Category: joy

Gathering Witnesses

If we are gathered together as witnesses for Jesus, and if we pray in God’s will, we are assured that what we pray for will come about.

Meditation Thought: “…if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19)

Traditionally two witnesses are needed for confirmation. If we have the two (or more) witnesses agreeing, and we are gathered together as witnesses for Jesus, confirming His salvation and released power, we have within us the Holy Spirit which He promised us. If we are led by the Spirit, we are also led to pray in God’s will, and if we pray in God’s will, we are assured that what we pray for will come about.

Blessings Bestowed

He loves us enough to encourage us to seek the blessings He can bestow in response to our request.

Meditation Thought: “And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.” (Mark 6:56)

“As many as touched it.” They touched it. They activated their faith by reaching out. Although Jesus attempted to instill a desire for healing, apparently He never healed anyone except as a response to the expressed desire for healing – either by the one needing it, or someone asking Jesus on their behalf.

Our God is not a tyrant; He seeks to let us be free. But He loves us enough to encourage us to seek the blessings He can bestow in response to our request.

Suggested Prayer:
“Father, I thank you that your love for me prompted You to send Jesus to my rescue from sin and from all evil, and also to give a clear indication of just Who You are in character and in relationship to me.
Jesus, thank you for loving me enough to take on all the limitations of life in human form, and the sufferings involved in that act of obedience, so that I could reap the benefit of your sacrifice.
Holy Spirit, thank you for never intruding by force, but hearing and responding to the slighted whisper that I make when I need You to help me. Usually I think to request Your help after I have botched the job without it! But You never refuse to come, even if I’ve slighted You.

I don’t understand much about any of you – but You know all about me – and You obviously have my interests at heart, so I hereby request each of You to be my close friend – my mentor, teacher, guide, companion, guard, defender, and most of all, the transforming influence in every area of my life. Help me to move back into the pure image of the Father, unadulterated by sin, or willfulness, or selfishness, or pride, or obtuseness, or unbelief, or a sense of inadequacy, or an unforgiving spirit. Help me to so focus on all the characteristics of my inheritance from the good Father that any other factors will be nullified and simply neither desired nor appropriated into my life.

Only by the power of the Holy Spirit is this possible – and I seek this power to be the power above all others in my life. I know now that this was the intent of both Father and Son from the beginning.

As the power of the Holy Spirit moves in every area of my life, each area is transformed, changed so as to be more recognizable as a characteristic of the Father. “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” (John 14:7)

Through the power of the inheritance of the Spirit, through the power of the example of the Son who was the Father’s pure image, through the child’s desire to imitate their Father and the perfect Son – in fact, their determination to do so – does it become apparent to everyone that this child is the image of His Father. (The world says “spittin’ image” when a child looks as his earthly father loos. What is desired is that our spirit becomes the “spittin’ image” of the Father’s Spirit).”

It’s not too Late to Learn

If you enter into the wonder of it, are willing to commit yourself to learning the nature of it, and cooperating with it, you will be changed inside and out.

Meditation Thought: “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” (Mark 12:24)

If you understand the meaning of a word it is far different than the technicality of reading a word. The scriptures must be understood if they are to be alive and active as a force in your life. They can be understood only through:

  • becoming familiar with the words
  • learning the meaning of the words
  • incorporating these words into your vocabulary, enriching it by their frequent use
  • seeking all the uses for the words; they have various meanings for various placement in the context of other words, other situations.

To a child the word ‘truth’ may connotate only ‘not telling a lie’, but to an adult, ‘truth’ can be many things, and cover a wide area. Learn to understand scriptures as an adult, not a child. Study.

The power of God is not hidden from anyone but frequently it is never discerned. The only way to recognize it is to look for it, believe the evidence of it, and accept it as fact. Once you recognize it, it becomes easier to perceive other manifestations of it.

If you enter into the wonder of it, are willing to commit yourself to learning the nature of it, and cooperating with it, you will be changed inside and out.

Love in the Silence

Realize how much more effective a demonstration is if it is not detracted from by too many words describing it.

Meditation Thought: “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” (Mark 1:44, italics added)

Do not dilute the effectiveness of the healing miracle within you by loose talk about it. Be aware: express the reality of it appropriately – in manners which bring the good news to others as an awakening of their perception to the Father’s call to them.

