BY THE GRACE OF GOD PAGE 117

 

It took years for me to understand a deep spiritual truth regarding my life in contrast and in conjunction to Jesus Christ.  When I first begin the journey of understanding Christianity, as a kid, the entire function seemed to target getting a confession of sin through the bold preaching and the verbal confirmation, “I am a sinner.” As a child, it felt shame-based and condemning.  At the same time, it was conflicting because I was supposed to feel “joy, joy, joy, joy down in my soul”.  If you were raised in church you’ll get that little tune stuck in your head today. 

Bear with me as I hone in on an idea:  There is a premise put forward in a famous book that implies that once we recognize something within ourselves, on conscious level, we can overcome it, as needed. I recognized that I was a sinner using my logical mind and reason but truthfully the logic of it was as deep as I could get so I ruminated there for years, never overcoming.  Looking back, I do wonder how a child is to understand deep spiritual truths except by blind faith.

The truth I lived out was "I am a sinner". I simply didn't move beyond that. As I got older, my life-style  confirmed I was a sinner so I sinned. It seemed self-fulfilling and it was.  I soon recognized that I was going to feel guilt and shame no matter what I did so sin was perpetuated. The next steps in theology didn't penetrate my heart or soul.  My ole friend, condemnation, was always there to shine an inner spotlight on my failings and I just assumed this was a normal part of the Christian process. This is an awful way to live. Obviously, I was missing something pivotal as a "Christian" as I paved my way to hell. 

 When processing through the steps of faith we can get stuck in the sinner's section and believe we deserve it;  I’ll confess that I did. The process really must go further than that.... but I stayed imprisoned in the realm of sin and often heard voices shouting “You need a savior”, which only reminded me of what I already knew; I wasn’t good enough. 

Why after all those years of church attendance did I not know about the Grace of God?  Why was I never directed to the true path of redemption and restoration?  The answer is, “I don’t know.” All I can say it I was blinded to that truth. Yes, I know this is shocking, because the point of Christianity is that I am to find The Way.  I am supposed to find the light, the hope and the love of it all.  But, for years and years I didn’t.

I believe that the teachings we receive can keep us chained in condemnation and never move us into the grace phase and this is what happened. I wonder if you can relate to this.  I internalized condemnation for years. I was very well versed in the sinner/sinning, "the wages of sin is death", the “we have all fallen short of God’s glory” phase and never knew or recognized the HUGE mechanism of God's Grace which when finally grasped was the very door I was worthlessly beaten up and thrown against. It was there that I met my Savior. 

Sure, I needed to recognize I was a sinner but I also needed to have the light of grace seek and find me, like the lost child I was. When I became consciously aware of God's Grace, His Light moved into my spirit and after years of being lost I was found.  It was the very moment I had been waiting for; the mechanism of a Spiritual Truth that I had been reckless to find. 

 I found this verse and it became a beacon of hope:

“But for the Grace of God I am what I am 

and His grace to me has not been without effect”. 

1 Corinthians 15:10

The point of the writing is for us to recognize that there is a way out of the pit of sin and a path to restoration that begins with grace.  It is through the recognition of a spiritual truth that it is only through the bestowed Grace of God we are saved.  There is nothing I could ever do or strive to become to earn it.  There was nothing that I could ever find intellectually that could explain it for me ..... for grace doesn’t seem logical to a dying person.  It is spiritually discerned and received. A gifting of something we can never earn but only accept with our heart and mind, when we come to the end of logic itself! THAT IS GRACE. 

“For it is by grace you have been saved,

through faith--

and this is not from yourselves

it is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:8

SONG RECOMMENDATION:

HOLY WATER

BY: WE THE KINGDOM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC93W6EqH3c

The Light of Your Face PAGE 116

“It was not by their sword that they won the land,
Nor did their arm bring them victory;
It was your right hand, your arm,
 and the light of your face,
for you loved them.”
Psalms 44: 3

The above scripture is a beautiful explanation of God’s favor.  It tells us that within this battle, the warriors did not win victory by their own strength but through the light-filled favor and love of God. We’ve all probably had an experience wherein we received something we did not earn and this may have baffled us.  Here in the present time we are not too familiar with receiving something we didn’t work for. Frankly, many of us don’t want to receive anything we didn’t earn.  We make life hard when we tread around like that.   If we do receive a favor from someone, we shake our heads and state, “So and so did me a favor”. Man, it’s hard to accept a favor and we wonder why someone would do so anyway?  We question it, don’t we. Or is it just me?

