MOVE.
CHANGE.
My husband and I have been hearing these words for four years now. Our house has been on and off the market so many times that we've lost count. I have given "stuff" away, thrown "stuff" away, boxed "stuff" away. In the process I have found that I really don't need all this "stuff." I had to pause and laugh because I don't even miss the "stuff" that's boxed. So, why then do I continue to hold onto it? I keep thinking that when the change comes and we move that I may need these things.
Now I am wondering about change and move, because God has moved us out of our comfort zone and brought an unexpected change into our lives. The change is a SHE. Let me explain:
SHE--A target of the destroyer
SHE--A lamb returned to the fold
SHE--A woman-child trying to find her place in this world and God's plan for her
SHE--A girl who came to us with a puppy and a broken heart
SHE--A part of our family now
SHE--A daughter we never had (we have 3 boys, all grown)
SHE--A constant source of laughter
SHE--A child of God
SHE--A true worshipper
SHE--A story that is being written on the pages of heaven
SHE--A reason for me and my husband to stay in constant prayer seeking wisdom
SHE--A source of encouragement
SHE--A tender heart
SHE--A reflection of Christ
SHE--A soul moved by the Spirit
SHE--A willing vessel of the Lord
SHE--A-mazing
SHEA.
Her name is Shea. She moves us closer to Christ and one another. She challenges us with her questions and her strong will to serve her Lord, no matter what the cost. She has let go of people she loves because she realized they were holding her back. She has been dealing with a broken heart. And still she laughs and smiles and worships. Still, she reaches out to receive more of God. And we pray as God fills in all the broken places with His love and mercy and grace.
She still struggles. Don't we all!?!
She is a light. It isn't always easy being a light in a dark place. A light stands out. A light draws attention, even the kind of attention you don't want. The enemy takes notice of the light and he has many ways to try to snuff out our light. But she is like one of those trick birthday candles that you blow out and just when you think the fire is gone, it springs back to life. And she laughs. And she worships.
And when she is hurt she cries and she asks why just like we all do. Then, she finds something to be joyful about. And she springs back to life. And she laughs. And she worships harder, because that's what a worshipper does.
I watch as she walks through fire because her way of worship isn't understood. But I know God is working in her and refining her. That is how He works. He is building her character and I watch in amazement as He prepares her for Himself.
Everyone she meets tells her, "God has an awesome plan for you."
She watches for it and wonders what it is. She asks why it is taking so long and why she doesn't know what it is yet. And I laugh because she is so young and even at my age I often wonder these same things. But I know God is speaking to her and she shares her heart full of Jesus and I share mine. And we spring to life together. And we laugh. And we worship. Because that's what worshippers do!!
And Shea has moved us.
And Shea has changed us.
And Shea has challenged us.
We love you, Shea!!
Proverbs 31:30 Favor (charm) is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, SHE shall be praised.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Stand Still
Today I talked to my good friend Stephanie and read her blog, Daily Victories. I was once again amazed at how our Lord is so often speaking the same thing to His children no matter how far apart they are. Stephanie lives in Texas and I live in Georgia. Go ahead and read her post; Stand at http://daily-victories.blogspot.com/2011/10/stand.html.
Last night at church as I worshipped and prayed, my Lord showed me a huge silver, sword flashing through the sanctuary. Then I saw Jesus standing with a sword issuing forth from His mouth (Rev. 1:16). My first thought was, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." (Judges 7) My next thought was Hebrews 4:12-For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)
As I thought of Gideon (Judges 7:20), I remembered how all they had to do was stand, and blow the trumpets and stand, and brake the pitchers and stand, and hold their lamps and stand, and cry out, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon".... and stand. (V.21) And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. (V.22) And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled...
Ephesians 6:10-18- tells us all about how to stand covered in the armor of God. God's armor is Christ Himself. We stand in the power of His might, not our own. Our Lord has equipped us with His Word, He has given each of us a measure of faith which comes by hearing His word (Romans 10:17). He has surrounded us with His "belt of truth" which is His Word, He is our righteousness, we stand on His Word which is the Gospel of Peace, and He is our salvation. Then we stand and pray always...and watch for the answer and stand, and persevere through the battle and stand, and believe that the One who has the power to grant our request will answer us. And we stand.
God more often than not, calls us to be still and KNOW that He is God. Be still and think on Him, meditate on His goodness and mercy and love. He is our refuge, He is our strength, He is with us and within us. Just stand still. Stand still and let God move. We are so often running around trying to change our situation on our own. But before we can change anything outside of ourselves, there must first be a change within and that change will not come unless we are still. We are changed by "being transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." These things only come in STANDING. STILL. in His presence.
