Matt 11 (AV) "Anna Version"
Jesus says "I played the flute for you...but did you dance? And I played the funeral dirge but you did not lament"
So what is He really saying? He revealed Himself for who He was, a ravished bridegroom God, and His people did not respond. He said that He would not return until Jerusalem says "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord". What will it take for this to happen? What will God do to turn the hearts of His people? God is a lover, a jealous lover who desires His people. He will not relent until He has their WHOLE hearts.
Deuteronomy 4:24 "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."
Proverbs 6:34 "For jealousy is a husband's fury, He will not spare in the day of vengeance"
Proverbs 27:4 "Wrath is cruel, and anger a torrent, but who can stand before jealousy?"
He won't relent until He has it all...for the sake of Love.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Incline to Your ear to me Jesus
Psalm 25:16 "Turn to me and be gracious to me for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins."
I love how open and vulnerable the Psalmist is when he writes this. The Psalmist, in context of the whole chapter of Psalm 25 is writing from the standpoint of Israel crying out to the Lord for mercy. Throughout the entire Bible, I can see how the Lord's process of redemption is the same (He is the same yesterday, today, and forever). Israel is a physical picture of the state of our own evil hearts. We are called by the Lord, our hearts respond and "sign up" to be only His, then we wander and get bored in the midst of the journey and fall into sin. However, at this most vulnerable point in the Psalm, the heart of Israel and humanity is revealed...the truth of what is "beneath" it all... "I am lonely and afflicted". No person, no thing, no running away or cover can hide this hunger in our hearts. And we should not ever try to hide it. Rather we should use this cry as fuel to bring us closer to God through our own HUNGER and craving for Him. It says that the Lord is the DESIRE of all nations! He is the desire of our souls! He is what we truly long for, and without Him we are lonely and afflicted. Let us run into to Him, and let Him be the God of our Salvation rather than trying to be our own gods of our own salvations. Let us come up from the wilderness leaning upon Him in love with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength.
I love how open and vulnerable the Psalmist is when he writes this. The Psalmist, in context of the whole chapter of Psalm 25 is writing from the standpoint of Israel crying out to the Lord for mercy. Throughout the entire Bible, I can see how the Lord's process of redemption is the same (He is the same yesterday, today, and forever). Israel is a physical picture of the state of our own evil hearts. We are called by the Lord, our hearts respond and "sign up" to be only His, then we wander and get bored in the midst of the journey and fall into sin. However, at this most vulnerable point in the Psalm, the heart of Israel and humanity is revealed...the truth of what is "beneath" it all... "I am lonely and afflicted". No person, no thing, no running away or cover can hide this hunger in our hearts. And we should not ever try to hide it. Rather we should use this cry as fuel to bring us closer to God through our own HUNGER and craving for Him. It says that the Lord is the DESIRE of all nations! He is the desire of our souls! He is what we truly long for, and without Him we are lonely and afflicted. Let us run into to Him, and let Him be the God of our Salvation rather than trying to be our own gods of our own salvations. Let us come up from the wilderness leaning upon Him in love with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Wisdom or Folly?
The Call of Wisdom
Proverbs 9:1-6 "Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city 'Whoever is simple let him turn in here!' As to him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 'Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine I have mixed, Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding"
The Call of Folly
Proverbs 9:13-18 "A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house, On a seat by the highest places of the city, to call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way: 'Whoever is simple, let him turn in here'. And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, "Stolen water is sweet And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Hell."
Notice the similarity between wisdom and folly, although both are completely opposite. Both, if you will, have the same marketing plan, calling to those who pass by (both from the highest places of the city...the "well respected" perhaps)"WHOEVER IS SIMPLE LET HIM TURN HERE". Then, specifically both voices target the man passing by who lacks understanding. Wisdom offers freely what the man lacking understanding cannot attain for himself, and tells him "GO in the way of understanding". The voice of folly calling to the man lacking understanding offers only pleasures that are not even her own to offer. Notice also, the differences between wisdom and folly. Wisdom is diligent and hard working, tending to the needs at hand. But folly only sits at the door of her house playing as though she has everything together.
Such similarity in characters exists also in the description of Christ and the Antichrist at the end of the age.
