Category: joy

Transformation: Ignorance to Life

We are delighted, awed – even puzzled.

Meditation Thought: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24) “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

The indwelling Spirit and the indwelling Truth of the Word implanted in the mind are the transforming powers which move us from ignorance of life to knowledge of Life. We know Whom to worship and how to worship. We know Whom to petition and how to petition. We know Whose we are and why we are.

We have discovered a new part of ourselves: our spirit. We are delighted, awed – even puzzled over this piece of us which has been there all along, but we had not yet found it.

We must learn the function of it – we must learn how to integrate it with all of our other parts. The concept is so new, so different: a part of us that is not known by physical sense, or by the mental process, but by the breath of the Spirit which brings life to our spirit. When we are born of the spirit truly we are “new creations”; we can now worship in spirit and in truth. We are no longer deceived by appearances or by the impressions others press upon us, but know the Truth: we see not with blurred eyes, but with x-ray vision. We hear not the clamor of the world, but the harmony of heaven. We taste not the bitterness of envy, but the Bread of Life. We touch not the grasp of Satan, but the tender clasp of the loving Father. We smell not the odor of burning flesh, but the perfumes of the ripened fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (See Galatians 5:23)

Miracle Workers

Not a thought, not the smallest of actions is neutral: everything is either to the glory of God – or the delight of Satan.

Meditation Thought: “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Not a thought, not the smallest of actions is neutral: everything is either to the glory of God – or the delight of Satan. Practice, practice: learn the meaning of the Word, and having this knowledge, seek the wisdom of the Spirit – by these shall you think and act to the glory of God.

And by these shall you think and act to the salvation of the world: your world – and the worlds it touches.

Let not your preoccupation with your feelings, your desires, your will, short-circuit the flow of power from heaven into your world. The Word and the Spirit are the miracle workers – through the willing mind and body of the believer. A willing mind and body are constructed from a willing spirit seeking beyond self: seeking to know from whom they came, and to whom they belong, and to whom they give glory.

I come not with
pounding drums
Nor searchlights
and parades:
Those you could
not ignore.
I come softly,
quietly, with gentle touch.
Asking, not demanding –
Will you follow Me?
For I go to bring
glory to God;
I seek to show you the way.
The limits you have,
So I had too.
And as I overcame
by yielding My will,
So I show you too:
The Father’s will is
the grace of His glory
Bringing peace and joy
and love.

Master Weaver

Set your goal high: as high as heaven.

Meditation Thought: “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11) “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15)

“Take the thread of life which I place before you; seek to study the instructions on how to weave it into a beautiful blanket: an all-purpose blanket to be shared again and again to provide warmth, shelter and beauty for many.

Do not be dismayed by difficulties, but know that they arise so that you will seek to be more creative in using the talents (thread) which I have given you.

I do not propose for you to weave a plain, monotonous blanket. No, it must have depth of texture, contrasts of color, variety of design. It shall be as a tapestry which tells a story as it is observed from one part to another.

Do not allow Satan to make flaws in it by listening to his instructions rather than Mine – oh, they are so much easier for you to follow. They take little effort, little concentration – and the results are disastrous; they are displeasing to you and to others.

Set your goal high: as high as heaven. You know there is a “best” for each moment of your life: seek to weave the best pattern in the best colors. You can do it, if you:

  • Seek to know My will, moment by moment
  • Seek to do My will moment by moment
  • Seek to rejoice in doing My will, moment by moment.

Peace and joy are the marks of My will expressed as your “best” weaving: your peace, your joy – and the peace and joy of all who know you.”

Daylight After the Darkness of Night

A poem of hope.

Meditation Thought: “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:17-20)

Know ye not
That I am the
Way, the Truth, the Life?
Forbid me not:
Open the door of your heart
That I may enter in.
A more welcome guest
You could not entertain.
For I come not to take,
But to give:
I am your daylight after the darkness of the night.
I give you joy after tears.
I give you victory from defeat.
I give you a depth of knowledge
That confounds the wise.
I give you love that never ends
And life that is ever sweet.
The glory of God
Shall surround you:
It is without, waiting to pour in
Through the opening of the door of your heart unto me.

