What do I do with This Day?

I did not aways think this way.

I never used to wonder how my day would play out when I woke up in the mornings. I knew. I had an order to my day, a schedule and a routine. For the most part, I always woke up with the promise of a God encounter and a great day. At least that is how I remember things. But you know, Merle Haggard recorded a song with these lyrics that I have never forgotten, he said: "I guess everything does change, except what we choose to recall." 

AH HA!! Do you see it? Maybe my glory days weren't as perfectly golden as I think they were...maybe I am just choosing to recall them that way. It doesn't really matter - except it does. Because the higher the bar on the wonderful memories, the harder it will be to ever reach the bar again. And WHAT exactly is the bar?

The "bar" my friend, is to wake up knowing that today I will encounter God and that He will show me WHAT I am supposed to do with this day.

Retirement can suck the life from us if we let it. That is to say, that if we once had a career, a job that we loved and excelled at, and our days were structured around that job....Well...when the job goes, all our structure falls away...we flounder...some actually take wind under their wings and SOAR, while other of us (yes, I am an "other") plummet to the ground and can't quite seem to get strength back in our legs to stand, let alone fly....and so very often when our eyes open in the morning we are sad, we feel alone, we feel disjointed, directionless, and we wonder "What do I do with this day?" I've talked before about how long I flopped around, how low I sunk, how deep my pit grew, etc., before I took back my life, so I won't recount all of that. Just suffice it to say that I DID take it back, and I DID reconcile with God, and I DO seek His face, and I AM aware that He still has a purpose for me...yet, I am am still at the place where I wake up like the last three lines of the previous paragraph!

What do we say then? What do we do when we have come so far and yet far hasn't been far enough? Life still looks like a disjointed jigsaw puzzle with not much rhyme nor reason to our day? What DO we do? What CAN we do?

This is moment where I'd love to shout and say "Whoopee!! God gave me the answer and NOW I'm gonna give it to you!!"

Except it isn't. Because He didn't, and I can't give what I haven't received. This is the moment where I'm trying to avoid any cliches like life being hard, and waiting on God...but it CAN be hard, and WAIT is all we can do sometimes....

But listen, here is the GOOD NEWS....He doesn't make us wait long. Not, if we breathe out that morning prayer that asks Him to direct our steps...not long at all.

This morning was a blank page for me, they mostly all are now that I am retired. So I asked Him before I stepped out of bed to show me what He wants me to do today and to direct my steps...and then I listened to Joseph Price a little, and then John Hagee a little, and then a little podcast on prayer...I looked up some blessings to pray over our children (with my great-grandson in mind)...some Messianic Jewish prayers...made some coffee and sat down to type....

"What do you want me to do today, God?" I asked again...what can I say to encourage someone when I don't even know how to encourage myself? (And I asked in in bold, italicized thoughts/words!!).....my phone rang....

Shortly I will be leaving to go and pick up the child I was praying for...this wasn't a planned visit...he isn't feeling well so he will come and spend the next week with me. 

Didn't God know I was concerned about him? Or maybe it was GOD who put the concern on my heart...preparing me for my day. And no, this isn't a major Moses assignment but it IS my God assignment for this day!

So now I know what I am going to do with this day.

Talk to Him! Talk to him in BOLD letters! I'm convinced He will talk back pretty quick!

Goodspeed!!!!

 Why Am I Here?

Once upon a time I was so very sure of my purpose in this world. I knew I was where God wanted me to be, and I was doing what He had called me to do.....

And then, in the blink of an eye, my world changed...years had passed...I was older...I was living in a different place...I was no longer employed by the ministry that was so fulfilling to me...I woke up as a senior citizen, retired, not married, no longer totally independent, and not working.

It was/is like time just stopped and I am frozen in a spot that I cannot seem to move from. Limbo...not quite belonging anywhere anymore.

I am 69 years young. I live with my youngest daughter...and sometimes with my oldest daughter...limbo.

Some days I feel so lost...like a particle floating that has nothing solid to attach to...no close friends who live near enough to visit...not a part of an active, thriving local church. How do I exist in this place? Have you ever been in this place?

Yet...God. He is in this place. At that sentence I release a long breath of relief. I could not live in limbo without Him. You see, He trained me well. My past job required that I immerse myself in scripture searching for answers for women struggling to break free of addiction and begin a new life. I wrote copious notes that I transcribed into computer documents....I created study guides specific to issues different ladies were dealing with....how to find peace...how to find joy...and HOW TO DEFINE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE instead of letting your circumstance define you.

And I kept copies of everything I created and every hand-out I used in classes and every workbook we used. BECAUSE...addiction is no different from any unhealthy place we find ourselves in. No matter what brings us to a place of discontent and needing to change, the answer is always the same....God. 

And I don't mean that in the churchy, Sunday school way. I mean getting involved personally with the One who created us. Searching the scriptures for answers, and listening...yes listening, to hear the Still Small Voice...because when we LISTEN, God will speak...and when God speaks you will want to run to Him to hear more. And when you start running to God, everything that you wanted to leave behind just falls to the wayside like weeds dying out in the winter. The old life is DEAD, the new life is calling and it is full of encounters with Father - OUR Father.

