Yield to a Better Way

I could not do this in my own sinful, rebellious, ego-centered nature no matter how long or how hard I tried. I must allow it to happen, but I cannot cause it to happen.

Meditation Thought: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)

In view of the mercies of God present myself as a living sacrifice. I do not have to present myself by my own effort. Instead, if I humble myself and yield myself to God, then He will do the preparation needed for me to be presented holy and acceptable. I could not do this in my own sinful, rebellious, ego-centered nature no matter how long or how hard I tried. I must allow it to happen, but I cannot cause it to happen.

It is my job to give the loaves and fishes; it is God’s job to feed the 5,000. (See Matthew 14:13-21)

Merciful Harmony

Usually it is only when the exercise of our own will and our own efforts have not ‘paid off’ as we had anticipated that we search for the best way to live.

Meditation Thought: “ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

“It depends upon God’s mercy” – therefore, we must depend upon God. We cannot do anything by ourselves, for this was not God’s original plan.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33) must be accepted and acted upon if we are to reap the benefits which all eventually come to seek: peace, joy, love.

But we are so stubborn! We get ‘involved’, we would rather ‘do our own thing’, we mistakenly believe that we are able to manage nicely by ourselves. Usually it is only when the exercise of our own will and our own efforts have not ‘paid off’ as we had anticipated that we search for the best way to live – for the way that is compatible with our Creator and His creation.

In our helplessness, we cry out for mercy – and it is the recognizing of our need for mercy that opens up a new previously unsuspected level of life. A level where an awakening of possibilities causes great excitement and anticipation in us, which at the same time allows us to be at peace in our hearts.

To have the Spirit flowing within is visible without, for our health depends not upon outside circumstances, but a fully integrated program which coordinates every factor of our being (spirit, personality, body, mind) into working harmoniously – all seeking to improve the particular area of itself, but affecting the other areas in a positive manner. Only the One who created us has the knowledge of how to accomplish this to the maximum degree. If we call upon Him to teach us, He is eager to do so.

A Twist on Stem Cells

This is the reason that thoughts are critical to life – or death; to peace – or agony; to fulfillment – or discontent; to health – or to sickness; to richness of lifestyle – or poverty of lifestyle.

Meditation Thought: “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

A thought is the tiny first cell of the growing expression which will take form in many mediums and influence many others. This original cell-thought has within it all the genetic features needed to multiply it into a huge far-reaching form.

This is the reason that thoughts are critical to life – or death; to peace – or agony; to fulfillment – or discontent; to health – or to sickness; to richness of lifestyle – or poverty of lifestyle.

God seeks to illuminate our understanding that we may recognize that thoughts seeking relationship with Him are the key to the fulfillment of our creation both spiritually and humanly.

To come to the realization that God- almighty, all powerful, all loving, all creating, all righteous, all beautiful, all orderly, all reconciling, all accepting, all encouraging, all giving of freedom to choose His offer of companionship, of fellowship, of fatherhood is our Father, is to be completely awed, completely, happy, completely obedient.

We do not expect to do as well as our Hero (Jesus) in expressing our life in our humanity, nevertheless, the determination to do our best to adopt the same thoughts, the same attitudes, the same type of language, the same type of actions, and the sure conviction that our Hero was and is real and is able, by our belief in His realty, to empower us to become more like Him.

Weight Lifted; Chains Loosed

He made the lifting of the burden and the breaking of the chains possible – not easy, not quick, but His example of the method is there for all who seek it.

Meditation Thought: “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)

I feel the weight of sin, but my own power is insufficient to move it. I know that if only this weight could be removed, I could move places where I cannot go now. I am bound in guilt, in inadequacies, in the past. I cannot raise the energy to fulfil my dreams, but am frustrated by weight, by chains.

Only one man succeeded in avoiding the crushing weight and binding chains: by total obedience to the Father’s will; by willingly foregoing the pleasures anyway – He made the lifting of the burden and the breaking of the chains possible – not easy, not quick, but His example of the method is there for all who seek it.

My prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being willing to forgo the using of Your power for Yourself, that Your power might be used for my benefit. Enable me to, in my gratitude, in my desire to give you joy that your sacrifice was not in vain, but released me from much pain, to accomplish the very purpose for which You came. (See Matthew 18:18)

Enable me to become an expression of Your joy, and not an extension of Your pain. In Your Precious Name I pray. Amen.

Choose Your Storehouse Carefully

And the conscious decisions bring into your life the contents of the storehouse so that the unconscious decisions draw upon the stock within you, thus reinforcing either sickness of Satan’s stock or health of God’s stock.

Meditation Thought: “ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” (Romans 6:13)

All manner of things are in the storehouse – you must choose what you will take from it and bring into your life. It is easy to walk into Satan’s area – for it is downhill, easy to just let the inertia of sin and self-will to almost propel you down the hill to his area.

