Category: SpiritFilledLiving

Still, Small, Powerful

Help me to sow and reap – and rejoice, not in the harvest, but in the love of the One who provided the seed.

Meditation Thought: “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4-6)

The constancy of the Word is to be your basis of desire and motivation and energy to sow the seed – the good seed of loving kindnesses, righteous deeds, helpful ministry, honesty, integrity, devotion to doing your work well.

Do not be preoccupied with your own thoughts and concerns or you will be so distracted that you will not realize that the harvest is ready, and needs only for your effort to gather it in.

Become alert to each moment – not only the happenings, but all subtle nuances. Learn to understand other’s viewpoints. Learn to appreciate and understand nature and natural laws. And – most of all – cultivate the art of listening to the still, small voice within you, and heeding it.

Though you do not know the work of God, you do know God: you know God is Love; God is creative; God is righteous; God is orderly and acts in orderly ways. God is powerful and God has shared with you, His child, His secrets that are hidden from those who ignore the still, small voice. God does not want His ways to be secrets – He does all He can to reveal His ways – but until the children seek to learn what the Father is doing – and have confidence enough to sow the seeds and look for the harvest, the Father is frustrated and the child is frustrated. Once the first breakthrough comes, however – once the still small voice is recognized, both as existing, and as to the knowledge that the voice imparts – then, as long as the child sows and reaps, the Father’s ways are revealed more and more clearly. And since Father is the head of the household, and the King of the Kingdom, to follow His ways is surely the way to peace, contentment, fulfillment and joy. Even when the harvest is disappointing, trust in the advice of the still, small voice will give creative thought and energy which will turn that harvest into a blessing: perhaps a new discovery will be made in how to use the particular species, or the need for this particular species will not be as great as was supposed. God is not defeated by any problem; therefore we need not be defeated either, for He is eager to tell us of His solution to the problem if we will only be alert and listen and heed.

Lord, help me to sow and reap – and rejoice, not in the harvest, but in the love of the One who provided the seed. Amen.

The Search is Over

It is in these ways that we become more aware that God’s Spirit and our spirit are united.

Meditation Thought: “He who is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun immorality… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…. you are not your own, you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:17,19,20)

It is essential to take time to learn the Word, to contemplate the meaning of the Word, to pray – and to be aware in every area of what is taking place – especially in the working of the mind and in relationships with others. It is in these ways that we become more aware that God’s Spirit and our spirit are united. When we realize that God is united with us – not merely directing, or asking something of us, but is part of us, then this mass which was one small, weak, insignificant human is recognized as something grown beyond that description. God’s active influence – transforming, reconstruction, nurturing, enhancing the whole of this united entity.

The greater the extent that we know this Truth, the greater effect does the Presence of God have upon us – particularly if we actively seek to learn the total significance of this phenomenon.

I sought far and wide
And could not find
My heart’s desire.
I rested in defeat,
hopeless, restless, tired.
The quiet, settled creature
then heard the still, soft voice within –
The search was over,
And never would the heart, the mind, the spirit
Be as before that Word was heard.
For the heart’s desire was found:
By simply slowing down,
Looking within,
Learning that peace, and love and joy
Waited to be allowed
To enter into the spirit
Which is united
To the Lord.

Truth in Mindfulness

Our mind does not leave us to make room for the mind of Christ, but it does take on a new shape.

Meditation Thought: “God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God… Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God… For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:10,12,16)

We have the mind of Christ through the yielding of our mind to the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are willing to be humble – to become as only a container of the Spirit, then the Spirit reveals the mind of Christ in the place where our mind was in control.

We do not become ‘mindless’ creatures, but we put Christ’s mind in control of our mind – our mind does not leave us to make room for the mind of Christ, but it does take on a new shape, and is made more perfect as it is in proximity with the mind of Christ.

The spirit ‘searches everything’ – in other words, the Spirit knows the whole Truth and the Spirit enables us to understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.