So, as I sit here today and ask again "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose?" "How do I break free of this 'limbo'?".....I have just given myself the answer. It's the answer that I knew all along but had somehow forgotten...

The answer is to immerse myself in the Word, look for His voice, and most of all....BE STILL and listen for the Still Small Voice...and when He speaks (and He will), I will run to Him and He will (always has) propel me towards the Plan (there is still a plan for me)...He will stir up excitement and joy..and this limbo will fall away....and He will show me the next step. In the past, I learned that when I did this - small delights showed up - Father would give me something that I wanted and maybe had not even ASKED for...the desires of your heart start to appear and there are jewels along the path....

Age is just a number. I dislike that cliche BUT it is true. It IS just a number and guess who isn't counting? God....because God knows we are eternal (even if we forget - He doesn't) so this year in my life is no different to Him than any other...His plan for me and you hasn't changed.

I don't know how to wrap this up other than to say, I needed this today.

Godspeed!

 Depressed

I was.

I had everything. By the worlds standards mine had been a Cinderella story and I was now living in the castle. 

I had been alone, a struggling mother of two teenage daughters, driving a beat-up $300.00 car that was on it's last leg and living in a "borrowed" mobile home. Then, everything changed. I met my prince and he rescued me, he really did. We were in love 💕......

Not long after the prince came, we moved to another state (a promotion for him) to begin a new life together. We bought a house on 5 wooded acres, which was paradise for me and very close to my "dream" home. I got a new-for-me car, started a job that I loved with a small law firm, and for the first time in many, many, many years I was able to shop, not just for food and essentials, but for clothes and make-up and decorative items for our home. My girls were finishing school and would be coming to live with us soon. I had everything that I had ever wanted, and then some......(So what happened...🤔) 

The prince had been raised Catholic, but was not practicing. I grew up in a small Baptist church, beginning my walk with God at the age of 14. I was an excited youth for Christ but as the years passed and life events happened, I grew cold and eventually I turned my back on God. As my Cinderella story unfolded and came to life, we began to have many long talks about God and how we both longed to re-establish a relationship with Him.

We found a church that we both liked. A small, Southern Baptist church in the country with a wonderful Pastor (our age) and wonderful people. They embraced us and welcomed us into the fold. We became involved in church activities.....(So why did I become depressed...🤔😞)

I was depressed. I said I didn't know why...but inside, I think I did....

I sought out a Christian counselor/psychologist and was able to find one that I really liked. I spent a lot of time with her and we dissected my life...growing up as a child of an alcoholic parent, etc... but no flash of insight came.

Here's what was wrong: The prince and I were living in sin. We had not yet gotten married...because...we were waiting on his divorce to finalize. Yep, I had been rescued and my life had been radically changed -- I no longer had to stress over bills -- I no longer had to shop from a very short grocery list...I was driving a nice car...I had a nice house...I shopped for clothes whenever I wanted...we vacationed at Hilton Head Island...we had mini-vacations to Myrtle Beach...but we were NOT married. Not at that point. We later married, and my depression went away eventually - but that is NOT the point of my story....(I can't tell a short story).

Here's the point guys: When we become BORN AGAIN, we are born of incorruptible seed -- we receive God's DNA. What was once "natural" for us, becomes "un-natural" if it goes against the Word of our Lord. My God DNA was incompatible with a life of "living in sin." I could NOT be at peace and have the Joy of the Lord while living against what my heart KNEW was not right in His eyes. This is what JOHN was talking about in 1 John 3:9, which says:

"No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

Can we practice acts of sin in our fleshly bodies? Of course we can! We have that total free will. But....can we continue to practice sin and be at peace? No. No we can't. We can dumb-down our senses to the point that we enjoy sin for a season, but if we have the incorruptible seed of God in us, eventually we are going to find ourselves absolutely miserable. And depressed.

So, what I am saying to you in this message/blog is this...Actually, I am asking you: Are you experiencing depression in your life that is NOT caused by anything you can put your finger on? If so, I am inviting you to create a spiritual map in your mind. Start with how you are feeling and trace backwards to the people and events that are going on in your life. Are there any "red flag" areas that pop up? Things that you have in your life that you KNOW goes against God's laws? And I'm not just talking about the 10 commandments here - I'm talking about all of the teachings by the apostles and Jesus......IS there a THING in your life that should not be there? A person, a relationship, a false idol (which can be anything of value to you)?

Keep digging...if there isn't a THING you can pinpoint (but I imagine that there is), then ask yourself if you have given God a place of honor in your life. Do you devote conversation time to him? Do you talk over the things that you are dealing with, with Him? Do you have have Coffee with Jesus? Just think on these things...

I believe that The Holy Spirit will reveal things to you if you simply follow the steps I listed above. ASK HIM to show you the root of your depression. Take a pen and paper and write down what He shows you - and he WILL show you. Then....dig out that root and destroy it. Give it to God. If it is something as black and white as my relationship was - then fix it. Let God guide you...He will tell you what you need to do, he really will.

When I was in the Christian counseling, after un-earthing every possible thing in my childhood, we finally came to the crux of the matter. The counselor told me what I already knew...I was living against God's will, and I had to fix it if I wanted to. be free of the dark cloud that covered me. And I did.

Depression is a terrible place to dwell, and we don't have to live there. My prayer for you today is that you search and find....and heal.  Amen.

