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My brother John and I were sent by the Holy Spirit to visit a New Age blog recently. This assignment basically fell from on high into our laps due to the fact that one of the leaders of that New Age blog had found Jackson Hole & Christ and left a comment on a writing of mine. He asked John for permission to put JH&Christ on his blogroll. So our brother John allowed it. Needless to say we both ended up visiting and it wasn't long at all before all the New Age deception started to rear its ugly head. For those that are not familiar with what I am speaking of regarding the New Age movement it can all be summed up by a loosey goosey, lovey dovey, mushy gushy, sloppy agape perverted message that all are saved whether you get there by the cross or any other route.... God is love and in Him there is no judgement at all.
Many Christians have begun to have their eyes open to the glorious message of the 'RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS' and they have been quickened by the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ is the SAVIOUR OF THE WHOLE WORLD and with this glorious truth comes a test. They will be tested by the counterfeit that will use alot of the same language such as GRACE, AWAKENING, FATHER, THE CHRIST. This test is allowed to prove who the true sons of Father are. Those that are SONS OF OBEDIENCE will continue down the narrow path and their future will only get brighter and brighter. Those that choose the broad path will sadly find that their end is destruction. They will have to wait for the glorious Jubilee to enter into their inheritance. While the sons of obedience will be rewarded with the joy of ruling and reigning with Christ for a thousand years.
It was on this new age blog that Father used our glorious brother John to SHAKE UP the joint...lol....as only the way that 'Jack' can do...and I would just laugh as I would watch the comments sharply jump in number each time our brother Jack got on....for the Spirit of Elijah still leaves a BLAZING TRAIL wherever he goes...lol.
It took no time at all to witness those that proudly proclaimed a bold message of GRACE and NON-JUDGEMENT quickly judged 'Jack' as harsh, severe, mean, blah, blah...and accorded our dear brother John with neither grace nor love but instead HURLED many a huge stone....and I can testify to the truth that the Lord's prophets still get hit by them today.
The Lord quickened in me to look at the PHOTO section of the New Age blog. It spoke volumes as to how the Man of Lawlessness has taken captive all those that have chosen to fornicate with him. Lawlessness is a sick perverted monster.
The photo section had four photos that prophetically pointed to the condition of all those that have chosen to eat from the foul table of the New Age movement. The first photo was of a person looking sad behind the bars of a prison. The second photo was of all the people that regularly fellowship with one another on the blog. The third photo was of a very large pig being roasted. The fourth and final photo was again of all the members of this group with the caption "Memorial Day 2008". Honestly, when I first saw those four photos all in a row it was so CLEAR and OBVIOUS to me the prophetic meaning that I literally was STUNNED. I was stunned at the boldness of the MOCKING done by the demonic spirits on that site. What is truly sad is that many do not see that they are held as prisoner and are forced to eat from the table of vomit and uncleanness. Those in prison have no clue that they are being laughed at and brazenly mocked by the kingdom of darkness. It is like having your eyes open to the con-game and watching the unfortunate ones getting played by the con-artist. It truly is so sad.
My prayer is that there will be some that will have eyes to SEE and WILL FLEE as fast as they can from the seduction of the New Age/ New Tolerance Beast. I am also made aware of the verse in Isaiah 6:9,11,12...."And He said, Go and tell this people, Hear and hear continually, but understand not; and see and see continually, but do not apprehend with your mind."
Why does the Lord say this? It sounds harsh doesn't it, but the answer comes to us in the following verses.... "Make the heart of this people fat; and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn again and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until cities lie waste without inhabitant and houses without man, and the land is utterly desolate, And the Lord removes His people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land."
The Lord is moving throughout the earth today in His sons and daughters in the mighty ministry of JOHN THE BAPTIST. This is to prepare the way of the Lord and make the crooked places straight. John the Baptist came in the Spirit of Elijah to preach a message of repentance so that many would be vessels prepared for the glory of Jesus Christ. Those vessels that chose not to repent would find themselves cracking under the pressure of THE TRUTH Himself. For either you can fall on the rock and be broken or the ROCK can fall on you and great will be your destruction. "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for" (1 Peter 2:8)...."They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" (Rev.6:16). The same preparation is needed today (at the end of the age) so that many will be ready and prepared for the Tabernacle Age to begin where God will dwell with His people in FULLNESS.
The Lord is so good to us my beloved friends and family....for it is by His grace given that we have had ears to hear and willing hearts to obey and we too humbly say with Paul..." It is by His grace alone that I am what I am."
I wanted to share something that Holy Spirit revealed to me yesterday regarding that fourth photo on this New Age site, entitled 'Memorial Day 2008'. The word 'memorial' means "to preserve remembrance, record."
In the fourth chapter of Genesis it explains the punishment that was given to Cain for slaying Abel .....
"And Cain said to his brother, Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? And the Lord said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's shed blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast]. Then Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land, and from Your face I will be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. And the Lord said to him, Therefore, if anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark or sign upon Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. So Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering], east of Eden." (Gen. 4:8-16).
Now this is what I believe was unfolded to me..... that over the last several years there have been 2 types of MARKINGS going forth throughout the earth.....one set for the sons of obedience and the other set for the children of disobedience. I realize that this process has been ongoing throughout the ages and yet I also realize that we are living at THE END OF THE AGE where the culmination of ALL these things take place...so it is with that light and distinction I share. I saw first hand how all those that are of Cain still slay their brother Abel the type/shadow of Christ. For I watched as our beloved John gave the glorious message of 'giving Jesus the preeminence' and was killed by the words of all those that said there was no difference between them and Jesus and some even went so far as to say that Jesus was not the Son of God. The most troubling to me was to witness how the owners of the blog (who named themselves as Christian brothers) would joyfully embrace those that denied Jesus and the cross. These same 'Christian' brothers would then shun and attack John labeling him as judgemental and unloving. Truly they are of their brother Cain and are the TILLERS OF EARTHY GROUND....for our Father still separates the LIGHT from the DARKNESS and exposes just who is who and who is not. John was clearly seen by those OF THE SPIRIT that he like Abel also is a KEEPER OF SHEEP....and lays his life down for them....for He walks as Jesus walked....and my beloved this is what we are ALL called to do... to lay our lives down. I like what Douglas Clarke writes about the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit that is quickening Ezekiel's Army... "God is going to revive many of His lone rangers, while His kingdom is propagated throughout the earth, neighbor-to-neighbor, friend-to-friend. This Holy move of God will also bring judgment on the false ministries that have been birthed from the soul of man. The judgment will NOT be angry prophets shaking their fist, calling down fire from heaven. What will bring the judgment is the bright light that will shine on all that God is doing, as it contrast the darkness and futility of all of man’s efforts."
" Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So they went out and began killing throughout the city." (Ezk. 9:3-7.)
I believe over the last few days all throughout the earth there were many similar tests being given as to that which was witnessed on this New Ager blog. These tests were to determine those who truly do lament over the detestable things that they see happening within the body of Christ. In my Spirit I feel it very well may have been the FINAL CHANCE for some to be marked as ones that grieve. This grief is due to the lack of love, holiness, faithfulness, obedience, hospitality, generosity, wisdom, discernment, fear of the Lord, ect. that have been found deficient within the Lord's temples (His people). Truly, does this not make you grieve too? Of course it does! It breaks your heart for your heart is ONE with the Lord's.
Those that are not lamenting are the very temples that house soulish occupants of all kinds of filth and uncleanness. These soulish housemates include pride, arrogance, disobedience, selfishness, indifference, greed, and a host of many others. The Lord gives the instruction to THE MAN CLOTHED IN LINEN and the others to follow him and show NO PITY or COMPASSION and kill all those that are not marked on their foreheads. Who is this man clothed in LINEN and the others following him? I believe Rev: 19:13-15 sheds light.... "He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."
While some might view these scriptures literally I see them as being interpreted within, for the Kingdom of God is within. There are many elders within the Body of Christ that have appointed themselves as SHEPHERD'S and LEADER'S. Yet, these have not examined their own lives and grieved and had godly sorrow that their own temple is filled with detestable things. For these will be the first to have their soulish occupants SLAIN. We have begun to see the public humiliation of several well known leaders even recently. There will be many in the outercourt that will feel like peeping tom's as they witness all the lurid details and learn what went on inside that soulish realm of the leader they had entrusted themselves to follow. This shaking must come of course so that only what cannot be shaken remains and that is CHRIST the solid rock!
I find it interesting that it is the Lord's very own righteous people, the OVERCOMERS, that are the reality found in the type/shadow of ' THE MAN CLOTHED IN LINEN'. Those that have been clothed in white linen garments will also be those that will use the SHARP SWORD OF THE WORD OF THE LORD to strike down nations. I personally watched our brother John use that sword on many a soulish occupant found within the Lord's temple's over on that New Age blog. Oh! How they cried that John was being too harsh... with much weeping and gnashing of teeth....and yet I hear the HOLY GHOST say...."You ain't seen nothing yet!"
The word clearly teaches us that we are to judge ourselves so that we will not be judged with the world. Any normal person can see that the writing is on the wall for the WORLD and its SYSTEMS and that JUDGEMENT HAS BEGUN. Unfortunately, many will have no clue as to the inheritance that was lost to them for the next thousand years.... and this is truly so sad and heartbreaking.
On another note, I want to share a story about my friend Tiffany's children who I believe have seen this very MAN that carries the WRITING KIT. A couple of years ago I received a phone call from my friend that both her son and daughter had just seen an angel out in their backyard. Her children were 6 and 8 at the time and they had been jumping on their trampoline and decided to lay down on the trampoline to look at the clouds in the sky. After a few minutes of gazing up into the sky they both saw an angel with a long flowing robe gliding slowly above them and it looked directly at them. The children were so excited to see an angel and so they ran quickly into their house to share what they had seen with their mother and grandmother. When each was questioned about the appearance of the angel they both shared how this angel had a WRITING KIT in one hand and if I remember correctly it had what looked like a trumpet that was belted to his waist. The daughter gave rich detail about the writing kit....that it was like a TABLET with a beautiful pen attached. Looking back I remember asking my friend Tiffany if the angel had wings...and the daughter said she did not see any.....and at the time I was not familiar with the above scripture found in Ezekiel.....so when I first read that scripture I immediately thought of Tiffany's children. Although it very well might have indeed been an angel I now believe that it could have very well been an OVERCOMER on an earthly assignment. Either way what a glorious event to have happened to her children. How precious! I truly believe that my friend and her family were being MARKED that day....and as Babylon is now falling they are SECURE. All glory and honor belong to His most GLORIOUS Name ....Jesus Christ.
"A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb." (Rev. 14::8-10)
I find it interesting that we are TRULY LIVING in this period of scripture....of where BABYLON IS FALLING.....and once again the distinguishing MARKS are being applied to TWO different groups right up to the very last second of the very last hour of the very LAST AGE till the Kingdom of Babylon is no more.
"He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection." (Rev. 20:3-5).
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."
"Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." (Rev 14: 1-4; 9-13).