Thus, the Spirit combines the two through the mind of Christ and our mind: by revealing Truth and by enabling us to understand God’s gifts to us, the Spirit is able to also help us perceive God’s plan and God’s will for us, as well as to teach us how we can participate in bringing His plan into fruition.

Will you do your part?

Whenever you have an opportunity to express love, to right a wrong, to make the dirty clean, to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, comfort the sick and the dying, share the knowledge of My love and power and desire to be a good Father, there is your task. Delight in it!

Meditation Thought: “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God! (Psalm 83:1)

Dear God, if you do not “speak” to me in some manner – communicate with me – then I cannot know You. If I do not know You, I cannot understand You; I cannot please You. Therefore, Lord, make Yourself known to me!

If You do not act, then how can Your children evolve into what they should become? We are too weak to do what needs to be done to make the world the place it should be – the place where all have abundance, and peace and joy.

The Father’s Response:
“I have spoken clearly. The words are vibrating – they will be clear when ears are tuned to the vibrations.

Fret not that you do not always hear clearly or accurately. Try your best, and you will hear enough to make you shout for joy, live in peace, live an abundant life, and be a blessing to many.

I do not stand over you with a whip, ready to flail out at you for each error; I stand by you, with My hand outstretched, ready to steady you and set you on the right course. Knowing this – take heart, and energetically go to your tasks; very seldom do you not know what task is to be done. Whenever you have an opportunity to express love, to right a wrong, to make the dirty clean, to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, comfort the sick and the dying, share the knowledge of My love and power and desire to be a good Father, there is your task. Delight in it! Whatever you are doing, when you do it with a willing heart, as expressing your love to Me, it is right for you in every way. For that task is enhancing your spirit, keeping your mind alert, exercising your body to promote good health, and is the lesson of the moment, the method by which I can lead you gently along the path to fuller understanding of all of life.

Cast off your petulant attitude of resenting, or at least not enjoying, your tasks. They should be your delight, and you should eagerly look for all that can be observed concerning them. In this way you will learn much about Me, about you, about the world and about the kingdom. The more you know, the happier you will be – and the more pleased I will be with My beloved child.

Go now, thinking with the mind of Christ, living with the emotion of the Father, and moving with the power of the Spirit. The Way shall be prepared for you. Your help shall be available to you. Only choose to follow Jesus, who did the will of the Father, and thus transformed much of the world. My other children are needed to complete he transformation. Will you do your part?

Higher Education

Recall how much I love you…

Meditation Thought: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)

The key to My teaching you is your willingness – your eagerness to learn. I am with you, constantly encouraging you to learn My ways and to know the paths which will be our delight to walk together.

You are aware of the places where you can best learn: in My Word, in yielding to the Holy Spirit within you. So long as you stay in these places, not straying to worldly places where thoughts, activities and attitudes block the learning of My ways and My paths, you will learn.

With each bit of information, each time there is revelation, and whenever there is inspiration, you will become more of a companion who is taking on My ways and is walking closely beside Me on My chosen path.

When you waver, not sure that you can – or even desire to – forego the satisfying of your ego’s clamor, recall how much I love you – how diligently I have tried to help you find a better way and a lighted path, the depths to which I go in order to save you from that willful ego which could destroy you if you allow it free reign.

Mountains Really Can Be Moved

You believe. You do the works to the best of your human ability, and when your little efforts start a little dirt to move, then I will start an earthquake to help you move that mountain.

Meditation Thought: “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:21-22)

“‘If you have faith and never doubt:’ how do you have that much faith, that much confidence in what you ask? You have that much faith and confidence when you know your request is within My will.

The first step is to determine My will: pray, think, seek inner guidance – be alert in your spirit, your mind, your emotions, your physical condition, to circumstances: observe, inside and outside of yourself.

Study the life of Jesus. Whatever He said and whatever He did became a witness to Me in some way. The fig tree incident was proof of our relationship: of the power which I released through Him to make decisions and then to have circumstances confirm the decisions as wise, as helpful, as a means of teaching further revelation of truth.

