparently this lady had attended a church where they used the term "going home" to refer to dying and going to heaven. In her slightly confused mental state she thought the doctor was telling her that she was going to die the following week. She was anticipating her "home going" with great enthusiasm!!

God reminded me recently that life is a gift. I believe that there are contributions to be made--even if it is only a smile, a word, or prayer for others. Ultimately, God is the loving giver of life and also the one who determines when life will end (Job 1:21). Until then may I be a fruitful branch to Him, even when I definitely don't feel like it!

This life is just the "foyer", not the main building. When my family visited Las Vegas on a ministry trip in the 1970's, my husband wanted our grade-school aged children and I to see the inside of a casino. To my surprise there was a really huge foyer before you reached the gaming floor. And, even more surprising, there were NO chairs or other places to sit in the foyer. The message? Move on to the gambling area; no time or place to sit in the foyer. I thought: Hmmm...Rather like this life. While God gives us places of rest during our journey, still the idea is that this life is not the main event!!! It is only the foyer!

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!!!!

      Yesterday I was reading about “adoption” and “sonship” in the New Testament. I fully believe that the “adoption” that the Apostle Paul is talking about has far more to do with maturity in the believer than it has to do with being born again. If someone tells me they were “adopted” into God’s family, I tell them, “Not me! I was born into God’s family. I have His DNA!” The “adoption” of which Paul is speaking is not the same as we ordinarily understand it,  i.e. legally making a child (not of your seed) part of your family so that you call him/her your “son/daughter”. While you have legally made such a one to be your child, he/she will never be your child physically or biologically; he does not carry your DNA.

     Paul was speaking of a process of his era whereby a tutor was given the task of educating and preparing a child for an adult life of maturity and responsibility, perhaps in the father’s business. To be “adopted” was, at the appropriate time, to be placed as a mature son in the father’s family. (Read Romans  8:14-25). While suffering is going to occur in this process, it is designed to produce maturity—mature sonship: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God…even we ourselves [not just creation] groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption [to sonship], the redemption of our body...” (See NKJV and NIV)

      Recent revelations about an internationally known TV station owner’s extended extra-marital affair have caused us to pause and grieve--once again. Many comments could be made. Nevertheless, for us, we must remember to Keep Our Eyes on the Prize! And, seek to grow into mature sons whom God can entrust with His Kingdom business. Ones who will, like Moses and Joseph, choose righteousness and integrity above any sexual or other temporal desire. “By faith Moses…[chose] to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward…” (Hebrews 11:25,26)

                                       LET’S KEEP OUR EYES ON THE PRIZE!!!

Gifts or Maturity

“He [the Lord] made known His ways to Moses; His acts to the children of Israel” (Psalm 103:7)

“ For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Psalm 95:10,11)

It sounds like in these verses there were two different categories of Israelites whom the psalmist is referring to: (1) those who know God and understand Him and His ways of doing things; (2) those who only know God by His “acts”—or miracles.

The Israelites always had to see miracles in order to believe in the God who had brought them out of slavery!! They didn’t really know God or how He accomplished His purposes. In other words, they thought that the only way God acted, no matter the situation, was by performing a miracle. Miracles were the answer to everything. Sound familiar?

As charismatics we are quick to defend the functioning of the Gifts of the Spirit. I would like to suggest that the Gifts are not the goal in our lives or of those lives to whom we minister. God is forming something. Not just “church”—or especially not “church growth”. But He is after maturity!! One could have 50 Gifts operating through him, and yet be immature! We can see this demonstrated in history. But, even more evidentiary are the letters Paul wrote to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14.) He chastises them for having all the Gifts going on yet they do not have love. They were immature and needed to grow up in Christ.

God is raising up His Bride. I don’t believe His desire is for this little bride trotting along behind him like a Japanese wife of the last century. He is forming a mature Bride who can assist in managing His Kingdom. At the same time, in a different metaphor, He is growing mature “sons” who, when they have reached the appropriate maturity under his tutor, will be “adopted” into mature sonship and assist Him in the business of His Kingdom. 

You don’t get that maturity by knowing God only by His “acts”.

(Continued in next blog post)

"Only a Vampire Will Love You Forever!"