Once again we see that while Babylon is falling there are those that have been MARKED as the firstfruits to God and the Lamb....they are blameless. Why are they blameless? They are those who OBEY God's commandments and have REMAINED FAITHFUL to JESUS. These are VIRGINAL in their PURITY of devotion to Christ. This is a very narrow walk my beloved. It is from the narrow place that THE CHRIST is birthed within. I can not think of anything more pure than that of a NEWBORN baby.
As you recall at the beginning of this writing I shared about four photos that were proudly displayed on a New Age blog and these all demonstrated being bound and unclean.
In contrast Holy Spirit quickened me to look at the photos Sonshine has....and there was only one little photo and it was on the sidebar of the front page of the blog. It is a photo of a newborn baby boy by the name of Raphael Eden. This precious little guy prophetically points to all those of the MANCHILD COMPANY. For Raphael's name literally means..."God hath healed and restored to Paradise". What a beautiful picture of all those that Father has chosen to fellowship in His SONSHINE.
Unfortunately, those that have the mark of Cain will not be permitted to the glorious RESTORED PARADISICAL PROPERTY of their HEAVENLY GARMENT in the Tabernacle Age. "So Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering], east of Eden." They will have to wander (wonder) for the next thousand years. Father will have ALL MEN TO BE SAVED....each man in his own order...for just as in Adam all died so too IN CHRIST shall ALL be made alive. This is the REAL GOOD NEWS...that all the Cain's out there are not lost to wander for ever. For nothing can separate us from Father's love. Not even death. Father's love will reach and reach until every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of ALL. He will make all things new and remember our sins no more. The mark of Cain will be removed and replaced with the mark of the cross. For Cain too will be conformed into the very image of the Son of God and will enter into his inheritance in the FINAL JUBILEE of ALL CREATION! Isn't Jesus wonderul! Now do you see why our brother John is so zealous for Jesus to be given the PRE-EMINENCE in all things?!!
I was quickened by Holy Spirit that for those that have chosen to pick up their crosses in this life, these will be those that REST from their labor, for their deeds will follow them. I truly believe with all my heart that we are moving quickly into the season where WISDOM'S STORE is about to be RELEASED into those that sit and wait on HIM to unfold the glorious mysteries. For IN CHRIST is hidden all wisdom and riches and these are THE DEEDS that will follow them. These deeds will be accessed from WISOM'S STOREHOUSE. This glorious storehouse found within the overcomer will be used to bring forth whatever they or any of God's creatures have need of. For our Father still has His GOSHEN'S in the land to bring light and provision for His holy people Israel. As the night gets darker and darker in the earth, THE DAY gets brighter and brighter for the Lord's precious elect. All those that have died to self and suffered with Christ will also share in HIS GLORY and this is what will bring creation into the glorious liberty of the SONS OF GOD! WowowowoW....to Jesus Christ belongs all the praise! Thank you Father!
Eliyah
(I asked Eliyah to write a short bio
for our sidebar. Before I place it there
I thought to post it at the end of this
glorious message that you might
know something of the Schulz family)
The Schulz Family:
My name is Eliyah (pronounced ellie-ya) and my husband is Mordekai (Kai) and we live in Mississippi and have 4 small children ranging (8,6,4,2). As a family we have only one aim and that is TO KNOW HIM...the glorious Saviour of all mankind. Our daily prayer is that in everything we say and do we will bring Him glory. He has done so much for each of us and we only want to show him our love and gratefulness continually. We believe that as a family our call is to bring restoration to the Lord's creation. May you be blessed by the riches of Christ!
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We cannot contain the overflowing cup of His love thus we share with you these messages of the Life of our Lord as lived out in His saints.
GLEANING IN THE SEASON OF WANT
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My family gathered together this past month as I downsized for the move into a small apartment ……… we enjoyed the fun as I dispersed family heirlooms and other items in order to rent the family home.
Yet, a cloud hung over our gathering as we watched the US stock market tumble. My oldest daughter shared how her salon has lost almost ¾ of her normal business this last month, and that she would be working just to pay the rent on her shop if she was able to continue at all.
The kids already knew that my company had started laying off this month. I was still disturbed as I thought of those that had lost their jobs last week and wondered at my own future. I received my quarterly statement on my 401K in the mail Wednesday, showing a loss of 1/3 of my retirement funds. And so it was with all of us here in California and across our nation. Here is where the rubber meets the road........
On Sunday night we said our tearful goodbyes, realizing things were really changing and there was no going back. As my children left fear gripped me. I wanted to further warn them. I did not think we were serious enough about what we were facing……so I sat down and wrote my thoughts on our family blog……my soul conjured up every scenario of what was coming and offered several options to avert those possibilities and then,
I told them that somehow God would see us through…….LOL
Jack read the post Monday and e-mailed me saying, Joian, you are saying two things……… when I reread it I saw it…….. was I ever double minded……By Tuesday, I was able to lay it down, but the fear had been spread……. I spent the rest of the week repenting to the Lord and to my children……sigh~
This past Friday, I began listening again to CDs by Eby and Brogden to get my eyes off this world. This morning I picked up an article from Doug B. Clark from his blogsite, The Inward Journey and was totally blown away by the things he shared…..I have cried off and on all morning at his post titled “The Travail of Mankind”.
I share here just an excerpt, as this is just his preface for the article by George Hawtin – “According to the Purpose” I hope you take the time to read his whole post.
In his peace again,
Joian
The Travail of Mankind
…………I have found that in the midst of our travail both the man of sin and the Christ are revealed. In God’s divine wisdom He has given us the hardships of this earthly life that serve to both expose this man of sin and to reveal the Christ in those who have been apprehended to become sons. This man of sin I am referring to is not the comic-book-like-villain that many expect to appear on the world scene. He is much more sinister for he is hidden within the heart of every man, both sinner and saint! The root of the problem with this man of sin is our desire for independence from God. The travail given to mankind exposes the roots of this desire along with those things in us that must be removed. At the same time the soil of our earth-bound-soul must be broken so that the life of God may emerge as a tender blade.
God knows what each of us need in every season of our life in order to experience more of Him. Sometimes it is revelation He gives to enlighten our understanding and lift us to new heights, while other times He may send a lying spirit in the mouth of His prophets in order that the king of flesh may go to battle and be destroyed. (1Kings 22: 20-22)
We have long known that God desires to reveal Himself to us, but it may be a new thought to some to consider that in His plan He may also allow a time of deception. Some may argue that it is only the wicked that encounter a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. (2 Thes 2:11) The son of perdition who resides in the heart of every man must be first exposed before he is taken out of the way. It is the brightness of the coming forth of Christ within us that dispels the darkness and death brought about by all our self-efforts to achieve god status apart from reconciliation with our Creator.
Adam continues to reach for the tree of life with the hope and desire to be as God, but it is impossible for the natural man to partake of the life of the Spirit. So the angel with the flaming sword continues to prevent the natural man from feeding from the tree of life. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Ro. 8:7
The inventions of the man of sin continue as he seeks an alternative route to embracing the divine life other than the cross. It does not matter whether we are a babe in Christ, or a seasoned veteran who has already overcome many of the struggles of this earthly life. There are constant alternative twists of the gospel that try and eliminate the need for the cross. One such popular twist is the “remembering who we are” teaching. It is true that we came from God and we are returning to Him. This is the law of circularity. The seed of God in us is being awakened and there is a remembrance of our life in Him. What I am not hearing in this teaching is the part about how the seed must be planted in the earth (our soul) and die in order for the life within to emerge. This is the pattern we see in Jesus and we will be led down the same path in order to experience the fullness of who we are in Him.
I am no longer upset by the various rabbit trails I see trodden by many brethren. I realize that God has allowed these alternative paths as a means to keep Adam out of the garden. The act of being drawn away by misrepresentations of the truth reveals that we are listening to the wrong voice. It is God’s method for revealing the man of sin in us who is bent on sitting on the throne of our hearts, pretending that he is God. This too is a part of the travail given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. Unfortunately, we are often unable to recognize what is transpiring until we become blind and stumble into the ditch. Sometimes we have to eat a little dirt before we are humbled enough to have our sight restored. Many folks remain in the ditch oblivious to their spiritual condition. But those who have been “ according to the purpose of him who predestinated worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11) find themselves uncomfortable and sick if they remain in the ditch for too long. The seed of God within them begins to cry out for drop of water upon their dry and thirsty tongue.
While I believe that God raises up voices in the wilderness to proclaim His truth, I am also aware that He allows the voice of the stranger as a test for His sons. When we are tested there is a REVEALING of our spiritual condition. If there is something in us that is tempted by the voice of the stranger then it needs to be exposed before it is taken out of the way! The king of flesh must be allowed to go to the battle so that he is destroyed.
………………The Bible teaches that God will give us the desires of our heart. (Mark 11:23) But have you ever considered how often the desires of our heart draw us away from the will of God? Why would God give us something that draws us away from Him? It is the interplay of the will of man and the will of God that brings about an end to self-rule. Often the fulfillment of our desires becomes the catalyst that exposes the man of sin and brings about the humility necessary for the life of Christ life to emerge. If there is something other than Christ ruling in any area of our life there is no better way to be set free than for God to turn us over to our hearts desire. This is the travail given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
There are seasons and times that we experience individually and there are seasons and times experienced by nations that are unfolded throughout the ages. The Holy Spirit is opening our understanding so we can see how all the seasons and ages work together to accomplish His purposes. We know that our beginning was in Him. Let us be encouraged to know that He will cause all the seasons and times throughout the ages to come together in a way that will glorify His name and will exalt the Father to the place of being all in all.
Douglas B. Clark
(The full writing by Douglas can be found
at this link. We would hope you might read it
and be encouraged as we move through
this present turmultuous season)
http://www.theinwardjourney.net/blog/2008/04/
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.
My family gathered together this past month as I downsized for the move into a small apartment ……… we enjoyed the fun as I dispersed family heirlooms and other items in order to rent the family home.Yet, a cloud hung over our gathering as we watched the US stock market tumble. My oldest daughter shared how her salon has lost almost ¾ of her normal business this last month, and that she would be working just to pay the rent on her shop if she was able to continue at all.
The kids already knew that my company had started laying off this month. I was still disturbed as I thought of those that had lost their jobs last week and wondered at my own future. I received my quarterly statement on my 401K in the mail Wednesday, showing a loss of 1/3 of my retirement funds. And so it was with all of us here in California and across our nation. Here is where the rubber meets the road........
On Sunday night we said our tearful goodbyes, realizing things were really changing and there was no going back. As my children left fear gripped me. I wanted to further warn them. I did not think we were serious enough about what we were facing……so I sat down and wrote my thoughts on our family blog……my soul conjured up every scenario of what was coming and offered several options to avert those possibilities and then,
I told them that somehow God would see us through…….LOL
Jack read the post Monday and e-mailed me saying, Joian, you are saying two things……… when I reread it I saw it…….. was I ever double minded……By Tuesday, I was able to lay it down, but the fear had been spread……. I spent the rest of the week repenting to the Lord and to my children……sigh~
This past Friday, I began listening again to CDs by Eby and Brogden to get my eyes off this world. This morning I picked up an article from Doug B. Clark from his blogsite, The Inward Journey and was totally blown away by the things he shared…..I have cried off and on all morning at his post titled “The Travail of Mankind”.