This is the pattern I desire for all of My children: to seek to know Me so intimately that you can know My way of thinking and acting and can learn to think and to act in similar manner.

Many more incidents involving spoken desires would result in confirming action if My children would first seek to know me intimately and then think and act.

I give you great leeway in the way you live your life: I desire you to express yourself uniquely, according to your talents – and according to your tastes. Your desire to be surrounded by beauty is not evil: it is consistent with your Father’s taste also. The crux of the matter is to put it in perspective. The fig tree incident was a minor ‘miracle’ in the life of Jesus – a passing ‘flash in the pan’ show of power compared to His miracles which totally changed men’s hearts and brought them to know Me and seek My will. Nevertheless it was a witness to My power and to the love I have for My own – for I care about you enough to allow you to seek to express our relationship in manners of your own choosing.

Nothing is too small to be a witness to My power, My love and My attempts at bringing My beloved family into intimacy with me and with one another.

Have confidence in your own intelligence to make choices. Have confidence in our relationship that these choices will be life-enhancing and therefore I seek to demonstrate My power through them, that you and others may be moved from your lethargy and seek new life in Christ with an enthusiasm that will make His life what it was intended to be: the releasing of My expression into the world in an explosion of love and truth that shatters the complacency and ignorance and selfishness which had taken a hold of My beloved, and to build instead a mantle of praise, a contrite heart -and an abiding and enduring faith in Me such as Jesus had demonstrated while He was in the flesh.

Do not fear; I am love. I made you to love, and I desire you to express your love for Me. What better way can you do this then to rejoice in My care, trust My tolerance of your imperfections and misconceptions, and to do creative thinking and creative acting?

Stop fretting. Stop doubting. MOVE MOUNTAINS:

Not just because you can – but because I need the moved in order to reconcile the world to Me and convert it into the kingdom.

Do not be concerned that you may err – I can guide you into corrections that will produce better results than if the errors did not occur.

You believe. You do the works to the best of your human ability, and when your little efforts start a little dirt to move, then I will start an earthquake to help you move that mountain.”

Harmony is Created

There are many similarities among us, and even what appear to be differences are frequently various outward expressions of the same inner thought or feelings.

Meditation Thought: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)

When anyone lives in accord with Jesus Christ he is living in accord with others – for Jesus promotes accord with one another. As all seek to know the Father and to glorify Him, all come to realize the close bond that all of God’s creatures have with one another. There are many similarities among us, and even what appear to be differences are frequently various outward expressions of the same inner thought or feelings.

When we desire more than anything to know God and to love Him and to heed His suggestions, then we become so in tune with one another that we edify one another – realizing that this is the way to bring peace to our hearts. We lose our selfishness as we become more and more aware of the joy of glorifying the Father. Once we are free of selfishness God can use us for mighty works of ministry to one another through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Understand the Cause: Mitigate the Effect

To know not only an effect, but its cause, is to be able to think and act far more appropriately.

Meditation Thought: “For man believes with his heart and is so justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.'” (Romans 10:10-11)

We must deal with our inner thoughts and feelings in order to be saved – but we must also express ourselves using our physical body, revealing to others our decision. This is necessary for two purposes: It cements our compact with God as we are positive enough to confess to another, and it is also the opportunity for those who hear us to become saved also.

All of life is really a process involving two areas: the invisible facets and the visible, physical facets. We shall be better off knowing as much as we can about both – and God needs only our willingness to learn to teach us about both realms. The invisible precedes the visible – and the wise person will understand the connection, for to know not only an effect, but its cause, is to be able to think and act far more appropriately.

It is in our searching for God and attempting to understand who He is and who we are, and what He is doing that we become wiser in the knowledge of causes, as well as becoming more expert in either initiating causes, or in minimizing bad effects by understanding causes and thus taking appropriate action concerning them.

If we simply deal with the physical world after a cause has produced an effect, we are going to be victimized a great deal – unnecessarily. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, but in order to prevent the undesired effect we must understand how to prevent the cause – and that understanding will come only when we are willing to use our invisible faculties – our mind and our spirit – to determine the truth of the situation.