Revelation 6:2 "And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer"
Revelation 19:11 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war."
Both are on white horses, but the Antichrist goes "conquering to conquer" What is not his inheritance. But Christ is Faithful and True, and he Judges and makes war in RIGHTEOUSNESS and in perfect humility and servanthood.
We know the difference between what is good and bad through the fear of the Lord, and wisdom, which He gives to all who ask and seek Him. His sheep know His voice...which is wisdom and righteousness. Let us know Him now that we might not be decieved and offended at the end of the age.
Proverbs 9:1-6 "Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city 'Whoever is simple let him turn in here!' As to him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 'Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine I have mixed, Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding"
The Call of Folly
Proverbs 9:13-18 "A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing. For she sits at the door of her house, On a seat by the highest places of the city, to call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way: 'Whoever is simple, let him turn in here'. And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, "Stolen water is sweet And bread eaten in secret is pleasant." But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Hell."
Notice the similarity between wisdom and folly, although both are completely opposite. Both, if you will, have the same marketing plan, calling to those who pass by (both from the highest places of the city...the "well respected" perhaps)"WHOEVER IS SIMPLE LET HIM TURN HERE". Then, specifically both voices target the man passing by who lacks understanding. Wisdom offers freely what the man lacking understanding cannot attain for himself, and tells him "GO in the way of understanding". The voice of folly calling to the man lacking understanding offers only pleasures that are not even her own to offer. Notice also, the differences between wisdom and folly. Wisdom is diligent and hard working, tending to the needs at hand. But folly only sits at the door of her house playing as though she has everything together.
Such similarity in characters exists also in the description of Christ and the Antichrist at the end of the age.
Revelation 6:2 "And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer"
Revelation 19:11 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war."
Both are on white horses, but the Antichrist goes "conquering to conquer" What is not his inheritance. But Christ is Faithful and True, and he Judges and makes war in RIGHTEOUSNESS and in perfect humility and servanthood.
We know the difference between what is good and bad through the fear of the Lord, and wisdom, which He gives to all who ask and seek Him. His sheep know His voice...which is wisdom and righteousness. Let us know Him now that we might not be decieved and offended at the end of the age.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Stir My Affections
I always used to wonder how, when I went to a youth conference or a really good church service I would have zeal and passion for a time, even living out the messages preached and living a higher standard of a more excellent way. Then, a month later, have nothing, no passion, and waiting, dry and bored until the next big event happened to "Fire me up" again.
Now, living a lifestyle of prayer, I find myself in the same place ( =.
WHAT?! Yes I know... I don't live in the third heaven, and see angels and clouds and fire everyday or hear booming voices from the sky like thunder. I sit praying all night long, bored at times with a very wandering mind. But something has begun to happen in me like never before.
I began to wonder...why? Why did I have that passion? It wasn't just hype and human sentiment. It was a genuine zeal within me that I had to respond to!
The truth is this...zeal and passion come from a longing...a hunger within us. Zeal comes from a hunger for something we don't have but MUST have and are laboring to attain! I got hungry when the word of the Lord pierced my heart in those services, and I realized it really was what I hungered for! But my response was that I created a to do list of goals and as I attained them I counted myself successful and my hunger fulfilled...But it wasn't. I found myself wondering why after attaining such wonderful goals I still lived ensnared in the same sins as before, and my soul just as lacking.
I now realize that the goal is this...Blessed are those who hunger....
Why? They never lack passion. We must realize that the LONGING alone is one of the greatest gifts we could be given! The dissatisfaction produces a heart that is ALIVE with LONGING for the living God. Longing is what makes romance "romantic". Let us have the cry of the Shuulamite in our hearts..."If you find my Beloved tell Him I am lovesick!". Lovesickness produces lives of genuine righteousness to God seemingly effortlessly because we follow our heart's desire, and not a list of to do's. And when we have seemingly "attained" our righteous goals, we must realize we truly have not, and that our depraved souls...if they are dull...are in need of a serious wake up call to the LONGING of God!
Let us become burned as the disciples were burned for the Man Christ Jesus. Let us be ruined for Him and Hunger like never before. If everyday we can feel the PAIN for the NEED of God, let us consider ourselves successful.
