I am Expecting Good Things from God!

I was pondering James 1:5.

"If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him."

What an awesome promise! If I lack wisdom I can ask God who not only gives but gives liberally--he lavishes wisdom upon those who ask. And according to this promise I don't have to worry about being perfect in my ways. God won't find fault in the fact that I am deficient. Wow! He gives me wisdom just because I ask.

Verse 6 makes it clear that I must ask with faith and not be wavering in my request. I must be convinced that I can ask and He will provide the wisdom needed.

"Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind."

I found myself thinking about this promise and I must admit I was thinking it would be so cool to be able to insert anything in place of the word wisdom. I thought it would make it so much easier to put the word "healing" or "finances" or "joy" or "peace" in place of the word wisdom. That would be so neat and tidy. BUT of course I am fully aware of how vital it is to never add or subtract from God's Word. So I was about to dismiss my thought as silly.

But the Holy Spirit must have been waiting for me to take the bait. I hear in my spirit, "But you CAN ADD anything in that promise."

Wow--God really had my attention--hook, line and sinker!

I started meditating on this promise and with the encouragement from the Holy Spirit, I realized if we need wisdom to know what or how to pray then He would give it to us. If we need wisdom to know specifically what to do or not do when it comes to our finances then He gives that wisdom generously.

If we need a miracle for healing, we can ask for wisdom to know what in our thinking or belief system needs to change so we can have faith when we pray.

We can ask and know we will receive wisdom from God to know how to pray for healing or finances or peace or WHATEVER we need!

God has been challenging me not to put limits on Him or His Word.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet seen. Hebrews 11:1 and in Mark 11:24 Whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe and you shall receive.

Since my desire is to be one who lays hands on people to see them healed and delivered and restored then MAYBE my next focus or pursuit should be to have wisdom to understand how faith works and how to use faith to fulfill the will of God on this earth. I need to takes the limits off from Him and embrace all that God has for me.

In the Name of your Son Jesus, I ask for the wisdom to understand and apply faith! I am so looking forward to the generous outpouring of His WISDOM! Hallelujah!

Which chapter are you living?

Genesis chapter 27 Jacob's father is dying. His mother convinces him to deceive his father and steal his brother's blessing. His brother is so angry with him that he threatens to kill him. He is forced to leave his home and travel to relatives he has never met before so he can find a wife and at the same time give his brother a chance to cool off. Jacob is MESSED UP and STRESSED OUT.

Genesis chapter 28 Jacob is alone off to a distant land to go get a wife like his father commanded. He is weary from his journey and makes himself a bed and uses a rock as a pillow.

Jacob dreamed there was a ladder that touched earth and heaven with angels going back and forth between heaven and earth.

The Lord stood over and beside Jacob and told him the GOOD NEWS that he and his countless number of descendants would own the land he was on that very moment. And all the families of the earth would be blessed by Jacob's descendants. And God promised He would never leave him. And Jacob awoke and said, "Hey, The Lord is in this place and now I am not blind to this fact!"

Genesis chapter 29 The beginning of this chapter mentions that Jacob travels 400 miles to the land of his father's people. The Amplified version of the Bible says that he traveled with enthusiasm. He now knows he's blessed and God is on his side forever more.

When he arrived at a well in Haran he met a group of shepherds. Jacob wonders why all the sheep were just standing around in the HOT sun rather than giving water to the flocks. They explained the rock was very heavy and they were waiting for all the flocks to gather before they removed the large heavy rock from the mouth of the spring or well.

Jacob asked if anyone knew his uncle Laban. One of the shepherds announced that Laban's daughter Rachel was approaching with their flocks. Suddenly Jacob singled handed removes the big heavy stone from the mouth of the spring and the cool refreshing life-giving water flows to the flocks.

What can we compare the big rock? Maybe the stone that was rolled away from Christ's tomb? Maybe the veil that was rent so that there was no longer any waiting for the sheep to enter into God's presence. Jesus compared his people to sheep and Jesus said he came to give us life and more abundant. Jesus single-handed removed any hindrance from the people of God coming to the SPRING OF LIFE .

Revelation 22:1 Then he showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

So which chapter are you living right now? Is it like Genesis chapter 27 and you are despairing hope is still a distant land and you have not entered your promised land? Or maybe like chapter 28 and you are just discovering that God is for you and you are truly blessed and God is on your side. Or have you come so far as you are experiencing chapter 29 where you KNOW the big heavy stone over the spring has been cast off and you can come and drink freely from that life giving waters? Where ever and what ever chapter you are experiencing you must realize that God is bringing you through all of it for His glory.