Jesus is our conquering King and He always leads us in triumph. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37). And because He loves us, we can stand in confidence and complete trust in Him, knowing that He will answer and that His answer and timing are always perfect. Therefore, we can stand, just as Gideon's army stood and let our lights shine into the darkness while God wins our battles. And as the enemy flees before us, we can move in and take back all that he has stolen from us.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ....Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 7)
Our warfare takes place on our knees before God. We are not fighting each other, Church!! Are you looking on things, circumstances, PEOPLE according to the outward appearance? Then, stand still and know HE IS GOD and you are in His hands. Stand still and see His Salvation.
Oh Mighty God, strengthen your church as we stand together in one accord.
Amen!
Blessings,
Peggy
Last night at church as I worshipped and prayed, my Lord showed me a huge silver, sword flashing through the sanctuary. Then I saw Jesus standing with a sword issuing forth from His mouth (Rev. 1:16). My first thought was, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." (Judges 7) My next thought was Hebrews 4:12-For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)
As I thought of Gideon (Judges 7:20), I remembered how all they had to do was stand, and blow the trumpets and stand, and brake the pitchers and stand, and hold their lamps and stand, and cry out, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon".... and stand. (V.21) And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. (V.22) And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled...
Ephesians 6:10-18- tells us all about how to stand covered in the armor of God. God's armor is Christ Himself. We stand in the power of His might, not our own. Our Lord has equipped us with His Word, He has given each of us a measure of faith which comes by hearing His word (Romans 10:17). He has surrounded us with His "belt of truth" which is His Word, He is our righteousness, we stand on His Word which is the Gospel of Peace, and He is our salvation. Then we stand and pray always...and watch for the answer and stand, and persevere through the battle and stand, and believe that the One who has the power to grant our request will answer us. And we stand.
God more often than not, calls us to be still and KNOW that He is God. Be still and think on Him, meditate on His goodness and mercy and love. He is our refuge, He is our strength, He is with us and within us. Just stand still. Stand still and let God move. We are so often running around trying to change our situation on our own. But before we can change anything outside of ourselves, there must first be a change within and that change will not come unless we are still. We are changed by "being transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." These things only come in STANDING. STILL. in His presence.
Jesus is our conquering King and He always leads us in triumph. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37). And because He loves us, we can stand in confidence and complete trust in Him, knowing that He will answer and that His answer and timing are always perfect. Therefore, we can stand, just as Gideon's army stood and let our lights shine into the darkness while God wins our battles. And as the enemy flees before us, we can move in and take back all that he has stolen from us.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations (arguments), and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ....Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 7)
Our warfare takes place on our knees before God. We are not fighting each other, Church!! Are you looking on things, circumstances, PEOPLE according to the outward appearance? Then, stand still and know HE IS GOD and you are in His hands. Stand still and see His Salvation.
Oh Mighty God, strengthen your church as we stand together in one accord.
Amen!
Blessings,
Peggy
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
More Fiery Torches
Philippians 2:15-16 ...Shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice...
I know it's been a few days since I've written but, believe me, God has been very busy. Isn't He always!! It's just that, He has been giving me bits and pieces. I know He will be adding more to what I have (once again, doesn't He always!).
Very often, my Lord reveals things to me during worship. Sunday morning, as I was worshipping, Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see various people holding torches. Some of the torches were flaming but others were dead sticks. The choir was worshipping their hearts out and many of them were holding out their torch trying to get the ones who had no fire to extend their dead stick and become ignited. It was so sad that it broke my heart for the ones that weren't even aware they had no fire. They honestly thought they were ok and standing there, unmoving, like stones. They stood there expressionless, passionless, holding onto something that was dead.
I feel I should tell you that I had my eyes closed the entire time and that God did not reveal specific people to me. When this happens it means He is revealing what He wants me to pray about. I have been praying for the Holy Spirit fire to fall in our church. Oh, He has, that's for sure. But I want to see what happens when EVERYONE is in one accord like on the day of Pentecost, when the body of Christ isn't divided over some issue because of our stupid pride. Religion causes so many to be an immovable "stick in the mud" because they won't receive something "new." When all the while God is wanting to do a new thing and it is about to spring forth but they want to hold onto their dead stick.
May I just quote Solomon in saying, "There is nothing new under the sun." That means anything I have a question about, the answer is already written. I just have to take the time to seek. What's wrong with change, may I ask? Change stirs some people up, it excites them. But others are terrified of the word or even the thought. Change often means we have to move. It could simply be a rearranging of things, a literal packing up and physically moving, a spiritual move, or a new attitude. It means getting out of that stodgy old comfort zone you have built around yourself. Change is doing or experiencing something new and different.
