tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51801608709613337452024-03-13T17:20:02.240-07:00Stand Your GroundThis is a blog dedicated to saying what some may not want to hear, what some are too afraid to say, and taking a position on matters instead of staying gray. My intention is not to offend but rather to encourage others to search out the truth for themselves.Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-74291040020511107782018-01-02T07:54:00.001-08:002018-01-02T07:54:43.021-08:00The Power of God- Word for 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year I spend time at the end of the year praying for a word, direction of what the Holy Spirit is up to. I know that God lives outside the realm of time and made time for us, so we can mark seasons and such. So the turning of the new year is significant for us, we make goals, look forward to change. There’s anticipation, a sense of newness.<br />
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As a Christian, I live in an understanding that we should walk with eternal eyes, not temporal, understanding that this life is but a blink in eternity. How I live my life here does indeed echo in eternity. </div>
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As I was worshipping and praying on New Years Eve, I heard the words, “pray for my power”, so immediately the verse came to mind in Acts 1:8 “<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span class="m_3367448890025038279woj">But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me </span><span class="m_3367448890025038279woj">in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” As I began to pray, what I thought in my mind was power to heal, power for miracles, power for anointing in speaking etc. what I heard come into my heart was instead, “Ask and receive My power. My power to love, My power to forgive, My power to overcome, My power to have fervency to devour My word, My power to be steadfast and pray. When this power is displayed in your life the power of those other things can freely flow.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span class="m_3367448890025038279woj">We so often sing as Christians for the power of God to fall upon us. We discuss the power of God as an elusive mystery hard to grab hold of and walk in. We know and quote the verses but often our lives lack the evidence and the experiential action. We may compare our walks with others who we see walking in the “power of God”, and wish we had that. Or we might observe in other nations the miracles taking place. Yet we fail to see or comprehend the deep discipline that has been at work in their lives. We don’t see the tears, prayers, struggle and heartache as they have wrestled with God, we simply see and desire the anointing. We have all been given the power, through Jesus Christ, to love, to forgive, to let go of bitterness. Many Christians don’t want that power, they want the power to perform miracles and preach. Those are wonderful and we should desire that, but if we can’t walk in the power of Jesus in foundational things why are we going to be trusted with the latter? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span class="m_3367448890025038279woj">This year, right now, I urge you to get before the Lord. Ask Him to bare your heart to you and tell Him you accept His discipline. When the urging comes up to forgive...then forgive. If you are made aware of a hurt or an offense you have created, go to that person and be reconciled. The word of God says in Romans 12:18 “</span>If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Don’t allow pride or bitterness keep you away from the power of God being displayed in your life. Let us glorify the Lord by living in His power! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">I heard a very wise and respected brother in Christ, who has lived an extraordinary life, full of Gods power once say that the Lord told him, “Don’t take it personal.” How simple. How difficult. We can talk all the talk but God knows our hearts and if we are honest with ourselves we will allow Him to work in it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">I have seen this theme being worked out over and over in my life for the last year and a half. But specifically the last 6 months I have felt this with an urgency to let go the things that hinder and block our focus of Jesus. I keep hearing “you do not have time to be entangled.” The Lord is moving quietly among His people, He will use those who submit to the discipline of the Refiner’s Fire. Be a light in these times, allow the deep quiet work of God to mend and heal your heart so that you will display His glory and power. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Father, we desire, we ask for Your power to come bursting forth from within in our lives. You have come to live in us and we have been given Your power. Forgive us, Lord, for trampling on it, for taking light the power to forgive, to love. Help us, Lord to have the power to be hungry for Your word, for Your holiness in our lives that we may be a people who walk in faithful steadfastness in this time. Lord, let us be filled with Your power and let us understand the brevity of time. Place on our hearts those things so deeply hidden, even to ourselves, that have hurt and offended us so that we may be released from the prison we have put ourselves in, that keeps us hurt, embittered, victims. We ask for the power of humility to go to those we have hurt and be reconciled. Lord, I thank You for that the keys have already been given to us and we just need to use them. Let Your name be glorified, let us correctly represent You to our spouses, our children, our co-workers, our friends and to the lost. Be exalted in our homes, our churches and our lives, in Jesus name, amen. </span></div>
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<b></b><b></b>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-37456735376163354372017-08-28T12:44:00.000-07:002017-08-30T15:24:17.814-07:00Flooding and the Warning to America<div>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><strong>End of February 2011</strong> (originally posted 2012, updated 8/2017) <br /><br />I had another dream. It was pretty simple. I was running from the west to the east, I knew this because it was of some significance in the dream. As I was running I could see around me locally, there was destruction all around; school buses submerged, houses wrecked, cars that looked like a child toy's playing in mud from catastrophic flooding. They were submerged in the earth, mud flowing over them, tremendous wreckage. The ground was very unstable. It was awful as I continued to run frantically toward the east the local picture then turned into more of a USA picture and I saw devastation everywhere. It was if I was running on top of a map of the USA. The ground I was running on (USA) was falling apart. It reminded me of movies when an ice piece keeps breaking and breaking and getting smaller and smaller and you have to hop to a wobbly piece to try and stay afloat and it just keeps breaking. It was breaking apart like that but instead of ice it was grassy land pieces. I kept running and was questioning in my mind what was happening, and that’s when I heard "Destruction was coming from the east" and that "All of the foundations were cracked". </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxys_Q4clMGArmY1OxFkOH-EZBxRwNkF8qEgz5oAO_VOlzv504vBhUf4fn0VkpzDldXpdJ_lOnXwtbWRUoCTIxvu0_GXCKdB5eZUy2diG7FrwC3zCMUFrzfllE6s_WADSWa7RJ1BeQCM/s1600/china+iran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0j6OYi-_l_xi0Sjc8_0ktu9NHIvQjK4FOKwcgc9W5rhXxOipCKkXTUZEGvXADy4Jw_X1I2_uWpZfroAPuE6YV-NfIBOKYQhsOrPCtkrNY9fbYUxX1p1NzGdP2PUhJX3118qBvIGGhTxk/s1600/cracked+america.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /><br />I kept running, trying to get my footing and I am running up the side of the devastation to an embankment. As I reach to the top and can see over the embankment I see a parallel path. It was sturdy, strong and organized, made of bricks. It was running parallel with the American land that was falling apart. This was not part of the USA, but was running parallel to it. I got on in it and turned from running east to now running toward the west. I had the sense I was running frantically to warn the "west", the USA. At this point I am running on these very strong bricks, very organized and seeing the parallel destruction of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxys_Q4clMGArmY1OxFkOH-EZBxRwNkF8qEgz5oAO_VOlzv504vBhUf4fn0VkpzDldXpdJ_lOnXwtbWRUoCTIxvu0_GXCKdB5eZUy2diG7FrwC3zCMUFrzfllE6s_WADSWa7RJ1BeQCM/s1600/china+iran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="553" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxys_Q4clMGArmY1OxFkOH-EZBxRwNkF8qEgz5oAO_VOlzv504vBhUf4fn0VkpzDldXpdJ_lOnXwtbWRUoCTIxvu0_GXCKdB5eZUy2diG7FrwC3zCMUFrzfllE6s_WADSWa7RJ1BeQCM/s320/china+iran.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>the USA as I am running I look down and am running as fast as I can, I notice the bricks have words on them. I keep running, and I am passing the words. They say "CHINA", I keep running and I see "IRAN". I keep running and then I awake. The feeling when I awoke was such impending doom that I stayed awake for hours, shaken with the severity and devastation. I prayed and I feel like the simple interpretation is obvious; America is falling apart and crumbling at the same time that other countries (China and Iran) are unified and growing stronger and that the destruction of the USA was a source coming from the EAST. There were more words on that long brick path but I awoke to only seeing those 2 country names. The bricks were not set like we see on houses in staggered fashion. Instead these bricks were in straight lines; up, down, and across. This gave me the feeling of unity and resembled how soldiers are lined up in lines; very organized and disciplined. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b><br />It is easy to see now the stronger and recent unification of these countries as well as very recent disruptions in the USA. But at the time of the dream things weren't this tense. I have kept these largely to myself but now am feeling the urgency to speak about them. Judge for yourselves. In a time of great deception in the church with self proclaimed apostles and prophets all relating their dreams one to another I have almost tried to forget about these dreams. But as I have watched and am watching them unfold I cannot stay silent any longer.<br /><br />Blessings<br />Janette</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">Update 8/28/2017: I wrote this down immediately after I had this dream in early 2011 and then"publicly" shared it a year after I had this dream, end of 2012. I have watched as storms and floods have been widespread across our nation over the years, increasing in frequency. I have questioned and waited for a very specific picture that has been branded in my mind from the dream. If I see that then I know this is the sign that impending judgment is near. As far as the judgement coming from the "east" I'm not sure exactly what that means but we have witnessed the prophetic words of "all our foundations are cracked" come to pass. The condition of America now is a fulfillment of a word the Holy Spirit spoke to me in 2001. He said, "America will cease to exist has she always has." At the time I thought we were facing impending war. But over time I have seen America implode and bring in Islam (from the "east"), we are no longer the America that any of us grew up in. I have mourned the death of America. I am not sure that is what that meant or if there will be physical destruction coming from the east, as in China, unified with other nations. <br /><br />I can say I know a physical flood would be a warning sign, and I feel compelled to warn as that was my duty in the dream. I cannot say for certain that this current historical, catastrophic flood we see because of Hurricane Harvey is indeed the one I saw in my dream but I can say for certain other parts of this dream have already come to pass. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);">The warning is this: America is under judgement and any time we have to prepare spiritually needs to be taken extremely serious. If The Holy Spirit also leads to physically prepare do so. Turn your hearts back to God. Practice hearing Him. Where He is putting his finger on an area of your heart respond quickly. Forgive quickly and seek after Him with your whole heart. Guard your heart from becoming cold. Love God and love your neighbor. Be aware of the time you are living in. <br /><br /><br />Here is a link to the other <a href="http://amos811.blogspot.com/2012/11/geopolitical-dreams.html" target="_blank">prophetic dreams</a> I believe God has given me and some have already come to pass. </span><br />
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-1416401263784987182016-09-28T20:08:00.000-07:002016-09-28T20:14:13.279-07:00Part 1 of Taking Your Positon: The Art of Sinning <h2 class="date-header">
Monday, January 14, 2013</h2>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Take Your Position (Part 1)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My (at the time) 4 year old daughter received a beautiful Bible for Christmas. I had promised her when she began reading we would get her a “big girl” Bible. She was so thrilled to open her purple “leather” Bible that had her named engraved in silvery letter on front. Now we are committed to help the little ones "hide the Word in their hearts..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was reading to her Genesis Chapter 4 and it was discussing the offerings both Cain and Abel brought, and the Lord’s response to them. Genesis 4:6-7 says, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why are you looking so sad? 7 Do what is right. Then you will be accepted. If you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you. It longs to have you. But you must rule over it.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Such a simple and straightforward way the Lord spoke to Cain. He addressed Cain’s anger, his sadness and told him how to be accepted and told him also a warning of what would happen if he continued to allow his burning anger, jealousy etc to reign. We are not under the old covenant of law because Jesus, The Lamb of God offered Himself. Praise God! But sin is still something we must overcome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Romans Chapter 6 goes into wonderful detail about being slave to sin or a slave to righteousness that leads to holiness. A meaty chunk in Romans 6 says this, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I want to focus in on verse <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. </b>The apostles taught, people received and the Spirit transformed. I have heard some wonderful teaching on having something legally and having something experientially. Those who confess Jesus is Lord, believing in Him, His work at the cross, and His death and resurrection, have a legal standing before the Lord. They no more belong to the devil and they inherit eternal life. There are promises in the Lord that are ours legally, but have we taken hold of them experientially, by obedience?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Legally</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">- adj. Of, relating to, or concerned with law. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Experientially</b>- adj. Relating to or derived from experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In short to walk experientially is to walk in the promises, to experience the promises. Our legal standing will never be taken from us. There was a legal agreement made between you and God because of our mediator Jesus’s blood signed our covenant; our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; it is our legal position. However, it is possible to never take hold of promises of the Lord because of our walks. This is often times a confusion point for grace versus works. We are saved by grace alone; there is NOTHING we can do to earn it. But there is now a journey for us as Christians. Attaining a life that the Bible speaks of is something we walk. Where is our experiential position in the Lord? How does this echo in eternity? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We must know and understand we live in a spiritual world, with a very real and spiritual enemy. Satan hates us; he knows he can’t have your salvation but what he then goes after is your inheritance of promises; both in this life and for eternity. If he can trap you, paralyze you, blind you with anger, bitterness, lust, jealousy, pride, addictions etc then he knows you will not live a fruitful life in the Lord while on this earth. You will have minimal impact in the Kingdom, and he knows when you come before the Judgment Seat of Christ (not the White Throne Judgment) when we are rewarded according to your works while on the earth that we will fall short of what we could have had. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Practicing sin is very different than sinning. As we walk in the Lord, we WILL sin. We will lose our tempers, we will have bad thoughts, we may be jealous, manipulate others, victimizing ourselves, struggle with a hidden or secret sin. But if our response when we do sin is acknowledging it as sin and asking the Lord for forgiveness as changing our choices, even if we slip several times God sees our heart attitudes and works with us in it; disciplining us and refining us and we will have areas of sin we have truly overcome experientially! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s so clear to understand the natural effect of practicing something; eating right, exercising, studying, a sport, a hobby etc. We all know the saying, “practice makes perfect”. Now let’s apply that to sin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Practicing something means you aim to get better at it. The practicing of sin can be the honing in of skills like cutting people with your tongue, manipulating others to get your way, lying, cheating, boasting, even fear by not taking your thoughts captive and making them subject to Christ. But it’s never dealing with the sin; it is instead making it stronger by practicing it., making excuses for it, blaming others for it; whatever the tactic it's never dealt head on with. Just as a muscle gets bigger and stronger so will what you practice. If you practice righteousness, you will overcome. If you practice sin, it will overtake and imbalance your life and you will find yourself not living a victorious life of the promises of God, but instead a life of frustration, failure, broken relationships and repeating cycles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As God continues to illuminate those areas, point His finger on something what do we do with it? We can see our own cycles by the same "problem" but with new people or new circumstances. Do we cry and complain to God how hard it is, how He doesn’t understand? Bargaining with Him; if He would give us “so and so” we would then do “such and such”? Or do we yield and even if it hurts, is difficult or we don’t understand, we still obey? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That is a life of overcoming! The rewards are not only for this lifetime. They echo in eternity. I will discuss that more in the next article but I want to encourage today the life on this earth. We as Christians are an example whether we want to be or not, or think we are or not. We are examples of who God is, we are to be His lights for others, we are to point to Him. Today if you would get before the Lord in a time of silence would you examine your hearts and allow God to speak to you? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To glorify God means to correctly represent Him to the world. We will all continue to sin and fall but to humble ourselves and confess our sin and allow change in our hearts we will glorify God. It’s a continuing journey. Are you walking forward or are you standing in opposition to God, refusing to yield your life? Simply stating the promises of God will not produce the fruit, but the walking in </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">obedience</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. <span style="font-size: small;">Simply stating your "legal" stance is not enough, faith without works is dead. Walk it out experientially. Overcome. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lord, we need you. We thank You for the work that You have already done at the cross so that we can walk in the promises. Help us today Lord to be broken before you, if there is any area in our lives of “practicing sin”, please reveal it to us. Lord we desire to correctly represent You to this world and to others in the Body of Christ. Give us an understanding of overcoming and the promises we can have in this life and in eternity. In Jesus name, Amen. </span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-22273405632813397792016-03-18T06:54:00.003-07:002016-10-04T11:26:58.852-07:00TORNADO CATEGORY 5<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_1t">
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June 25, 2015<br />
<br />
Tornado Category F5. I am always so impacted by families searching through the debris after such a disastrous storm, trying to find something recognizable and salvaged in the splinters that were once their homes and lives; their normal. I always think of daunting the task would be. Where do they even start? Will it ever be cleaned up? Will this place they once called home be home again, with backyard picnics, Christmas mornings and family dinners. As they rummage through piles they might find a family heirloom, maybe just a picture they had, a stuffed animal, but its something. They hold it dearly as a treasure. <br />
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This week I have been praying and I feel the Lord gave me this picture. In seasons of our lives we have storms, crazy storms that we all learn to weather. But every once in awhile we are caught off guard by the category F5. It can tear through our lives and devastate in such a way that there are causalities and hopelessness. In the midst of the storm the focus and thoughts are only basic survival. But when the storm subsides the focus turns to the aftermath; the cleanup and rebuilding. Where do you begin to pick up the pieces and rebuild?<br />
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My heart was heavy as I thought about this and I imagine so many F5s that have wreaked complete havoc on marriages, relationships, business ventures that seem to have ended in broken dreams and complete loss. But as I saw this image in my mind playing out while praying, I saw the beauty in searching and finding the treasure amongst all the broken debris. Maybe the little treasure is a memory of why you fell in love with the person you now seem to not be able to stand. Maybe the treasure is a promise of God you have for a child you have no earthly reason to believe will turn around, maybe its the treasure of a dream and talent you had, a passion. Maybe it's the strength for yourself to still breath, still smile after a loss of a loved one<br />
, or your child's smile if they have lost. Even if all has seemingly been lost, find and search out the treasures in the wreckage. Allow God the time to heal. Yes the cleanup requires work and is exhausting and costly; its timely and requires a different perseverance than what was happening in the midst of the storm. It has to move from basic survival mentality to restoration mentality. <br />
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If you have been with a F5 that has devastated, look for the treasures in the mess, remember "why", and roll your sleeves up to be ready to rebuild, putting God in the center to guide, bring peace and comfort. He will often times bring those "clean-up volunteers" alongside of us to shoulder the pain, the work, the mess. I thank God for those helpers who have shouldered with me; in prayer, service, laughs and tears. <br />
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-48535219355433781242016-03-04T10:46:00.001-08:002016-12-10T05:50:37.468-08:00JAGGED LITTLE ROCK<div>
<strong>December 18, 2011</strong><br />
Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep. Over the years I have learned that there is something special to this as it is a time to be quiet before the Lord. I have purposed my sleepless nights won’t be in vain, so instead I pray, read my Bible, worship until I can fall back asleep. When I am awake at night by myself I always remember Psalm 134:<br />
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<strong>1</strong>Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord<br />
who minister by night in the house of the Lord. <br />
<strong>2</strong>Lift up your hands in the sanctuary<br />
and praise the Lord.<br />
<strong>3</strong>May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth,<br />
bless you from Zion<br />
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I am reminded that I can serve as a minister even in the night, unto the Lord. I have found myself very often woken and praying in the Spirit or in intercession for another. I will lift my hands in the middle of the night and praise my Lord. It’s in these times I hear more clearly from the Lord.<br />
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My prayer times often goes like this: Praise and wonderment about His good works, pleading with Him to allow me to hear Him, confessing my sins and even the things I am not sure of, praising Him. I ask Him to make in me a clean heart and to expose my own motives to me, to show me my errors. I pray for others as they are laid upon my heart. I ask for correction for myself, I ask for discipline. For over the years I haven’t just learned to KNOW His truths but to LOVE them…even the hard ones. I realize it does me no good to pretend to myself or become stiff-necked. It’s far easier to just accept correction.<br />
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So last night I am asking, “Lord what are you doing w/me?” I then see a jagged rock, a little jagged rock. It has sharp edges. I ask the Lord, kind of sad with what I am seeing…”Is this me Lord?” Then I see that same rock in a river with flowing waters. As I watch I see this jagged rock flowing with the river, bumping and knocking into other jagged rocks. As time goes on and this rock keeps flowing with the river, the rock begins to take on a different form. Its sharp edges get knocked off, it becomes smoother and round.<br />
