Heart Renderings
Inspirational thoughts from a heart hungry for God -
From the heart….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bread For Hungry Hearts
Heart Renderings
: render, rendered, rendering: To give back, yield, to dare to give. 1 a: to melt down: extract by melting. 2 a. To
transmit to another: Deliver, to furnish for consideration, approval, or information. 3. a. Restore. b. Reflect.
Echo. c. To do (a service) for another. d. To give in acknowledgment of dependence or obligation. 4. To cause
to be or become: Make. b. Impart. c. Depict.
I offer to you – give to you, that which has come into my life through a process of melting times. I trust God
will guide me in choosing that which has been extracted through this process of melting – both in His arms as
well as in His furnace of purification. I offer it to be of some service to you and to transmit or deliver that which
may bring to you restoration, a reflection of Him and His love and grace and an echo of His voice. I give it in
acknowledgment of my complete dependence upon Him, my total obligation to Him and in obedience to His
direction. I pray that it will truly cause you to become more like Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 11, 2008
Treasures of the Darkness and Hidden Riches of Secret Places
Isaiah 45:2-3: “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of
bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places,
that you may know that I, the LORD, who calls you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” NKJV
As many of you know I have been through a rough time dealing with health issues among other things.
Some of the time I have felt as though I was shrouded in darkness – not the pitch black darkness when you
cannot see your hand in front of your face – but murky darkness – not enough light to really see what lay
ahead. The kind of darkness that makes you very cautious, very careful of each step taken – not knowing
where your foot may land. But also feeling hidden from view, hidden from others. So besides being very
cautious, feeling alone – separated. And I must confess that during some of this time I did not recognize God’s
hand in the situation. Many times thinking, “No one knows where I am, no one understands, no one can see
what is happening.” How wrong I was! I have found that many of you precious friends, brothers and sisters -
subscribers, were all praying for me without knowing why – and without me knowing you were praying.
But God has been walking with me each step of the way. And He has continued speaking to me through
all these months - teaching me, showing me things I had not seen before even when walking in the light and
the brightness of His glory. He has shown me truths from a new perspective. He has been revealing to me His
treasures in the darkness and the secrets of the hidden place. It is so good to know that I have been hidden
with Him, in Him all the time.
One of the treasures the Lord spoke to me in the dark place is simple. It is that walking in darkness is the
Christian way of life. We are to follow the Lord on the path He has set before us without knowing exactly where
it will lead, without being able to see where we are going, without seeing beyond the next step. And without
knowing how to get where we need to be nor what we will find when we arrive – not sure where we should be
going!
But just as a small child feel safe and secure in his father’s arms, walking in darkness or light because He
trusts his father. He knows his father loves him and will care for him. That is exactly what we must remember.
That is what kept me going all these months – being so aware of the Father’s love for me – knowing He is
caring for me daily no matter how I feel or what I see! He is so good. He has a plan for me and His plan is
good for me!
There is no need to fear when we are yoked to Jesus. We are able to go on, moving forward because He
carries the weight of the load, He knows the direction and is leading every step. It’s only when we try to pull
away, to walk another way that we begin to feel the pain and the weight of the load.
When our hand is firmly in the grasp of God, we can walk with full assurance that He will go before us and
level out the way, to bring us safely to our destination – or the rest stop along the way.
I pray that no matter how dark your situation that you will trust our Heavenly Father to see what you cannot
see, to carry you where you cannot go on your own, to lead you by the hand take you where you need to go.
Even if you think you may be only inches away from a brick wall, or steps before a cliff - know that the Father is
watching over you and all that concerns you. He is able and willing to do whatever is needed to see you get
where you long to go. He is leaving His footprints for you to step in as you follow closely after Him.
And there is a great new place, in this new day - right around the next turn. Keep following Him. Keep holding
to His hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For earlier posts go to Heart Renderings Page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inspirational thoughts from a heart hungry for God -
From the heart….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bread For Hungry Hearts
Heart Renderings
: render, rendered, rendering: To give back, yield, to dare to give. 1 a: to melt down: extract by melting. 2 a. To
transmit to another: Deliver, to furnish for consideration, approval, or information. 3. a. Restore. b. Reflect.