 Faith that Manifests...

When I began this blog in 2010-2011 (? not quite sure), I was living on-site and working for a faith based recovery center for addicts and alcoholics. My life was "alive" with possibilities. I absolutely loved my job and as time went on I moved into a little bungalow that could not have been more perfect if I had custom ordered it and I became more involved on the "recovery" side of our ministry. I taught classes and counseled women in recovery - directing them towards one goal - a deep and meaningful relationship with our Father.Life was good. Life was wonderful. But life has a way of changing things around on us....

In 2015 I retired and moved to a different part of the state to be near my children and grandchildren. I had great plans.....and you know how that goes.....

I laid down the background to bring you to where I am today, so that together you and I might figure out what my life will become.

Today, I am an unemployed "mature" female, who calls herself an "Artist and Writer." I am totally dependent on my daughters for a place to live and for a chunk of financial support.

My life is not where I want it to be.

I had 6 years of struggle. In the pit. My relationship with Father diminished and my problems increased. I dealt with physical pain, mental "breakdowns" and spiritual deafness.

Until I said, "no more" and meant it. I climbed out of the pit and I am standing, looking out over the vastness of what lies beyond. I have wants and desires for my life that I know God has already taken care of and put them in that place that must be accessed, in fact can ONLY be accessed - by FAITH. Whew!

I desire independence. To be in a position of not having to depend on others to support me, or provide shelter for me. I desire to be successful in my art and writing career. 

The Bible tells me that God wants to give me the desires of my heart (if they line up with his Word). His Word tells me that I am the head, and not the tail. His word tells me that he will provide for me according to his riches in glory. His Word is filled with all kinds of promises, and his promises are always, 'yes, and Amen,' meaning - they are MINE, and YOURS, not just Abrahams and Davids and whoever else we can name from scripture. His Word tells me that I can (must) speak to the mountain and it will move.

Are you with me? Are you following? My desires already exist because they are the SUBSTANCE of faith. It is up to ME to move the mountain and bring into my life the EVIDENCE. Jesus didn't tell the disciples to ask the Father to move the mountain, he told THEM to SPEAK TO THE MOUNTAIN and it would move.

So...this is where I stand today. I am looking at this mountain..... It is an independent life, and a successful art and writing career. That is my mountain. That is what God has given me...all I have to do is bring it to life by faith!

How simple it sounds!! How HARD it is to live!!

I have vowed to picture myself already there. I speak and say that I am financially independent and I am a successful Artist and Writer. Do I need to clarify success? I have no desire to be wealthy, I only desire to be in the position that God created me to be at this point in my journey - and that, is success.

I picture myself having already attained these things. I will imagine that to be my station in life until it becomes my reality.

Can I do this? My faith, will it become alive and active? I absolutely MUST believe that I can, and it will.

I am inviting y'all (yep, y'all) to come along with me and see. Follow my life as it unfolds. I am as Abraham who introduced himself as the father of many nations - even before he ever had a child....I am introducing myself as Vickie, successful Artist and Writer.

Let the journey begin....

 And Then...

Pink Floyd had a song called "Time" with these lyrics:

"And then one day you find ten years have got behind you...."

And THIS, my friend, is where I find myself today in the blogging world! I have been absent for 10 years, more or less...and Oh! what a journey it has been.

I will not lie. From the mountain top... to the pit. In the pit, pulling debris on top op me, repeating past mistakes, using past "fixes" which amounted to nothing but debris which covered me up and weighed me down even further in the pit.

Yes, me...the one who writes of "joy" and "victory" and having the Enemy "under my feet." That one, that Me.

What happened?

My story isn't important (but I will share if requested). What IS important is that I found myself defining myself by 2 Samuel 1:27 "How the mighty have fallen. And the weapons of war perished!"

Yep....that was me.....

Notice, that above I said "I defined myself." because therein lyes a very important key. How we define ourselves, is how we will live. "Our actions will always reflect what we believe to be true about ourselves, even if what we believe is a lie." (Mark Winslett). I wallowed in a pit because I saw myself as "fallen." I didn't think I knew how to get up again....

But guess what? I know what Father says about me. So many things....I was born again of "incorruptible seed."....I am the righteousness of God in Christ....I am a child of the Most High God....No weapon formed against me will prosper...I have the Holy Spirit living in me and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! (I can provide scripture for all of this).

I COULD NOT remain in the pit. I was not created for the pit. The DNA that came with the incorruptible seed is comparable to "pit-living."

I climbed out. And friends, I am here to tell you that it was a long, hard climb. It has taken me nearly 10 years to climb out. (Actually 7 years, but it felt like 10!!!)

You know, Joseph found himself in a pit (Genesis 37). His brothers put him there...hmmm...can family put family in a PIT? Oh, absolutely. My family did not put me in my pit, but I dug that pit by putting the cares and difficulties of family "drama" first, instead of...GOD FIRST....

Family matters, physical pain and POOR CHOICES...disobedience....that dug my pit. (well, I dug. my pit, but those things provided the digging tools). Again....it's not the details of my pit that are important.