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I was impressed with the understanding that this rock needed two things for it to change. One, it had to have the flow of the water, and two it had to have the other rocks crashing into it, bumping it around for the rock to change.<br />
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Then my eye caught the sight of other rocks; they weren’t getting crashed into or bumped around or flowing in the river. These rocks had settled into a pool of nonliving water, like a bayou or swamp. A bayou branches off the main river and it is boggy and stagnant, with such little flowing water that it seems to be standing still. The rocks in that bayou were comfortable but coated with mossy slime. The bayou rocks were not in danger of crashing into others, they weren’t being displaced. I asked the Lord about this. I understood that in our Christian walk we are being transformed more and more into the image of Christ. The flow of the Spirit is a never ending flow. But being in that flow is painful, it’s messy, its unsure at times. But that is the way the jagged edges are taken off the rock. It must be in the flow and it must be bumping into other rocks. This is how God chooses to change us.<br />
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But the rocks in the swampy waters were nice and settled. They had gone through enough tumbling in river they had once been flowing in. But somewhere along the flow they got off and settled into comfort. They know what they know... what they know…they have settled that. And although once flowing in the fresh waters they no longer seek the ongoing flowing truths of the Lord (I am not talking about initial salvation here, for in that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling…to be sure we know). They won’t budge. Perhaps they believe they know all they need to as if they have arrived at the complete understanding of the Gospel. Or maybe they think since they don’t understand it, it must not be God. These slimy rocks miss out of the fresh word of the Lord. They miss out on the move of the Lord because they don’t recognize the flow of the Spirit. They speak of the moves of the Lord in past tense and wish for the good ole days.<br />
<br />
I have heard time and time again, these same rocks speak that God is going to do a “new thing”. Yet they themselves never receive it because they judge that the new thing as an “added” thing because it doesn’t fit into their dusty old teachings, rather than understand the “new” thing is an opening of the eyes of the plan of the Lord, that was established from the beginning of His time, that we were once blind to. For it has its appointed time. It’s not the adding to scripture but the unveiling of it.<br />
<br />
There were always forerunners for these moves. They were “out of season”. In hindsight we can look back and note moves of the Lord through Martin Luther, the Pentecostal movement, the charismatic moves. But in their time the bayou rocks spoke against it. The rocks were used still in the place they settled. They spoke the truths of the Lord. God used their gifts and allowed them to stay where they wanted. But the sad thing is for as much as they recite with their mouths the words of Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Their hearts are far from that.<br />
<br />
There is a new move of God on the horizon; there is always more to learn, to hear what the Spirit is saying. We have a choice. We can get into the river, knowing full well we are not going to control the flow of the river and also knowing that we are going to be shaped by the smoothing effects of the bumping and crunching of others. God knowing the process is painful yet asking us to trust Him. Or we can settle into our little bayou; feeling confident of not “getting hurt”, preaching the truths of the Lord, He revealed in the time we once were in the flow. His truths are absolute. But in that place of security comes the risk of missing out on the fresh water flow.<br />
<br />
I thanked the Lord for putting me in the river, for showing me He is refining me. I thank the Lord He asks me to let Him be in control, knowing that I am in unfamiliar territory and am going to get bumped around. However, as this happens, as long as I don’t decide I have had enough or think I have arrived and don’t get off in the stagnant water of the bayou, I can trust that I will have the eyes to see and the ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. I thank the Lord for carrying me in that river and for showing me that He cares about this little jagged rock.<br />
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Brothers and sisters if this speaks to your heart, be encouraged to know the Lord is all about refining you. It’s not a clean cut formation; rather it takes time and the experiences in this life that give room for correct response and most importantly the flow of the river. It’s the laying down of control and the idea of jumping into a comfortable little bayou; out of the raging waters of the river. Sometimes those waters are more calm, but then there are times that they are like flood waters. Or if you feel the Spirit is prompting you and telling you to come back into the flow of the Spirit, don’t delay. That bayou may have been “safe” and with a comfortable certainty but dear friends it’s a settling. The Lord is calling you out today. That is His invitation. Jump in, don’t simply put your feet in, or get in waist high. Get in and submerge yourself fully. I pray this blesses.<br /><br />
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-3309650719937937992015-08-22T09:27:00.003-07:002015-08-22T09:52:43.292-07:00The Christian Walk of Fear and of Faith<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happy Birthday to my dear youngest son, Benjamin Eli;
"the son of my right hand"; a promise and one of the greatest tests
of my faith in trusting in God....no matter what. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Benjamin's adventures)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Bible says in</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he
who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a very painful, back labor filled, 22 hour homebirth
of my daughter Annabella, who weighed in at 10lbs I was nervous to go it again
17 months later, without being in a hospital with pain meds. Mid-way in my
pregnancy I felt the Holy Spirit direct me to do just that and yet came with
this instruction a very somber feeling of something bad going to happen. I
sought the Lord daily for comfort, a word, a reassurance. I didn't get any of
that. Just a simple instruction that I was to have this baby at home and each
time the same daunting feeling swept over me. We had not really settled on a
name but what was in my heart was Benjamin Elijah, named after the Bible heroes
of faith. Yet, I wouldn't dare tell anyone this or even allow myself to name
him that because Benjamin's mother Rachel had died during child birth and with
the impending doom feeling I had it was like I was speaking a self-fulfilling prophecy.
So we called him Harlen West while I was pregnant :-) </span></div>
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(one month before he was born was already 8lbs)</div>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weeks carried on and with it the secret I held in my
heart was something bad would happen. Why, Lord? Why are You asking me to have
this child at home when something is going to occur? Why are you asking me to
put my child's life or my life on the line when I am the mother of 4 other
children that need their mommy? I pleaded and asked for answers, a promise, but
none was given. A few months before delivery I began writing "good-bye"
letters to my other children, husband and family. They were written with tears
pouring out of my eyes, my heart wrenched. I knew I would not disobey God....no
matter what, and that in my mind meant possibly to death. He wasn't answering
my "whys", no promise of good outcome, but the simple command to have
this baby at home. One night as I was writing the Holy Spirit very loudly said,
"stop writing those." I tried to argue and explain how cruel it would
be to leave my family with no words. But the simple answer was "no". </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I cried out that night I was reminded of several things</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.) God's ways are not our ways, His thoughts are high
above.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Isaiah 55:8)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.) It is impossible to please God without faith. (Hebrews
6:11)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.) 2 times in the Bible did God miraculously part the
waters for the children of Israel to go through. The first was with the Red
Sea. Pharaoh and his army was after them and Moses instructed to lift his
staff. The waters parted! They walked through on dry ground. They had no where
else to go, they were afraid and cried to Moses and God delivered them and took
care of their enemy, when they saw this they "feared the Lord and put
their trust in Him and Moses, His servant. " The second time was much
different. They had been through testing, trials, discipline, many miracles and
after 40 years finally going to enter the Promised Land. But this time they
were given instructions. The ark of the covenant, carried by the priests were
to go through the camp and go before them. A measure of 2000 cubits was to divide
them from the Ark. This time no Moses, no raising of the staff and going
performing a miracle BEFORE they had to act in faith. No, this time the priests
had to put their feet into the raging waters of the overflowing waters while
carrying the ark. It was AFTER this act that God parted the waters and dry land
appeared, as the priests stood in the midst of the Jordan they all passed
through in safety. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we grow in our walk and ask God to use us, to be
glorified in our lives our walks of faith and acts of obedience according to
faith should grow too. So that night I felt assured that no matter what, God is
the King of kings, the Lord of lords, that He had a plan for my life and if
that was to die in obedience than so be it. I had peace that surpassed all
understanding and that didn't mean I lacked fear, it just meant that despite
the circumstances I trusted in God. I settled it that night. I still didn't
have my answers as to what was going to happen, He wasn't parting the Red sea
for me, but instead I was having to dip my feet in the Jordan River, but HE
would go before me. As we walk closer to the Lord He stretches our faith, He may remove the awareness of His presence, stop giving us abundant confirmations around every corner. He may not "close the door" we are forcing open and instead allow us to flounder and struggle. What will we do? God allows us to see our response to Him. He allows us to see our faith. I still stole glances and gave lots of kisses and spent
special time and made sure my family knew I loved them. I laughed and cuddled
and prayed. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My due date came and went, now realizing this baby was HUGE.
So huge my nerves were compressed and my leg would go out. I was in pain, I was
having labor that would last days and then suddenly stop. I was exhausted and
all the while I had this little baby that never...I mean ever...stopped moving
and flipping. Going breech even up to a week before he was born. One morning I
awoke early to feel different. Today was going to be the day. I woke Dhyan up
early to go steal away and have breakfast with me and Annabella. I ate
breakfast fully in labor without telling Dhyan, until I got to the point where
the contractions were taking my breath away and I couldn't talk anymore. I
finally told him, "Ok I am in labor". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Due date, 40 weeks...no baby)</span></div>
</div>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the way home the rain was falling gently, it was a
"cooler" morning. Starting to get excited we called the midwife and
she was already at another birth! That wasn't suppose to happen. I didn't even
care, I would have this baby no matter what. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward through all the laboring details, my wonderful
sister in law, who is a doula was attending to me, as well as my husband. The
midwife came just in time for pushing; it was time for delivery. Baby came out
textbook, his head was faced down and perfect....then he flipped. He completely
turned while his head was delivered to a complete posterior position. I could
not deliver him. I pushed, I was pulled out of the water. The clock was ticking
as the entire mood of the room changed. This was serious. Double shoulder
dystocia. I yelled to everyone to start praying. The pain was immeasurable as I
felt like my back was breaking. My midwife did so much of her training in
Belize with high risk pregnancy and no doctors. In her training she had come
across dystocia and began doing the "regularly taught" methods, but
her mentor stopped her and told her that doesn't help and can cause damage. She
showed her how to safely deliver the shoulders by folding the baby like a taco
and pulling out. I liken that pain to a medieval torture chamber, getting
pulled apart or something quite dramatic! Just under 5 minutes had passed with
the baby a lack of oxygen. His cord was wrapped around his neck and had been
compressed in the birth canal. He was purple. He didn't cry but as he was laid
on my chest I knew everything was ok. Everyone else wasn't so sure, but I knew
God's peace. He finally curled his little lower lip down and cried. It was the
most precious, beautiful cry ever. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10 pound 8 ounces, 22 1/2 inches long! Let me say that
again, 10 and half pounds of almost 2 feet long baby!! He was the size of a toddler
(well practically)! His birth was a miracle. It was especially a miracle
because he suffered no nerve damage. In cases like this in a hospital the
outcome is usually very different. It is the fear of doctors and midwives, its
a medical emergency. Often times involves resuscitation, NICU stay, episiotomy,
broken clavicles on baby, nerve damage, blood loss for mom, and even death. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(miracle)</span></div>
</div>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The drama was over and baby was ok. NOW the enemy of my soul
was on overtime. Baby was not named Harlen but I couldn't bring myself to name
him yet. "Benjamin" brought with it fear of me dying. The baby was ok
but I was pretty weak, lost blood, in pain and felt "off". Still I
was silent. I would wake up at night and my heart was beating so slowly which
scared me because I have a resting heart rate of 80, it was instead 40. I
didn't tell anyone, not even my husband as I wasn't emotionally prepared to
explain to him the last few months of my faith walk. On the 3rd day the midwife
came to check me and baby out again and told me, "Okay I have to send the
paperwork in...we need a name." My husband and I looked at each other and
I said, "Benjamin Eli Hatton". I wrote it down and fell asleep for a
nap. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I woke from my nap trembling. I was shaking so hard I was
moving the bed. I felt so sick and feverish. I thought to myself I have
mastitis. I crawled out of bed and left to the urgent care to get antibiotics.
I went alone since the "swine flu" was going around and I didn't want
the baby to exposed. The drive felt forever as I was so sick, I check in and
they did my vitals. They were alarming. My resting heart rate was 160, my blood
pressure was very low, I had a fever and couldn't stop shaking. Even in my
heart I knew it was mastitis but in my silent time in the waiting room...often
times I see those the "waiting room of life", I had time to think the
"what ifs". </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What if I die now. I did name him Ben. The enemy was on
overtime. "You're going to die, you see." As I am given an emergency
blanket the doctor comes in and says, "We are arranging transport by
ambulance to the ER....you know, because back in the day women would die like
this, having babies at home...then leaves the room." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
My sister appears from nowhere (she had heard I was down there by myself). I
saw her and began to cry. We prayed and I was transported. Funny a man I used
to work with in the ER was the paramedic and was very comforting. I told the
docs I what I thought and eventually it was ruled to be mastitis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(one week old next to his friend who was born 2 days after him)</span></div>
</div>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The battle against fear didn't end there though. It clung
itself to me for years like a dark cloak that smothered me. Normal
circumstances of regular sicknesses and bumps/bruises were anxiety inducing. Benjamin seemed to find
himself in situations NONE of my other children ever had. At 6 weeks old he
began projectile vomiting daily...every single day until he was 8 months old, had to Xray and see why his chest was sunken
in. At 8 weeks old he got the dreaded swine flu; so so sick. By the time he was
2 he had broken his arm, been electrocuted with an exit burn right under his
heart, got stuck in a shopping cart and had to be cut out, near drowned in swim
lesson, RSV, terrible bronchitis and croup were part of any simple cold. By the
time he was 3 he was climbing and flipping and everywhere and fell on his head
and cracked a tooth that needed a cap. It seemed if it could happen, it would
happen with him. The fear in simply Ben existing and all the "what ifs" of impending injuries and illnesses were wrought with strangling fear. I would like to say God miraculously delivered me overnight
and I don't struggle. But that's not how God chose to do that. Instead He has
walked with me in the valley of shadow of death, holding me, refocusing me,
teaching me to battle. I have not completely overcome but I can say I am an
overcomer. Its not come through God parting the red sea but instead making me
dip my feet in the raging waters. Fear does not control me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Ben found a piece of pipe and wanted to give it to his older sister as a ring)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Happy Birthday to the sweetest, most grateful, kindhearted,
giving boy I know. Thank you for being a warrior who fights for and enjoys life
to the fullest. Thanks be to God who has written our stories and gives us
opportunity to walk in faith.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(my warrior)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-45297451709441412082015-01-01T13:10:00.000-08:002015-01-02T05:52:59.853-08:00"Don't be Chicken" January 1, 2015<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>January 1, 2015<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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2010-2014 have been very trying years in so many ways. Of course all years are filled with the good, the bad and the ugly, but if it
weren't for the peace of God amongst the trials and “valleys of death”, I would
lose hope. Toward the end of this year the Holy Spirit began heavily reminding
me to be like an eagle and not a chicken. Chickens are earthbound, scratching
and pecking always looking at the ground; not able to fly, their only
perspective is from the ground. They
follow each other without even looking where the first one running is going,
they just follow the commotion. When a storm comes they naturally run for cover
in a confused frenzy. Eagles, on the
other hand, are heavenly bound and soar high. They see far beyond what is in
front of them. They are usually solitary birds (yet can recognize his own, another eagle, soaring up to 50 miles away) and don’t follow any “flock” waiting for other birds to direct them. The same storm that leaves a chicken
running for cover is used to the advantage of the eagle. They use the strong
winds to lift them even higher, sometimes even above the low-lying storm
clouds. As I watch my beloved chickens pecking at the ground I realize how much
time they spend looking down, pecking around in a confined backyard. I don’t
want to be a chicken. I know the things the Holy Spirit has revealed to me
require that I have eagle eyes and to not focus in on my earthbound problems;
seeing in the spiritual instead of natural, being eternal minded instead temporal. Instead I pray to be an eagle, not confined to seeing what is
simply in front of, not hiding when the storm comes, but rather soaring in the
storm. </div>
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<br /></div>
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That is easier said than done. As the storms come in and rock my world
and cause all sorts of doubt, emotions and the enemy seems to be taking
territory it is hard to stand in that battle without running to retreat;
crippled in fear. So as I go into another year of spiritual battle I can look and see the training. The difficulties, trials and flat out attacks that were meant by the enemy to crush, paralyze, steal, kill and destroy instead become the strength training tools. I become
more and more comfortable with my weapon and armor. I become wiser to how the
enemy fights; his plans and schemes, I become more aware that I am no longer a
soldier in boot camp training but rather a soldier who has done a few tours. I
know what spiritual war looks like, I know to a fuller understanding now the
prophetic word given to me decades ago from of having a forehead of flint (Ezekiel); a
face set like flint (Isaiah). As I continually remind myself of what command the Lord
has given, I am in a constant fight with myself to be spirit-led instead of
leading myself from a place of emotion, seen circumstances or outcomes I
expected to be different. A soldier of Christ therefore wars from the heavenly
realm, because he/she has spiritual vision. Often times this sort of life is
misunderstood, certainly by the world, but also by many of their brothers and
sisters in Christ. This is the natural and narrowing walk as we draw closer and closer to Him.<br />
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<b>2 Timothy 2:3 You
therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that
wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him
who has chosen him to be a soldier.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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There are many pictures and examples of these people in the
Bible. They are known as the “remnant, overcomers, the 100 fold, Zion, the
Man-child, Sons of Zadok, Holy of holies company, first-fruits, Gideon’s 300, Elijah company, “those
that come out of her”, etc. Each example is a Bible teaching in itself and foreshadows the small and faithful, uncompromising from each generation. These aren't super saints, self proclaimed "elitists", or big name preachers. These are common people, from all walks of life who simply love the Lord with all their heart, soul and mind. They hear the Lord's voice and respond.<br />
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The other picture the Holy Spirit has given me continually since 2008 is of
Places of Refuge and Lighthouses. That, in this time, the Lord is making these simultaneously. As His hand of favor, protection and blessing is being lifted and judgment
begins that He has a remnant that He will use as places of refuge or
Lighthouses. I looked into the history of lighthouses and found two very
compelling things that from a secular wording stood out as spiritually highlighted. Lighthouses serve two purposes: they warn
from danger and they bring into safety. Their light and their siren warn of
impending danger. </div>
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“They serve to warn the sailor of dangerous reefs beneath the
sea or perilous rocky coasts on land, and to guide ships into a safe harbor or
back out to sea. So the message of the lighthouse might be – STAY AWAY, DANGER,
BEWARE, or COME THIS WAY. Every lighthouse tells the mariner, "This is exactly
where you are"….Fog bells were used as well as steam whistles and reed trumpets
and sirens. The sounds they gave out were generally low pitched and very mournful
- almost like a wail.” (http://www.nps.gov)<br />
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I cannot help but hear the prophetic voice in the nature of the lighthouse. The
mournful cry of impending danger has been heard throughout the land; the alarm
has been going off and some are awakened to hear it, others are hitting the
snooze button and sleeping in or ignoring the alarm. <br />
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I see 2015 as a continual progression of God’s warnings to a sleeping church
and to a nation who has turned her back on God in an ever-increasing fast track
that is exponentially propelling headlong into judgment. And yet in God’s
mercy, grace and love He has always had a remnant. I pray this year those who
are slumbering, or have accepted compromise, living as carnal Christians will
hear the alarms and will turn back to God. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at
hand. <br />
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<b>Malachi 3:1 "I
will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the
Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,
whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Luke 1:7 And he will
go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of
the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the
righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."<br />
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Matthew 11:13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>14 “And if you are willing to accept it, John
himself is Elijah who was to come. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>15 “He