It’s Halloween time again. And, no I haven’t been reading vampire stories or seeing the latest vampire movies.  I don’t celebrate Halloween—and can remember when I no longer could allow my little children to go trick-or-treating. That was back in the early ‘70’s and there had been many reports of poisoned candy and of razor blades hidden in apples. It hurt me to disappoint my children, but we explained to them about the holiday, and tried to make up for it with other plans, including candy. Churches, at that time, did not hold alternate “Fall” celebrations.

A few days ago, however, as I was shopping at Walmart I spied a rack of girls’ tee shirts with the above saying scrawled across the front: “Only a Vampire will love you forever!” At first I was shocked, then grieved. Of course words from the Bible came to my mind:

…….“God is love” (1 John 4:8)

…….“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)

……."For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38,39)

What can one say? Our society is so messed up that it sends messages to its young girls that eternal love comes from vampires! Young girls who may indeed be starved for love. You may think, “It’s only a fad. It will pass.” Perhaps. But the fact remains that for our young people the darkness can be very dark.

Let us pray, share love, and hold up a godly standard.

A "Need to Know" Basis

Recently the Sunday morning speaker finished his message by quoting from Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” Instantly in my mind I said to the Lord: “Please, would You mind sharing those plans with me?” Come on, you know you have fussed at the Lord numerous times for His seeming lack of direction, and you are left with this giant question mark in your head. Talk about frustration—and stress!

We are so full of questions: Why this and why not that? Why me? or perhaps Why not me? What will I do? Where will I go? While we seem to have endless questions, God often speaks to us in two or three word sentences, if at all. His answers seem to be incomplete or occasionally incomprehensible. One more question: Why is it so hard to simply trust Him?

There is an interesting TV ad for something-or-other that has the one person saying a term, then the other giving a monitone explanation of the term such as one would get on the internet. God is not in the information business. He is not an Infinite Google Search Engine. Electronics have increased our expectations for near instantaneous answers to our searches and questions. But it doesn’t work that way with God. That is because He is after something infinitely greater than simply giving us “answers” to our questions. He is after forming us into mature sons of God like His son Jesus; preparing us for an eternity with Himself. That IS the point of it all. This life is like the foyer to a concert hall; we have yet to enter into the concert and experience the fullness of the purposes of the hall—the music.

God seems to operate on the FBI principle of “Need to Know.” In the FBI the level of your security clearance as well as your position determine how much info you are allowed to possess. Security clearances and positions don’t count in God’s Kingdom, but there are times, I think, when He firmly, but kindly, tells us to sit down and shut up. We don’t “need to know” whatever—at least at this time. This is humbling and requires a somewhat childlike attitude. The Bible even states that those who prophesy only “know in part” so therefore they can only prophesy “in part.” (1 Corinthians 13:9)

All of this, of course, does not mean that God does not answer some questions (maybe years later), or give us direction. He certainly does guide us. Trust, however, and patience are key elements. And, the better we know Him, the more we are able to trust Him.

Psalm 131:2—“But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” No child enjoys weaning, but it is essential for growth. We must trust God’s decision as to what we “Need to Know.”

"And my worldview includes....."

You may be thinking “I don’t have a worldview!” I beg to disagree. Everyone has a worldview. They probably have never expressed it as such, or may never have formulated it into any kind of statement. But that worldview is there.

What is a worldview? It is similar to a filter through which we run everything . It includes our understanding of God, the world and universe, what makes things tick, why people do certain things, our purpose for being on earth, etc., etc. This worldview was developed through your parents, friends, teachers, TV, church, and even Aunt Tillie.

When I was growing up I lived in upstate New York close to the Quebec border. My mother was terribly prejudiced against French people—and against the color red because, she said, French people wore a lot of red! I was twenty-something before I realized that my refusal to wear red was a prejudice that had been passed on to me. Finally, however, I became able to freely wear red!

A worldview, however, is not just about such prejudices. It is much broader than that. It includes what we believe concerning why things happen, why there have always been wars, where man came from, and whether scientists should be allowed to clone people.

I personally am thankful that as a kid attending a little country Methodist church with my family, I joined with the congregation in reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed every Sunday. ( http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/apcreed.html) The Creed is basically a statement of belief which most Christians could agree with. It forms the foundation for my worldview.