I share here just an excerpt, as this is just his preface for the article by George Hawtin – “According to the Purpose” I hope you take the time to read his whole post.
In his peace again,
Joian
The Travail of Mankind
…………I have found that in the midst of our travail both the man of sin and the Christ are revealed. In God’s divine wisdom He has given us the hardships of this earthly life that serve to both expose this man of sin and to reveal the Christ in those who have been apprehended to become sons. This man of sin I am referring to is not the comic-book-like-villain that many expect to appear on the world scene. He is much more sinister for he is hidden within the heart of every man, both sinner and saint! The root of the problem with this man of sin is our desire for independence from God. The travail given to mankind exposes the roots of this desire along with those things in us that must be removed. At the same time the soil of our earth-bound-soul must be broken so that the life of God may emerge as a tender blade.
God knows what each of us need in every season of our life in order to experience more of Him. Sometimes it is revelation He gives to enlighten our understanding and lift us to new heights, while other times He may send a lying spirit in the mouth of His prophets in order that the king of flesh may go to battle and be destroyed. (1Kings 22: 20-22)
We have long known that God desires to reveal Himself to us, but it may be a new thought to some to consider that in His plan He may also allow a time of deception. Some may argue that it is only the wicked that encounter a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. (2 Thes 2:11) The son of perdition who resides in the heart of every man must be first exposed before he is taken out of the way. It is the brightness of the coming forth of Christ within us that dispels the darkness and death brought about by all our self-efforts to achieve god status apart from reconciliation with our Creator.
Adam continues to reach for the tree of life with the hope and desire to be as God, but it is impossible for the natural man to partake of the life of the Spirit. So the angel with the flaming sword continues to prevent the natural man from feeding from the tree of life. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Ro. 8:7
The inventions of the man of sin continue as he seeks an alternative route to embracing the divine life other than the cross. It does not matter whether we are a babe in Christ, or a seasoned veteran who has already overcome many of the struggles of this earthly life. There are constant alternative twists of the gospel that try and eliminate the need for the cross. One such popular twist is the “remembering who we are” teaching. It is true that we came from God and we are returning to Him. This is the law of circularity. The seed of God in us is being awakened and there is a remembrance of our life in Him. What I am not hearing in this teaching is the part about how the seed must be planted in the earth (our soul) and die in order for the life within to emerge. This is the pattern we see in Jesus and we will be led down the same path in order to experience the fullness of who we are in Him.
I am no longer upset by the various rabbit trails I see trodden by many brethren. I realize that God has allowed these alternative paths as a means to keep Adam out of the garden. The act of being drawn away by misrepresentations of the truth reveals that we are listening to the wrong voice. It is God’s method for revealing the man of sin in us who is bent on sitting on the throne of our hearts, pretending that he is God. This too is a part of the travail given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. Unfortunately, we are often unable to recognize what is transpiring until we become blind and stumble into the ditch. Sometimes we have to eat a little dirt before we are humbled enough to have our sight restored. Many folks remain in the ditch oblivious to their spiritual condition. But those who have been “ according to the purpose of him who predestinated worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11) find themselves uncomfortable and sick if they remain in the ditch for too long. The seed of God within them begins to cry out for drop of water upon their dry and thirsty tongue.
While I believe that God raises up voices in the wilderness to proclaim His truth, I am also aware that He allows the voice of the stranger as a test for His sons. When we are tested there is a REVEALING of our spiritual condition. If there is something in us that is tempted by the voice of the stranger then it needs to be exposed before it is taken out of the way! The king of flesh must be allowed to go to the battle so that he is destroyed.
………………The Bible teaches that God will give us the desires of our heart. (Mark 11:23) But have you ever considered how often the desires of our heart draw us away from the will of God? Why would God give us something that draws us away from Him? It is the interplay of the will of man and the will of God that brings about an end to self-rule. Often the fulfillment of our desires becomes the catalyst that exposes the man of sin and brings about the humility necessary for the life of Christ life to emerge. If there is something other than Christ ruling in any area of our life there is no better way to be set free than for God to turn us over to our hearts desire. This is the travail given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
There are seasons and times that we experience individually and there are seasons and times experienced by nations that are unfolded throughout the ages. The Holy Spirit is opening our understanding so we can see how all the seasons and ages work together to accomplish His purposes. We know that our beginning was in Him. Let us be encouraged to know that He will cause all the seasons and times throughout the ages to come together in a way that will glorify His name and will exalt the Father to the place of being all in all.
Douglas B. Clark
(The full writing by Douglas can be found
at this link. We would hope you might read it
and be encouraged as we move through
this present turmultuous season)
http://www.theinwardjourney.net/blog/2008/04/
.
.
TRUE COLORS
.
TRUE COLORS
The only feasts that have yet to be fulfilled, scripturally, are the fall feasts of which the Feast of Tabernacles is one. Undoubtedly, at least to me, the return of the Lord will occur during this time. This return is not going to be the all out rapture, or taking away, as some in the churchianity crowd envision. As they hold their boarding passes for the rapture bus, the true revealing will whizz right on by them, not because the Lord wants it hidden from them, but because their eyes are not able to see the Truth. The return will be revealed in His sons and daughters, His fulness will be revealed, His truth evident in His chosen ones.
Tabernacles always occurs during the same time of the year, the Fall. It never has a set date, simply because it scheduled around the moon phases and not according to the man made Gregorian calendar we all use. Ironically, we also know the season of our Lord’s return, but not the day nor the hour. Fall, to me, is the most glorious time of the year. Cooler weather, longer nights and promenading the landscape is God’s pallet of colors in the trees.
This is also the time of the year when our family goes onto our Tabernacles vacation destination the Lord has picked out for us. I do not like to use the word ‘vacation’ in its worldly sense, because it means much more than that to us. The word vacation includes the root word ‘vacate’ meaning ‘to empty’ or ‘to leave’ which needs to happen in all of us, before a fulfilling can occur. In that sense, when we go on our trips to tabernacle with the Lord, we vacate in order for Him to fill us up. This year, the Lord chose Lake Kentucky to meet with us.
A couple of days into our vacating, I turned on the television to see what the weather channel had to say about the next few days in our area, weatherwise. As I was waiting for local weather on the 8's, the WC gave a brief science lesson on the reasoning behind the changing of the colors during the Fall. All of this would later turn out to become a deep spiritual revelation for me.
Apparently, the reason leaves change their visible garment is due to a chemical reaction that takes place involving water and phosphorous. For most of the year, trees will take up water through the root system and funnel it to the leaves. The water then mixes with the phosphorous in the leaves which we recognize as the color green. In the Fall, the funneling of water to the leaves stops and no chemical reaction occurs. This then causes the leaf’s true color to be revealed. Leaves are naturally different in color from one another. The green we see is only an illusion, a masking if you will.
Digging deeper, the Lord then downloaded a revelation unto me. It is true, that the colors we see in the Fall are the leaves’ true colors. The world sees this change as a dying of the leaf as one witnesses the change in color and the inevitable falling onto the ground that occurs with each leaf. His sons and daughters ought to see this as life, a revealing of truth. For truth is life. If the multitudes of color are true colors then conversely, the green color which the world sees as life, is a charade and the opposite of life. A counterfeit of the truth.
I believe that upon the Lord’s return, we will all see the shedding of masks and a revealing of true colors in all aspects. We will understand that what we once saw as life in many cases was in fact the opposite. What we once understood as death is actually a revealing and the fulfillment of truth. Again, all this is but another confirmation to me that the Lord’s return will occur during the Feast of Tabernacles. When the world admires the splendor of colors and sees it as a dying, then His sons and daughters will see the truth and know that this feast of colors is the revealing and fulfilling of His truth, only to be discerned by His chosen ones at that time.
Kai
TRUE COLORSThe only feasts that have yet to be fulfilled, scripturally, are the fall feasts of which the Feast of Tabernacles is one. Undoubtedly, at least to me, the return of the Lord will occur during this time. This return is not going to be the all out rapture, or taking away, as some in the churchianity crowd envision. As they hold their boarding passes for the rapture bus, the true revealing will whizz right on by them, not because the Lord wants it hidden from them, but because their eyes are not able to see the Truth. The return will be revealed in His sons and daughters, His fulness will be revealed, His truth evident in His chosen ones.
Tabernacles always occurs during the same time of the year, the Fall. It never has a set date, simply because it scheduled around the moon phases and not according to the man made Gregorian calendar we all use. Ironically, we also know the season of our Lord’s return, but not the day nor the hour. Fall, to me, is the most glorious time of the year. Cooler weather, longer nights and promenading the landscape is God’s pallet of colors in the trees.
This is also the time of the year when our family goes onto our Tabernacles vacation destination the Lord has picked out for us. I do not like to use the word ‘vacation’ in its worldly sense, because it means much more than that to us. The word vacation includes the root word ‘vacate’ meaning ‘to empty’ or ‘to leave’ which needs to happen in all of us, before a fulfilling can occur. In that sense, when we go on our trips to tabernacle with the Lord, we vacate in order for Him to fill us up. This year, the Lord chose Lake Kentucky to meet with us.
A couple of days into our vacating, I turned on the television to see what the weather channel had to say about the next few days in our area, weatherwise. As I was waiting for local weather on the 8's, the WC gave a brief science lesson on the reasoning behind the changing of the colors during the Fall. All of this would later turn out to become a deep spiritual revelation for me.
Apparently, the reason leaves change their visible garment is due to a chemical reaction that takes place involving water and phosphorous. For most of the year, trees will take up water through the root system and funnel it to the leaves. The water then mixes with the phosphorous in the leaves which we recognize as the color green. In the Fall, the funneling of water to the leaves stops and no chemical reaction occurs. This then causes the leaf’s true color to be revealed. Leaves are naturally different in color from one another. The green we see is only an illusion, a masking if you will.
Digging deeper, the Lord then downloaded a revelation unto me. It is true, that the colors we see in the Fall are the leaves’ true colors. The world sees this change as a dying of the leaf as one witnesses the change in color and the inevitable falling onto the ground that occurs with each leaf. His sons and daughters ought to see this as life, a revealing of truth. For truth is life. If the multitudes of color are true colors then conversely, the green color which the world sees as life, is a charade and the opposite of life. A counterfeit of the truth.
I believe that upon the Lord’s return, we will all see the shedding of masks and a revealing of true colors in all aspects. We will understand that what we once saw as life in many cases was in fact the opposite. What we once understood as death is actually a revealing and the fulfillment of truth. Again, all this is but another confirmation to me that the Lord’s return will occur during the Feast of Tabernacles. When the world admires the splendor of colors and sees it as a dying, then His sons and daughters will see the truth and know that this feast of colors is the revealing and fulfilling of His truth, only to be discerned by His chosen ones at that time.
