Merry Beautiful Christmas

Merry Beautiful Christmas

I awakened early December 20, 2006 and walked the hall from my bedroom to the guest bathroom.  I entered the bathroom in the early dawn hours and turned on the lights.  While there, I looked directly in front of me and saw five Christmas towels.  The towels were not new, they were simply ones that I pulled out once a year to spread Christmas cheer in the bathroom.  As I looked at each of them, I could not help but notice the golden thread of the motifs engraved upon them.  I saw the rich colors of red and green, and yes even pink woven into the poinsettias on the Christmas trees.  I thought, "These are really beautiful towels."  I could not even remember in what year they were purchased.  They had been around for a long time.  They only had to be on display at Christmas. 

I was stunned by the beauty of the five Christmas towels. I immediately discerned God’s presence and He spoke to me.  He said, “Suppose the sum total of the beauty in your world was only what you saw before you in these towels.   You would then say the sum total of your world was beautiful.”  God said to me so lovingly, “Behold the beauty that is set before your eyes.” 

I immediately got the message.  In life, it is all about focus.  The world in which we live consists of many things, circumstances, and people.  God’s intent is that we focus on the beauty that He has placed right before our eyes.  We can behold the beauty of His Son’s life given for us, the smile on someone’s face, the presence of a child’s love in our lives, and any blessing that God has given. If we focus on the beautiful presence of God and His blessings, we can live happily.

 Are there things that are not beautiful in the world? Yes!  Are we faced with dealing with conditions, circumstances, and people that are not beautiful?  Yes!  However, because God loves us, He has indeed set something beautiful before our eyes.  Recognize the beautiful blessings He has placed in your life and lock your focus on them.  “Whatsoever things are just, lovely, true, of good report…think on these things.”Philippians 4:8 God will settle the rest. 

Oh Wow! The lessons learned in the bathroom!


The Lessons of Summer

The Lessons of Summer
Contentment
Hebrews 13:5, “… And be content with such things as you have: for He has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
For the first time last summer (2013), I realized that I really do not like the heat of summer.  I live in Florida. The summers are hot and humid. One day last summer, I said in my spirit and out loud “I will just tolerate this heat until summer ends”. Well, you know what happened. God in his infinite wisdom tapped me on the shoulder. He said to me that He ordains the seasons and times and as believers we should welcome what He allows in our life. It caused me to think. It also caused me to understand that as a believer everything that happens to me is allowed by my heavenly Father.

The summer months are really challenging. The heat and humidity really does send waves of discomfort to all of us. But the important factor regardless of what we face in life is that we face it with the knowledge of God being Father.  He is the God of all comfort (Isaiah 66:13). When we embrace what God allows our obedience lightens the load. With this understanding I began to see the value that summer offers to me. It is a time for reflection, relaxation, and also avoiding the heat. I choose to take this time and redeem it as a wonderful opportunity to write, reflect, and appreciate what God does in the summertime. I choose to be content.  I make a decision to live contented with What God ordains in my life.
Peace
Isaiah 54:10, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, says the Lord that has mercy on you.”
Last summer (2013), God also spoke to me about being at home wherever I am because He is there. This is truth is a powerful revelation for all believers. When we understand and believe that God is with us we can have peace wherever we are.  I choose to be at home in all circumstances, knowing God is there with me.  I make a decision to be at home in any and all geographical places because God is there and gives me His peace.
Total Surrender
John 5:30, “I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the father which has sent me.”
This summer (2014) has drawn my attention to two words that are used by meteorologist. They are widespread and scattered. These are terms used in reference to rain showers. Widespread means that all of the designated areas reported are receiving rain. Scattered means that pockets of a designated area are receiving rain and other pockets are dry. As I thought about these two words I realized they could also refer to our walk with God. Has He rained (reigned) on and in all of your life or has He been limited to rain (reign) on and in only pockets of your life? Good question! Allow God to saturate you with His presence. This will require time in His word, time in His presence with worship and praise, and total obedience to His word.  I am excited about what other lessons God will teach me during this long hot summer that He has graced me with!

Emotional Energy

Emotional Energy
“Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.”


Philippians 4:6, “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God”.

Successfully living the God-Life (Zoe) requires a number of things.  Acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and making Him Lord of our lives is paramount. This puts us in right standing with God because of the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.   All sins (inherited from the Adamic Curse and committed in life) are forgiven. 

Reading, studying, and doing the word is the key to maintaining relationship with God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  We offer to God daily praise and thanksgiving to deepen our relationship with Him.  We are led into intimacy with Jesus and the Holy Spirit by meditating on God’s word. We listen to His voice in our human spirit to get to know Him.  We are destined to live with God throughout Eternity. 