I challenge you to consider when you speak, write, or think, that you ask yourself: "How am I expressing my worldview?" Does your worldview by which you judge all things line up with the Word of God? Does it reflect the Spirit of Christ?

Is Jesus a "Hard Man"?

 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered” Matthew  25:24

My computer dictionary defines “talent” in this way: “1. A natural aptitude, 2. a former weight and unit of currency, used esp. by the Romans and Greeks.” In Jesus’ story or parable, he wasn’t referring to #1 definition. He was talking about money. However, that is not relevant to this post.

Did you ever wonder why this third man thought that (1) Jesus was a “hard man”, and (2) wherever did he get the idea that Jesus could or would reap where He had not sown??? The concept of sowing in order to get a harvest is stated or implied throughout the scripture. Did Jesus ever sow any grain? Did He reap any harvest? Did He ever miraculously reap where no grain had been sown, or advise any one to attempt to do so? 

Everyone can see why this man did not get a return on his investment; he never invested the money. Duh! But why didn’t he invest? Through some difficult lessons I believe the Lord showed me the answer to that question.

A “hard man”? In his response to the Lord in the parable (actually Jesus) it is obvious that this man did not know His Lord--Jesus. If he had, he would not have pegged Him as a “hard man”.  He didn’t really know Him.

Reaping where He had not sown? As I mentioned, this is totally antithetical to scripture. So, not only did he not know what Jesus was like, he did not know nor understand God’s ways or the principles of the Kingdom of God. (Note: the Lord's response in v.26 is posed as a question, not a statement, in several translations. He was not agreeing with the man.)

Thus, he was afraid and did not invest his talent in faith.

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” Colossians 1:9-11

Let’s strive to increase in knowing the Lord Jesus better and also in the understanding of the principles of His Kingdom so that we may be fruitful—not just for ourselves, but for Him.

Crop Circles and God's Plan?

     Have you ever spent any time researching about “crop circles”? You know, those strange designs laid out in fields of grain seen in many parts of the world. I have. A few years ago I got on the internet and investigated a number of websites which featured lots of pictures and comments. My conclusion was “Hmmmmm.”

     After looking at numerous pictures of various designs, both from the air and from the ground, I had an “Aha!” moment. I realized that the folks who were viewing these crop circles only from the ground had no idea what the whole thing looked like; they could not view the actual design from their vantage point on the ground. All they could do was wander up and down the labyrinth of pathways that lay in front of them. They figured there was a design, but they could not see it.

     My “Aha!” had to do with the fact that in order to see the design of the crop circle, one had to view it from above, from an airplane or helicopter. This was the only way to get a full view. Isn’t this the same with the Divine Design of God’s purposes and plan? Of course it is. We must view this life not just from the “ground”, a part of the pathway in front of us, but from the grand view through the eyes of God.

    And, how are we able to view His Design and Plan? Well, of course, being born again is the first step since the indwelling Holy Spirit is our “Viewer” with which we see God and His Plan. Then, the Word of God spells it out for us. Gradually, through faith we begin to see the grand Design; we are able to view His Design from “above” , and we learn to fall in step with His Plan. What a different and superior perspective!

“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”—Ephesians 2:6

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath”--Isaiah 51:6

"Praise Me for Health!"

What a health-conscious culture we live in! You cannot watch TV, read magazines, and see advertising on signs without getting some “health” message. At times it is obnoxious! Lose weight, exercise, take supplements, join this diet program, take this drug, get this surgery, buy this exercise equipment, and join this spa or gym. It’s non-stop. And of course if you do all that you will be hot and sexy and attractive to the opposite sex. Maybe you might get physically healthier, too.

People who have serious health conditions are often handicapped and are unable to comply with all of these health messages. Maybe their lifestyles contributed to their poor health, while others may have inherited their problems or possibly were involved in accidents—or war. The scripture reminds us that we have “this treasure [Christ] in jars of clay…” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

I have health problems. But, one day, during a time I was talking with the Lord, He said this to me: “Praise Me for health!” Now, it was not an audible voice, but it was very clear nevertheless. At first I thought He was saying that I should practice verbalizing, “praise” to Him for the health He was going to give me, or perhaps as an exercise of positive speaking to obtain that health. A “faith” statement repeated over and over. Gradually I realized that this was not what he was saying.