I pinched myself to make sure this is real

I received a new song this week.

"I'm goin' from glory to glory; I left my pit behind.
The Fath-er opened Heaven now I can walk inside.
Jesus paid the ultimate price
So I could walk in the fullness of life.
All the benefits of Heaven are mine.
I left my pit behind.

I have to admit I have days that I question if this fresh oil from heaven is here to stay. In the past I would have been looking to mess up and then have my joy or peace snatched away. My expectation was if I sowed good seed I reaped a good harvest but if I was lazy or sowed bad then I would reap the consequences. I had trained myself to believe that I would not offer the Lord anything that cost me nothing. But my sacrifices were as filthy rags and I ALWAYS ended up disappointed in myself and my pit was just the right shape for my heart's condition. I expected to end up in the pit since I could not keep up the righteous act for long. Frustration and disappointment were right there beside me in that pit.

But something has been hounding me this past couple days. I keep hearing "BUT you should not offer God something that cost you nothing." How many times have I been conditioned in my mind and heart that I must do something for God to please Him. I have settled it in my heart that Jesus paid 100% of the price for me to reap 100% of the benefits but still this notion of a sacrifice MUST COST ME is so deeply rooted. So I went to the source: 2 Samuel 24.

David is temped by Satan (this is more clear in 1Chron 21:1) to count the people. God did not tell him to take a census or the prophet Gad would have informed David of the need and why. Even David's top military guy told him it was a bad idea. David admits later he did it of his own accord. I think it was a pride thing. A big king wanting to boast of his big army to make him feel better about his kingdom. So after he repents to God then God informs him that a curse is due Israel for breaking the Law (you know that law that says everyone has to pay a half a shekel when they are counted in the census--Ex 30) Since David is remorseful, God allows David to choose from three evil things for the curse. Oy! Those are tough choices. He decides to put himself in the hand of God with pestilence rather than his enemies or 7 years of famine. The Angel of the Lord strikes down 70,000 people.

The Angel of the Lord stops at the threshing floor of a man named Araunah (Ornan in the other account in 1 Chron) whose name means "shout for joy". I guess I would shout for joy too if the Angel of the Lord stopped and didn't kill me when so many others were dead. But it might be he was joyful because his home or threshing floor was the same spot that God led Abraham to Mt Moriah (Gen 22) and generations later the spot where Jesus was crucified on Calvary.(1 Chronicles 21:29)

So Araunah offers to give King David everything for free to make the sacrifice where the Angel of the Lord stopped. But David said he could not sacrifice what cost him nothing. So that's what I believed. I must sacrifice to God and it has to cost me! I have to sweat and cry and anguish as I serve the King of kings. I thought Jesus required me to sacrifice to him. It does say in Romans 12:1 that we are living sacrifices but where does it say in the New Testament that we give ourselves a sacrifice for our sins? NO WHERE. We are also told to take up our cross and follow him but also that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. We need to keep it all in perspective.

But who does David typify in the Bible? As king, David is a biblical type of Jesus. David pays a very high price that day. 600 shekels is way beyond what it would normally cost to buy or rent this piece of real estate. I looked up what one gold shekel is worth. It is about $800 each. So that is a pretty penny (or shekel) for the use of the threshing floor and the contents of the sacrifice. Araunah was even more joyful with his pockets jingling with shekels. "I'm alive and rich!"

So why oh why have I translated this to mean that *I* must sacrifice and give to God in a manner that makes me worthy? "I will not give God something that cost me nothing..." But Jesus already paid the price...He is and was the perfect, costly sacrifice. I think I can DO something to top that?

We need to remember the purpose of the Law: What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The Law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. (Gal 3:19) I should not try to keep up with giving sacrifices when they are NO LONGER REQUIRED! Jesus is the SEED that was promised. I am not to sacrifice but thank HIM for providing His divine power that has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our KNOWLEDGE of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Focus

A theme keeps running through my mind this week. Focus.