Kai
.
COMING OF AGE
.
.
Yep, at twelve I kissed the Bishop's ring after twenty five other young doofuses had slobbered all over it. Plus the clown in the weird cap, beads and white dress called me by a new name "Anthony." Who the heck is Anthony?
Looking back, I say this proves, that at twelve I was too stupid for Hell.
That is a description of my Roman Catholic Confirmation ceremony. This was my religious experience of "coming of age" and, lest any think it is only a laughing matter, let me say I wrote that in satire to share the absurdity of it all! Today or even tomorrow, should I ever come upon a scene where my twelve year old grandson or granddaughter was bending over to kiss the ring of a man dressed in beads and a dress, while addressing him as Father there would be real hell to pay. Same goes if I should ever find any child paying homage to some pompous ass they address as Pastor! These religious cults, with their dual hierarchical chaste systems where false apostles, false prophets and self proclaimed pastors rule over the people sicken me in their unadulterated phoniness and corruption. Jesus didn't put up with these guys and spoke out, and it is time we do also, as the Spirit leads (and it will). Today's harlot church system of Charlatans and Nicolaitans, ruling over a worldly people wanting a "king" and a "go between with God", does not know or worship the One True God. They do not know God who came as Christ for to serve, and died in His service to "all"!
Oh hear me dear people, this thing most call Church is anything but! This false church is the soulish counterfeit that appeases and coddles the selfish carnal nature of man, and she will do anything to keep her reign. The true Church, "the ekklesia" has been called out of the false church that they be not partakers of this Harlot's sins. The true Church seeks not power nor wealth but instead lays down her life in service. She lays her very life down next to Her Champion, Her Saviour, Her Lord and Her Beloved Husband Jesus Christ. I am convinced that the day is approaching when such martyrdom will catch the world's eyes and hearts and all will eventually stand weeping, as they recognize this is Christ come again to lay down His Life in the Union and Oneness of His bride. These are the "two witnesses" that manifest themselves as One, through "death and resurrection" ....... the Spirit and the Word .... Deity and Humanity ....... Christ and His Bride. Love by it's very nature needs "two" and when Love is complete the two are One.
Now if you would, please contemplate more lunacy of what many organized churches and their congregants hold as doctrine. The "age of accountability" comes wrapped in an overall theological system called "Arminianism" and it is as foul and false as is it's contrasting counterpart "Calvinism." Both of these systems are fear based and are built upon the cornerstone of Hell and eternal torment. Somewhere in the future I hope to look at Calvinism with it's "doctrine of reprobate and elect infants" and we will discover an even equally, absurd foul spirit that defies and defiles all that is Good in Christ Jesus. For many years I have experienced, studied and observed the "spirit of the hellfire and damnation doctrine." I will unequivocally state, "anything associated with this Hellish doctrine becomes foul, false and full of death. Who would ever want their children any where near such a thing!
Age of Accountability
This is the age at which a child is old enough to understand the moral consequences of his or her actions and can be held accountable for sins. It is also called the 'age of reason.' Though it does not correspond to a particular age for every person, due to differences in personal and psychological maturation, it is sometimes set down arbitrarily as 12 or, in the Roman Catholic Church, 7; the latter convention gave rise to the English common-law presumption that no child under the age of seven could possess the mens rea necessary for commission of a felony. The concept of the age of accountability is not based upon any direct teaching from the Bible, but stems from individual church traditions. A child who has passed the age of accountability is said to know the difference between right and wrong and to be capable of obeying the moral laws of God. Some Christian traditions believe that the age of accountability is the end of a period of early grace (prevenient grace, in Wesleyan traditions) which covers over the sins of those not capable of knowing the moral consequences of their actions. (Persons who, due to developmental disability, mental or emotional development, will never reach a sufficient level of abstract reason, are covered by this grace for life and are sometimes known as 'the innocents.') In Christian traditions which practice Believer's Baptism (baptism by voluntary decision, as opposed to baptism in early infancy), the ritual can be carried out after the age of accountability has arrived ..........
.
So with Arminianism, in which "free will" is king and the "age of accountability" weighs heavy on the adolescent, surely the abortionist should be considered a hero and Andrea Yates' drowning of her five children could be hailed as a heroic act of mercy. Oh, the insanity and deceitfulness of the doctrines of demons that accommodate the horrors of a mythical Hell.
.
And we wonder why the world scoffs!
(sources: Wikipedia & Tentmaker Ministries)
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JESUS WEARS A BLUE COLLAR AND CARRIES A LUNCH PAIL
.
So last night I called Joian to thank her for the care package she sent me. Of course, as one that must always look a gift horse in the mouth, I was bitching about all the dang decorative green and yellow straw she had used to pack every thing in. This straw clung to everything like a large angry octopus. After my diatribe on the packing I started whining about how rough God had been on me lately. Joian listened patiently as I moaned on and on. Finally when I finished, she asked me if I liked the candle holder. I bitched some more as I began to look for this lost object that was surely hidden somewhere in the belly of the green and yellow monster.
I liked to have "died" when I found it. The candle holder was done in dark antiqued bronze and it had a skull on it with a saying below it. It said "DEAD TO THE WORLD"
Now ain't it just like God in combo with a good friend to remind you that "dead men don't whine." [blush] [lol]
So as always, after my visit with my best friend I felt better. I then grabbed my lunch pail and went to work on a post for our other blog, Jackson Hole & Christ. I so enjoyed working on it that I thought to share it here also. As I have said before, "beyond anything else writing on the blogs is worship for me. And with such worship I find I am strengthened and renewed in Him."
JESUS WEAR A BLUE COLLAR
AND CARRIES A LUNCH PAIL
Jack I believe that His love is opening more peoples hearts and minds to see His wonderful love and grace.
Love Dan
Dan was kind enough to leave a this comment yesterday and I wish I could agree. In part I understand what he is saying but I am a realist. I also believe, more than most, I am out there testing the waters and sharing God's love tirelessly day in day out. As I told Joian, my closest friend and confidant in the Lord, tonight, "God has taught me to bring my lunch pail when He works through me. And yes, I get irritated with so many that start a work only to see them loose their zeal and interest after awhile, as their work falters to become like the two witnesses "the Word and the Spirit" laying dead in the street." (Rev 11)
I often awaken in the morning with just the greatest pain in my heart for my brothers and sisters that are still caught up and bound by the Apostate Organized Church. It is in the seeking of relief from this incessant pain that I am driven to share the "Real Good News of the Kingdom of God." Having shared of my pain, and with the greatest of humility, because I know of myself there is no good thing, I will share something else with you.
I have a most dear sister that will only address me by my real birth name "John." She won't use "Jack" by which I am commonly known. This young lady ran into me on a forum where I was doing battle with the Christian New Agers that frequented there. She wanted to know who I really was, because, as she said, "she saw the powerful spirit of Elijah in me as I shared Truth while making no bones and barring no holds." Later after this sister became acquainted with me she said she found not only a likeness in me of "John the Baptist" but recognized the persona of another "John." Please note, that in the telling of this, my eyes water, so blessed am I that one might liken anything in me to this, the dearest to me and my favorite of all the Saints of Old. My lovely friend saw in me also the spirit of "John, the Beloved of the Lord." This John is he, who laid His head on Jesus breast and that is my favorite picture of Christ with His twelve. With continuing great sincerity and humbleness of spirit I believe we are to be all things to all men as we take on the likeness of our Christ. Today the fivefold ministry of the "Church Age" is corrupt and dead and the five have been gathered together in each of God's appointed sons. Christ, within these sons, is the Apostle. He is the Prophet and the Evangelist etc. And make a note of it; these sons are blue collar guys and gals. They maybe not be clothed in camels hair and leather but as the Baptist did, these laborers carry their lunch pails and toil long and hard. These are 24/7 people as their minds and hearts are always stayed upon the Lord. Day in day out , hour to hour and moment to moment these sisters and brothers are before the face of the Lord as they minister in a thousand different ways.
I would be remiss if I didn't also tell you that God, some years ago told me to focus the majority of my support and ministry on His humble and broken in spirit, blue collar sons and daughters, for it is they that world groans for (Rom 8).
Today, rather than say revival is happening in the world , I share with you these scriptures which I believe speak to the season we are in now. I pray more than anything else, you will identify with the last thought of the last scripture in this list. I can only hope you are spending much time before His face as you prepare His way.
"Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isa 57:14,15
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Mal 3:1
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Lk 1:17
"As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." Luk 3:4-6
"He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet" Jhn 1:23
"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways" Luk 1:76
So this morning, with my lunch pail in hand I shall go out into my community and on every bulletin board I can find in town, I will place this new flier (below) with my "JH & Christ" calling cards attached to it. Before I do this I might even find some colorful heart stickers to add to this poster. While I'm making my rounds, in the "spirit of John the Beloved", I will hug the necks of a few neighbors. And should I run into one adorning a preacher's Roman collar I might, with my best "John the Baptist voice", holler across the way, " O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" [wink ..... and because of the liberty He has given me, my friends know I actually do stuff like that. Maybe that is also why I don't have very many friends. lol ]
Yes my beloved and bold ones, it's a good day to be a "John" but it is the best of days to be as Christ, with a lunch pail and a blue collar. For such is the season.
John
.
So last night I called Joian to thank her for the care package she sent me. Of course, as one that must always look a gift horse in the mouth, I was bitching about all the dang decorative green and yellow straw she had used to pack every thing in. This straw clung to everything like a large angry octopus. After my diatribe on the packing I started whining about how rough God had been on me lately. Joian listened patiently as I moaned on and on. Finally when I finished, she asked me if I liked the candle holder. I bitched some more as I began to look for this lost object that was surely hidden somewhere in the belly of the green and yellow monster. I liked to have "died" when I found it. The candle holder was done in dark antiqued bronze and it had a skull on it with a saying below it. It said "DEAD TO THE WORLD"
Now ain't it just like God in combo with a good friend to remind you that "dead men don't whine." [blush] [lol]
So as always, after my visit with my best friend I felt better. I then grabbed my lunch pail and went to work on a post for our other blog, Jackson Hole & Christ. I so enjoyed working on it that I thought to share it here also. As I have said before, "beyond anything else writing on the blogs is worship for me. And with such worship I find I am strengthened and renewed in Him."
JESUS WEAR A BLUE COLLAR
AND CARRIES A LUNCH PAIL
Jack I believe that His love is opening more peoples hearts and minds to see His wonderful love and grace.
Love Dan
Dan was kind enough to leave a this comment yesterday and I wish I could agree. In part I understand what he is saying but I am a realist. I also believe, more than most, I am out there testing the waters and sharing God's love tirelessly day in day out. As I told Joian, my closest friend and confidant in the Lord, tonight, "God has taught me to bring my lunch pail when He works through me. And yes, I get irritated with so many that start a work only to see them loose their zeal and interest after awhile, as their work falters to become like the two witnesses "the Word and the Spirit" laying dead in the street." (Rev 11)
I often awaken in the morning with just the greatest pain in my heart for my brothers and sisters that are still caught up and bound by the Apostate Organized Church. It is in the seeking of relief from this incessant pain that I am driven to share the "Real Good News of the Kingdom of God." Having shared of my pain, and with the greatest of humility, because I know of myself there is no good thing, I will share something else with you.