This statement reminded me of my brother, Chuck, during a crisis of his faith. He wrote to me and asked me was God so vain that He needed to be praised all the time. The question startled me as I had never had such a thought or heard anyone ever express such a question. I wrote back to him with the best explanation that I had to offer at that time.  This included the thought that God is worthy of our praise all of the time regardless of what was going on in our lives.

Many years later, I heard God speak to me the above instruction: “Praise Me for health.” Then I understood. God was saying, “In the past you have spent time in the gym working out for your health. You have paid attention to what you are eating for your health. Now praise Me for your health.” I saw that behind God’s instructions to praise Him was His concern for our welfare—and health. It wasn’t just so He could receive our praises for Himself. Rather, praising Him is actually a good exercise for our health. As we see Him, love Him, put Him first and get our focus off ourselves and our problems, we will praise Him. As we focus on who He is and what He has done through Christ, we are changed into healthier persons.

Praise God for health!!

Servants or Friends?

Which are you: a servant to the Lord or His friend? Both, you say. Or perhaps your answer would be that you are born again and therefore a son, but you are basically His servant since you call Him Lord. How would you describe your relationship?

I don’t believe our relationship with Him is easily compared to any other single kind of relationship we have experienced. Or, perhaps we could say it is a combination of many kinds of relationships we have.

In the Bible we first know God as our Creator. In the Old Covenant (Testament) in the Bible we begin to further know Him partly through His names—Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, etc. He is also referred to as “Adonai”, or “Lord” which of course describes His position over the universe and over us. It implies obedience to Him.

Switching to the New Covenant (Testament) we hear Jesus, our Lord and God, say these words:

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”—John 15:15

Jesus is telling His disciples that He desires no longer to relate to them simply as a rabbi or a master, but He has taken them into His confidence. This is the relationship of a close friend. Yes, He does expect our obedience, but would much prefer our love and cooperation in His Kingdom processes rather than obedience from the mindset of a servant.

In the book of Galatians the apostle Paul speaks of “schoolmasters” or “tutors”. He saw the law (implying obedience) like a pedagogue, or schoolmaster, of Paul’s time. The tutor was appointed by the boy’s father to arrange for all of the boy’s training. Only when he had completed all of this training was the son declared as achieving his “sonship position” in the household and in society. It was a mark of maturity. He was, as we would say, ready to take over the father’s business.

God, I believe, desires to be to us as a father to a mature son. Also He desires a friendship relationship. Do we desire this or are we always waiting for the “ax to fall” on us because of our shortcomings. Or are we always running off somewhere and doing our own thing? We are already “sons” by birth, yet we must mature so that we can share in the administration of His Kingdom. And, we need to seek God's face so that we may be a friend to Him.

Union or Unity?

The Loops of the Tabernacle

You can tie together the tails of two tigers and you will have union, but its guaranteed that you won’t have unity! When a man and woman marry, they enter into a union but are not always in unity.  A church made up of Christians is technically in union but definitely not always in unity. Why is that? Doesn’t union guarantee unity? (Matt 19:5,6; 1 Corinthians 6:16,17; 1 Cor. 12:12-14)

The instructions which Moses received from God for the making of the Tabernacle were very detailed. Of course, all the elements of the Tabernacle stand as types of Christ and our relationship with Him and others. One detail in particular stands out to me: the loops attached to the coverings for the tabernacle. The covering was made in sections with 50 loops attached on the edges. Then the loops were joined together thus causing the curtain sections to be joined. “He made fifty clasps of gold and coupled the curtains to one another with the clasps, that it might be ONE Tabernacle.” (Ex. 36:13 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul asked the church at Corinth: “Do you not know that you are the Temple of God?.” Also this Church is built “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being ht chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 3:16 and 2 Cor. 6:16; Ephesians 2:21)

Each Christian is vital for this Tabernacle, this Temple, to be built into the dwelling place of God. Each loop of gold or brass “was carefully numbered and guarded by the Levites, for if but one had been wanting, the curtains of the tabernacle or tent would have been insecurely united.” (The Tabernacle”, by Henry Soltau, p.47) We are already in union with Christ and with one another. We must seek Him for love and wisdom as well as work at our unity so that the Temple may be secure and display Him to the world.

