House on Fire

It has been the Lord's way in my life to parallel an issue in my heart with the house that we live in. I don't know why He does that with me, but He does. Regardless of why, I am very appreciative of this as I am a very visual person.

Over several nights Christmas 2006 the Lord gave me a series of dreams about the house we currently rent, burning down.

Having seen what happened the week I dreamt of floods in September, Anthony was very keen to check that our house insurance was up to date, in case it really did burn down. I however sought the Lord for what it was He was trying to say to me.

The revelation came a little while later.

We live in a beautiful wooden house. Pretty well everything is wooden other than the tiles in the bathrooms and hearths. It is nicely decorated, light and airy. It has a wonderful 'feel' to it. People walk in and often comment on the loveliness of it.

The Lord told me that I was that house.

The Lord also told me that this was how I have often been viewed as well.

Yet He promised that a new day was coming.

See after living a little while in this lovely little house, Anthony and I noticed that some things had been renovated really quickly. Glass sheets would fall out of cupboards. Floorboards would scratch at the slightest thing (because they had not been varnished hard enough), light switches would cease to work, sealing around sinks and baths slowly started to pull away. Niggly little things started to happen that made the house not as attractive to us as it first was to us.

The Lord told me that just like this house there were things that were like that in my life. Not so niggly little things that needed to come under the refining fire of the Lord. We all know that old adage, that a stitch in time saves nine. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if these character flaws are NOT burnt out now that I am in for big trouble later on.

At first this left me bewildered, hurt and feeling very alone. But the Lord has used this time to mirror many of my character flaws, insecurities and fears.

Praise be to God though that this is not my first such wilderness experience. The Lord has often taken me through refiners fire. Showing me my true nature and character, my unsurrended heart, my uncrucified flesh, my unsubmissive will. And each time He crushes and breaks and hones out the changes that He wants wrought.

The Lord revealed that I was in for a spiritual house fire. He was going to burn away the dross, the wood and chaff and rebuild me a new.

It has not been an easy road. I have not always responded the way that He would have me respond, but I am starting to see His victories in my life. I have begun to notice the redemptive work of the cross, I can see resurrection life starting to shoot forth.

Part of the way the Lord has done this in my life is through Cleansing Stream Ministries. It has been a time of laying foundational truths in such a way that this time, I can't help but know them, and God in a new intimate way.

I know this time is not over, but I can see an end in sight. I am looking forward to the retreat this weekend and seeing what the Lord does. I am ever thankful that He chose now to make these changes, as we plan to move to the UK.

But most of all I am especially thankful that the Lord never just leaves us alone, but sanctifies us so that we can truly reflect His glory and enjoy Him forever.

~selah~

Siftings

Ever been sifted?

I made a commitment to follow Christ when I was 6 years old. I can remember it so very clearly as it was the result of a very real and vivid dream that I had. But I haven't always walked a righteous walk before my God.
For every person that succeeds in walking righteously before our God in their teenage years, there are many more that won't. I am one of the many that didn't. Consequently at 21 and in my third year of University I found myself pregnant to a non-Christian compulsive gambler.

Praise be to God that while my husband is still not a Christian, God has healed him of his gambling and we have gone on to have a great marriage relationship despite our tumultuous start.

That is a whole other story to be told perhaps one day about the perils and disobedience involved in marrying an non-Christian, but today I'll share with you a little of where I feel I went wrong.

Luke 22 say's

31"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you[a] as wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

Who gave the permission to Satan ??? GOD gave the permission to Satan. A pretty mind blowing concept isn't it? It's not the first time it's happened and neither will it be the last. Job was another example of Satan trying to break the will of a righteous man to worship God.

I can remember as a self-righteous 17-year-old vowing off so many things, alcohol, smoking, sex before marriage, going out with a non-Christian even marrying a non-Christian. Not bad things to steer clear of are they.

Recently a lesson dawned on me. Just like Peter I was vowing these things in a spirit of pride. Just as he felt that he was a special disciple who deserved to be regarded highly I was looking for recognition from my God for an attitude that was born out of a spirit of pride. Oh she's a good Christian girl isn't she saying all these things let's give her a pat on the back..... WRONG!

