I've been reading lately between A.W. Tozer, The Counselor and A. B. Simpson, Christ In You, and have been filled with a lot of good straight talk on faith, what it is and what is expected. The Counselor talks a great deal of specifics on The Holy Spirit, "the promise of the Father", that was sent to the original apostles as a gift. This Spirit of God has never stopped flowing and is available to all who call on Jesus, Yeshua as Lord and Savior. I was particularly interested in what Tozer spelled out as the process of being "filled" based on several scriptures - that of offering up our bodies as living vessels, asking for the Spirit to Come, being obedient to what the Spirit leads and having faith. The combination of the two books is really a blessing because the concept of faith is also illustrated in these two books as that of a river. The River of God's Will. When we jump into His River, we go with His flow and follow as He leads. We are the ones that change to become His purpose here for us. This is how He is glorified ~ through our filling and then outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
My main site has been down for a little while and i sure have been itching to get back to some regular content work on that site. I will have it back online this week. Many irons in the fire right now, but there has been an amazing sense of calm in the quiet time before this brewing storm... while each Peace is put into place in this beautiful drama of Life that God has Created. What i have experienced along the way is pretty comforting and something that i want to share with everyone else today - this day. A scripture defines where i am in this walk - and the beauty of how the Word, the pure Truth in it becomes your life. I am very fond of this Passage as it is one that i was given to memorize before i moved to Mississippi.
Phillipians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
There is a great process that God performs inside you when you pray, with all your heart and mind to Him that His Will be done. A dear friend and client shared with me the beautiful aspect of praying for God's Will. God is pure and perfect and constant in love. God doesn't change, so He changes us to be In and To Be His Will - you know for Him while we're here. :) This scripture doesn't say how your requests will be answered, it does state that you will be at peace and not worry - God will take it if you let Him have it. But first, just let go and relax.
The unfortunate thing is that this is not obvious to all "Christians" that walk half the line and don't fully die to self. It is past time to drop the old man off at the trash can and walk out through that door that Father has put in place for you - or through that window you have left cracked, just in case you needed to go through it. Now is the time to get off the fence and earnestly seek God's face.
Ask Him to show you His Glory, boldly like Moses wanted - or like David... seeking Him always. Put forth the effort in building your relationship with Jesus as your number one priority and let this effort replace the one that thing is now most important to you. You will not be disappointed.
God is True, Jesus has a sense of humor, The Holy Spirit washes and leads and Comforts. You will not be disappointed.
In the beginning of this year i began to have a very hopeful anticipation of where Life was heading. Let's face it, we have all been going through some stuff and many people are looking for some relief, maybe some normalcy, or stability. There is chaos around us all in varying degrees of "realness" and yet the guys working the knobs and switches behind the curtain keep telling us the water is just fine. I feel your pain. But consider the trials and tribulations as being "purified". Through this same process we have to become humbled. One important point is that when i had lost everything, when God was the only thing left that i could count on, that is when i realized that He was really all i ever needed to start with. That has led to this great search to want to know God better, to know the Trinity, each separate yet all One and One inside me as well.
Well, tonight was mostly a ramble and a wanting, yearning, need to share. i am reading a great book right now - The Counselor by A.W. Tozer. He covers in detail, through many sermons, the Person of the Holy Spirit. Very good, simple, nuts and bolts read - powerful.
In talking with a friend a couple weeks ago, we stumbled upon a brief discussion of The Bible, Jesus and our general beliefs. What i heard from this friend was something that i remember others saying in the past - that the Bible was merely a bunch of fictional stories and that Jesus was just another enlightened being.
There was a sadness in my heart at hearing this and i realized that who i am now is wholly different - a new creation from who i was. The sadness was because of the emptiness i knew was in the heart of this friend for not knowing the truth of What and Who The Word truly means. I have come to Know Jesus and Know The Bible as Life - plain and simple. It is hard to put into words because the experiences that i have been blessed with are so deep and so filling - bone deep enough to take your breath away.
i pray this day that the Holy Spirit anoints those that do not know Jesus, those that take the Bible as just another story book, and that this beauty is revealed to them as The Living Word of a Living God. In Jesus and in His Word we find our purpose - layer upon layer revealing more and more of the Love He has for us.
Despite the recent cold temperatures here in the south - down in the single digit lows - i've been able to work in a semi-heated shop. Some of the projects have involved creating benches for childrens' Christmas presents, while other work has entailed repair work on 30-year old windows. The woodworking has been enjoyable and challenging. i believe i forewarned about more time in the shop in one of the last posts on the antbrotherfarms website. The work has been generated by just using the scraps and tools available to make what would be needed.
The finish carpentry work of repairing the old windows involves the recreation of sash, stiles, and sill while reusing the old insulated glass units. This is considered some unchartered territory for me and has been some good experience. The bench/stool/table pieces were made from scraps we generally grind up into woodchips at the plant. The thinner strips of wood are from various species - oak, ash, pecan, poplar.
i am working on getting the main website back online this next month. i have run into limited funds to be able to support the site and the yearly renewal came up in early January. Thanks and Blessings to a beloved supporter in helping me get the main site back online.
On the ministry front, i can't praise God enough for what i am seeing take place. It is truly a moving of the Holy Spirit in the various aspects of ministry work that i was given a vision of in 2007. Amazing Grace, really Lord, Just Amazing.
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then with twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out you know."
And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - the hammers gone.
My mother made it through surgery successfully today for removal of cancerous lymph nodes in her groin area. i am not able to be with her or help her in recovery as i am many states away and lacking any transportation of funds to do so. Thankfully my oldest brother has stepped up to help out for the week and, based on his phone call tonight, mom is doing well and may be discharged tomorrow.
I shared a Col. Joe book on Oxalic acid with my mom last month and sent her a case of carrot juice to get her started, but she is relying on what she knows for treatment, being a nurse and a stubborn Irish woman. :) i don't think she has discounted the cancer diet but she doesn't have complete faith that it will work all by itself. Personally i am not an advocate of current treatments - cut it out and radiate. i lost my Dad to colon cancer when i was 14 and i lost a brother to leukemia when i was six. i really know this diet / natural treatment works, but you can't force others to buy into your beliefs. Even if it is your mother. Prayers have done the most GoOD for her and i am leaving the recovery and a clean, cancer free future in His hands. Thank you Father for Your Grace this day.
i had initially heard Nathan on Zeph's show years ago and instantly felt a connection in my heart to the pure Spirit that flowed from him. i know over the years he has helped many, many people and, although i have lost touch with him, i know he continues to share that healing Spirit of Jesus with all that are in contact with him. Words from the past continue to heal and bring meaning back to those he has touched. i am one such friend, blessed to have shared a bit of time with Spotted Hawk.