Through a recent study I learned that God’s favor is bestowed into our lives.  Bestowed; an interesting word.  It means an honor or a gift that is presented to others. Let me express with deep awe that it is an honor when favor is bestowed. With clarity we see that this type of favor is not earned.  It is a gift.  In the example above, God presented His favor over these warriors as they battled to win some territory.  But why?  The answer is tucked in the last phrase of scripture, “for you (God) loved them.” It’s as simple as that.  This example is perfect for us in the modern world because aren’t we also striving to win some territory here and there, whether it be a literal place or territory within some emotional or spiritual space. 

It gives me peace to know that love is what inspires the favor of God. It inspires Him so much so that His face has the beautiful countenance of Light.  Instinctively, we are moved to bestow love upon others and we recognize that this flows from a well-lit place within us, where goodness and kindness dwell.  We are moved to share our time, our hopes, dreams, gifts and even our help to others.  We bestow our attention and generosity and do so out of a genuine place of care and concern.  We do this for our children, our spouses, our extended family and friends.  We do this because we know it’s important. This choice brings forth a light from within us that shines out and upon others.  It simply makes things better; life brighter.

Let’s recognize, that just like our God, love is what inspires us as well.  Let’s continue to bestow favor and kindness upon others.  Let’s do it for the sake of love; for the sake of ALL that is worthy; for the light-filled honor that such favor sends out in this dark world. 

“In the same way,
Let your light shine before others
So that they may see
Your good works and give glory to your father 
Who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

AMAZING SONG (*A must listen to*)
IN AWE
BY: HOLLYN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKbbRbd2dQs

A Monstrous Substitution PAGE 115

What are you doing with your life?  Are you looking for something yet feel you don’t know what you’re seeking?  Are you struggling on the daily and only occasionally stop to ask yourself why you are striving and struggling so much; What is the end-goal?  Is there something in our souls that propel us to do this?  What are we looking for?  What are we running to…or from?  What are we doing with our lives? 

The Book, The Pursuit of God, states that we have made a monstrous substitution in regards to life’s purpose and therefore have missed the meaning of life.  

“The roots of our hearts have grown down into things,
 and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die.
Things have become necessary to us,
 a development never originally intended. 
 God’s gifts now take the place of God,
 and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.” 

I cannot understate the awe found in the depth of the statement that the “whole course of nature is upset by” our horrific substitution.  The scriptural antidote is this;

“If any man will come after me,
Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: 
And whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Matt. 16: 24-25

As a wandering wonderer, I can only reason out this riddle of sorts through hope that I’m following the right path.  The tyranny of materialism beckons and we hear it’s call plainly.  The spiritual call of an ancient God is harder to discern. The closets of our lives are filled with things we don’t need and the recesses of our minds are lacking the recognition of gifts that can only be placed in us by the One true God.  We can all say that in some way we have substituted ‘things’ for what is godly.  

A.W. Tozer, writer of The Pursuit of God, explains; “the only effective way to destroy this foe; it is by the cross.” We cannot break the yoke of oppression, which is visible and found in our striving, our longing and feelings of need, by seeking to attain more. That seeking of More, in and of itself, is the Oppressor; the foe.  We must rid ourselves of this modern Oppressor, which, ironically, is Self.  That Self that wants and wants and really doesn’t know what it wants. That Self that has bought into the lifestyle of seeking but never attaining enough; of striving for the end goal but not knowing the End Goal.  It’s madness. 

I find it interesting that humans have always sought out the meaning of life.  If we could just stand still, in the position of listening, and drown out every single sound in the way of our hearing….we could recognize a simple truth- that every single moment of our striving is for naught.  "We brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out."  "We have everything we need within us for life and godliness" but it’s this external world screaming for our attention that’s gotten our attention.  Why?  Because this fallen world is the very antithesis of godliness.