What is of MAJOR IMPORTANCE is that no matter how deep we find ourselves in a hole, or how far we have fallen, God's arm is not shortened and He always, always, always hears our cries of distress. And no matter how much shame we have reaped upon our heads, or how many times we chose a "Thou shalt not" over the will of Father - He STILL wants to put the ring on our finger and the robe on our shoulders!!!!!

Can you shout that to the heavens? Can you? I can, because my Father extended His hand and I took it and climbed out of the pit!!! 

Joy is flooding my soul as I write this because it is my new reality...it is how I now define myself....daughter of the King and possessor of the KINGDOM. That is the reality in which I choose to define my life today. And if I believe this to be TRUE (and it is), then my life will reflect what I believe!

Are you in a pit? Darlin' don't stay there....you don't have to live there anymore...

Come back home. Jesus just wants his kids to come home! (borrowed those last words from my "Rabbi" Mark Winslett.

COME ON HOME!!!!!

All the "Bad Stuff" in our lives.....stop giving credit to Satan....you rule over him....read on.......

Why do we “blame” God for sickness, (“It must be God’s will…”)?

 Why do we give the devil credit for sickness (“It is an attack by Satan”)?

The truth is before us, where we always find truth: The Bible.

Gen 2:16-17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'"

Sickness originated in the Garden, by the choice of man. “You will surely die.” The very first indication of sickness in His Word. Adam and Eve ushered in sickness by buying in to the deception of the enemy (read the story).

Our enemy is NOT a CREATOR. He cannot bring anything into our lives that wasn’t invited there from the disobedience of our very first earthly “father” – Adam.

And this is not about blaming Adam.

This is about – STOP GIVING THE DEVIL CREDIT. Stop building up his portfolio.

As a child of God, we have the power to diminish the “press” that feeds the ego of our enemy.

And it’s not just sickness we give him credit for: We give him credit when we have financial issues. I don’t know about you, but he has NEVER written any checks on my bank account. They are all signed by ME.

We give him credit when the car breaks down. We give him credit when the utility bill is high. We give him credit when we have a wayward child. We give him credit when addiction takes over, or takes out, a life. We give him credit for everything that is unpleasant in our lives.

Wow.

All he really deserves credit for is being a great deceiver. And the father of lies. And one of those lies is that he is responsible for all our discomfort. He doesn’t care what kind of press he gets, as long as he gets it.

And this is all he’s getting from me today: He ain’t nothin’.

I counter the negative thoughts with this truth:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

If it’s good, it’s God. If it’s not good…it originated with Adam’s disobedience and is either a product of that, or a result of a careless decision on my part.

Here’s what I know: I am a Kingdom dweller. The enemy does not live in my Kingdom. Move in here, and he stands on the outside with his tongue hanging out wishing he were one of US.

Come on guys, stop feeding his ego….Instead of “blaming” the enemy, or resigning to “it must be God’s will”….Start finding out what God’s will really is (look up the promises in the Bible), and make the devil a bad memory.

How many times a day do you examine what is on the bottom of your shoes? When you walk down the street do you think about what is under your feet? Well, he (enemy) deserves no more thought than the dust that gathers on the bottom of my flip-flops. He is under our feet (look it up). He is so far beneath a Kingdom dweller that he doesn’t even know what color the soles of my shoes are (no, that’s not in the Bible – just putting him in his place).

Death, sickness, bad stuff….Not God’s fault…not God’s intention and not within the devil’s power in a believer’s life.

Take charge of your life. Put him in the trash where he belongs. Put God on the throne where HE belongs….and begin to thrive….Amen.

SomeTimes I HaVe to SpeaK OuT...

I could write an essay on this...but I am going to try to stick to a paragraph....
I have lived almost 6 (count 'em) decades and I have seen many presidential elections...Some of them, I was actually old enough to remember..
Without fail, in each election, the word "Anti-Christ" was brought out in public rhetoric...This becomes more prevalent "as we see the day approach."

Granted...many politicians ARE "anti" Christ...(and, by the way, so are many Religious leaders)....But none have been THE Anti-Christ (despite predictions).
Can I tell you something? The devil is a deceiver. As are many in politics. When that Anti-Christ comes, you know, the one the Bible tells us about...most of us - even the theological, ecclesiastical born-again US...are not going to recognize him....Don't deceive YOURSELF...(He ((Satan)) owns the patent on that - let him keep it) ....The man (or men) you are accusing of being this infamous character - is (in all probability) not him...I mean, HITLER wasn't even "him"... You haven't seen him yet...you probably won't recognize him when you see him...in fact, he may embody the very political platform that you support...that, after all, is what DECEIT is all about....
If you don't like the man in office, that's your privilege...but don't try to make him THE anti-Christ. This finger-pointing, spotlighting, political witch-hunt needs to stop in our country...it is so very unbecoming and it is so much of a determent to the cause for Christ....
If anyone had to described the "Christian" political soap-box "preachers"....I seriously doubt that the word "LOVE" (which, by the way is what GOD is)...would even be considered.
Give it a rest....
We do better to set our minds on things above....
And now...I have spoken out....
Godspeed!

The Blank Page....