I have a most dear sister that will only address me by my real birth name "John." She won't use "Jack" by which I am commonly known. This young lady ran into me on a forum where I was doing battle with the Christian New Agers that frequented there. She wanted to know who I really was, because, as she said, "she saw the powerful spirit of Elijah in me as I shared Truth while making no bones and barring no holds." Later after this sister became acquainted with me she said she found not only a likeness in me of "John the Baptist" but recognized the persona of another "John." Please note, that in the telling of this, my eyes water, so blessed am I that one might liken anything in me to this, the dearest to me and my favorite of all the Saints of Old. My lovely friend saw in me also the spirit of "John, the Beloved of the Lord." This John is he, who laid His head on Jesus breast and that is my favorite picture of Christ with His twelve. With continuing great sincerity and humbleness of spirit I believe we are to be all things to all men as we take on the likeness of our Christ. Today the fivefold ministry of the "Church Age" is corrupt and dead and the five have been gathered together in each of God's appointed sons. Christ, within these sons, is the Apostle. He is the Prophet and the Evangelist etc. And make a note of it; these sons are blue collar guys and gals. They maybe not be clothed in camels hair and leather but as the Baptist did, these laborers carry their lunch pails and toil long and hard. These are 24/7 people as their minds and hearts are always stayed upon the Lord. Day in day out , hour to hour and moment to moment these sisters and brothers are before the face of the Lord as they minister in a thousand different ways.
I would be remiss if I didn't also tell you that God, some years ago told me to focus the majority of my support and ministry on His humble and broken in spirit, blue collar sons and daughters, for it is they that world groans for (Rom 8).
Today, rather than say revival is happening in the world , I share with you these scriptures which I believe speak to the season we are in now. I pray more than anything else, you will identify with the last thought of the last scripture in this list. I can only hope you are spending much time before His face as you prepare His way.
"Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isa 57:14,15
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Mal 3:1
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Lk 1:17
"As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." Luk 3:4-6
"He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet" Jhn 1:23
"And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways" Luk 1:76
So this morning, with my lunch pail in hand I shall go out into my community and on every bulletin board I can find in town, I will place this new flier (below) with my "JH & Christ" calling cards attached to it. Before I do this I might even find some colorful heart stickers to add to this poster. While I'm making my rounds, in the "spirit of John the Beloved", I will hug the necks of a few neighbors. And should I run into one adorning a preacher's Roman collar I might, with my best "John the Baptist voice", holler across the way, " O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" [wink ..... and because of the liberty He has given me, my friends know I actually do stuff like that. Maybe that is also why I don't have very many friends. lol ]
Yes my beloved and bold ones, it's a good day to be a "John" but it is the best of days to be as Christ, with a lunch pail and a blue collar. For such is the season.
John
.
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT (the bullock and the Lord's goat)
.
"Precious, costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15
"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
In our Oct. 10th message I wrote, of the "Day of Atonement" which was the Jew's annual holy day of judgement. I shared my hope of illustrating how the sin offerings of the "bullock and the Lord's goat" give wondrous type to the death of His saint's as they follow Christ wherever He goes."
I know I have written before on SONSHINE, of how the sacrificial system continues and is working within the lives of God's sons today. We are God's sacrifices and offerings for the church and a dying world and these scriptures (below) speak to the "shared Cross of Christ" that most in Christendom avoid like the plague. Surely it is but the elect sons, who have found themselves hedged in on all sides that learn to love intimately their Christ of the Cross, for they are the younger brothers come to serve and save a fallen creation. These are the saviours on the mount written of in Obadiah.
"And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S." Oba 1:21
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WE ARE THE SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS OF GOD
* We present our bodies, a sacrifice.
" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
* One gives sacrifice by dieing. We die daily.
" I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." 1Cor 15:31
*The only way to have Christ' Spirit living within us is to be crucified with Christ. We are crucified with Christ.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" Gal 2:20
*We suffer for the church. We fill up the afflictions of Christ.
"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" Col 1:24
*We are God's continuing offering and even the sin offering. We are as He is.
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17
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.
THE CONTINUING WORKS OF CHRIST WITHIN
"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" Eph 1:18
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Col 1:27
Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also" (Jn 14:12). We assume He meant that we would work His miracles, but Jesus did not limit His definition of "works" to the miraculous. The works He did are these, and these are those that we are going to identify with in regards to this message; the redemptive life, the mercy cry, the identification with sinners and the rendering Himself an offering and a sacrifice. These are the works He did. We will "do also" these works. And nowhere else, do I believe the likeness of the sons to the Son, so dramatically typed in the Old Testament as it is with the "bullock and the Lords goat" on the Day of Atonement.
The Biblical description of the Day of Atonement can be found at this link and I believe it would be meaningful to take the time to read this chapter.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Lev/Lev016.html#top
The first sacrifice of the bullock represented the destruction of the lower nature in Christ and with these verses the author of Hebrews ties the Son with the sons as one.
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" Hbr 5:8,9
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren" Hbr 2:9-11
The latter sacrifice of the Lord's Goat represents, in light of the New Testament, the same kind of work in the followers of Christ. They fill up that which is left behind of His afflictions because they are as He is. Col 1:24, 1 John 4:17. How very few see this and thus they never partake of and identify wholly with Christ Jesus. There in lies the the mark that separates "those that care to just get by" and "those that are consumed by the elect Love of God through Christ Jesus."
The difference is made apparent in these scriptures. The "get by'ers" that make up most of Christendom are pictured as the seven woman representing the seven churches of Revelation.
"And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach". Isa 4:1
Allow me now contrast that above with the following scripture, which for me is Holy and leaves me awestruck with a deep brokenness because I know the cost represented here. Note; that which is rendered "Lamb" in this verse is the "Arnion" ~ the little lambkin slaughtered.
"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
When you know the Lamb intimately and you have fellowshipped with those that follow Him closely you also know the real "preciousness" of this relationship. You know the "cost" that has been paid. And you understand how "rare and valuable" are these dear saints. Whose heart could not be made tender when one shares Jesus with such as these dear souls spoken of by the Psalmist.
"Precious ,costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15
I sense this a place to quit this morning. Lastly, I might only repeat this scriptural promise which speaks to the sacrifice of the "bullock" and the "goat" which represent the Son and the sons.
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
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* an addendum: After breakfast and fellowship with a friend this morning, in which I shared part of this blog I came home and stumbled across this account of a vision by one the Lord's pioneers of the "sonship message." Although I have shared this before it begged to be told again. Our brother wrote:
.
"In that vision which lasted all night, the most wonderful vision I ever had, in which I saw the sons of God in action all over the world, ministering to the multitudes in every tongue and nation, to all people, I saw both men and women ministering. I saw them standing, suspended in mid-air, in the midst of a busy intersection of a large city, with all traffic stopped, and thousands of people seeing them with their eyes, and hearing them with their ears, regardless of distance, and without the aid of mechanical devices. I saw them speaking to a people of one language, and in a moment's time I saw them transported to another people of another language, speaking to them in their own language, having power over all mechanical devices and natural laws, so that they could cause every activity to cease, and every eye to be fixed upon them, until their message had been delivered.
"Precious, costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
In our Oct. 10th message I wrote, of the "Day of Atonement" which was the Jew's annual holy day of judgement. I shared my hope of illustrating how the sin offerings of the "bullock and the Lord's goat" give wondrous type to the death of His saint's as they follow Christ wherever He goes."
I know I have written before on SONSHINE, of how the sacrificial system continues and is working within the lives of God's sons today. We are God's sacrifices and offerings for the church and a dying world and these scriptures (below) speak to the "shared Cross of Christ" that most in Christendom avoid like the plague. Surely it is but the elect sons, who have found themselves hedged in on all sides that learn to love intimately their Christ of the Cross, for they are the younger brothers come to serve and save a fallen creation. These are the saviours on the mount written of in Obadiah.
"And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S." Oba 1:21
.
WE ARE THE SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS OF GOD
* We present our bodies, a sacrifice.
" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom 12:1
* One gives sacrifice by dieing. We die daily.
" I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." 1Cor 15:31
*The only way to have Christ' Spirit living within us is to be crucified with Christ. We are crucified with Christ.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" Gal 2:20
*We suffer for the church. We fill up the afflictions of Christ.
"Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church" Col 1:24
*We are God's continuing offering and even the sin offering. We are as He is.
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17
.
.
THE CONTINUING WORKS OF CHRIST WITHIN
"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" Eph 1:18
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" Col 1:27
Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also" (Jn 14:12). We assume He meant that we would work His miracles, but Jesus did not limit His definition of "works" to the miraculous. The works He did are these, and these are those that we are going to identify with in regards to this message; the redemptive life, the mercy cry, the identification with sinners and the rendering Himself an offering and a sacrifice. These are the works He did. We will "do also" these works. And nowhere else, do I believe the likeness of the sons to the Son, so dramatically typed in the Old Testament as it is with the "bullock and the Lords goat" on the Day of Atonement.
The Biblical description of the Day of Atonement can be found at this link and I believe it would be meaningful to take the time to read this chapter.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Lev/Lev016.html#top
The first sacrifice of the bullock represented the destruction of the lower nature in Christ and with these verses the author of Hebrews ties the Son with the sons as one.
"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" Hbr 5:8,9
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren" Hbr 2:9-11
The latter sacrifice of the Lord's Goat represents, in light of the New Testament, the same kind of work in the followers of Christ. They fill up that which is left behind of His afflictions because they are as He is. Col 1:24, 1 John 4:17. How very few see this and thus they never partake of and identify wholly with Christ Jesus. There in lies the the mark that separates "those that care to just get by" and "those that are consumed by the elect Love of God through Christ Jesus."
The difference is made apparent in these scriptures. The "get by'ers" that make up most of Christendom are pictured as the seven woman representing the seven churches of Revelation.
"And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach". Isa 4:1
Allow me now contrast that above with the following scripture, which for me is Holy and leaves me awestruck with a deep brokenness because I know the cost represented here. Note; that which is rendered "Lamb" in this verse is the "Arnion" ~ the little lambkin slaughtered.
"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
When you know the Lamb intimately and you have fellowshipped with those that follow Him closely you also know the real "preciousness" of this relationship. You know the "cost" that has been paid. And you understand how "rare and valuable" are these dear saints. Whose heart could not be made tender when one shares Jesus with such as these dear souls spoken of by the Psalmist.
"Precious ,costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15
I sense this a place to quit this morning. Lastly, I might only repeat this scriptural promise which speaks to the sacrifice of the "bullock" and the "goat" which represent the Son and the sons.
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
.
* an addendum: After breakfast and fellowship with a friend this morning, in which I shared part of this blog I came home and stumbled across this account of a vision by one the Lord's pioneers of the "sonship message." Although I have shared this before it begged to be told again. Our brother wrote:
.