Echo. c. To do (a service) for another. d. To give in acknowledgment of dependence or obligation. 4. To cause
to be or become: Make. b. Impart. c. Depict.
I offer to you – give to you, that which has come into my life through a process of melting times. I trust God
will guide me in choosing that which has been extracted through this process of melting – both in His arms as
well as in His furnace of purification. I offer it to be of some service to you and to transmit or deliver that which
may bring to you restoration, a reflection of Him and His love and grace and an echo of His voice. I give it in
acknowledgment of my complete dependence upon Him, my total obligation to Him and in obedience to His
direction. I pray that it will truly cause you to become more like Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 11, 2008
Treasures of the Darkness and Hidden Riches of Secret Places
Isaiah 45:2-3: “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of
bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places,
that you may know that I, the LORD, who calls you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” NKJV
As many of you know I have been through a rough time dealing with health issues among other things.
Some of the time I have felt as though I was shrouded in darkness – not the pitch black darkness when you
cannot see your hand in front of your face – but murky darkness – not enough light to really see what lay
ahead. The kind of darkness that makes you very cautious, very careful of each step taken – not knowing
where your foot may land. But also feeling hidden from view, hidden from others. So besides being very
cautious, feeling alone – separated. And I must confess that during some of this time I did not recognize God’s
hand in the situation. Many times thinking, “No one knows where I am, no one understands, no one can see
what is happening.” How wrong I was! I have found that many of you precious friends, brothers and sisters -
subscribers, were all praying for me without knowing why – and without me knowing you were praying.
But God has been walking with me each step of the way. And He has continued speaking to me through
all these months - teaching me, showing me things I had not seen before even when walking in the light and
the brightness of His glory. He has shown me truths from a new perspective. He has been revealing to me His
treasures in the darkness and the secrets of the hidden place. It is so good to know that I have been hidden
with Him, in Him all the time.
One of the treasures the Lord spoke to me in the dark place is simple. It is that walking in darkness is the
Christian way of life. We are to follow the Lord on the path He has set before us without knowing exactly where
it will lead, without being able to see where we are going, without seeing beyond the next step. And without
knowing how to get where we need to be nor what we will find when we arrive – not sure where we should be
going!
But just as a small child feel safe and secure in his father’s arms, walking in darkness or light because He
trusts his father. He knows his father loves him and will care for him. That is exactly what we must remember.
That is what kept me going all these months – being so aware of the Father’s love for me – knowing He is
caring for me daily no matter how I feel or what I see! He is so good. He has a plan for me and His plan is
good for me!
There is no need to fear when we are yoked to Jesus. We are able to go on, moving forward because He
carries the weight of the load, He knows the direction and is leading every step. It’s only when we try to pull
away, to walk another way that we begin to feel the pain and the weight of the load.
When our hand is firmly in the grasp of God, we can walk with full assurance that He will go before us and
level out the way, to bring us safely to our destination – or the rest stop along the way.
I pray that no matter how dark your situation that you will trust our Heavenly Father to see what you cannot
see, to carry you where you cannot go on your own, to lead you by the hand take you where you need to go.
Even if you think you may be only inches away from a brick wall, or steps before a cliff - know that the Father is
watching over you and all that concerns you. He is able and willing to do whatever is needed to see you get
where you long to go. He is leaving His footprints for you to step in as you follow closely after Him.
And there is a great new place, in this new day - right around the next turn. Keep following Him. Keep holding
to His hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For earlier posts go to Heart Renderings Page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fresh Bread For Hungry Hearts....
Most Recent PROPHETIC WORD:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prophecy for today
Words of exhortation, encouragement, edification, comfort, correction, warning or direction:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 13, 2008
CONFRONTING THE ENEMY
You have been in one of the hardest spiritual battles of your life. It has been an all-out spiritual
battle. You have been involved in spiritual warfare. That is the cause of your weariness – your exhaustion.
