Category: joy

Plunge to the Depths

Enjoy your relationship with your Father, enjoy your trust in your Father, enjoy your activities with your Father, and all else will fall into place to bring you assurance and peace.

Meditation Thought: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed… Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life… And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent.” (John 5: 19,20,22-24,37-38)

“You can hear the Father’s voice, see His form, and have His Word abiding in you – if you believe Him whom He has sent.

It is belief in My witness to Truth – to the reality of the Father’s existence, to the extent of His grace (in suffering Himself to save His children), and to the glory of His power.

The miracles recorded in the Word are only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. If you will put on your diving gear and plunge beneath the surface, where more than the ordinary perceptions lie – the ‘things’ that are the foundation underlying what is above the surface – you will have a totally new concept of the whole: of what is below (the spiritual truths) and what is above (the expression of those truths visibly in the world).

Once you return to the surface, to deal with life upon the upper part of the iceberg, you can make more knowledgeable decisions, based upon the underlying principles which cause the environment at the top to be as it is.

You know you are dealing with a large, complicated, partially hidden environment that must be understood, appreciated, and respected, and to which you must adapt yourself in order to promote a good, healthy, satisfying life.

To those who have not plunged the depths, your thoughts, your works and your actions will appear foolish and unbalanced. You must accept this – and have faith that, in due time, your actions, your words, and your thoughts will be vindicated and provide the opportunity to encourage others to try diving to observe the depths for themselves, that they may have transformed minds – and be new creations, more adaptable to their environment, and more pleased with it.

You will fail many times to achieve the results you envision as ‘right’ – but if you believe that these results are not final, but part of a scheme more grand, and a purpose more noble than you perceive, then this faith will create a movement toward the fulfillment of the scheme, and the reaching of the goal.

Do not fret that you have merely a child’s understanding of your Father’s creation and your Father’s purpose in that creation. Enjoy your relationship with your Father, enjoy your trust in your Father, enjoy your activities with your Father, and all else will fall into place to bring you assurance and peace.”

Me and Mine

If we sever the link through unbelief or lack of use, we are without supernatural power.

Meditation Thought: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

It is when my mind turns from my own body, my own desires, my own will and seeks communion with God’s mind – His mind as revealed through His Spirit within my mind: residing and available in my mind through my belief that His Spirit is real and is present in me.

As wealth is not beneficial until it is claimed as being real and being possessed, so the Spirit must be recognized as real and possessed to be beneficial.

The Spirit is the connecting link between God’s will and our will. If we sever the link through unbelief or lack of use, we are without supernatural power and living only with human powers – far more limited in scope and effect than when God’s power is flowing freely into us.

I strained and struggled,
Wept in frustration, pain, despair
Perceiving no progress,
Having no hope.
Exhausted, defeated, confused,
I limply lay,
Waiting for whatever would overtake me.

It was Love which came my way:
So intent had I been on me –
On where I chose to go,
What I desired to do,
I ran away
From the very place
That would be my joy.

Only when I stopped,
Unable to travel on
Did Love –
The will of God expressed and received willingly by His Child –
Find me.

I want to always
Be in this place:
The place where comfort, hope, fulfillment
Become real,
Transforming me.

I am no longer “me”,
But “me and mine” –
And “mine” includes
All whom I need
To enable me
To live in the kingdom,
The place which is home,
The shelter,
The comfort,
The joy,
The fulfillment,
Environment

“Me and mine”,
Now in our
Mobile home of Love,
Move on in time,
In space,
Toward our common goal –
To sure, complete,
Perfect understanding
And performance
Of the Father’s will.

Extraordinary Results

You cannot diminish your treasure of Myself through sharing – you diminish it only by ignoring it, which has the effect of not possessing it at all.

Meditation Thought: “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)

“Look to Me – look to Me – not to circumstances, or to people, or to possessions, or to your own understanding.