The good news is that there are laws at work that demand balance. Here is one scientific law we’ve all been taught and can understand; “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  For example, if there is a striving then this law indicates that there is a ceasing. That is the exact premise.   There is an opposite position in this realm that stands in contrast to the chaos our material pursuit; it is the surrendering to the scriptural truth that through Christ we have all we need and that we can find Rest in that.  We just need to recognize that we, indeed, have all we need. It sounds too easy because it is. Can you imagine the feeling of relief in this world if we all just ceased our striving and returned our hearts to the honorable pursuit of loving God and loving others?  It is truly that simple yet we complicate it in ways that are all too familiar and specific for each of us. 

Another cataclysmic problem is, the world doesn’t want us to recognize there’s a way out of this tyranny because it wants! It wants our attention, our money, our hard work and our time.  This world and its promises of fulfillment are like clanging cymbols of distraction that want our constant attention.  The here and now is all we have.  Let's stop and put and end to all this striving. God is the God of rest.  Peace is His countenance and love His center-point.  If peace and love are not propelling us in all we do-then we have lost our way in this fallen world. This, too, is a monstrous substitution.  

Song Recommendation:

First Things First

BY: Consumed By Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyF1g6l0AKo

“Peace I leave you;
my peace I give you.
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled 
and do not be afraid. 

John 14:27

I have told you these things,
So that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Where There Is No Vision PAGE 114

In Proverbs 29:18, scripture says, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” Perish means to suffer death and/or to suffer complete ruin or destruction. I love when scripture can be applied to the here and now. For me, this scripture is applicable because I’ve been without clear vision for a while now and it has felt like a personal death. With courage and hindsight, I can now share the story of how I lost my way in life as my family faced several dire situations within a 6-month period of time that devastated our lives and lifestyle and literally tried take my husband to his death. With perseverance that didn’t feel like perseverance but simply survival mode, we lived to tell the tale. This post is one of my first steps back into the light of gratefulness and this testimony is about the vision that paved the way allowing my family to forge ahead toward restoration, as God turned things around. 

To begin, in March of 2021, my husband, Paul, was diagnosed with a blood disorder that usually leads to leukemia and was facing the possibility of a Bone Marrow Transplant. This news was shocking and hard to take in.  As a wife and a mom, I had a lot of balls in the air and this news pushed some sort of metaphorical button where my life went into a mind-numbing pause mode.  All the plans I had just went still and then slowly began falling to the ground as I stared into oblivion.  It was months before those balls touched down but, even then, it felt I was still standing there, dazed with no vision whatsoever. 

One of our biggest plans centered around our youngest child, Ava. Her high school graduation was coming up-which included her spring break trip (which I was going on), her prom (which I chaperoning), her graduation party (which we were hosting in our home), etc.  You get the picture.  There were lots of events to manage which meant we were about to become empty-nesters.  To be honest, becoming an Empty-Nester was a mixed-blessing for me, that called for huge emotional adjustments which I pretended to handle well. For some, this transition may not seem like a big deal and may even be exciting. For this creature of comfort who believes in all things family it was life-changing.  My internal question became, “What am I now”?  My private inner dialogue had many components, all clouded with an undertone of uncertainty, because my mind was also on Paul’s diagnosis which added the question, “Is he going to make it through this”.  Everything and I mean everything in our lives was up for grabs. 

First and foremost, I tried not to panic and, of course, did not want to upset our kids and so I underplayed their dad’s diagnosis, wanting to use the wait-and-see tactic.  I “thought” this was courageous and wise but Paul felt deeply unsupported.  This was one of those dangerous bridges that I crossed not knowing if it was the correct plan of action or not. There were some painful discussions and repercussions from that decision, but we made it to the other side.   

