The WORD in the Believer's Life

We are moving from the milk into the meat of the Word.  Yes, everyone born into this world is made in the image of God, but when we are given new life through our faith in Jesus, we begin the journey of being made into the specific image of God's Son Jesus Christ.  In these days, it is essential for us to recognize the part we play in this process in each other's lives.  We can hasten that formation, as well as increase our collective joy.  Knowing the why's and how's of this craft are essential.  There are three areas I want to highlight.

Begotten by the Word, Tested in the Word, Validated by the Word.

Begotten - Given Birth into the Kingdom of God...When we believed the message of the good news of the cross of Christ, in that moment, we were instantly changed and a seed was planted.  That seed has within it the most powerful element in the universe, the character and nature of God.  Jesus in seed form, was planted in us.  We are now being, individually and corporately, made into the image of Christ.  This reality needs to be reaffirmed...this is what i am really getting at...reaffirm this in each other daily, that we are sons of the living God, wonderfully made in the image of Christ.  We have the creator, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, living and active inside of us.  Whenever we reaffirm this, the roots of that reality push down into our hearts, grabbing hold of us, and transform us ever more rapidly and thoroughly into His image.

Tested - We all experience toil and hardship, due to our sinful fallen nature.  However, now that we have the Word of God living and active in us, these experiences are meant to strengthen our resolve to push through.  We need each other to gently push us upward to the Son, where we get our nourishment.  It is in our "common place discussions" with each other that this occurs.  What we are really doing for each other is making each other a holy habitation of God.  We gently remove the rocks, life sucking weeds, and provide enough shelter against the harsh rays of the sun.  You see, we draw Jesus out of each other when we speak the encouraging Word of God to each other.  

Validation - We have to notice Jesus Christ in each other in order to draw Him out.  Deep calls unto deep.   Jesus in us draws Jesus out in others and Jesus in others draws Jesus out in us.  The Holy Spirit's purpose is to flow between us, doing this very thing.  When we recognize this, our hearts can rest and enjoy the spoils of God's work.  He validates His own.  We can enter his rest.  The work of God is to rest in the reality that He is calling His sheep.  There is a confidence in knowing He has it taken care of, the striving leaves us....faith and joy return, as when we were first saved.

Grace-filled Sacrifices

Hebrews 10:16-20

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Let us be living sacrifices offered up to God as the emotions of our hearts are released to Him in worship, and as we return love for offense.  The sacrifice of Christ-like love covers a multitude of sins and open a doorway where people can enter the very throne room of grace and participate in the divine nature.  This is the ministry we carry around with us in these broken cisterns.  Where death used to reign.....Life has gained control and thrives because of the propitiation and atonement of Christ.  Jesus, our Advocate, provided the Way into this lifestyle of Truth-bearing, may it pierce deep into our hearts.  In our daily cross bearing sacrifice, there is the aroma (incense) of a life bearing sacrifice offered up to the pleasure of the Father.  We have the free gift of freedom, so let us now us it to worship with our whole heart, in unison proclaiming the loving-kindness of our Master who makes our soul lie down by still running waters.  It is for freedom of joy that we have been set free.  We can take heart in the fact that our lowliness is in the full light of the Day - for there is none righteous, except the one Jesus Christ, who being moved along by the Holy Spirit paved a way for us to participate in the glorious union of the Godhead.  And He is to be praised forever and ever Amen.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.  Day in and day out, our hearts are broken and mended, broken and mended.  Don't shy away from those emotions, because it is in those interactions with God that Love is perfected in us. As we are broken and rebuilt, by God's grace, we are made into a holy and acceptable habitation for His Holy Spirit.  Direction is given to us by the very life giving source that made the universe and is currently at work for the building of His Kingdom to the glory of our Father in heaven.  As we joyously bear the burdens of others in love, the unquenchable fire of God burns up the chaff in the lives of the faithful, thereby increasing the clarity of our collective perception of the God of all lights, who gives good gifts.

Enthusiasm for Miracles

Enthusiasm for Miracles: 
Miracle - God interrupting the natural progressive order of the world. The natural order of physics is for the universe to decay into chaos. We all age and die, and Generations before us have searched for the ever-illusive fountain of youth, a miracle we still desire to this day. Is that desire morally wrong? Is it just pie in the sky conjecture?

I suppose our souls require these lofty miraculous ideas...they lift us out of our mundane. Our attraction to miracles is what draws us to God's Throne of Grace. The critical element needed is recognition of the "small" ordering God does and how that relates to His character. As we train our eyes to see the natural ordering of life and how that relates to God's Kingdom of Love, we open ourselves up to greater participation in the Divine Nature (a big miracle), and our inner lives get ordered. Truth is woven into the fabric of who we are and into our everyday life, and we are connected to the greater Body of Christ. So I say again, pursue the everyday miracles that God has ordained for Us.

Joy

Is it taboo to eves drop on each other people's joy?

Colossians 1:27
Christ in you, the hope of glory.