I have written hundred of essays and discussions...some by demand and others by direction (from above)...one of the hardest things I have had to learn (on inspirational writing) is that just because there are days when your page is blank, doesn't mean God has left the building....it simply means...rest...relax..and wait...don't force it till it flows...So today my page is blank, but my life is full....Godspeed to you all! VSW

The "3's" in Peter's Life

Peter’s denial of Christ is something all believers are familiar with. Jesus spoke it, and it happened(which is fodder for another time – The spoken Word) three times.

And then what?

I’m sure Peter was consumed by guilt.

Probably every step he took afterwards in the company of the Lord was plagued by condemning thoughts. ‘What was I thinking??’, ‘How could I???’, ‘I blew it.’, etc. (Somehow I think we’ve all been there.

But the threes in Peter’s life do not stop there. Take a look:

In the Gospel of John, Peter and Jesus were walking along having some male bonding time while fishing. I don’t know about you, but I think Peter was a bit uncomfortable on the heels of the 3 denials. I think he was especially uncomfortable when Jesus asked, “So…Peter, do you love me?”

I think he probably physically flinched when asked that question. Ouch!

Three times, the Lord asked. Three times Peter said yes, and three times Jesus said, “feed my sheep.”

Sometime later, Peter was seeking the Lord in prayer on a rooftop. He was given a vision that became the prompting for Peter’s life song. Three times.

Yep, three times the sheet came down, the animals walked around on it and Jesus told Peter, “Nothing I have created it unclean.”

Immediately following this, three men came to Peter to take him the house where he was to truly begin his life purpose: Declaring salvation for all men – because no one God created is exempt (unclean) from the transforming power of the gospel.

My point: There were lots of threes in Peter’s life. The denial first, of course, and from there it appears that Peter needed to hear some things three times. Why?

Our more legalistic brethren and sisteren (a word made up by a friend of mine) might say that this was God’s way of reminding Peter of the denial so that he (Peter) would not “think more highly of himself than he ought.

I don’t think so.

I am a grace loving, mercy giving child of The Most High God and I submit to you that the threes in Peter’s life were never to remind him of what he had done, but confirmation and affirmation of where God was taking him. A reminder of God’s love. An affirmation and confirmation of God’s purpose in Peter’s life. A way of saying, “You, Peter, yes you, are worthy.”

Jesus spoke very clearly when He said that He did not come to condemn the world, but to save the world. The nagging voice in your head that speaks to you of your past failure, is never the voice of God. It is the ENEMY of God that tries to lay the “guilt trip” trap. Don’t fall for that. Don’t ever think that you, as His child, are anything less than 100% righteous, and 100% worthy.

Sometime later in life, In his 2^nd book, the 3 chapter (another 3), Peter  said this: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (vs 9). This was Peters reflection of his own ministry, and his encouragement to others who have “denied.”

Remember: Guilt trips are never from God’s travel agency. They come straight from the “other side.” And lest the legalist yell, “CONVICTION! God convicts us!”  you can be sure that “conviction” is never GUILT.

I thank Him today and evermore for His grace, love and mercy. I thank Him for the freedom that comes with knowing that He created nothing ‘common or unclean’. I thank Him for the three’s in Peters life that mapped out Peter’s lifesong.

Grace, not guilt. That is HIS way.

Amen.

Refreshing....Renewal.....

I can remember in younger years thinking that it would be so great to take a respite in a spa somewhere in Hot Springs, AK..or the like....A place where you could pamper yourself physically and simply relax your mind....

HOW AWESOME that my Father has provided a constant, daily - even hourly renewal and refreshing of body, soul and spirit...and it doesn't cost me a dime, and I don't have to travel cross-country to get this...it is delivered (free shipping) to my door upon request.....

Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

(What does the picture have to do with this? Absolutely nothing - I just like it)

Amazing Grace

As I "Googled" certain ministers of the Gospel who preach GRACE rather than legalism, I found exactly what I thought I'd find: Criticism and Name Calling (False Prophets).

This makes me a bit sad.

Grace is not a popular message. People would much rather be given a set of rules to follow - a standard to measure against. And if we accept the Gospel of Grace, it takes away our "scales" on which we measure another believer's "credibility." (God forbid that we should relax our stone throwing arms!). And if the believer cannot stand (in our sight) then the poor unbeliever has no chance at all.....

We are a people/society that has been birthed (physically) and nurtured on the "do's and don'ts" of society and the 10 commandments. Rules and regulations, we love them. It is foreign to us to even try to undertand that a person could be driven/compelled to do what is right unless we first point out to them what is WRONG.....

Grace doesn't work that way. The new covenant of Christ doesn't work that way. 

Do you realize that Jesus was beaten to the point that his internal organs were exposed so that we would NOT have to be bound by rules and regulations? Good works count for nothing.

Now, no doubt some will be "rising up" right now and thinking that I am endorsing "license" to sin....No, my friend, not at all....hear what the Apostle Paul says, and I agree

"For the love of Christ compels (to be "compelled" is to be driven/directed/guided) us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh (We cannot make an assumption about any person based on what we SEE). Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;old things have passed away  (we are compelled to do NEW things...things that follow after the teachings of Christ and the Scriptures); behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,  that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. "      2 Cor 5:14-21 - (words in italics are MINE and meant to be emphatic - not adding to).

Grace. Not works. Lest we brag (or condemn).

LOVE compells us to follow Christ, and love alone. GRACE is how we obtain that love. Grace alone.

