June 24, 2010 Facing Up

Do you ever wonder why the Scriptures are so full of supernatural happenings, and yet our lives (most of them anyway) are so NOT?  I do!  Maybe having an ordinary life is all you want, so I guess if that's what you have, you should keep up doing what you're doing to have it that way.  But me, I'm not satisfied with ordinary.  I don't see anywhere in Scripture, either in the Old or New Testaments, where life with God is ordinary.  It seems that anywhere He is, there is something going on that is out-of-this-world!

When I read accounts of people in the Bible having supernatural interactions with God (and doesn't that seem to be a regular thing in our readings?) a growing hunger arises in my spirit for the things of heaven, and I wonder why my life seems so earthbound.  While I've been "on vacation," the Lord's been speaking to me about why I'm not experiencing as much of Him as I'd like, or even as much as I used to.  I have been getting too much earthly input, and not enough heavenly!  Realizing this, I decided to watch some videos from ministries I trust.  All the messages I heard seemed to say the same thing (and one of them even quoted today's passage from Kings!): we should be having greater revelation and prophetic experiences than ever, and we are going to need them; and that if we want to see heaven, then heaven is what we should put before our eyes.  I'm being reminded of what I knew before: whatever we focus on is what we eventually experience.

I had an inkling that Proverbs 17:24* was related to this, and when I ventured to look it up in the Hebrew, I was amazed at how much is missing in translation!  I'm not going to go into a long explanation, so you'll just have to look it up for yourself.  But this is the message that jumped out at me: If you face heaven, then you'll see heaven and you'll gain wisdom and understanding; but if you face earth, then all you'll see is earthly things, and you'll end up a fool. 

That seems pretty simple and straightforward, doesn't it?  Basically, we choose our experience of life by where we place our focus.  Admittedly, it's easy to get our focus off onto meaningless and temporary things, or even "earth-shattering" events.  But if we want to live the life Christ intended for us, we need to get our focus on Him and on His Kingdom.  I am making the needed adjustments.  You?



*"Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth." Proverbs 17: 24-25 NKJV

May 28, 2010 The Perfect Prayer

I feel so enveloped in love whenever I read John 17 -- it is one of my very favorite Scriptures!  This is a prayer that is being, and will be, completely fulfilled.  You can't go wrong agreeing with this prayer, as the Father's absolute "YES" comes with it.  One of the greatest things on God's heart is His people living in Oneness with Himself and each other.  This is a miracle beyond our earthly comprehension, but an absolute promise.  No human effort could ever achieve this, what Jesus called glory. The only way to accomplish this is for each believer to be fully filled with Him and to be fully "in Him."  The Holy Spirit is powerfully working in and around each one of us, to reveal the glory of the eternal Word, Jesus.  Our job is to believe.

"Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven."
Psalm 119:89

March 2, 2010

I love Psalm 45  and it's beautiful description of our glorious King-- and of the Bride! Don't you? It has advice to her on how to please Him as well. As I meditate on this, my love for Him is increased, as is my desire to be seated with Him to rule and reign.

It seems that James and John, the sons of Zebedee, had a glimpse into this calling, but perhaps their desire was not pure-- worldly ambition tingeing the dream. Isn't this true of all of us to one extent or another? If we want to "qualify," then, we'll follow Jesus' clear instructions. He led the way Himself, for He "came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45   It is not the way we picture a King preparing to take his throne, is it?

Jesus is the Way, and as we walk in Him, we will have our motives purified in the baptism of fire, we will drink a cup of suffering with Him as we follow Him in service, and we will be changed into His image and likeness as we submit to His leading, until we are humble and habitually lay down our lives as He did. He will make us ready to sit with Him if we are willing to walk with Him, stand up for Him, and bow down to Him.

February 6, 2010

What can I say? This is one of my favorite reading days in the One Year Bible! So much is packed in here (really all the days are that way, aren't they?)-- I feel so full, and so inspired. Maybe it's all the pictures. They make me want to do art!!

One thing I love is the picture of the "sapphire pavement" under God's feet. Another is the flowering almond lampstand all in one piece of gold. Exodus 24:10, 25:31-36. And what a glorious picture in Matthew 24:30-31-- the sign of the Son of Man appearing in the heavens, Jesus coming on the clouds of heaven in power and glory, and the angels sent out with a loud trumpet to gather his people wherever they are! Is that awesome or what? To top it all off, the Psalms 30:11 offers the picture of dancing with praise when He turns our mourning into joy.

I sure do love the Lord-- don't you?