THE TREE OF LIFE

Herein lies the message of the Gospel:

I  have received the gracious gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. In turn, He must truly become the only Lord of my life. Confession, repentance, healing, restoration and a divine calling all spring from this gift of grace.  To bear fruit for His glory, I must continually go through the process of dying to self, establishing Him as Lord over everything in my life. Everything! True freedom from the things of this world that entangle us and lead us, deceptively, down the road to destruction.

The roots of my salvation grow and dig deeper as I am developing my relationship with Him through much prayer and fasting. I must remain on bended knee and entrenched in His Word to remain grounded in His truth. Continually feasting on His Bread of Life and His Living Water. 

He will bring me through that gate and down the narrow road that leads to the New Jerusalem. I will rid myself of sin and idols through obedience, submission, relationship, suffering sacrifice, shepherding and surrendering ALL. For His glory. If I remain grounded, humble and continue to grow, I will inherit the Kingdom, by His work on the cross and through the empowerment of His Spirit within me! 

This life is the abundant life: submission, transformation and devotion to our God bearing much spiritual fruit in my life for His glory! 

Galatians 5:13-22

13 For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is summarized in a single statement: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, be careful that you are not destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will never fulfill the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do. 18 But if you are being led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

19 Now the actions of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, 21 envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I am telling you now, as I have told you in the past, that people who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 Now those who belong to the Messiah Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also be guided. 26 Let’s stop being arrogant, provoking one another and envying one another.

These Things Remain....

Now we see only an indistinct image in a mirror, 

but then we will be face to face. 

Now what I know is incomplete, 

but then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:12-13

FAITH

I have faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah and Lord. In His power to heal and save. I have faith. Faith in our heavenly Father who created all things through His breath and His Word.

Or so I think.... Or so I say....  But do I? Do I really?

A series of unfortunate events have entered our family scenario over the past five years or so. Small but significant in our lives. As time goes on, they bare increasingly collective weight upon us emotionally, physically and financially.

Things have intensified during the past several months in almost all these areas.  As Jacob did, I found myself wrestling with God on more than one occasion about many of these things.  Asking for His blessing. I've been on my knees in prayer many hours for many months over many of the same things. I do recognize the testing here. Waiting for the mountain to move. Waiting for the persistence in prayer to pay off. Waiting for resolution or absolution, whatever the case may be. It has not come. The pressure increases. The waiting is difficult. I know in my mind that the waiting will bear fruit but I struggle still.

Hard questions like this one come forth in hard times. The testing and trials of this life.  God wants us to back up our words with action. We say we have faith in Him but do we really mean it? He will test us in our faith. Guaranteed.

Do I have faith that He exists? Yes. Do I have faith that He sent His son to die for my transgressions, be raised again on the third day to new life? Yes. Do I believe that by confessing, repenting and receiving His gift of salvation, I receive His grace daily and have a future in eternity. Yes and Amen!

But yet....  Do I have true faith? If I don't have true faith, then I don't trust Him, do I?

Faith and Trust

Faith and trust go hand-in-hand.  Only through pure faith can you have complete trust in the Lord Almighty.  After all, He is unseen and often works in mysterious ways. You can't see Him, touch Him, smell Him. Not in absolutes like the things of this world. He defies explanation. He is beyond human comprehension. He is not of this world. Not of flesh but spirit. His instruction manual is one book, His Holy Word. Sounds simple but yet it isn't. He talks through prophets, apostles, angels, kings, parables and His Spirit. His technical school is on-the-job training through the school of 'hard knocks' in walking through this life one day at a time.  It takes a lifetime to learn His will and His ways.

Faith earns its muscle through the testing and trials of this life.  We do believe yet we lack faith. Our faith is often shallow.  We like to live in the faith that fulfills our human desires rather than the desires that God has for us. He desires us to become more like Him and acquire the things that are not of this world. To live in the Spirit rather than the flesh.