who has ears to hear, let him hear.” <br />
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Malachi 4:5<span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span>Behold, I will
send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of
the Lord. <sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></sup>And
he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the
children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”<br />
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The spirit of prophet type, Elijah, will once again come before the Day of the
Lord, for the same purpose that John the Baptist served. What an "odd, intense, fanatic" of a man he
was, coming out of the wilderness, wearing camel hair clothes, eating locust and honey. He would not compromise the Word or the
calling, he pointed to Jesus constantly, without self-glorification and his
call was a call to repentance without mincing words. He was an alarm. He was a
lighthouse pointing to THE LIGHT. <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 1:6 There was a man sent from God,
whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the
Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent
to bear witness of that Light.<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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If there is a yearning in your heart as you read this, I pray you will allow God to move you to a place of truth. Truth in these times, in your calling and truth in allowing Him to place that uncomfortable finger on those places in your heart that He is calling you out of compromise, to live in HIS light and to become a vessel of His light shining through you in these darkening times. I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe that may feel like lonesome eagles. I pray for your strength, your courage and perseverance, and thank God for where He has placed you to be an example. I thank God for strategically placing Lighthouses in this world, nation, communities. </div>
Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-57047699865613914262014-11-13T08:40:00.000-08:002014-11-13T08:40:24.029-08:00WHATEVER YOU DO…<h2 class="date-header" style="background-color: #228822; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; min-height: 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eefff5; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: inherit; padding: inherit;">Tuesday, January 1, 2013</span></h2>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">1/1/2013<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 24.533334732055664px;">WHATEVER YOU DO…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">When a verse in the Bible comes alive to us, it changes our vision, our perspective and our life. As Christians we know this is true as we have seen the power of the gospel transform us. We are born again! Our spirits that were once dead are alive in Christ and communicate with God Almighty! I love when a verse that I have read pops out to me as if it is highlighted and all of a sudden I have understanding; godly wisdom that literally changes me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Colossians 3:23-25 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I have heard this verse a million times, I grew up listening to scripture songs and I sung my little heart out to this verse. Something was deposited in my spirit and later in life came very alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I used to work night shifts in an emergency room hospital. I was an ER tech that was working on my nursing degree. For people who don’t understand working in an ER breeds a whole type of people, and those who work the night shift definitely are a different breed altogether. The hospital ER is actually ran by nurses, and the docs who come in are not hospital staff, they are contract doctors, at least in this hospital. Then there are the ER techs. They assist docs in procedures, do the dirty work involving poop, vomit, pee, blood etc, draw blood, put in catheters, cast breaks, transport patients, EKGs, hold teeny newborns in a crunched ball for Dr to do spinal tap, and a variety of things specific to the cases that come in. As an ER tech I truly saw the patients more than the nurses and certainly more than the dr. It was tiring, especially for me since I am a morning bird and not a night owl; 3 shifts of 12 hours, 7pm to 7am in a row. Meanwhile I had 3 small, homeschooled children at home that slept while I worked. I would return home and sleep a few hours and wake up to homeschool and do the duties of mom, wife, student and teacher. When my husband would return from work I would sleep an hour and then get up make dinner, kiss my family goodbye and head off to the odd world of night shift in the ER. I squeezed in my own studying and homework on days off. I lived in a buzzy feeling of semi-reality, off of redbull, coffee, bouillon cubes in hot water and fruit. My system was completely messed up and I felt like I was a sleeping person with automatic responses to things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I describe all of that to give you a picture of my reality. It wasn’t glamorous, it was hard, exhausting, never-ending; a continuous cycle of taking care of people’s needs. I had to switch my realities from being covered in blood and rushing around with a team of nurses and docs for a 19 year old dying with his brains falling out of his head because of gang violence, yet still stopping to pray and hold his hand as he died, knowing soon a mother would be notified of her son’s death. I would hear and feel the crackles of broken ribs under my hands while I would be doing CPR on a grandma, as her family stood outside waiting with impending doom; again with every compression I was praying for the Lord to be there, speak to her, comfort her before she died. I would be the person left to wait with a family until death came for a father who just dropped while walking with his children. The family surrounding him, the docs letting them know there is nothing more they can do; the bells, chimes, alarms going off signaling life is running out. I just stood, quietly praying in the Spirit, knowing my Lord was with me and I was His servant interceding and standing as a representative of Jesus. It’s funny; they would look at me without words but huge questions in their eyes, not to the doctors for comfort. I would place a hand on the shoulder, make eye contact, and in those moments I knew that the realm of spiritual authority rested with me and not on the medical staff. So many other experiences that were so intense would then be left as I drove away, come home, peel my clothes off in laundry room to immediately wash away the night’s germs, blood and gore. I would then wake to making “froggy in the pond” eggs and toast, teaching about the different types of rocks, quizzing math facts, correcting grammar, and work on unit studies about medieval times. I was living a life of contradiction; a need for gentleness yet strength that was beyond me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">In seasons of life we juggle more than other times, this was one of those times. I prayed fervently while working. I needed His strength. One night it was slow, the nurses were sitting together on one side of the station, the doc on the other. I didn’t know where to go. There is often an unsaid tension between some of the docs and nurses, and I found the ER tech was the bridge. I knew if I sat down I would be making a statement, I also knew if I sat down I would probably fall asleep. So I worked. And as I worked I found myself singing, “whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord, rather than for man. Knowing it’s for the Lord you will receive and inheritance, its Christ who you serve…” Then it hit me, the more I sang the more Gods plan was unfolding before me. Other verses came into my mind about if you do this unto the least of these you are doing unto Him, referring to Matthew 25:40. The light came on!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">That moment I shifted from even caring about the accolades, the acceptance of my superiors, my pay, or fitting in. I cared only about my “employment” to the Lord. My heart was joyful. I made beds, cleaned blood, empty garbage, stocked medical supplies on the down time everyone else was sitting down for. I smiled and joyfully took vitals, and when patients did come in I served in my heart knowing it was for the Lord. Every shift was an opportunity for me to do unto the Lord, and truly understanding that it didn’t matter what I was doing but I did my best for God. I didn’t cut corners, I didn’t sit down, I didn’t complain because I knew I was accountable to God, He was seeing what I was doing and I cared about only pleasing Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Weeks went on, months went on and it seemed I was oblivious to the talk around me. I had a greater purpose, and doctors began requesting me in their stations and telling the head nurse that they wanted to only work with me. Nurses began thanking me for being so helpful and on top of things in the room and with the patients, and some even told me to stop because I was making them all look bad. I was completely unaware of what God was doing through me until one night I came in for my shift and all the nurses and other techs were looking at me and smiling and started saying things like “Wow, that’s pretty awesome”, or “very impressed”…I had no idea what they were talking about so I just went about my business and finally said to me, “You’ve made quite the impression.” I asked what they were talking about. They said, “Oh you didn’t read the bulletin board in the break room?” So when time permitted I went into the break room, almost embarrassed to see what was in there. On the bulletin board was a letter from the director of the ER going on about ME! I was so humbled by it all; he had been receiving letters from the ER docs praising me to him. I was so shocked by it, as I stood there I realized they were drawn to me because of Christ in me. The Holy Spirit began flooding my heart with understanding. At this point I felt the impact of working unto the Lord. I thanked Him and asked for further wisdom. It was at this time the Holy Spirit began speaking to me about the patients.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">One night in particular stands out to me when I look at pivotal moments in my life. The Lord had been speaking to me about not continuing nursing school; in short to lay it down. I was struggling with this. I was set to obey the Lord and hadn’t told anyone at work yet. A doctor who requested me for her tech was chatting more with me. She was a very rough person, sarcastic and cutting, she cussed like a sailor and was feared by nurses and even other doctors but she was top-notch, never missed a thing and although feared she was greatly respected. But that night I got a peek to her vulnerable side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">As the night went on she began telling me how she was raised in a rich home with no parents there, ever. She was given every material thing she needed but no love. I felt compassion for her and just prayed for her as I worked that night. Something strange happened. She had gone to treat a patient with a hurt arm and diagnosed a sprain. I was then sent to him to wrap it and take vitals to release him. As I touched his arm the Holy Spirit spoke to me that his arm was broken. I didn’t know what to do. I needed to be submissive to the doctor, and was afraid of saying anything, so I quietly prayed, but I didn’t have peace in letting him go. I humbly went to the doctor and told her that I think his arm is broken. She looked indignant, surprised yet softened and now intrigued. She said, “Ok…I will order an Xray.” I went along with my duties, time passed and then she called me over to her. She let me know it was indeed broken and gave me my instructions for the type of cast I needed to put on it. I could feel her watching me. Hours went on and regular talk went on. Then arrived a man with severe pain. She ordered normal tests, nurse began IV and I needed to take vitals. Again, when I went to put my hands on him, the Spirit spoke to me, “Upper GI bleed.” My heart raced. Again I felt I need to just tell her. I was scared now. So I told her, I think he has an upper GI bleed. She hadn’t even begun his work-up! She looked at me with suspicious curiosity. Again she order tests, and ultrasounds according to what I was telling her. Hours later she called me over to her and told me I was right. She then paused to tell me she was going to keep her eyes on me. She went on to tell me I shouldn’t be a nurse that I should be a doctor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">It was then that I told her I was actually quitting school. She looked floored and almost angry at me. She told me I was making a mistake. I just smiled. She then asked if it was a money issue, and I am pretty convinced she was about to offer to pay for my schooling. I told her no, that I felt I needed to be home with my family. She looked dumbfounded but smiled. That was one of my last shifts there and it was the last time I worked with her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">The years went on and the lesson the Lord was intensely teaching me began to fade as homeschool became harder, life was getting “boring”. It seemed I fell into the lie that my everyday life of being a mom, wife and teacher was sucking the identity right out of me. I was cranky and everything was a chore. I began feeling entitled to be bigger, make something out of my life, and contribute to the household income. What I laid down years before I picked right back up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Back to school for me, I was excelling and yet justifying my decisions to myself by saying it would maybe lead to us having enough money to then take greater part in ministry. I was accepted into the bachelor program at ASU and was a few weeks away from starting, the day I was going to purchase my books, the Lord spoke to me again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">He gave me a clear choice, letting me know that I could choose either thing. I felt I would be blessed in pursuing being a nurse. I didn’t feel like I would be disobeying Him or messing up my life, but then He said, “You can do this, but I have something better for you.” He told me I didn’t need a degree to be used in healing. Then my mind was flooded with how He gave me supernatural wisdom at the hospital. I cried and cried, literally brokenhearted. I wanted so much to trust the Lord. I wanted what He called would be “better” for me. I was realizing how hard I had made it on myself by picking up what I already laid down years before. Was all of this in vain? I was so close…again and now the Lord was offering me a promise I couldn’t see, didn’t know how it would look and it required faith and laying down any education or my own understanding. It would require me trusting Him to fulfill what He was offering as I wouldn’t know how to attain it. It wasn’t going to be a success I could measure with grades, promotion, or skills tests. It was going to be a complete reliance on the Spirit. I got before the Lord and cried and told I want His better way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I would like to say it has been nothing but a miraculous and glorious time since that day; that like Peter, my shadow can pass by and heal people’s infirmities. It is not, but I hold fast to the promise in the Lord and at unexpected times I will lay hands on my children or my husband and the Lord has healed. I have many times past by someone and the Lord will speak to me problem. I just know. So I pray as I pass by, I have no way to prove anything, or any way of knowing if they were healed but I go back to my lesson He taught me in the hospital; “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">So now in my everyday life I live it intentionally. I serve Him by serving others. If its wiping a boogar nose, homeschooling, rubbing my husband’s shoulders, making dinner every single night of my life, cleaning toilets, holding a sick and vomiting child, helping a friend in need, writing, giving, taking a cart back for an older woman, helping a blind person in the store, listening to a weary fellow sister, making meals, going without, cleaning the kitchen, interceding for a dying man, and yes even the laundry, I do it for Him. I do it to serve Him and He will count it as righteousness to me in heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Live an extraordinary life in your ordinary day. Because it doesn’t matter who sees it here on earth, He sees it all. My identity is not in what I do, but rather who I am. I am a servant of the Most High God and every single day He gives me is a gift to not be wasted. How can I glorify Him today…in my life? In my home? In my marriage? With my children? To the unsaved? To the hurt or lonely? I choose to live intentionally, no matter the season He has me in. Don’t accept the trick that you always are working to something in the future. It is here and now. Today counts, in WHATEVER you do, if you are doing it unto the Lord. This is a daily reminder, a practice I have to train in and fights against the definition of “success”.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Lord help us to serve You in whatever we do, that You'd reveal the riches to us in doing the "boring, menial, grunt, same old-same old, predictable jobs" as well as the other things You have called us to in our giftings. But that in no matter what we do, we would glorify You. In Jesus name. amen</span></div>
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-33621188000562561972014-04-07T13:14:00.001-07:002014-04-07T13:19:52.526-07:00SNAP SHOTS<div class="MsoNormal">
June 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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I grew up in a Christian home. I grew up in the Church. Christian behavior and love was modeled for me. My parents were not divorced;
in fact they kissed and hugged and laughed around us. We prayed together as a
family, we ate dinner at the table every night. My parents did not smoke or
drink or cuss. We went to church, tithed, helped out the needy. They helped us
with our homework and disciplined us. They gave us chores and limited TV and
went to parent/teacher conferences. My parents put us in music lessons,
gymnastic or ballet and were the proud parents that would cheer us in our part
in the school play, no matter how big or small. They made us say “yes ma’am or
yes sir”, and would not tolerate disrespect. In short I was blessed and
privileged to have such a good upbringing. I had no clear reason to blame for my behavior and with such an upbringing it would be
probably expected that I never would stray.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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But stray I did during my teen years. I can look back on my life and shake my
head at myself and as a parent now understand the pain, the confusion it can
cause to watch your child rebel so strongly against everything you ever tried
to instill. As an adult now, who loves the Lord with all my heart and truly
earnestly try to serve the Lord in all I do, I cringe when I look back on some
of the “snapshots” of my life. But in God's goodness He allowed me to stray, allowed me to wallow in my rebellion and come to the end of myself. He knows the end from the beginning; Philippians 1:6 "<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." </span></span><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Snapshots:</b> those moments branded into my memory; the good,
the bad and the ugly. Those moments that have caused pain to others, those that
I am ashamed of, those that have had life-long consequences, and those that
don’t resemble the person I am now. They freeze you in time and to those who
they have negatively affected that memory can keep you there; forever frozen in
their mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In my straying years I can run through a reel of snapshots
in my mind that play out a crazy, selfish, mean, lying, violent, foolish,
arrogant, thieving, cheating, brash, failing school, controlling, drunk, seductive,
self-willed Janette. Pretty much all the “do nots” in the Bible. Even as I write
this, I blush and thank the Lord nobody else can see the thoughts running
through my mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I also thank the Lord that He doesn't freeze us in our
snapshots, like we tend to do as humans; to ourselves or to others. There is
nothing I can hide from God. He saw it all and He grieved, yet He still loved
me; as much as He does today when my snapshots would look very different. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have been in situations where someone who I haven’t seen
in decades still has an idea about me based from a snapshot. That feeling of
humiliation rushes over me as I can remember why they view me presently
solidified in time as the person who was mean to them, or broke their trust, or
was the crazy girl that could out drink them, or watched me fist fight in a
parking lot….or a whole lot of other possible flashes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Lord tests our hearts to allow us to see what is really
inside of us. How much pressure can a vessel withstand before it cracks? How
much heat does it cause to bring the dross to the top to refine it. He knows
each one of us, the heart we have and the circumstances that will bring forth
the ugly so we can see it as well and deal with it. Even if I surprised myself or those around me in the things I did, I never surprised God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My life as a Christian has been and always be a series of
storms, tests, seasons to bring forth the change from glory to glory by the
transforming power of His Spirit; a continual refining to be conformed to image
of Christ. Will I accept His dealings when I am exposed to myself? Will I judge
others before their time; freezing them in a snapshot? Oh Lord give us the eyes
of the eternal so we may be gracious to one another, loving one another,
bearing with one another, praying for one another, to not keep a record of
wrong doing, to exhort, admonish and speak God’s word into each other’s lives.
Oh Lord, as we all journey to come to the end of ourselves, help us to not have
temporal eyes so that we may pray with Your power because we can pray by not
what we see but rather what is unseen.</div>
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-88239055475101441872013-08-26T06:07:00.000-07:002015-01-03T06:28:24.486-08:00 “Prepare”…Are You Whitewashed?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8/13/13<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />"HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR"<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Last night as Dhyan was praying for Annabella (our 5 year
old) at bedtime, she stopped him and said, "Dad, Jesus is talking to
me." So He said,"Ok , then listen to what He is saying." This
morning August 13, 2013) she told me, "Mom! I forgot to tell you, Jesus was talking to me
last night! He said, "I am coming soon, so prepare." She didn't know what those words meant so she asked Him,
"What does prepare mean?" He didn't answer her back, but she told me
today. This is the very word He spoke to me 3 years ago, "Prepare",
and to several others. At night I got before the Lord as my heart was heavy. I
had talked to a few people, sharing this word with them, and though it
resonated there is the question of what does that mean specifically. I feel the
Lord has shown me that our heart is what He is looking at, that we cannot be
consumed with busyness, apathy, compromise and false teachings that promote
nothing but self. He has been speaking to me about the times we are in and that
if we understood we wouldn’t be going on as “business as usual”, trying to
establish ourselves, like they did with the tower of babel, saying, “Come, let
us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven,
and let us make for ourselves a name…”, isn’t this the same spirit we see in
operation today! Instead we should be crying out in repentance, preparing
ourselves and Gods people. Instead of preaching prosperity, favor, blessing and
establishing ourselves we instead preached: prepare, give away, don't store up
treasures, repent, return to your first love, get your homes spiritually in
order, look for His coming. As He reminded me of all of this I still continued
to petition the Lord for a specific understanding. Two nights later I had the
following dream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dream 8/15/13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Dreamt a woman was getting married, renewing her vows. We
were all rushing around trying to get ready for this wedding, but there was
such a frustration because her closest friends/sisters knew she was in the
middle of a divorce and it was a big show she was putting on for the people. I
was getting frustrated because I began to think about the money spent, the time
put into all of this, the effort and it was all a facade. I asked her,” aren’t you
guys getting divorced, I don’t understand?” She said, “yeah but people don’t
know that and everyone is expecting this”. So everyone continued running around saying
“get read, get ready”. Meanwhile she was “getting ready” so she could go out to
her husband make a false proclamation of her love and devotion, when beneath
all the false words, and dress, she had a heart of adultery and divorce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In light of the prophetic word that the Holy Spirit has been
giving, “prepare”, and get ready, I thought this was a sobering picture of the
church condition. I asked the Lord for interpretation and this is what He
showed to me: <b>A church who says they are ready, but it’s a facade. Their heart
is a heart of divorce and adultery toward God and not one of a bride in love</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />
But they were doing the whole show on the outside (white-washed), spending the
time, spending the money and putting a “show” on for the people. It was a
picture of a busyness and a heart of divorce and adultery with an outside
appearance of the “right” thing (white-washed).