Love

Love is not complicated, demanding. Love is…

Perceived as a message from Jesus:

“Life is not designed to be puzzling to you – you do not need to furiously search and worriedly think and frantically act in order to please Me and My Father and My Spirit – all you need do is accept the fact that your Father created you in love, I came for you in love, and the Holy Spirit lives in you in love.

Love is not complicated, demanding. Love is the nurturing, delighting, fulfilling expressions of a parent for a child, or a child’s responses to such a love: a response of delight, enthusiasm and a desire to become as the parent.

Sometimes one is a child – sometimes a parent. It has nothing to do with age: only with the perception, the knowledge, the attitude, the circumstance. But whether one is in the position of child or parent, one is to be expressing love in one form or another. All kinds of expressions of love are needed in order for the whole truth of the Kingdom to be understood and to be expressed in one’s life.”

Hope? Really? Yes!

God uses all varieties of people, experiences, times and conditions as circumstances for one purpose:

Meditation Thought: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

We cannot possibly understand the workings of life, the workings of the universe. But we need not be at the mercy of every passing event, with no recourse, with no influence. For God has created us to work in us, through us, and around us to be a crucial part of His plan for the universe.

We must respond in harmony with His workings, however, if we are to be of great influence in them, and if we are to accomplish His work as He desires as our loving and proud Father.

And so ‘rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer’ is the key to living the resurrected life. We have been shown the way – graphically, as well as in the words of the centuries through God’s chosen people: prophets, kings, shepherds, a carpenter… God uses all varieties of people, experiences, times and conditions as circumstances for one purpose: to reconcile the world to Himself. How?
By hope in Him.
By faith in Him.
By communion with Him.

Praise be to Him!

What do you Fear?

Praying to the Father with Christ dwelling in you is as Christ praying to the Father for you.

Meditation Thought: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:14-18)

Truthful, righteous, peaceful, faithful, Spirit-filled: This is a description of your character in Christ. Praying to the Father with Christ dwelling in you is as Christ praying to the Father for you. Christ Jesus: always doing the Father’s will, always obedient to the Word, always serving rather than being served; this Person pleads your case to the most powerful force in the universe: this Person is your Friend and Advisor. What do you fear? The armor of God Himself protects you from every enemy: the enemies of the flesh and the enemies of the spirit. All you need to do to have a life of joy, of confidence, of purpose, is to make the effort to wear the armor which is available to you. God will not dress you in His armor – for He will not violate your free will. But He delights in observing you wearing it, for you are His beloved child and He desires above all that you have the joys of His kingdom and the protection of your citizenship in it wherever you are residing.

Use all of the weapons and all of the knowledge and all of the wisdom and all of the resources of the advanced Kingdom which is your home country to your advantage as you reside temporarily in the foreign country of the world which is ruled by Satan. Any advice you need, any help you need is available -you receive it by asking for it by praying in the Spirit, dressed in the whole armor of God, believing that whatever you request will be sent to you.

Only Joy

What setback can resist the power of the Lord who created heaven and earth?

Meditation Thought: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)

Is there anything we can’t do if the One who made heaven and earth is our partner, is helping us? If we are working on His project, His attention is riveted on it, and He is delighted to aid us to bring it to completion. It seems ridiculous to refer to God as the helper, when His power is so much greater than any power we possess – and yet technically, He is the helper, for the project is started by us. God may try various methods to tempt us to decide to launch the project, but it never gets started unless we make a commitment. Once we do, if we remember where our best help is for getting the project complete, we can move confidently, buoyantly, effectively and happily, feeling a sense of rightness and accomplishment and gratitude to God for leading us into the project.

Setbacks? Of course – but what setback can resist the power of the Lord who created heaven and earth? We get so involved in routine, in pettiness, in the status quo that we are inclined to ignore the glorious fact that God has great things to do through all ages, and only with the willingness of someone to do them, will they be accomplished.