I hear the Holy Spirit asking, "Where is your focus? In what or whom is your trust? Fix your eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith. See, the faith you have today is not supposed to be the faith you have tomorrow or in the next season of your life. Faith comes by hearing my Word--My Word is living and active within you. When you have an unction of the Holy Spirit --then speak it and your faith increases. When you focus on what you HAVE you will be given more. If you focus on what you have not then what you HAVE (you do have it in the spirit realm) will be taken away--The enemy then has an open door to walk right in and steal what you confessed you did not have. You speak what you HAVE (in the heavenly places) and it is added to you. Whatsoever you desire when you pray, believe, and you shall receive. The power that raised Christ from the grave, resides on the inside of my people. Believe! Receive!"

I had to look up the word 'unction' since I have not heard this word since I was a little girl and I wanted to make sure I knew the proper meaning.

I was off somewhat in my understanding of this definition. I thought it meant to get motivation like if you said you needed some unction to get the housework done or climb a really steep hill. I like the last part of the definition: MANIFESTATION of spiritual inspiration. As a noun it means a soothing balm.

Definition of unction
–noun

1. an act of anointing, esp. as a medical treatment or religious rite.

2. an unguent or ointment; salve.

3. something soothing or comforting.

4. an excessive, affected, sometimes cloying earnestness or fervor in manner, esp. in speaking.

5. Religion.

a.the oil used in religious rites, as in anointing the sick or dying.

b.the shedding of a divine or spiritual influence upon a person.

c.the influence shed.

6. the manifestation of spiritual or religious inspiration.

The Temple Veil is Torn so I can Enter into God's Presence.

We all have heard "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whosoever believes on him would not die but have everlasting life." But as a Christian, I did not live like that scripture was true.

Somehow the truth of this verse was hidden from me and I had a false premise that I could do something (or not do something) that would change how God looks at me or change how he loves me. I made God like a man who changes with the circumstances.

I was blind to the fact that I could not change the equation.

God's love= giving his son
Gift= free to me with no strings attached.
Everlasting=forever and I can't change this fact
Believe= I believe Jesus paid my way because I am not able to pay the price for sin.

Oh, I believed I was saved from hell and eternal separation from God BUT I had a stronghold in my mind --a lie--that told me after I was God's child I had to work to get God's love, approval and favor. I was convinced that Jesus paid the price for my spot in heaven but I thought I had to work for his favor here on earth.

It's really a view I had of God. I believed He was mad at mankind but gave his Son because he knew there was no other way to let the worms on earth that deserved death to enter heaven. But eternal life is not just going to heaven (another stronghold belief that needed to shatter) but eternal life begins with acknowledging that Jesus provided everything we need for life and godliness.

2Peter1:3-4
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Truth is truth even if we are blind to it.

If a millionaire left me all his money, land, and benefits in his will BUT an enemy of mine kept this truth from me--would I still be rich? Would I still have the favor and securities of the rich man who bequeathed me all his favor and all his prosperity? YES!!! It is legally mine. But if I'm blinded to this fact then I will work and strive for something that rightfully belongs to me.

Previously the enemy caused me to believe I was a servant in the House of God when in fact I'M A SON!!!! God would not trust his riches to a mere servant. No that's a job for a son of God.

Sons have full rights to go around the Master's house and get things accomplished. If a son in the house (Kingdom of God) needs something they don't go running to the Master to beg for it since they have been given full rights to everything in the house. We just laugh joyfully and thank the Master who has thought it best to give you everything you need through what Jesus accomplished for you.

Do you remember in Matthew chapter 27 the account of Jesus giving up his Spirit on the cross and at that moment of Jesus' death the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom.

Matt 27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

I used to think--OH BOY! God is really mad now...they killed his son and he's really upset that he torn the temple curtain and shook the earth. I've even heard it described like when a king in the Old Testament was really angry or sad he rent his kingly garments. That's not it. That was not his garments it was a separation or wall between mankind and the presence of Holy God.

Exodus 26:31-35
³¹And make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet and fine twined linen, skillfully worked with cherubim on it.³²You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold, with gold hooks, on four sockets of silver.³³And you shall hang the veil from the clasps and bring the ark of the Testimony into place within the veil; and the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

The curtain or veil was necessary and protected the people from being killed by the Holiness of God. The people had no covering of the Blood of Jesus yet to protect them. Once a year the High Priest went in with the blood of a lamb to put on the ark's mercy seat so for a year the people's sins were covered (not completely taken away like our New Covenant through Jesus).

The ripped veil or curtain is a message to mankind that we walk under an open heaven. God is not keeping us from His presence any more. We can go boldly to the throne of grace and even can call God "Abba Father" or Daddy! We are sons not servants and it was His idea.