This is a picture of the American "church"...all these programs, all
these teachings, all these “prophetic words”, things that do nothing but elevate and honor
"self" and God is only included to hook a blessing , favor and an unarguable authority to our SELF agendas.
Blessings, favor, prosperity, peace is the false prophetic word. It is what we
want to hear but this is not what God is saying. The “prophets” and “apostles”
are honoring God with their lips and saying the “right” things, yet God sees
beneath the white wash and sees the heart. Then I was reminded immediately of
this verse:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="reg" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 15.75pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /><b>7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I called my father to tell him the dream and he said it confirmed for him what the Lord was showing him in Ezekiel a few nights earlier. He pointed me to chpt 13.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord! 3 Thus says the Lord God, “Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing. 4 O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins. 5 You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, ‘The Lord declares,’ when the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word. 7 Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when you said, ‘The Lord declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?” 8 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “Because you have spoken falsehood and seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord God. 9 “So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may know that I am the Lord God. 10 It is definitely because they have misled My people by saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold, they plaster it over with whitewash; 11 so tell those who plaster it over with whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones, will fall; and a violent wind will break out. 12 Behold, when the wall has fallen, will you not be asked, ‘Where is the plaster with which you plastered it?’” 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, “I will make a violent wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and hailstones to consume it in wrath. 14 So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare; and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I am the Lord. 15 Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone and its plasterers are gone, 16 along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ declares the Lord God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The prophets and priests had not prepared a
people, instead they whitewashed over the cracks in the wall to make it appear
that it was a solid wall; they misled the people with their false prophecies.
The Lord God Himself said He would destroy this. Likewise, the Lord God Himself
will also destroy the false <u>system</u> of “church” that has not prepared the
people, and bring it down to its foundation to lay bare. He sees the heart. Ask
Him to reveal your heart to you…</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-79933044144372192192013-06-04T13:26:00.000-07:002013-06-04T13:26:03.094-07:00Does Your Marriage Ideals Align With the World or the Word?<br />
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May 21, 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes I am asked, "What's God saying to you?"
and sometimes I don't really feel like sharing what He is speaking to me
because I know it may not be received well. In this day and age where men are
practically accused of "hate crimes" for being strong men of faith
and taking their godly positions in the family, and women have become so
convinced that being a submissive wife is a "bad word" or degrading,
you can see why I would avoid such controversial talk. So what do I think God
is saying? I believe He is restoring once again righteous order into families,
and the enemy is on overtime attacking homes! Its hard enough to have a healthy
productive marriage, but even harder to have a Christian one under the all out,
vicious war that there is on family. When God gives me a word, I listen up
because I know that means He is going to have me walk it first, test me in it.
In 2006 He spoke to me, in that word there was one part that kept repeating
itself to me as I have tried with my natural mind and strength to achieve this
over the last 7 years. I have always been complimented by others of the kind of
wife I am, but there was a deeper understanding that I could not grasp; the
beauty of gentleness. I constantly came short because even if my actions
changed my heart had not, and it would only take a fight to expose my heart.
Certainly what my cup was filled with would come out once bumped.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So what was this
wisdom I was trying to achieve? "I will put righteous order in your family
the way My holiness demands." It was a few years ago when I was at the end
of myself, I had tried and tried to be this wife He was speaking of me to be.
He allowed me to exhaust my ideas, ways and strengths and be broken, then He
began to reveal to me His character, why this was so important in a marriage
and how we together, as husband and wife, are to reflect the relationship of
Jesus and His Church. I have by no means perfected this, but now I can say when
I stumble and sin and respond wrongly it truly is a conduct problem, not an
attitude/heart problem. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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Women: If you understood the beauty in your position of a
wife you wouldn't hinge your obedience to His Word on whether or not your husband was doing
all he is supposed to. Instead you would see yourself accountable to God, not
dependent on your husband's obedience, but rather your attitude of submission
to Jesus. You would understand that you are called to be a reflection of the
Bride (the Church), how we ought to respond, and our relationship with Christ,
as we reflect that in our marriage it's a spiritual reflection of our heart
toward Jesus. You wouldn’t despise being the “weaker vessel”, or the word
submission. You would be thankful and lift up your husband in prayer as you begin
to see the weightiness of his responsibility before God for you and his
children.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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Men: likewise, you would understand to reflect Christ to
your wife and to your children, with honor given, love and grace shown, laying
down your own life; understanding she is the weaker vessel. You would see yourself as her covering, protection, and
understand that her vulnerability to you will also be the degree in which you
can crush her with harsh words, unkind actions, lack of leadership, or selfishness. To have her
trust and vulnerability cannot be understood if you don't also understand
"to much is given, much is required." You would understand that you
need to wholly submit yourself to God for direction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What I see instead (in general) is a flip-flopped, twisted
version of what God intended. I see women being encouraged to be “strong”,
which by the worlds standards equates to , “tell it like it is, don’t back
down, I can do anything as good as a man” attitude. Sadly we have been lied to
and have lost sight that our strength is in the Lord; in what He has called us
to be. I have found more strength in my silence and self control, more strength in my prayers that nobody sees, more strength in not saying that thing I wanted to say than what the world tells me is strength. I have found I am strong in the Lord when I am weak in Him .<br /><br />The condition of what a man has been attacked with is that he needs
to be weaker, quieter, and if he isn’t then he is an ignorant, chauvinistic
hater. I see that men face an especially hard role as the world screams this and the christian wife can absolutely degrade and disrespect with her words and then expect him to be the "spiritual lead". In everything he is facing he's being told (by words, responses, actions) that he is not good enough, spiritual enough, too spiritual, not weak enough, not strong enough. He's stuck in an internal conflict and ends up floundering and failing. Sometimes as wives we want them to be weak when we want our way, but when the family is falling apart to be the strong "lead".<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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Men take up the battle by getting before the Lord on your
face, asking Him for a revelation and how to be an example of Christ. Women,
you too battle, but on your knees and face against the lies that have
completely taken over this nation on what you are supposed to look like. Husband and wife, understand that your
marriage should reflect Jesus and His bride; that in itself the lived out example of love and submission,
the protection and trust would speak volumes to the world, to your children and
to other Christians. This takes a transforming of heart, not of will power. </div>
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Remember that it is work to have a marriage and effort. I don't care how long you have been married, God has put into woman to feel loved, protected, listened to, desired, respected and valued, and into a man to feel respected, valued needed, appreciated, and desired. However often times we forget that those needs are satisfied differently for man and woman. The best thing we can do is remember this and fulfill each others needs not by fulfilling ours, rather putting each other first. I have found the desire to fulfill those needs come naturally. Another thing is just stop. Stop the cycle of who started something, or "I do this because you do that", etc. Instead align yourself with the roll God gave to you and allow time for the other to do the same, with patience and prayer. Basically understand you are accountable to God for your role in the marriage and if the other one is falling short doesn't give you the right to. Like my mom always said, "Two wrongs don't make a right." Choose to forgive even if forgiveness wasn't asked. Go on dates, and pray for one another. Pray you see your spouse the way God does, ask for spiritual eyes.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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Lord, may we have revelation of this and align ourselves
with Your will and be a people who glorify You and represent a beautiful
picture of Christ and His Church. In Jesus name. Amen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-77789460897208152552013-04-13T16:24:00.000-07:002013-04-13T16:27:41.068-07:00Have You Stopped Learning?<br />
April 13, 2013<br />
<br />
<br />
Over a lifetime of ministry you will refine and adjust your general theology. Nothing will be contrary to the simplicity of Christ crucified, but as Paul demonstrates that as we grow and "mature" there is more to learn. He describes this as "Gods' wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom". He further says, its' revealed by the Spirit, and that the Spirit searches the depths of God. Since the time I was saved as a young child and since have walked this journey for 35 years already, I have come to some conclusions. One important thing is that we need to be expecting, asking, seeking the Lord to reveal His further truths through His Spirit. We are human and anyone that claims to have hold of understanding ALL of Gods word has deceived himself and misses out. "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." If you have been walking a long time w/God do you still ask Him to change your mind to line up with His? Do you still seek the Spirit on understanding? Many times when we come to Jesus we learn a lot in the first years, and kinda settle in...have you left any room for the Holy Spirit to still reveal peeks and revelations into the endless depth of the mind of God? Oh Lord, Your ways are perfect, Your depths impossible to know, keep me ever vigilant in desiring to see You revealed through Your Word, as the Spirit give understanding. In Jesus name, amen.<br />
<br />
"And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.<br />
<br />
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8[the wisdom] which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;<br />
<br />
but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND [which] HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."<br />
<br />
For to us God revealed [them] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the [thoughts] of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the [thoughts] of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual [thoughts] with spiritual [words].<br />
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But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ."Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-82452566691645868522012-12-15T08:50:00.000-08:002012-12-15T09:47:58.265-08:00The times we are in...What will you do?12/15/12<br />
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<br />
This morning as I was praying and thinking I decided to research the gun massacres since columbine. From April 20, 1999 through 2008 there have been 15 massacres that have rocked our country, that is 15 in 10 years. However, in LESS THAN 4 years from the time Obama took office, from then until now, we have had 17 massacres (on average that is 1.5 massacres per year compared to 4.2 massacres now). That is more than less the time span with more massacres! It has almost tripled since he has taken office. I am sure that if we looked at other stats (divorce, people leaving the church, violent crimes, etc.) we would probably see the same trend. People cannot deny things have rapidly been changing in America these last 4 years. As well, we have seen truly gruesome and sheer evil things taking place, such as, people eating others attacking them, pulling out their own intestines! Looking back his campaign slogan of “change” was prophetic.<br />
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The Bible urges us to have eyes and ears that understand the spiritual realm. The natural and the spiritual work in conjunction with each other, however if your eyes are not perceiving what is happening in the spiritual then you will try to fight a spiritual battle with natural means. <br />
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I am sure over the years I have offended, irritated maybe even scared some with the things I have written. I get weary sometimes saying the same things over with the sense that very few are listening. Yet, I am compelled to write. My words are not meant to offend, to start debates or scare; rather they are to warn and shed light, and I must say them.<br />
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The night in 2008 that our nation elected Obama as president I felt very strongly a spiritual shift. I looked over at Dhyan and told him, “we have just turned our backs on God as a nation and we are facing judgment.” Obama said it best himself when he said, “we are no longer a Christian nation…”.Many Christians have put the whole load of blame on Obama, and I have said time and time again, he is simply a representation of the heart of America. I had no interest in the last election as I felt our fate was already spoken. <br />
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I have warned that we are facing judgment and the word that Lord kept speaking was, “wake up, and prepare.” I am not talking about in the natural, although that’s good too, but I am speaking preparing in the spiritual. Many Christians are ignoring God’s timeline. They want to bury their head in the sand. We cannot do that. I have heard many say, “these things have been around forever.” Yes…all throughout history. However, the rate at which they are happening, specifically in America is alarming, and at least should grab our attention. As well around the world we can all see an impending explosion; so much unrest, so much war. Not to mention that 2011 marked a year of unprecedented, and record breaking natural disasters; so much so that the scientists were awestruck. <br />
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I truly believe that when we spoke in 2008, the favor and hand of protection that the Lord has graciously blessed America with is lifting. The demonic strongholds and attacks had been given restraint, but that hand of God is lifting and the dark is spreading its shadows over America. <br />
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I have written several times about labor pains. In the beginning stages of labor it can almost be unclear if you’re actually in labor. However, as the labor becomes active labor the contractions are more regular, more painfully intense and closer together. How important it is to understand the spiritual right now. We must accept God’s timeline and heed the warnings and instruction. He gives us these because He knows what has been let loose on the land. If we are only looking at the natural we tend to battle only in the natural. But that is simply a distraction. The oppression, depression, anxiety of people is skyrocketing. Hope is diminishing. <br />
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Luke 21: 25“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken”<br />
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So what do we do now? This is the question I keep asking the Lord. First of all, have the conversation with God about His timeline. If you are angry, scared etc talk to Him about it. He will give you peace. Thank Him for his warnings. Draw into Him. Lay down the things of the world and keep your eyes on Jesus. Jesus asked if He would find faith when He returns. Why? In Matthew the Bible tells us that “because of the increase of wickedness, most people’s love would grow cold.” I have been so saddened that I have heard about many that have proclaimed Christ, are walking away because they cannot see God in all the pain. We need to guard our love for God and for each other. As evil spreads its wings over our land, over our world, the days will get darker. However, the Lord has spoken that He is preparing “places of refuge” and “lighthouses”. As the dark gets darker the Light will get brighter. The world is becoming more extreme; the gray is disappearing. Get off the line, don’t straddle. <br />
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These are the times. God has not disappeared; He has not turned a blind eye. Guard up your hearts, put on your armor and prepare for battle. The attack is very real and is increasing. Pray as a family; seek God with all your heart trust in Him. Rid yourself of the distractions that this world offers, re-evaluate your priorities. Lord, open the eyes of Your people to reveal to them the times we are in, that we may see the plans of the enemy. Help us Lord in our weakness, expose our hearts to us and reveal where our first love lies. As You do, I ask for grace, that You would cause us to see You in Truth and that we would fall in love with You once again and that we would be a people who would love You with all our heart, soul and mind and then love our neighbors like ourselves. In Jesus name. Amen. <br />
<br />Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-84398163136809269632012-11-14T15:56:00.003-08:002017-08-28T15:52:09.902-07:00Geopolitical Dreams<br />
<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">11/11/11</span><br />
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I have not yet written on this "Dreams" page, it has stayed blank for over a year...just waiting. Everything written below on the dreams was actually written months ago and I have archived them in my computer, simply waiting for more events to unfold. I have written the dreams out when they occurred and saved them, sometimes for years. I only copy/pasted from my documents. Every New Year I pray and seek the Lord and ask of Him "Lord what are You doing among Your world this year." The year 2011 began with an earthquake in Argentina and it seemd the earth hasn't stopped shaking since. A few more earthuakes occurred in January and then the dead fish and birds started to catch my attention so I began praying even more. At the end of February of 2011 I had the 3rd dream in geopolitical/disaster related. I wrote the dream down and shared it with a few people. Shortly after that more earthquakes, more dead fish and the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Then more dead fish and bird, earthquakes and tornadoes, then floodings. Then droughts and fires. 2011 has surely been a year marked with disaster are a larger scale then in the past. Now recently we have had our nation begin to implode with the uproar of the current Occupy Wallstreet. I have written and was shown these things before the disasters around the world of 2011 before the unfolding of the current Israel and Iran growing conflict, before Obama has spoken bad about Israel or the growing union between Russia, China and Iran over the new sanctions. I read today how China is "Iran's new bestfriend" and will not agree with any new sanctions on Iran.<br />
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I have not publically shared these dreams until now. I believe the Lord is speaking and showing many of His people very similar things. He does so to reveal and warn on what He is about to do on the earth. We should pray for discernment for the truth in messages conveyed by men, pray for ears to hear and eyes to see what the Spirit is doing.<br />
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I have never been savvy on political or geopolitical understanding. In fact I never registered to vote until I felt convicted to do so for the Obama/McCain presidential run. However, over the years I have had a growing desire to understand what is happening around the world and in the USA. This desire didn’t come from anything other than dreams that I feel have been given to me by the Lord.<br />
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I have had 3 distinct dreams political/geopolitical in nature that have piqued my curiosity. Other than that I am a simple home schooling mother to 5 children, grew up in a Christian home and have given my whole life solely for the purpose to be open to be used of God in this time. I have had other dreams that have been “prophetic” in nature but were about individuals. In my prayer times the Holy Spirit has spoken to me things to “proclaim” that have come to pass. I don’t claim to be a prophet but I also will not ignore when the Lord speaks.<br />
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The dreams I have had about the USA have made me be ever aware of where we are in these times. They have changed the way I see things and have made me have a strong voice and stance. I feel if I have a “platform”, so to speak, it would be to the Christian to wake up and stand your ground; not to compromise the words of God. We are entering a time that I see as will be fulfilled in Amos 8:11 “Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.” I believe for the Christian we are being given very clear signs and evidence that we are entering the last days and to not be caught off guard or unaware; to seek the Lord now and yield to His discipline to train our ears to hear Him now. Chaos will be upon us and if we are not ready we will be floundering. He is calling us to Him. I believe that He will also be setting up people and places as “Lighthouses” and “Places of refuge”. I see these will be places of refuge in the days to come. I believe they will serve as places of safety. I believe the Lord has even set out places He has saved for such times; pieces of property that have been spared and dedicated to the Lord.<br />
