No Flaws, Rips or Torn Places

All my life, folks have been telling me, that nobody else is like me. Most of them were not speaking, in a positive manner.    How could they?   I used to take great pride, in my ability to cut a person to tears, if they rubbed me, in the wrong way. I had an extremely sharp tongue, and kept it finely honed on a rock of bitterness. This was the only defense system, which I had to keep people, at a safe distance from me. Most people had no use for me, because of the way, that I would treat others. 

Why in Heaven’s pearl gates would I act like that?    Fear.   Pure fear.   I was scared to let people get close to me. I was afraid that if they got that close, then they could hurt me. I felt safer on my own, and over time it did get worse. The only friends that I had were the ones, that I had chosen to be a friend, and most were not above the associate level. The sad part is that most of my running partners that I chose, I chose them, because I found them, to be inferior to myself. This happened later in my life, in my young days, I was simply too stupid to make a rational choice

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Ok buddy,….Why are you telling all of this?    As strange as this sounds, I use a part of my life, as an example to show how different, that we all are. We are a world full of wounded people, and we always have been. It started in the Garden of Eden, and it will continue, until the return of Jesus. My point is once we receive Salvation,…….experiencing the new birth, that only can come from Jesus, this is the first step. A lot of really good folks tend to think, that this is the only step, and doing this is only is hell insurance. 

Jesus through the Holy spirit wants to do so much more with us. Please read this verse, while thinking about the things that He is saying. See how many, and how much of this that you can relate with.

 Luke 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

I can see me in this entire verse. However, Salvation does not give us these promises, because it does not make us whole, or completely well. If we are saved by faith, and we are, then faith takes another step of trust to work on ourselves, by surrendering to the work, of Holy Spirit. I don’t have the right, or the ability to judge you, and the things, that are off kilter, in your life. I have a lifetime of examples, that we can use, like how this post started.

Romans 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

See, if you will get to know you’re Creator, and His true love, that He has for us, and all, that He has done for us, and all, that He wants to do with us, and for us, it will change the way, that you do everything. This is vision, that I am talking about, and I have never been the one, in my life, to have any vision!!

The purpose that we were even created was to have a relationship and fellowship with Father. Father has a plan we find in Romans 8:29, to make us like Jesus.    Think about that,….please.     Jesus is whole.   Complete, …nothing missing, and nothing broken.  No flaws, rips or torn places.    Jesus is perfect!!

You know that He is a people person. He walked this earth to be with us, and tell us of a better way. He offered us the best deal, that will ever be truly offered, and it is the complete package. When we read our Bible, His enter action with others was immaculate. Nothing escaped His knowledge. He wanted to heal, and fill with new hope, anybody, that would receive Him, and believe the Father sent Him.

I believe that it should be a pure honor, for Father to even consider, making me like Jesus!! I can’t speak for anybody else, but I have always wanted to be somebody else, and if I can be like Jesus, that will be way-cool. Just think, after the twist, and turmoil, of this earth experience, we have the opportunity to spend forever, doing what we were created to do. I have been a prime candidate for why Jesus came to this earth.

Luke 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Do you know, what I feel is pretty high on my list, of the difference in myself, while in Spiritual training?      I am learning to take myself, out of the spotlight, and put a true star as front man. I share the responsibility of Holy Spirit, to point my life back to Jesus. The only way that I can accomplish this is by allowing me to be changed, or conformed into the image of Jesus. 

Maybe everything is coming into focus now. Maybe I am finally getting the truth, behind the message of Jesus Christ.  I know that there is a change rolling over my life right now, and I believe that repairing my altar had a lot to do with it. There is nothing magical about Father, Jesus, or Holy Spirit. I think that it would be blasphemy to even consider using the right potion, or formula to get what we want. However, I believe as we grow in our Spiritual walk that more doors open, to give us different ways, to bring honor to Jesus. 

We have to remember, that it is all about the relationship.     Ain’t God good?