I've always had a bit of the gypsy in my soul. Moving has never phased me much, in fact I like moving. Weird, I know!! But the shaking, on the other hand, (as in being a mover and a shaker) has always made me a little nervous. I've found that shaking some people up is like putting your torch into a hornet's nest. Ouch!! But God has called us to be salt and light. A torch gives light to the bearer and to those around them. A light can be seen a long way off, a light draws others because it has power, warmth, and even, yes--LOVE. God is Love and Light and Life and Truth and I could go on and on.
There is something my Lord has given me to do, and it's not easy because in order to do it, I really stand out. This has also put me through the fire. However, my God reminded me that the fire isn't to destroy me, it is to refine me so that I reflect His glory even more.
Recently I told God that I didn't think I wanted to do "it" anymore because "it" was rejected by some other believers. I told Him that I didn't like standing out and being condemned, judged, and criticized. God told me, "You are a light and lights stand out. They are not condemning you, they are condemning Me."
I have to admit, I've learned so much more through this fire than I ever would have learned standing on the sidelines. There are things I never would have gleaned from His Word, had I not faced this trial and really pressed into Him. God's people can be so heartless and thoughtless at times. I am just as guilty so that makes me so much more grateful because I am learning to keep my mouth shut and take my cares to Him and search His Word. This has made me consider others first, before I open my mouth. In Matt. 25:40 Jesus said, "What you have done unto the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me." That's serious business!! We, as children of God, need to deeply consider this before we act out. What have I done to others? Jesus takes it personal.
There are so many more thoughts coming to me and I could go on but this is already pretty long. I think it's time for a deeper self-evaluation. Am I being Christ in this world, in my actions toward other people, in the words I speak? I pray with David, "Search me oh God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24) AMEN.
Blessings,
Peggy
I know it's been a few days since I've written but, believe me, God has been very busy. Isn't He always!! It's just that, He has been giving me bits and pieces. I know He will be adding more to what I have (once again, doesn't He always!).
Very often, my Lord reveals things to me during worship. Sunday morning, as I was worshipping, Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see various people holding torches. Some of the torches were flaming but others were dead sticks. The choir was worshipping their hearts out and many of them were holding out their torch trying to get the ones who had no fire to extend their dead stick and become ignited. It was so sad that it broke my heart for the ones that weren't even aware they had no fire. They honestly thought they were ok and standing there, unmoving, like stones. They stood there expressionless, passionless, holding onto something that was dead.
I feel I should tell you that I had my eyes closed the entire time and that God did not reveal specific people to me. When this happens it means He is revealing what He wants me to pray about. I have been praying for the Holy Spirit fire to fall in our church. Oh, He has, that's for sure. But I want to see what happens when EVERYONE is in one accord like on the day of Pentecost, when the body of Christ isn't divided over some issue because of our stupid pride. Religion causes so many to be an immovable "stick in the mud" because they won't receive something "new." When all the while God is wanting to do a new thing and it is about to spring forth but they want to hold onto their dead stick.
May I just quote Solomon in saying, "There is nothing new under the sun." That means anything I have a question about, the answer is already written. I just have to take the time to seek. What's wrong with change, may I ask? Change stirs some people up, it excites them. But others are terrified of the word or even the thought. Change often means we have to move. It could simply be a rearranging of things, a literal packing up and physically moving, a spiritual move, or a new attitude. It means getting out of that stodgy old comfort zone you have built around yourself. Change is doing or experiencing something new and different.
I've always had a bit of the gypsy in my soul. Moving has never phased me much, in fact I like moving. Weird, I know!! But the shaking, on the other hand, (as in being a mover and a shaker) has always made me a little nervous. I've found that shaking some people up is like putting your torch into a hornet's nest. Ouch!! But God has called us to be salt and light. A torch gives light to the bearer and to those around them. A light can be seen a long way off, a light draws others because it has power, warmth, and even, yes--LOVE. God is Love and Light and Life and Truth and I could go on and on.
There is something my Lord has given me to do, and it's not easy because in order to do it, I really stand out. This has also put me through the fire. However, my God reminded me that the fire isn't to destroy me, it is to refine me so that I reflect His glory even more.
Recently I told God that I didn't think I wanted to do "it" anymore because "it" was rejected by some other believers. I told Him that I didn't like standing out and being condemned, judged, and criticized. God told me, "You are a light and lights stand out. They are not condemning you, they are condemning Me."
I have to admit, I've learned so much more through this fire than I ever would have learned standing on the sidelines. There are things I never would have gleaned from His Word, had I not faced this trial and really pressed into Him. God's people can be so heartless and thoughtless at times. I am just as guilty so that makes me so much more grateful because I am learning to keep my mouth shut and take my cares to Him and search His Word. This has made me consider others first, before I open my mouth. In Matt. 25:40 Jesus said, "What you have done unto the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me." That's serious business!! We, as children of God, need to deeply consider this before we act out. What have I done to others? Jesus takes it personal.