Give an ‘offering’ of yourself in thanksgiving, in prayer, in service to others, in sharing of your worldly goods.

Realize how much more effective a demonstration is if it is not detracted from by too many words describing it. You want to respect those watching by allowing them to discover knowledge concerning it. This will bring the point to them more effectively, and also more palliatively. They are far less likely to reject the demonstration as applicable to themselves if you do not try to force the issue.

And the process of allowing each to discover the meaning for themselves brings an order to the ministry of the Spirit which will be lacking if you press everyone by words to jump immediately into attempting to duplicate your demonstration.

Let your love speak for itself.
Let your joy speak for itself.
Let your faith speak for itself.
Let your peace speak for itself.

God’s Direct Line – for You!

You have many choices which you need to make, I am available to aid you in making those choices.

Meditation Thought: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

“The line of communication between us is never busy, never out of service. Our communing with each other depends only upon your willingness to use the line which is always available.

You carry a portable ‘dial’ with you wherever you go: it is faith. You need only to use it by first your thought, then your will moving upon that faith to call upon Me to request whatever you need at any given moment. It is My pleasure to give My child whatever is needed to do My works which bring hope, peace, joy, comfort, necessities, and all expressions of love to the world.

Keep the line busy – using it much as a soldier in the field would use a walkie-talkie to apprise their commander of the situation where they are, and then letting the commander advise of wise actions.

You have many choices which you need to make, as a thinking person – but in back of those choices always there is My Word, My wisdom and My willingness available to aid you in making superior choices, effective choices: world-renewing choices.”

Reflect or Absorb: an Important Distinction

The Light needs you as a reflecting point, and you need the light in order to reflect.

Meditation Thought: ” ‘…I have built …by my mighty power …for the glory of my majesty’ …Even as the words were on the King’s lips, a voice came from heaven, ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you …until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.'” (Daniel 4:32-32)

There is no firm foundation save the foundation of God who is Love: Creative Love. Trust nothing but God – but God is everywhere. Therefore when you are seeking God that you may find Him whom you can trust, you have but a short search. Your search is only the distance from your mind to your faith: from the desire to act upon God’s will, to the trust that you are acting upon God’s will, to the knowledge that you are acting upon God’s will.

Cannot He who created all re-create all? He who sought to create in love – and respect for individuality – remains lovingly re-creative in response to that individuality seeking to become a lovelier expression of Himself.

It is for this reason that neither Nebuchadnezzar, nor you could seek to create glory for yourselves: you cannot create light but you can reflect light, via your choice of expression of yourself as a reflector of light. You can reflect much light or reflect very little light.

The more of anything you attempt to absorb for yourself, the less of that remains on your surface to be reflected to be of aid to those who look to you – you were created to reflect the light of your Father, not to be a generator of light. If you, by your very ignorance, attempt to distort yourself so as to generate instead of reflect, you lose your ability to be what you ought to be in the process of attempting to be what you will never be able to become.

Imitate your Father by observing Him. You see Him everywhere: in all that is love, peace, harmony, forgiveness, beauty, righteousness, sacrificing, joyful. If you turn your eye toward the Light, then you shall be able to allow the Light to shine forth as reflected from your eyes: those who look at you see the Light and the reflected light reveals to them the path which they had not found without the additional light.

This is why you cannot simply absorb the Light. You must be a good reflector of the Light in order to by fully appreciative of it. The Light needs you as a reflecting point, and you need the light in order to reflect.

A Climate of Faith

What is the element of life that is most exciting? Anticipation. It is satisfying to enjoy this moment – but it is exciting to create in the future the reality from the thought that is created this day.

Meditation Thought: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

“You have been given a ‘measure of faith’. Do you know its purpose? It is for using to grow more faith. It is for planting, for nourishing, for expecting a bountiful harvest of faith forthcoming.

Faith does not grow when it is ignored. Faith grows by someone tending it, recognizing that it exists and seeking to make it grow.

What is the element of life that is most exciting? Anticipation. It is satisfying to enjoy this moment – but it is exciting to create in the future the reality from the thought that is created this day.

You are able to exist in two planes at the same time, enjoying both and creating in both because you are both spirit and body. Your most effective powerful creations are the result of integrating the two areas into a two-dimensional expression on your part (height and width) and the addition of depth by the infusion of My Truth.