No, Grace preaching is not popular. And although that makes me a bit sad, I know that God is in control...His Word will accomplish what He sent it to do (The WORD became Flesh)...through Grace.....regardless of the critics....Amen, and Amen.

(the picture may appear to have nothing to do with the writing, but when I painted this last year I entitled it,  "We are His Masterpiece - He applies the Blood"...hope that makes sense.)

Yes, OH YES.

A couple of years back, I had to make some major decisions...I had to let go of the things I held on to for comfort...I began a journey and it started with one step. I walked into a life where nothing was my own...resources depleted...and I stood before God an empty vessel...I had no where else to turn...The rigors and inconveniences of the life I led for 12 months were beyond what some would be willing to accept/do/commit to finish...I stood with my emptied out self and I refused to look back...I held my hands out until God took them in His...and He did...Today I forgo some of the things that others would think they have to have..but my life is full to overflowing...my needs are more than met and my wants are sometimes given to me before I ask....Was the "sacrifice" worth it?...There is not a "YES" that would echo far enough and loud enough sufficiently answer....I don't know what else to say. ~vsw 

Know Who You Are....

Lucifer had no power in Eden. None. He could not "mess it up." It wasn't in his power to touch a thing in the garden. Nothing. Man was in charge. It was "Adamville, Incorporated." Not one street light could be put up without Adam's seal of approval. Adam ruled. Adam ran the show. Adam was The Godfather (or in the case, The Godson)...

So how in Adam's name did it all go south?? (and by the way, why is it when bad things happen we say things "went south"?..being a southerner by birth and now by choice, I really don't like this.....but I digress)

Strategy, my friends. Trickery.

Satan wasn't really sure that Eve had been informed of her "status." I mean, Adam WAS in charge...and he MAY have told her about the authority thing..he MAY have told her she was created just a little lower than אלהים 'Elohiym...but maybe he HADN'T told her....It was worth a shot, huh?

So decked out in his Sunday best...looking like the Fred Astaire of the Garden....Satan sidles on up to Eve and strikes up an interesting conversation.

"My, my, Miss Eve, you are looking as lovely as usual on this fine Eden afternoon!" He bows to her.

"Well, thank you kind sir!" she batts her eyelashes, "I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met?"

"Indeed?" Satan asks, "Perhaps we have not, but I am fast friends with your husband, Adam. We worked on our thesis' together at the University." (remember, he is a LIAR)

"Oh, well then, any friend and colleague of Adam's......." Eve relpies coyly.

By this time, I imagine that they were strolling through the trees. Satan stops her at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He points out its beauty and says it's one of his favorites. He probably added that he and God had often shared it's fruit together. (At which point he reaches up and plucks of a succulant apple/pear/plum...)

Holding the fruit in his hand and extolling its goodness, he offers her a taste.

"Oh, no! I couldn't!" she stammers...."God said we could not eat from this tree!"

"Oh really???" I'm sure he winked at her here, "That God! He's a little dramatic at times. I've known Him a long, long time, and the truth is, He knows if you eat this fruit, you'll be as smart as Him. You will in fact, be LIKE Him."

Guys, at this point, Eve should have said, "Look, Dude. You don't know what you're talking about. I AM like God." (A little lower, but in the image and likeness)

Satan took a chance with Eve. He was speculating. He gambled on her NOT knowing the truth.

So, she took a bite.

Adam came home, saw the damage done, copped out, and HE took a bite.

At that point, and that point ONLY, was Satan given any authority over the Garden and its inhabitants.

Adam and Eve handed him the keys to the city. Mankind had fallen. Satan ruled.

It's a sad story of deceit and ignorance on Eve's part, but thank God, it doesn't end here.

Some centuries later, Jesus provided the avenue of redemption. He bought back, with His Blood, what man lost in the garden. Through Him, man is restored to his rightful place. Complete authority reinstated.

If you are in Christ, then Satan has no more authoity over you now, than he had over Eve BEFORE she bit into that fruit. He (Satan) will lie to you at every turn and try to convince you that he has more strength, more power, and more ability than you could possibly have. He is a LIAR. Always has been. Always will be. And that's all he is.

You are BOUGHT with a price.

Satan is UNDER your feet.

Don't let him trick you the way he tricked Eve.

You hear?

HOPE

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Can I just ask you this....If you belong to Him, I mean if you KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that you belong to Him, then why do you worry? (I f I need to wikipedia the word "worry" I can do that)

When I became a Child of the King, I became an heir to all that this implies. Joint-heirs with Jesus. And guys, it's not "pie in the sky" stuff...it's here and now stuff. It's not, "some glad morning, when this life is over, I'll fly away" stuff....it's December 21, 2011 stuff.

God is on the Throne. God is my father. God created the heavens and the earth. He owns it ALL, and because I am His child, it's all mine as well. You don't have to believe that, but your unbelief doesn't nullify fact.

We sing that Jesus could have called ten thousand angels. Same is true for us.

Do you think my Father wants me to worry about my future? In fact, did He not instruct us NOT to worry? I have a feeling that the devil would love to occupy our time working out solutions to all the coming woes of this civilization - as long as he keeps us from proclaiming Christ.

It is a natural thing for mankind to be concerned about his physical needs....and here's a clue....the word "NATURAL."