I am the source of all good, all wisdom and knowledge, all righteousness and mercy, all the power that you will ever need – to overcome all obstacles, to reach our goals, to help others to know Me.

Realize that when you seek Me you will find Me: do not have doubts, or wait for ‘lightening in the sky’ revelations.

All I require is an earnest desire to know Me, to love Me, and to obey Me. Once you have this desire and are truly attempting to fulfill it, allow yourself to get caught up in an excitement and trust of forging ahead toward the bringing of the kingdom ever more surely into your life.

You are aware of the essential principles of spiritual search and spiritual life. Apply them. Rely on them. Enjoy the living wonder of them. This is the secret of Jesus’ joy, Peter’s joy, Paul’s joy – the joy of millions who have chosen the Way of the cross.

Obedience and discipline are often difficult – but to adhere to these ‘rules of conduct’ will bring rewards which will multiply and compound to the extent that not only will they bring joy to you, but will be the very base of enabling others to come to know the Way and to choose to follow it.

Do not strain to follow the Way, relying on your own works. Simply follow the principles, experimenting with every new bit of knowledge gleaned along the journey, attempting to apply it specifically to your own person and situation – always remaining in the Light of My Presence through ingesting the Word, through communication in prayer, through loving, unselfish ministry, through faith in My character and My promises and My faithfulness to keeping these promises to those who have gone before you in history.

Do not fear – or more accurately, when fear thrusts itself into your life, send it quickly far away through your trust in Me as stronger than any other power, and trust that I shall use this power to guide, protect, enhance and bring good for My beloved, obedient and dependent, responsive child.

In order for you to have extraordinary results you must make extraordinary effort, use extraordinary strength, have extraordinary wisdom and knowledge. It is obvious where these are to become available to you. It is obvious that when they are made available you should take advantage of them. I shall do all in My power to place My power where it can be attached to your movements. But you must make the final connection by choosing to attach your faith and trust and love, your thoughts, your words and your deeds to My proffered power. You can do this only through following the example of the once I sent to teach you the necessary steps to making a firm connection with My power:
– Know the Word
– Turn to Me in prayer
– Do as I ask: willingly if possible – reluctantly if necessary.

Where your treasure is there is your heart also. If I am the treasure of your life, you are rich indeed, and your heart shall rejoice, for no one can steal your treasure; you cannot lose it; it will not rust away – it is eternal, ever-present, everything you long for a treasure to be.

Your treasure is of the most pleasure to you as it is shared – this doubles your joy, for to give is the very essence of your inheritance from Me.

Never is your treasure diminished when it is Myself: the more of My love you give away, the more love I produce. You cannot diminish your treasure of Myself through sharing – you diminish it only by ignoring it, which has the effect of not possessing it at all.

Who would choose to not possess treasure? Who would choose to lose a treasure once possessed?

You have been given all authority in heaven and on earth to claim your treasure and to possess it. You need only to exercise your authority.

You now realize that the authority is yours; you now know how to use it.

If you determine to ‘abide by the rules’ and to apply them properly through diligence, through discipline, through unselfish attitudes and a mind seeking Truth, a heart seeking love, and a spirit seeking the Spirit, the results truly will be extraordinary.”

Prayer of response: Lord, thank you for this teaching and this vision. Please enable me to fulfill the vision: enable me to do extraordinary things with my life – not to impress people, but to please You, and in pleasing you, bring joy to my heart. In Jesus’ Precious Name I pray. Amen.

Challenging & Fulfilling

When God’s favor is upon us, what joy this brings!

Meditation Thought:
“Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
 Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!”
(Psalm 90:15-17)

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us – and establish the work of our hands”: the two could be reversed – for if God establishes our work, then His favor shall be upon us as we do His will. And when God’s favor is upon us, what joy this brings! It’s the kind of joy Paul had – knowing he was doing work established by God, and knowing God was pleased by his work, he could observe, despite terrible persecutions and difficulties, the fruits of his labor. He knew he was not running in vain. His work was challenging – but fulfilling.

