Cadence of Commonality! Page 71

DISSONANCE DEFINED:

“An inconsistency; inharmonious; lack of agreement.”

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE DEFINED:

“The state of mental conflict.”

This world beckons us! 

It calls out to the human mind and encourages us to seek the familiar; 

to go along with popular opinion;

to be like those around us!  Each day we live in the grind of the cadence of commonality! 

This is comfortable and easy, we think!  The cadence keeps us on our earthly path

 and this is good, we think!  Staying on the path of finite sameness we don’t hear 

our own beating heart as it beckons us to something infinitely different. 

But, then cognitive dissonance begins its cadence and we subconsciously feel a conflict. 

The spirit within us is calling out and that is where the conflict begins. Whether we’re in tuned  

with this our not, our beating heart pumps in cadence with the Spirit of God of Creation!

 Like the amazing universe we live in we are designed to be vast and bold; 

filled with so much positive energy that we mentally explode with power, 

love and unique creativity.  Everyday we sit on the cusp of a new and fresh revelation 

yet we stop at the threshold of vast knowledge because we’ve limited our lives and souls

 with the cadence of the commonplace.  IT’S TIME TO BE DIFFERENT!!!

Scripture says:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more

than all we ask or imagine,

 according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory…”

Ephesians 3:20-21

Let’s dare to ask God for revelations that are beyond our own imagination 

and live vast lives everyday!!!

Scripture says:

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and whoever sows generously we also reap generously.”

2 Corinthians 9: 6

Let’s be crazy generous- everyday!!!!

Scripture says:

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,

so that you may know him better.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of his mighty strength….”

Ephesians 1:17-20

Let’s pray powerful prayers like this EVERYDAY!  Let’s be bold enough to 

“believe that He exists” and to march to the cadence of the drumming of the God

 who Commands an Army of Angels.  THIS is our inheritance!

  And there is nothing common about it! 

FOR SCRIPTURE SAYS:

“And without faith it is impossible to please God,

Because anyone who comes to him

must believe that he exists

 and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Hebrews 11:6

SONG RECOMMENDATION:

Different

By:  Micah Tyler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUT4trsrBCw

Jesus Page 70

Jesus,

You came to earth to love people.

However, many didn’t respect you.

Many didn’t listen to you.

Many misunderstood you--

so, they called you a liar.

You lived away from your home

You endured the pain of mistreatment

Your life was crucified in more ways than one

as you struggled to represent God in a sinful world

Some stood back from you

Some flat rejected you.

Some people didn’t like you,

so… they plotted your demise.

With Quiet strength you stood firm.

You walked in your beliefs.

You persevered; you loved!

You even wept! (John 11:35)

Your time on earth was predestined

Your life’s calling was unbelievable

You obediently lived out your life!

You made a difference in this world!

Your life and struggles purposely resemble all of humanity.

That was your life’s calling--

That you be fully human

In order that the world could relate to God!

I’m comforted by this predestined similarity.

I’m awed that my pursuit to be godly

Must be done through my humanity-

Just as your life’s calling was fulfilled through your humanity.

I’ve often stumbled

Trying to understand how to relate to an invisible God,

But you are the eternal answer.

I just needed to see the similarities to see the truth.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest

who has gone through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God,

Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

But we have one who has been tempted in every way,

Just as we are--Yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,

so that we may receive mercy and find grace

to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4: 14-16

Song Recommendation:

Prince of Peace

By:  Hillsong United

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIqUTMHl9Cs

Being Poured Out Like a Drink Offering Page 69

There is a mystery in this world that cannot be understood with our natural mind.  There is knowledge that can be attained but not with the intelligence of human capacity.  There is a passage that leads to a sacred place but it is not of this material realm.  There is a door at the end of that passage that cannot be unlocked with a literal key.  The mystery, the knowledge, the passage, and the door are all spiritual in nature and NOT of human wisdom.  The scripture below delves into this eloquently:

“We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
that we may understand what God has freely given us.

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom

but in words taught by the Spirit,

 expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”

1^st Corinthians 2: 14

I’m leading you into the spiritual realm using imagery and God’s Word so that you can absorb a recent spiritual encounter my husband and I had that contained irony at it’s core.  This moment-in-time encounter with coincidence presented a mystery wherein irony could not be the only cause.     

One morning we were reading our daily devotional together and going over how it applied to us specifically.  We were seeking deep understanding over typical human issues that plague most couples.  We were studying how the Holy Spirit works and surmised that we had not allowed the Holy Spirit to change us due to our individual strongholds.  We were searching out wisdom and had a time of prayer wanting to surrender our struggles to the Lord.