Unfortunately, late summer, Paul’s business hit a wall and there was no recourse but to close it down leaving us without an income. We had already been thinking of downsizing and so his business closure and medical diagnosis pushed us along and we put our home on the market and it sold in 1 day.  Now, we have to move our entire household as well as move our daughter to college. Also, Paul was having monthly blood tests and was seeing two different specialists. Getting the results from his tests was stressful because they were indicators of “when” Paul would need the Bone Marrow Transplant. He would almost panic and I’d sit there with a lump in my throat and no visible emotions in order that I not fall apart. Honestly, I “thought” I was being brave…and didn’t explain why I was so stoic and this caused some pain for Paul as well. Again, we made it through.  Each month passed, events came and went, Ava graduated and was moved to Fayetteville, AR and the blood tests kept us on our toes. Changes were on the horizon, that’s for sure; however, as we all know from the last scene in Steal Magnolias, life moves on. 

Well, in August, Ava called home in a lot of pain and wanted to fly home.  We picked her up at the airport at 10pm and decided to take her straight to the ER.  We thought she’d get an antibiotic and we’d head home.  Nope.  She was admitted due to a swollen lymph node and intravenous antibiotics weren’t putting a dent into it. 2 days later, we were called in for a parental discussion with the doctor. I hit the panic button, expecting bad news but thankfully surgery was the next step and Ava was stabilized. Unfortunately, in that same week, our precious Yorkie, Jimbo, was diagnosed with cancer and was put into the ICU while Ava was in the ER because we could not attend to him. I had to put our eldest daughter in charge of Jimbo’s care and I was torn in two, because I couldn’t be in two places at once.  Ava made a full recovery but our sweet doggy passed away the day Ava got out of the hospital. This was excruciating.  Our hearts were broken because we couldn’t spend quality time with him when he needed us. It was a trying time for sure.  This was the same month we sold our home in which we lived for 8 years (longer than any other home we’d ever lived in) and so the bittersweet pain and disruption of our upcoming move was swirling around causing additional heartache. 

When disaster strikes we all respond differently and to be prepared, mentally or otherwise, isn’t really possible because it arrives, uninvited, and takes no prisoners.  In our case, add to the scenario the other issues and responsibilities we already had, such as a sick child, a sick animal AND moving our entire household, and “BOOM”, we found ourselves sitting in a place that felt like complete ruin.  With head down and pain pulsing I lost my way. The normal tempo of tenacity and the usual nuance of personal vision that usually helped me navigate life was turned off in such a way that getting up, dusting myself off and beginning again seemed overwhelming, because it was.  

As a family, we all did what was required. We got up, moved out and moved on.  We did what needed to be done; one thing at a time, one day at a time, one month at a time.  We took steps of faith that can only be described as bold.  My husband kicked into gear and sought any and every remedy for his health including literally choking down holistic Green Juice and taking more vitamins than we now know what to do with.  But, most importantly, we prayed.  Did we flounder during this time? Yes indeed, in many ways.  Did we cry and battle the pain of total fear?  Sadly, yes.  But I must stress the one main thing we did with perseverance was to pray! 

My husband found a faith-healer in our area and with the boldness, I mentioned earlier, we went to be prayed over one Sunday morning.  Ironically, this renowned preacher wasn’t there that day so Paul was prayed over by those leading the service and we were greatly blessed. However, as we headed out the door he said we were going back the next Sunday to be prayed over again.  We did just that! Was that a comfortable move for this small-town girl?  NO. I felt like I was moving through shades of gray due to all the unknowns but kept moving forward.  Did I hold to my faith during all of this?  To tell you the truth I was like a deer in the headlights, lost to my vision of what faith was and barely clinging to a smidge of hope; but, graciously, one specific thing I knew was scripture and I knew that The Word says, “We must hold on to the hope we have….” (Hebrews 10:23). 

 While I tried to cling to hope my husband forged ahead like a warrior. What he actually did was form a plan and, with that, built a vision. Scripture says, “I have set before you life and death; blessings and curses. Now, chose life.” Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV) My husband set his course to live and was inspired by desperation and great need.  The Bible says, “Let us therefore come boldly before the throne of grace that we may find mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 This is exactly what Paul did, and frankly, it was striking to watch as he moved forward using audacious God-moves. Paul was stirred into action, had a vision and for months he pursued healing.  