You are doing the right things. You have on all the armor. You are carrying the sword. But you are
retreating. You take a defensive stance and hold your weapons and shield while backing away from the
enemy.
Remember he has no power over you except what you give him. You are the victor through Christ
Jesus. I have already won the victory for you. You need to face the enemy and command him to go. Let
him know that you know that he is a liar and a pretender. You can walk unafraid right into the battlefield,
because you carry the victory, you carry the authority of your God with you. You are a warrior, with
adequate armor on assignment with a guaranteed victory through the cross.
When you face the enemy and move out into the battle, the enemy will retreat! He knows you have the
authority. He has no right, no ground to stand on. Chase him away with the My Word and the power of My
Spirit.
:2Sa 22:35 He trains my hands for battle;
Dt 20:2-4. When you are about to go into battle, ... Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or
give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you
against your enemies to give you victory”
:2Ch 20:17. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see x the
deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go
out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For earlier prophecy postings go to Prophecy Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fresh Bread For Hungry Hearts....
Most Recent PROPHETIC WORD:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prophecy for today
Words of exhortation, encouragement, edification, comfort, correction, warning or direction:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 13, 2008
CONFRONTING THE ENEMY
You have been in one of the hardest spiritual battles of your life. It has been an all-out spiritual
battle. You have been involved in spiritual warfare. That is the cause of your weariness – your exhaustion.
You are doing the right things. You have on all the armor. You are carrying the sword. But you are
retreating. You take a defensive stance and hold your weapons and shield while backing away from the
enemy.
Remember he has no power over you except what you give him. You are the victor through Christ
Jesus. I have already won the victory for you. You need to face the enemy and command him to go. Let
him know that you know that he is a liar and a pretender. You can walk unafraid right into the battlefield,
because you carry the victory, you carry the authority of your God with you. You are a warrior, with
adequate armor on assignment with a guaranteed victory through the cross.
When you face the enemy and move out into the battle, the enemy will retreat! He knows you have the
authority. He has no right, no ground to stand on. Chase him away with the My Word and the power of My
Spirit.
:2Sa 22:35 He trains my hands for battle;
Dt 20:2-4. When you are about to go into battle, ... Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or
give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you
against your enemies to give you victory”
:2Ch 20:17. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see x the
deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go
out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For earlier prophecy postings go to Prophecy Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New article still in the process....... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Earlier Posts see:BLOG - Just Thinking ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WATER FROM THE WORD
Refreshing, encouragement and guidance
From the Word of God
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oct. 14, 2008
Offense or Peace
James 3:18 And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of
the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace
which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful
mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts.] [AMP]
Pr. 18:19 An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city. [NIV]
-- A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and their contentions separate them like the
bars of a castle. – [AMP]
-- It’s harder to make amends with an offended friend than to capture a fortified city. Arguments separate
friends like a gate locked with iron bars. [NLT]
James 4:1-2 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle
within you? You want something and don’t get it. – [NIV]
-- What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desire at war within
you? – [NLT]
James 4:1-2 -- what leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate
among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? You
are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To
hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to
obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek]. So you fight and war. You do not
have because you do not ask. [AMP]
Pr. 19:11 A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook and offense. [NIV]
- People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrong.[ NLT]
- Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it his glory to overlook a transgression or offense.
[AMP]
Life is full of occasions in which people will do or say things to offend, and when people will sin against
us with gossip, condemnation, rejection, mocking, falsely accusing us or lying about us. But with every
occasion of offense there is an opportunity to demonstrate God-given wisdom and overlook the offense and
forgive the offender. We have opportunities to love and forgive with every opportunity to take offense. God
does not want us to hold on to offense. We need to let it go. Cover yourself with the word of God as a duck
covers itself with the oil under its wings to waterproof itself. When you are covered with the word of God and
living out the truth of the Scriptures you can be offense proof. Let rude words, offensive words, insults,
criticism, gossip, and persecution, roll off you like water off a ducks back.