I look back on my life now and I know and truly believe that God gave Satan permission to sift me and guys I failed dismally not just once either. Just like Peter when push came to shove I denied my Lord over and over and over again in lots of areas in my life.

So what does this mean for us today, should we never set out to live a righteous and godly life. Of course we should. My problem was I promised God all these things and I told him over and over again that I would never deny him. But each time I did, I had that sinking feeling like Peter must have had when he heard that cock crow.

My trouble as I bet Peter's was, was that I rested upon my prideful promises rather than in humbly submitting myself to God. Admitting our weakness is not a character flaw, it opens you up to God's nurture and protection in your life. Satan will try to condemn you for your weakness but the bible tells us that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. You already have victory in Christ- you just need to walk in it.

Never say Never has become a catch phrase of the movies, but I believe it is applicable to the Christian life. As soon as we say we never will or make a never statement based on pride rather than humility, we are opening ourselves up for a good sifting. Rather we should be each day humbly asking God for the strength to resist ANY temptation that comes our way, to stand firm.

James 4:7 say's"Submit yourselves then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you"

Action is required here on the part of the Christian, in order to resist Satan. We are not to passively sit back and let him attack us. This is warfare.!!!!

However it is still necessary to understand that it is only through the power of Christ in us when we choose to abide in him that allows us victory. There is no power in our prideful attitudes or flesh, but when we humbly acknowledge our faults and seek God's face he will meet us where we are at, and give us the strength by his grace and his mercy to resist the devil.

I have been reading a book lately that talks about the 3 enemy's of a Christian;

• Satan

• The world

• Our flesh.

Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our war is not against people (flesh and blood) but against the rulers, the powers and the principalities in heavenly realms. I am not telling you this to scare you, or out of some kind of demon fixation you may think I have, I am telling you this that if you are not aware of the tricks that Satan plays you will fail dismally.

Dress yourselves in your armor daily. Cover your thought life, your deeds, and your behavior with the armor of God. This isn't a daunting task pray it is straight from your bibles.

The world is a place that a Christians daily has trouble being. Movies, music, clothes, television, books etc ... are so anti-Christ that it's no wonder we are told to be in the world not off the world. The world will try to sell you so many lies. You're not whole unless you're in a relationship. Your not fulfilled unless it's a sexual relationship, look out for number one, beauty is essential, only the beautiful people succeed, times have changed, so therefore the biblical rules have changed. WRONG! The world is not so very different from the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.

God's principles are just as valid today as ever before. Know them, learn them and write them on your heart. Stand strong in the Lord, but do it humbly knowing that you can do nothing except through Christ's who strengthens you. It may be okay now in the loving shelter of your families, but the day will come when you will have to leave it for one reason or another, and you will want to make sure you can stand firm in Christ by yourself.

Even if you were to remain with your family until the day you were married, temptation doesn't stop because you have a ring on your finger, a husband and a home. Be strong ladies, and learn soon.

Thirdly our flesh is our other enemy. Galatians 5: 19-21 talks about the sins of the flesh. Some of them may be hard to understand and I encourage you to talk about them with someone who can help you further investigate and explain.

These ones come from a book called 'The Adversary" by Mark Bubeck;

• Adultery - thoughts or acts of immorality after marriage.

• Fornication - thoughts or acts or immorality before marriage.

• Uncleanness - evil or impure thoughts, dirty stories, lustful desires, dirty movies, pornography.

• Lasciviousness - the practice of stirring up sinful desires outside the limit of God's approval- dress, speech, smile, eyes, physical gestures, modesty.

• Idolatry - the sin of the flesh rebelling against worshiping God. When we either physically or mentally put a 'thing' before God.

• Witchcraft- this is a desire to contact or relate to the spiritual world that is outside of the realm of God's spiritual domain.

• Hatred - dark thoughts towards something/someone, bitterness, contempt, loathing, anger.

• Variance/Quarreling - expresses itself as we become a part of strife or discord. Usually springs from the need for attention or to prove ourselves right.

• Emulation's/Jealousy - inner feelings of resentment that someone else is or has something that we want. Comes from desiring our own interests above others, also manifests itself as a lack of self acceptance or thankfulness for the way in which God has made us, or the life he has given us.