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I have not shared these dreams on a large public scale, only writing them down and saving them. I have only shared them with family and close friends. But as I am seeing them start to unfold and become reality I would like to share them.<br />
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<strong>The first one was very simple. This dream was in the summer of 2001 or 2002.</strong> I am embarrassed to say this but honestly at this point I had no interest, or even the slightest clue, in politics or even events in the world. I didn’t understand who our allies or enemies were and I didn’t understand power and alliances between other countries. In the dream there was a sense of chaos, fear and panic. I am in a car in the passenger seat and my husband is driving. Out of nowhere seems to be an unexpected panic or chaos around, as I look out the window to see what is happening I see a flag being hoisted up on American ground. It isn’t an American flag though. It was 2 flags in half sewn to make one flag. One side was Russia, the other side China. That was the whole dream. (just updated 1/2/2015 to inculde pic below that was taken in 2014)<br />
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<strong>The second dream March 9, 2005</strong>. It was quite intricate in nature but I will give you the short version. The land of America was being completely devastated; just torn up. It was quite horrific. Everyone was gasping (Christians) and then a monster comes onto the picture. But he walks in backwards; the monster itself was a word that walking backwards and we could see one letter at a time coming on; S-S-E-N-I-D-E-E-R-G. Everyone was gasping; fearfully distraught, as it was coming on the screen with its huge gaping mouth chewing up the land. As it was slowly revealed the Christians could see it spelled out "GREEDINESS". The moment they saw what the word was, they said, "Oh its just greed”, and turned their back on it. The monster looked almost silly and non-threatening in a way; like a sesame street character. Meanwhile it continued to devastate and destroy America. That one was several years ago before the economy plunge.<br />
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<strong>End of February 2011</strong> This one has not yet been fulfilled and is written on a separate page. <a href="http://amos811.blogspot.com/2017/08/flooding-and-coming-judgement-of-america.html" target="_blank">Flooding and coming judgement of America</a><br />
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Blessings<br />
Janette<br />
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-57341701215602144792012-11-05T14:50:00.000-08:002015-01-02T08:09:16.845-08:00Last Days: Confusion in the Church/Lawlessness: "Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?"<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b>October 29, 2012</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Last Days: Confusion in the Church”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“I AM not concerned with the name of a church, you have set yourself in high places and collaborate among yourselves what you are willing to hear. I AM God and I identify My people. You have given false identity to some that I did not, and to others you have stripped away the identity that I have given them.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This word was given to me out of the blue during a prophetic worship service in 2004. I have not shared this publically and as with many of the things I feel the impression of the Holy Spirit I wait on them. The Lord has instructed for me to write them down and save them. Many of them I even forget about until the Holy Spirit reminds me of them….they have a time to be spoken. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Habukkak 2:2 Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. 3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This was the word the Lord reminded me of the other night as I was crying with a heavy heart. I feel like I am watching apostasy of the church unfold before my very eyes. There has always been a compromise in the Church but before Jesus returns the Bible says the Church will be apostate; turning away from the faith. Why does this happen? Jesus explains to His disciples (Matthew 24:3-13) 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 <b><u>“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. </u></b>13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">* 1 Corinthians 15:46 shows us a spiritual principle that shows us that we can see things in the natural that occur and then also then see those things take place in the spiritual,<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">The s</span><span style="line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">piritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual</span></span><span style="line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">." </span>We can also know that in 1 Peter 4:17 it says, <b>"</b></span><span style="line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><b>For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" </b>We have watched our nation become more and more "lawless", in fact entire articles have been written about the "Lawlessness" of our current administration. This is a natural picture of the condition of our nation. When we see this as a sign in a nation we can look at the condition of the church as well and see there is a spirit of lawlessness (acting without restraint/approval) that has completely infiltrated and this is the spiritual picture. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All of Jeremiah 5 is timely word for the church, but all week these verses have been on my heart as I pray about the condition of the Church. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jeremiah 5: 23‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and departed. 24‘They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest.” 25‘your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you. 26‘For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch men. 27‘Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich. 28‘They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor. 29‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the LORD, ‘On a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?’ 30“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so. But what will you do at the end of it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Can you see this? There is now a generally accepted council of “apostles and prophets” that have set themselves up in this nation that promote "Holy Spirit experiences". T</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">hey preach on wealth and prosperity and blessings, blessings, blessings. They have "signs and wonders"- gold falling from the ceiling, people laughing uncontrollably, They have taken it upon themselves to make schools and leadership training to recognize and promote people rather than seeing an anointing of the Spirit. God doesn't need leadership trained people (not saying being trained in how to lead is wrong), He wants Spirit led people, but that often tears down man-made agendas and ways! They have become rich and tickle the ears of their followers promising nothing but blessing and forget about the reverence and holiness of our Lord. They have “heaven on earth”, “international invasion”, “unlimited anointing”, "glory river" conferences that all promote how Christians will become rich or have "experiences</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"; they sale their ministry for profit (read here <a href="http://amos811.blogspot.com/p/dream-may-25-2012-i-had-dream-about-two_12.html" target="_blank">Spirit of Balaam</a>). Where is God in this?? I have watched over the years their ever changing "prophecies" because when they were saying "peace peace, blessings and prosperity", the true prophetic word was "Repent", and then the economy plunges. They cater to their ego and instead of repenting keep going forward in their agenda. They "prophecy" all will be well, America will come back, some even falsely prophesying the last election. Only to be dismayed and have to change their prophecies again. All along God has been shaking them to cause them to repent and turn back to Him. They promote their man-made agenda by saying things like, “creating an environment where the Kingdom of God can flourish.” They are full of mixture but speak enough truth to ensnare and trap, because of their arrogance and pride, they themselves are ensnared and trapped. They prophesy in His name, people are performing miracles in His name; healings and deliverance…how can this be if they are working in a compromised or deceived manner?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Could this be why Jesus says In Matthew 7: 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">First, can you recognize that Jesus is naming here 3 "power gifts"; prophecy, deliverance and healing, these are people from the Spirit-baptized church realm (in regards to relation of the tabernacle this is not the "outer court " (salvation) experience, but rather a "holy place" (Spirit baptism) experience. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let’s recall what happened to the Levite priests. They had gone astray and profaned the holy things of God. When the Lord spoke to Ezekiel He was explaining how He would restore the temple. These compromised Levitcal priests were not thrown out (Romans 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable) they were allowed to minister to the people and in the house of God BUT were not to minister unto God Himself or His holy things. What a sad trade for compromise. But notice, they will still minister, God will still use them for the people, services and work but they are not permitted to serve unto HIM. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ezekiel 44: 10 But the Levites who went far from <u>Me</u> when Israel went astray, who went astray from <u>Me</u> after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in <u>My</u> sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house and ministering in the house; they shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn against them,” declares the Lord God, “that they shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. 13 And they shall not come near to <u>Me</u> to serve as a priest to <u>Me</u>, nor come near to any of <u>My</u> holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they will bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14 Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all its service and of all that shall be done in it. 15 “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of <u>My</u> sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from <u>Me</u>, shall come near to <u>Me</u> to minister to <u>Me</u>; and they shall stand before <u>Me</u> to offer <u>Me</u> the fat and the blood,” declares the Lord God. 16 “They shall enter <u>My</u> sanctuary; they shall come near to <u>My</u> table to minister to <u>Me</u> and keep <u>My</u> charge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In these 6 very revealing verses we can see the Lord has made a point in saying “Me or My” 16 times! There is a point to be made here. There is a distinction being made. We must also remember this is not simply a story. This is a type and shadow, a picture for us now. In Romans 15:4 it says, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Again we read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” What is the lesson here? The Levites, whom God appointed had compromised and profaned the holy things of God, they led the people astray and did it all “in service” to God. Can you see this happening now? Do we see that God still allows His people to be ministered to because He is sovereign? He can use a donkey to speak, surely He can use any compromised preacher, yet there is a punishment for that preacher. They prophesy in His name, perform miracles, cast out demons but they DID NOT DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER! They are without restraint or “lawless”. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yet there were a group of Levitical priest, the sons of Zadok (who are also a picture of the remnant church, the "man-child",overcomers, etc. who did not compromise. They minister to the Lord Himself! Praise God. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In the verse that Jesus says in Matthew 7:21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” We need to also understand the word /phrase “kingdom of heaven”. This word is translated: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule a) NOT to be confused with an actual kingdom BUT RATHER the right or authority to rule over a kingdom. b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom (copy/pasted from concordance)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I do not see this as a salvation issue, rather a ruling and reigning issue. Will all Christians “rule and reign” (not talking about salvation here...but the inherited promises/rewards) with Christ? The fast, but hard answer I believe is, no, (Ouch! Did I just step on some toes, maybe a lifetime of beliefs...please hear me out.) <span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The promises made in the Bible are “if…then” statements or conditions; there are way too many scriptures to list here but I urge you to search this out. </span> We have 2 inheritances in the Lord. First we have our salvation that cannot be earned. It’s a free gift of salvation, by the blood atonement Jesus made for us. Any who believe on this shall be saved. (Acts 16:30-31, Mark 16:16, Romans 10:9-10, John 11:25-26, etc) In understanding that it is our belief of the Jesus’s work on the cross, His bloodshed, death and resurrection that took our place, is our redemption, then it CANNOT also be a work-based requirement as well. Scripture will not negate itself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In light of Matthew 7:21 where these people are saying “Lord, Lord” to Jesus, proclaiming all that they have done in His name, let’s see what other scriptures make this possible. 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.” So for anyone to even be able to say “Jesus is Lord”, they can only do so through the Holy Spirit. Another passage says in 1 John 4:2-3 “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” If I could sum up the central point of this writing in this: It is possible for saved people who God has called can become deceived and STILL prophesy, STILL preach, STILL be used in healings, STILL evangelize and STILL proclaim the name of Jesus and call Him Lord. BUT they can do so without restraint. They can be so full of mixture that they speak some truths of God mixed in with a lot of self-glorifying doctrines. Oh how incredibly sad on the day these face Jesus. They have received their reward in full on earth; they opted for notoriety, riches, fame, and prosperity in the earthly age. They did not lose their salvation…they didn’t even lose their gifts and callings. But they did not allow Jesus to be LORD in their lives. Meaning they were saved by the blood of Jesus, baptized with an anointing of Christ but did not surrender their lives to have Him be LORD. Jesus, Christ, Lord shows a beautiful progression of our Christian walk. This is a trap anyone can fall into, that’s why we must finish the race well. I think some have surrendered their lives down and one point and ministered in Truth…maybe for most of their ministry, but deception can come in and they pick back up the control and they become “lord” of their lives again. <br /><br />Jesus asked (Luke 6:46) "</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s an interesting thing to point out that when we read in the Bible when it speaks of “works or actions” Jesus as “Lord” is named, but when it speaks </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">about our faith in Him, Jesus as</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Christ” is named. We know we must all confess Him as Lord to be saved, but walking in obedience (sanctification) as Him Lord in your heart is different than salvation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The second inheritance is our position in the Lord, or the promises we receive in the Kingdom. These promises are however “if…then” statements. In other words there is an action on our part, which is simple. It’s the obedience to act in faith on the things the Lord puts His finger on in your life. It’s the walk of that is spoken of in 1 Peter 1: 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I heard a great saying once: “Everyone’s cup in heaven will be full, but not everyone will have the same size cup.” Again, this is not speaking of salvation (justification) but moreover about our sanctification. So the question I pose today is, does it matter what we buy into as Christians in this relatively short time we have on earth, will our decisions echo in eternity? Are all the popular ministers, prophets, apostles who claim “Thus sayeth the Lord”, really representing the will of the Father, or are they “without restraint” or as Jesus says who practice “Lawlessness”. Is there a price to pay by buying into and supporting these ministries? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Psalm 69:9 For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jesus disciples remembered that verse as Jesus cleared the temple and overturned the money tables. He drove out those buying AND selling! They had made the house of God into a marketplace…can we, as His disciples, recognize the same spirit at work today?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let us remember the sobering words written in God’s word: 2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In short, sound doctrine will not be listened to, instead the things people WANT TO HEAR (blessings, riches, prosperity, power, experiences, etc) in comparison to what people DON’T WANT TO HEAR (repentance, trials, tribulations, judgment (yet the Lord will be with us!). So many preach on the love of God but forget His holiness, they have devalued God into a giant, gift giving, and wish granting god. MYTHS. But the instruction we are left with is to endure the hardships, opposite of the blessings and prosperity messages, and continue to evangelize. Simple. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We are promised several things in this life by Jesus, here are a few: we will have problems in this world BUT be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."<br /><br />So I pose to you today: Is it possible to be doing "good and godly" things in His name, that God never approved, but instead have done so "without restraint" (lawlessness/iniquity)? Can there be a rebellious self will that God desires to put His finger on? Is it possible to be a born-again, Spirit-filled, baptized believer that God still uses for His glory and yet still unyielding to the instruction and discipline of the Lord? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Be careful to allow God to search you and show you your own heart, if there is a "self" way in what you "do unto the Lord". To me, as a Christian, there is no more sobering picture than to stand before Jesus with nothing but wood, hay and stubble; thinking all along you had gold, silver and precious stones. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 "<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Cor-3-12" id="en-NKJV-28423">Now if anyone builds on this foundation <i>with</i> gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, </span><span class="text 1Cor-3-13" id="en-NKJV-28424">each
one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it
will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of
what sort it is. </span><span class="text 1Cor-3-14" id="en-NKJV-28425"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>If anyone’s work which he has built on <i>it</i> endures, he will receive a reward. </span><span class="text 1Cor-3-15" id="en-NKJV-28426">If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Cor-3-15" id="en-NKJV-28426"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> And do not be fooled/blinded with self- righteousness...Deut 9:4-6 <span style="font-size: small;">"</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="versetext" id="de9-4" style="display: inline;"><span class="versenum"></span>Do not <span class="strongs">say</span> in your <span class="strongs">heart</span> when the <span class="strongs">LORD</span> your <span class="strongs">God</span> has <span class="strongs">driven</span> them out <span class="strongs">before</span> <span class="strongs"></span> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="a"></a>you, 'Because of my <span class="strongs">righteousness</span> the <span class="strongs">LORD</span> has <span class="strongs">brought</span> me in to <span class="strongs">possess</span> <span class="strongs">this</span> <span class="strongs">land</span>,' but it is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="2"></a>because of the <span class="strongs">wickedness</span> of <span class="strongs">these</span> <span class="strongs">nations</span> that the <span class="strongs">LORD</span> is <span class="strongs">dispossessing</span> them <span class="strongs">before</span> <span class="strongs"></span> you.
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<span class="versetext" id="de9-5" style="display: inline;"><span class="versenum">5</span>
"It is <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="3"></a>not for your <span class="strongs">righteousness</span> or for the <span class="strongs">uprightness</span> of your <span class="strongs">heart</span> that you are <span class="strongs">going</span> to <span class="strongs">possess</span> their <span class="strongs">land</span>, but it is <span class="strongs">because</span> of the <span class="strongs">wickedness</span> of <span class="strongs">these</span> <span class="strongs">nations</span> that the <span class="strongs">LORD</span> your <span class="strongs">God</span> is <span class="strongs">driving</span> them out <span class="strongs">before</span> <span class="strongs"></span> you, in <span class="strongs">order</span> to <span class="strongs">confirm</span> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="4"></a>the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="b"></a><span class="strongs">oath</span> <span class="strongs">which</span> the <span class="strongs">LORD</span> <span class="strongs">swore</span> to your <span class="strongs">fathers</span>, to <span class="strongs">Abraham</span>, <span class="strongs">Isaac</span> and <span class="strongs">Jacob</span>.
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<span class="versetext" id="de9-6" style="display: inline;"><span class="versenum">6</span>
<span class="strongs">"Know</span>, then, it is not because of your <span class="strongs">righteousness</span> that the <span class="strongs">LORD</span> your <span class="strongs">God</span> is <span class="strongs">giving</span> you <span class="strongs">this</span> <span class="strongs">good</span> <span class="strongs">land</span> to <span class="strongs">possess</span>, for you are <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="5"></a>a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="c"></a><span class="strongs">stubborn</span> <span class="strongs"></span> <span class="strongs">people</span>"....God still uses rebellious/stubborn/self-willed Christians in His Kingdom...