We are no longer of this world. We are IN this world, but not of this world. The "natural" is not our nature anymore.

We were never intended to live with our concern being focused on the physical...however, we have been conditioned by society to put physical needs first....It is up to US to change the way we think about this thing...it won't happen automatically.

We are 1/3 physical and 2/3 spiritual. We are not bodies with a spirit. We are Spirits wearing physical suits in order to live in a foreign environment.

I'm here to hold out HOPE. And when I say HOPE, I don't mean something you can "wish" for - I mean something God has promised. This is the Hope He gives....that if we are IN Him, we do not have to fear the future. Period. He owns it all, and He is going to take care of His children.

So....the message is not "the sky is falling!" (sorry to those who don't know the gloom and doom of Chicken Little) "hurry up and take cover"....the message is: He WILL supply all our needs according to HIS riches.

Now, why would I doubt this? Why would you?

We live in a high stress world - but we don't have to buy the lie. My Father owns the cattle on 1000 hills...He owns the hills...He CREATED the hills. Me worry? Nah.

The true URGENCY...the thing the devil doesn't want us to see...is the need to share the message of Christ to a world who does not know Him. Because in the long run guys....that is all that will ever really matter.

The Walk

There is a charming little man

Who loves to take me walking through the garden of my memories.

And he points to golden sunsets

 and sunrises the color of Jonagold apples….

He begs me pick a basket full of prolific wistfulness.

But I refuse

I will not hold his hand however much he beckons

For it is a sad enough fact that I uncloak my royalty and agree to walk with him at all.

He whimpers when I leave him, walk unfinished

For he knows that I have seen beneath his charm

And have returned to Father’s House.

My Future Husband

There is a man walking through life just as I,

With eyes on God, he lets his humanity show…

Asking Father if he will allow his latter years

To be blessed with the mate of Father’s choosing…

He isn’t looking, but his eyes are open to movement.

He isn’t longing,

 but he knows that holding hands can soothe

He doesn’t feel empty.

But he knows that overflow is priceless

And so he walks alone, content

Knowing that when the fullness of time has come,

God will lead him to me.

Alabaster Boxes....Going Deeper with God...

God has given me something to write this morning and I rejoice in that because it doesn't always come easy.


I approached Him with some "issues" of my own and the conversation went something like this: God, I feel out of the loop with you so I am confessing some things and asking for Your revelation:

• Show me the beam in my own eye.
• Show me how to increase my faith.
• Teach me how to pray more effectively
• Make me more effective for the Kingdom
• Take the desire for _________(not relevant to this blog) completely away from me.
• Show me how to pursue my vision for _____________(personal and not relevant)

After writing these things down (am I the only one who sometimes forgets what I ask Him for?), I began to study and reflect and He impressed some things on my heart.

There is no "secret formula" or "magic" words for unlocking all the treasures of God's anointing in our lives. It is a journey that begins at the cross with repentance and accepting Him as our atonement for sin. It is at the foot of the cross that we receive the Keys to the Kingdom, but that isn't the whole of it - that isn't the end - that is only the beginning.

God wants us to break open our alabaster boxes as Mary did in Luke's Gospel, and anoint Him. Instead of sitting at the foot of the cross admiring it's grotesque beauty...waiting for Him to anoint ME...He wants ME to break open my box of things that are precious to me...and anoint HIM....Giving HIM all that I hold dear and pursing Him at all costs.

At the foot of the cross is a wondrous place to be, but He doesn't want me to sit there - He wants me to get up and pursue His presence. Jesus came down from the cross and ascended to Heaven....and He has given us the invitation to follow Him - not upon the death of this physical body...but NOW...He is saying "Come up hither." In fact He has said that I AM seated in the heavens with Him NOW. He beckons me to rise up from the foot of the cross where the comfort of the work of the blood pools around me, and uncover the mysteries hidden FOR me.

I think that sometimes we wait there at the foot of the cross for a lightning bolt to illuminate all of the mysteries of God...and that isn't how it works.

  

He said, "In my Father's house are MANY mansions." We enter the Father's house at the Cross, but it is up to us to unlock the treasures hidden for us in each room (mansion) by pursuing God. Not by our works, but by total surrender and ACTIVELY SEEKING God. A breaking open, if you will, of our Alabaster Boxes of oil and anointing Him.

He will give us a guided tour - unlocking mystery after mystery of His goodness and His power and His divine will....But as He guides we must FOLLOW or we are left standing in the foyer waiting for something to come to us when He is saying "Come to ME!"

Father, implore us, encourage us, to leave the comfort zone of the Cross and follow YOU into full discipleship. I ask this in the authority of the name of your Son, Jesus ~ Amen.

“Overcoming” Addiction"

Our nation is flooded with slogans concerning “kicking the habit” of drug addiction. Three of the most recognized, and perhaps often repeated words in drug abuse/prevention circles are “Just Say No.” Billboards and bumper stickers display one of the most recognizable acronyms of our generation: D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). Our children are exposed to those three words and taught classes by those who represent the acronym at a very early age in our public education arena.