• Wrath - bad temper, violent anger, rage or sentiment, coming from things/people threatening our self interest.. Anger is an attempt of the flesh to step in and take situations (vengeance especially) out of God's hands.

• Strife - self-seeking rivalry, pulls others that threaten us in anyway down.

• Sedition's - to divide, split in two parts. This is trying to identify with a group that will my selfish interests. It's what causes church splits and quarreling amongst believers.

• Heresies - like the above, including being party to a spirit of non-essentials. This is trying to identify with a group that will support our conduct with doctrinal argument. Especially harmful in the body of Christ.

• Envying - an inner discontent with our life or ourselves. Look at others success or superiority with a desire for his/her place. Comes from our own insecurity and trust in God's enabling, and a refusal to be happy with God's will for us, and his grace.

• Murders - the rebellious desire of the flesh or the action of taking a life.

• Drunkenness - reliance upon a substance (intoxicants) that provide an artificial means of escape from our sins and responsibilities, providing an artificial feeling of well being.

• Reveling and such alike- this is were sensual appetites rule and dictate behavior. It is the desire and act of meeting and gratifying the body's appetites without moral responsibility.

I know that is a long list of flesh sins, and some will not apply to you, but if you are honest with yourself you will struggle with some of these at some time.

So how do we avoid sins of the flesh?

By acknowledging them before our God. We need to at all time walk honestly, seeing our faults and allowing and cultivating the Holy Spirits prompting in our lives.

Galatians 5:24-26 says;

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking or envying each other"

Even though we may feel like good for nothing sinners, the truth of the matter is that God has already taken our sin for us, and made it possible for us to walk in the Spirit. We need to learn to walk not by what we feel but by the truth of God's word. The verse above says that our sinful nature was crucified with Christ. It doesn't mean that we won't sin, it means that we don't have to be a slave to our sin. You can have victory in your life.

Always give God his due glory for the care, protection and victory in your life. Keep your minds focused on him, not on your own self. Don't become proud of your Christian walk unless your proud of how much the Lord has done for you. Then be careful not to think he's poured out an extra dose of grace on you cause your such a worthy recipient, but rather boast only in the Lord.

The reason that I am telling you this is because I did become proud and conceited. And I didn't get told any of the above information until just recently when the Lord revealed to me. I wish I had of understood it better when I was your age, I may have saved myself, my family and my Lord a lot of unnecessary heart ache.

ThankfullyRomans 8:28 says;

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose"

There is an old chorus that says;

"Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion, he understood. All I had to offer him was brokenness and strife, but he made something beautiful of my life".

That's how I feel about my Lord. It's taken me many years and quite a journey to be able to say that. God has brought me to the place I am in today, and he sustains me daily. I have learnt to say, that without my God I am nothing, but in my Lord I am a conqueror, victorious, whole and forgiven.

(written in 1998 for a home school mail out to young teenage girls)

White washed walls.

Acts 23

1 "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” 4 And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’"

I was reading this passage about Paul and was reminded of the many 'people' that may be around us that we may consider to be 'whitewashed walls'. Is it a government leader, that pastor of that mega church, that prophet, those people from church in authority over you? Do we not realise that people ONLY stand in places of authority because the Lord you God keeps them there?



You may not respect the person, but we are certainly called to respect the positions of authority that God places, and keeps men and women in. Paul when he realised his mistake was greatly humbled and realised that he had made a grave mistake..... not so much against the man he offended, but the position of authority this man held.



Again I say, men and women only hold places of authority because the Lord keeps them there, for whatever reason.Either He is God or He is not? Either way do not limit your view to the key hole of life that you look through, but rather submit yourself to the 'eagle-eye' God view and allow God to be God, praying all the while that HIS will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Floods- Make of it what you will!

I posted this on a public Forum last September.

Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:42 pm Post subject: Floods

Link here for verification-

Revival School Forum

I just feel the need to write this down...
Over the past week I have had several dreams about floods. They are non-specific but the theme is the same... floods. I woke up this morning and I said to my husband (who is not saved), I keep having these dreams about floods. He said, "Wow I had one last night as well' and went on to tell me about it....