2 Peter 1:8
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory...

I find myself surfing on waves of joy through out the day.  The waves are the glimmers of joy exuding from "everyday people" "US".  I feel like a kid walking along a country road, picking fruit from other people's trees that just happen to be hanging over the road.  And if you look hard enough, and ask for insight, the trees will dance for you. To quote Jack Johnson's "People Watching" - "We're all people watching, other people watching we."  Our joy is multiplied when enjoying other's joy.  This is constructive work, as far as the kingdom of God is concerned.  Be sure to do your part for the Kingdom and recycle your Joy with your neighbors.  There will then unfold before you a crescendo of beautiful sound that will fill the Day.  I hope you will notice and participate in it too, as we walk together down that country road.

Staying focused...Rejoicing in sound doctrine

Luke 15:8-10 (ESV)      "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 

God is a creative God, ever evolving in how He expresses Himself.  When we think we’ve got Him figured out, He changes the variables.  However, one variable never changes, Love.  That is why he defines Himself by it.  No matter what culture or ethnicity, the simplest gestures have the most powerful of effects.  As the Lord’s servants, we have been given talents to use by God, for the cause of Love.  We continually ask...what is our purpose...but don’t we know our Father’s purpose?  Our small gestures have a butterfly effect on those around us, and the world in general.  We have to be careful how we use the gifting, of which we are simply stewards. God has directed his people naturally in the past thru light and sound, primarily. However, let us not trust in what we see with our natural eyes and ears only...there is radiative component as well.  The greatest feelings of hope that I’ve experienced during my recovery have occurred when I am with other people...not necessarily “professing Christians”, as there are many out there, but with the Joe Plummers of the world.  Love and compassion are the only way that God draws his people into His fold. Compassion is what drives God (to fully know His people experientially… emotionally ...), and it’s what should drive us into the further reaches of this world to testify of that compassion, experiencing what other’s feel, seeking to understand them, not condemn them.  A new dawn is breaking upon us, are we well equipped emotionally to deal with the broken hearted?  God is, and he is asking His people to do the same.  A cleansing, by the washing of the Word, via His Holy Spirit is what’s happening.  I am not referring to a manufactured experience in a building one day a week, I am talking about a tectonic shift in how we view life.  If we focus further out, in our peripheral vision, the day to day will become magical.  If we concentrate on what’s right before us, we will get off track (i.e. the field plowing analogy).  Magic (glory) is hidden in the mundane my friends.  So again I say, use the talents God has given you for Love and God will give you the eye needed to recapture the magic from your childhood.

Possible Family Crest Interpretation - Part 1

Revelation 13:1 (NASB) And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?' There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him

1 Cor. 12:22-25 (ESV) On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

God, in all his infinite wisdom, has chosen the dragon to release the beast to deceive those who have chosen their own wisdom over His. The beast is being used by God to gather together His faithful ones back into the fold, like a lion that chases after sheep.  But God provided a man-hero, King David who slew the lion and the bear, provides millions now to do the same. Hear your collective voice and as we run to him, the weaker will follow. God is always seeking out the lowly, down-trodden, and lost of the world. Let us partner with Him.

The black box in our minds has created a false image of tragedy in hearts.... daily, and as I reflect, it moves me. Let us to do more, give more, BE more. As we return to our roots we will heal. God is willing to help us pick up the scattered pieces in our lives and there will be a silver lining. He feels our pain, He knows our suffering. He sent His only Son to experience the worst that the world had to offer and Christ overcame and will do the same for us in our moments of greatest need.  Christ in us

The tree of sin and death is still wreaking havoc on this earth, but it will be remade new into the Tree of life. The suffering will be no more as we consciously and collectively believe this, it will happen, for it is the will of God. I say again, the suffering will be no more. However, we must be fully integrated into the mature body of Christ, until the body reaches full maturity. How does the body reach maturity?   The ripping and tearing of every muscle and sinew, which I know we’ve all felt. WE ALL as christians, experienced that together, by design, let us not move away from that too quickly. What goes into the black box of our minds are our hopes and dreams (or are they? let’s be sure...) and yet what is interpreted is misery...for now... but let's collectively take up the sword of the spirit, that can divide marrow from bone, and we will see that what comes out of our heart is glory. Despite the tragedy around us, we have the hope of glory...a collective, integrated Body, with Christ as the Head (Who is taking every thought captive and expressing the heart of the Father thru us). Those that are lost will be drawn into the gates and offered a ring and witness the Kingdom alive in each of us. We are not the judge of their fate, we must only water what God has planted. Our unity of faith, hope and love model heaven to those that are lost. The black box concept is used often in electricity because there are components we still do not understand and never will understand (by design). We must have faith that God is good and reject the lie that says we must understand WHY, let's live from our heart, not our heads during these tough times. WHY is a three letter word if I've ever heard one. Testing God is not a good idea, that’s what got us into this mess in the first place. The waters of the Holy Spirit flow from our hearts, and will cause others to assemble “down by the river” for a good washing of the water of the Word. As our hearts turn to daily to God, the less hardened they will become. Eyes focused on Christ, and His return, will wipe away every tear, for God is a compassionate God and the winds will not blow forever, but God in all His ever-sharing glory will endure, until He rolls up the heavens like a scroll.

Hold on until the return of Christ.

Family Crests - Future Tattoos???

                                                                    English (Benson)

English (Bryan) 

Family Crests recently discovered