“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – Psalm 133:1 and 1 Peter 1:22

Like Layers of an Onion

    Why doesn’t God just whip us into shape when we are first born again. I think the answer begins with a statement in the Old Testament when the Israelites were receiving instructions on their entrance to the Land of Promise: “I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you until you have increased, and you inherit the land.”—Exodus 23:28,29

I feel like I could teach endlessly on these scriptures, but now is not the time. Point: the whole journey of the Israelites on into the Land is a picture and type of the Christian’s journey through life with Christ. Think about it. Search it out.

Possessing the Land was definitely a process and was to be accomplished a little at a time—like peeling back the layers of an onion. As we walk with Him and talk with Him, He peels back a layer and (hopefully) we receive His revelation from the Word and the Holy Spirit as to how to “increase” so that the land is progressively taken. One layer at a time.

If you have been saved for awhile, you can look back and see this process in action. Were you ready to receive the truth back then that you now have at least partially grasped? Setbacks? Read the Bible if you want to hear of others who had “setbacks”. Some learned; some didn’t.

God is ever wanting to lead us forward with Him: “Come, follow Me,” He says.  “I have already given you the Land—the Land of My Promise--I will drive out your enemies little by little. Possess those parts that I liberate for you, through Christ as your life. Have faith in His processes with you!

“He must increase; but I must decrease”—John the Baptist, John 3:30

Contemporary Church Idolatry

      Stalking boldly across the courtyard, King Hezekiah shouted orders for the men to open all the doors to the Temple of Jehovah. Then he ordered the repair of those doors and the cleaning out of all the trash in the inner parts of God’s sanctuary. He was on a mission, a mission to re-sanctify the priesthood and the Temple, and to re-establish worship according to God’s instructions. His father, Ahaz, had rejected the Law and the Temple. Hezekiah knew that the nation could not be blessed until this work was done. You can read all that took place during this extraordinary revival and restoration in 2 Chronicles, chapter 29 and 2 Kngs 18.

      High on the king’s agenda was the breaking down of the places where sacrifices were made to various idols. At one such place he found an unusual idol: a bronze serpent. This serpent had been made by Moses hundreds of years before. At the time the people were under a plague and God told Moses to make this serpent and place it high on a pole. Those who looked on it were miraculously healed. We now understand that the serpent and pole pre-figured Christ on His cross. However, hundreds of years after Moses did this, the people were worshiping the bronze serpent along with their other idols. They called it Nehushtan.

Today we see many Nehustan worshipers in the Church, i.e they worship something from the past: a type of music, a style of worship, a doctrine, a concept of how “church” should be conducted or organized. For the Israelites, they had transferred their worship from Jehovah to a symbol or representation of past blessing. They no longer worshiped Jehovah or kept His Law.

The Church is transitioning into a new paradigm. We must stop worshiping at the altar of the past paradigms. Someone has said that the “Seven Last Words of the Church” are “We never did it that way before.” God is not static. While His Word or His Person never change, His seasons do. Let’s prepare by giving up our Nehushtans!

The "Groaning" Honey Bee

Have you seen those SPCA ads on TV where you view all those abused, neglected and abandoned animals? How grisly and sad. They are the direct result of human evil and cruelty. But, there are other ways that the curse which emanated from Eden effects our world. I am speaking particularly about America and “Progress”.

We are beginning to see the effects of our “progress”—or arrogance—in a new way. In the April 12, 2010  issue of Time magazine there is an article entitled “The Perils of Plastic—chemicals in plastics and other products seem harmless, but mounting evidence links them to health problems—and Washington lacks the power to protect us”. The author notes that changes have been made to reduce air pollution and the water is cleaner. “But if the land is healing, Americans may be sickening. Since World War II, production of industrial chemicals has risen rapidly, and the U.S. generates or imports some 43 BILLION lbs of them per day, leaving Americans awash in a sea of synthetics.” (p.48)

As a source of disease, he notes that these plastics “may disrupt the delicate endocrine system, leading to developmental problems. A host of modern ills that have been rising unchecked for a generation—obesity, diabetes, autism, attention –deficit/hyperactivity disorder—could have chemical connections.” My comment: suspicions confirmed. As a diabetic I find this very interesting.

