Category: Serve

Transform an Enemy to a Friend

In the battle where love is the weapon used to overcome the enemy, there are only victors, no losers.

Meditation Thought:  “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” (Romans 12:20)

“Love transforms, love redeems, love renews, love changes, love is My force moving in the world, rearranging it to become My Kingdom. Only love heaped upon an enemy will destroy him: for as the enemy is destroyed, a friend is born in his place. Judgment and hate and retribution do not destroy an enemy – they strengthen an enemy as he rises to meet these attacks. But love – love thrown at an enemy with the force of an attack, with the directness of an attack, with the single-mindedness of a plan of attack – that destroys the enemy. For what defense does he have against love? It confuses him, it disarms him, it melts his determination to destroy; it leaves him open, vulnerable, ready to lay down his arms and seek peace and understanding.

The battle may take time – as it would with any battle – but the results are sure victory for the warrior using love as a destroyer of enemies – for love is of God and God is power, total power that cannot be overcome. In the battle where love is the weapon used to overcome the enemy, there are only victors, no losers – the enemy has become a friend and gained a friend. Where the world once contained 2 enemies, the Kingdom has gained 2 friends and the world has exchanged 2 enemies for 2 friends: energy re-directed, changed from a force of destruction to a force of construction: the building of the Kingdom within and the remodeling of the world without.”

Purposeful Transformation

You can do nothing with your own will hugged close to your heart compared to the releasing of it for Me to change it as it becomes part of My will.

Meditation Thought: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

“Give me your will – and I will transform it into My will. This turns your will from the world and its ego-selfishness to a new will of goodness and acceptance and perfection. This giving of your will must be an ongoing gift – a constant giving and receiving (of My will) – and then, for the next situation, a new giving and a new receiving. You can do nothing with your own will hugged close to your heart compared to the releasing of it for Me to change it as it becomes part of My will. It is no longer recognizable as the same will you gave Me – for it is transformed into a will of loving power. Instead of your will conformed to the world, it is our will transforming the world. This is my desire for you: our becoming one in will, one in purpose, one in action, one in the task of redeeming the world from sin and turning the world to Love.

My heart longs for My loved ones to come to Me, to rejoice with Me, to be with Me in a full, complete, mutually delightful relationship. When My longing becomes your longing, then your will becomes My will and the transformation begins.”

This Moment

The moments are linked together in an unbroken chain. When one is moved it tends to pull the other moments in the same direction.

Meditation Thought: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)

“I am the Lord of all and none can escape me. Trust that total care is My will and My way. You do not see anything but what I would have you see: therefore treat what you do see as crucial, as My focusing you upon it for My purposes. This moment is all that exists for you to understand and do; feel confident that it is the most critical moment of your life – and treat it accordingly. The moments – the impact of what the moments contain – are linked together in an unbroken chain. When one is moved – whether toward Me or away from Me – it tends to pull the other moments in the same direction. That is why each moment’s action is more important than you realize. You need to keep the chain building and moving in My direction. I am using that chain in ways you cannot see to fulfill My plans for the world. Do not let Me down, but build Me up – for every loving thought or action, every word of praise, every hope in faith, every prayer expressed, enhances My glory and expands My Kingdom.”

Seasonal Harvesting

…only a determination to allow God to work His will in us that His truth may be kept pure in us, His love may pour into and out of us, his power might be released magnificently through us.

Meditation Thought: “And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15)

The condition must be met before the harvest can appear. The heart must be honest: no little deceits such as the world accepts – no half-truths, no glossing over, but the heart must hold only pure truth, God’s truth, uncorrupted. The heart must be good: no evil tainting it, no selfish motives, no rebellion at God’s purposes – only a determination to allow God to work His will in us that His truth may be kept pure in us, His love may pour into and out of us, his power might be released magnificently through us.

We cannot try to force the harvest before it is ready – for if we interfere, we will damage the seed and either delay the harvest or reap very little or nothing. we must be willing to allow God’s timing to become our timing, His seasons must be adopted by us as natural, as comfortable – even desirable.

Original Condition

A little selfishness in one area attracts selfishness in another area – a generous thought and action attracts another generous thought and action.

Meditation Thought:  “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10)

Everything has its own nature, its own qualities that make it unique. The total of these qualities is a reflection of the individual parts, which, though different, do fit in with each other in a compatible way – there are qualities that are desirable and qualities that are undesirable. Like attracts like in the makeup of our natures; a little selfishness in one area attracts selfishness in another area – a generous thought and action attracts another generous thought and action so that, no matter whether the incident is minor or crucial, our sum of our parts, whether they be desirable or undesirable, determines our actions.