As long as things are flowing smoothly in our lives, we stand confident in our faith. However, when the winds of change blow our way and our world is turned upside down by the unforeseen, unexpected circumstances, we waiver. We grasp to hold onto something secure, something within our sphere of influence. We want to take control. We often put our faith in our own abilities to fix things. Our pure faith falters. Our trust walks right out the door taking our faith with it.  We fall on our faces suffering the consequences of lack of faith.

But then we remember Who is always in control.  Of EVERYTHING.

Who has ascended to heaven, and then descended? 

Who has collected the wind in His hands? 

Who has wrapped up waters in a garment? 

Who has established all the farthest points of the earth? 

What is His name, and what is His son’s name? Surely you know! 

Proverbs 30:4

HOPE

As this journey continues, I find myself taking things one day at a time most of the time. Thanking Him for life and breath, for blessings, and focusing on the positives. Having faith.  But then, the darkness will begin to close in, the oppressiveness of the situation looms large, and I cry out in desperation and fear. I have lost hope.  I have lost sight of the One Who is control of everything.

I must walk by faith and not by sight.   For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7  If I lose hope, I have a faith that falters. I forget that He is in control. That He works all things together for good. That He is for me, not against me.

In the trials and the testing, do I falter in my hope because of fear and doubt? Do I take Him at His Word and believe ALL of His promises or do I subject His Word to my own interpretations? Most importantly, is my love for Him conditional upon a smooth, trial-free life?

I need to remind myself that I can make my plans but He directs my steps. Do I place my hope in myself or in other people?  Do I place my hope in the things of this world?  My reasoning is faulty at best because I don't see the whole picture. I lack His vision.

LOVE

Perfect love casts out fear.  When I have doubt or fear, my love for Him is wavering. If our love for Him is pure, then we can boldly stand in victory no matter what the circumstance. We can trust in His ways and His will.

Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Everyday and in every circumstance. Faith, Hope, Love. Fully devoted in heart and soul demonstrated by a fullness of walking life out in faith in His promises. Having the mind of Christ, to walk like Him, talk like Him, do what He would do. Living in the power of His love and pouring it out on others.

And, if love is the greatest of these, then we must walk out our lives in fullness of faith and hope knowing, beyond a doubt, that He is true to His Word always.  That He is LOVE. His love is honest, pure and unconditional. Our love for Him should be rooted in Who He is and not what He does for us.

FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

Faith, hope and love--they work together for our good. Faith and hope produce trust, obedience, surrender, peace, and the unsurpassed, unconditional love that He desires.  We want what He wants. Our will becomes as His. We must have a secure faith and unrelenting hope in Him to love Him as He deserves. Our relationship with God becomes more important than anything. As we draw closer to Him, He draws closer to us. The darkness will gradually fade and everything will be brought into His marvelous light. 

Faith, hope and love. They give us humility and confidence as we approach the throne of grace. With purity in these three things, we win the spiritual battle and attain perfect peace. His is our peace. We are solely devoted to Him through a pure faith, hope and love. Nothing can separate us!

But now, in union with the Messiah Jesus, 

you who once were far away have been brought near 

by the blood of the Messiah.

For it is he who is our peace. 

Ephesians 2:13-14

May the God of peace Himself 

make you holy in every way. 

And may your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—remain blameless 

when our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, appears. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,

 nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 

  nor anything above, nor anything below, nor anything else in all creation

 can separate us from the love of God

 that is ours in union with the Messiah Jesus, our Lord. 

Romans 8:38-29

SEA OF GLASS

You remember the story....

Jesus was taking the boat to the opposite shore to get away from the crowds. He asked his disciples to join Him.

 A violent windstorm came up, and the waves began breaking into the boat, 

so that the boat was rapidly becoming swamped.

 But Jesus was in the back of the boat, asleep on a cushion. 

So they woke Him up and asked Him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

Mark 4:37-38 

The sea was calm and peaceful at the start. There was no hesitation from anyone as to whether they should make the journey. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a storm of great magnitude came upon them! They panicked, felt helpless, uncertain and incredibly fearful and out of control.