Now, living a lifestyle of prayer, I find myself in the same place ( =.
WHAT?! Yes I know... I don't live in the third heaven, and see angels and clouds and fire everyday or hear booming voices from the sky like thunder. I sit praying all night long, bored at times with a very wandering mind. But something has begun to happen in me like never before.
I began to wonder...why? Why did I have that passion? It wasn't just hype and human sentiment. It was a genuine zeal within me that I had to respond to!
The truth is this...zeal and passion come from a longing...a hunger within us. Zeal comes from a hunger for something we don't have but MUST have and are laboring to attain! I got hungry when the word of the Lord pierced my heart in those services, and I realized it really was what I hungered for! But my response was that I created a to do list of goals and as I attained them I counted myself successful and my hunger fulfilled...But it wasn't. I found myself wondering why after attaining such wonderful goals I still lived ensnared in the same sins as before, and my soul just as lacking.
I now realize that the goal is this...Blessed are those who hunger....
Why? They never lack passion. We must realize that the LONGING alone is one of the greatest gifts we could be given! The dissatisfaction produces a heart that is ALIVE with LONGING for the living God. Longing is what makes romance "romantic". Let us have the cry of the Shuulamite in our hearts..."If you find my Beloved tell Him I am lovesick!". Lovesickness produces lives of genuine righteousness to God seemingly effortlessly because we follow our heart's desire, and not a list of to do's. And when we have seemingly "attained" our righteous goals, we must realize we truly have not, and that our depraved souls...if they are dull...are in need of a serious wake up call to the LONGING of God!
Let us become burned as the disciples were burned for the Man Christ Jesus. Let us be ruined for Him and Hunger like never before. If everyday we can feel the PAIN for the NEED of God, let us consider ourselves successful.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Whatever He pleases
Ecclesiastes 8:2-5 "I say: Keep the king's command, because of God's oath to him. Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, 'what are you doing?'. Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way."
Ecclesiastes 12:13 "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
The WHOLE duty of man...what a way to put it! I love the writings of Solomon, he has a way of making things EXTREMELY clear. So, what is it to fear God and keep His commandments? And How can we search out and obey an eternal, immortal, invisible, God? He does what He pleases. I suppose these very attributes of God, when pondering them in our hearts cause us to fear Him, which is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of Him actually IGNITES, not hinders the love in our hearts towards him. The fear of the Lord is a proper respect for Him, and when we fear Him, respect, and revere who He is everyday, we have more of Him to forever fall in love with and forever attain "better" love which turns into what I love to call "Accidental righteousness". Summary: The more we know of God (and we will never know all of Him, we will eternally search him out), the more our hearts can fear Him, the more our hearts can love Him, and the more our hearts can "accidentally" obey Him in righteousness and keeping His commandments. As Solomon so clearly puts it..."this is the whole duty of man"....I love it and I look forward to eternally finding the pleasure of God in it! I pray the same for all of you!
Ecclesiastes 12:13 "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
The WHOLE duty of man...what a way to put it! I love the writings of Solomon, he has a way of making things EXTREMELY clear. So, what is it to fear God and keep His commandments? And How can we search out and obey an eternal, immortal, invisible, God? He does what He pleases. I suppose these very attributes of God, when pondering them in our hearts cause us to fear Him, which is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of Him actually IGNITES, not hinders the love in our hearts towards him. The fear of the Lord is a proper respect for Him, and when we fear Him, respect, and revere who He is everyday, we have more of Him to forever fall in love with and forever attain "better" love which turns into what I love to call "Accidental righteousness". Summary: The more we know of God (and we will never know all of Him, we will eternally search him out), the more our hearts can fear Him, the more our hearts can love Him, and the more our hearts can "accidentally" obey Him in righteousness and keeping His commandments. As Solomon so clearly puts it..."this is the whole duty of man"....I love it and I look forward to eternally finding the pleasure of God in it! I pray the same for all of you!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Is It Enough?
