Living Light

Stirring The Deep

Monthly Archives: April 2012


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Making Cookies & Worship of Our Work

Making Cookies & Worship of Our Work

Don’t let the picture fool you, this is a VERY IMPORTANT truth to understand.

 

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

There is a saying around our house when we think we are doing anything to “help God out” that reminds us it’s all Him and nothing of us; we’re just making cookies. Anything “good” or “useful” we do for God is Him working in and through us and not us at all.

As a young girl, I loved helping my mom bake cookies; especially my much needed role as taster <smiles>. In my young mind, I believed I was a much greater help than I actually was. It was ALL my mom’s doing. Yet, my mom graciously allowed me to delight in the fun of baking with her. She gave me little tasks to do like stirring the ingredients together, which she always gave a few extra swirls. Yet to me, I was making some of the best cookies in the world!

She encouraged me in “helping” her because it was a wonderful bonding time for the both of us. She wanted me to “help”, but it wasn’t for my amazing assistance but because she loved me and took pleasure in making them together and seeing my joy in playing a part.

We are like the child who is helping their mom make cookies. We don’t do anything of good on our own; it’s all God. He lets us take part because it’s a delight to Him and us. We are able to do what we do because He is governing, directing and performing all things for us. We can’t throw God off; we won’t mess up His plans; and He works out all perfectly. In every action and word, as His offspring we can trust He is faithful in directing and using us according to His ways, which are not our ways.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Establishing our own Righteousness 

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

“Making Cookies” serves to remind us, we are not to be crafting our own righteousness, because we can’t. A twisted truth derived from the religious community is how we serve God. We want to be serving, working and doing for God because deep down it makes us feel like a better person; which is establishing our own righteousness. Instead of wholly relying on the righteous of God to fill and govern our lives, we are relying on ourselves.

Worshipping the Work of Our Hands

Isaiah 2:8 Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made

This mentality leads to worshipping the work of our hands. It’s looking to our ability; as in to provide, protect, heal, redeem, teach, and fix situations; the essence of self-reliance, self-sufficient, being in control and independence. Matthew 7:22-23, Proverbs 14:16

Our Part: Abide

John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

God is spirit. We are flesh and spirit. To experience God in the flesh, we have to allow our spirits to be united, influenced and governed by Him. When we do, His nature manifests in our lives in the forms of peace, rest, power, joy, blessing, and righteous love.

Our part is to abide in unity with God. In fellowship with God that leads to unity, we are listening, obeying and gaining trust to relinquish all control to God’s ways and work. As our self-will steps aside, He runs our souls and lives. We cease to judge and work and He governs.  If I didn’t bake cookies with my mom, then I wouldn’t have taken part in that bonding time with her or the fruit of our interaction, yummy cookies. God moves through us. But any goodness or good works are of Him, not us. Big difference. Are you getting it?

Rest is Power

Psalm 57:2 I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me.

Being attached to the vine and God moving through us as He wills is central to abiding in His rest. Hebrews 4:9-11 At rest, our self-will is nullified, and God’s will is ruling. We cease from our works and God works. In this rest, the power of God flows.

You see the true power of God, when you stop efforting and let Him work. To be governed (also used by) by God is to let go of all control, and let God determine each step; steps often counter to what you, religion, or the world would dictate. It’s letting go of all images of who and what you should be doing, and let God direct you daily. It’s following His still small voice, daily. Your life is His venue to work as He wills in you and others. In this our lives become a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1 In this state, we lack the awareness of what our left hand is doing from the right. Becuase its not us, but God.

Matthew 6:3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

This framework removes self-righteousness, because you aren’t doing anything but obeying His voice. It removes fears that you aren’t doing enough or did or said the wrong thing. In this truth, our hearts overflow with peace, praise and joy. So delight in making cookies and don’t make any more of it.


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Hearing God’s Voice

Hearing God’s Voice

1 Kings 19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 

Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us–baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Hearing the voice of God in your spirit and putting His voice as THE authority is central to following Him into abundant eternal life. Here I talk a bit about how to hear and follow His voice.


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The Ultimate Lie

The Ultimate Lie

The messages of this world and religion have made life with God somehow less, which is a lie. It’s this lie that must be exposed in our soul to enable us come into the fullness of God’s righteous love. As long as we are holding this lie, we won’t let go and embrace all He has for us. We will continue to make decisions against His leading and thus repeat the dynamic of what happened in the Garden of Eden over and over … that somehow we know better.