God’s area is higher – more difficult to reach because you must take effort to remove sin and self-will by energy, time, and commitment before you can make the walk up the path to reach God’s storehouse. But for those who try – what blessings! The fruits and gifts of the Spirit are there: the storehouse is pleasant, commanding a beautiful view. (See Galatians 5:22-23)

Life is a series of trips to the storehouse: each conscious decision takes the path to either the storehouse area of Satan or of God. And the conscious decisions bring into your life the contents of the storehouse so that the unconscious decisions draw upon the stock within you, thus reinforcing either sickness of Satan’s stock or health of God’s stock.

Seek ye first the Kingdom – God’s area – and the joys of the Kingdom’s stores shall accumulate in your life. (See Matthew 6:33)

Deserts Bloom

Not every life will be recorded in history as world-changing, but every life is recorded in My heart.

Meditation Thought: “ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God” (Romans 4:20)

“Take courage – and step out in faith. Though you do not see where your step will take you, I have prepared the path: it leads where the desires of your heart are fulfilled. But you cannot see this is so – you can only trust in Me. Do I not merit your trust? I created the universe. I did not remove Myself from My creations, but I nurture My creations, My beloved, and delight in an awakened response.

Not every life will be recorded in history as world-changing, but every life is recorded in My heart; I rejoice and commiserate with My loved ones, each is precious to Me. How I long for each spirit to respond to Me, to be an Abraham in faith and obedience, that I may rejoice in the blessing passed on from generation to generation, from parent to child by example that through faith in My grace, My love and My power, the enemy is overcome, and My responsive children shall inherit My Kingdom.

My Kingdom is the land of milk and honey – not the wilderness;
My Kingdom is beauty – not gloom and ugliness;
My Kingdom is love – not hate;
My Kingdom is nurturing – not repressing;
My Kingdom is light – not darkness;
My Kingdom is the sound of a great symphony – not the sound of discord nor the lack of any sound;
My Kingdom is the vast vista from a mountaintop – not the smallness of a cave.

Seek ye the Kingdom – it is within you – within the yielding of your will to My will;
the yielding of your tongue to words of love;
the yielding of your heart to compassion;
the yielding of your body to sacrifice for others;
the yielding of pain to trust in My purpose of the new life it will produce.

My Spirit shall bring the desert to bloom;
the storm to give way to the sun;
the winter to yield to spring;
and the world to be transformed into the Kingdom – wherever it is allowed to flow.”

How to Glorify God

His glory shines through the clouds of despair and gloom and apathy – bringing warmth to those were surrounded by dark and coldness.

Meditation Thought: “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.” (Romans 15:2)

“Give and it shall be given you, pressed down, running over” (Luke 6:38) – giving of yourself is the most beautiful, the most blessed giving of all: to sacrifice your desires, your preferences, your opinions, your actions to please another is loving, unselfish, caring, helping – and glorifying to God. The stronger your desire for something other than your neighbor’s preference, the more sacrifice is required. But, the deeper the sacrifice is, the more meaningful is the gift. That gift uplifts greatly, touches the recipient to the heart – to the spirit so deeply that God’s love is perceived in the gift. So the two have come together, touching God’s love – one through giving, one through receiving, with both parties being uplifted.

Each time we are confronted with a choice to please our neighbor or please ourselves, we have an opportunity to bring several people closer to God. Our yielding to the Father’s will is what makes the sacrifice possible – and thus the glory possible. As the sacrifices multiply, God’s glory multiplies. His glory shines through the clouds of despair and gloom and apathy – bringing warmth to those were surrounded by dark and coldness, and additional light and warmth to those who had some, but are seeking more.

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.”

Choose Your Controller

They are drawn because this God-controlled life exudes Love – and everyone want to receive Love.

Meditation Thought: “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever!” (Romans 11:36)

Whatever we filter through God becomes pure, clear, sparkling, useable. That is why we must develop the habit of never making a move without first filtering it through God by testing it with His word, with prayer, with circumstances, with His Spirit within us. This filtering process takes anything, any situation, and changes it into what God wants it to be. And that assures us that therefore, in the end, we will recognize that it has also become what we want it to be.

When this constant filtering becomes our habit, we find a life of peace, of joy, of purpose, of order. We know how to think, what to do, and are confident. What a contrast to muddling along on our own – or storming ahead on our own, and then being brought up short when we are thwarted with the results. This is the difference between a God-controlled life and a self-controlled life. When our lives become God-controlled inside, they become worth noting and emulating as they are observed from the outside by others. It is this God-controlled life that puzzles others – but also that draws them in fascination, for it is different. The reactions are different, the actions are different than those which are prompted by the people who react and act only dealing with the physical part of the world. They begin to perceive that there is a wisdom, a knowledge, a faith and a power of which they were unaware, and it draws them as a moth is drawn to a flame. They are drawn because this God-controlled life exudes Love – and everyone want to receive Love.