As we continued to talk I remembered a distinct prayer I had several months back and shared it with my husband.  It was an earnest prayer wherein all I had in front of me was a tub of water.  I pressed into the prayer, cupped a handful of water and sincerely offered it to the Lord. I was desperate yet empty handed, I thought.  I had never heard of a water offering yet shortly after that prayer the Lord led me to scriptures that discussed this type of offering and, as only God can do, He sharpened my mind with His teaching style using irony.  I passionately shared this with my husband trying to express the profound effect that prayer had on me and we continued with our reading.  He picked up one of my favorite devotionals called Streams in the Desert and said “Let’s read this one too.”  He opened the book to that day's date and was about to read it aloud to me…but I quickly stopped him.  I was prompted to point out that the Lord frequently speaks to me using that devotional and that I felt the Lord was going to confirm His presence to us in this very moment.  I told my husband to watch carefully because the Lord was going to show up in a profound way.  He opened the book to the page dated December 12th and began to read aloud and lo-and-behold the scripture at the top of that page was as follows:

“I am already being poured out like a drink offering,

 and the time has come for my departure.

 I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2^nd Timothy 4: 6-7

The Lord shocked us both with His Spiritual presence and filled our minds and our senses with awe! It’s hard to share these types of spiritual encounters because they are so personal but I had to find a way!  I pray that you see that this seemingly ironic incident was the presence of the living, breathing Lord.  The timing and that scripture was sent straight from the Throne Room of heaven and it spoke volumes!  Some things that are beyond profound need to be acknowledged as otherworldly.  My husband and I were being God-taught and we both knew that the Lord was present in our heart, home and marriage for indeed His name is Emmanuel –God with us! 

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments,

And his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord?

“Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?”

For from him and through him, and to him are all things,

To him be the glory forever!

 Amen.

Romans 11: 33-36

Song Recommendation:
God with Us

By:  Mercyme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05Y-Px39cm4 

The Great I AM Page 68

It’s Christmas time!  Literally, the World celebrates!  Here, at home, we decorate; we host festivals and enjoy festivities.  It’s a time for family!  We give gifts; we go to church.  We sometimes find peace-but many times we just feel pressure!  We unbox decor, purchase and write greeting cards, place gift orders, move through shops and crowds.  We’re living in the season and it’s meant to be a time of joy and holiness… but we bump into an unspoken emptiness; seeking good cheer- we press on!

Humanity can sense the deep meaning of the season but with the passing of time we forget!  We forget that this time of year is steeped in ancient traditions and beliefs!  We forget that this holy time is derived from ancient writings of the ancient Jewish faith that birthed prophesy whispering about a coming Savior!  Here is just one of those prophesies:

“For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace

There will be no end!

He will reign on David’s throne

And over his kingdom,

Establishing and upholding it

With justice an righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

Will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 9: 6-7

This was written about 700 BC!

Two thousand Seven-hundred and Seventeen years ago!

Our modern-time Christmas season has been “accomplished” and firmly established by The Lord, Almighty! Remembering this brings holiness back to our December!

The genealogy of Adam is listed in Genesis 5.  As a child I wondered why this was so important.  Now, I understand that it graciously has to do with verifying prophesy and being able to look back through History and find truth; to find God! 

The genealogies of Israel are listed in 1st Chronicles 1:1 all the way through to 1^st Chronicles Chapter 8.  The first verse of 1^st Chronicles 9:1 says this:

“All Israel was listed in the genealogies

 recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.”

The genealogy continues in Chapter 9!  On and on it goes, leading us ...leading us…leading us to Truth; To Christ! Does this interest you during the Christmas season?  I pray it does!!

Let’s move from 700 BC  to approximately A.D. 60 or so (that’s 760 years)! In the very first book of the New Testament, Matthew Chapter One gives the Genealogy of Jesus- beginning with Abraham and moving through to King David - which is important because of the scripture, above, in Isaiah 9!  The genealogy continues all the way through to the lineage of….

“Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,

of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”

Matthew 1:16

Let’s remember that God has stretched His Hand through human History to bring us this Christmas Season!  Our modern Christmas was carved and etched out through centuries of time, through the lives of hundreds and hundreds of people, through literal Kings, God’s prophets, scribes, and historians! We have all of this knowledge due to the meticulous  census-keeping of people from time-past and from our God, who made it so!  Interestingly, the reason Mary and Joseph were traveling and Jesus was born in a stable was due to a mandatory government census that was taking place: 

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree

 that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee

to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,

because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary,

 who was pledged to be married to him

and was expecting a child.

While they were there,

The time came for the baby to be born,

And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and

placed him in a manger,

Because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2: 1-7

The AWE of these details is what makes our Christmas season so holy! It’s what God has accomplished through the workings of fallible man that is breath-taking.  History has worked its way to December 2018 and still man rejoices over the birth of Jesus.  The Christ-child took His first breath then exhaled and an entire new way of life was birthed!  Let’s remember the reason for the season- for it ushers into the history books Jesus’ birth!  But, Jesus’ birth also culminates the story of life on earth and proclaims the return of God’s kingdom, as written about in Revelations Chapter 22 (the last chapter in the Bible):

Behold I am coming soon!

Blessed is he who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”

Verse 7

“Behold, I am coming soon!

My reward is with me and I will give to everyone

 according to what he has done.

 I am the Alpha and the Omega,

 the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Verses 12-13

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.

  I am the Root and the Offspring of David,

and the bright Morning Star.”

Verse 16

Song Recommendation:

Mary Did You Know

By:  Danny Gokey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zybbNvK25Y