APPROVED UNTO GOD

December 15, 2017

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, 

rightly dividing the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 2:15

APPROVED UNTO GOD

Do you struggle in finding discernment and revelation?

Do you struggle with concentration and meditation?

Struggle in Prayer with the Word of God in your hand and a notebook and pen to record the expressions of God.

The Spirit of God, who knows the Mind of God will use the Word of God to reveal the will of God.

Pre-conceived ideas will keep us from the gems of truth I didn’t dig far enough to find.

I struggle/study in the winepress of God for discernment and revelation of some truth I need for myself; and in the process, I will become the wine to strengthen someone else.

Lord, I love to study, and yes, struggle through Your Word.  I love the insights and revelations that come from You opening my mind to receive the deeper truths we are too quick to look over.  I enjoy this time with You most and the amazement of casual moments of sharing the profound at unusual times and places.

You delight my soul, Lord, I want to delight YOU!

JOSEPH, A HOLY MAN

December 5, 2015

AWEsome moment!  Revelation and profound understanding of The Holy Spirit

JOSEPH, A HOLY MAN

Thoughts provoked from study of Joseph in Genesis 41:38-40

“…can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?  …for as much as God has shown you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are.  You shall be over my house and…all my people.  Only in the throne will I be greater than you.”  ~Pharaoh

The Holy Spirit is GOD within us…with Jesus’ Promise:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you, so that, you can say ‘The Lord is my Helper’ I will not fear what man may do to me.”  Hebrews 13:5-6

My body is the Temple of The Holy Spirit – I am responsible for using what God has given to give Him glory.  

Example:  Everything in the Tabernacle and Temple was holy, set apart for God’s Glory.  It was made out of the best materials to provide an atmosphere of worship and prayer to Almighty God.

Illustration:  JOSEPH

EVERYTHING in Joseph’s life was for GOD…at all costs!  He simply trusted God and saw all situations as being from Him.  He acknowledged God in all situations and God directed His paths.  In every situation of injustice and unfairness, because of Joseph’s character and integrity, God favored him in these situations:  Sold into slavery ending up in Potiphar’s house; he was favored because God blessed him and Potiphar saw that God was with him, and he gave Joseph control of all he owned.  Pursued by his wife, Joseph refused and ended up in prison.  In prison the Chief Guard found favor in Joseph and put him in charge of the prison.  He used opportunity to glorify God with his gift of interpreting dreams, which lead him to Pharaoh and as a result of interpreting his dreams, Pharaoh acknowledged that Joseph had the Spirit of God and found favor in giving Joseph control of his entire kingdom of Egypt with the exception of his throne.

We don’t see Joseph trying to get out of any of his situations; he seemed to believe God was in EVERYTHING.  It would seem that back in his youth when he was favored by his father, Jacob, because of being the son of the wife he loved and having two dreams:  one said he would rule over his brothers; and the second said his father, mother and brothers would bow down to him; that Joseph believed the dreams.  However, the brothers resented him for them and devised a way to get rid of him...from there we have the rest of the story.  It ended with Joseph telling his brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant for good…for this time, to preserve his family and make them into a nation.

EMMANUEL ~ GOD is with us! ~ The Holy Spirit of God promised by Jesus.

We are wrapped in His Presence - a Hug from God The Father; a gift of Grace to give us power to Glorify GOD, The Father and Jesus Christ, His Son!  We are to be Holy as He is Holy – set apart only for His use (purpose; will). 

The Holy Spirit is given to help us to “work out our salvation” that God has placed within us. (Philippians 2:12)   He is our Companion/confidant; Helper; Comforter; Teacher; Revealer of Truth; Guide; Power.  We MUST believe it is so and receive Him and release Him to do ALL He was given to do in us…which is to glorify The Son.  (John 16:7-15)

Our work (part) ~ Wrap each day with His Presence by:

      Acknowledging Him verbally

      Practicing His Presence – He is a Reality!

      Seek His plans from His Word – “He is the Way…He is the Life”

      Fellowship with Him in prayer – it should be a delight!

      Worship Him with praise – in words and song! 

      Love Him ~ by giving Him the very best

                        ~ by “loving one another” – we ARE His Body!

Lord, You have given me everything I need to be Your Temple, and I am responsible for using what You have given for the purpose of giving You glory – it is The Holy Spirit; He is given to us to give You back the Glory due to You.  “Whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do, do ALL to the glory of God” for, “we can do nothing apart from Your Indwelling Presence ~ The Holy Spirit.  I am responsible for the activity of The Spirit by confidently trusting Him by working with Him and His plans.  You are the Life and You use mine to work with You! Be glorified!

EMMANUEL ~ GOD is with us!

The Holy Spirit of God promised by Jesus.

We are wrapped in His Presence;

a Hug from God The Father!

We hug Him back by loving one another;

so that the world will know!  (John 17:23)

THE CROSS OF JESUS

November 25, 2017

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Galatians 6:14

THE CROSS OF JESUS

Who or what do we give glory when we teach, preach or in our conversations daily?

GLORY ~ That which reveals the Person, Power and Presence of God!