Many times he was tired, discouraged, disappointed and in pain physically and in spirit. But he persevered in doing God’s work. And he developed a spirit, an attitude, an outlook, that could claim “whatever state I am in I rejoice.”

The Success Factor

Only through a will totally yielded to the Father’s will is it possible to spark the power that explodes love of such magnitude that it lights up the world, and brings the power of the Spirit to transform the world into the kingdom.

Meditation Thought: ““Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

“I tried to teach ‘them’ – to enlighten them – to love them into an awareness of the life of the Spirit, the love of God, the power of God – the longing of God to have them know Him and love Him. But they would not understand. Their hearts were hardened, their minds set, their emotions set loose in rage more appropriate for animals than for men.

Do not condemn them. The very behavior they exhibited is the reason that I came to dwell in flesh, that the opportunity to know Truth might be given. And many did open up their minds, and give their love, to the ultimate commitment – totally loyal, willing to sacrifice themselves for Me and for My Father.

You know that you have not understood, you have had a hardened heart, a stubborn mind-set, and rage loosed in inappropriate ways. It is only by grace, by prayers of others for you, and by examples set before you, and the Father’s many works in your life that you have sought, and found, Truth. Truly you could say of those who condemned Me, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’

Therefore do not criticize nor condemn those who now reject My teaching. Follow My Way: Love, heal, do not fight back nor argue your case. Your strength and power to live the Life lies not in your human abilities, but in your faith in My Teaching, and your obedience to its wisdom.

Your hope does not lie in circumstances, but in the Truth which has been revealed to you.

The very act that brought despair and sorrow to My followers so long ago was also the act that brought transformation to them, and through them, to millions through the ages. It brought the kingdom upon the earth wherever a faithful heart believed that it did, and today that very same transformation takes place.

To believe that what I taught, and what I lived, and how I died is the transforming power of God made available to His beloved children is still difficult, as it was difficult during My sojourn on earth.

Yet Truth shall prevail as the Father’s will shall prevail. Would you choose to be with God – or rebel against God? To insure that you do not reject the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Spirit, you must adhere to the Way, live the Life, and seek the Truth.

You know how to do these through the wisdom and knowledge of the Word, through revelation from prayer, and through actions based upon unselfish love. Yet none of these are possible to be real in your life unless you yield your will to the Father’s will – this is the discipline which is the ‘success factor’. This is the key to the reality of the kingdom overcoming the world. This is the transforming catalyst, or the conduit which brings the Living Water into the desert and brings new forms of life out of seeming death. This is the lesson and the example and the help which I made clear to all who would believe when I allowed Myself to be placed upon a cross. I suffered for you – willingly, yes – but not of my own initiative. It was our Father who requested it of Me, out of love for you. And I gave myself over to His will out of love for Him. At that moment, His love for you became My love for you, and the glory of love was released in fulness that is beyond human understanding.

Only through a will totally yielded to the Father’s will is it possible to spark the power that explodes love of such magnitude that it lights up the world, and brings the power of the Spirit to transform the world into the kingdom.

All the words in all the languages ever spoken cannot describe this miracle, cannot explain it, nor bring understanding of it. The only way to comprehend the miracle, and to experience it, is to become the fuel (self-will consumed by eternal will) that is lit by the Energy of the Spirit.

At first there is pain as the fuel is converted from one from to another: however once the combination of Spiritual Energy and a yielded will have united and exploded, the new form of being a part of a glorious Whole which is lighting and transforming vast areas is pure joy to the personal spirit. It is this action which I demonstrated, and whoever seeks to duplicate the experiment shall have the same results. Many who followed Me through the ages have confirmed this, and even the world who will only observe and not experiment, recognized these people and one day term them ‘saints’. But that day comes long after the world has done its best to impede the very experiment it observed, and would not accept as proper and right to do.