All of what we do to begin, maintain, and grow our relationship with God can be attacked by a deceptive enemy.  That enemy is the misuse of our emotional energy.  This determines whether or not our walk with God progresses by the power of the Holy Spirit or is blocked.  The proper use of our emotional energy has the following three (3) elements. 

#1 Work in Harmony with Others
Make a decision to live positively with other people.  What is impossible with men is possible with God.  It always requires guidance from the Holy Spirit to know how to deal with others.  Soft answers turn away wrath and anger.  Harsh words never help others see truth.  Prayer is always needed for relationships to prosper. 

·       Emotional energy is drained when you cannot live positively with others.

#2 Receive Holy Spirit Guidance in Your Helpfulness to Others
Make a decision not to be “Fixer-in Chief” of the problems of others.  Your commitment in Christ is to maintain only your own walk with Him.    He then guides the overflow of your godly life to reach others who need Him.

Any ministry to others should be under the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We are not called to invade the lives of others, but to let our lights so shine that men will glorify God.  There is lack of wisdom when we “take on” the lives and times of others.  The results are false burdens, torn relationships, stolen peace, and much confusion.  It can also silence hearing God’s voice for ourselves.

·       Emotional energy is drained when you try to solve the problems of others.

#3 Maintain a Positive Attitude
A positive attitude is the vitamin source for proper use of your emotional energy.  A positive attitude works in every circumstance.  It addresses the true, the honest, the pure, the lovely, and the good report found in Philippians 4:8.

·       Emotional energy is drained when you do not maintain a positive attitude.

When your emotional energy is spent, you cannot receive the peace from God you need to navigate your life.  God’s presence is elusive because your mind is flooded with cares of the world and others. You are always assessing, obsessing, and intruding.  It is a difficult road to walk.  Father asks us to cast all care upon Him.

When your emotional energy is not being wasted, used for others, etc., you can use it to cast every care upon the Lord.  You can use it to fight “the good fight of faith”.  You can use it to speak health, healing, wholeness, and restoration from God’s word to your spirit, soul, body, and circumstance.

When you properly use your emotional energy, you can:

Live in harmony with others.
Stay quietly minding your own business.
Listen to the Holy Spirit when dealing with others.
Let the peace of God rule in your heart.
Maintain a positive attitude


Trust

Trust

Awakened early on February 7, 2014, God began to speak to me regarding the simple word “Trust”.  It is always good to listen to Father God when He speaks to us in our human spirit. The first thing He said was a term that I knew of but had not heard in a long time and that was the term “date certain”.  My memory and understanding of this word goes back to receiving materials and supplies when I worked as teacher and principal.  “Date certain” was the guaranteed date of delivery for materials and products. It was a contractual agreement for a time when materials would be there when you needed them.

God said to me the “Date certain” for the Believer on anything is “Now”. Trust operates in the now moment.  Trust does not encompass what is not reality or what is futuristic.   The reality of life is that we live it one moment (second) at a time.  The next moment cannot be lived because we may never experience it on this side of Eternity.  We live moment by moment.  We should trust God moment by moment and leave the next moment in His hand to deliver. 

All earthly plans do not come to pass.  All heavenly plans have a “date certain”.  God exists in Eternity and we exist in time.  God’s operations are not limited to a time block but have all of Eternity to be manifested. 

As I listened to God’s voice in my spirit, He began to say that to build trust (in Him) we should meditate on His word concerning God the Father.  Jesus speaks much of God and His relationship as Father with us in the book of St. John. This is exciting because the relationship between Father and child is one of overseeing, nurturing, and being trustworthy.  We can trust Him because He Is “Father”.

God said,” Most Believers trust Me when they think they know where I am going in their lives. I establish trust in you when you may not have a hint as to where I am taking your life.  I ask sometimes “blindness” as I build trust in you”.

Trust is validated or dissipated the moment the desired outcome is tampered with or changed. Trust has to Be in God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and not in the desired outcome.  If what we “see” does not match what we desire, we sometimes cease to trust. This trust was born of “human flesh anticipation”.  If we trust when we do not “see” what we desire and continue to trust, we are trusting God to reveal His plan.   God gives answers in His divine way for His divine purpose, in His divine timetable.  Here is the established fact concerning Father’s activity. He always works for our good!   We can trust Him no matter what we see or do not see.   He is Father and trustworthy.
Trust comes into our lives on the heels of total surrender to God, dying to the flesh, and meditating on the “Logos” (written) word.   You then begin to hear the “Rhema” (God-inspired) word in your spirit.   Trust in God is an internal work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer.

Trust cannot be received as a gift.  It must be built, grown, assembled internally through experience with God.  The Holy Spirit is the “Overseer” of your trust expedition in God.

Here are three stages of trust I have observed and categorized.

Stage 1:  We Want to Trust (Hysteria)
We begin at a place where there is reasoning, questioning, anger, self-pity, mental assent, and sometimes wrong interpretation of God’s word.   All of these are common occurrences in our desire to trust. God’s word remains primarily in the soul (Mind, will, emotions).