And the honey bee disappearance? Genetically modified foods may be a possible cause. Man is ignorant and arrogant. The more he tries to “progress” on his own, the more evident is the futility of his efforts. Now things are so complex and intertwined that it seems that there is no “fix” or solution.

Paul said in Romans 8:19-22 that the whole creation was subjected to “futility” and suffers because of Adam, the original lord over the earth who gave it over to satan by his disobedience. He, Eve and the whole creation came under a curse as a result. The Great Hope (promise of God) is that one day the creation will be delivered—along with man: “The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now…” This is the final and complete solution!

Spiritual Gifts and Farm Machines

Recently I was reading Mary Jane’s Farm,  a magazine about organic farming and related subjects.  In one article there are several sketches of various kinds of farm machines. Even though I was raised on a dairy farm in upstate New York, I never saw nor heard of a number of these machines. Each piece of machinery was designed for one purpose: to prepare the ground for, plant, or harvest crops. The focus is not on the great machines themselves—their design, weight, exceptional quality, performance or cost. Farmers do not purchase these wonderful--but very expensive--machines in order to display them for everyone to admire. The focus is on harvesting a crop, not on the machines. Their various functions ultimately serve to bring in ripened crops.
Are you getting my drift? The gifts of the Holy Spirit are like those machines: their purpose  is the planting, growing, harvesting , and gathering of men, women and children into the Kingdom of God. Each machine has a different function—some plough up the soil, some plant the seed, others fertilize and lastly there are those that help gather up the harvest. Harvest time is not about the display of these wonderful machines, i.e. gifts; it is about the harvest that will be brought in.
We need to “sharpen” our machines/gifts so they will be ready for the Harvest that God is bringing. How can we do that? Become trained and mentored. Whether it is in the doctrinal foundations of the Word, the use of the Gifts, teaching, prophesying, or visiting the sick. Not every one is “gifted” in every “machine”, but there is at least one gift that speaks to your heart and in which you can further your training. The Apostle Paul told Timothy to “stir up” the gifts that were in him. I believe training is included in that “stirring up. (2 Timothy 1:6)

“If the ax is dull and and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success”—Ecclesiastes 10:10 (NKJV)



(See dream about NOT ENOUGH STAFF to handle the Harvest Dec. 27,2009)

Hooked on God!

Was listening to a Kim Clements song: “Why did I run away?...Because I wanted to hear His voice again.” Of course he is referring to Elijah when he ran away after the spectacular experience with the prophets of Baal and God won! Haven’t you had those times with the Lord that were so special, but when you “came down” from them it was kind of like being thrown into a tub full of ice water! You just want to remain there with Him and experience Him again and again and again. You’re hooked on God!

At such times you could be in a den of lions, i.e. a room full of atheists and muslims and they could give you all the possible arguments as to why your beliefs are crazy and irrational; they are right and you are wrong. At such times laughing is what comes to mind, for Christianity is not just another “religious belief”. It is literally experiencing God and learning to walk with Him. The old-time Pentecostals used to say: “It’s better felt than telt!” Of course life isn’t all ecstatic experiences. There is plenty of warfare, mud and desert—the places where character is formed and we are shaped into the likeness of Christ; those places where our testimony may, at times, simply be that we are still standing.

It is not difficult to imagine why we need new bodies in the next life. Without them we would all fall down like Daniel did and be sick for weeks.  The story is told of a kitten that used to hang around when the farmer was hand milking his cows. Occasionally the farmer would squirt milk in the direction of the kitten who would open his mouth to receive his bounty. The farmer walked away for a minute and the kitten climbed to the top of the full pail of milk and then accidentally fell in. He sank to the bottom of the pail and nearly drowned. But, he swam to the top and was heard to say: “O for the capacity equal to my opportunity." One day we will have that new capacity.

Simplify: Back to Basic Christianity

For those who are interested in what The Ministry is and is not, I recommend the article at the end of my post. What he writes is definitely not the usual yada-yada. If you go to the link you can also read the discussion. I also recommend this man's ministry which I have followed for years. The following is a copy of my comment in the discussion of his article:

While in South Africa visiting my son and his wife who were administrators at an urban church there, I met and chatted with a black pastor affiliated with the church. The Holy Spirit communicated with me that I needed to listen carefully to what this man had to say. He never shared the circumstances of his salvation but apparently he did not receive much discipling at that time. He explained that after being saved he began to have a great concern for those in his community who were in need, including the many AIDS victims. At times he was almost overwhelmed by their needs and his desire to help them. In fact, he said, he began to think there was something “wrong” with him because of the strong urges in his heart. He spent many hours sharing Christ and giving whatever help he could.