If you will work to define the pattern on the surface, I shall add the substance behind it to create a work beautiful from every viewpoint. Use the principles of good form taught to you in the Word, demonstrated by Jesus, whispered to you by the Spirit as well as confirmed by circumstances.

Think in terms of your work appearing as a figure in a painting, but with my divine power recreating it in sculpture which is a more complete expression that can be appreciated from any angle. Your work remains an expression of yourself, as only you can create, but it is made more beautiful by My expression added to it.

Your faith is the knowledge that the tiny seed of creative thought in your mind will grow even more beautiful and effective as you work to bring it into fruition. If you want to live the life of a creative artist, you must be saturated in faith. Nurture it, grow it, so you can thrive in the climate of faith.

Expand your faith that the work that you seek to product is unique – and useful and desirable – and that together we shall make it become complete and ‘real’; visible to many, and helpful to all who observe it.”

Wells in the Desert

You will hardly be able to contain your energy…

Meditation Thought: “God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

“Yes, I will provide water in the wilderness and streams in the desert to give drink to My chosen people. Heed My directions in leading you to the deep artesian wells I want you to uncover and release in a gushing of the Living Water to renew the parched earth of the resting places of My seeds – My people scattered, waiting – waiting to have their embryonic state burst open into full growth – into the inheritance I gave them which will come to be expressed in their own unique expression of Christ on earth in this time frame to bring glory to Me and the fruit of My seed.

You possess My “Divining Rod” to discover the hidden wells needed to release growth: I will teach you to use it if you will seek My wisdom and knowledge, in faith and trust – and act upon My instructions. Do not leave one well uncovered by being distracted, inattentive, allowing feelings to wrongly overwhelm you. Ask, and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Take my Divine Rod in your hands, and let Me energize it at the places you are to dig: if you set your will on obeying, you will have the excitement and the joy of “bringing in a real gusher” time after time after time. You will make the desert bloom to your delight: the blossoms will delight your eyes, the fragrance will overpower you with glorious feelings of ‘heavenly aroma’, you will hardly be able to contain your energy as you realize that you are bringing beautiful life into that which appeared desolate as you allow Me to guide you from glory to glory.

This Moment & This One

For this reason you must reach out, you must seek, you must venture forth – not indiscriminately, but with proper preparation.

Meditation Thought: “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 25:29) & “ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13)

“This moment – be aware. This moment – be alert. This moment – do My will. This moment – rejoice in life. This moment – serve in joy. This moment – give Me glory. This moment – be free.

Nothing binds you – save love. The binding of love is not constriction, but the warm protection that keeps all cold harsh elements away from you. All that penetrates through this protection is for bringing joy to you, comfort to you, peace to you. Believe this, know this, and you will experience the reality of this.

It is the knowledge that My love protects you – and your love disarms all harm – that enables you to use your talents anywhere at any time freely, generously, uninhibitedly. As they move rapidly about, over a wide area, they attract as magnets other talents to work with them – all to My glory and all to your joy.

For this reason you must reach out, you must seek, you must venture forth – not indiscriminately, but with proper preparation in prayer, in knowledge of the Word, in the heeding of the soft voice of the Spirit.”

A Pattern Uniquely for YOU

Let your Father show you how to weave a glorious pattern to give delight, to enhance the place he prepares for you in His Kingdom in heaven.

Meditation Thought: “Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:9)

  • Death : Resurrection
  • Despair : Hope
  • Dormant : Live
  • Passive : Active
  • Proud : Humble
  • In-Self : In-God
  • In Weakness : In Power
  • Ineffective : Dynamic
  • Hate : Love
  • Sinful : Righteous

We choose with each breath we take. The pattern you follow will repeat: if you take care in making the pattern even and straight and whole, it will repeat itself with these desirable characteristics – but if you make it uneven by relying on your emotions, crooked by relying on your will, incomplete by the gnawing at it by sin – then the whole ‘run’ of your life will be suitable not for the grand living room in your Father’s house, but to be hidden away in a far, dark corner room.

Let your Father show you how to weave a glorious pattern to give delight, to enhance the place he prepares for you in His Kingdom in heaven. You must remember that you can see only the limited dwelling places of the world and patterns you would make for those alone would look out of place in the mansion in heaven. You need to trust your father as to the design that will be needed for eternity even though it may look out of place in the earthly realm.