When you waver and want to stop being an experimenter and join the skeptical world – remember the impact of a Peter or a Paul, who, though weak and frail, doubtful and full of fear, did as I bid, not understanding – only trusting – and their faith was justified. The Holy Spirit’s power did light the spark from the fuel of their yielded will, and the light and transforming love is still exploding, still transforming the world into the kingdom.

What will the impact be if all of the Father’s children yield to His loving will? Do your best, as did Peter and Paul, who followed Me – I who followed the Father’s requests to the ultimate sacrifice of self-will – to use your circumstances, and your personality, your energy and your power of choice to be the most efficient and the most transforming energy engendered on earth.”

Enjoy and Share

I do not expect you to be perfect – I do expect you to be available.

Meditation Thought: “O Lord, God of my salvation,
    I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry!” (Psalm 88:1-2)

“You have cried and prayed – you shall have your response from your loving Father. Concentrate on the words of encouragement which have been placed in your life. Share them. Believe them. Act as if you believe them.

You can enjoy and share what you have in this kingdom-seeking quest. You have ideas; you have the Word; you have prayer; you have loving family and friends.

The need for human family never subsides – neither does the need for our relationship to be needed by one another subside. Right now you need Me to provide what you are unable to provide: peace of mind about your loved ones, and provision for them. And I need you to provide what I am unable to provide: your trust in Me, your desire to know Me ever more intimately and to please Me even more surely.

Why would I reveal Myself to you if I did not desire to have a relationship with you which is viable? As your heart longs for your family, so My heart longs for you.

Believe this – trust that, whatever the situation may be, nothing is impossible for Me.

But, remember, you are needed, too, to cooperate and implement whatever I would do with you and through you. I do not expect you to be perfect – I do expect you to be available.”

Pace-Setter

The transforming grace of Love changes every thought, every word, every deed.

Meditation Thought: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Message perceived to be from Jesus:

“If you are willing to follow Me, I will take you with Myself – holding your hand when necessary, doing all that you need to be done and cannot do for yourself along our journey.

To walk in the darkness of mere physical life is discouraging to you – and limits your potential. If you will follow Me, I will light your path, revealing many things to you which will be opportunities to use your talents, fulfill your dreams, and bring joy to many. Is this not what I did on earth? I suffered but I was a dynamic force and I knew the joy of obedience to My Father. I knew the joy of healing the sick, giving hope to those in despair, and setting the pace for all who would run the race of life – if they would follow Me, they would develop in similar character, in similar works.

Many desire to make a mark upon the world – but unless it is I whom they follow, that the Way may be that leading to the Father, the impact will be satisfying to neither that person nor to the world – certainly not to the Father.

But the Way is not easy, for self must be subdued – at first a difficult sacrifice – but when self has been crucified, then is the Holy Spirit raised up off that cross crucifixion, and the new creature is formed in the old body, and old mind and old spirit: the transforming grace of Love changes every thought, every word, every deed.

It is I who will give you the courage and the strength to crucify self that the new creature may emerge.

My bodily crucifixion ‘set the pace’ for the crucifixion of self-will and the sinning involved with it. But My crucifixion did more than ‘set the pace’ for those who follow in the race. I return from My running of the course of physical life to be the Light for all who run, and who desire Me to accompany them. My Light, as does the sun, provides warmth needed for growth, and energy needed for movement as well as visibility of Truth, that all things may come together for good: that the race may go, not to the swift, but to the enlightened.”

Temples of Truth

Free from fear, from ignorance, from prejudice, from illusion.

Meditation Thought: “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’ ” (Luke 19:41-44)

Do not be confused by the strange and unfamiliar – but, in confidence of the Love which lives in you through faith, follow the opportunities opened to you. Do not be rigid in your thinking or perceiving – be rigid only in your faith, keeping it steady by day and by night – by rest and by seige.

To have a rigid faith is to provide the foundation on which to build the Truth. And Temples of Truth are the place where God dwells, and where God dwells, there no enemy shall overcome.

