I slipped in to a Beth Moore bible study at church a couple weeks back. The question was asked, "How have I developed my perspective of God?" What an interesting question. It got me thinking. Have I created a god in man's own image who is not God at all? Am I reflecting a false god? Because I will reflect who I have in me.
Moore said, "Great wisdom resides in taking an inventory of how we have developed our present perceptions of God. Keep in mind that faith that remains unchallenged ordinarily remains unchanged."
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Our Spirit's Vision
The one major lesson I've learned this past 16 months is that when we have the spirit of heaviness, we should put on the garments of praise.
I know, I know, what the heck sense does that make?! When you're in the middle of that fog that's the last thing you feel like doing. This is one of God's paradoxes that just is a mystery. It's a mystery because it is amazing, if you do it, what happens!
I remember last year when I began to understand that God was teaching me this and started to put it into action...it was transforming. The hurt was still there, the pain, the disappointment...healing was slow. But, deep in my soul it was all okay. I could get through the day. I survived. I guess that is that "peace that passes all understanding."
There's a song we sing at church "Put on the garments of praise in the spirit of heaviness." What truth there is to that statement.
I challenge you to be careful that your vision of yesterday doesn't become the vision of tomorrow. It could distort and blacken the light of today. You must guard your heart as the Psalmist says. I believe this can mean that you must guard the vision of your spirit. The dust and mud of your day-to-day life can cloud your spirit or the vision of your spirit. The enemy will blind you with vision of only the pain, failures, and sorrows of yesterday.
Remember the man who was blind from birth? Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, and placed the mud on the man's eyes (John 9: 1-14) Jesus, I believe, is saying to us, "I want to spit (put my very life) on your dirt and mud and place it on your eyes so that you may see. So that you may receive your vision."
The Israelites physically left Egypt but their spirits were still seeing "yesterday." God had a lot of work to do to help them change their vision.
God freed the Israelites only to lead them directly to the Red Sea. How many times has God directed you to "get out of the boat," go in a new direction, start a new phase in your life...only to bring you to your own "Red Sea?" You can't go back and yet there is this huge obstacle in front of you. God looped the Israelites around in a circle to set the stage to harden Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 14:1-4)
God didn't do this to destroy the Israelites although that is all they could see from their perspective (the Red Sea on one side, Pharaoh's army on the other). He wanted to show them his strength and might...and to bring Himself glory.
Who is your Pharaoh? What is your Red Sea?
The lesson:
1). Do what God tells you to do--though humanly speaking it may not make sense.
2). Learn how to resist peer pressure (Exodus 14:10-12).
3). Face down your fears and stand firm (Exodus 14:13).
5). Exercise your authority (Exodus 14:15).
6). Act on your faith (Exodus 14:16).
7). Release wrong relationships (Exodus 14: 19-20).
8). Embrace your new experiences (Exodus 14:21-22).
9). Bring closure to the past (Exodus 14: 26-28).
I know, I know, what the heck sense does that make?! When you're in the middle of that fog that's the last thing you feel like doing. This is one of God's paradoxes that just is a mystery. It's a mystery because it is amazing, if you do it, what happens!
I remember last year when I began to understand that God was teaching me this and started to put it into action...it was transforming. The hurt was still there, the pain, the disappointment...healing was slow. But, deep in my soul it was all okay. I could get through the day. I survived. I guess that is that "peace that passes all understanding."
There's a song we sing at church "Put on the garments of praise in the spirit of heaviness." What truth there is to that statement.
I challenge you to be careful that your vision of yesterday doesn't become the vision of tomorrow. It could distort and blacken the light of today. You must guard your heart as the Psalmist says. I believe this can mean that you must guard the vision of your spirit. The dust and mud of your day-to-day life can cloud your spirit or the vision of your spirit. The enemy will blind you with vision of only the pain, failures, and sorrows of yesterday.
Remember the man who was blind from birth? Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, and placed the mud on the man's eyes (John 9: 1-14) Jesus, I believe, is saying to us, "I want to spit (put my very life) on your dirt and mud and place it on your eyes so that you may see. So that you may receive your vision."
The Israelites physically left Egypt but their spirits were still seeing "yesterday." God had a lot of work to do to help them change their vision.
God freed the Israelites only to lead them directly to the Red Sea. How many times has God directed you to "get out of the boat," go in a new direction, start a new phase in your life...only to bring you to your own "Red Sea?" You can't go back and yet there is this huge obstacle in front of you. God looped the Israelites around in a circle to set the stage to harden Pharaoh's heart (Exodus 14:1-4)
God didn't do this to destroy the Israelites although that is all they could see from their perspective (the Red Sea on one side, Pharaoh's army on the other). He wanted to show them his strength and might...and to bring Himself glory.
Who is your Pharaoh? What is your Red Sea?
The lesson:
1). Do what God tells you to do--though humanly speaking it may not make sense.
2). Learn how to resist peer pressure (Exodus 14:10-12).
