Prune Away, Lord!

Friday, May 18th> Matthew 13: 1-9 What does the pruning of roots around a natural and spiritual house have to do with the success of that house?  Root pruning is the process of severing the roots of an established tree that is going to be dug up and transplanted.  It is also used to encourage flowering of a fruit tree or a vine that is slow to bloom.  It involves severing the roots immediately around the base of the tree or plant. What does this process have to do with the success of a house?  Pruning, if done properly, adds to the beauty and value of the house.  If not done correctly, the roots become overgrown and get into the sewage system, which interferes with the plumbing of the house.  Spiritual pruning is also necessary so that we can be released to start a new cycle of growth.  I can tell you this: it's NOT always easy to just succumb to the cutting, tugging and pulling that our trees must endure.  But oh, the rewards!  Not only will we spring forward, but we will contribute to the strength and life of others.

Chronicles of a Food Addict

Thursday, May 10th > 2 Corinthians 3: 7-18 How does the process of being transformed into the image of God work on a day- to- day basis? Day 1: Good morning, Father!  I heard the Word on Sunday about how we all are subject to reconstruction and renovation, and that Your Holy Sprit will do it all if I just trust Him.  So here I am, Lord.  I'm trusting You to break the addictions off my life and help me depend totally on You Day 2: Good morning, Lord.  I  thank You for walking with me and showing me what I needed to put in my lunch pail yesterday.  I felt so good when I fixed that healthy meal-- and even better as I was eating it.  I see that You desire for me to be whole in EVERY area, so I will trust You EVERY step of the way. Day 3: Good morning, God.  Let me start out by repenting for only allowing Your Holy Spirit to be my Helper for PART of the day.  How foolish of me to think that I could do the rest on my own!  After lunch, my students got so restless and needy -- which I thought I handled pretty well.  I managed to answer their questions and tend to their needs calmly.  I didn't even raise my voice once!  But as soon as they left, I dove into that cookie jar like it was an oasis in the desert to a man dying of thirst.   It was almost as if I was a puppet being controlled by something... Or someone.  All I know is I got lost in the comforting sensation of devouring those cookies, and by the time I came to myself, the jar was empty.  Now I see why you want me to be led by the Spirit rather than my flesh.  Next time, I'll stop to consult You before letting my emotions rule.  Thank you for not hating me even though I deserve it. Day 4: Another day, Father.  PAYDAY!  Thank You for providing for my family.  I think I'll be able to splurge a little and get that dress I saw two weeks ago.    It's not much, but at least all our bills are paid and I thank You.  Hubby and I might even be able to do dinner and a movie.  Ahhhhh!  Life IS good.... Oh, that's my hubby on the phone.  I'll talk to You later. Day 5:  Help, Lord!  I can't seem to shake this feeling of helplessness I  experience every time something unexpected comes up!  I can't even begin to tell You how sorry I am that I dropped the ball again.  I just felt so disappointed that we didn't even have enough money left to do anything special for ourselves!  What are we doing wrong?  We are tithers and givers.  We live totally devoted to You.  Why do we have to go without so many times? Please don't think I'm making excuses for what I did.  But I WAS mad-- mad at the devil for controlling the financial aspects of this world.  When my hubby told me he had to use the extra money to replace all four tires on our car, I was just discouraged.  It felt so natural to wander to the fridge and consume ice cream.  I'm starting to think this attempt to give You complete control is not going to work.  Not because YOU are a failure.  Because I AM. I'm such a mess.  How can I get past this?  I really DO believe You are able to bring healing to my life.  Show me where all this started.  I'm ready to confront these demons.  Will You help me?  I need You...

The Developer

Tuesday, May 8th> Titus 3: 1-8 Who is responsible for beginning and accomplishing the important task of developing us? The same One Who was responsible for renewing Sarah's womb and accomplishing the miracle of birth in her. The same One Who fulfilled Hannah's destiny by healing her barrenness and facilitating the conception of Samuel, one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. The very same One Who carried out the Immaculate Conception in which He took the holiness of God Himself and embedded it inside the womb of a very ordinary girl and produced the Word of God in flesh. The Holy Spirit is the Person of the Trinity assigned to accomplish impossible tasks. He is the One Who takes God's visions and dreams and brings them to fruition. He was the One hovering over the waters when there was noting on the Earth. This same Holy Spirit was there, breathing life into the lifeless form that was humanity, making us living souls. He was the same One Who breathed power into the 120 on the day of Pentecost, creating the windstorm of anointing that shook the world, causing it to never be the same. Is there any doubt, then, that this same Holy Spirit is capable of looking at the total wretch that I am and, taking the precious blueprints for my life that were designed by the Master Architect, transforming me into the image of the Father on this earth? The Word reassures me that He has been "poured out on us in full measure" -- not halfway or sparingly. This is the truth of the matter. All that remains is my agreement to what the Holy Spirit has been sent to accomplish in my life. The Developer has His work cut out for Him. My house started out as a condemned facility-- not fit for ANYONE to dwell in. But by the time He's done, I'll be fit for the Father's purpose.