        ….Much Love          

Mission Impossible

The service was about to start, and the sanctuary filled up. There were a lot of familiar faces, along with quite a few new ones. However, once the music began to play, my total attention was focused elsewhere. This might be the first time, at least the first time in memory, that the going on’s around me, where of no consequence. 

I remember once the music started to play, warmth filled my heart. Like a baby reaching for his father, I immediately reached toward Heaven, for my Father. It was honestly a natural movement, and felt just as natural as it was. I don’t know how, these other denominations are satisfied, with just reaching toward Heaven, with their hearts? 

Limitations 3:41  Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

If King David, a man after God’s own heart would praise in this way, then why can’t we?  That is the wrong question. If it was good enough, for the worship of a King, then why should we be too proud, to lift up our hands in worship?

Psalms 134:2  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

I am not poking at nobody this morning, because I believe, that we worship, the God of our own understanding. I have tried to worship the God, of other peoples understand, and it didn’t work.    Can I slow down, and be honest?      The reason that I am in this Spiritual place that I am at is no accident.  I took work, and really hard work. 

What did you do James?   We will do the same thing!!   I surrendered.   I gave up. I quit fighting against God, and took up the fight internally against Satan. That where all the hard work began. It seemed that I would wake up in the middle of the night, in a battle with the beast. When Jesus cast out the demon that had taken residence in my body, smoking for over thirty years the demon rebelled!!  I was so addicted that I cried myself to sleep several nights in severe pain, both mental and physical.

Luke 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Before we can worship our Lord in a bigger way, He has to first become bigger in our vision. Have you ever noticed that those that know the Lord more intimately, the larger their scale of worship?      Have you ever secretly, had a small case, of worship envy?    I have been very guilty of having worship envy.     I have sat, and watched other people, worship their God, in such a way, that it has made me reach the point of jealousy.

I am being serious!!         I have even tried to mimic their actions.      If they moved their hands in a certain way. I would copy their actions, as closely as possible. At my church, pastor often asks us to pray in the Spirit. People all over the sanctuary start saying words, that I can’t understand. I have gone as far, as just making up a mumble to fit in. However that can to a sudden halt.

Why?     Because it wasn’t real!!   It is not possible for me, I can’t say for anybody else, but I can’t praise God if I don’t know Him.  If I don’t know Father in an intimate way, then what can I praise Him for?   If I don’t acknowledge His goodness in my life, then all the credit goes to me?    But,…

I must admit that I have been learning bunches, from the attendance back to my church Sunday. I would have to say, of all the important lessons, that I am being taught. The most important one right now, is a deeper understanding; of our relationship with God is a personal relationship. We were all made different. We all act differently. And we all have a different relationship with Father. Therefore, we all have a different style in which to give praise and glory to our God!!

We don’t have to have a certain move down, because someone else moves in this way. God will honor our praise to Him, if we remain the person, that He has made us to be!! I believe that is why He has made all of His children uniquely different. Sometimes as humans, we seem to feel better about things, if we can use the big words, to explain our situation with Father. We like to think that we are making something as big as possible. However in all reality, we don’t even start to understand how big it really is!!

1Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

This verse,…this one verse says it all!!   I challenge you to do a word study of this verse, and read all the commentaries that you can stand to read on it. this one verse, once you understand the true meaning behind it, will  bring forth a praise to the Lord, like only you can do!!      Ain’t Good good?

      …..Much Love                

I was Almost Giddy!!

As the bus came to stop, I assured the lady sitting behind the wheel. The only other way which she could have done me better, would have been to drop me off, at the front door. I don’t remember feeling any feelings of fear as I walked back into the door. Actually, I was like a small child filled with amazement. Nothing had really changed as far as my memory served. The ceilings were still thirty-five, to forty feet tall, because of the second level balcony. However, for some reason they were mesmerizing to me. 