Finally, someone from the church (mentioned above) visited his area and the pastor shared with this man his concerns for his community, and the anxiety he had that there was something wrong with him. After further instructing him in the Word, this man told him that he most likely had a pastor’s ministry and calling. Now, the pastor said, everything began to make sense and he understood how the Holy Spirit had been working in and through his life.

I have never forgotten my chat with this black pastor. Somehow I felt like I had met with a real New Testament “ministry”. Ministry expressed as the loving and concerned heart of Jesus--no titles, no financial perks or status among fellow ministers. As a member of a poor black community, if he was "known" at all, it was for his love and good works. He was in "full-time" ministry, but not like we usually define it.

My "word" for 2010 is "Simplify". And, in regards to everything Christian I really desire to clear the field, shovel back all the trash that has accumulated over the years and covered the treasure; to dig out and go back to the basics: Christianity 101. God has restored much to the Church of His Son, especially in the last 100 years. But, I remember what happened to Rebecca. Once she got a look at Isaac, she forgot all about the gifts Abraham had sent ahead for her--gold, silver, rich clothing! (Genesis 24:53,61-67) She only had eyes for her Bridegroom! The purpose of God's restoration is not so we could fall in love with the restoration or His gifts, but so we might fall in love with Him and then minister the gifts for others.

Article: The Ministry of One-Anothering by Chip Brogden

http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/the-ministry-of-one-anothering.html

ECHOES

      I have never been in the mountains where you can shout and hear your voice echoing back to you. However, I have heard lots of echoes in my head, echoes from the past. Not necessarily a “picture” memory , i.e. a kind of a “visual echo.” Sometimes I think satan carries a special DVR under his arm and pulls it out periodically to get us off track. We may not have complete control over his recorder, but we do NOT have to react to these echoes. Being born again includes a direct WiFi connection with our Lord Jesus and His mind, anytime or anywhere. This is why Paul tells us to “renew” our minds, i.e. to consciously counter satan’s recorded messages with what the Word of God says about whatever it is that is echoing. When he turns up the volume and our minds, souls and bodies begin to react, we have to “turn up” the Word and look to the Holy Spirit.

     Sometimes we are not aware of what may trigger an echo. We just react. It is often difficult to see ourselves objectively. But I have a favorite verse that I frequently claim: "Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you." (Philippians 3:15) What a great promise!

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2)

CONSIDER THESE WORDS FROM RICK JOYNER

We Need Each Other

We are told in I Corinthians 13 that we know in part, see in part, and prophesy in part. This means no one has the whole picture, and if we are going to have the whole picture, we are going to have to put our part together with what others are seeing. We need each other. The Lord has composed His Body so that we all need each other. The more we are able to connect with other parts of His Body, the stronger we will be.

I know several relatively large movements that are likewise devoted to growing in prophetic ministries and gifts. Each one is very different from ours, but I think this is a good thing. They have been used by God to speak and give us invaluable prophetic revelation for our ministry. Their style may be different, and even the way they hear from the Lord is different, but it is still the Lord. 

We tend to attract those who are more prone to visions—those who see. Others may be more prone to hear words from the Lord, being more like ears. We hear as well, but we tend to be more visionary. Likewise, they see at times like we do, but still they tend to be more of those who hear.

When those who hear come around us I think our people start to hear better, and maybe they start to see a little more. We need to stir up the gifts in each other this way. We also need to be secure enough in who we are in Christ to be different from one another and still appreciate one another.

The Lord compared us to sheep for a reason—in many ways we are like sheep. One characteristic of sheep is that if flocks do not crossbreed with other flocks, they will get weaker with each successive generation. This happens to great movements and denominations that do not interchange with other parts of the Body of Christ.

Does “Positive Thinking” Really Change Things?