That very next Sunday Paul was prayed over the 2nd time.  I was standing next to him.  Wide-eyed and with awe, I physically watched to see what God was going to do.  You see, I was distinctly aware that I should do so because for years I had a lovely card posted on my vision board (that’s still there) that says, “Lord, we don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12.  Instinctively, I kept my eyes open and I watched.  As Paul made his need known the minister began to pray.  Immediately, Paul began to say out loud, “I don’t know if I’m breathing in or out.  I don’t know if I am breathing in or out.” My husband didn’t remember saying this but I made a piercing mental note. Let me tell you, in that moment, I was taken aback.  I didn’t know what to do but stand there. Within moments, the prayer time ended and we were just stunned as to what to do next.  I was also prayed over (another great story to share later) and then we gathered our things and simply walked out the door back into our daily life and the daily fight, and to the monthly blood tests that followed.  I knew this then and now; God was up to something and God answers prayers!

A couple of distinct things occurred:  One, I knew that in several places in scripture the Holy Spirit is referenced as a wind and also as breath.  I felt deeply that we had been in the presence of The Holy Spirit. Two, Paul’s monthly blood tests began to improve, month after month. Yes, they would go up and down again but they slowly moved up into the normal range.  Meanwhile, Paul would flat out tell everyone including the nurses, the doctors, the specialists and others that he had been healed by God.  Their responses differed but the Specialist would always caution that Paul would eventually need the Bone Marrow transplant. Time passed but Paul kept professing his healing to everyone. Paul’s numbers continued to remain stable and I suppose enough time passed so the Medical professionals were willing to admit that Paul must have been mis-diagnosed.  Though spiritually, Paul was quick to say he was healed, when it came to the doctors giving him a misdiagnosis, Paul was hesitant receive the good news that he had been waiting on for so long.  With time, it finally sunk in and now we confidently share that Paul was healed through supernatural prayer. 

 I truly laugh knowing that a “misdiagnosis” is frequently the pronounced prognosis when a miracle takes place.  This world simply doesn’t make room for the power of our Living God and the miraculous works of His hands. With that said, what was the one ingredient that paved the way for this miracle healing?  The faith of a vision.  Paul had a vision that included the end-goal of healing and with great faith everything he did moved in that direction.  This is a perfect example of what a vision is.  It’s seeing the end goal and never accepting no.  Conversely, it is accepting the “Yes” and saying “Amen” to the very breath of the Spirit of God.  

“For no matter how many promises God has made

They are “Yes” in Christ.

And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us 

to the glory of God.”

2 Corinthians 1:20

 “Write a vision, make it plain

so that the one who reads it will run.”

Habakkuk 2:2

(Paul had a vision of healing and ran toward it)

“I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;

I will look to see what he will say to me.”

Habakkuk 2:1

(I watched to see what God was going to say and do)

Jesus breathed on them and said,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.” 

John 20:22

(The Holy Spirit is Breath)

“Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds,

And his ministers a flame of fire.”

Hebrews1:7 ESV

(God’s Angels or ministers are likened to wind)

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth;

It will not return to me empty,

But will accomplish what I desire

 and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

(God’s Word always fulfills its purpose)

Google Search Quote:

“In the Bible, God’s Spirit is often likened to the wind

 or pictured with imagery related to the wind. 

 In fact, both the Hebrew word ruach (used in the Old Testament)

 and the Greek word pneuma (used in the New Testament)

 can be translated as “wind” or “spirit” (or “breath”).”

Click link below for an amazing

SONG RECOMMENDATION

GOD TURN IT AROUND

BY: Church of the City

(Featuring Jon Reddick)

"God is doing something, right now!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gv8VDqc-os

 

How Long Will You Waver? PAGE 113

Scripture in 1st Kings asks, “ How long will you waver between two opinions?”  If you have ever been caught between two choices without a clear way forward it can be maddening.  Sometimes, with no other recourse, we may elect to remain neutral and make no decision.  This too can be frustrating.  To elaborate, I recently took an online personal strengths test with the goal of pin-pointing my top 5 personality traits.  I was super excited to take the test because I had been experiencing some internal wavering.  I’d come to a place in life where I simply didn’t know what to do with myself anymore and needed more information to determine which direction to go.  Instinctively, I began to seek ways to improve myself. Interestingly, the end result of this online test noted that this was precisely something I would do.  In hindsight, I’ve determined that this testing system used the way in which I processed through the test to determine my top five strengths.  Ironically, they were duplicitous. I will show you what I mean shortly.  