I walked into my Sunday school class, that was being held inside the sanctuary. This was nothing new to me, because I used to do this when I was running late for Sunday school. I couldn’t explain this at the time, but I was simply tickled to be sitting, in the sanctuary listening to familiar voices teaching. Truth was that I was almost giddy!! 

THE SECOND ATTACK:

After the class was over I shook this man’s hand, and he had these words to say to me. “I haven’t seen you in Sunday school class in a few weeks.” I wasn’t really comfortable with the way that he put it, because of the high, and mighty look behind the words. I just blew his approach off, and assured him that I haven’t been in class for several months, and I had been looking for a different church. I did go on to tell him that there was no church like this one. At least not for me.

I believe that this man was offended by what I had just said to him. He said something really snooty to me, and I just walked on down to the place that I used to sit in. The sixth row, right in front of the pulpit, and I set down. The event with the man had rolled off my back like water on a duck. I was too busy being happy, to let foolishness get me down. After all, I was back where I should be, and where I was the most comfortable at the time.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS:

I talked to another couple, which I always talked with before the services. I explained to them where that I had been, and what that I had been doing. I told them of all the dead churches that I have visited over the last few months, and the fact that there was nothing dead about this church. Then the lady asked me a question. “Did you feel the anointing, when you walked back, through the door?”  

I stood there in shame, at the fact that I had felt the anointing, but I didn’t realize what it was at the time. It had been so long since I had felt this kind of power, that I was oblivious to what was going on. Every hair on my arms, and neck had been on edge, since walking through the doors. There was a smile on my face, which couldn’t be ripped off, and a fire inside my heart, that couldn’t be extinguished. They say that ignorance is bliss, and I was blissfully ignorant, that I was full of the joy, of the Lord!!

I don’t know if you have ever had an experience, like the one, that I was having. Honestly, I never even thought that it could be possible. I never dreamed, that a man could settle for less, for such a long time, that when he was surrounded by the Spirit of the Lord, that he would need help recognizing the presence!!  The absolute scary part to me is that I used to, or at least I thought, that I used to be quick, with picking up, on Holy Spirit. This is turning out to be one of those if you don’t use it, than you start losing it events. 

Dear Readers, please take heed, that all this has come about, within the first thirty minutes, of me walking in the door!! The worship service hasn’t even begun to start, and Holy Spirit has already been showing me a few things. The things, that He was showing me, were not immediately followed with information. Those would come throughout, the next couple days. They were only the reference points to work from, to receive the truth. 

This was missing truth from my own life. Then again, maybe not so much, missing truth, but misguided, or misaligned truth, that needed to be adjusted, in my personal, walk with God. Paul said something, which keeps hanging in my craw. We are responsible for working out our own Salvation. He did not say that we were responsible in any way for our Salvation. However he did say that we had to work it out!!

Philippians 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

This assures me, that we are to be as unique, as Father has made us, in our relationship with Him.      Have you ever thought about this?      Why didn’t God create two of Moses, and let them work in shifts?    If Abraham was such a good friend of God, then why wasn’t there more of him?      How about the disciple whom Jesus loved?

God has a plan, and His plan is perfect. We are all in God’s plan, whether we want to be or not. Some of us are liabilities in God’s plan, and some of us are assets. Whoever we are we have our own part to play, and there is something, that Father will use us for, that nobody else can accomplish. We are a part of the puzzle, which is never ending!!     Ain’t God good?

        ….Much Love        

Emotions were Running Dangerously High

I have a really hard time with understanding myself. Truthfully, there are times much worse than others. I am as stubborn as a mule about something’s in my life. The crazy thing is that I am just as stubborn about the things that I want. Saturday when my buddy drove away, I got really excited, about going back to my church. However, I failed to show any emotion to him while we were together.          Why, you might be asking?  The truth is that I didn’t know, that answer myself. 