Life does that to us more than we care to admit. Totally blindsides us, sidelines us. Events surprise us. Circumstances catch us unaware. "Why me?!" "Not again!" Rather than act, we react. We react with...

Of course, there is a healthy type of fear, a rational fear, that helps rather than hinders. The fear that we sense when something truly dangerous to our health and well being is threatening.

The type of fear we experience that interferes with all that we are created to be for His glory is irrational fear. Self doubt, insecurity, persecution. Fear of rejection, failure or exclusion. Fear of being alone, forgotten. The list goes on. The weight of this type of fear drags us down. It is baggage bearing great weight that drags us under. We carry it with us at all times. 

We choke on it. It suffocates. We retreat with it. It inhibits us.  It steals our joy. It is a thief. And, worst of all, 

Yes, fear is a liar.

I am in a season of uncertainty in my journey in this life. This past year has brought changes, heartache, challenge and, yes, fear. The past eleven years I have been plagued by it. And, honestly, as I look back, fear has been lying to me my entire life.

Recently, nothing terribly serious has happened but yet a series of unfortunate events have changed my life in ways that I didn't expect. It has brought me, in some ways, out of my comfort zone. Into uncharted waters. I've been set off course to a new destination.

Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of the future. Fear of being hurt, alone, forgotten.

Most of all, fear of not making my life count for His glory. 

I long to be on a sea of glass with my sails unfurled headed with eyes focused upon my certain destination. A sea of calm, a sea of tranquility. Perfect wind in my sails. A gentle breeze on my face. Pleasant temperatures surrounding my presence. A heart full of joy and anticipation in what lies ahead.

I long to set sail with no fear, no regrets, no uncertainty. In or out of my comfort zone. Gazing at the beauty of sunrise and sunset in the clear, endless sky. Gazing at the still moon's reflection over glassy waters beneath my skiff. Resting my head with confidence and sleeping a deep, undisturbed sleep. Just like Jesus did. But I can't. Fear has whispered lies and I've listened. I am fearful of what lies ahead....

Then He got up, rebuked the wind, and told the sea, “Calm down! Be still!” 

Then the wind stopped blowing, and there was a great calm.   

He asked them, “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith yet?”

 Overcome with fear, they kept saying to one another, “Who is this man? 

Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

Mark 4:39-41

Or can I? With Jesus, yes, I can do all of that. Even in the here and now. He promises His presence. Always. He promises me a future and a hope. He promises me that He will never leave me of forsake me. He promises He will be my strength and my guide. He promises me that He will go before me. He is for me and not against me. And, so much more!

Tear your hearts, not your garments; 

and turn back to the Lord your God. 

For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, 

overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.

Joel 2:13 

Fear is a liar. The author of fear is the evil one, the father of lies, the devil himself. He wants us to fear and to run and hide. He wants us to doubt ourselves. He wants us to doubt every one of God's promises. He wants us, most of all to doubt His perfect, unconditional love for us. He wants us to question our very purpose and the reason for our existence. His desire is to render us unbelieving and ineffective for the Kingdom of God.

 This is how love has been perfected among us: 

we will have confidence on the day of judgment because, 

during our time in this world, we are just like him.  

There is no fear where love exists. 

Rather, perfect love banishes fear, for fear involves punishment, 

and the person who lives in fear has not been perfected in love. 

1 John 4:17-18

Where is my faith? Where is my faith in the storms of life when the wind and sea rage and I'm being tossed about like a boat in the ocean? Are my eyes fixed on the One True God? Is Jesus my anchor?

The devil would have me think that my Lord and my God has abandoned me. "I will never leave you or forsake you" says the Lord. I am NOT alone. Nothing is too big for Him to handle!

For you, God, tested us,
    to purify us like fine silver.
You have led us into a trap
    and set burdens on our backs. 

 You caused men to ride over us.
    You brought us through fire and water,
        but you led us to abundance.

Psalms 66:10-12

Read the last part of that verse. Over and over again. Abundance. He brings us through the fire to a life of abundance!