There are so many more thoughts coming to me and I could go on but this is already pretty long. I think it's time for a deeper self-evaluation. Am I being Christ in this world, in my actions toward other people, in the words I speak? I pray with David, "Search me oh God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24) AMEN.
Blessings,
Peggy
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Angel, The Fire, And The Trumpet
Before I begin today, let me just say that dreams and visions from God are very real and are spoken of in Joel 2:28-29. And, in case you haven't noticed, much of the Word of God involves dreams and visions which bring revelation to their recipients. If you don't believe in dreams and visions, then you will have to discard much of the bible. Joseph was a dreamer, as was his father Jacob. What about Daniel? Ezekiel? John, who wrote The Revelation of Jesus Christ. And there are many more. It is very NORMAL for God's children to experience dreams and visions. Ok, that aside!
In my last post I shared a vision my Lord gave me. The first thing I saw was an angel with a trumpet surrounded by fire. The more I have studied on the angel with the trumpet, the more I am finding out about other things. But that's the way God works. He who seeks shall find.
I was curious about the very long trumpet the angel held, so the first thing I did was look online. The closest thing I found to it is called a herald trumpet. This particular trumpet is sounded at the start of a ceremony, inauguration, presentation, or unveiling. But what really got me excited is that it is used to announce a king's entrance or the arrival of a bride and groom.
I am all about using my concordance and Webster's dictionary. I also take advantage of online dictionaries. I have found that most words have more than one meaning and just looking up the definition of one word can magnify God's Word so much more and bring a deeper understanding of what He is saying to us. So you may notice I give a lot of definitions.
The next thing I looked up was the word herald which means: 1) a bringer of news: someone who brings or announces important news 2) sign of what will happen: somebody or something that is a forerunner of something or gives an indication of something that is going to happen 3) an official messenger and representative of a king or leader in former times (Encarta World English Dictionary) I also found it interesting that a herald, or royal messenger, represented a monarch as an ambassador in wartime.
In case you don't know, the church is at war. Spiritual warfare is happening all around us every moment of every day. I don't know about you , but I can feel it now more than ever. If we look around we can see the evidence of it in the lives of people close to us and in those all around the world. Not to mention, our own lives.
A concordance is a great study tool if you want to learn more about the sounding of the trumpet because there are just too many scriptures on this subject to list here, but I will name a few.
* A trumpet was sounded as a call to battle-Judges 6:34. This is in the story of Gideon, and if you continue to read, Gideon used trumpets to defeat the enemy. Also notice that before the battle he worshipped (7:15). In Joshua 5:14-Joshua worships, then comes the battle of Jericho in Joshua 6. The trumpet is blown, the people shout, and the battle is won. God fights for His people!
*A call to worship and celebration-2 Chronicles 6:12-14-I love this!! The priests sounded the trumpets, the singers sang as one praising the Lord...and the glory of the Lord filled the temple so that the priests couldn't continue to minister. Oh to see that today in our churches!! A couple others, 2 Sam. 6:14-15, Psalm 150:3.
*The sound of judgement-Hosea 8:1; Joel 2:1,15; Amos 2:2, 3:6 and of course, the sounding of the trumpets in Revelation 8 and 9.
*It is also used to describe the voice of God as in Rev.1:10 and 4:1, and in Exodus 19:13-20.
I ended with Exodus 19 on purpose. For it is here that we see "the Lord descended in fire" upon Mount Sinai. We also see in Exodus 13:21 that the Lord went before Israel in a pillar of fire. In Exodus 3:2, The Lord first appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. I think we so often focus on the bush that we miss that part. The Bible refers to our God as a consuming fire in Exodus 24:17, Duet.4:24, and Hebrews 12:29.
If you are wondering why I am giving you so much before I get to the point, it is that I want you to be able to draw your own conclusions. I continue to be drawn mostly to the book of Revelation. Throughout this book are many references to fire. What I want to focus on is that each church has an angel and that the churches are referred to as candlesticks (or lamp stands), both of these are for holding the light of fire.
In the message to the church at Ephesus, Jesus tells them in 2:2- "I know thy works..." they are many and He proceeds to list them. However, there is a HUGE problem. It is so important that the Lord tells them if it isn't addressed, He will remove their candlestick which means He will REMOVE THEIR FIRE. To me, this is saying His Spirit will leave the church. So, what is it? THEY HAVE LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE. Jesus warns them to repent. That is much more than just asking forgiveness. It also means to change. Our love for Him and our devotion to Him is what He desires so much more than works. What we do for Him should stem from our love for Him.
In my last post, I made reference to Revelation 3. I wish you would read this, along with the letters to all the other churches, and seriously consider as you are reading that Jesus is speaking to His church. It should be bone chilling to us and cause us to examine ourselves according to these letters. His return is very soon.