How quickly would the whole status of our lives on this earth change if even a small percentage of the population looked to God for His proposed project to be revealed, and upon perceiving that project, responded: “Here am I, Lord – send me?” God’s projects – all coordinated, all to the one purpose: reconciling all to Him who is love. Is there one soul who would suffer from the completion of that work? Only joy could be the result of God’s will fulfilled!

Celebrate Your Uniqueness

Discover the wonders of the world as a child: open, awed, delighted, entranced, humbled by the vastness and grandeur – and eager to share discovery.

Meditation Thought: “Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2-3)

Inspire others to My love and grace and forgiving nature by spending so much time, energy and thought, concentration and commitment, to our relationship that you are transformed by the Presence of Myself influencing you moment after moment, day after day, year after year.

When you are weak, call upon the Word, the Name, the Spirit. Never will I leave you or forsake you. The enemy cannot conquer you, for you are mine by your faith and trust and commitment to Me and My cause, and I am Lord over all of creation. Seek to know this in new ways, in new areas.

Allow your imagination to run free in accomplishing the tasks set before you. You are unique – let Me use your uniqueness to be an example to inspire others to remove shackles of prejudice, preconceived ideas, stubbornness and inertia.

Raise your eyes to see the overall vista often that you may enjoy your journey more, and be inspired to move more rapidly and energetically.

Each day you move toward your goal – toward a more complete view of your eternal purpose. Treat each day as a gift given for new opportunities to learn and grow – and rejoice, realizing that learning and growing in any knowledge, because of your trust in My teaching, is also automatically learning and growing in knowledge of Me and My Kingdom and My purposes.

Keep all of these things in mind as you travel lonely, boring, difficult parts of the path. And rejoice in the “downhill” parts – the easy, happy times when the memory of difficult uphill struggles enhance the delight of the effortless movement forward.

Gain a sense of rhythm, of ease of movement – as if riding the crest of a wave. Do not be discouraged nor confused when you tumble from the crest as you gain experience, for I am always working to help move you again to the crest.

Do not be intimidated by the vastness of knowledge but delight in each part that you recognize and absorb into your being.

Discover the wonders of the world and the Kingdom as a child discovers the world: open, awed, delighted, entranced, humbled by the vastness and grandeur – and eager to share discovery.

How to Change the Universe

Every thought, every action, every prayer changes the world, changes the Kingdom. You, you change the universe!

Meditation Thought: “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)

You have been admonished to obey those in authority: yet there is a hierarchy of authority, and you must obey the highest in command if there is a conflict of instructions. God is the highest authority. He judges justly. Obey Him, not only obey, but seek to be recognized as His child by the diligent pursuit of imitating Him in the flesh of the man called Jesus.

  • If you concentrate your spirit, mind, body, energies on all which is consistent with God’s nature as revealed to you in various forms, you will be doing His works while at the same time releasing His power in you to transform you, through your belief in Him, to work miracles in your life. To transform you:
  • from ignorant to wise,
  • from fearful to courageous,
  • from weak to strong,
  • from sad to joyful,
  • from ineffective to effective.

And this transformation takes place quietly,

  • little by little
  • thought by thought,
  • action by action,
  • prayer by prayer.

But every thought, every action, every prayer changes the world, changes the Kingdom. You, you change the universe! Be excited about this, be pleased about this. This is the manner in which God created: it is natural, it is desirable. The changes are to be made – but the attitude you adopt in making them is the revelation of who has your allegiance. Are you humble, willing to serve, glad to forgive and love and sacrifice? Then the world, which is proud, arrogant, unforgiving, hateful and demanding will not count you one of its own. But God rejoices in you, and by your acting out of His nature in your life, bit by bit, you soften the hardness of the world – reshape a part of it – squeezing out hate with love, and the volume of worldly power is reduced a little, while the volume of spiritual power is increased a little.

You are needed, only you can reshape certain parts of the world, appropriating them for the Kingdom – and it is through your manner – guided by the Spirit – that the world desires to be reshaped, allows itself to be reshaped, seeks to be reshaped. Carry on, move forward in confidence: Confidence in Your Lord.