I can have that sea of glass as long as my heart and mind are stayed upon Him. Yes, here and now. I need to get on the boat, as His disciple, and stay there. Despite wind, rain and torrent. I must not abandon the ship.

I cannot listen to the lies that fear whispers.  The Lord has promised me the peace that surpasses all understanding and the gift of His Spirit to guide. I know His purposes. I know His promises. I know His plans. I know His unfailing love. I know my destination. I know the evil one has already been defeated!

But when I am afraid,

I will put my trust in you.

I praise God for what He has promised.

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

What can mere mortals do to me? 

Psalms 56:3-4

Where there is fear, His love has been cast out, rejected. Where fear exists, there is lack of trust, belief, love and faith in Him. Where His love exists, fear cannot exist simultaneously. Fear becomes fallacy and love and truth reign supreme.

 

FEAR NOT

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. 

I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ 

Isaiah 41:10

For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, 

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ 

Isaiah 41:13

I must confess that, for me in this moment, I have to consciously make this choice. Out of obedience to Him knowing He is love. Out of obedience, fruit will come forth. Each day that passes will be born of love rather than fear. Each day, it will become a more natural, integral part of my being. The sea will become more and more a sea of glass... And, then, I will truly be ready to walk on water with Him.

Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, since He is good, for His gracious love exists forever. 

Psalms 106:1

Exactly Where He Wants Me

I have a muscular disorder. Unfortunate but true. I was born with it. My voluntary muscles contract involuntarily at various times, from head to toe, and stay contracted for extended periods of time causing stiffness, tightness, and some pain and discomfort.  I also experience muscle spasms, charlie horses, and occasional panic attacks when in open spaces.

Medication was prescribed when I was nine years old after multiple visits to various specialists to ascertain exactly what was wrong.  Once discovered, my parents eagerly rushed off to fill the prescription to alleviate their anxieties and free me from my physical bondage. The medication served me well until I stopped taking it due to pregnancy. I subsequently found out about the damage it was doing to some of my internal systems--adrenals, thyroid, liver--as well as my night vision and my heart.  Needless to say, the meds went 'out the window'.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

So, I've 'stepped out' in faith. Spiritually and physically.

Been med free for six and half years now. I pray for His healing every day, crying out "Abba, Father". I won't lie to you.... It isn't easy.  I often long for the bygone days of running up a flight of stairs like a 'normal' person, going hiking up hills and down ravines, and attempting to pick up a pen or coffee cup without my hand being unable to grip until the muscles warm up a bit. Just walking across a shopping center parking lot is a challenge.

But, that is exactly where He wants me.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I know what your thinking... These verses apply primarily to spiritual bondage and weakness. And, you are right. However, I know that these physical symptoms can manifest themselves in spiritual ways.  I must remember that I can do all things, that He has set me free, and He is magnified each day as He gives me strength and confidence.  As He provides assistance, reassurance and encouragement through people. It becomes an intense spiritual struggle if I focus on my limitations and take my eyes off of Christ Who strengthens me. If I focus on the 'cannot', I am in spiritual bondage. If I only give credence to my perceived areas of strength, I am limiting my relationship with Him and His ability to do a work in and through me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

Because of Him, I am not fearful of the challenges I face physically each day thus breaking any chains and snares that lie in wait. He truly gives me what I need for that day. I am confident He will provide. I am fully dependent upon Him for my strength to push through each day thus He is magnified in my weakness.  If He calls me to do more, I know He will equip me! I am EXACTLY where He wants me to be. Fully surrendered!

In fact, all of us who struggle with infirmities of any sort, challenges, and/or differences that interfere or impede a 'normal' course of living are at an advantage. Of course, the rest of the world doesn't see it as such; we are weak, inferior, and/or incapable. Yet, WE step out of 'the comfort zone.' We become stronger, braver, more confident in who we are in Him because of our perceived inferiority. We gain a greater understanding of His love for us and His suffering.  There we find power. We conquer. We break the ties that bind. Again, we have the victory! And, to Him be ALL the glory!

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37