When people neglect you, ignore you, when you are misunderstood, maligned, manipulated or mocked –
shake it off. Overlook it. Let it go. Draw on God’s grace and don’t let the offense take root. Don’t give it a
place. Refuse to be offended and forgive the offender. Why? Because as Pr. 18:19 says it hardens you.
You build walls around yourself – like a fortified city. You try to protect yourself from offense and end up
keeping people out – even the people who could encourage you, help you. You keep out their love, their
encouragement, their comfort and their strength. And it’s hard to tear down the walls once they are built. It’s
hard to get out.
With so many opportunities in life - good and bad - we may encounter more opportunities to be offended
than we do to be loved. But with every occasion to be offended we have the opportunity to forgive and to
love. God calls us to choose to overlook wrongs, to reject offense and walk in love and forgiveness toward
those who would try to offend.
James 4:1-2 -- what leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate
among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? You
are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To
hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to
obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek]. So you fight and war. You do not
have because you do not ask. [AMP]
God sees our anger, our discord, our quarrels our hate as equal to murder. We would rather think that it
isn’t really that bad. But Jesus said it is. God has a better way for us.
Mt. 5:21-22 “You have heard…’Do not murder.’ And anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I
say to you that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to judgment.”
Eph. 4:30-32 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get
rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. [NIV]
God through His messenger, Paul, takes it a step further in the verses that follow verse 32 in Eph. 5: 1:
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and
gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
How can we continue to take offense when a brother or sister fails us in some way? Let’s look closely at
the Word of God and walk in love and forgiveness- walk in, live in obedience to God and His word. Let’s be
imitators of God. I know this isn’t a popular lesson. But it is a necessary one. I have received more criticism
for messages on walking in love and not taking offense than any other messages I’ve taught or written. But
God keeps speaking to me to bring it out again. It is important to Him that we learn the lesson of walking in
love and the truth of not taking offense. Both are choices. Let us choose God’s way – love, mercy and
forgivness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 22, 2008
CLOTHED WITH GRACE AND TRUTH – or THE POWER OF WEAKNESS
Mercy and loving-kindness and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each
other. Psalm 85:10 AMP
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14, 17 NLT
By mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man, not by sacrificial offerings] iniquity is purged out of
the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil. Proverbs 16:6
AMP
From the time that Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
and found themselves naked before God, we have been trying to clothe ourselves. Stripped of our God-given
dignity and power and purpose and plan we keep looking for another covering - other than what God
provided.
We attempt to clothe ourselves in the business of life, both good and bad, spiritual and sinful, we try to
stay busy enough to forget our nakedness. We try to clothe our nakedness with possessions, with power and
position. We try to clothe ourselves in contrived beauty. All our attempts to cover ourselves are both fruitless
and rebellious.
God did not call us to be powerful and strong but to walk in His strength and power. He didn’t call us
because we are powerful and strong. He called us because we are broken and wounded. He calls us in our
brokenness and weakness. So that He can impart His strength and His power to us.
But first we must acknowledge our weakness and brokenness. Most of us want to hide our weaknesses
and our brokenness. We don’t want to reveal our frailty, our weakness. We don’t want anyone else to know
what we have done or are capable of doing in our weakness. We don’t want anyone to know what caused us
to break or how deeply we are broken. God cannot impart His strength to us while we are still pretending we
have our own strength. He cannot infuse us with His power while we are prideful of what we can accomplish
on our own. He will not grant us His power and grace while we are hiding the truth or trying to cover it up.
