Tag Archives: jesus

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 20, 2024

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There is a huge reality I awoke to this morning. My “old person annual checkups” call me healthy, but that doesn’t mean my healthy flesh doesn’t get tired. As I got up this morning my body was saying to leave it in bed even though my mind was saying it is time to get up. As I began my devotions and started the worship music, my flesh was still saying–“turn it off”. However, when I told my flesh I was surrendering it to Jesus so my spirit this day would be devoted to The Holy Spirit, I surrendered.

Jesus told Peter that Satan wanted to “sift him like sand”. That wasn’t a one time statement meant only for Peter. I’ll bet all of us can say this has happened to us at different point in our lives. It is certainly true for me. I felt a dose of it this morning as I was battling temptations to surrender to flesh rather than to submit my flesh and spirit to Christ’s Holy Spirit. Satan isn’t going to back off just because we have Christ in our lives. His deception is quite masterful particularly when our flesh is tired. But, this AMAZING GOD we serve has all of this in hand when we don’t let our flesh rule–even for a little bit.

I am now ready for this day. The armor of God is in place and I’m surrendered. Yes, my flesh may be tired but I can give it a nap this afternoon if needed by then! How loving and generous our God is. Matthew 11:28 says: “Come unto me and I will give you rest…take My yoke upon thee and learn of Me…my burden is light….” Stepping into today with Christ’s yoke rather than the weight my flesh was carrying is SO different. Our God is truly our LOVING FATHER!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 19, 2024

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As I write today’s date I realize just how close Christmas is in it’s arrival. My kids and grandkids are arriving this weekend and the joy of family all being together will begin once again. What is equally on my heart is the reality of “Christmas arriving”. This babe we call Jesus came to us in the same way we came into this world of ours. The only difference was who had planted the seed of life for Him. I have a difficult time with this reality knowing what God and Jesus knew ahead of time and followed through with their plan for you and me. That was only a beginning of the plan too.

Jesus conquered sin for us so we can have our eternal life with God as was the original intent. In conquering sin He conquered the grip Satan wanted to have over mankind. As I write this I can hardly explain in words my gratitude for what Christ has done for you and me. The grip sin had on me for so, so long is broken. Not only is it broken, it is replaced with the gift of helping others find this truth for them.

Part of what Jesus did while on earth was heal the sick. What a privilege it is to get to participate with Him in continuing this healing work in a healing process we call counseling. We get to plant the seeds of new life which Christ gave to us and Satan wants to kill. I have always loved being a gardener. This is like spiritual gardening and the beauty of blossoms is like none other!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 15, 2024

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Before I write anything else today, I must back up to complete yesterday’s story. I wrote that I was to step into the day in FAITH only. The counseling sessions were to be experienced and not led by me. The quartet singing event was to be experienced and not prepped ahead of time (the order for it had already been done and I needed not prep any further). The experiences of the day as each one completed itself were amazing. The young men, the wife and mother, the attendees of the concert–all had the same message. God, Jesus, Holy Spirit were so present and I am walking away having had an experience which gave each of them and me new Light.

For me personally, I walked away from yesterday shaking my head in sheer abundant joy. I have lived a lifetime fighting temptation in the flesh not understanding how I was to surrender the battle so it could be actually fought and won by our VICTOR–Jesus Christ. We spend a lot of time getting to know our Savior and Lord. We also work on knowing Christ’s Gift to us–The Holy Spirit. This has helped me immensely. The lesson with the young men yesterday added an ingredient I needed. It focused on knowing our enemy–Satan: his many names and his many tactics.

God is Spirit, Jesus Christ came in flesh, but left in Spirit and remains this way for eternity. The Holy Spirit is His Name–SPIRIT. Satan is also spirit. Has flesh ever won over spirit? Never! Satan uses this tactic with us (me) endlessly that I am a loser who is lucky enough to have a Savior. Jesus has helped me experience the truth that I am worthy and not a loser. His Worthiness is mine and seen by God for God sees Jesus in me. It is one thing to know this, it is another to now walk in the confidence of it letting Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit fight the enemy who wants to “sift me like sand” just as Christ told this to Peter. Instead of fighting, I Worship the Victor! He has already WON the battle!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 12, 2024

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Jesus is my firm foundation. This statement use to be something I’d know and even believe. This was particularly true when I work with others for my belief was firm that Jesus always would stand in the gap for them. They could put every ounce of their trust in Him. Then, something would take place for me, temptations would hit and I’d feel helpless with them. I’d dig my way out of them, but would wonder why Jesus wouldn’t do for me what He does for others?