That started me wondering if there was more to in that a week of flood dreams. This is what took place afterwards. A sister in the Lord replied on the same forum;

Maria, this was a portion of a word that was spoken for Australia while we were there.
"The Spirit of the Lord is pouring out on Australia. Rivers are released, flood gates are opened. The rivers are flowing, cutting and revealing. Revealing treasures, revealing the heart of God to Australia. The harvest released, and you will reap bountifully and joyfully. Job speaks that the Lord cuts rivers among the rocks, and he sees the precious things that were hidden. He keeps the floods from overflowing, and brings those precious things to light. In that chapter he begins to speak of wisdom, the fear of the Lord. JOb 28

My husband saw the harvest released in Australia and laborers reaping bountifully and joyfully. He saw grown men weeping and kneeling in the streets. Often the natural does represent the spiritual.
However, the Spirit of the Lord knows what He is releasing for Australia, and I fully believe in this, He is releasing revival for the harvest. There is wisdom among this for many in Australia. The wisdom that will enable those to reach not only home, but other nations in this end time. Many will be blessed because of Australia. I pray, “Let the Rivers flow”.

A response a few days later from myself;

Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:44 am Post subject:

Woke up this morning to this....

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/gale-force-winds-to-follow-storms/2006/09/07/1157222228299.html

Keep praying people!

Kindly Maria

********************

Friday 8th September

We flew into Launceston in Tasmania.

You would not believe our surprise when walking along the waterfront of the Tamar river in Launceston when we come across a sign marking Launceston as the city of Floods!

I can't believe I did not take a photo of that!!!!!!!

********************
Later that month at our night Celebration service on the 17th of September the Lord gave me Isaiah 41:17-20

Which after sharing the above stories, I proclaimed aloud in the congregation these verses.

17 "Those who are poor and needy search for water.

But there isn't any.

Their tongues are dry because they are thirsty.

But I will help them. I am the Lord.

I will not desert them.

I am Israel's God.

18 I will make streams flow on the bare hilltops.

I will make springs come up in the valleys.

I will turn the desert into pools of water.

I will turn the dry and cracked ground into flowing springs.

19 I will make trees grow in the desert.

I will plant cedar and acacia trees there.

I will plant myrtle and olive trees there.

I will make pine trees grow in the dry and empty desert.

I will plant fir and cypress trees there.

20 Then people will see and know

that my powerful hand has done it.

They will consider and understand

that I have created it.

I am the Holy One of Israel."

******************************************

Last week the following thread was sent to me in email format;

Catch the Fire Ministries Link


******************************************

This morning the Lord gave me;

Isaiah 43: 18-20

18 "Forget the things that happened in the past.

Do not keep on thinking about them.

19 I am about to do something new.

It is beginning to happen even now.

Don't you see it coming?

I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert.

I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land.

20 Even wild dogs and owls honor me.

That is because I provide water in the desert

for my people to drink.

I cause streams to flow in the dry and empty land

for my chosen ones. 21 I do it for the people I made for myself.

I want them to sing praise to me.

******************************************

~Selah~

Grasshoppers

Late 2005 we had a visiting speaker come to address our congregation. He had been invited by our eldership because he believed he had a 'message' for our church.

This pastor spent a few weeks preaching on various topics to do with Grasshopper mentality and facing our Giants. This was definitely a message for me as it had been a personal struggle of mine for many years.

During this series of teachings the Lord was convicting me about one area of my own 'Grasshopper' thinking. It had to do with my small minded thinking, particularly in my marriage relationship. We often fall into traps with those close to us of nit picking, and not having a big picture view of things- well at least I do!

One day I remember having an argument with my husband about something obviously trivial and unimportant because I can't remember the topic. I could feel the Holy Spirit begin to convict me of my nit picking, nagging, grasshopper mentality.

As this happened out the corner of my eye I saw something small on a bench in our living room. I walked over to it and found a grasshopper sitting on top of some books. I chuckled to myself about coincidence. Wondering how the little fellow got inside and marvelling about a grasshopper showing up in the big city. I quickly tried to recall when the last time I had even seen a grasshopper, but couldn't accurately recall.