The truth is we are naked, we are weak, we are broken and we are pretty much helpless without God and His
strength and power. And His desire is for us to be honest with each other and ourselves. He wants us to
clothe ourselves in His truth and in His Grace.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted
by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:22-23 NIV
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Therefore put
on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to stand. Eph 6: 11,13
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the
new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Col 3:9-10
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Col 3:12
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Col 3:13-14
We need to make sure that we are clothed with the new man - that of God and His Spirit, that we are
clothed in His love and have put on the full armor. There are things coming against the Body of Christ that
will necessitate us being covered with the armor so that we can stand against evil. We need to be covered
with the anointing and power that comes through our submission to God – the One true God God calls us
where we are with the weaknesses and troubles that we have in order to heal us, make us whole, to complete
us and the work He began in us, to trade His strength for our weakness, to give us His power and grace – so
that we may be able to go out and comfort others. In order to do that, we must be willing to expose our
weaknesses – past and present.
I can tell my story of how God picked me up out of the pit I had dug for myself. I can comfort others with
the knowledge that one time I was broken and weak but God healed me and made me whole. I can tell
everyone that once I was blind but now I see, once I was stumbling but now God leads me. That’s good. But
- it will be more helpful if I get specific and real while I am covered with His truth and humility.
I was dying. I was depressed and unhappy. I was slowing losing my ability to see reason and know the
truth. I attempted suicide. But God came to me and healed me. He renewed my mind. He healed me. He
exchanged His joy for my sorrow. He gave me peace to still my worried mind. He clothed me with His
righteousness and His grace and truth. He instilled a desire to live and serve Him. God is able. He is able to
deliver anyone from whatever the problem may be. And His peace is as wonderful today as it was 35 years
ago.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be
able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
God can do more if I will become more honest. If I will become transparent to allow Him to be seen, He
will shine forth brightly. I can be honest and expose my present weaknesses as I allow Him to continue to
work in me – as I see who I am in Him. And when I see myself as He sees me, as I see what He has called
me to do for Him, as I see what He can do in me – I can risk being honest and transparent to help others. But
only as I see who I am in Christ can I be comfortable enough to take that risk. When I become comfortable
with who God created me to be, who He has called me to be and be happy with that – only then am I able to
be honest – clothed with grace and truth to minister comfort to those He brings into my life.
Christ went to the cross, clothed in weakness and rose from the grave clothed in power and strength.
We go to the cross, clothed in our sin and weakness, broken and bruised. We receive grace. He clothes us
in His righteousness and His power, and we are healed and restored.
And as we go on, progress in Him we must continue to exchange our weakness for His power, our
humanness for His Truth and Grace – and allow it to change us daily. And at the same time stay honest and
transparent. Let those that God has put us in relationship with, see our weaknesses so they give God glory
for His power operating within us – covering us. Be transparent about our stumbling so people can be
assured that just as God is transforming us, lifting us up, restoring us, He will do the same in their life. Then I
can truly comfort others with what I have received. Let us clothe ourselves, cover ourselves with Him and all
that He is.
And the Word [Christ] became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled – fixed His tent of flesh, lived
awhile – among us; and we [actually] saw His glory – His honor, His majesty; such glory as an only begotten
son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving kindness) and truth. For while the Law was given
through Moses, grace – unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing – and truth came through Jesus
Christ. John 1: 14, 17 AMP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WATER FROM THE WORD
Refreshing, encouragement and guidance
From the Word of God
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oct. 14, 2008
Offense or Peace
James 3:18 And the harvest of righteousness (of conformity to God’s will in thought and deed) is [the fruit of
the seed] sown in peace by those who work for and make peace [in themselves and in others, that peace
which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful
mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts.] [AMP]
Pr. 18:19 An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city. [NIV]
-- A brother offended is harder to be won over than a strong city, and their contentions separate them like the
bars of a castle. – [AMP]
-- It’s harder to make amends with an offended friend than to capture a fortified city. Arguments separate
friends like a gate locked with iron bars. [NLT]
James 4:1-2 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle
within you? You want something and don’t get it. – [NIV]
-- What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desire at war within
you? – [NLT]
James 4:1-2 -- what leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate
among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? You
are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To
hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to
obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek]. So you fight and war. You do not
have because you do not ask. [AMP]
Pr. 19:11 A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook and offense. [NIV]
- People with good sense restrain their anger; they earn esteem by overlooking wrong.[ NLT]
- Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it his glory to overlook a transgression or offense.