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let this be the prayer of our heart: Psalm 139:23-24, <span style="font-size: small;">"<span class="text Ps-139-23" id="en-KJV-16263">Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:</span><span class="text Ps-139-24" id="en-KJV-16264"><sup> </sup>And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."</span></span></span>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-77027687466501678372012-10-10T12:29:00.001-07:002015-02-01T07:07:57.000-08:00"I AM WHO I AM"October 2012<br />
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I met the I AM; the same I AM that spoke to Moses, instructing him. (Exodus 3:13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations."<br />
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He audibly spoke to me and I have never been the same. I have heard some say that meeting the Lord in such a significant way costs them greatly; the worst experience of my life and the best. It almost cost me my literal life, instead I have a physical reminder; a painful daily reminder. <br />
I cannot place my experience in a tidy little theological box and tie it up with a pretty bow. I have many questions and wonder if I will ever have their answers on this side of the veil. Why? What happened? What did it mean? Was it an attack to take me in an untimely death? Was it prophetic in nature? Although I have all these questions swirling around in my mind, September 2004 (now a decade), since my life was forever changed, there is one thing I do not question; that is the voice of the I AM. The same God that created the heavens and earth and all in it, the God who created the visible and invisible, the God who has all authority to simply speak and creation happens, heard my cry and rescued me from death. He spoke and all order came into place. His voice carried ALL authority, ALL power, ALL order. He is my God and I will serve Him all the days of my life. <br />
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I have grown up in the Lord, all my days. I was given to God in the womb, dedicated to Him as a baby, baptized in the Spirit at 3 years old with my older sister who was 5, during a time of worship with my parents. My walk with the Lord was “common” to me and I thought every Christian knew God and knew His presence, heard Him speak and experienced Him in real ways. It was just our life. When I was around 4 years old my dad heard me crying in the back of our old station wagon. Playing on the 8-track was the song from Prepare Ye the Way, “Behold the Lord’s Hand not So Short”. My father asked me, “Nettie, why are you crying?” Having 4 little girls he figured someone had pulled my pigtail. I just cried and said, “The Lord just wants His people to return to Him.” This was nothing I conjured up or made myself feel. God for whatever His reason, has given me a deep love and call to His people; those who have walked away from Him, grown cold, forgotten Him. It’s bigger than me and goes beyond my human drive. It is what the Lord has given me and I can’t take credit for it, can’t make it go away, as it burns within me. <br />
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My heart cry is still the same. I want Christians to know their Father; to love Him with all of their hearts, to not settle for the mediocre Christian life and to walk in the Spirit and come into their callings. Over the course of my life the enemy has attacked this, my own flesh has rebelled it and yet the Lord remained patient and faithful to me, even when I was not faithful to Him. <br />
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I feel privileged to have grown up the way I did, saturated in the Word, in prayer and worship. As a child my faith was so strong. I saw it and believed it without any doubt. When I was about 5 years old I laid hands on my dad while he was getting ready to go to the hospital because of a migraine and God allowed instant healing. When I was 8 years old I would lay in bed waiting to hear all my sisters heavy breathing, signaling they were asleep so I could weep, because I simply missed God and wanted to be with Him. I would cry out, pray in the Spirit and weep, begging the Lord to let me see Him, to open my eyes. I didn’t understand as a kid and didn’t know the two were related, but the Lord poured out His love and Truth to me in that year. I would wake up speaking other languages, beautiful truths of God that were far beyond my intellect, other times I would wake up to the most beautiful fragrance. Beautiful doesn’t even describe it, there really isn’t words to describe the perfumed air. But it was strong enough to wake me up and I would go searching for it, smelling my bedding, my sisters’ hair. I would go downstairs and try and find the fragrance. It was nowhere but everywhere. I look back on that and realize that was the incense in the throne room of God. <br />
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Many more experiences in the Lord like this but I walked away. God knew I would, and He knew I would come back. When I came back, God reminded me of all the prophetic words that been given over me in my life. God had a purpose. There was a season in my life that I would go in my closet everyday and cry out to God; worshipping and praying. He spoke to me, drenched me in His presence, began giving me dreams and visions. I just wrote them down. I wasn’t seeking these things, I was simply seeking Him. My life had been turned upside down and I saw the world differently. I didn’t comprehend or relate to the natural world and felt homesick for the Lord. My thoughts were continually on spiritual things and having a “normal” conversation was almost impossible for me. <br />
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Experiences in the Lord are wonderful, encouraging, confirming and life changing, but not what we should seek. I believe as we draw near to the Lord He reveals His ways to us in “peeks” into the spiritual realm. They serve a purpose in our walks and draw us closer to Him because we see His attributes, His character, His mind, His love, His grace and mercy, His holiness, and His judgments that are very hard to wrap our human minds around. The Holy Spirit guides us, speaks to us, teaches us, convicts us and opens our eyes to His truths. I say all of this to also say we cannot base our walks and doctrines off of experiences as there are many that have experiences that are not from God. It is ever important to know the Word of God to be able to discern. A movement among the land is running rampant in which churches and people are seeking an experience. My sister and I were in a church once years ago, during worship it just felt off, but I couldn’t place why. I continued in worship and the worship began to pick up in intensity. I am not a stranger of spirit-filled services where people are dancing, clapping, lifting hands, singing in the spirit, bowing and prophetic words coming forth. This seemed like that but something in me was disgusted. I felt bad, as if I was judging or condemning so I kept praying and asking God to forgive me for any wrong mindset, but the disgust wouldn’t leave. Apparently my sister was aware of it as well and she leaned over and whispered in my ear, “The flesh stinks.” The Lord spoke to her what was going on; a working in the flesh and opening themselves up for experiences that were spiritual but not from God. The conjuring up of human emotions and souls are a very strong force. When she spoke that to me it bore witness to what I was discerning. As well I have been in circumstances where that same disgust makes me want to literally vomit. I have encountered this with people, in places, with music etc. I am not saying I am disgusted by the person but I believe there is a demonic spirit present. God in His graciousness allows me to see this for a purpose. Whether it’s to pray, get away from the situation, or take spiritual authority. I have experienced this several times working in the ER. It gave me a way to see what was really taking place despite what was being seen on the surface. In all, any experience from God will always point back to Him and glorify Him, not us, not a service, not a preacher or pastor, or the experience itself.<br />
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September, 2004; I was finishing some of my prerequisites for nursing school, had 3 children going to private school, a husband who had just had second back surgery and trying to recover and literally had a hospital bed in our living room. This was a fusion where they took bone from his hip to use to fuse along with some very large screws inserted on both sides of the spine. He wasn’t able to drive and was very limited physically and had to wear a hard back brace that made it impossible to bend over, sit normal or do daily tasks. It was a busy time, stressful time. The only way I was able to manage everything was being in my prayer closet. <br />
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I had decided to finally get my wisdom teeth out to make room for braces since I have a severe cross bite that makes me insecure and wearing my teeth down. Since my husband was not able to drive, my mom drove me in and dropped me off. The dentist was going to take out all 4 wisdom teeth and they were considered simple extractions that were only going to require the use of nitrous oxide. This was supposed to calm me and make me relaxed. <br />
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The assistant put the mask on me. Within a few minutes they went to work, numbing my mouth with shots. I felt calm with my eyes closed but was aware they thought I must have been “out” because they were talking unprofessionally about another practice and I thought it was strange. One tooth was out. On the second tooth I could feel immense pain and told the dentist. He told his assistant to turn up the nitrous. With my mouth pried open with dental equipment, suction and two pair of hands working it was difficult to talk and tell him I felt all he was doing. I pulled his hands down, he thought I was being combative and told her to turn it up. I wasn’t “out of it” or being combative. I was fully aware that I wasn’t being listened to. I began screaming and trying to tell him to stop and he was hurting me. Grabbing my face I yelled the best I could, “It hurts, it hurts, my jaw!!” His response was a pacifying , “I know, I know.” This response only further confirmed he thought I was simply under the influence of the Nitrous Oxide. He didn’t stop and he had the assistant help hold me down as he brutally and forcefully continuing wrenching the tooth out. I was fighting and beginning to lose my breath. <br />
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Instantaneously, I was no longer fighting the dentist, instead I was fighting for my life. This was not a dream. It was real like this life. I was being dragged behind a car by my feet tied together, my hands tied behind my back. Gravel in my face, people standing around watching, being dragged slowly. As my face would bump up I could take a breath and see. I cried out, “Oh LORD!”<br />
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“I AM”, He commanded in a clearly audible voice. I have heard the voice of God in my heart, in my spirit but never audibly. I say commanded because it wasn’t a statement alone, yet it was calm with authority. It certainly wasn’t a request. It was the I AM, who in Him is ALL authority and power. He simply spoke His name and just like the instant it took for me to be behind the car, I was back in the dentist chair. I drew in a deep breath as I am aware of all my surroundings. Chaos, the dentist doing chest compressions on me, yelling my name, “Janette, Janette! BREATHE Janette!” I opened my eyes to see a sweaty, screaming, panicking dentist. <br />
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The I AM heard my cry, He spoke His name and all order came in. The attack on my life instantly had to stop and at the same instant I breathed. He didn’t have to command anything to stop, He didn’t have to command me to breathe. All He did was speak His name. <br />
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I lost all sense of time and asked the pallid, sweating dentist, “Did I go out?” I couldn't wrap my mind around what I had experienced. He ignored me, again thinking I must have been “out of it”. But I wasn't. I was completely aware that I had just stopped breathing, that he was doing chest compressions and that he was yelling for me to breathe. I asked him again, “Did I go out?” His responded with a shaky voice, “just a little. Turn it down!” He was referring to the nitrous. They both looked very shaken up. I was calm, but confused. At this point I begin replaying what had just happened. Being dragged behind the car, the gravel in my face, the voice of the I AM. He pulled the last 2 teeth out and had me wait it the waiting room. I was waiting for my mom to arrive and began feeling very sick. My jaw was in excruciating pain. Although I was numbed up, I could feel a very deep aching pain that was so intense it was making me nauseated. I ran my finger s down both sides of my jaw line. Starting behind my ears on the jaw bone I ran, when I reached a few inches my left finger disappeared in to a space that wasn't on my right side. I began feeling around and realized the bone was not connected, that there was a large space in my jaw bone. <br />
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My mouth bloody and me unable to talk, I went to the receptionist. She looked at me with great concern. I was trying to explain but she couldn't understand my incomprehensible speech. So I grabbed her hands and ran them down my jawline. Her mouth dropped and she looked sick. She rushed me back to the dental room. Every second going by I have a million thoughts rushing around. I was scared, school midterms, the kids, my husband, I have no medical insurance, just dental. But the biggest looming question and thought was about my experience. Did I die? Where was I? What happened? Why had God allowed that? Then I remembered the I AM. I had no answers but one. That was that no matter what questions I had, the I AM heard me and answered me.<br />
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The few seconds it took for the dentist to return to me, felt like an eternity passing. He came in, panicked looking. His facial expressions offered no comfort to me, since he was mirroring my confusion and fear. He frantically paced as he appeared he wanted to escape his own body and finally blurted out, “I think I broke your jaw!!” It was more a confession than a finding, and I realized he already knew. At this point my mother came in and was directed back to me. A mother knows her child and her face did that thing when she’s afraid but trying to not show it. Her lips turned white and pressed, her eyes went into “emergency mom function mode”; the look of determination mixed with fear, confusion and protection. He blurted it out again, “I broke her jaw!” I wanted comfort and nobody was able to offer me that; the receptionist, my mom or the dentist. No answers just more questions. The dentist ran out of the room, the receptionist following. I wanted to cry but knew if I did I wouldn't be able to regain composure. So I began writing on Post-It notes to my mom, telling her I was scared, asking what can they do. <br />
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The dentist rushed back in and explained he has an oral surgeon friend down the road in another medical complex and he can do a full face xray. No ambulance was called instead he escorted me into his BMW, with my mom following us. I was trying my hardest to compartmentalize all my swirling thoughts: pain management while blocking out extreme nausea and urge to vomit in one place in my mind, confusion and “what ifs” in another part, logistics and technical concerns about insurance and school midterms in another. Yet what seemed to take forefront thought even as I was trying my hardest to push it away was the I AM. That thought had its own world full of questions: What happened, what did it mean? Why did God allow that to happen? What if I wouldn't have called out to God? <br />
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Having to steady myself in the jerking car, my hands sweaty and shaking, slipping on the leather seats my thoughts were interrupted by a question. The dentist asked in a failed attempt to sound cool, calm and collected, “So…um, um…how did you like that nitrous oxide?” My stomach sank as his obvious prying was to see what and if I remembered that I had to be resuscitated and was not breathing. I shook my head. What was I going to say? Tell him I think I died, that I was being dragged behind a car, that I cried out to God and He spoke His name and all order came into being? We were going to have a nice theological conversation with him answering all my questions? All I could squeeze out, as he hung on my every movement, was a half grunt. <br />
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We arrived at the oral surgeon’s office. I was rushed in like a celebrity; shielding my identity while being given priority treatment. Why was everyone’s face the same: curiosity, shock…and again no answers. The xray confirmed a complete broken jaw; broke in half. Off again to the hospital who has now been called ahead by the surgeon. <br />
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Sitting in the waiting room I am now face to face with my mind and the questions begging to be answered. In the years I have learned the waiting room is a parallel spiritual picture to the waiting room of life; unanswered questions, a place of struggle between fear and faith, a place of not knowing what the future hold yet God requesting that we trust Him with it, no matter the outcome. I have now learned I will need emergency surgery, but will have to wait 8 hours because I drank coffee that morning. I paced around as my mother began making phone calls and arrangements. My sister Mary had to pick up the kids and bring my husband down to the hospital since he was not able to drive. They gave me an ice-pack and the Novocaine was quickly wearing off. As I was pacing I was praying; sharing my heart with the I AM. I was scared, confused and to be quite honest my feelings were hurt that He allowed this to happen to me. I was most conflicted with my sincere sadness and my sincere gratitude; He allowed it with His permission and He saved me from it. God is so gracious. As I paced I felt the presence of the Lord, His love and He asked me a question, “Do you want your reward here or in heaven?” <br />
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Inside the question I could feel there was no right/wrong answer. That it would be His great pleasure to give me either. I could feel His hurt for me and His compassion. He asked me before I knew what would lie ahead of me, it was my choice. I answered, “I will take my reward in heaven.” Whatever that meant I knew the Lord was good, that He loved me and that this was not goi<span style="font-family: inherit;">ng to be in vain, and knowing that even if there wasn't a "right or wrong" answer, that there was a "more excellent" way (1 Corinthians 12:31 </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px;">But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way."</span></span></div>
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Although my questions were not answered I stood in the knowledge and faith that He did not abandon me, that He indeed was not simply aware of the pain, confusion and questions I had but felt all of it with me. I resolved in my mind to trust Him with my physical life. The reality of that I could have died and left my children and husband was so much to contemplate. I finally had to tell my mom. I scratched out little notes to my mom to communicate I was afraid. I told her I stopped breathing. She was trying to hold back her tears and I told her that she needs to make my children know how much I love them if I am going to die in the surgery. I was just so unsure about what God was doing that I wasn’t convinced I was going to do well under the anesthesia. She bravely told me it was going to be ok, but I was adamant on making her promise me. She did. <br />
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As the pain began getting out of control they finally took me back to give me morphine. It wasn’t touching the pain. I was writhing in pain and all the morphine did was prevent me from having enough mental control to manage the pain. My husband was there now and I remember pleading with him to do something tell, them the pain was unbearable. He hobbled out with his back brace constricting movement. He was telling the nurse that I was in unbearable pain. “Sir, honestly if I give your wife anymore I am going to kill her. I am sorry but I cannot give her anything.” Desperation. Where are You God, I agonized in my mind. Again, He heard. Surrounded now by my closest friends, pastor, and family they laid hands on me; their prayers went up to heaven in a voice of unity and I fell asleep. <br />
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I don’t know how much time went by as I finally rested, but when awakened it was time for surgery. I was wheeled on the gurney to the operating room where the surgeon met us. He began to explain the break, the procedure, the expected time it would take, the recovery and then he broke my heart. He explained to me that because of the nerves involved and the degree of the break that I could have permanent damage. “You may never pucker again”. (flashes of not being able to ever kiss my husband or children), “you may never smile again”. WAIT! I wanted to scream because I hadn’t yet got hold of the last thing he said, but the list continued; pain, numbness, loss of muscle that can cause a dragging look, a scar on my neck, etc. <br />
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What was supposed to be a 1 ½ hour surgery was 4 ½ hours. It required a permanent metal plate with 6 screws to be fastened in the bone. They went through my neck leaving a 3 inch scar. The next thing I remember is being in a hospital room waking to feeling very scared because I couldn’t swallow right and was a panicking feeling because I couldn’t open my mouth and breath through my mouth to draw in a big breath. I rang my bell for the nurse. She explained to me my jaw was wired shut and it was “normal” to feel that way. <br />
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The next few days were pretty silent, except within my mind. Visitors here and there, doctors, nurses, insurance reps coming in and wanting to see me and tell what happened. Everyone’s response: SUE HIM! I couldn’t explain yet why that wasn’t even an option for me, as I already told the Lord I wanted my reward in heaven. He reminded me of that every time my mind wanted to entertain. But the more people told me that the more I entertained the thought. They are right; he was too rough, he didn’t listen to me, he was grossly negligible, he used poor judgment and so on. With enough quiet time I was able to talk to God about this. I didn’t like these feelings because they led to anger and the more I entertained the idea the more they came. No. It was just like that. I wasn’t going to be angry, I was going to forgive. I wasn’t going to take my reward here, I was going to let God be glorified in this situation. The I AM spoke to me, saved me, and was ever present with me and THAT what going to be my story. I didn’t know what the future held with my jaw but God did and that was enough for me. <br />
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The dentist and his wife came and visited with flowers. He asked about my insurance situation. I had none and didn’t qualify for state help under normal circumstances but did for a portion because of the nature of the emergency. He ended up paying $2000 that wasn’t covered and offered free dental services…that I politely declined. Time to go home. <br />
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Being at home is where the real spiritual battle with fear began for me. The pain was hard to keep under control. I asked my friend, Marla, who was a nurse to stay with me. She was more than a friend, more than a nurse. She was my prayer partner and sister in Christ and I needed her there to comfort me. My husband was now my caregiver; we were both experiencing a role reversal. In his own drugged out state he would have to medicate me, he smashed my Vicodin into a powder to put in chocolate milk so I could drink it through a straw because my mouth was wired shut. No eating for a few weeks, living on chocolate milk, juice and vicoden. What a picture we were; he was heavily sedated and trying to function to take care of me, whereas only a few days ago I was taking care of him. My parents were taking care of the kids but they were ready to be home. They came home but it didn’t feel like “home”, everyone was stressed, exhausted and wanting “normal”. I began to function physically but was an absolute mess emotionally and spiritually. I felt like death was behind every corner for me as I doubted God wasn’t going to allow something else to happen to me. <br />
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The kids were home but brought with them a nasty rash, each of them. We called the doctors and they made us come through the back door because they were afraid they had chicken pox. It was just a bacterial skin rash that cleared up but they couldn’t go to school and the stress was just compounding. How much more Lord? Nothing felt certain. <br />
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As our new normal was beginning it was finally time to get my wires off. I went to the surgeons office. I was blindsided when the nurse came in with IV equipment and solutions. I physically tried to escape by pushing myself as far as I could into the chair. I questioned/accused, “what is that?!” All my fears of dying came back in vividness. She so calmly said she was going to give me medication to put me to sleep. NO WAY. There was no way I was going to be put under. I was fighting back tears and just kept repeating my answer as she continued to persuade, reason with, and assure me. No. She left to get the surgeon. He came in and asked me what was going on, I told him I wasn’t comfortable with the anesthesia He assured me it was going to be ok. It all just came spilling out with tears. “I am not going to be put under, I stopped breathing, the dentist was reviving me, I died, I don’t want to die. I was dragged behind the car, the I AM spoke to me, I can’t be put under!” He just sat there looking a like I hit him with a brick; confusion mixed with compassion. I don’t know if he believed me but I was convincing enough for him to relent. “I have never done this before…(he stammered), we just don’t do this.” <br />
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As he pulled and tugged he couldn’t hide his stress under his mask; his eyes squeezed. I didn’t make a peep. I would like to say its because I am so tough, I’m not. It was because I was so scared that if I cried or complained he would stop and I would have to be put under. The fear of that IV propelled me to have him unwire my jaw and pull long wires through my teeth and gums without a wince. He might have been more relieved when he was finished than I was. He half chuckled with relief in his voice, “wow, had I known you were going to be that tough I wouldn’t have argued!”<br />
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Driving home I was trying out my mouth, I couldn’t open it still as it was too stiff to move, the novacaine wore off and that’s when I realized the damage. I pulled over in a parking lot, almost slapping my chin on the left side, My teeth felt fake like wood blocks sitting in there, my chin was numb…was this the Novocain? It couldn’t be because I had feeling everywhere else. I pulled the rearview mirror down looking and slapping as if I was somehow going to see the nerve damage. I tried to smile, my mouth on the left just sagged. I bit down for the first time and there was electrical nerve pains shooting down from my teeth, my lip and chin. Every bite was the same; normal on the right, completely damaged on the left. It made me feel stuck and when I thought about a lifetime of this crazy sensation and pain I crumpled. If I had taken my reward here on earth would I have had this damage, would we be financially struggling? The thoughts raced in my mind and I took them captive as I reaffirmed my position. <br />
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Weeks went on as I finally was able to start to eat again and move and open my mouth, months later I had a sudden electrical shock, like a lightning strike in my teeth, gums, lip and chin and I had feeling. Well a type of feeling. Touching my chin it still felt like I was touching someone else’s face but I realized I could feel pain, like when you eat cold ice-cream, or at the dentist when a nerve is exposed. I did regain some nerve function but it was just my pain receptors being awakened. I was very pleased to be able to pucker and smile and eventually my muscles were strong enough to not make my sag as noticeable; although you can still see it when I am sleepy or had a glass of wine. My family has to tell me if something is on my “dead spot” because I will have whole leaf of lettuce sitting there and have no idea. Swollen gums are enough to make me go insane as the sensation on that side is like an infected splinter being pinched all the way down my chin while putting ice on your teeth. When I get a cold the gland on the side is swollen like a rock because of the scar tissue and I get back headaches. I have neck problems because of the way I am tense and hold myself on that side that then affects my back. In short I have a daily reminder of my injury, but I also have a daily reminder of the I AM.<br />