Power To Overcome

Saturday, May 5th> 1 John 5: 1-13 How are we able to go through trials and tribulations because of our adoption?  We carry inside of us the POWER to OVERCOME.  We have our Father's DNA, which means there is no earthly situation we can encounter that can overwhelm or defeat us.  Did you hear that, child of the Most High God?  We have been given everything we need to outlast and conquer every enemy that comes against us.  We have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. So what stops us from walking and living in victory?  For one, we could be ignorant of who we really are -- in which case, we might as well be dead if we don't have a revelation of God's gift of sonship through the blood of the Lamb.  Secondly, we could be allowing sin to render us incapable of receiving this free gift.  Ask yourself: am I truly an overcoming believer?  In spite of the trials Jesus said we would face, He also said HE has overcome the world.  Where are you?  On top rather than on the bottom?  Seated in heavenly places where Christ dwells?  Or barely able to put two sentences together concerning our authority?  Whatever the case, it's available.  

Say "YES"!!!

Monday, April 30th, 2012 Today's Passage> Ephesians 1: 1-14 Memory Verse> Eph. 1:4 There's a beautiful connection between an architect, a contractor, and the builder of a natural house that applies to today's question. God, the Master Architect, created a Plan of the house which represents each of us. Every inch of it is laid out, and He knows what each room is to be used for. He gives the blueprint to His Son, the Consummate Contractor, Who is prepared to carry out His Boss' instructions. He enlists the help of the Holy Spirit, Who does the job of the chief builder. When we receive the revelation of such an awesome relationship that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have, we are encouraged to trust the process of renovation that has ALREADY been ordained for us. Bottom line is this: if God sees us as a house already beautiful, whole and fit for His use, why should WE see anything different? Why not fall in agreement with what the Master Architect has already seen? All that's required is our YES.

Make the SHIFT!

Thursday, April 26th> Hebrews 9: 1-15  In what way does holding on to works and legalism cause our conscience to be dead? It's almost like putting a plane on autopilot and going in another room to sleep, or putting your car on cruise control and getting out a magazine. There's no room for the part where WE change or cry out that we need the Lord to help us do so. It's just EASIER to get into the mindset of doing things the same way we've always done them. It works for us because we actually think we're fooling everyone into thinking we've got it all together. But no matter how faithful we are to our church attendance, and how gifted we are in our area of the body, or even how dependable we've made ourselves in the church, we CANNOT allow these things to replace GRACE. The minute we start depending on our works, titles and gifts rather than on the GRACE of God to keep us vulnerable and mindful that we need the POWER of the Holy Spirit, He can no longer function to bring life- creating change in our lives. Our conscience -- the seat of our mind, will and emotions -- where we distinguish good decisions from bad ones and right from wrong-- is very capable of "going rogue". We are Adam's children, and the only ones given the capacity to accept the new blood and DNA from our Daddy God through the death of Jesus Christ. But if we don't CHOOSE to surrender our conscience -- which can only be revived and washed through GRACE -- we're choosing cruise control. What a sad existence for ones who CLAIM to be blood-washed and bought with a price! Lord, please deliver us from the curse of the law and infuse us with the power to make the SHIFT from law to grace.

The Sacrificial Lamb

Friday, April 20th > Matthew 27: 45-50 What did the total darkness represent while Jesus was on the cross? Every ugly sin that every single person in the world who had lived and died before Christ came to the earth, and everyone who would come after. Every curse from every iniquity that was committed and passed on from one generation to another. It was all laid on Jesus so that He could be our Sacrificial Lamb. When God instituted the use of animals to stand in for the sins of the people, the priest would receive all the sins of a family, then lay those sins on the best sacrifice that family brought to the temple. He did this by laying his head on the forehead of the animal, symbolically transferring all their sins to that animal. This rendered the animal guilty and the family absolved or forgiven. Now the animal could be sacrificed, and God would accept that sacrifice for the rest of the year. But even while this ritual was being performed by the Jewish people, God knew it could not satisfactorily pay the penalty for sin, for the hearts of His people were still far from Him. So He produced His Own Sacrifice, the Only One worthy to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world AND draw Them to His Father's heart at the same time. And at that moment when it grew dark for those 6 long hours, God was literally turning His head away from that sin. Because God hates sin. Even when His own Son was carrying it, He could not look upon it. That's why Jesus cried out: "My God, my God! Why have You forsaken me?" The knowledge of how much went into the sacrifice Jesus made for us is mind-boggling. The fact that He would be rejected by the world was something He was already familiar with. But when His own Father turned His back on Him as He carried your sin and mine-- and He STILL went through with it-- makes me worship Him even the more. Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to go through all that... Just for me.