3). Face down your fears and stand firm (Exodus 14:13).
4). Guard your lips (Exodus 14:14).
5). Exercise your authority (Exodus 14:15).
Victory may never come if all we do is talk to God about our "mountain" ("Red Sea"). We have to talk to the "mountain" about our God.
6). Act on your faith (Exodus 14:16).
7). Release wrong relationships (Exodus 14: 19-20).
"Lord, keep me from these bad relationships. Separate me from them."
8). Embrace your new experiences (Exodus 14:21-22).
The Israelites, I'm sure, were asking, "Lord, why not just pick us
up and put us over on the other side? Why make us walk through this new and strange place?"
9). Bring closure to the past (Exodus 14: 26-28).
This was probably Moses' greatest challenge because
he knew he had friends in amongst the army of Pharaoh. There, moving across the sea bottom, were people he grew up with and loved, and Moses knew he would lose them
God had to not only get Israel out of Egypt...He had to get Egypt out of Israel.
To listen to the entire message regarding the vision of your spirit and the story about how God changed the Israelites' vision...click on the MP3 player to the right just under my pic.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
WAIT
This past weekend we talked about our concerns, trials, stresses in our lives...whether it was related to family, career, marriage, children, etc.
As I have been thinking about all that was shared...it occurs to me that we all expressed a desire for the circumstances within our lives to change. For the person at work to change, for the husband to change, for the child to change, for the marriage to change. But, I believe the Lord is saying to each one of us,
"My child, you leave these circumstances and challenges to me. These may or may not change in your life. But, I want YOU to change. You focus on YOU...nothing else. And, you will be amazed at how the "circumstances" will be affected."
So, as we plunge back into our lives this week...sure...the circumstances in our lives probably have stayed the same...at the moment. God wants us to focus on ourselves. "Change me, O Lord. Change me."
Change my unbelief.
Change my attitude.
Change my impatience.
Change my approach.
Change my outlook.
Change my resentment.
Change my pain.
Change my anger.
Change my hurt.
Change my worry.
Change my fear.
How do we begin to see "change" in our lives? Praise. Praise. Praise. Wait. Praise. Praise. Praise. Wait. When there is nothing else...praise.
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand (ah yes....standing firm). He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (our children, our husbands, our co-workers)."
Psalm 40:1-3
"Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you..." Psalm 37: 34
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27: 13-14
If you struggle to praise the Lord...read Psalm 103
As I have been thinking about all that was shared...it occurs to me that we all expressed a desire for the circumstances within our lives to change. For the person at work to change, for the husband to change, for the child to change, for the marriage to change. But, I believe the Lord is saying to each one of us,
"My child, you leave these circumstances and challenges to me. These may or may not change in your life. But, I want YOU to change. You focus on YOU...nothing else. And, you will be amazed at how the "circumstances" will be affected."
So, as we plunge back into our lives this week...sure...the circumstances in our lives probably have stayed the same...at the moment. God wants us to focus on ourselves. "Change me, O Lord. Change me."
Change my unbelief.
Change my attitude.
Change my impatience.
Change my approach.
Change my outlook.
Change my resentment.
Change my pain.
Change my anger.
Change my hurt.
Change my worry.
Change my fear.
How do we begin to see "change" in our lives? Praise. Praise. Praise. Wait. Praise. Praise. Praise. Wait. When there is nothing else...praise.
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand (ah yes....standing firm). He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord (our children, our husbands, our co-workers)."
Psalm 40:1-3
"Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you..." Psalm 37: 34
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27: 13-14
If you struggle to praise the Lord...read Psalm 103
Monday, October 08, 2007
Gap in the Line
"Put on God's whole armor (the armor of a heavy-armed
soldier which God supplies), that you may be able successfully to stand up against (all) the strategies and the deceits of the devil.For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood (contending only with physical opponents), against the despotisms, against the powers, against (the master spirits who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness int he heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day (of danger), and, having done all (the crisis demands), to stand (firmly in your place).
Stand therefore (hold your ground), having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation (to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news) of the Gospel of peace.
Lift up over all the (covering) shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked (one). And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all (manner of ) prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saint (God's consecrated people). I got a call from Sheila yesterday afternoon as she was driving back to Austin. She related to me a phone conversation she had with Mike just as she was leaving Camp Hoblitzelle that made her realize that, though she was "standing tall" from the glorious mountaintop experience of the weekend, Satan was finding "gaps in the line" is other areas of Sheila's life. He couldn't get to Sheila attacking directly at her, but he was finding holes to get through using her family.
Ephesians 6: 11-18
As you get back into the routine of life with all it's challenges this Monday morning, beware my dear girlfriends of attacks not directed specifically towards you, but coming at you through members of your family, through people at work, work itself, etc.
The Deceiver will find the gaps. Beware of being blindsided.
(FYI...all is good regarding Sheila/Mike...Sheila recognized the attack and diffused it immediately).
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