This personality strengths test is part of a class I’m currently taking at church in pursuit of things more Godly.  Again, since I now know my Top 5 Strengths this is exactly how I would categorize this class but I’m being redundant.  As I began the test, I laughed at the instructions.  They were presented as an example of how the test would be administered and gave questions with multiple-choice answers to determine if you had actually read the entire page of instructions.  I now had an intriguing glimpse inside the mind of its creator.  The instructions noted that the test was timed and there would only be a short time-span to select your answer or the test would time-out.  My adrenaline started pumping as nerves kicked in.  I’m at home, on the back porch with my laptop and I’m nervous. 

I started the test and on question three I was stumped.  Now, I was instructed that I would need to select the answer that best summed me up and that I may sometimes relate to both answers.  Man, was that an understatement.  Question three sat on the screen as the seconds ticked, almost aloud.  I could not choose the better answer because both were absolutely correct.  There was no clear way out so I placed the curser in the middle of the screen and sat there.  I wavered.  BOOM.  The test timed out and I literally gasped, “What now?”  Thankfully, a screen popped up with new instructions and the test could resume; however, I sat there for a bit frantically trying to determine how to proceed.  I decided, right then and there, that when needed, I would have to choose the third option of the three multiple choices, which simply stated, “I am neutral”. 

O.M.G.  It goes against my grain, or should I say my personality to be neutral. I don’t believe I am ever neutral.  Silent? Yes.  Neutral? No.  I love to have a clear and concise opinion, or action plan, and go with that.  Ironically, one of my strengths, per this test, is that I respond in life exactly this way; I gather information, chose the best path and BOOM, I go, with conviction and with gusto.  I actually like that about me and I love that the test confirmed that.  I don’t know…. it just felt like a little pat on the back or, in the least, acknowledgement that I can make a decision, but I digress.  

As I continued the test, I bumped into many questions that gave two polar choices wherein both could have been correct.  But, with time pushing me I adapted to the instructions and chose to be neutral with a click of a button.  Each time I selected the answer “I am neutral” I worried that my apparent indecisive answer would skew the end results of the test and I would not truly know my top five strengths.  Again, the creator of this test came through for me. Within my top five strengths is the characteristic of being able to see inside a problem and solve it concisely, using the knowledge at hand.  Again, I have to say I was blown away at the way this test works. The evidence proves that the questions were set up so that if you selected the neutral answer this, in itself, is indicative of part of your strengths. 

I should note, here, that one of my strengths was intellection.  Now, I didn’t even know what that meant so I had to look it up.  So much for being “intelligent” as one may assume the definition of intellection to be.  It actually means that I use my intellect to help me along in life.  Looking up the definition of intellection is an example of that.  See what I mean about this test?  It’s truly fascinating. 

Back to the subject at hand;  “How long will you (or I) waver between two choices.”  Life will always press us to make decisions.  Wavering is one thing but sitting in indecision is another. Life is ticking and time is passing. Sometimes time presses in and we must choose.  My encouragement is this; be prepared ahead of time.  Know the Word of God and allow His ways to guide you when you’re stumped.  The Lord will always give us a way out when we are being tested and will indicate the way to go when we’re unsure.  Like that online test I took, God will apply the test of life in a way that our strengths are revealed and we will eventually “get it” and smile, realizing that this is exactly how our heavenly Father sets it up; wanting us to know ourselves better simply because we know Him.  I must say this is an amazing way to learn about our strengths. I am in Awe of God's processes, including His testing of me for distinct purposes!

 

“For it is written:

 ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Where is the wise person?

Where is the teacher of the law?

Where is the philosopher of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1st Corinthians 1:19-20

Song Recommendation:

In Awe

By: Hollyn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKbbRbd2dQs

The Sanctuary: Page 112

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and in His law he meditates day and night"
Psalm 1:2

Today, I tried mediation for the first time in my life.  Please know, that the Bible does mention the practice of meditation, as the scripture above states, so don’t freak out on this concept.  As for me personally, I’ve meditated on scripture and I’ve meditated in prayer, seeking answers or direction.  But, today I literally mediated in a spiritual and traditional sense, with a friend, using an online APP to guide us. Of course, we are both Christians and were seeking The Spirit of God as we mediated but I have to say, I was amazed at the spiritual place I arrived.  