This is how I interperet the vision; I believe the angel I saw was announcing the entrance of our King of Kings. He was not only calling us to praise and worship, but he was also sounding the alarm for warfare to take place. You see, I believe there is so much more to our worship than we can even imagine. It is so vital that we are in one accord when we come into God's presence, otherwise the enemy will have a heyday, so to speak. Every eye should be on our Lord, every heart should be focused on His beautiful face, every ear open to hear Him speak. It is when we are in unity that the FIRE OF THE SPIRIT falls.
I also believe the "herald" was warning us of what can happen to our fire if we don't heed what God is speaking to His church. There were also three torches in this vision; one was on fire, one was extinguished and only blowing smoke, the third was cold and had absolutely no sign of life. Which one are you? It's not too late to be on fire for God. Our relationship to Christ is a personal one. 2 Corinthians 13:5- Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves...
God Bless You and Keep You,
Peggy
In my last post I shared a vision my Lord gave me. The first thing I saw was an angel with a trumpet surrounded by fire. The more I have studied on the angel with the trumpet, the more I am finding out about other things. But that's the way God works. He who seeks shall find.
I was curious about the very long trumpet the angel held, so the first thing I did was look online. The closest thing I found to it is called a herald trumpet. This particular trumpet is sounded at the start of a ceremony, inauguration, presentation, or unveiling. But what really got me excited is that it is used to announce a king's entrance or the arrival of a bride and groom.
I am all about using my concordance and Webster's dictionary. I also take advantage of online dictionaries. I have found that most words have more than one meaning and just looking up the definition of one word can magnify God's Word so much more and bring a deeper understanding of what He is saying to us. So you may notice I give a lot of definitions.
The next thing I looked up was the word herald which means: 1) a bringer of news: someone who brings or announces important news 2) sign of what will happen: somebody or something that is a forerunner of something or gives an indication of something that is going to happen 3) an official messenger and representative of a king or leader in former times (Encarta World English Dictionary) I also found it interesting that a herald, or royal messenger, represented a monarch as an ambassador in wartime.
In case you don't know, the church is at war. Spiritual warfare is happening all around us every moment of every day. I don't know about you , but I can feel it now more than ever. If we look around we can see the evidence of it in the lives of people close to us and in those all around the world. Not to mention, our own lives.
A concordance is a great study tool if you want to learn more about the sounding of the trumpet because there are just too many scriptures on this subject to list here, but I will name a few.
* A trumpet was sounded as a call to battle-Judges 6:34. This is in the story of Gideon, and if you continue to read, Gideon used trumpets to defeat the enemy. Also notice that before the battle he worshipped (7:15). In Joshua 5:14-Joshua worships, then comes the battle of Jericho in Joshua 6. The trumpet is blown, the people shout, and the battle is won. God fights for His people!
*A call to worship and celebration-2 Chronicles 6:12-14-I love this!! The priests sounded the trumpets, the singers sang as one praising the Lord...and the glory of the Lord filled the temple so that the priests couldn't continue to minister. Oh to see that today in our churches!! A couple others, 2 Sam. 6:14-15, Psalm 150:3.
*The sound of judgement-Hosea 8:1; Joel 2:1,15; Amos 2:2, 3:6 and of course, the sounding of the trumpets in Revelation 8 and 9.
*It is also used to describe the voice of God as in Rev.1:10 and 4:1, and in Exodus 19:13-20.
I ended with Exodus 19 on purpose. For it is here that we see "the Lord descended in fire" upon Mount Sinai. We also see in Exodus 13:21 that the Lord went before Israel in a pillar of fire. In Exodus 3:2, The Lord first appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. I think we so often focus on the bush that we miss that part. The Bible refers to our God as a consuming fire in Exodus 24:17, Duet.4:24, and Hebrews 12:29.
If you are wondering why I am giving you so much before I get to the point, it is that I want you to be able to draw your own conclusions. I continue to be drawn mostly to the book of Revelation. Throughout this book are many references to fire. What I want to focus on is that each church has an angel and that the churches are referred to as candlesticks (or lamp stands), both of these are for holding the light of fire.
In the message to the church at Ephesus, Jesus tells them in 2:2- "I know thy works..." they are many and He proceeds to list them. However, there is a HUGE problem. It is so important that the Lord tells them if it isn't addressed, He will remove their candlestick which means He will REMOVE THEIR FIRE. To me, this is saying His Spirit will leave the church. So, what is it? THEY HAVE LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE. Jesus warns them to repent. That is much more than just asking forgiveness. It also means to change. Our love for Him and our devotion to Him is what He desires so much more than works. What we do for Him should stem from our love for Him.
In my last post, I made reference to Revelation 3. I wish you would read this, along with the letters to all the other churches, and seriously consider as you are reading that Jesus is speaking to His church. It should be bone chilling to us and cause us to examine ourselves according to these letters. His return is very soon.