The second time a grasshopper payed me a visit, our family was driving in a car to a local shopping centre. Again I was arguing with my husband about something as equally unimportant as the first time. I was getting quite upset by whatever it was and my own failure to win this argument! As I reached for a tissue I again saw something that caught my attention.

A grasshopper (bigger than the first), slowly started to call across from the middle of the windscreen to my passenger side of the car. It stopped right in front of my line of sight and then preceded to walk to the left hand corner.

This time my sense of humor had vanished and I was not at all happy about such a visual reminder of my sin and struggle! I was not at all interested that day in the Holy Spirit convicting me as I was wallowing in my hurt and sin like a pig in mud.

Over the next couple of days the Lord began to gently deal with me again, and I repented of my bad attitude and sinfulness. Many times over the next couple of months the Lord would bring those two grasshoppers to mind any time I began to battle with the giant in my life.

August 2006 saw us move house and it has 'ALWAYS' been my experience with every new house we inhabit that the Lord deals with me about some issue in my life. Not all of them negative, some very positive things as well.

About a month after moving here Anthony and I had been discussing something. I hadn't even gotten out of bed before the 'grasshopper' thinking started. However this time I had, had enough. I renounced those thoughts bringing them captive to the obedience of Christ. I told myself (and any 'evil spirit') listening that I was NOT going to think that way any more by God's power. I was finished with grasshopper thoughts and I wanted to think big, remembering that God is a VERY big God and was able to help me overcome ANYTHING through the power of His Holy Spirit, through the death and resurrection of Christ my Lord. I covered my mind with the helmet of salvation and covered my thoughts with the blood of the Lamb.

With that I got out of bed and walked into my kitchen to have breakfast. As I reached to open the cupboard to find a bowl I saw the biggest, greenest grasshopper I have EVER seen in my whole life, sitting contentedly on my cupboard door. After calling my son to relocate the 'giant' grasshopper to our garden, I praised God for His work in my life. I praised God that we no longer have to be captive to our mind. I praised God that there was victory for those who choose to overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A small battle was won that day in the 'spiritual realm' and in the fertile ground of my mind!

A door had been unlocked and freedom was nigh!

The use of scripture in prophecy

All spelling/typing mistakes my own and I apologise to the author. The below quote is taken from pages 60 and 61 of "Understanding Prophetic People- Blessings and Problems with the Prophetic Gift" by R. Loren Sandford.

I am currently reading this book and came across this quote and would like to share it with you. It is about the use of scripture. I think it is a timely reminder to the body of Christ;

In the same way that the contemporary prophetic
ministry cannot add to or substitute for Scripture, neither can it be made into a key for interpreting the Bible. The Bible must be interpreted and understood in it's own context and on its own terms according to the intended meaning of the author.

Four different contexts reveal its meaning.

First, every word of Scripture has a linguistic context that demands we study the original languages. Words have specific definitions that can be
discovered.

Second, every verse has a historical context. Its meaning should be viewed in the light of the events of the day, or historical backdrop, in which it was written.

Third, every passage of Scripture speaks form a cultural context. This context determines meaning in the same way that culture informs the meaning of words we use today.

And fourth, we must understand the passage in the context of the verses surrounding it. Context informs meaning. When we lift a verse from its context, we not only miss parts of its meaning, but we also often distort or even lose its true meaning entirely.

Careful study of each element of context therefore reveals the intended meaning of the author. That intended meaning is the only infallible revelation of God. We have no right to change it, spiritualize it or
make it say anything orther than it was originally intended to say. No level of supposed Holy Spirit inspiration can be allowed to supersede these considerations, or else we have granted ourselves the right to make the Bible say whatever we want it to say. Doing so takes God off the throne and presumptuously seats us in His place.


Scripture gives us an objective revelation that cannot be altered, not subjective ones that varies with the inner perception or personal inspiration of the reader. No revelation, prophetic word, dream or
vision can change the intended meaning of any verse of scripture.

Personal revelation, prophetic words, dreams and visions can expand our understanding at the level of the heart, but they cannot be
allowed to alter or even add to the message......