What I wrote about yesterday was a huge piece for me to awaken to as I described in the post. Little did I realize that I had this self-protection mode still going on in me. It was such a natural response of mine I never put any thought into the fact that it was selfish/self-protection. God pointed out to me that this “self-protection place” I’d go to in my mind was a stumbling block (in Celebrate Recovery it’s called a hang-up, character defect or thinking error). If I felt threatened in someone’s presence, temptations would hit reminding me of past triggers, etc., I’d go to this place and rationalize myself out of it–or attempt to do this. It was an area of lacking trust in God that I needed to relinquish to Him. Now that this is done I have a sense of new cleansing–deeper, more pure trust.

There may be other things which God will point out in my future days/years, but for now I don’t sense “phobias” about stepping into situations which in the past I’d deal with, but would do so with gritted teeth. It is truly a new depth of trust I needed to find. Thank you Jesus!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 10, 2024

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There is something I’m becoming very awake to as I am beginning each of my devotional times with a couple of worship songs. They awaken my spirit to God’s Holy Spirit and I desire fully for Him to be my spirit this day as I surrender to Him. With my spirit fully committed I find new meaning to the first piece of armor God provides for us as told in Ephesians 6:14–the belt of truth. In my flesh I want to rationalize all that I do. If a selfish act is being desired, I want to put brackets around it and say that it wasn’t hurting anyone and no one even needs to know about it. It is just for me. Well, when I am surrendered fully to God’s Holy Spirit in me, all I can do is admit the truth. It just doesn’t matter what the action is, if it is selfishly committed and I have to look away from God’s nudge within me, it is sin.

Romans 14:23b says, “…and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” The preface to this statement from Paul is stating so much about how we treat others. His closing statement in this chapter is the quote. God wants us to live by faith in His Son and His Son’s Gift of The Holy Spirit to us when we accept Him into our lives. We cannot continue to live by flesh’s desires rather than living by the faith that whatever temptation comes our way, God’s promise to “provide a way of escape” (I Corinthians 10:13) is ours. The belt of truth helps us to know this for the verse in Ephesians 6:14 starts by saying, “Stand your ground….”. When we put faith to work in our lives we can stand our ground for we are doing so in the strength of The Holy Spirit rather than the futile strength of our flesh.

For so long I’ve known all of this. Putting it together each day as I “worship” God is taking what I have known and allowing it to become my daily experience.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 8, 2024

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As our small group of men met yesterday morning we began a lesson which needs to be done in two sessions. It was just too deep and too much to complete in one session. The topic is bringing the importance of worship into one’s worship and warfare praying. This very topic is what I have truly never understood until I started experiencing it. Starting my devotional time with worship (songs of praise and thanksgiving that quiet my flesh and allows my spirit to be overtaken by God’s Holy Spirit) has awakened me to a reverence I’ve only known once in a while through my lifetime. I’m now beginning to see my need for this worship each and every day. Being in spirit while I read God’s Word allows HIs Holy Spirit to bring meaning to the Word I’ve missed so many, many times. What is even more humbling to me is the tender, intense solidity of God’s Spirit’s grounding. As I pray I don’t need to pray in fleshly hope, but in the hope of assurance God IS in control of every aspect of life–not just for me, but for everyone for which I pray.

I hate to confess this, but I need too. As much as I love music, I even more so love quiet. Starting my devotional time with a worship song/chorus seemed invasive and I wouldn’t do this at first. Lately I’ve taken the step to do what the assignment said rather than avoid it. This simple step of obedience has been overwhelmingly insightful. In so doing I now know what entering into genuine worship during my devotional time does. It transforms this time into much richer meaning and confidence for what God wants me to know from Him. This carries into my day even when my flesh wants to control a portion of the day.

Oh, the importance of simple obedience!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 4, 2024

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My awakening to the significance of spirit is completely consuming. I can’t get away from it and I don’t want to get away from it. This reality of our own spirit given to us now surrendered to God’s Holy Spirit which is also within is no longer a concept to have with little understanding; it is a genuine reality I can see within me and I can truly rejoice because of it.

There is a gentleman who has been coming for a few months now. When he first started he wanted to overcome a “somewhat addiction” to alcohol and to grow in his walk with God. At the time of his arrival I simply asked if he would be ok working on his walk with God and to see if this walk would possibly take care of his “somewhat addiction”? This has been working. So, yesterday when he came he was attempting to tell me about an experience he’d had during a devotional time just a few days back. As he was describing it and unable to put words to its significance, I asked if this experience was with his spirit? He said an emphatic YES!

It is very easy to put words to our flesh since we live very awake in it 24/7. Even though we have our own spirit 24/7 we rarely are in tune to it, so putting words to it seems tough. I use the idea that things of the spirit are better explained as an experience rather than something to know. Once you’ve experienced something it stays with you. Knowing something might stay in our mind someplace, but recalling it becomes dim quickly.