Stage 2:  We Gain the Tools of Trust (Roller Coaster)
We begin to understand the importance of God’s word (reading, meditating, and speaking).
We vacillate between being assured of God’s promises and not being assured of His promises (doubt constantly bombards).  We move forward, go back, and sometimes we stand still.   We don’t go instantly into “Hysteria” every time a new challenge comes.  We are building trust.  The aim in stage 2 is always to trust God and move forward.  The word of God is now no longer only in our soul (mind, will, emotions); it is beginning to move into our spirit. 

Stage 3:   We Trust (Abiding)
As maturity sets in for the Believer, we receive peace and absolute confidence that we can trust God.  We have knowledge of the word abiding deep within our spirit.  We have experiences of His “Dates certain” in our lives.  He has proven Himself over and over to be faithful.  We are continually meditating on the word of God.  We are cultivating (speaking and doing) the Word of God in our lives.  We understand the ministry of God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to our lives.  In short, we trust no matter what we see.

Ask God to reveal, clarify, and settle your trust issues with Him.  This request will lead to His revelation of your total inclusion in His plan.  This plan was in place before the foundation of the world.  You can
Trust!
Reading:           The entire book of St. John

This book unveils the relationship between God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and man.  Relationship is the foundation of “Trust”.

Completion

Completion


1st Peter 2:24, “He (Jesus) personally bore our sins in His [own] body on the tree [as on an altar and offered Himself on it], that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness, By His wounds you have been healed.”

The body Jesus took to the cross was one of corruptible human flesh as well as the supernatural (divine Godhead, second Person of the Trinity).  The body of Jesus the Holy Spirit resurrected from the grave was only the divine Godhead, second Person of the Trinity with a supernatural body.  His resurrected body no longer bore flesh, blood, and bone components.  The  human body (flesh, blood, bones) characteristics were necessary for His earthly mission, however when it was completed, He shed those physical body components.

It is important for Believers to know and understand that the physical body of Jesus took the beating, scourging, wounding,  and death purposefully.  It is also important to know that the physical part of Jesus completed its work of bearing (in His own body) the penalty for sin and sickness.

 Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that at wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.”

The sins of the Believer (every man who accepts and follows Christ) were laid upon the human flesh body of Jesus as well as upon Jesus the divine Godhead, second Person of the Trinity.  The human flesh body of Jesus no longer exists.  It served its purpose and was shed at the resurrection.  When Jesus comes to live inside of a newly created man (Believer, 2nd Corinthians 5:17), He comes as the supernatural divine Godhead, second Person of the Trinity Who once bore human flesh.  He brings completion to this new creation (Believer) because He has already dealt with everything that would defeat him in this life.

Colossians 2: 9-10
 “For in Him (Jesus) the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily (the resurrected) form [giving complete expression of the divine nature]. And you are in Him,
made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the God-head—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature].  And He (Jesus) is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].”

John 14:23
“Jesus answered, if a person [really] loves me. he will keep my word [obey my teachings]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.”

John 1:16
“For out of His (Jesus) fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual  blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped]  upon gift.”

The following truths are revealed in the previous scriptures:
The fullness of the God-head is in Christ Jesus.
The Believer has the Presence of the God-head inside of him upon accepting Jesus.
The Believer is full and complete in Christ Jesus.
The Believer has entitlements because of being in Christ Jesus

The resurrected Jesus who comes to live inside of the Believer no longer has the flesh and blood body that bore the penalty for sin, sickness, poverty, and spiritual death.  In the resurrected Jesus is the fullness of the God-head with penalties paid and mission finished. That physical body was done away at the cross. The cross also abolished our sin, sickness, poverty, and spiritual death.  These things are forever settled for us with the presence of the God-head in us! Hallelujah!

 The penalty for sin, sickness, poverty, and spiritual death has been paid by Jesus Christ who lives inside of you, Galatians 5:1, “In (this) freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us ]stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].”

·         When sin and spiritual death challenges your flesh, remember sin has already been laid upon the flesh of Jesus Christ and shall not be laid upon you.
 2nd Corinthians 5:21.
 “For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness.”

·         When sickness challenges your flesh, remember sickness has already been laid upon the flesh of Jesus Christ and shall not be laid your flesh.
Isaiah 53:5 
“But He (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that at wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.”