"In that vision which lasted all night, the most wonderful vision I ever had, in which I saw the sons of God in action all over the world, ministering to the multitudes in every tongue and nation, to all people, I saw both men and women ministering. I saw them standing, suspended in mid-air, in the midst of a busy intersection of a large city, with all traffic stopped, and thousands of people seeing them with their eyes, and hearing them with their ears, regardless of distance, and without the aid of mechanical devices. I saw them speaking to a people of one language, and in a moment's time I saw them transported to another people of another language, speaking to them in their own language, having power over all mechanical devices and natural laws, so that they could cause every activity to cease, and every eye to be fixed upon them, until their message had been delivered.
I saw them walk upon the water; and I saw the terror in the faces of the wicked, at the sound of their voices. I saw the professing Christians fall upon their faces in true repentance, crying out for mercy, and I saw them being genuinely converted. I saw the skeptics being convinced, and the blasphemy of the wicked, as they would rail and mock, only to be struck dumb at just a word from the manifested sons and daughters of God.
The vision lasted all night, as in my spirit I was living in that future time, when God will be manifested in fullness in His sons and in His daughters, while my body was back there in bed alongside my wife. Sometimes the scenes would make me weep and I would sob, my body shaking violently with pain and agony, whereas another scene would cause me to laugh with holy laughter, as I witnessed the genuine repentance of the shallow Church members.
I'll never forget the vision of the young girl (the daughters of God) who spoke with the voice of many waters. Human language could never describe the quality of her voice. All I can say is, it was so filled with love and compassion, it would break the hardest stone, and at her command, every infirmity, every sickness, every blindness, every lameness was healed; every one was made perfectly whole, even those who had been lunatic from birth.
Sister Britain got no sleep that night, and finally when the dawn was ready to break, she asked me why I didn't get up and write the vision. I did try, but could not hold my hands on the keyboard of the typewriter. Some unseen force held them aloft over my head. I walked the floor and wept, and begged the Lord to permit me to write some of the visions I had seen, to preserve them in black and white. At last He did, and I wrote just a very few of the visions I had seen, for a large book could not contain them all.
What did the experience do for me? That vision set my soul aflame! Should I publish what I had written? What would people think of me if I did? Surely they would think me mad! I was just getting started in the writing and publishing ministry, and surely, I thought, that one message would cause all men to lose confidence in me! Finally with tears streaming, I said, I'm going to publish it, regardless of the cost. I know it's true! I know it's going to come to pass! And though all men turn against me, I'm going to publish it anyway! And so we did. We then waited anxiously to hear the reaction of the people. To our surprise, the message thrilled their hearts. THEY BELIEVED IT! They still believe it!" -end quote.
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("The Day of Atonement" to be continued)
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THE SEASON OF OUR JOY
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Today is the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles as commemorated by the Jewish faith. What a blessing, that we who know the Subject of all Mosaic Law, can celebrate Christ Jesus in the Spirit of this current Feast. In between instalments of the "Day of Atonement" messages, I felt led to share this beautiful letter Joian and I received this morning from the Eliyah, Kai and the Schulz family. Although it is addressed to us, knowing Eliyah's heart, I believe she would be honored should I share it with all of you. I know had she your mailing address she would send this very blessed message to each of you. So with the belief that the Holy Spirit is leading I share the "Joy of Tabernacles" as expressed by our dear sister.
Today is the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles as commemorated by the Jewish faith. What a blessing, that we who know the Subject of all Mosaic Law, can celebrate Christ Jesus in the Spirit of this current Feast. In between instalments of the "Day of Atonement" messages, I felt led to share this beautiful letter Joian and I received this morning from the Eliyah, Kai and the Schulz family. Although it is addressed to us, knowing Eliyah's heart, I believe she would be honored should I share it with all of you. I know had she your mailing address she would send this very blessed message to each of you. So with the belief that the Holy Spirit is leading I share the "Joy of Tabernacles" as expressed by our dear sister.Good morning my dear brother(s) and sister(s)!
Well, we are finally taking off.....we have been so busy packing, cleaning, and shopping for groceries and at last we are done. We are packed to the gills as they say....from Zadok's G.I. joe army men to Elisha's 'my little ponies' and all the blankets & pillows and the back is full of groceries and a cooler and the luggage rack has got ONE BIG SUITCASE on top....lol.....but we are all so excited to go and fellowship with other believers and celebrate the Lord's Feast together.
The Feast of Tabernacles is called by many names.....Sukkot, Feast of Boothes, The Feast of Ingathering.....but the one I love the best is THE SEASON OF OUR JOY.
Well, we are finally taking off.....we have been so busy packing, cleaning, and shopping for groceries and at last we are done. We are packed to the gills as they say....from Zadok's G.I. joe army men to Elisha's 'my little ponies' and all the blankets & pillows and the back is full of groceries and a cooler and the luggage rack has got ONE BIG SUITCASE on top....lol.....but we are all so excited to go and fellowship with other believers and celebrate the Lord's Feast together.
The Feast of Tabernacles is called by many names.....Sukkot, Feast of Boothes, The Feast of Ingathering.....but the one I love the best is THE SEASON OF OUR JOY.
I love that the Lord says that He will choose the place where He wants His people to celebrate His feast. The first year He wanted us to celebrate it just with Him alone (how precious and romantic that our first Tabernacles was just with our precious little family and the King of Glory...). Not knowing anything about Tabernacles but just having a heart to obey and please our Lord we set up a tent in the backyard and had a fire pit and every morning we would go outside and fellowship with HIM....and every morning there was DEW on the ground....I was told that this is a beautiful sign that is present during Tabernacles signifying His presence.....and I was delighted to see that it was there for us too.....and His presence was so FELT during this precious time.....and at night the moon was full and we would talk about the Lord, sing, read, make smores, eat, laugh, and we even attempted to sleep out in the tent but MOMMY ended up gettin scared of what might be in the woods....lol....so around midnight we all headed back inside.....lol.....but the Lord even used that to gently show me that I still had fear that He wanted to overcome within me.
Last year was our 2nd Tabernacles and He showed us that He wanted us to go to a beautiful place in Arkansas.....the place where we went was named 'the FACE of God'....I did not know it until I looked up the meaning of the name of the town we were in.....and that is what it meant...whewww.....He surely does know how to pick the place!
We were still just our family and Him....but it was as if we had the whole park/lake to ourselves.....in fact we almost did....and the atmosphere was charged with His beauty, glory, and intimacy. One day we went out on a boat and we had the whole lake to ourselves and Lana 'accidentally' turned on the radio....and it just so happened to be on a Christian station....and the song that was playing was...."I just love you Jesus'....we had rented a party barge that had a upstairs.....so me and the children just danced on top of the boat with hands lifted high in a circle just praising our FATHER and wonderful LORD....right there in the middle of the Lake....and I could sense His pleasure and all the angels around us.....dancing with us..... the sky was shining and His glory was so powerful.....and this is the memory that I have the most about that trip.....for He did this for us....provided the most beautiful trip to meet with Him.
Tabernacles is an appointment.....a HOLY appointment.....and this year He has chosen a place that we are going to be with other believers.....and I rejoice!
Last year was our 2nd Tabernacles and He showed us that He wanted us to go to a beautiful place in Arkansas.....the place where we went was named 'the FACE of God'....I did not know it until I looked up the meaning of the name of the town we were in.....and that is what it meant...whewww.....He surely does know how to pick the place!
We were still just our family and Him....but it was as if we had the whole park/lake to ourselves.....in fact we almost did....and the atmosphere was charged with His beauty, glory, and intimacy. One day we went out on a boat and we had the whole lake to ourselves and Lana 'accidentally' turned on the radio....and it just so happened to be on a Christian station....and the song that was playing was...."I just love you Jesus'....we had rented a party barge that had a upstairs.....so me and the children just danced on top of the boat with hands lifted high in a circle just praising our FATHER and wonderful LORD....right there in the middle of the Lake....and I could sense His pleasure and all the angels around us.....dancing with us..... the sky was shining and His glory was so powerful.....and this is the memory that I have the most about that trip.....for He did this for us....provided the most beautiful trip to meet with Him.
Tabernacles is an appointment.....a HOLY appointment.....and this year He has chosen a place that we are going to be with other believers.....and I rejoice!
.......... The Lord instructs us that during Tabernacles that we are not to EVEN THINK ON ANYTHING NEGATIVE....for it is a season of Joy....and we are told to celebrate and think on HIM.
I pray that your time this week will be soooooo full of HIM and HIS JOY.....no matter where you are....even if it is just right there in your living room.....and I am praying that He will surprise us all with the most wonderful visitation that we can ONLY IMAGINE!
I look forward to sharing with you when we get back....until then, please know that we love you ...... and are keeping you ........ ever before the throne.
All our love,
The Schulz Family
I look forward to sharing with you when we get back....until then, please know that we love you ...... and are keeping you ........ ever before the throne.
All our love,
The Schulz Family
(Parenthesis ....... are
mine that Eliyah's message
be enlarged to equal the
size of her heart)
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THE DAY OF ATONEMENT (the Wind blows)
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Tonight I was thinking how "SONSHINE" has become such blessing and more so than ever I would have imagined when we started. I believe it so, because we have come to see that it is not the "form" of this work but the "function", and that function be, that Christ is lifted up. How easy it is to get the form in front of the function and there in lies the demise of that which was once good. How often have we seen this in the many moves of God that we have been blessed to be part of. May we here at SONSHINE always realize that this little blog is His and belongs to no man. And may we recognize the day this form has served it purpose and it is time to move on as we follow Him. With that, should the Lord tarry, I believe this little work will live on in legacy for our children and even theirs. I felt I needed to say that, after suffering so much heartbreak with so many things good gone bad in my walk with Christ. I know you have suffered this also and along with me hope for better.
With that said I would hope that others would share their vision of Christ as Andrea has done recently in this blog. There certainly are no big "I"s here and it seems God has a way of editing that which is acceptable to Him on SONSHINE. We continue to trust in this.
Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Mat 22:37-39
It seems a week doesn't go by that I don't share with a nominal Christian that salvation is more than an acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as their Saviour. When these lax souls speak of "being saved" they are most often only looking back at the time their spirits were quickened and knit together with the Spirit of Christ. With much study and years of contemplation I believe I am almost ready to say, most of these that have stopped at the first act of salvation, the regeneration of the spirit have actually lost it all and with the help of the apostate church have traded the one true merciful and loving God for a counterfeit and foul facsimile. I have been there myself and thus I believe my analysis carries the weight of experience.
Did I know God when I pictured him as a terroristic despot that would horrifically torture for ever and ever the majority of his offspring. No, I don't believe I knew God although I was the picture of a disciple working hard for God with successful appearing ministries of every sort. Instead of knowing Him I believe my life was lived in a dark blasphemous death realm filled with subtle self righteous works that I thought pleasing to my Deity. What was dark I had been deceived to call light and the deep hidden sins of my soul gave testament to this. With the greatest of sincerity, I share this and although I have left a little wiggle room I believe I write truth here. Lord knows I have wrestled and prayed much concerning the question, "do orthodox nominal Christians know the one true God?"