[AMP]
Life is full of occasions in which people will do or say things to offend, and when people will sin against
us with gossip, condemnation, rejection, mocking, falsely accusing us or lying about us. But with every
occasion of offense there is an opportunity to demonstrate God-given wisdom and overlook the offense and
forgive the offender. We have opportunities to love and forgive with every opportunity to take offense. God
does not want us to hold on to offense. We need to let it go. Cover yourself with the word of God as a duck
covers itself with the oil under its wings to waterproof itself. When you are covered with the word of God and
living out the truth of the Scriptures you can be offense proof. Let rude words, offensive words, insults,
criticism, gossip, and persecution, roll off you like water off a ducks back.
When people neglect you, ignore you, when you are misunderstood, maligned, manipulated or mocked –
shake it off. Overlook it. Let it go. Draw on God’s grace and don’t let the offense take root. Don’t give it a
place. Refuse to be offended and forgive the offender. Why? Because as Pr. 18:19 says it hardens you.
You build walls around yourself – like a fortified city. You try to protect yourself from offense and end up
keeping people out – even the people who could encourage you, help you. You keep out their love, their
encouragement, their comfort and their strength. And it’s hard to tear down the walls once they are built. It’s
hard to get out.
With so many opportunities in life - good and bad - we may encounter more opportunities to be offended
than we do to be loved. But with every occasion to be offended we have the opportunity to forgive and to
love. God calls us to choose to overlook wrongs, to reject offense and walk in love and forgiveness toward
those who would try to offend.
James 4:1-2 -- what leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate
among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? You
are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To
hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to
obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek]. So you fight and war. You do not
have because you do not ask. [AMP]
God sees our anger, our discord, our quarrels our hate as equal to murder. We would rather think that it
isn’t really that bad. But Jesus said it is. God has a better way for us.
Mt. 5:21-22 “You have heard…’Do not murder.’ And anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I
say to you that anyone who is angry with his brother is subject to judgment.”
Eph. 4:30-32 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get
rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. [NIV]
God through His messenger, Paul, takes it a step further in the verses that follow verse 32 in Eph. 5: 1:
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and
gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
How can we continue to take offense when a brother or sister fails us in some way? Let’s look closely at
the Word of God and walk in love and forgiveness- walk in, live in obedience to God and His word. Let’s be
imitators of God. I know this isn’t a popular lesson. But it is a necessary one. I have received more criticism
for messages on walking in love and not taking offense than any other messages I’ve taught or written. But
God keeps speaking to me to bring it out again. It is important to Him that we learn the lesson of walking in
love and the truth of not taking offense. Both are choices. Let us choose God’s way – love, mercy and
forgivness.
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February 22, 2008
CLOTHED WITH GRACE AND TRUTH – or THE POWER OF WEAKNESS
Mercy and loving-kindness and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each
other. Psalm 85:10 AMP
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14, 17 NLT
By mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man, not by sacrificial offerings] iniquity is purged out of
the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil. Proverbs 16:6
AMP
From the time that Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
and found themselves naked before God, we have been trying to clothe ourselves. Stripped of our God-given
dignity and power and purpose and plan we keep looking for another covering - other than what God
provided.
We attempt to clothe ourselves in the business of life, both good and bad, spiritual and sinful, we try to
stay busy enough to forget our nakedness. We try to clothe our nakedness with possessions, with power and
position. We try to clothe ourselves in contrived beauty. All our attempts to cover ourselves are both fruitless
and rebellious.
God did not call us to be powerful and strong but to walk in His strength and power. He didn’t call us
because we are powerful and strong. He called us because we are broken and wounded. He calls us in our
brokenness and weakness. So that He can impart His strength and His power to us.