Rich in God

This will bring Him more pleasure than anything else: my grateful heart, and responding love, are all that He is seeking.

Meditation Thought; “And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:19-21)

You are to be rich in God. The Bible refers constantly to King and Kingdom. God is wealthy, is in authority, is all that an earthly king is, and infinitely more, has all the earthly king has, and infinitely more. I am His child, and thus am an heiress to the kingdom. It is fine for me to recognize this and to rejoice in this. What I must not do is to believe that I am worthy to be in this position because of my own doing. I am in this position because of God’s doing. I need to be grateful – and to live out this life that has been given to me in the way most responsible and pleasing to my Father – and to be glad to do so, to enjoy doing so. This will bring Him more pleasure than anything else: my grateful heart, and responding love, are all that He is seeking. He isn’t trying to beat and badger and coerce me into being a child that resembles Himself – He’s trying to love and encourage and empower me into that child! When I realize this fact, then I am released from the prison of my own making. If God – who is so great – is satisfied with me as I am in Christ – even though I’m not perfect as the Father is perfect – why should I be so critical of myself?

Yes, Christ in the flesh did understand the Father completely and did obey perfectly. And I have not. But that does not mean that I cannot – for my will yielded to Christ who lives in me through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit does understand the will of the Father, and my personality yielded to Christ in the form of the Holy Spirit does obey perfectly.

The key to having my heart be with the treasure of the kingdom is unwavering faith that prompts me to search in every possible way for the knowledge that the Father seeks to give me.

A Chain of Events

Our hope lies in Christ, who makes possible our claiming of our rightful inheritance.

Meditation Thought: “[when] we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:15-17)

Christ suffered, not because He obeyed God – but because other men would not obey God. To obey God may, for a short time, bring suffering because not all do obey God. But none can defy God and defeat Him – therefore, our position as being obedient will lead to a place of glory from the the place of suffering. And the disobedient shall see the errors of their thinking and actions, and shall be encouraged to repent, thus paving the way for renewal. Any one of us can be at any of these places, at any time – depending upon our understanding of God’s will and our degree of obedience to God’s will.

Our hope lies in Christ, who makes possible our claiming of our rightful inheritance, when we had thrown it away by our sin. He made arrangements with the Father – more accurately, He obeyed the Father’s request – to make our action of refusing our inheritance disappear – it simply was no longer a valid transaction. In accepting Christ’s contract made for us with the Father, we arrange to receive our inheritance. He has done for us what we were unable to do for ourselves. It has the effect of erasing our dishonorable actions as completely as if they were a dream and not reality.

We have been saved from what we feared would be our fate as we realized the magnitude of our rebellion and disobedience. Coming to know how powerful our Father is, we finally realize that it is best to obey Him – not out of fear for His wrath but out of the recognition that His requests to us have been in our own best interests. It has only been our inferior intellects, our lack of faith in His love, and our insistence on being the sole dictator of our life that has kept us from understanding the Father desires us to receive His inheritance. But He cannot will it to us unless we are going to be responsible in administering it. He must know that we will use it as He Himself would use it before He dares let us have it. And the way He knows we will administer it according to His principles is to know that we have His character reflected in our character. The only way we are able to do this is to be obedient to His teachings: the only way we can be obedient is to have Christ living in us through our faith – through our yielding the scepter of our ego to Christ that He may be the guiding force within us. When we do this, we share His fate – His leading us in obedience do the Father’s will does result in our suffering from those who are not under His leadership. But His leadership also results in miracles of healing, of renewing, of creating, of beauty, of love, of power – all bringing such glory to the Father, that He shares His glory with the Son, and the Son shares it with us.

We cannot know where Christ will lead us. But we can trust that every path leads to glory: to peace, to joy, to fulfillment, on faith through the ministrations of the Spirit, and in the kingdom through the reality of our spirit being at one with His Spirit.