After much prayer and reflection, I truly don't know how one can worship a God, that so resembles a foul and destructive pagan entity, unless they be completely deceived by the prince of this world. And I definitely don't know how one can love his or her neighbor, when in their heart and mind they have assigned the majority of them to eternal torment in a place called Hell. It seems both commandments given by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew,have been trashed completely with the holding of such a perverted belief. I prayerfully pronounce such with a, "I've been there, done that" testimony and background.
Jesus called his disciples, "Follow me." And they forsook all, and followed him. (Lk 5:11)
And with the deception I have tasted and written about above I look at so many about me in my community that name Christ and I must ask, "where is the 'following' and where is the 'forsaking.'" Most everyone I know that is bound by the orthodox church seem just as those in the world, as they spend their life's energy gathering that which is of this material realm and both corruptible and vaporous. Then on Sunday morning they worship, and is it not surprising they would worship a false Deity they have built in their own image......... a comfortable Deity and even more than comfortable, one that condemns their neighbor to hell thus making themselves feel more than special. This is more than absurd, but that is the way of the heart of the decieved and carnal Christian that can go through a whole lifetime naming Christ without ever truly knowing Him. For a certainty, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer 17:9
In completing the thoughts above I might share a great hope I have today in the face of the economic calamity that envelops the world. I believe with the possibility of a deep "economic depression" God is beckoning the lukewarm and apostate Christian to come back to Christ. Should you be such, I can only pray you would simplify your life and eliminate all that distracts you. Count it as "dung." Get on with life's mission, which is to be reduced to Christ. He is our Eternal Reward as contrasted with the empty, corruptible and vaporous gains of this temporal world that passes away as a breath. Selah.
Well such is it when you sit down to write and can only hope Christ would speak through you. I had no plans to begin this message on the "Day of Atonement" like that, but the Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it pleases(Jn 3:8) So with a deeper message for those whose lives are surrendered to Him allow me to begin with a scripture that I can hardly read or think of without my eyes watering, for I know well the cost. And for those that are kinsmen in the Spirit, I know that of which you have paid, as your lives have been poured out that you might carry His Life to a pained and groaning world.
"Precious, costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15
and with reference to the "follow me" script from
Luke recited earlier allow me add these two for emphasis:
"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
As we look at the "Day of Atonement" which was the Jew's yearly day of judgement I hope to show how the sin offerings of the "bullock and the Lord's goat" give wondrous type to the death of His saint's as they follow Christ wherever He goes. We may even show how the "scapegoat" might be seen as the "harlot and counterfeit church." Before any would object to such I will say that with the types of Old Testament sacrifices and offering there are a number of ways to picture them. On the deepest level I see Christ fulfilling all the entities found making up this most holy day in the Mosaic covenant. Jesus is the High Priest, the bullock, both goats, the strong man, the scarlet ribbon, the sacrifices and even the altar they are laid upon. On and on we could go so great and magnificent is this Saviour and Lord of Ours. Let us ever delight ourselves in seeing Jesus as more rather than less! Also should someone think I might be a few days late addressing this subject, knowing the the 8th and 9th is commemorative Day of Atonement, I reply that every day in the Spirit is Atonement Day!
Before going on and rather than make this post too long allow me to quit here tonight. I believe in preparation for the rest of this message the earnest student of the Word might benefit and be blessed to read this chapter from a wonderful book I often refer to in my personal studies. This chapter is taken from "The Temple" (its "ministry and services" as they were at the time of Christ) by Alfred Edersheim -(1825-1889). What an amazing picture this author paints of this "most holy day for the ancient Jews." I am sure should you pray before reading this, you will be able to even see, hear and smell the sights, sounds and odors of Jerusalem on this Day of Atonement, two millennia ago. Here is the link:
http://www.piney.com/Edersheim16.html
(to be continued)
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Tonight I was thinking how "SONSHINE" has become such blessing and more so than ever I would have imagined when we started. I believe it so, because we have come to see that it is not the "form" of this work but the "function", and that function be, that Christ is lifted up. How easy it is to get the form in front of the function and there in lies the demise of that which was once good. How often have we seen this in the many moves of God that we have been blessed to be part of. May we here at SONSHINE always realize that this little blog is His and belongs to no man. And may we recognize the day this form has served it purpose and it is time to move on as we follow Him. With that, should the Lord tarry, I believe this little work will live on in legacy for our children and even theirs. I felt I needed to say that, after suffering so much heartbreak with so many things good gone bad in my walk with Christ. I know you have suffered this also and along with me hope for better.With that said I would hope that others would share their vision of Christ as Andrea has done recently in this blog. There certainly are no big "I"s here and it seems God has a way of editing that which is acceptable to Him on SONSHINE. We continue to trust in this.
Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Mat 22:37-39
It seems a week doesn't go by that I don't share with a nominal Christian that salvation is more than an acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as their Saviour. When these lax souls speak of "being saved" they are most often only looking back at the time their spirits were quickened and knit together with the Spirit of Christ. With much study and years of contemplation I believe I am almost ready to say, most of these that have stopped at the first act of salvation, the regeneration of the spirit have actually lost it all and with the help of the apostate church have traded the one true merciful and loving God for a counterfeit and foul facsimile. I have been there myself and thus I believe my analysis carries the weight of experience.
Did I know God when I pictured him as a terroristic despot that would horrifically torture for ever and ever the majority of his offspring. No, I don't believe I knew God although I was the picture of a disciple working hard for God with successful appearing ministries of every sort. Instead of knowing Him I believe my life was lived in a dark blasphemous death realm filled with subtle self righteous works that I thought pleasing to my Deity. What was dark I had been deceived to call light and the deep hidden sins of my soul gave testament to this. With the greatest of sincerity, I share this and although I have left a little wiggle room I believe I write truth here. Lord knows I have wrestled and prayed much concerning the question, "do orthodox nominal Christians know the one true God?"
After much prayer and reflection, I truly don't know how one can worship a God, that so resembles a foul and destructive pagan entity, unless they be completely deceived by the prince of this world. And I definitely don't know how one can love his or her neighbor, when in their heart and mind they have assigned the majority of them to eternal torment in a place called Hell. It seems both commandments given by Jesus, as recorded in Matthew,have been trashed completely with the holding of such a perverted belief. I prayerfully pronounce such with a, "I've been there, done that" testimony and background.
Jesus called his disciples, "Follow me." And they forsook all, and followed him. (Lk 5:11)
And with the deception I have tasted and written about above I look at so many about me in my community that name Christ and I must ask, "where is the 'following' and where is the 'forsaking.'" Most everyone I know that is bound by the orthodox church seem just as those in the world, as they spend their life's energy gathering that which is of this material realm and both corruptible and vaporous. Then on Sunday morning they worship, and is it not surprising they would worship a false Deity they have built in their own image......... a comfortable Deity and even more than comfortable, one that condemns their neighbor to hell thus making themselves feel more than special. This is more than absurd, but that is the way of the heart of the decieved and carnal Christian that can go through a whole lifetime naming Christ without ever truly knowing Him. For a certainty, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer 17:9
In completing the thoughts above I might share a great hope I have today in the face of the economic calamity that envelops the world. I believe with the possibility of a deep "economic depression" God is beckoning the lukewarm and apostate Christian to come back to Christ. Should you be such, I can only pray you would simplify your life and eliminate all that distracts you. Count it as "dung." Get on with life's mission, which is to be reduced to Christ. He is our Eternal Reward as contrasted with the empty, corruptible and vaporous gains of this temporal world that passes away as a breath. Selah.
Well such is it when you sit down to write and can only hope Christ would speak through you. I had no plans to begin this message on the "Day of Atonement" like that, but the Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it pleases(Jn 3:8) So with a deeper message for those whose lives are surrendered to Him allow me to begin with a scripture that I can hardly read or think of without my eyes watering, for I know well the cost. And for those that are kinsmen in the Spirit, I know that of which you have paid, as your lives have been poured out that you might carry His Life to a pained and groaning world.
"Precious, costly, valuable and rare in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Ps 116:15
and with reference to the "follow me" script from
Luke recited earlier allow me add these two for emphasis:
"And these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." Rev 14:4
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1Jn 4:17
As we look at the "Day of Atonement" which was the Jew's yearly day of judgement I hope to show how the sin offerings of the "bullock and the Lord's goat" give wondrous type to the death of His saint's as they follow Christ wherever He goes. We may even show how the "scapegoat" might be seen as the "harlot and counterfeit church." Before any would object to such I will say that with the types of Old Testament sacrifices and offering there are a number of ways to picture them. On the deepest level I see Christ fulfilling all the entities found making up this most holy day in the Mosaic covenant. Jesus is the High Priest, the bullock, both goats, the strong man, the scarlet ribbon, the sacrifices and even the altar they are laid upon. On and on we could go so great and magnificent is this Saviour and Lord of Ours. Let us ever delight ourselves in seeing Jesus as more rather than less! Also should someone think I might be a few days late addressing this subject, knowing the the 8th and 9th is commemorative Day of Atonement, I reply that every day in the Spirit is Atonement Day!
Before going on and rather than make this post too long allow me to quit here tonight. I believe in preparation for the rest of this message the earnest student of the Word might benefit and be blessed to read this chapter from a wonderful book I often refer to in my personal studies. This chapter is taken from "The Temple" (its "ministry and services" as they were at the time of Christ) by Alfred Edersheim -(1825-1889). What an amazing picture this author paints of this "most holy day for the ancient Jews." I am sure should you pray before reading this, you will be able to even see, hear and smell the sights, sounds and odors of Jerusalem on this Day of Atonement, two millennia ago. Here is the link:
http://www.piney.com/Edersheim16.html
(to be continued)
.
The Giving Tree
(Above) l-r Amy, Owen, Joian, Christina, Melody & Levi
Next month I will be renting my home for the first time to someone outside our family. As it happens my daughter and her husband will be returning from North Carolina for a five day visit just before I move. I decided to have a “Goodbye Slumber Party” at the house and allow the girls to pick from the furniture and memorabilia still there, then share a last supper in this place that holds so many memories.
Years ago we built a deck off the back of the house. My son thought it would be neat to plant a tree that would grow up through the middle of the new deck. The idea also appealed to me. So we dug up and transplanted a Kapok tree that had been growing in the back of the yard. Kapok trees have a bright green trunk and as they mature they grow large thorns that cover the trunk.
I had no idea how fast and large the tree would grow or several of its other unknown to me, attributes. A couple of the kids loved to knock the thorns off, which was very necessary for the tree to be safe on the deck……..lol More than once the enormous pink flowers bounced off visitors heads. They also made a thud on the roof when they landed, causing you to startle if home alone. Then there was the constant dripping of some sort of liquid in the summer which made you think someone was spitting in the wind in your direction. Last but not least, was the growth potential of 50’-100’. It slowly dawned on me that we had picked the wrong tree for our deck, especially when the circumference outgrew the hole we had cut and began to pull the deck off it’s frame…….. Yet, I kept enlarging the hole in the deck, and put up with all the other problems for a couple of reasons………perhaps you’ll agree…….