For all eternity, all humanity will be forever one with God. We will be caught up in the trinity. Caught up into a wonderful conversation and oneness and unity and relationship that has been going on for all eternity past, present and future. Caught up into a unity that has been unbroken except at the cross when the Father crushed the Son so that we could enter in to this wonderful relationship. This is the ultimate desire of every soul. This is what we were made for. TO BE ONE WITH GOD. Unbroken, unhindered, forever discovering, forever being fascinated in the paradise and pleasure of God. When this happens, our hunger will be filled (and at the same time we will forever desire Him...so we will continue to hunger and immediately be filled). Perhaps this is why the creatures and elders and all of Heaven continue saying "HOLY HOLY HOLY" without getting bored. Not only are they forever fascinated in wide eyed wonder at God saying "Holy!", but at every new aspect they see of God they are hungry full of desire for Him. "Oh to see Him just once more...just once more to gaze upon Him.", and at the same time they are saying this they are being "fed" by Him...they are seeing Him! And they proclaim "HOLY!". They are forever around a burning and fiery God. The reason that they are able to burn with desire for God, is because they are beholding Him. We become what we behold, and the Lord is a God burning with desire, emotion and passion for His people. The seraphim and creatures and all who behold Him burn as He burns. That is why we must behold Him to burn with desire for Him, and why when we behold Him our flesh burns (in pain) to desires that cannot fulfill our souls. "Who can see God and live?", but our hearts do see Him! Here and now He reveals Himself in our day and time to His people in various ways (Hebrews 1). We do see Him, and can no longer live...but die, lose our lives and truly live!
So I ask, is He enough? As our spirit is coming alive to God, and burning for Him, it begins to only crave and desire solid food, the Word of God and things of the Spirit. It no longer desires what no longer fills. As this happens, the Word of God distinguishes between our flesh and spirit (sharper than any sword "dividing" or distinguishing between the two). And our flesh freaks out because it does not understand why we are being satisfied and filled "with every word that comes from the mouth of God" and not just "on bread alone". So you are coming alive in God, and your flesh goes "I need to go do something other than this...being this satisfied in God makes no sense!", and immediately tries running away from the things of God. However, being alive and fascinated like this in God is what we will be doing Forever! The only thing that doesn't make sense in this picture is why our flesh wants to run away from the superior pleasure that is God! Run away from the author of pleasure? And you wonder why your prayer life is boring...
So I ask again...Is he "enough"?
So I ask, is He enough? As our spirit is coming alive to God, and burning for Him, it begins to only crave and desire solid food, the Word of God and things of the Spirit. It no longer desires what no longer fills. As this happens, the Word of God distinguishes between our flesh and spirit (sharper than any sword "dividing" or distinguishing between the two). And our flesh freaks out because it does not understand why we are being satisfied and filled "with every word that comes from the mouth of God" and not just "on bread alone". So you are coming alive in God, and your flesh goes "I need to go do something other than this...being this satisfied in God makes no sense!", and immediately tries running away from the things of God. However, being alive and fascinated like this in God is what we will be doing Forever! The only thing that doesn't make sense in this picture is why our flesh wants to run away from the superior pleasure that is God! Run away from the author of pleasure? And you wonder why your prayer life is boring...
So I ask again...Is he "enough"?
Monday, August 13, 2007
All About Love
1 Corinthians 13 (Context)
"Without love, we are nothing" do you really believe it? ", "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love". Again Jesus said (Matthew 22:36-40)
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets"
Tonight the Lord spoke to me about this in the prayer room. We are truly nothing without love, and completely unable to fulfill the law unless our hearts are awakened in love. Jesus also said "If you love me you will obey my commands". It's not because God is a slavedriver, it's because God is a lover! He knows that if we love Him, then we will naturally obey Him. We will have a heart that is alive and in love with Him. So what then if our hearts are not alive in love? We have nothing.