As we become aware of the nature of our parts, if some parts are not consistent with what God created in us (before our sin), then we can work at yielding and changing those parts back into original condition, so that the total of our parts will add up to God-inspired thoughts and actions in every situation, no matter how major or minor it might be. And therein lies the goal for all creation – to have our nature purified back to original God-creations and the full relationship with Him which was Him intention as He created us.

How to Change the Weather

Think more about your words and the effect they have: picture them as shining brightly and lighting up the area around you.

Meditation Thought: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

“Your word can make everyone and everything glow with pleasure, with beauty – an apt imitation or image, of My Kingdom. The word invokes a thought, which invokes an image, which invokes and emotion, which may cause action – and if action is taken, it is a loving action, bringing glory to Me. Even the lovely thoughts and emotions are pleasing to Me.

Think more about your words and the effect they have: picture them as shining brightly and lighting up the area around you. I am the Light, and your loving words reflect that light to all around you. Your words, therefore, light the darkness – changing the atmosphere from unknown, fearful and gloomy to clear, cheerful and peaceful: this is the atmosphere where I am drawn, where I want to meet you. I can create it, but you must create it too where you are, for your are made in My image.”

Freedom Revelation

You cannot know Me by just wanting to know Me – you must be willing to listen.

Meditation Thought:  “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

“I reveal myself to you through My words. Knowing Me is knowing Truth, and so to know Truth, you must know my words. You cannot know Me by just wanting to know Me – you must be willing to listen to Me reveal Myself to you. You must give of yourself in time, in using your mind to learn My words. And when the Truth is revealed to you, you must take action in accordance with your new knowledge.

Believe enough to act in courage in the face of ridicule, in the face of harm – to persist in spite of all obstacles to live according to My Spirit within you. Do not be overwhelmed by what you see confronting you: turn within to Me to move all obstacles aside that might prevent the movement of My personality where I would have it go. The larger the obstacle looms, the more exciting is the result of moving it aside, the more confidence gained that we can move wherever we wish to go together.”

Keep Power Flowing

Waste no energy on debating; simply choose love: giving joyfully and praising Me.

Meditation Thought: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

“Choose consciously.” Exercise your capacity to choose constantly and you will become stronger, better able to engage the flow of My power in you. I will not condemn your choices – but you know which choices release My power more forcefully, as a cause and effect reaction. You will become better at more forceful choices as you reinforce one forceful choice by choosing a second forceful choice – and this repetition will keep My power flowing forcefully. Act in love at each moment, recalling the definitions of love in My Word, and this automatically assures that your choice of the moment is the one which is the one to release My power is a forceful way. Waste no energy on debating; simply choose love: giving joyfully and praising Me – an efficient key to unlock the life of the Kingdom at each moment.

Consulting the Guidebook

God’s works are always great, and right and inclusive and far-reaching.

Meditation Thought: “ Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)

“Do the works”, ‘Do’ – an active verb, requiring a thought, a decision and a movement. ‘Works’ – changes, results, accomplishments. If we need a guide for God’s plan for us:
– Believe His Word.
– Think about each situation in terms of His Word.
– Decide what to do according to His Word and His circumstances and His leading
– Act, based on Jesus’ example of God-type action
– Praise the results, whatever they appear to be.

Trust God that He is doing the works through us and God’s works are always great, and right and inclusive and far-reaching. They coordinate, they complete, they make the whole more than the sum of the parts.

What To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

The peace comes from the nestling in God’s arms and allowing Him to take us where He will.

Meditation Thought: “You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

“Whose mind is steadfast on You”
whose thoughts are the thoughts of God,
whose energy is the energy of God,
whose will is the will of God,
whose actions are the actions of God,
whose power is the power of God.

The peace comes from the nestling in God’s arms and allowing Him to take us where He will assign us what He will, and to yield to His instruction and help instead of rushing away from Him when He sets us down to do our tasks. We need to be with Him to do the job together.

We are together when we are conscious of His words,
when we are in prayer,
when we are ministering in His Name and are giving Him the glory.
We are together when we praise Him,
when we thank him,
when we beseech Him.

He allows for all kinds of variety so that He can work appropriately in each situation – if we look for His appropriate solution to the situation and yield to it in trust. If we don’t have specific guidance, we can:
1) apply His general principles according to His word
2) pray for guidance
3) praise
4) claim our faith as evidence of the good we envision coming from the situation, and
5) pray for, minister to, and love everyone involved in the situation.