Following the speaker's voice as our guide, we began with steadying our breathing and quieting our minds. We were told to envision a light all around us so, I followed my mind’s eye, or spirit into God’s light.  Simultaneously, I pulled scriptures to mind that related to the guide's directives.  One of the scriptures I used was “God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24. Another scripture I used was “For we are a living temple of the living God” 2nd Corinthians 6:14.

As that scripture came to mind, I envisioned the aforementioned light, that was mentally all around me, expand out and upward and then, amazingly, found myself standing in a light-filled Sanctuary. I sensed total quiet. I envisioned God walking next to me, in the form of Jesus, while pure light radiated inside the tall, soaring ceilings of this beautiful, holy place.  In that moment I knew that no matter where I walked on earth I would always be in this spiritual sanctuary, living in the presence of God. 

This spiritual experience allowed me to expand the indwelling of the Lord, so much so, until what was inside me could be seen outside of me and I found myself walking with the Lord. Isn’t this the calling for each of us? What happened for me spiritually, during meditation, is what we are called to, in that God’s beauty exudes out of the sanctuary within us.  This was the closest I’ve ever come to having a visual understanding of the spiritual teaching of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (See Ephesians 3:16-21).

I’m blown away at the spiritual lesson this mediation brought to me.  I will forever have this visual to assist me as I represent Christ in this world and walk as his ambassador (See 2nd Corinthians 5:20).  Perhaps we all need to envision a beautiful Cathedral that creatively sits inside us wherein the Lord dwells. It is my prayer that The Sanctuary of God’s Presence presents itself to you as well.  

Lord, Make it so!

Song Recommendation:

For Your Glory

By: Tasha Cobbs Leonard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YxsruhJ6C4

 

Conduit of the Spiritual: Page 111

I have always sought the Lord through reading different articles, books, devotionals and of course the Bible.  I’ve used my mind to reason things out using scripture and the small amount of spiritual knowledge I’ve attained through the years.  I’ve also noticed that there are times a particular line from a very familiar verse will stand out because of the season I’m in. This is what happened this morning as I read my devotional.  A line from it said:

“You have lived in your mind; now live in the Spirit.” 1

I immediately recalled the scripture that states that God is a Spirit and we are to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  As a typical human, I figured this meant I was to worship God using my mind to draw close to Lord and using my intellect, allowing it to reflect my heart’s goal of knowing God and furthermore, recognizing truth.  But this particular quote, above, changed my usual process; It differentiated between my mind and my spirit.  I quickly recognized that my mind is earthly and my spirit is something else.  My mind is stuck here, earth-bound and simply can’t soar where my spirit can go.  

 

This has given me a new goal of living in the Spirit and approaching God in a vastly different way.  In the material, many things seem unreachable but in the Spirit all things are possible. As a human, my physical abilities are limited.  I know this while working out with my trainer.  Ouch.  But, with my spirit, standing alongside the God of the universe, I can ask for things that are beyond even my imagination and wait in the spiritual as I was watch them come to fruition this side of heaven.  Here is one of my favorite scripture that gives hope to this truth:  

 

“Surely, I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.”

Psalm 27:13

 

Things we don’t dare even dream.  Things we cannot even imagine; This is the amazing gift the Holy Spirit provides for us.  He is a gateway to the unimageable…and the conduit of the spiritual.  As we draw close to God, in spirit and in truth, he will draw close to us and then there is no telling where we can go!  

 

Lord, make it so! 

 

1-I Hear His Whisper; February 11^th; Copyright 2019 Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez

 

Song Recommendation:

The Blessing
By: Gateway Church

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ55mDL7dA0

 

Relevant Scripture:

“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 glory in the church 

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations

Forever and ever!

Amen.”

Ephesians 3: 20

"God is spirit,

and his worshipers are to worship 

in the Spirit and in truth"

John 4:24