I prayed earnestly Saturday night, that there would be no obstacles, in my way, which could prevent me, from attending the service. When my alarm went off on Sunday morning, I immediately sprang from out of the bed. “This is the day that the Lord has made!! I will rejoice, and be glad in it.” This just rolled out of my Spirit, and I realized that this hasn’t happened in a while. I used to wake up every morning, saying that Bible verse. (Psalms 118:24)

I had two, and a half hour, before my bus would come, at the station in downtown. I don’t like to be in a rush. I have found that almost every time I get in a rush, one of two things happen. Either I miss a thing, that I really needed to see, or I simply make a wrong decision.     Can anybody relate with this?

Actually, it didn’t take me all that long to get ready. I spent most of my time chomping at the bits, in great anticipation, for the day that lied ahead of me. My emotions were running dangerously high, and growing even higher at the moment.    How many of you know that the higher that you fly; the harder that you can crash or land. 

THE FIRST ATTACK:

I just couldn’t stand it any longer, so I left my house thirty minutes, before the bus was supposed to leave the station. I only live five to seven minute away, greatly depending on the traffic.   Do you ever notice that there doesn’t seem to be a traffic situation on Sunday morning?    Game day affects the traffic much more, than the church crowd does in the city. 

 I always prefer to be on time, if not a little bit early. I took time to greet all those that I knew that lived in my area, on the way. Rarely, do I pass a person without speaking to them, even riding my bicycle. I do have reputation for being friendly.         “I prefer to think of it, as the joy, of the Lord!!”

I was getting closer to the bus station, as I noticed a bus sitting in the portal, where my bus should pull into a little bit later. I simply assumed that it was the other bus, which shared the same docking place. When I got close enough to see which bus that it was, it was the bus that I needed to take today.       How could that be?     I looked at the clock, and it was only twenty minutes until ten. That bus wasn’t scheduled to leave, until five minutes past ten. 

I pedaled a little faster, to get to the station. While I was wrestling with my lock on my bike, which was acting contrary, I heard this familiar sound.   Beep, beep, beep.   This is the sound that the bus makes with rising up from the kneeling position, to make the passenger access easier. I my Spirit I groaned, and told Holy Spirit to have His way. 

Nothing seemed to change. The lock was still acting, if it had a mind of its own. It seemed to be extended great power to not come together, in the way that it should. I never gave up. Actually, I slowed down, and simply accepted my unknown fate. Suddenly, I heard the bus lower into the kneeling position once again, and as quickly as it did this action.   Beep, beep, beep. 

The lock suddenly worked, and I was hurrying toward the bus. I heard this voice behind me, “Are you needing that bus?”  I nodded my head while staying in motion and the policeman behind me started shouting, “Hold that bus!!” Then suddenly, like a chain reaction, folks started yelling to hold my bus!! This was surely the work of Holy Spirit, because this is just one of the ways in which He works.    Amen.

I grabbed a new schedule when I boarded the bus. I noticed that the schedule had changed, but only by nine minutes. It was supposed to depart from the station at nine: fifty- six. We were pulling out from the station, and it was only nine: forty-five. They never leave that station early, because of severe penalties to the driver. It is better to be late with the approach, than to leave early. 

I knew that my trip would conclude at the bus stop, on the street that my church was on, if the Lord be willing. As the bus started to turn on Ramona Boulevard, I pressed the signal to stop. I started walking to the front of the bus, because I always like to thank the driver. As the lady bus driver, passed the stop, that I had intended to get off at, I told her that my stop was missed.  When she finally stopped we were at the main entrance.     Ain’t God good?

I really don’t have the time to do this story, the justice that it deserves to have, in this one post. I will write the next post, from my feet stepping of the bus, to the conclusion of my church visit.

If you notice I didn’t copy out one verse from the Bible. When were out in the world, doing our daily business, few of us are walking around with our Bibles. This is the time that we need to have the Word of God in our hearts. The Word of God will change us, into something that we don’t naturally possess. The Word of God will make us brake forth, with love to others. The best thing that I think that it does is it allows us to be taken out of the picture, and Jesus to shine forth!!

      ….Much Love