This is how I interperet the vision; I believe the angel I saw was announcing the entrance of our King of Kings. He was not only calling us to praise and worship, but he was also sounding the alarm for warfare to take place. You see, I believe there is so much more to our worship than we can even imagine. It is so vital that we are in one accord when we come into God's presence, otherwise the enemy will have a heyday, so to speak. Every eye should be on our Lord, every heart should be focused on His beautiful face, every ear open to hear Him speak. It is when we are in unity that the FIRE OF THE SPIRIT falls.
I also believe the "herald" was warning us of what can happen to our fire if we don't heed what God is speaking to His church. There were also three torches in this vision; one was on fire, one was extinguished and only blowing smoke, the third was cold and had absolutely no sign of life. Which one are you? It's not too late to be on fire for God. Our relationship to Christ is a personal one. 2 Corinthians 13:5- Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves...
God Bless You and Keep You,
Peggy
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Visions and Vessels
As I worshipped my Lord in church Sunday, He gave me a vision. First I saw an angel clothed in white with a very long "trumpet" to his lips. He was surrounded by fire. Then I saw a torch that had been extinguished, thin vapors of smoke rose up from the top of the torch. When I asked God what this meant, He didn't answer but showed me another torch that was ablaze. And last, I saw another torch that had been extinguished a long time. It was cold, not even a wisp of smoke was evident.
I waited and He spoke, "When the wind of My Spirit blows on some, their spark is so weak that it is extinguished, their flames have dwindled. When My Spirit wind blows on others who are on fire, they blaze even brighter. This brought to mind Pentecost; Acts 2:1-4.
Then He said, "Some have run out of oil, their lights have gone out. They have no oil of their own. They have not come unto Me to buy of Me without money; for I would have freely given had they asked. Had they desired more of Me, I would have joyfully given. They know not that they are naked and blind and poor and weak. I am their Resource, not the church." (Revelation 3:17-18)
I have referred to Jesus as my Source many times, but I thought the word "resource" kind of odd. And, I thought the church was a resource. When I returned home, I looked up the word resource in my old Webster's dictionary. I was very surprised at what I found: resource-(to relieve, to rise again-more @ RESURRECTION). There is more to this definition, but God definitely had my attention.
As I wrote this in my journal, I began praying and asking God what He was trying to reveal to me. He began to speak to me of the ten virgins. (Matt.25:1-13) They all had lamps but only five were prepared and had oil in their vessels with their lamps. Hmm, what good is a lamp with no oil? Oil represents the Holy Spirit, the anointing of God, and-oil burns!! The five who had no oil tried to "get what they needed" from the other five who were prepared. (Many times the bible refers to our being, or body, as a vessel.)
Now, Jesus began in verse one of Matthew 25 with the statement, "The kingdom of heaven is like..." Was He speaking of His church? Then that means about half of those in church have no oil in their vessels. "Uh-oh!" Here are couple more thoughts, in the story of the prodigal son, one son went into the celebration while the other stood outside (Luke 15:25-28). Also consider Matthew 24:40-41.
Let's look in Matthew 21:43. Jesus is addressing the chief priests and the elders of the people (V.23), when He says, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And in John 18:36, He tells us His kingdom is not of this world. In the parable of the wedding feast in Matt. 22:1-14, Jesus also tells us that there are those in God's kingdom who are trying to enter in some other way than THE WAY that God provided, and that is through a relationship with Christ. This means much more than just reciting a prayer people. Hello? Just saying!!
May I go back to the ten virgins and finish up what Holy Spirit was revealing to me? Ok. As I was saying, the five unprepared virgins were trying to get something from the five who were prepared. The five who were prepared carried the anointing, they were on fire for God, they had a true relationship with Christ, and they were EXPECTING Him to show up!
Even in the church there are those who are not prepared for the Lord to come into our midst NOW! They are trying to "get something" from the church that the church cannot give and they miss it! Jesus swoops down and those who are prepared are carried away in His Spirit, while others aren't even (spiritually) present. They are attempting to get an anointing through the pastor, the Sunday school teacher, the choir, the preaching, etc. When the ONLY way they can get it is in a personal, real, living relationship with a very personal, real and living God.
Each of us is responsible for our own vessel. Is your vessel full of the oil of the Spirit? Do you go to your Lord and ask Him for more of His anointing, more of His presence, more of His Spirit, more of Him?? Are you on fire for God? Not an extinguished flame, not just "blowing smoke," but consumed by an all out raging Holy Ghost fire.
It's time people in the church stop examining everyone else's vessel and examine their own. Ask yourself- "What consumes me? My time? My mind? My actions? What is filling me? What is in my vessel? Am I prepared to meet the Lord today? In the next moment? In church on Sunday? When He returns?