But first we must acknowledge our weakness and brokenness. Most of us want to hide our weaknesses
and our brokenness. We don’t want to reveal our frailty, our weakness. We don’t want anyone else to know
what we have done or are capable of doing in our weakness. We don’t want anyone to know what caused us
to break or how deeply we are broken. God cannot impart His strength to us while we are still pretending we
have our own strength. He cannot infuse us with His power while we are prideful of what we can accomplish
on our own. He will not grant us His power and grace while we are hiding the truth or trying to cover it up.
The truth is we are naked, we are weak, we are broken and we are pretty much helpless without God and His
strength and power. And His desire is for us to be honest with each other and ourselves. He wants us to
clothe ourselves in His truth and in His Grace.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted
by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:22-23 NIV
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Therefore put
on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to stand. Eph 6: 11,13
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the
new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Col 3:9-10
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Col 3:12
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Col 3:13-14
We need to make sure that we are clothed with the new man - that of God and His Spirit, that we are
clothed in His love and have put on the full armor. There are things coming against the Body of Christ that
will necessitate us being covered with the armor so that we can stand against evil. We need to be covered
with the anointing and power that comes through our submission to God – the One true God God calls us
where we are with the weaknesses and troubles that we have in order to heal us, make us whole, to complete
us and the work He began in us, to trade His strength for our weakness, to give us His power and grace – so
that we may be able to go out and comfort others. In order to do that, we must be willing to expose our
weaknesses – past and present.
I can tell my story of how God picked me up out of the pit I had dug for myself. I can comfort others with
the knowledge that one time I was broken and weak but God healed me and made me whole. I can tell
everyone that once I was blind but now I see, once I was stumbling but now God leads me. That’s good. But
- it will be more helpful if I get specific and real while I am covered with His truth and humility.
I was dying. I was depressed and unhappy. I was slowing losing my ability to see reason and know the
truth. I attempted suicide. But God came to me and healed me. He renewed my mind. He healed me. He
exchanged His joy for my sorrow. He gave me peace to still my worried mind. He clothed me with His
righteousness and His grace and truth. He instilled a desire to live and serve Him. God is able. He is able to
deliver anyone from whatever the problem may be. And His peace is as wonderful today as it was 35 years
ago.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be
able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
God can do more if I will become more honest. If I will become transparent to allow Him to be seen, He
will shine forth brightly. I can be honest and expose my present weaknesses as I allow Him to continue to
work in me – as I see who I am in Him. And when I see myself as He sees me, as I see what He has called
me to do for Him, as I see what He can do in me – I can risk being honest and transparent to help others. But
only as I see who I am in Christ can I be comfortable enough to take that risk. When I become comfortable
with who God created me to be, who He has called me to be and be happy with that – only then am I able to
be honest – clothed with grace and truth to minister comfort to those He brings into my life.
Christ went to the cross, clothed in weakness and rose from the grave clothed in power and strength.
We go to the cross, clothed in our sin and weakness, broken and bruised. We receive grace. He clothes us
in His righteousness and His power, and we are healed and restored.
And as we go on, progress in Him we must continue to exchange our weakness for His power, our
humanness for His Truth and Grace – and allow it to change us daily. And at the same time stay honest and
transparent. Let those that God has put us in relationship with, see our weaknesses so they give God glory
for His power operating within us – covering us. Be transparent about our stumbling so people can be
assured that just as God is transforming us, lifting us up, restoring us, He will do the same in their life. Then I
can truly comfort others with what I have received. Let us clothe ourselves, cover ourselves with Him and all
that He is.
And the Word [Christ] became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled – fixed His tent of flesh, lived
awhile – among us; and we [actually] saw His glory – His honor, His majesty; such glory as an only begotten
son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving kindness) and truth. For while the Law was given
through Moses, grace – unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing – and truth came through Jesus
Christ. John 1: 14, 17 AMP
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From The Heart... |
- Updated: October 13, 2008
Just
Thinking....
Thinking....
| "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'." Matthew 4:4 |
| Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NIV |