How do we get our hearts alive in love? Read His word, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit anyway? It is GOD living inside of us. Us ONE with Him. We cannot awaken to love on our own, it takes God to love God, and it is God who must do the awakening in our hearts to love Him. He prayed (summary)"Father, I DESIRE, that she be with me where I am, that she would be one just as You and I are one", He promised us He would never leave us or forsake us, He is married to us, and He will never abandon us! In His words "Therefore what God has joined together let man not separate". Let's be alive in love, and not let sin separate what God has joined together! Can you imagine? ONE with the Uncreated God! Let us give the only one who is worthy of us our all! Let Him take you to the unsearchable depths of the riches of His love for you. Let Him free your heart to love. Let Him speak to you. He is the ONLY one who sees you rightly and can speak truth to you. So often we run to our friends or wish for a significant other to affirm us and tell us good things about ourselves to make us alive in love. But it is only through God that they can even speak these truths! The Lord is the ONLY one who cannot lie, and even the disciples testified and said "Where else have we to go Jesus? You alone have the words of life". Whenever a friend affirms us, or whenever a significant other admires something about the other, they are not doing this in and of themselves, they are prophesying and speaking the testimony of Jesus to the other person, building them up in love. Even those who are unsaved prophecy and speak the testimony of Jesus to each other when they see beauty and speak the truth about it. God is not put in a box so that He can only use believers to prophecy...He once used a donkey. In Proverbs it says "He who gives an honest answer kisses the lips", and in Song of Solomon it says "Kiss me with the Kisses of your mouth"...the kisses of the Word of God. Words of truth! "When the Lord has spoken who can but prophecy?" The fact that Truth remains if you will "listen and incline your ear" is testimony that the God of Genesis 1 has not ceased to speak, to prophecy about Himself, Jesus, His plan for the human race, and about His emotions regarding us, His bride...and that means YOU! You have never ever been unwanted, unloved, or undesired. Come and let the God of passion and emotion awaken your heart to love and speak the truth about who you are to Him!
With a heart overflowing
Anna
"Without love, we are nothing" do you really believe it? ", "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love". Again Jesus said (Matthew 22:36-40)
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets"
Tonight the Lord spoke to me about this in the prayer room. We are truly nothing without love, and completely unable to fulfill the law unless our hearts are awakened in love. Jesus also said "If you love me you will obey my commands". It's not because God is a slavedriver, it's because God is a lover! He knows that if we love Him, then we will naturally obey Him. We will have a heart that is alive and in love with Him. So what then if our hearts are not alive in love? We have nothing.
How do we get our hearts alive in love? Read His word, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit anyway? It is GOD living inside of us. Us ONE with Him. We cannot awaken to love on our own, it takes God to love God, and it is God who must do the awakening in our hearts to love Him. He prayed (summary)"Father, I DESIRE, that she be with me where I am, that she would be one just as You and I are one", He promised us He would never leave us or forsake us, He is married to us, and He will never abandon us! In His words "Therefore what God has joined together let man not separate". Let's be alive in love, and not let sin separate what God has joined together! Can you imagine? ONE with the Uncreated God! Let us give the only one who is worthy of us our all! Let Him take you to the unsearchable depths of the riches of His love for you. Let Him free your heart to love. Let Him speak to you. He is the ONLY one who sees you rightly and can speak truth to you. So often we run to our friends or wish for a significant other to affirm us and tell us good things about ourselves to make us alive in love. But it is only through God that they can even speak these truths! The Lord is the ONLY one who cannot lie, and even the disciples testified and said "Where else have we to go Jesus? You alone have the words of life". Whenever a friend affirms us, or whenever a significant other admires something about the other, they are not doing this in and of themselves, they are prophesying and speaking the testimony of Jesus to the other person, building them up in love. Even those who are unsaved prophecy and speak the testimony of Jesus to each other when they see beauty and speak the truth about it. God is not put in a box so that He can only use believers to prophecy...He once used a donkey. In Proverbs it says "He who gives an honest answer kisses the lips", and in Song of Solomon it says "Kiss me with the Kisses of your mouth"...the kisses of the Word of God. Words of truth! "When the Lord has spoken who can but prophecy?" The fact that Truth remains if you will "listen and incline your ear" is testimony that the God of Genesis 1 has not ceased to speak, to prophecy about Himself, Jesus, His plan for the human race, and about His emotions regarding us, His bride...and that means YOU! You have never ever been unwanted, unloved, or undesired. Come and let the God of passion and emotion awaken your heart to love and speak the truth about who you are to Him!
With a heart overflowing
Anna
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