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It took me many years to look into the Nitrous Oxide effects/dangers. “Toxicity of local anesthetics can occur quickly. Overdose of local anesthetic can occur if blood pressure elevates and this, in turn, affects the central nervous system. The patient can even slip into unconsciousness or go into complete respiratory failure.” Story after story I read of children and some adults dying from this at the dentist office under routine care…though they report its extremely rare. (Edited 2/1/2015: I recently found out that I have a common genetic mutation that cannot tolerate the use of Nitrous, as it builds up in the system to toxic levels, causing severe problems or death in people with MTHFR disorder).<br />
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As I have dealt with this with God, having many conversations with Him I still have a lot of questions but I have more answers. I can look back and say this encounter truly changed me. I can say with all truth I understand Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. <br />
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What satan meant for evil toward me God has used for good in my life. I was able to show kindness and forgiveness to a dentist that knew he was guilty. Months later I wrote him a letter and told him what happened, letting him know that the I AM stepped into that situation. I never heard anything back but he and I both know. Doctors I have talked to, others who are struggling with “unfairness” in this life have been ministered to. But I have reaped the most. I am changed, never to be the same again. I was already a pretty intense person but now my face is “set like flint”, as was prophesied over me when I was young. <br />
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Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed<br />
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Ezekiel 3:9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house."<br />
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The Lord has strengthened me in Him, and the more time that goes on the stronger I feel. Not in my own strength but in Him. More and more He reveals Himself to me and I long with eagerness to hear Him, be with Him, tell of Him. God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit is 3 persons in one God. The I AM came to this earth to save us by shedding His blood, and taking our punishment. In His great love for us He reveals Himself in the person of Jesus. <br />
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The soldiers that came to take Jesus away met the I AM; John 18:4-6 4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I AM He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 So when He said to them, “I AM He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.<br />
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In the notes in the Bible it suggests a battalion had come to get him that consisted of 600 armed men. Imagine that for a moment. They come, Jesus asks who they seek they say Jesus and He pronounces that He is the I AM. As soon as He said that, 600 armed men drew back and fell! He didn’t command them to. He simply spoke who He was. That I AM is who saved us. He held all power, He could’ve spoke and the word and all of them could’ve dropped dead there, but He was the lamb led to slaughter, quietly, without a defense. He gave up His life and nobody took it from Him. He did that for us. He was there in the beginning and all things were created by Him, things seen and unseen. He is the one that is going to return for His Church. He is the one I long for every day, the one I worship and serve. He is the one that holds all power in His word. He sets limits on which He allows His children to experience. </div>
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I know my broken jaw cannot be measured or compared to those who have lost loved ones, or have suffered great illnesses or horrific things that have happened to some, but I do know the I AM doesn’t turn a blind eye to His children and although He allows evil things to happen because we live in this fallen world He is with us. Even if what He asks us to walk through is horrible, He doesn’t ask you to walk it alone. He walks it with you. Stand in HIM in these days, abide in HIM. There are promises in HIM. <br />
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Psalm 91:1-2 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress, My God in Him will I trust. </div>
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Our peace, our security is in Him. He is our refuge in times of trouble. </div>
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one of the kids rash<br />
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Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-50874911327942936392011-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:002011-11-13T12:52:16.759-08:00Vision of Ulcers early to mid 2003This was written years ago but have been being reminded of this and it seems some can be encouraged in hearing this right now. <br />
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Vision of Ulcers (early to mid 2003) <br />
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During a time of worship and intercession I was praying and all of a sudden I saw a picture of our bodies with ulcers inside of them. These were extremely painful looking ulcers; deep and hidden in the body. As I prayed I asked God what it was. I felt Him say that these represented deep rooted, painful sins, iniquities, hurts, resentments, bitterness, unforgiveness that we have hidden so far down inside. I saw that as He was explaining this, the ulcers began to come to the surface and as the sunlight hit them they began to dry up. Likewise, when those painful sins stay in the darkness they grow and grow and in the same way a small canker sore in the mouth can cause such great pain, and it’s not until it dries up that it is not painful. But when we lick it or keep agitating it, it gets bigger, deeper and more ulcerated. Then I was reminded of this verse:<br />
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James 5:16 <br />
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Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. <br />
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The Lord does what He says He will do. He has spoken that to follow Him there is a price to pay, but the reward is greater. <br />
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Then I was warned to be careful of opinions, the Lord was going to start bringing up those sins in our lives that have held us captive and it wasn’t going to be pretty. It was going to be painful and humbling. As this process is going on each other’s weaknesses will be apparent. We ask God to purge us and this is what He was doing. Our opinions don’t matter, what the Lord says does. He warned to be careful about judging during this time. That was later confirmed through another sister at the following gathering and I had yet to share about the ulcers. <br />
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In this time you may be experiencing brokenness, rocky relationships, feeling in a “slump”. God is revealing to us those things and it’s His timing for us to repent, confess and be healed. His reward is great, but He disciplines the ones He loves. <br />
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Hebrews 12:3-11 <br />
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For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, <br />
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“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, <br />
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NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; <br />
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6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, <br />
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AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.” <br />
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7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.<br />
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James 1:2-5<br />
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Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.<br />
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The Lord is not done with us, and is only doing what He said He was going to do. Be encouraged that He is faithful and as we pray that He teaches us His ways, He will.Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-70819659033166675812011-08-03T10:41:00.000-07:002011-08-03T11:28:33.164-07:00“DON’T HATE ME BECAUSE I AM A CHRISTIAN”August 3, 2011<br />
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John 15:19<br />
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"If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you."<br />
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Translation according to concordance: <br />
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If you were from this ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ (the "world" as translated in concordance), they would approve, like and befriend their own. But because you are not of this "world" instead I (Jesus) have taken you for Myself out of this "world" because I did this, the "world", detest and pursue you with hatred . <br />
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I have often faced difficulty with this when I remind my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ of the words of Jesus. Nobody wants to be hated. I know I don’t. I like when I am well received and liked. I have been a Christian my whole life, I have had 2 basic ways in which I have walked. I have walked as a compromised Christian and I was loved, befriended, well accepted by the “ungodly multitude: the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ”. My life was easier among the worldly; conflicts didn’t occur. Things were “peaceful” so to speak. My walk, however, was far from God, I struggled hearing Him, knowing His will in my life. I justified sin and my life was my own. I set my own standards of what was OK. I was saved, professed Christ if asked, I prayed occasionally, and even attended church. <br />
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But a strange thing took place as I began to draw near to God and purify myself as it says to do in 1 John 3:3 “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” The conviction of the Lord came into my life and I responded to that still small voice. My walk with Christ was fruitful, the Lord began using my gifts, increasing me in wisdom of His Word. I could hear Him, had intimate fellowship with Him and the things that break His heart began breaking mine. What a wonderful relationship to know God, to seek Him and find Him. However, at the same degree I increased in my love and relationship with the Lord, the more I decreased in my “approval rating” of the world and even some Christians. My very life stood for Christ and His ways. These spoken and non-spoken ways clash strongly with the world, as I began to be labled "confrontational, rogue". It took me many many years to realize the very nature of God in us will convict others. My life stood in strong oppostion to the "world". Among compromised Christians I was reminded of the verse in 1 Corithians 11:19 "For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you." Meaning even among Christians there will be factions to basically show those who are approved of God (not talking bout salvation, rather those who are actually doing the will of the Father)<br />
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For a season I withdrew because I found myself in the middle of conflict, gossip, and feeling so out of sort of being able to relate to the “world” that the pain I was feeling was too great a sacrifice for me. Again, I watched my relationships in the world come to peace, felt accepted again, conflicts ceased. But something inside me was feeling desperate and alone. It seemed no matter how many people were around, how much fun was being had I felt stuck in a world I didn’t belong; like a fraud; pretending to be someone I wasn’t. It was like standing with one foot in the world and the other on Christ. I couldn’t fake it anymore. I returned to Him. Realizing I was the one that turned my back on Him and He was right there to accept and forgive me when I turned around. Funny how during that time I would complain that I can’t see God moving or hear Him talking. Here I was running from and ignoring Him. <br />
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The cost of the uncompromising Christian walk does cost. It may cost you acceptance, your reputation, your friends, your own way of doing life. I recall one night when I surrendered my will back to Him we were having a worship night the Lord revealed His truth. He spoke to us about the cost being great but the reward even greater. I hold to this truth as I struggle in the flesh of still wanting to fit it. I have before thought of my life and how much easier it was when I didn’t really make Christ my LORD instead He was only my Savior and I was fine with that. But the price of making Him LORD of your life… is your life. Its everything. <br />
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I have not only seen this acceptance/rejection in the “world” but also among Christians. I have been considered “extreme, fanatical, intense” among my fellow brethren. It made me second guess, question, constantly repent, back-off etc. But then my eyes were opened to the fact that these same Christians would be the ones that were living that life I recognized when I was walking as that compromised Christian. I remembered where I was, how I was accepted and well liked too. How I really didn’t like the “holy roller” Christian that couldn’t do anything but speak of the Lord and His ways. “Couldn’t they talk about anything else?!” I would wonder. No they couldn’t, because they were consumed by the Living God. They communed daily and ate fresh meat of His word daily. Their lives didn’t belong to them, they were sold out. Their lives without words were a conviction to mine, therefore I steered clear of them; possibly even out casting them, making fun or priding myself that I wasn’t “one of those Christians” that the world hated so much. <br />
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At this point the very complement that was said of me so many years ago; “you’re not like those Christians... we like you”, would have to be a sincere indictment to me now. To know the cost of lack of fellowship with the Father is what it takes to be accepted is now something I cannot bear. So whatever relatively short walk I have on this Earth, I will serve my King of Kings. I will declare His holiness, His just ways, His love, His forgiveness, His Word, His Truth. I will purpose in my heart to not compromise even if the cost is great. With the grace of God, I will forge forward with the full armor of God, meet resistance, stand when nobody else will, speak the Truth when nobody else will, and be willing to be seen as a fool. I will not trade the closeness I have with the Lord for the acceptance of others through the mediocre or compromised Christian walk. <br />
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Luke 6:46 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?”<br />
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If today you feel the gentle conviction of the Spirit saying to you these words, just turn to Him. Respond to His voice. Realize the response will cost you your life, but KNOW that the reward is greater.Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-67147776841586429562011-07-20T08:22:00.000-07:002011-07-20T08:22:52.181-07:00Contentment07/19/2011<br />
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Contentment<br />
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The only verses I can find in the Bible about being content are in dealing with finances and material things. <br />
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Philippians 4:12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.<br />
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Luke 3:14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."<br />
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Hebrews 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"<br />
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1 Timothy 6:3-10 3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs<br />
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I have not found any verse that instructs us to be content in our Christian walks; not yearning for a deeper relationship and revelation of Jesus Christ. Yet so often we get sermons that give us snack foods, make us “feel-good” by the end of the sermon and even to the point where the focus is on giving to God to receive material riches form the Lord. <br />
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I had a vision while in prayer several years ago. It was of a fat man filling up on sweets, he never put any meat in his mouth, simply getting fat on sugars. The Lord spoke to me and said this is how His people are, coming to the table looking for the sweets, meanwhile getting fat and unhealthy. I talked to my dad about this and earlier that week he too had been in prayer and the Holy Spirit was revealing the same thing to him. My dad was shown a man at a grocery store filling his cart with packaged sweets. He went on to share that the Lord was showing him the condition of many of His people; they want the sweet things; no discipline or correction. As I continued praying about this I realized the Lord was speaking to me about loving His truths…all of them. This is when He opened my eyes to His “hard truths”. Christianity in a large part here in America has become a grocery list of shopping for what you want. Taking the good thing like promises and blessings and health and such but refusing the correction, the uncompromising of the Word of God, standing for righteousness in this PC and “tolerant” age; being willing to be hated by the world because you will not compromise to the world. <br />
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The people have been eating and filling themselves with so many “snacks” that when they come to the table for the meal they aren’t hungry. They have no hunger for the Lord, they are CONTENT in their Christian walk, yet never content with their lives, their careers, their possessions, their statuses and titles. It seems so simple, our mothers taught us to not fill up on snacks and such before dinner. Why? Because we wouldn’t have a hunger for the real meal. <br />
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John Piper says it like this, “If you don’t feel strong desires of the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with the small things, and there is no room for the great.”<br />
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I take it a step further and say its not just the world that is keeping us full but even in the church we are filling ourselves up with the easy things to hear. Who desires the discipline of the Lord that grows us and changes us? <br />
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My friend Marla was given a word from the Lord recently that confirms for me that that Spirit is indeed speaking His truths about this:<br />
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“Stand up and hear the voice of your God. You have heard Me with your ears, as I whisper to you and as I call on you through various ways. But your heart is far from Me. You have not heard so as to do what I have spoken. My words are like a song unto you. You like the flow of them, but you quickly forget what I have spoken. Hear Me with your heart. Allow Me to change you with My words. For My words are power, and My words are deliverance. Allow for them a place in your heart, that you may be pricked by My convicting power and be changed. For who can come into the presence of a holy God without correction and change, without a pricking of the heart to know Me more? You have heard Me with your ears and proclaimed Me with your mouth, but your heart is far from Me. Turn your heart to Me and live, for I will bring about that change that I cause you to desire. Fall on your faces before Me and ask of Me, and I will cause your hardened heart to be made new, pliable once again in My presence.”<br />
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Oh Lord, make us a people who love Your truths and will be a people that will have faith when you return. Let us not be simply hearers of Your word but doers. Lord let us recognize contentment in our walks as the chains of apathy that face us in this spiritual battle that we face here in America. Give us Your godly perspective of what we should be content with and where we need to change our perspectives to line up with Yours. Grace us this very day to have desire…even if it’s the desire to even have the desire. Change our hearts oh Lord. Make us a people who will correctly represent (glorify) You in this Earth. Thank You for creating us in this time for this purpose. In Jesus name, Amen.Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-74825673148280712972011-05-19T07:05:00.000-07:002011-05-20T06:44:10.300-07:00INSTANT GRATIFICATION NATIONMay 2011<br />
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I have learned that often times the Holy Spirit gives revelation in His timing for His Church. He reveals these things to humble men that are searching the Lord’s heart and searching the scriptures. Their purpose is not to glorify themselves, but point always back to Jesus. They are considered trailblazers to some, as the Holy Spirit has also put this in other’s hearts, and it bears witness to them. To others they are seen as “trouble makers”, because they go against some ideals the Church as taken on. But then a phenomenon takes place. Teachers/pastors that lack discipline, that are worried about their attendance numbers and their offering plates are desperate for something new; a fresh word. They have not been on their knees seeking God’s council, but they are noticing the numbers dwindle. So they grab onto a new teaching, yet because revelations of the Holy Spirit do not tickle the ears of man, they do not promote man, but instead they come against man made ideas; never promoting man, never promoting riches and wealth, or the "easy life". They twist the revelation, possiby on purpose or by simply not understanding because it never lay hold in their own heart. They never allowed the Spirit of Truth to work, convict, cause repentance. They instead pervert the teaching, fearing if they teach the way they heard it that people will leave. When the arrogant, undisciplined or unyielded teachers take it for themselves and teach the congregation they put God's people in bondage. The very revelation that was meant to bring unity, peace, conviction, revelation and relationship with the Lord has brought deception wrapped in a bow of “ tell the people what they want to hear”. The motive is either of fear or greed. Fear they may lose their congregation if they speak such “hard truths” or greed of power, money, and being successful in the world’s eyes. <br />
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But is this problem of tickling ears solely the teachers, pastors, and prophets who are speaking falsely? I suggest not. As we can see in scripture that the Lord will allow false teachers and prophets, bad kings and rulers because that is what His people demanded. When Jesus went into the temple and overturned tables, He drove out the sellers AND the buyers. As Israel demanded a king to rule over them so they could be like the rest of the World, the Lord gave in. <br />
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Jeremiah 5:31 "The prophets prophesy lies, The priests rule by their own authority, And my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"<br />
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2 Peter 2:1 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”<br />
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Here in America we have become an instant gratification nation. In all aspects of life we can see that so many want this relationship with God, they want to hear God speak in their lives, and mostly want the blessings of the Lord. But they fail in desiring the process of attaining that. They may have even heard true and correct teaching but only heard the promises of the revelation but closed ears to the “IF” portion of the “If….then” statement. <br />
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I can assure you teachers that replicate the way of the World are not teaching as they should. If they are tickling your ears with teachings of prosperity, wealth and no coming judgment they are teaching false things. I have noticed more and more a fear among the Christians. It’s not just the Church who knows we are living in end times; the whole secular world is beginning to sense this too. The Hollywood movies and headlines all scream about it. I have closely watched different interpretations of this. There are some involved in new age spiritualism that can feel a “shift” going to happen. Their remedy? To become more enlightened and all about SELF. <br />
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In the Church it is clear to see that the people do not want to hear about end times; they only want to hear about “God will heal the land”, forgetting the “14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.<br />
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There is a lot more IF in that statement then the Church cares to emphasis. Sure I have heard them say it but the emphasis is on the “heal their land.” What is the requirement though? Let me restate: “IF MY own people will humble themselves, IF they will pray, IF they will seek MY face (does not say My hand or blessing) IF they will TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS….then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive them their sin and heal their land. <br />
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Church that is not happening. In fact we see just the opposite, we see “super apostles” setting up their own “Kingdom of Heaven” here on this Earth. We see prosperity being taught in ways to defile the Words of the Bible. We see SELF SELF SELF. That is what people want to hear…”you’ll be rich and always healthy if you give me your money. Don’t worry about hearing from God yourself, I will do that for you and will tell you what to do.” They tickle each others ears and when someone comes along and says “This can’t be right because the Bible says…” Then they are ostracized or kicked out from the congregation. They’re considered rogue and doom and gloom speakers. Thus the cycle continues. The Church doesn’t truly want to hear what the Lord says, they want someone else to do the “work” for them, and they don’t want to hear correction or discipline. They treat learning like making a box of instant mashed potatoes. <br />
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2 Timothy 4:1-5 “1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.<br />
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I wonder if the reason of fear of the future is because we think about what we want in our own lives; we want our children to get married, we want to have that career we have been working toward, we want our business to flourish…while all those things are good and occupy the time we had better make sure they are not put before our God. Over and over in scripture we hear the words “Watch and Be Ready”. <br />
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Let us really take Peter’s word in (2 Peter Chpt 3) and allow these words to soak into our hearts and minds today. <br />
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Purpose of This Letter<br />
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1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.<br />
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The Coming Day of the Lord<br />
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3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.<br />
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8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.<br />
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A New Heaven and Earth<br />
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10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.<br />
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11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.<br />
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14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. AmenJanettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-8502635935510754762010-08-17T08:59:00.000-07:002014-04-06T10:21:18.776-07:00TRANSITIONTRANSITION<br />
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Aug 17th 2010<br />
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When I hear this word the only thing I can think of is my labor with Annabella. She was my first homebirth and I really was expecting a much different labor. She was my 4th child so I was expecting a 5 hour labor, no problems and that I would be calm and quiet, able to deal with it with grace. Haha!<br />