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Mount Zion is Awaiting You

Mount Zion is Awaiting You

 

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

In a previous post, I mentioned the transition that is occurring from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light. The kingdom of darkness has been ruling since the Garden of Eden when self-will took over, but now history is replaying itself from the beginning and redemption is at hand. God is calling His people out of Babylon and to enter into Zion, the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. It’s your refuge, fortress and defense in these days, as I will show you.

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

As death came through one man, how much more life through the One? Yet we’ve haven’t seen this happen. Death and sin have clearly been reigning on the earth as lies prevailed. But that reign is coming to an end and faith is the victory. 1 John 5:4 The faith is the faith of Christ (belief of pure truth in the power and love of God); the only One with the faith to destroy death. This faith has entered the world as a mustard seed and is growing. Matthew 13:31-32 It’s a faith available to you by Christ’s spirit dwelling within you and leading you in the paths of righteous love. Hebrews 12:2 Your part is to listen and follow to His voice. It’s the baptism of the spirit, a good conscious, because you are directed and governed by God. 1 Peter 3:21

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom of God, Zion, is growing in power and grace. 1 Peter 1:13 This Kingdom of Truth is where God’s ways reign. Those who dwell there live by the spirit of God within them. Romans 8:14 They obey His still small voice saying, “walk this way” turning at His rebuke. Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 1:23. In doing so they enter His rest, which is the venue of His power. (When you are at rest, complete trust in God, God is at work, thus His power flows through you.)

God’s truth is taking over and consuming the lies. If you are a part of Him, rest and peace will grow in your life as you follow His voice of truth. John 10:4  In following truth, you’ll escape the manifestation of the lies. 2 Thess 2:10 Being a part of Zion is being governed by God. Therefore, you are in a place of rest in your life, because it’s not your effort but His. Hebrews 4:9-11 Rest is the ark; it’s the good conscious of God in you. 1 Peter 3:20-21 Rest is the rapture out of the tribulation coming on the kingdom of darkness. Rev 3:10 Rest is trusting fully in God and not self, thus listening and walking in His ways. If you are living according to His ways, you are abiding in His kingdom and will experience rest on all sides as the wall of fire around the kingdom is your protection and defense. Zechariah 2:5, Hebrews 12:29 Now we see why we are instructed to diligently enter into this rest.

God’s spirit of righteous love is being poured out. Isaiah 44:3 If you have oil in your lamp, the spirit of truth in your soul, then you will embrace this voice of your Good Shepherd leading you into the green pastures and still waters (rest). Matthew 25:8-13

A Warning

I’ve talked about “fake” love in a recent video. The righteous love of God has never been poured out like it is now. In the void, people have entertained copycats of His love believing it to be His love. Matthew 7:22-23 It’s been forced and contrived. It’s a love that deceives one into thinking they have God’s love, when they don’t. Embracing a fake love is a blockade to engaging the true living God. God is real. Nothing about Him is fake. God abhors hypocrisy. It’s of the devil not God. Yet people have proclaimed His love when they haven’t experienced it. We give what we are. The Pharisees thought they knew God. They created an image of God, fake righteous love, that kept them from seeing pure love, even as He stood right in front of them. Make not the same mistake. When you have the love of God, nothing is the same in your life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 For those who have hoped and hungered for this love knowing their love is corrupted, now is the time for that hope to be fulfilled.

Our beliefs are going to fully manifest themselves. This is the judgment to come upon the world. 1 Corinthians 3:13 If we’ve been cultivating belief in the ways of this world, like religion and mankind’s wisdom, and letting these shape our beliefs instead of God, then the ramifications of those beliefs will be manifesting as the death that they are. If we’ve been cultivating belief in the true God, then we will heed His voice that leads to eternal life.

Have Ears to Hear

God is speaking to you. Listen. Listen to His voice guiding you. As you step out and follow in faith, you’ll learn to discern it more clearly. In time, you’ll want to give up all that is of the self-will and desire to be completely governed by Him, for He is the righteous love we desire. As you do, you will enter deeper into His rest. The Bible serves as a witness to confirm truth as you listen. Seek to trust in His voice above all others. As you trust in Him, all fear will flee for perfect love drives out fear.

We reap what we sow. Sow truth and righteous love by following the Good Shepherd’s voice; and you will grow in rest thus the power of God despite growing unrest around you.