It was about a year after the divorce………I walked out on the deck as Amy was reading a book called “The Giving Tree”, a story of a tree who gave shade and shelter and finally it’s all, becoming firewood. I sat down beside her as she read the book out loud and the Lord ministered peace to both of us.
When she finished she said, “Mom, let’s call this tree, pointing to the problematic Kapok, our giving tree and look it even has a face!”. Not convinced, I said, “where”? She pointed up to a place where two branches had been cut off leaving two identical circles that looked like eyes. Right below those two circles was a scar on the bark that looked like a mouth, turned up in a smile. Now who could cut down a tree with a face……..lol
That was almost 16 years ago……since then it has shaded and added pink profusion to several weddings. It held strings of lights and piñata ropes, delighted cats, kids and 100s of hummingbirds. The tree like the house has been a symbol of my Father’s faithfulness to me and my family……thorns and all……… a sheltering place where over and over he prepared a table for me in the presence of my enemies, he made the crooked way straight, comforted healed and restored. It was here, I learned to forgive, forget and begin anew. Here, I discovered peace and rest were within and that the kingdom, king and lover of my soul is there also……..
As I leave this known and familiar physical place I have called home for thirty-eight years, I am no longer afraid, angry and hateful…… I am just grateful……so very grateful to have found the "giving" tree himself…….. he also has a face, and it looks like mine.
Love,
Joian
WE BROKEN
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Our Andrea is an artist and a poet. She sent this to me as we were trading E-mails and was kind enough to allow me to share it on the blog. How blessed we are here at SONSHINE to have a number of souls that know the rare and precious meaning of both Andrea's art and her words. And how wonderfully this speaks to that of which we have been sharing of late. I have taken the poem from the art piece and copied it below.
Our Andrea is an artist and a poet. She sent this to me as we were trading E-mails and was kind enough to allow me to share it on the blog. How blessed we are here at SONSHINE to have a number of souls that know the rare and precious meaning of both Andrea's art and her words. And how wonderfully this speaks to that of which we have been sharing of late. I have taken the poem from the art piece and copied it below.
"We Broken"
by Andrea Warren
That place between awake and sleep,
where nothings as it seems.
Where children cry, and women weep,
and life is lost in dreams.
Where silence turns to screaming,
that only God can hear,
and though the tears are streaming,
they never drown the fear.
The darkness comes invading,
the depths of who I am,
and with it hope is fading,
that to save me is God's plan.
Shattered trust that bruises,
with guilt, regret, and shame.
Yet ever my soul chooses,
to call upon God's name.
This life is just a battlefield,
where souls are won and lost.
My heart may break; my strength may yield,
but Christ has paid loves cost.
I'll never see beyond this pain,
if I don't look past this strife,
by Andrea Warren
That place between awake and sleep,
where nothings as it seems.
Where children cry, and women weep,
and life is lost in dreams.
Where silence turns to screaming,
that only God can hear,
and though the tears are streaming,
they never drown the fear.
The darkness comes invading,
the depths of who I am,
and with it hope is fading,
that to save me is God's plan.
Shattered trust that bruises,
with guilt, regret, and shame.
Yet ever my soul chooses,
to call upon God's name.
This life is just a battlefield,
where souls are won and lost.
My heart may break; my strength may yield,
but Christ has paid loves cost.
I'll never see beyond this pain,
if I don't look past this strife,
and I will not rise from this disdain,
if I seek to save this life.
For its when God's lightning flashes,
that we clearly see the skies,
and its from our dirty ashes,
that His life will arise.
When the silence lasts the longest,
we want even more to hear,
and if we're never given time to rest,
we hold the peace more dear.
The Light is never brighter,
than in the darkest place,
and God never holds us tighter,
than when we broken...seek His face.
if I seek to save this life.
For its when God's lightning flashes,
that we clearly see the skies,
and its from our dirty ashes,
that His life will arise.
When the silence lasts the longest,
we want even more to hear,
and if we're never given time to rest,
we hold the peace more dear.
The Light is never brighter,
than in the darkest place,
and God never holds us tighter,
than when we broken...seek His face.
.
....
PARADOXOLOGY & THE KINGDOM ...... (part one)
.
It doesn't take much time spent within the Kingdom of God before one finds that this sphere of the Spirit is filled with paradox. So it seems this morning I awakened feeling lost to this world, yet with that feeling I also felt wonderfully at rest because I knew I was found in Him and He held me tightly. This was another paradox, of which for me there seems to be a new one discovered with each succeeding day. So with that, I feel led to share a few messages on "Paradoxology & The Kingdom of God."
It doesn't take much time spent within the Kingdom of God before one finds that this sphere of the Spirit is filled with paradox. So it seems this morning I awakened feeling lost to this world, yet with that feeling I also felt wonderfully at rest because I knew I was found in Him and He held me tightly. This was another paradox, of which for me there seems to be a new one discovered with each succeeding day. So with that, I feel led to share a few messages on "Paradoxology & The Kingdom of God."How often I enjoy reading of some great theological mind that has fallen at His feet knowing that only with our vision of Christ, is there sense to made of our existence. And that sense ....... well it's nigh impossible to explain, thus we can only throw up our hands and point to Jesus and say there it is ..... there it all is! That is God and that is Love! That's the Whole of it and Whole of it is Jesus! And when you have come to the place where He is all you see and there is nothing else, you will ........... well then you will be the Whole and you will understand perfectly. Such is the Mystery of Christ, the Resurrection and God, All in All.
It is all found in Jesus. And "Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. He is Himself the way."
So, last night I decided to research the background, thoughts and writings of a man that has often been called the greatest theologian of the twentieth century, if not the last five hundred years. What an enjoyable evening I had as I read of this esteemed man with the great mind. How wonderful it was to finish my evening's research with a simple story told of this famed theologian, Karl Barth. It said it all, and I had tears to witness the rarity of a "one of the few wise that had found the Kingdom."
Once a young student asked Barth if he could sum up what was most important about his life's work and theology in just a few words. The question was posed even with gasps from the audience. Barth just thought for a moment and then smiled, "Yes, in the words of a song my mother used to sing me, 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"
The "Jesus does not give recipes" quote I used earlier also came by way of Barth and I laughed at the truth of this other quote of his.
Once a young student asked Barth if he could sum up what was most important about his life's work and theology in just a few words. The question was posed even with gasps from the audience. Barth just thought for a moment and then smiled, "Yes, in the words of a song my mother used to sing me, 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"
The "Jesus does not give recipes" quote I used earlier also came by way of Barth and I laughed at the truth of this other quote of his.
.
"The truest rallying cry that can be used by any leader is ,
"The truest rallying cry that can be used by any leader is ,
'I don’t know where I am going; follow me!'"
With that said I hope you will "follow me" as we explore the paradoxes of this wondrous sphere of the Spirit, we call the Kingdom of God. Hopefully we'll even get lost, only to discover that in our lostness we have been found in His Love, which knows no bounds. I can think of no better way to start this series on "paradoxology and the Kingdom" than with this beautiful piece of prose by Linette Woods.
Lessons from Life
by Lynette Woods
I cannot learn anything until I unlearn what I have already learned.
I cannot be real and genuine until I have been disillusioned.
I cannot do anything until I've stopped everything.
I cannot be wholly in Christ until I am totally out of religion and its ways.
I cannot wash another's feet while standing on my own two feet.
I cannot walk in another's shoes unless I first take off my own shoes.
I cannot offer anyone a helping hand if my hands are already full.
I cannot speak words of Life to another unless Life has first engraved those words on my heart.
I cannot see through another's eyes while looking at myself.
I cannot hear through another's ears while listening to the throb of my own heartbeat.
I cannot share another's heart if I am consumed with the passion and pain in my own heart.
I cannot truly love another if I am still in love with myself.
I cannot give anything of worth to anyone until I have nothing of myself to give.
I cannot experience real Life until I am dead and buried.
I cannot know Freedom until I am content to be locked away.
I cannot know Rest until I can completely give up on myself and my plans.
I cannot live in the Light if I cannot bear the exposure of being seen.
I cannot know Truth unless I stop deceiving myself with lies.
I cannot walk in the Way until I quit studying the map.
I cannot know Hope until I'm convinced of how hopeless I am.
I cannot enjoy Peace without going through many storms.
I cannot experience amazing Grace if I secretly believe I deserve it.
I cannot receive Mercy until I stop trying to save myself.
I cannot completely trust Another until I no longer trust myself.
I cannot really pray until it is not me that is praying.
I cannot truly cry until it is not me that is crying.
I cannot really sing until it is not me that is singing.
I cannot truly laugh until it is not me that is laughing.
I cannot truly live until it is not ME that is living...
For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
I can do all things through Christ Who empowers and strengthens me.
Phil 1:21; 4:13.
.
With that said I hope you will "follow me" as we explore the paradoxes of this wondrous sphere of the Spirit, we call the Kingdom of God. Hopefully we'll even get lost, only to discover that in our lostness we have been found in His Love, which knows no bounds. I can think of no better way to start this series on "paradoxology and the Kingdom" than with this beautiful piece of prose by Linette Woods.
Lessons from Life
by Lynette Woods
I cannot learn anything until I unlearn what I have already learned.
I cannot be real and genuine until I have been disillusioned.
I cannot do anything until I've stopped everything.
I cannot be wholly in Christ until I am totally out of religion and its ways.
I cannot wash another's feet while standing on my own two feet.
I cannot walk in another's shoes unless I first take off my own shoes.
I cannot offer anyone a helping hand if my hands are already full.
I cannot speak words of Life to another unless Life has first engraved those words on my heart.
I cannot see through another's eyes while looking at myself.
I cannot hear through another's ears while listening to the throb of my own heartbeat.
I cannot share another's heart if I am consumed with the passion and pain in my own heart.
I cannot truly love another if I am still in love with myself.
I cannot give anything of worth to anyone until I have nothing of myself to give.
I cannot experience real Life until I am dead and buried.
I cannot know Freedom until I am content to be locked away.
I cannot know Rest until I can completely give up on myself and my plans.
I cannot live in the Light if I cannot bear the exposure of being seen.
I cannot know Truth unless I stop deceiving myself with lies.
I cannot walk in the Way until I quit studying the map.
I cannot know Hope until I'm convinced of how hopeless I am.
I cannot enjoy Peace without going through many storms.
I cannot experience amazing Grace if I secretly believe I deserve it.
I cannot receive Mercy until I stop trying to save myself.
I cannot completely trust Another until I no longer trust myself.
I cannot really pray until it is not me that is praying.
I cannot truly cry until it is not me that is crying.
I cannot really sing until it is not me that is singing.
I cannot truly laugh until it is not me that is laughing.
I cannot truly live until it is not ME that is living...
For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
I can do all things through Christ Who empowers and strengthens me.
Phil 1:21; 4:13.
.
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