If you base your life – every facet of your life – upon this knowledge, upon this wisdom, then you shall be free: you shall be free from fear, from ignorance, from prejudice, from illusion. Being freed of these inhibiting ‘enemies’, you shall be fulfilled as you energetically build the kingdom – that the ‘city’ where you dwell may be more beautiful, not destroyed. The place where God dwells is impregnable from all forces which would destroy – and if you welcome God into your heart and your will and your mind and your body and your situations, He will dwell with you and you will dwell with Him in the kingdom: It becomes more lovely with every obedient response to God’s soft request. His hopeful longing that you will understand and obey, in trust, in faith, in love.

Out on a Limb

We won’t find the Life if we don’t go out on a limb!

Meditation Thought: “And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.” (Luke 19:2-6)

Zacchaeus did just what was needed to give himself a new perspective and thus a new life. He was curious about who Jesus was; he moved himself from the ordinary place into an unexpected position, and is doing so was more visible to Jesus. He made his preparations – making sure he was on the proper road, and in the position where he could see Jesus. And when Jesus spoke to him, Zacchaeus responded promptly and joyfully and obediently.

In addition, when Zacchaeus understood who Jesus was, he responded to this knowledge by doing what he could to rectify what actions had been taken wrongfully before he met Jesus, and also decided to live differently in the future. Zacchaeus wanted to be found: he placed himself in a position where the possibility was greater to be found, though he was unaware of it at the time, and then, when Jesus called to him, seeking him, he answered as Jesus desired him to answer. Thus both Zacchaeus and Jesus were pleased with the results: both had fulfilled their desires and their missions.

Each one is sought by Jesus – and each of us who seek to see who Jesus is, and make effort to find a place where we can see who He is (going to the Word, to the places the Word is preached, to the prayer-time and concentration of thought on what Jesus is saying through the Holy Spirit) and then respond to what He does say to us promptly, joyfully and obediently – we find and He finds.

We learn who He is and He saves us because we do learn and we do obey Him, believing in His authority and in His ability. We find the Life we seek, and He finds His mission fulfilled.

But we won’t find the Life if we don’t go out on a limb!

Map to the Kingdom

It was – and is – confusing to understand the directions to a ‘place’ which is not physical, but must be reached through prayer, thought and faith, and through actions which reflect the wisdom and knowledge gained through them.

Meditation Thought: “…the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (Luke 17:21)

Perhaps Jesus meant by this remark that the kingdom of God is wherever Jesus is – wherever He has awakened a mind and a heart to who the Father is. Wherever the faith exists which is of the quality of Jesus’ faith, wherever a mind and will are seeking and set upon the Father’s will, wherever a heart reaches out in love, wherever desires are sacrificed to please another, wherever there is a forgiving attitude, patience and understanding, wherever love abounds – there is the kingdom.

The kingdom is ‘found’ as soon as it is perceived as Jesus perceived it. He used many forms to teach the Way in which it could be found: His thinking, His praying, His choice of activities and choice of companions, His parables and admonitions, His attitude – His behavior in every way was for the purpose of revealing the location of the kingdom.

It was – and is – confusing to understand the directions to a ‘place’ which is not physical, but must be reached through prayer, thought and faith, and through actions which reflect the wisdom and knowledge gained through them. We are forced to deal with our physical environment and our physical nature. We are requested to deal with our spiritual nature and spiritual truths: this is the nature of the relationship with our spiritual Father: we can choose to acknowledge the relationship and to strengthen it – which brings Him joy, and brings us joy too. Or we can ‘block out’ the spiritual part of our being, rejecting our relationship with our Father. This doesn’t change the fact that we are related – but it does rob both of us of the joy of the relationship.

It is the strengthening of our relationship with the Father that was and is Jesus’ mission, and His position is Revealer of Truth, sure guide along the Way, and the Light of the kingdom shining from within, wherever He is embraced as Savior and Lord.