So why then are we looking at the truth of the following statistics:

• ·         Between 149 million and 271 million people worldwide used an illicit drug at least once in 2009; which equals 1 in 20 people aged 15 to 64 who have used an illegal drug.
• ·         In North America, nearly 11% of the population aged 15 to 64 used cannabis in 2009.
• ·         Between 14 million and 56 million people aged 15 to 64 worldwide used amphetamine-type stimulants, such as speed and crystal meth.
• ·         Cocaine use was highest in North America in 2009, and it had 14 million to 21 million users worldwide. 
• ·         Opioid use, including heroin, had an estimated 12 million to 21 million users globally. The highest rates of use were in the Near and Middle East, where up to 1.4% of the population aged 15 to 64 had tried the drug at least once in 2009. 
• ·         There are between 11 million and 21 million people who inject drugs worldwide. 

(from http://www.treatmentsolutions.com/worldwide-drug-statistics/)

The answer is simple and lies in two radical opposites of the above slogan and acronym. Escaping the death clutch of addition is not about saying no as the slogan urges, it is about saying a resounding “YES!” to accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. And it isn’t about the “resistance” in the acronym, it is about total SURRENDER of your life to that Savior.

And nothing else works. Nothing.

It is now March, 2014. For the past 4 years I have had the opportunity of personally observing the lives of people who are tackling the grip addiction on their lives, through Christ-centered recovery. Prior to 2010, there were periods in my own life where I watched this same process (up close and personal) through secular methods. Here is what I have learned, and will be so bold as to say I know to be TRUE: If Christ is not put in the forefront and made to be Lord (look up the definition of “Lord” so you will not be thinking of the title in a “religious” way) of a person’s life – then SOMETHING ELSE WILL. And if “something else” is “Lord” of a person’s life….that person will follow the dictates of that “Lord.”

Since April of 2010, I have watched the lives of those who said “YES” to the acceptance of Jesus as Savior. I have seen total deliverance from substance abuse and I have watched many men and women go back to their homes with a new identity and the tools for living a “drug-free” life.

And I have seen some fail.

And I have seen those same men and women who were totally delivered from substance abuse, pick that same substance back up, and use again.

So, you are asking if, “just say YES” to Jesus works, then why does what secular society calls “relapse” occur? Back up four paragraphs: “If Christ is not put in the forefront and made to be Lord of a person’s life – then something ELSE will.” And there you have your answer, and the perfect segue to the second “opposite” – SURRENDER instead of “resistance.”

Many times, a former addict who has accepted Christ, is like the seed mentioned in the Bible in Matthew 13 :5: “Some (seed) fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.” They are so extremely hyped about their new identity in Christ and their deliverance from substances that they “blossom,” or “spring up” immediately…..but they fail to dig in to the “soil.” Digging into the soil is the “surrender” part. Unless a person totally surrenders, and by “totally” I mean TOTALLY….then there will be no deeply planted seed, and the plant will not have strong roots to hold it against the temptations of the world.

A totally surrendered person will make some lifestyle changes other than tossing addiction out the window. Addition SEEMS to be the biggie here, but it is not, it is simply the by product of corrupt roots (that have never been redeemed/transformed by the blood of Christ) or shallow roots (saved but not surrendered) that could not hold their ground.

Total surrender requires, or may I go so far as to say DEMANDS, that a person change what they are looking at, what they are listening to, what they are reading, and what they are talking about. Am I getting legalistic? No, I am being REAListic. Christ has got to become the ONE thing in your life that you seek. What you listen to, what you read, what you watch on T.V., what you talk about…all of this (as much as possible) needs to be Christ-centered. As a person seeks an intimate relationship with Christ, the roots of the new life grow deeper into the good soil and strength is gained.

To put it very bluntly….Life must now become about what He wants you to do…where He wants you to go…what HE wants you to learn. Not about material needs or relationship wants. If a person makes materialistic needs “Lord”, then that Lord will dictate their life. If a person makes relationship needs and wants “Lord”, then that Lord will dictate their life. And by “dictate” I mean that every decision made will be based on that materialist desire or relationship need. The Bible tells us very clearly in Matthew 6:33, that we must seek HIM first and in doing so HE will supply all of our needs in EVERY area of our lives.

Most of us were taught the 10 Commandments as children, or have at least learned their Biblical importance as adults. When God told Moses to write “Thou shalt have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME,” I believe He was instructing us on how to be “overcomers.”

I began this writing to make a very simple point: If Jesus is not Savior and Lord of your life, then “just saying no” and D.A.R.E. programs will never work, and I have gotten more detailed than I planned. Let me sum it up with this warning:

If we do not say YES to Him, and SURRENDER totally to Him, then our mind and our thoughts will take us to other avenues and we will put other “Lords” in place in our lives. With other Lords, we may not fall back into addition, but the end result of following that “Lord” will be just as devastating. Joy, strength and victory will only come by making a total, 100% commitment to making Christ the Lord of our lives. God/Jesus/Holy Spirit FIRST. Anything less will NOT suffice.

Revelation 12:11 speaks of those who are rejoicing because “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” In this verse, the writer is talking about those who escaped the great tribulation. But I submit to you that God makes this same promise to those who value HIM more than any other thing in their lives. Overcome addiction? Say “Yes,” and then “surrender.” 

(Reach out for hope: www.thefoundryonline.org)

Corcovado jesus (Photo credit: @Doug88888)