Get rooted and grounded in your faith in God and NOTHING externally will distress you; and there will be no room for  weeds of self-consciousness.

Paul demonstrates for us the fundamentals of a life that has been changed by Jesus Christ.  The great basis of his concentration was the agony of God in the Redemption of the world…the Cross of Jesus Christ!

Re-examine what you believe and get rid of all thoughts that don’t have the bedrock of the Atonement made by Jesus Christ on the Cross. 

Preaching, teaching, conversation that does not center on The Cross of Jesus produces NOTHING!  It may be interesting and motivational…but it will not convey the energy of God and there will be no Power. 

Lord, may I see EVERYTHING against the backdrop of the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Atonement (His Blood) shed for my sin.

Help me to see the victory and the union with my Creator and not the sadness.

Give me the perfect balance of thought for Power to prove the Glory of The Cross!

THE SUPREME NOW!

November 11, 2017

“Take now thy son…”

Genesis 22:2

THE SUPREME NOW!

God tested Abraham…

”Take now your son whom you love…offer him there as a burnt offering.”

Take “now” the dearest thing to you…

God had promised Abraham many descendants.  God gave him a son when he was 100 years old that the promise was to be fulfilled through.  Now, God is testing Abraham’s faith to see if he loved HIM more than he loved Isaac.

The strange request of God was that He asked Abraham to give an offering that was a practice of the pagan worship he left in Mesopotamia.  God’s requirement for a burnt offering was a lamb! 

Abraham also believed in the resurrection of the dead.
 (God must have told him about this.  See Hebrews 11:17-19)

Isaac asked his father “where was the lamb for the sacrifice?”  Abraham told him that God would provide the lamb for Himself!  And, that He did when He saw that Abraham’s faith and love of God was greater than his son!  God provided a substitute – a ram for Himself instead.

The name of the place was Moriah and Abraham called it Jehovah Jireh (God will provide.)  This was also the place where the Temple of Solomon housing the Presence of God was built; and where the sacrifices were given.

The vail that separated the Holy of Holies and God’s Presence was split in two when Jesus, God’s Son was given as a blood offering on a cross as Substitute for Mankind’s sin debt.  

Jehovah Jireh provided the Perfect Lamb that takes away the Sin of the world!

Our Creator loved us more than His Only Begotten Son!  (John 3:16)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Mount Moriah is the Temple Mount today where the Dome of the Rock is.

There has been no temple there or sacrifices given since 70 AD when the temple and Jerusalem was destroyed. 

***There will be a new temple built and the sacrificial system restored during The Great Tribulation that the AntiChrist to desecrate.  Preparations are already being made in Jerusalem and the Menorah Lampstand is already made and on display. 

I had the privilege to see this and take a picture.

The Lamb that was slain is coming back SOON for His Bride!

Do I have ANYTHING that is more dear to me than GOD?

If so, NOW is the time to give it as a burnt offering.

Could “I” be the dearest thing? 

Romans 12:1

“Present your body a living sacrifice…”

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

September 6, 2017

“Rivers of living water.”

John 7:38

A river touches places that its source knows nothing of.

God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is.

A river is victoriously persistent and overcomes all barriers!

Keep paying attention to The Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it!

NEVER fix your eyes on the obstacle or difficulty! 

NEVER allow ANYTHING to come between you and Jesus – NOTHING must keep you from The Source!

“Flow through me, Holy Spirit,

Flow through me!”

MAKE ME A CHANNEL OF BLESSING

August 31, 2017

“That My joy might remain in you,

and that your joy might be full.”

John 15:11

The absolute joy of Jesus was the self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing what The Father sent Him to do.  “I delight to do Thy will.”

Thinking out your circumstances and the cares of the world will choke out the Word and interrupt communion with

The Father.

The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes.  To be rightly related, find your joy in Him and out of you will flow rivers of living water.  Be a center for Jesus to flow living water through.  Be His witness and proclaim Him out of conscious Love for Him and unconscious to the effects of the flow.

The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it! ~ Their joy is being a channel for the blessing of Living Water to flow out of!

“Make me a channel of Blessing today!”

PRAYER: TO KNOW GOD

August 28, 2017

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

Luke 11:1

PRAYER:  TO KNOW GOD

The life of the Son of God is nourished, not by food, but by PRAYER!  Prayer is how we get to know God and His will.

Be yourself before God, and when you get to your wits end, present your problems.  As long as you are self-sufficient, you will not ask God for anything.

PRAYER on the basis of Redemption alters things; the way you look at things; your disposition.

The natural life is nourished by food.

The life born from above is nourished by Prayer!

“Except you become as little children…”

“Ask and you shall receive.”

PRAYER CHOICE- PRAYER CONFLICT- SPIRITUAL INDEX

August 24, 2017

“When you pray enter into your closet,

and…pray to your Father in secret. 

Matthew 6:6

“Or, what man is there of you, whom

 if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?”

Matthew 7:9

Prayer is to be in a secret place.

Prayer is an effort of the will.

Shut the door!