Oh how I want to grow in God’s Spirit within me letting Him better consume me 24/7 replacing this dying flesh of mine. There is always something new about God’s Great GIFT to us that we can benefit from experiencing once we are awake to His Presence in us. I want to stay very much awake!

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 3, 2024

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Well, the last chore of fall clean-up got finished yesterday. My 2nd oldest grandson came out and we bagged all of the fall leaves. Raking them is one thing easy for one to do. But, bagging them is so much better done by two and waiting for my helper to come was well worth it. Not only is he a great help, he is just a great young man. He’s my barber now so it is fun to hear his barbering stories as we work.

God has been awakening me to my need to come to Him daily understanding that if I’m to truly worship Him I need to do so in spirit and truth. I’ve always loved worship for it awakens my own spirit which has seemed dormant as I have lived much of life. But, most recently I’m being brought into the Light of God’s Spirit.

Yesterday, as I was doing the lesson for my Saturday morning group, the focus is on spiritual warfare. The previous lessons have been on Worship in spirit and truth and let this experience take root in routine practice. Now, moving on to spiritual warfare, I become fully awakened to the truth that Satan is spirit too. These things I’ve known most of my life but not had them confronted as this curriculum does so well. This is called spiritual warfare because it is spirit. Christ defected Satan’s plan in His Spirit and He wants us to be very aware of our own spirit and our need to address the evil attacks of our flesh with our spirit surrendered to His Holy Spirit Who is God’s Holy Spirit given to us. There is a huge difference between knowing this and experiencing it. I’m finally into the experiencing side. It is AMAZING! It is an entirely different thing to move from knowing into experiencing. Good experiences grow healthy habits and that is what we want to do.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: DEC. 1, 2024

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There is a growing awareness within me regarding spirit. God is Spirit, Jesus was first Spirit and took upon himself flesh so He could be the righteous sacrifice for you and me. Then, there is God’s Holy Spirit Whom Jesus gave to you and me as we accepted Him into our lives as our Savior and then Lord. All of this is just plainly wonderful! Yet, what is wonderful is only a beginning to our new life. This new life given to us cannot be understood in our logical flesh mind. If I cannot connect to my surrendered spirit so God’s Holy Spirit can lead me, this logical mind of mine will try to put fleshly understanding into God’s Heavenly meaning.

Satan is fully aware of our flesh and its sinful limitations so that his deceptive ways factor right into what my fleshly mind and emotions grasp. I lived a very long time thinking these deceptions were truth for me when they were only evil’s lies. As I am going through this study with a couple small groups of men, I am awakening to the meaningful truth of God’s Holy Spirit within me. Spirit and flesh are not a marriage. They are opposing forces at work within us. Only when I surrender my willful flesh to God’s Spirit within me do I find the Peace I am to put my feet into as I allow God’s Spirit to put on His armor on me each and every day. This particular piece of armor is called the Gospel of Peace which we are to put our feet into.

Well, this journey of life does continue and I never want to stop learning especially from God’s Holy Spirit Who has been waiting for me to be a better student for HIm.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES: NOV. 26, 2024

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Praise–In the flesh, praise is given when something great has taken place and you give praise and thanks to the one who is praiseworthy. There is an entirely different realm to praise when it comes to giving praise to God. In flesh we praise when it is connected to something concrete that has taken place. In spirit, we praise because of Faith in God. Praise in this case is not tangible. It is built on FAITH/TRUST/HOPE that the God Who gave us salvation will walk us through anything we are presently facing.

I recall when I was facing my divorce and the years subsequent to it, being asked to praise God in spite of these circumstances. I recall years later when I was asked to praise God not because of my childhood abuse, but because God is always praiseworthy. In those years of my life I would attempt to do this (not often) and most always I’d end up hating God at the moment because NOTHING seemed praiseworthy. I’d ask, “Why am I suppose to praise you when I try so hard to serve you and I keep getting more hurt piled onto what is already there?!”

I have several counseling cases of present where their hurt is raging. They come for counsel and then they call during the week needing encouragement and daily guidance. I know God is wanting me to do for them what He had others do for me–point me back to Him. Today I see so clearly how God was using everything in my past to grow me into a more complete servant. I had a lot of “boundaries” for God back then. I would serve Him in ways that I felt safe and would never serve Him in the ways I do today.

GOD IS PRAISEWORTHY! It has taken me a lifetime to grow FAITH to where it is today. Planting seeds for others is a step I need to take. Helping to grow the garden of FAITH, TRUST and HOPE within each of us is a garden God wants me to help bloom. The season may be winter for some, but SPRING is on its way.