....We think emotionally (prophetic people) and must struggle to achieve a balance between the discipline of reason and the depth of wisdom that intuitive understanding can bring when such a balance exists. We
need objective revelation, and Scripture provides this as we learn to study it properly.

And the wind blew.....

I have been enjoying this bi-monthly edition of Everyday with Jesus. Selwyn Hughes has been looking at the various emblems of the Holy Spirit used throughout Scripture.

As I was reading over some of the devotional material, my mind hearkened back to the Children's Prayer Network event I attended last year with a team from the Church of the Good Shepherd. It was one of those 'desire of my heart' type trips where the Lord took me somewhere I had yearned to go, and He allowed me to share it with my daughter Kiyana as well as dear sisters/friends in the Lord.

Despite being 16 weeks pregnant (and historically very ill) with baby number 5, the weekend was just pure testimony of God's grace to me. He showed up both personally in being my strength throughout the trip, in our team, in the way He worked in individuals lives, and corporately, as we all took part in praying for this great nation, Australia.

The Lord took me through a season last year where I seemed to experience 'signs' in a new way in 2006. I hadn't really had this kind of experience before and to begin with I wasn't really convinced it was 'really happening'. Don't get me wrong, I have had signs of God's very real presence in my life in areas of answered prayer, protection etc but this was a different season for me.

Before we left for Uluru in one of our Saturday morning preparation/prayer meetings I happen to be the person leading the devotional that morning.

The Lord had given me the following passage to exhort the group from 1 Kings 19;

11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

I remember standing standing in the line that the we had made surrounding the whole of Uluru, praying for specific things in our nation. We had just finished praying for the Holy Spirit to come upon our nation, and I know I personally had been praying for Him to 'whoosh' through like in the book of Acts upon the believers in that upper room.

All of a sudden I looked down the line, and the wind seemed to be bunny hopping trees that lined up almost parallel to the prayer warriors there. The gentlest breeze jumped from tree to tree right up the prayer line. I shook my head to make sure I wasn't imagining it, and took a look up and down the line. As I did this Pastor Robyn Peebles who was to my right called out, 'did you see that"? I then knew I hadn't imagined it. I looked up to my left where the rest of our team had lined up and were now worshipping. Almost directly in front of them the wind formed a Willy-Willy, tunneling upwards towards the heavens. It was quite remarkable to watch.

Soon after we were told it was time to put on our yellow t-shirts to reflect the glory of God upon our nation, and her being readied to reflecting His glory through revival repentance. We put on our shirts and began to pray. Out of no where, the June sun that had been quite pleasant up until that point, began to brighten and beat down upon us, it was as if God as conductor was focusing the sun's rays right back upon us as we sought to lift Him up and see Him glorified in our nation. It felt like fire on my face, but I felt that strangely I would not be burnt by the sun's rays at that time.

Again I thought, perhaps I am just imagining this. But when we returned to our groups, others too had experienced the same thing.

This was my first 'real' intercessory prayer event. Don't get me wrong I have been in a lot of prayer meetings over the years, and certainly ones where we were there to intercede for a particular thing, but this was the first of this kind I have attended.

The hardest thing I found coming home from this kind of trip, is trying to explain to people what we did. When Josh and I went to Fiji in 2005 I could come home and say, we taught here, did a kids club there, danced in that church, did a school out reach in this school... tangible things. But with an intercessory prayer event it is hard to put a finger on what happened in the 'spiritual' realm as a result of prayer.

Whatever happened at the end of the day is the Lord's concern. I do know however that the Lord was there with us that weekend. I also believe He showed His presence to us in tangible ways as well, in that still small voice that I hope we never fail to recognise!

~Hallelujah~

Encouragement from 2 Timothy

I was reading 2 Timothy 1 this morning as part of my course work for Cleansing Stream (link below), and I read some verses within that first chapter which took on a whole new meaning to me.

Actually as I stopped to think about it, I have spent most of my adult life taking these verses out of it's 'true context'.

2 Timothy 1:6-9

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

Now it could just be that I am slower than the average bear, but I had TRULY never really thought of it this way before, so humor me if I am lagging behind a little here.

Paul here is exhorting Timothy to use the gifts that he received when Paul layed hands on him. We can receive God's gifts with the laying on of hands, but we learn to utilize them (fan them into flames) only by using them.

