Monday, February 25, 2008

Cease and Desist

Have you ever had someone who wronged you? Trashed you? Even harmed you?

I see the hands up, and mine is up too.

I am a member of the Bagdad Prayer Patrol. A dear sister put me onto it. They send daily updates and prayers to pray over the people - all of the people - in Bagdad. Good and evil.

Well the one today was based on Ps. 37:7-9. "Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not yourself - it tends only to evildoing." (Amplified)

Now I know that there are some very serious offenses that take place on this earth. Maybe I should say that I really have no idea how hurtful some have been. I only know what I have been through.

But nevertheless, it's all painful, in many degrees.

But this Scripture hit me today. It was to pray for the evil going on in Bagdad, but little did the writer know that I needed to read those verses for myself.

God tells us to first of all rest.

Rest? When I want to rant and rave?

Yes, even lean upon Him.

But to not fret about those who seem to get ahead (and get away with) by doing wrong.

Whether it is doing physical harm to a person? Or stealing from them. Or saying cruel things.

We are to stop being angry about it and run away from wrath. I think wrath should be described as I'm-going-to-kill-you angry. Where you could kill in order to get back. (I'm not writing from jail. I am your normal? American woman with a regular life. But as we've seen from the news, it doesn't take just a terrorist to react in anger and do devastation.)

I'm not just talking about war, where there are real bullets.

I'm talking about when your mother-in-law says to a young friend, as you open the garage door, "Oh, just look at this mess." The young friend even knows better than to say those things to a person, even if it is true. Oooooo.

I'm talking about when your child says harsh things to you in their anger and frustration. Tears.

When a business partner does indescribable things to you and your family. Pain.

Anger.

Kill.

Maim.

But no.

My staying in anger, only tends to evildoing.

Yes, MY anger. Yeah, the other person should maybe be jailed, but we're talking about our own anger here.

So I am being transparent in front of you all. The issue isn't about what was done to us, but what we do with what was done to us.

It's to the cross daily. Dying to ourselves.

Leaning on Him.

Fretting not.

Ceasing.

And being still in Him.

©BL2008

Friday, February 15, 2008

Gone Fishin'

I am reading through the Gospels. I want to really learn what Jesus did and will do and what I can do, only greater (John 14:12).

Matthew 17:24-27 is interesting. Apparently when they got into Capernaum, the tax collectors asked Peter if Jesus had paid his temple tax. Or they asked him if Jesus paid the half shekel, kind of checking how much Jesus paid. Now I really want to dig in and learn about the background, the culture. I always do that, and then this gets too long! So I won't here and now. At a later date!

Peter came home and he and Jesus talked about it. Jesus told Peter that he should go to the sea and throw in a hook. He was to take the first fish that came up, and when he would open it's mouth, there would be a shekel in it. Peter was to take that shekel and go pay the temple tax for both Jesus and Peter.

So the thoughts that went around in my head? It could have happened a couple of ways.

One way? As Peter is finding his way to the sea, I see him climbing over rocks to get to the beach area, mumbling. "Catch a fish? To pay the taxes?" This is where I'd be!

But had Peter seen so many miracles, so many supernatural things, that he just said, "Yeah, okay. I'll get us a mocha on the way. Be right back!"

Or was he talking to himself on the way? "Crazy. This is crazy! How does a fish have a shekel in it? And how does Jesus know it's the first fish? Crazy!"

Or did he believe, but have to talk to himself all the way there. "I believe Jesus. He is the Truth!" Fighting the unbelief all of the way.

Does this ever come up again? I'm going to find out! There is nothing following this part that says, "Yup! Peter found the fish with the shekel in it's mouth and he went and paid the tax. And Jesus liked the mocha!"

And since it's tax time here in the United States, my brain goes....can that happen today? And how?

Some would explain that things like this just happen symbolically. But.... I don't think so. (I'm sticking my neck out here!) I don't think that I believe that.

Yes, there are wonderful applications of this, but I think we are keeping our Maker and Provider in that box again.

Let's knock down the walls of that box and let Jesus be who He is! Not what we think he is! Or what we are comfortable with.

Let's let Him come how He wants to. Let's let Him look like He is!

And if He wants me to go fishing to get my tax money, I'm down!

Oh,and if you can't find me? I'm at the store buying my hook!

©BL2008

Thursday, February 14, 2008

The Streets of......Gold?

Last week as I was soaking with God on the floor, I saw what I knew to be the end of some movie. It was a shot of a city at night. Cars were moving along on a huge freeway. The camera was moving out for a wide shot.

And the feeling was of all people, being where they needed to be - physically, spiritually. Like all is resolved.

And as I journaled this, it was almost about being back to the Garden of Eden, but in this world. Cars moving, lights beautiful.

Was it a picture of eternal life?

I think that we think of the afterlife as a..... I mean the streets of gold for pete's sake! But I wonder if it will be exactly as it is now, only with out the sin, or the ravages of sin.

If you think technology is wild now, just wait. Think of all of the inventions, innovations! The imaginations without sin! The creativity! The arts! The music?

All without sin!

Incredible.

©BL2008

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Cut the Flesh

I'm back! I sound like the ghost or monster on a movie. "I'm ba-ack!"

Been gone with hubby. Good stuff.

I just had a realization. I have been praying for a revelation of the Cross. I didn't even know what I meant by praying that. I just felt led by dear Holy Spirit to pray that. I wanted to know where He wanted me to go.

But just now as I journaled, He gave me that revelation. I didn't hear ten thousand angels sing. There was no lightning. But I know a little more than I did before. And it is really simple, but those simple teachings are the best.

Every time that I have hurt feelings, I want to stay in that. Wallow in it. In the sludge. But every time that I submit it to the Holy Spirit, I crucify that flesh.

Every time I want to react in anger, I want to keep it. Carry the anger. Make it mine. But Holy Spirit wants me to submit it to Him.

Every time that I feel left out, snubbed, forgotten, I need to get under His Wings.

Submit, submit, submit. Crucify, crucify.

Go to the Cross.

When I submit, when I crunch that flesh, I am going to the cross to die to myself.

"I die daily." 1 Cor. 15:31.

That is death to self. Crucify the flesh.

Go to the Cross.

©BL2008