What about the angel with the trumpet? Stay tuned!!
Blessings,
Peggy
I waited and He spoke, "When the wind of My Spirit blows on some, their spark is so weak that it is extinguished, their flames have dwindled. When My Spirit wind blows on others who are on fire, they blaze even brighter. This brought to mind Pentecost; Acts 2:1-4.
Then He said, "Some have run out of oil, their lights have gone out. They have no oil of their own. They have not come unto Me to buy of Me without money; for I would have freely given had they asked. Had they desired more of Me, I would have joyfully given. They know not that they are naked and blind and poor and weak. I am their Resource, not the church." (Revelation 3:17-18)
I have referred to Jesus as my Source many times, but I thought the word "resource" kind of odd. And, I thought the church was a resource. When I returned home, I looked up the word resource in my old Webster's dictionary. I was very surprised at what I found: resource-(to relieve, to rise again-more @ RESURRECTION). There is more to this definition, but God definitely had my attention.
As I wrote this in my journal, I began praying and asking God what He was trying to reveal to me. He began to speak to me of the ten virgins. (Matt.25:1-13) They all had lamps but only five were prepared and had oil in their vessels with their lamps. Hmm, what good is a lamp with no oil? Oil represents the Holy Spirit, the anointing of God, and-oil burns!! The five who had no oil tried to "get what they needed" from the other five who were prepared. (Many times the bible refers to our being, or body, as a vessel.)
Now, Jesus began in verse one of Matthew 25 with the statement, "The kingdom of heaven is like..." Was He speaking of His church? Then that means about half of those in church have no oil in their vessels. "Uh-oh!" Here are couple more thoughts, in the story of the prodigal son, one son went into the celebration while the other stood outside (Luke 15:25-28). Also consider Matthew 24:40-41.
Let's look in Matthew 21:43. Jesus is addressing the chief priests and the elders of the people (V.23), when He says, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And in John 18:36, He tells us His kingdom is not of this world. In the parable of the wedding feast in Matt. 22:1-14, Jesus also tells us that there are those in God's kingdom who are trying to enter in some other way than THE WAY that God provided, and that is through a relationship with Christ. This means much more than just reciting a prayer people. Hello? Just saying!!
May I go back to the ten virgins and finish up what Holy Spirit was revealing to me? Ok. As I was saying, the five unprepared virgins were trying to get something from the five who were prepared. The five who were prepared carried the anointing, they were on fire for God, they had a true relationship with Christ, and they were EXPECTING Him to show up!
Even in the church there are those who are not prepared for the Lord to come into our midst NOW! They are trying to "get something" from the church that the church cannot give and they miss it! Jesus swoops down and those who are prepared are carried away in His Spirit, while others aren't even (spiritually) present. They are attempting to get an anointing through the pastor, the Sunday school teacher, the choir, the preaching, etc. When the ONLY way they can get it is in a personal, real, living relationship with a very personal, real and living God.
Each of us is responsible for our own vessel. Is your vessel full of the oil of the Spirit? Do you go to your Lord and ask Him for more of His anointing, more of His presence, more of His Spirit, more of Him?? Are you on fire for God? Not an extinguished flame, not just "blowing smoke," but consumed by an all out raging Holy Ghost fire.
It's time people in the church stop examining everyone else's vessel and examine their own. Ask yourself- "What consumes me? My time? My mind? My actions? What is filling me? What is in my vessel? Am I prepared to meet the Lord today? In the next moment? In church on Sunday? When He returns?
What about the angel with the trumpet? Stay tuned!!
Blessings,
Peggy
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Rebuilding the Wall
I haven't written in a few days because I've been in the fire. We know that when the enemy attacks us that the battlefield is our mind. If he can find one weak area to interject negative thoughts, he will send a barrage of negativity into that place to tear down our defenses. He knows our weaknesses and he plans his evil attack against us. He is just like a wolf that studies a flock of sheep to see which ones are the weakest so that he can separate it from the flock and shred it to pieces. Our enemy tries to devour us in much the same way.
In Nehemiah, there was a wall that had been torn down by the enemy. This wall protected Jerusalem and surrounded the temple. I'm not going to go into the entire story, but only what the Lord is revealing to me concerning the attack.
As God's children were rebuilding the city walls, their enemy attacked them. But first, they tried to get in by being friendly and offering help. (Remember how the serpent "helped" Eve!) They were told they had no part in the rebuilding so they changed tactics. First they tried intimidation through words. They ridiculed and then threatened those who were doing the work. When that did no good, they were physically attacked.