·         When poverty challenges your life, remember poverty has been laid upon the flesh of Jesus Christ and shall not be laid upon you.
 2nd Corinthians 8:9.
“… [in] that though He was] so very rich] yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied)”


Have you waited upon the Lord for anything?  The completed work has already been done.  It will manifest in the natural because God completes everything from the end to the beginning. (All Scripture Amplified Version)

To “See” or “Not to “See”
Happy 2014
The followers of Jesus Christ (Christians) are sometimes notorious at observing circumstances and drawing wrong conclusions. The eighth chapter of Mark presents a discourse on the earthly ministry of Jesus that shows how Believers can” see” and “not see”.  In this chapter Jesus feeds 5,000 hungry people who had been listening to His teaching.  Verse 2 shows the compassion Jesus had for this group of people.  He is a compassionate Savior.  Verse 4 shows the reasoning of the disciples in discussing the physical possibility of feeding the group.  Christians sometimes are focused on the natural world with all of its deceptions.  This sometimes causes their faith to be abandoned in the face of opposition.

In this instance Jesus needed with start in the natural circumstances so that they could track His supernatural intervention in them.   He asked them in verses 5 & 6 what food was available.  He then commanded that the people sit down (prepare to receive).   Through prayer He implanted supernatural power into the circumstance.  We can and must do this also in our life circumstances. There were seven loaves of bread available and a few small fish.  I like the fact that Jesus could get the job done with “small fish”.  It is not only the “big fish” that can get the job done.

Verse 7 points out the fact that praise and thanks played a big part in His supernatural operation.  We will never see God’s will by reasoning and figuring out how He will answer our prayer.  We just need to make our request known to God and begin to praise and give thanks.

You would think that after this great miracle, that the religious people (Pharisees) would have been praising God for the mighty Man from Galilee!  Instead they came to Jesus seeking a “sign” that He was indeed a “Miracle Man”.   Jesus groaned and sighed (verse 12) at this bunch because they had no clue to the mystery of Heaven that was standing right before them.  Let us not be like the Pharisees, blind and clueless to the grace, mystery, love, and compassion of the Savior of the world Jesus Christ.

Verse 15 is a key piece in successfully living the God-Life (Zoe).  Jesus (warning His disciples) says “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (religious deception) and the Herodians (world system deception)”.  These two “blind fields” will kill your faith and drain the life from your walk with God.  

 Because Jesus mentioned leaven, His disciples thought that He was checking on their food supply again.  They were immediately operating in the reasoning of the natural circumstance.  We are supernatural people and must anticipate the supernatural intervention of God always in our lives.  We won’t be successful here on earth if we regard and limit ourselves to the natural world.  Verse 17 & 18 points out that we can have eyes and “not see”.  We can have ears and “not hear” if we are going to reason ourselves into the will of God.
 Stay in God’s word in study and meditation and the word of God will cause you to walk in the supernatural power of Jesus Christ.  You will not resign yourself to what is seen in the natural, but will begin to see in the supernatural where all things are possible in God.

A confirming manifestation happens further along in this power packed 8th chapter of Mark in the city of Bethsaida.  Jesus encounters a blind man who wants to see (verses 22-26).  Jesus “spit” on the eyes of the blind man (Hey, it’s in the Bible!) and asked him if he could see anything.  His reply was that he saw men as trees walking around. Jesus then put His hand on his eyes and he began to see clearly.  This humbling act probably didn’t bother the blind man.  After all he was receiving his sight.

 Sometimes our ability to “see” manifests in the humblest of circumstances, places, and people. Our deliverance under the guidance of the Holy Spirit cannot be orchestrated and dictated by us.  After all Father knows best.

We need to choose to “see” rather than “not to see”.    Your reasoning ability cannot deliver you and cause you to “see”.  Jesus can!   The panacea for seeing is as follows.


“To See”
·        Continually reading, studying, and applying God’s word to our lifestyle
·        Walking in love and compassion towards God’s creation (mankind) as Jesus did on earth
·        Refusing to be deceived by the religious system and the system of the world
·        Offering prayers, praise and thanksgiving in and for everything
·        Maintaining unbroken fellowship and union with God through the intimacy of worship


“Not To See”
Cancelled  

(For Children of the Most High God!)

Why "Hepzibah in Training?"

More than twenty five years ago I stood in a powerful praise and worship service. As I entered into worship weeping in the presence of the King, I heard the voice of Jesus in my spirit. He called me two names. The first name was Hephzibah and the second was Beulah. I was stunned and immediately sat down on the bench to ponder these two names. Neither of these names appeared flattering to me.



I left church and called my sister, a mighty warrior of God, and told her that God had called me two names. Her reply was “If God called me names; I needed to find out what they meant.” I searched scripture and found that the name Hephzibah means, “The Lord delights in her” and that Beulah meant, “Thy land is married (committed, spoken for, etc). Needless to say, I was delighted in the significance of these two names that my Savior has bestowed upon me. My goal and treasure in life is to fulfill the plan for my life on this side of Eternity and to train for the other side of Eternity.



I offer you the revelations, thoughts, and meditations that God imparts to me in this blog “Hepzibah In Training”.



I thank you for your comments.

Followers