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Follow Your Desires

Follow Your Desires

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

When we abandon our self-will and desire God to govern all that we are, He takes over and transitions us into an eternal creation filled and governed by Him. This magnificant new life is one of rest as God does all things in and through us. It is full of power because God is orchestrating and performing all things for us. Psalm 57:2 When He takes over His desires become our desires, thus we live by following our desires. Here I talk in more detail about this blessed gift and life.


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What is True Rest?

What is True Rest?

Hebrews 4:10-11 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

In this video, I discuss a very important truth of entering into God’s rest.

 


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The End of Evil’s Reign

The End of Evil’s Reign

 

I’ve mentioned before, there are two paths leading to two spiritual kingdoms in this earth; one of lies and the other truth.

The kingdom of lies has prevailed since the Garden of Eden. Resulting in sin and death reigning. Lies believed and acted upon is sin and sin gives way to death and all it entails. James 1:15 Its dominion is extensive so that nothing of this flesh life is outside its influence. It’s the kingdom we are born into, thus born into sin. True believers have lived with the hope of redemption from this kingdom, and now this hope is coming to fruition as Christ’s spirit is resurrected in this earth.

Babylon is the kingdom of darkness (kingdom of lies, which is hell). Think of it as a huge web of interlocking lies that covers the earth and taints every thought and action of mankind. It’s a web that lays between mankind and God blinding them to His perfect righteous love. It shapes the core beliefs of mankind. It imprisions them from the truth. It controls their behaviors manifesting every type of evil; from obvious evil to evil disguised as good. It produces all that is contrary to God; every evil, pain, suffering, hardship, sickness, bondage, and death. Under its sway, people destroy themselves because they believe lies to be truth. It blocks them of what is of true life; contentment, joy, peace, rest, righteous love, abundance, value, wisdom, truth, eternal life. When lies rule in our minds, it manifests spiritual death.

The end of this earth age, as spoken in the Bible, is the end of this kingdom’s reign. In it’s destruction a new age is born; for as God destroys He creates. This transition has begun.

We’ve witnessed storms, hardships, around us. They are to awaken us to what lays ahead and thus my adamant warning to you; seek God for He is truth and in Him there is no death. Proverbs 12:28 In the end of this age, the lies are destroyed, and truth and righteousness take their place. Though this is a glorious truth, the journey into the kingdom of truth will be difficult to those who have built their lives on lies, and haven’t sought the word of life. Matthew 7:24-27, James 1:21 Without truth, people have no where to turn when their lies start imploding upon themselves. If we are living by lies, which we believe to be truth, and push deeper into those lies as times grow desperate because that’s all we’ve cultivated, then great tribulation awaits our spirits. But it doesn’t have to be, if we would seek God as He has instructed. Amos 5:4

As Christ’s spirit returns filling His prepared vessels, the destruction of the lies will advance. The lies are all the concepts, ideas, thoughts, behaviors that people live by and trust. They are concepts people believe to be truth; what they trust in to deliver them from whatever discomforts them, and prosper them in this earth.  As the lies are destroyed, the beliefs that people have trusted will no longer “deliver” or “work for” them. (They never did “work”, it was God’s mercy.) Instead, walking those ways will bring increasing unrest.  Psalm 52

For example, if you are trusting in your ability to provide for you household; the work of your hands, it will grow increasingly challenging. You’ll experience growing discomfort, angst, stress, worry, suffering and loss because those lies are being destroyed.

God has delayed Christ’s return desiring His creation to repent and give up their souls to be inhabited by Him; to be governed by His righteous love. 2 Peter 3:9 Its the only way to walk in righteousness, thus life. Though people have been governed by lies, His delay has kept back the full ramification of them. But as God returns, His very presence, a consuming fire, will destroy the lies, causing more angst for many, for He is truth and that is what truth does. If you are holding onto those lies and your life, house, is built on those lies, it will be destroyed, yet your spirit will be refined through the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

As a consuming fire, if we are a part of God, we won’t be destroyed because we are walking in His ways which are life, which is replacing the lies. We will be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, totally protected in the midst of the fire. Now is the time to flee Babylon (web of lies) and go to the mountain (truths) of God.

As in the days of Noah, a flood is upon us, not of water, but of God’s truth, the living water that will destroy the kingdom of darkness. You are either walking on the water with Christ, or sinking into the sea for lack of faith; a faith established by knowing and trusting God into rest where His power reigns.

To be continued ….  entering into the Kingdom of God .