For years my husband and I were horrified by the extremes of certain Christian teachers and advocates of the hyper-faith movement. I can remember one particular horror story that surfaced about a young woman with breast cancer being ousted from her church because the fact that she continued to have cancer and was not healed gave the church a bad name, i.e. it was bad PR for the church. This incident was verified by her father who is a prominent Christian minister to the poor.

Recently I bought a book—at full price, ouch!—entitled Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich who is an established author. This is not a Christian book, but was reviewed in Christianity Today.  The author became interested in the subject after having breast cancer and being bombarded with Positive Think on every hand.

Being a former cellular immunologist the author refutes the theory that strengthening the immune system through Positive Think effectively counters the cancer cells in the body. She points out that the immune system is designed to counter “foreign” cells (such as microorganisms like TB or Strep) and not the body’s own cells. Cancer cells are the body’s OWN cells and therefore not attacked by immune cells! Then she goes on in the book to show how Positive Think has invaded our society and become accepted as “scientific fact”, which it is not, and even how it has invaded the Church.

My point: I would be willing to bet that every part of western Christianity has accepted Positive Think , and even consider it as an expression of the Bible. But, I would like to say that Positive Think, including it’s ability to change reality, is not scriptural. There is a vast difference between changing one’s heart and life in general by thinking positively and putting one’s whole faith and trust in the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says: “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word divides between what emerges out of our soul/mind  and what emerges out of our spirit where God dwells.

I am not advocating that every one become a Grinch, but think on this: the Positive Think mantra is really a form of manipulation. Where in the Word are we told to “manipulate” God or one another?  Sounds like some kind of witchcraft!?!

Confirmations

In the last week since I posted my thoughts about learning lessons from putting together jigsaw puzzles I have received two newsletters with this theme. One was from Chuck Pierce (access through Glory of Zion ministries) and the other was from Graham Cooke, an awesome prophetic person. The latter guy was advertising an upcoming conference: I believe this year's conference, The Missing Piece, will be an incredible time with God. This is an excerpt from my introduction onThe Missing Piece:

The plans of God are big, bold and beautiful.
The Holy Spirit knows who you really are
and the part you were meant to play.

Recognize your turning point. Take the opportunity to rediscover and upgrade your status in the epic drama of Heaven coming to Earth.

If you have never been to one of our conferences, it is worth the trip.The Missing Piece runs March 4-6 at the Mission, our home church in Vacaville, California. For more details, click here.

Lessons from a Jigsaw Puzzle

Believe it or not, over the years I have actually learned lessons from putting together jigsaw puzzles.  Once a year, after the holidays, I like to put together a puzzle. It’s kind of like a release after all the activity, gift-buying, decorating, etc. It seems to help me clear my head.

Recently I completed a complex one with two large cats under a Christmas tree. I regretted buying it because the two cats had similar areas of color and I ended up with a pile of pieces for each color of cat but some pieces could go either way. I almost put it all back into the box about 20 times, but didn’t want to be a quitter. Two lessons: (1) Don’t quit, and (2) give yourself breaks away from the task. I didn’t quit because it was the principle of the thing. Also, I discovered that if I took breaks, when I returned  to the puzzle I could immediately place pieces that seemed invisible before.

When I was a kid our family used to put together jigsaw puzzles as a group activity. No TV or Wii games at that time. First, of course, we lay down all the border pieces. Now we had a frame/framework in which to place all the other pieces.  Then, while we all participated in placing individual pieces inside the frame, each person also worked on a section by themselves. They sorted out pieces that seemed to belong together. Eventually the sections were added into  the frame, and then finally came the very last piece. What excitement for the one who got to place that final piece.

I haven’t mentioned an absolute essential element to the successful completion of this puzzle: the box cover. Without the box cover there would be no way of knowing what picture was on the puzzle. How, then, could we possibly proceed without first seeing what it was supposed to look like; without envisioning the finished puzzle?

God’s plan may often seem chaotic or without point. However, if we study the Bible and seek understanding through our teacher, the Holy Spirit, we will be able to envision His eternal plan, His “Big Picture”. With the “box cover” in hand we can see historically how the pieces came together and how they will ultimately be completed. With each one of us helping and working on his own area, as well as working together, eventually we will see the “puzzle” completed and God’s Kingdom plans come to fruition. We must, however, keep our eyes on the "box cover".