This is what I have been going through. It began with an attack on my mind. I began to have negative thoughts, first about myself, then about others, then about myself again. As I tried to battle this on my own, I became physically ill. The harder I fought, the worse it became. I was praying, reading and speaking God's word and praying some more. But the battle only intensified. My weakness was attacked non-stop. I finally reached the point of self-loathing to the place that I didn't even care if I lived. That may sound drastic to some of you, but I was at my breaking point. I cried out to God, "If You don't do something, then nothing is going to happen." I had to learn that I had not yet tapped into all my resources.
But I want to get back to Nehemiah. In his wisdom, he knew that the small remnant working on the wall was not enough to protect the entire city. So he put them at the broken places working side by side. Half of them held swords and shields while the others worked to build. But they were still separated by great distances. So Nehemiah had one that stood on the wall to sound the trumpet when the enemy approached. This was a signal for everyone to come together, "In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us."
He told them that when they heard the "cry for help" that they should rally together and GOD WOULD FIGHT FOR THEM. So often, we don't call on our brothers and sisters in Christ to rally around us. We think our problems are insignificant and silly so we try to fight the battle on our own. This is exactly what satan wants us to do. He knows that on our own, we are weak. He knows there is strength in numbers. It is his plan to separate us from one another especially when we are weak.
So we stand alone, focused on our problem instead of joining forces and focusing on our Redeemer. Sometimes during the battle we need someone to hold up our hands because we get weary, just as Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses during the war with Amalek. (Exodus 17:12)
I finally did what God intends for all of us to do, I blew the trumpet. The enemy had come in, I needed God to raise up the standard against him. When the flag is raised, help is on the way. But I had to ASK. Not only God, but others. When I had others agreeing in prayer with me, God moved quickly. The stronghold of the enemy was broken.
Matthew 18:18-Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (19) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching, anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (20) For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.
God created us to be interdependent. That is, to form relationships and to have allies. We need people who are "on our side." Because we have a very real enemy. We also have a very real God. Even He made Himself interdependent. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Our Triune God. He has fully given us His plan on how we should live and relate to one another. A threefold cord is not quickly (or easily) broken. (Read Eccl.4:9-12)
Forever Dwelling in Him!
Blessings,
Peggy
In Nehemiah, there was a wall that had been torn down by the enemy. This wall protected Jerusalem and surrounded the temple. I'm not going to go into the entire story, but only what the Lord is revealing to me concerning the attack.
As God's children were rebuilding the city walls, their enemy attacked them. But first, they tried to get in by being friendly and offering help. (Remember how the serpent "helped" Eve!) They were told they had no part in the rebuilding so they changed tactics. First they tried intimidation through words. They ridiculed and then threatened those who were doing the work. When that did no good, they were physically attacked.
This is what I have been going through. It began with an attack on my mind. I began to have negative thoughts, first about myself, then about others, then about myself again. As I tried to battle this on my own, I became physically ill. The harder I fought, the worse it became. I was praying, reading and speaking God's word and praying some more. But the battle only intensified. My weakness was attacked non-stop. I finally reached the point of self-loathing to the place that I didn't even care if I lived. That may sound drastic to some of you, but I was at my breaking point. I cried out to God, "If You don't do something, then nothing is going to happen." I had to learn that I had not yet tapped into all my resources.
But I want to get back to Nehemiah. In his wisdom, he knew that the small remnant working on the wall was not enough to protect the entire city. So he put them at the broken places working side by side. Half of them held swords and shields while the others worked to build. But they were still separated by great distances. So Nehemiah had one that stood on the wall to sound the trumpet when the enemy approached. This was a signal for everyone to come together, "In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us."
He told them that when they heard the "cry for help" that they should rally together and GOD WOULD FIGHT FOR THEM. So often, we don't call on our brothers and sisters in Christ to rally around us. We think our problems are insignificant and silly so we try to fight the battle on our own. This is exactly what satan wants us to do. He knows that on our own, we are weak. He knows there is strength in numbers. It is his plan to separate us from one another especially when we are weak.
So we stand alone, focused on our problem instead of joining forces and focusing on our Redeemer. Sometimes during the battle we need someone to hold up our hands because we get weary, just as Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses during the war with Amalek. (Exodus 17:12)
I finally did what God intends for all of us to do, I blew the trumpet. The enemy had come in, I needed God to raise up the standard against him. When the flag is raised, help is on the way. But I had to ASK. Not only God, but others. When I had others agreeing in prayer with me, God moved quickly. The stronghold of the enemy was broken.
Matthew 18:18-Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (19) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching, anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. (20) For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.
God created us to be interdependent. That is, to form relationships and to have allies. We need people who are "on our side." Because we have a very real enemy. We also have a very real God. Even He made Himself interdependent. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Our Triune God. He has fully given us His plan on how we should live and relate to one another. A threefold cord is not quickly (or easily) broken. (Read Eccl.4:9-12)
Forever Dwelling in Him!
Blessings,
Peggy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)