We have to discipline our minds

and concentrate on willful prayer…

deliberately shut out emotions and remember God!

And…you will find God there.

Pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the Presence of God!
~Oswald Chambers

A good Child asking for a good thing. 

Find out the reason…turn up the index.

Are you rightly related to family; friends; fellow-workers?

Until you come into the attitude of a Good Child of God, God will not answer.

Are you asking God for money when there is something you have not paid?

Have you asked God for liberty while withholding it from someone else?

Is there someone you haven’t forgiven?

Someone you haven’t been kind to?

Are you living as God’s Child among your family and friends?

If we turn up the index, we will see clearly what is wrong –

that relationship/friendship – that debt – that attitude.

It is no use praying unless we are living as children of God.  
Then, Jesus says:  “Everyone who asks will receive!”

Lord, please show me where I have not been a good child of Yours.  My first thought is always my attitude because sometimes I have trouble discerning righteous anger and being zealous for my Lord; or self-righteous pride judging without all the facts. . .

 What can we, who Love You and desire Your will, do to help bring Your Body back to You?

"I indeed...but HIM!"

August 22, 2017

“I indeed…but Him!”

“I indeed baptize you with water…but He…

shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.”

Matthew 3:11

INSPIRATION

Baptize with water…anyone can do this!

     Demonstration of confession and repentance.

     Sense of uncleanliness and guilt.

     End of self-centeredness!

     I must decrease…

TRANSFORMATION

Baptize with Holy Ghost and fire…ONLY JESUS can do this!

     Evidence of His Presence and possession.

     Sense of unworthiness and Awe.

     New Life that is Christ-centered!

     HE must increase…

Lord, I do want to know the fullness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire…

and repent of the life of thinking I am anything, and know I am only because of Your Spirit.  
But what about the fire?

Further study reveals that fire is trials and suffering.  This is taking on clearer meaning  - Wow!

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit activity brought persecution and suffering.  Two examples:  Saul/Paul and Stephen; and all apostles martyred!  We don’t accept this as real.

Jesus said: “If they hate Me, they will hate you…but do not fear,  
I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 10:22

John 16:33

John 17:14

THE MINISTRY OF THE UNNOTICED & UNCONSCIOUS!

Solar Eclipse 1^st time in 99 Years!

August 21, 2017

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Matthew 5:3

The Ministry of the Unnoticed & Unconscious

"The poor in spirit shall see God!"

Poor means in NEED.  I cannot enter Christ’s Kingdom until I see my need.  Being poor spiritually is the only way to come; having nothing to bring to Him but my need for Him!

The true character of the loveliness that tells for God is always unconscious.  If I ask myself 
“I wonder if I am of any use to God” – I instantly lose the touch of God! 

Who are the people who have influenced us most?

Not the ones who think they have; but the ones that have no notion of having influenced.  They are the ones who unconsciously have the unaffected loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus.  When Jesus is at work, He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring; and He uses commonplace people who are unnoticed and unconscious of being of worth…so that,

He will be seen and desired!

My Prayer:

It is not because of my worth, but my need.

Lord, I need You to help me because I am helpless on my own.

I want to simply and unconsciously be Yours.  But, how do I take a stand for You without a conscious effort?

COMPLETENESS IN HIM!

August 19-20, 2017

COMPLETENESS IN HIM!

Matthew 11:28

“Come unto Me…and I will give you rest.”

“Come unto Me” -  for Christ-consciousness!

“…and, I will give you rest” - from self-consciousness!

Christ-consciousness will take the place of

Self-consciousness.

     Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the  

             completeness of the life in God.

     Self-consciousness continually produces wrestling.

     Self-consciousness is not sin, but it will divide the intimacy of oneness in Christ.  
             If self-consciousness continues it will slowly awaken self-pity; and self-pity is a sin!

     Beware of anything or anyone that will make you

             to see yourself separately from Him!

NOTHING is so important as to keep right spiritually!

The great solution is a simple one –

“Come unto Me.”

IF we come to Him and

ask Him to produce Christ-consciousness,

He will always do it until we learn to abide in Him!

Lord, prove Your consciousness in me.

The complete life is the life of a child. 

The Child of God is not conscious of the will of God because he is the will of God.

A Child of God never prays to be conscious that God answers prayer, 
he is so restfully certain that God always does answer prayer!

IF we try to overcome self-consciousness by common sense, 
we will become more consumed in it!

Jesus establishes the rest of perfection of activity

that is never conscious of itself!

“…When did we?” (Matthew 25:37)

Prayers

 Lord, I am so slowly learning to abide in You.  Too slow for my anxious heart.  MORE of You and less of me…please make it so!  Remove ALL my preconceived ideas that are based on my flesh and open my eyes and heart to Your life and Your world, and who I am in You.  Be real in me, and fill me with ALL of YOU…and

 be glorified!

 Oh Lord, thank You for More of YOU!  Self-conscious may not be sin but it sure leads the way to self-pity that is.  Thank You for the joy of being Your Child and learning to be like You – completely!

Reveal the More that awaits to make me in Christ as well as Christ in me.  AMEN. ~Betty