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In labor, transition is supposed to be the shortest, yet most intense and painful part of labor. It is the body preparing for the final stage and it’s characterized as the “give-up” phase of labor. It’s when the woman usually feels she can’t do it anymore, that she says she needs meds, that she feel out of control and can be confused or disoriented. The contractions are more intense, shorter together, sometimes with double peaks. You can physically observe a woman in transition; they sometimes are shaking very badly, shivering, vomiting or nauseated. Sometimes the only focus point at this phase or help you can offer is letting them know they are in transition; knowing the end is very near and this stage and pain will be relatively short.<br />
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Transition in the dictionary is defined as: Passage; the act of passing from one state or place to the next conversion: an event that results in a transformation a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another cause to convert or undergo a transition<br />
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Transition is a temporary place of “no man’s land” and has two defining characteristics. <br />
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1.) It is not intended to be lived in permanently <br />
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2.) Has the purpose of going from one thing, transforming into another; much like a butterfly. <br />
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Some interesting things:<br />
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There are 4 stages of development for every butterfly. <br />
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Egg, larva, pupa, butterfly<br />
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The egg has to be laid on the type of leaf that type of caterpillar will eat because it’s born on the leaf and immediately begin eating. The caterpillar is very hungry and eats and eats to grow.<b> I suppose we only see growth in us when we eat and eat the “right” kind of food. It can’t be just any old leaf. </b><br />
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The caterpillar doesn't grow by stretching; instead his exoskeleton has to be shed, it does this several times.<b> I think of the verse that says being changed from glory to glory. In our walks we have to go through several times of shedding our ways, beliefs to grow. We may have thought we arrived at something only to find we only saw in part, understood in part. </b><br />
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When they have reached a place of growth they form this chrysalis and on the outside it looks like nothing is happening that they are just resting or sleeping.<b> But really on the inside a complete transformation is taking place…hidden from sight. As change happens in the heart, our motives are exposed to us. Even those hidden things. The old body parts are going through a metamorphosis and changing into something beautiful and different. Like the physical, we can see the spiritual application. here; sanctification.</b><br />
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As the butterfly comes out, its wings are folded and soft because it was tight in there, it rests and then it gets the blood pumping into the wings for them to be able to fly. Their whole life purpose as a butterfly is to look to reproduce. <b>Isn't that what God wants us to do? Share and grow that into other people, reproduce what we have learned and know. </b><br />
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If you help a butterfly out of its cocoon its wings will be too weak to fly because it didn't go through the struggle and it will die. If helped, it will simply fall to the ground, crawl around with a swollen body and shrunken wings, and soon die. Think about when we have knowledge of something. The Bible says knowledge puffeth up but love builds up. The Bible also says that all the gifts and tongues and prophesy are basically nothing w/o love. We can have these gifts, the knowledge and be all puffed up but not have the strong wings needed to fly. Those wings only get strength through experiencing the struggle to make them strong. We also see that its Gods loving-kindness that He allows the struggle and doesn't just "do it all" for us. He knows what will produce maturity. <b>James 1:2-4 "<span class="text Jas-1-2" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; vertical-align: top;">2 </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span class="text Jas-1-3" id="en-NKJV-30270" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">3 </span>knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. </span><span style="background-color: white;"></span><span class="text Jas-1-4" id="en-NKJV-30271" style="background-color: white;"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">4 </span>But let patience have <i>its</i> perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.</span></span></b><br />
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Weird to think we can go through all the stages of growth, go through eating a ton, being transformed etc and we will still die if we aren't given the opportunity to struggle. Wonderful that the Lord gives us all the tools needed to become the butterfly but its when love and perfect timing enter into our lives that we can fly. I guess that is why His holiness demands righteous order; because He knows we would perish w/o this. <br />
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Now back to my story…Annabella was positioned ever so slightly wrong. She was slightly posterior, making the labor non-progressive and causing back labor (which you cannot understand this kind of excruciating pain unless you experience it). Unfortunately, where I got “stuck” was in transition. Normal transition lasts 15 minutes to 2 hours. I was stuck for 7 hours!! I wanted to give up, I wanted to go to hospital (so I said). I couldn't do anything but writhe in pain and even though I groaned and moaned and had no control over what was happening, and as I insisted I wanted to go in, I really didn't. What I really wanted was for someone to tell me how much longer I had so I could mentally deal with it. But nobody could tell me. I was desperate and at the end of myself. I had been praying the whole time but now it got different. I began begging the Lord to do something, asking for mercy, anything!! <br />
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All at once I fell asleep from complete and utter exhaustion. I had already been sleeping for 30 seconds here and there, it was going on 21 hours now and I could not do anymore. I fell asleep and for 10 minutes straight I didn't have a contraction. Suddenly I woke to a feeling of Annabella moving and positioning herself correctly. I could feel her move down into the correct position. She was ready to be birthed. I yelled out that she was ready, she had moved! I was worn out, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually at the end of myself, and this movement gave me hope. I knew deep inside it was time, that I had finally come through the transition and now was going to meet my daughter. She was born very soon after that, all 10 pounds of her, and it was beautiful and peaceful! Great was my blessing!<br />
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I am forever grateful of that experience as it taught me to rely on the Lord, it taught me that pain itself cannot kill me, and it taught me about the pain of transition in our lives; the struggle to be transformed into something different. The pain is part of the process. It also taught me I don’t want to be “stuck” in a transitory state and the slightest re-positioning may be all that was necessary to facilitate progress.<br />
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<b>In the spiritual application, I can see this ever so true. If someone would have been able to tell me exactly what that specific birth scenario was going to be, I may not have chosen it; for fear of the pain, the sacrifice. I am glad I went into w/the faith it was going to be great, had I not I would have missed out on the lessons learned and growth. Growth can only come by overcoming. Transition is not only good but necessary but it is possible to get stuck, and if we find ourselves in a stuck transition, we may need to evaluate if we are aligned w/God. Is our position in line with God’s, are we expecting Him to align with us or do we need to align with Him. God is holy; He will not realign Himself to fit into our thoughts or ways. </b><br />
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Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts<br />
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Be encouraged if you find yourself in transition, for it means something beautiful is about to be birthed!Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-64880306536094125582010-08-16T16:13:00.000-07:002010-08-17T12:01:38.952-07:00PEACE<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">PEACE</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Recently I have had several conversations on “peace”. I think on these conversations and am grateful for the hopes of peace and that people still believe in peace. But as I pondered more and more I realize my views on peace are much different than those that possess worldly or secular views. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Over and over in the Bible the Lord is called the God of Peace. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace and so on. Several references being made to peace in Christian life, yet we also see and know that there will be wars and nation rising against nation. So how do these fit together? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">The Jesus that some perceive in worldly view, is one that is peaceful and desires for us to be in peace. He stated that, </span><span style="color: #e06666;">“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid”. (John 14:27)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">As this is true we also see that Jesus Himself says, </span><span style="color: #e06666;">“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household.” (Matthew 10:33-36)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">So how can the two views be seen as one? How does the peace teaching Jesus, also say this? It is because true peace will never be on this Earth. Jesus knew that. We see the world trying to strive toward unity and peace and yet it will never happen. Wars will go on, fightings and killing will persist. He tells us the key, </span><span style="color: #e06666;">“I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">It is only IN HIM that we can have true peace. Peace is not “no war”, it is a state of being IN HIM. Peace is not dependant on circumstances, health and financial prosperity. It is not dependant on war or no war. It transcends earthly understanding and makes an imprisoned man free. It is the PEACE OF GOD. The world cannot offer this peace, even if no war was happening there isn’t peace. However my God gives peace in the midst of war, in terror, in prison, in sickness in persecution, even unto death! He gives peace that cannot be attained by this world. </span><span style="color: #93c47d;">“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">The peace of God surpasses ALL comprehension; we cannot lay hold of understanding this kind of peace. It guards you heart and mind IN CHRIST JESUS. It is only if you are in Him that you can know this peace. So all the scrambling and human effort will never truly understand or offer peace. He told us that in HIM we may have peace but we would have tribulation in the world but cheer up because HE has overcome the world. He tells us </span><span style="color: #e06666;">"And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified; for this must first take place, but the end will not be at once. Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven." (Luke 21:9-11)</span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Only the Lord can tell us to not be afraid when we see these things happening because HIS peace is not comprehendible. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">So why doesn’t everyone understand this peace? Jesus answered, </span><span style="color: #e06666;">My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world. Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice. (John 18:36-37)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Jesus declares HIS kingship isn’t of this world, it’s not earthly…if it were His servants would fight (fight to not hand Him over to those who would crucify Him)! Then He goes on to say that everyone who is of the truth (In Jesus, saved) hears His voice. So those who are not in Him, cannot hear His voice. They cannot understand the things He teaches, their eyes are blind to it unless they become saved and their eyes become open to the truth. This is why the world cannot grasp peace; because it’s only in Him they can have peace. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Thank you Lord that the peace you offer is unlike the world’s ideas, that it isn’t dependant on our surroundings, that instead it is a gift that only You can give and something that can make us stand in the face of terror, fear, hardship, sickness, war, financial ruin, persecution and even death. Thank you Lord, for Your peace. In Jesus, Amen. </span>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-85006957073802297292010-07-31T08:34:00.000-07:002012-10-11T09:46:31.654-07:00Disciple and Discipline<span style="color: black;">7/31/2010</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I’ve been praying and thinking of some words used often but wonder if I really know the meanings of them, or have they simply become another “Christianese” phrase used? </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Disciple and discipline; what do these words really mean to me. To study this out I first apply the scripture to itself, as we know scripture will verify itself. My thoughts are first in the natural then in the spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.) We are shown many things but first understanding them in the natural, then can apply to the spiritual. But we cannot understand the spiritual things unless our eyes are opened to them by God. In saying that, these words I will first look at in the natural setting. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Disciple: (from Websters): one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as a : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts b : a convinced adherent of a school or individual</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Disciple as we know is in the word discipline. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Discipline: (from Websters): training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Those are pretty straight forward. A disciple is someone who accepts AND assists in spreading a doctrine of another; a convinced individual. If you claim to be a Christian, are you first convinced? Do you accept the doctrine of Jesus Christ the way we hear in the Bible or do you add to the scripture to justify your lifestyle? Do you take away from scripture what offends, or isn’t “politically correct”? Do you add your own teaching/opinions? Do you assist in spreading or do you simply know for yourself that you are saved and that’s good enough? I was talking to my Christian doctor the other day while I was there for an appt. and we were discussing ministry and being Christians. I stated/posed the question, that if someone were to hang out with me w/o knowing me would they leave knowing I was a Christian? He then posed/stated that what would be worse is if someone who knows you found out you were Christian and were surprised. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I think we have become so pushed into having to accept everyone/everybody mindset that we have compromised the Word of God, the teachings of the scripture. We have become so afraid to be seen as a narrow minded Christian that we curb anything that might offend someone. Do you realize it’s not YOUR teachings that bring salvation? The Word of God, the truth of the blood of Jesus being accepted is. We are to be convinced ourselves of the teaching, accept them and then assist in spreading the doctrine. I suppose now I can see a difference in simply being a “believer” and being a disciple of Christ. What are you? </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">In understanding now what a disciple is, we can see that there must be a discipline; “a training that corrects and molds!” When we come to Christ we come with all our ideas of how something needs to be. We see a broad spectrum of thoughts; from the legalistic/judgmental condemning, afraid God’s ready to whack you if you mess up mindset, to the everything is acceptable, just love, love, love and accept mindset. The balanced mindset is realizing that God is a God of order, righteoueness, and is Holy. We ourselves are made clean by the blood of the lamb and as we are called to love, being compassionate we have never been called to close our eyes to sin and being compassionate of the sin, thus compromising the Word of God. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">We see people in the world, and non-believers beginning to use the WWJD question to apply to excusing sin. It’s an almost mocking phrase when they use it. Well the answer is that Jesus absolutely showed compassion and mercy. He dined with the “scum” tax collectors, he defended the woman caught in the act of adultery, but He also said to them “Go and sin no more.” That’s the balance we need. So how does that fit in with discipline?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Prov 3:11-12 (NIV) My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Prov 15:5 (NIV) A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Heb 12:5-8 (NIV) And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Heb 12:9-11 (NIV) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Job 5:17-18 (NIV) "Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal." </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">1 Cor 11:32 (Phi) But when God does judge us, he disciplines us as his own sons, that we may not be involved in the general condemnation of the world. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Rev 3:19 (NIV) [Jesus] "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent."</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">So we can see from these verses that discipline is from God, He does it because He loves us, we should see it as a blessing, and that we may share in His holiness. It’s not pleasant, but painful but produces righteousness and peace FOR THOSE TRAINED BY IT. This means that the two-fold or “if then” implied statement is, IF we are disciplined THEN we will produce righteousness, peace, and be His sons. Do you accept the discipline, or do you find yourself in correction only to plant your feet in deeper, trying to be right in your own eyes; justifying why you do what you do? It is possible to be corrected and not take the correction. I have witnessed many lives (including my own), where God has pointed His finger on an area in that person’s life that He wants to correct and mold, and the person rejects it. What happens is they may find an escape route, weasel out of another situation, only to find themselves once again in the same situation; only different people, different job, different setting, SAME PROBLEM! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Here’s how that might look in a practical scenario:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">1. Why do I always end up with all the bad guys/girls/relationships? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">2. Why can’t I hold a job down or lose a job?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">3. Why am I in debt, to recover only to be in debt again?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">4. Why do I have constant conflict with others?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">5. Why do I struggle in feeling rejected all the time?</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">These are only SOME of the questions people ask themselves. They find themselves constantly in cycles of these questions. They search and think they found the answer in some new job, some new person, some new scenario, only to have some time go by and they are asking themselves that same question. Do you not recognize the finger pointing in that area? Get rid of the “victim mentality” and repent and become a victor by overcoming; accepting the unpleasant discipline and lining up with what the Word of God truly says. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Now in closing I would like to say a disclaimer. We endure times of testing our faith that might bring about situations that are unpleasant (read James chapter 1) but as we grow and mature we won’t continue to see the exact same testing. But if it is an area that God is putting His finger on you will see that scenario over and over again. And if you have questions, ask, email, comment, call.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I pray today that your hearts are not hardened, that you are not stiff-necked, that instead you get before the Lord and ask honestly if there is an area in your life that the Lord has been putting His finger on to bring healing and discipline. I pray that you allow the Holy Spirit to reveal that to you and that the Lord would give you wisdom, that you’d feel the love of the Lord even in His discipline! In Jesus name, Amen. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">“Change my heart oh God, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Make it ever true.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Change my heart oh God, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">May I be like You.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">You are the potter, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I am the clay, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Mold me and make me, </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This is what I pray.”</span>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-40157441728917706132010-07-28T08:08:00.000-07:002010-07-28T08:08:13.863-07:00STUMBLING BLOCKS<span style="color: #e69138;">Stumbling Blocks</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">The last week or so I have been thinking a lot about stumbling blocks in our Christian walks. In reading scriptures it appears that the stumbling blocks are those that are stronger in faith! Those that cause the little ones or weak ones or young ones to stumble because of their example. I suppose if we are known as Christians and we profess that, we are examples of who and what Christ is about. When we are known as Christians yet practice sin or lawlessness this causes others to stumble. My guess is this is the very reason the world has such a problem w/Christians. They see on one hand the professing and preaching and the other they see the acts of the flesh; which Galatians 5 makes clear are:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #990000;">19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Our lives are examples of Christ, as Christians we represent Him whether we think we do or not. </span><span style="color: #990000;">Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">This verse tells me that people are watching so be a good example! If we ourselves are entangled in sin, we are hindered, and that can hinder others. <span style="color: #990000;">2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.</span> So this verse is giving instruction, where the apostle is “begging” you on Christ’s behalf! He is telling us to be reconciled to God. We are a representation of Christ, His ambassadors! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">We will all fail, all Christians sin but I believe there is a difference between “practicing” sin and sinning. Practicing sin means to knowingly continue in it, refining the skill! Think of manipulation and how one can practice this, getting better at it each time there is an opportunity to do so. Then there are those times when we are weak, we fail and we sin; it may be an area we struggle in but it is something that is given over to God, is repented of, turned away from and hated! That is very different than practicing a sin. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">How do we cause one to stumble then? By living in and practicing sin; most likely justifying it. So how does a stumbling block look? I have been watching my youngest son learn to walk. Knowing he is my last I am savoring the last baby moments; really taking them in. Since he was 9 months he’s been standing up alone and unsupported in the middle of the floor, it takes a lot of concentration. You can see this is hard; he’s wiggly and trying to catch his balance. He is very cautious and has been taking a few steps but falls and eventually tries again. He is now 11 months and walking all over, but its new and awkward looking. Sometimes he walks faster than he is ready for and boom; hits the ground. But as I noticed even the smallest things can make him fall. A change on texture on the floor from tile to carpet, a tiny toy, or a wanting to go one direction but his feet are not pointed correctly…will all make him fall. As a parent I try and clear all possible stumbling blocks out of his way to make his path clear, but it seems there is always something at some point that will make him fall. Sometimes it’s his own eagerness of reaching for something that is out of reach that catches him off balance. He is bound to fall, that is how he will learn but I certainly try to make it so he doesn’t stumble on something I am leaving around! Much like a walk of young or weak Christians, we need to not become their stumbling blocks. It would be strange for me to have such a hard time walking and the carpet changing wouldn’t trip me up, but I have been walking a long time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">I think the hardest area to work on is our relationships with those closest to us; especially in marriages. One spouse might be a younger Christian and we may have expectations of them to be a certain way. We may fall into a cycle of being critical of them; husbands leadership or lack thereof apathy or laziness, wives overbearing or unsubmissive hearts or lack of gentleness. We can point the finger expecting different results all the while we are the ones that are their very stumbling block! It could be my need for my spouse to grow into a role they are not yet walking in could be the reason we become critical, which in turn causes dissension, factions and the result is the spouse stumbling over the hypocrisy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">It is not just for myself that I do not “practice” sin, it is for others as well. Today I ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart and reveal to me areas where I may be practicing sin; becoming a stumbling block for others. Do I have fits of rage? Do I gossip? Do I practice a sinful lifestyle that doesn’t line up with that of what is instructed in the Bible? Do I justify this lifestyle? </span>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5180160870961333745.post-65664383894392158022010-04-23T08:40:00.000-07:002010-04-23T08:40:15.018-07:00WHATS IN YOUR CUP?<span style="color: #e69138;">April 23, 2010</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">I have spoken on this in small group and thought I would just share real fast. What's in your cup? If you were to be walking with a cup of OJ and someone bumped you, or you tripped or just lost balance, what would fall out? Would Pepsi come out? Chocolate milk? Juice? Gasoline? You get the point. No, OJ would come out. It's the same with our own lives. We can walk around with some really ugly stuff inside of us and as we trip in life or get bumped, that is what is going to come out. You can be the sweetest, most generous, loving person....when all is going your way but what happens when you get bumped? Does that love come out or does anger, selfishness, greed, manipulation, self pity spill out? It would be easy to have a very lovely cup of poison carried around, not harming anyone as long as it is never bumped, and doesn't spill out. But it's only when those things do spill out when you see what you are filled with and a change is required. </span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">That might be the hardest part. How do you change it? You can vow you will never do it again, tell yourself you have more will power, etc but when we try to do it on our won we can only do it so long before we erupt again. It will happen again. So the change is a process. Its a process of responding to the Holy Spirit conviction IN the problem. A little mini victory, and then over and over these responses that are mini victories turn into battles and wars being won. Picture a brick wall. The wall sin't one whole slab, rather it's made up of small bricks. The small bricks together make a strong wall. Don't ever look at your mini victory as too insignificant but rather a piece of something bigger and stronger. We will fail again and again but as we respond we will eventually win the war.</span>Janettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257966028118417895noreply@blogger.com0