However the thing that stood out for me this morning was that Timothy was also exhorted here not to be timid about the use of his gifts, when testifying. Not to be ashamed when testifying about the Lord, because he was not given a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I have often quote that verse in lots of places in my life when I have been afraid, but not ever really in the use of my gifts or testifying about the Lord.

As I read the commentary in my bible it suggested that Timothy may have had a confidence problem. Timothy was being exhorted by Paul in the use of his gifts because his confidence may be lacking. There have been many times in my Christian life that I have been timid in the use of my gifts, timid in testifying about the Lord just like Timothy! I pray though, that today is a new day and from this moment on I will remember the Rhema word to me this morning.... God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline!

~Hallelujah~

http://www.csm-australia.org/

Sincere and Unswerving Heart!

Hebrews 10: 19

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

I came across this verse again during a course I have been doing and it struck me 'again' to be one of those that's gold verses in the bible! Not only does it sum up a whole heap of theology in a couple of lines, it also provides for us some really great tips for our Christian walk.

So often we wait for God to seem real to us but one of the keys I have found within this little verse is that we are told to draw near to God. I know this is expressed in other places in the bible, but this one really struck me. Not only are we told that we are to draw near, but how we are to do it. Firstly we are to draw near to God with a 'sincere heart'.

In the NIV version above the word sincere, replaced the word true. The original word;

a)lhqino/v or Alethinos means; that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true genuine opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended it contrasts realities with their semblances opposite to what is imperfect defective, frail, uncertain true, veracious, sincere

This is really quite amazing. The God of the universe, the one who created the heaven's and the earth, who hung the stars in the sky and splashed oceans and rivers across the land wants you to come just as you are, in your true state to Him.

I love how David does this in the Psalms. It has always been of great comfort to me to see the raw reality of David's heart's cries to the Lord. Many years ago I endevoured to learn from David and pour out my heart to God in a similar fashion. And usually in the same vein as David, my time of exposing my sincere and true heart, yes even the ugly side of it, usually ends up with me praising the Lord for His might and power or repenting for the sin the Lord has lit upon in His mercy and grace.

The second key here is that God want's us to approach Him in 'full assurance of

faith'. Where as above He wants us to be real about who WE are, here He requires us to be real about who HE is, and that means putting aside our worldly doubt and disbelief and approach Him in faith. This is much easier to do once we stop measuring God by our own standards. When we take stock of His character and understand the very nature of who he is, in the light of His word (not in the light of our 'true hearts') we start to cast down our own idols of who we THINK God is and start believing in who He REALLY is!

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find it very hard to remember to do this, but it is something that I am relearning how to do. If God say's He will take care of our needs, then He means it, if He say's that He knows the desire's of your heart, then you can trust that. If God tells you that your sins are forgiven and covered under His spilt blood then walk like they have been.

Sometimes though it is far easier to live in our own created images of who God is than to take that leap of faith and actually trust who the word say's He is. God's memory is not short that He forgets the things he tells us, His hands are not too busy that He can not hold us in them and His heart is not too small that He hasn't got you beating with in.

The third key I learn't his morning is that if we are truly children of God, we are told to also hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Christianity is not a passive faith at all. Reading through the pages of scripture we are often told to do things that require action on our part, and this scripture is no different. Here we are told to hold undswervingly to our hope in Christ who is faithful.

http://www.dictionary.com/ list's unswervingly with the following definitions;

un·swerv·ing (ŭn-swûr'vĭng) adj.

• Not veering or turning aside: "a path . . . so straight and unswerving" (Mary Wilkins Freeman).
  
• constant; steady: unswerving allegiance; unswerving devotion.

We are to remain constant in our hope, devoted, steady, never losing hope, not turning aside but looking into the eyes of Jesus we are to are not to give up, give in, or give out. Why? Because He PROMISES to be FAITHFUL!!!

So next time we begin to look away and we start to veer off the path that God has for us, let us hark back to this verse and encourage each other to hold fast to God, be sincere in heart and trust, and live with full assurance that God promises to be faithful to us, and that is some promise!

Hallelujah!!!