Desire Prophesy Now!

Dearest Saints of the Most High God,

I have been under great conviction lately, of the gift of prophesy. My heart is torn by my condition. That we would seek God, hear His voice, let Him speak through us. Paul exhorts one to love, and in that grow into the perfect love, where all experience the fullness of Christ. But we are here, the ones a little lower than the angels, for this brief moment. And our faith compels us to serve the Body, to love the Body practically.

You will know your faith is growing when you see the saints, and feel your heart leap to bring life to them. But by what measure? We need the source, and in great supply. The culture I am in has encased men in their shells, fed with pablum and platitude, layering on another twisted mental path away from the Spirit of God. The organized church needs control, needs to maintain order and structure, yet the Spirit is free from constraint. The structures of man in organized religion are threatened by the moving of the Spirit at times.

What, did you think I was talking about the selfish media blitz culture of the world? No dear ones, it is our modern Christian culture that has hindered the word, even the Living Word. We create pleasant substitutes for true spiritual growth. And sit satisfied with our measure, placated by mesage after mesage about what God can do for you. He can do it all! By no means are these messages incorrect.

But the faith in you, Jesus in you, has a desire. It is for the growth of the Body. It is to minister to the Body. It is to spread the power in the Body to the world. Each and every member has this inside. Will you listen? Will you fall on your face and give everything over to that life? Here is a place to start.

What we need in every congregation, in every living room, every massive concert meeting, are those who will prophesy. Who will by the Spirit bring forth the piercing word, the encouraging word, the guiding word. And no one having the Spirit, the anointing, is unable to do this! You do not need to be a prophet to speak. You just need to believe, and ask, and yield.

Oh how badly I am struck. I pray in tongue all day. And without that gift, I would be nothing. In my darkest hour of depression and self destruction, God was there, His gift to me there, my spirit praying in tongue to Him led me out. And in my mind daily, I could be crazed and tossed by doubt, except that exercise of faith continually exposing the hidden doubt in my mind. It is more than I can say, how integral to my life. Yet when I read a few days ago, Paul's first Corinthian letter, the Spirit pierced my heart with the "five words of understanding". I am broken, bereft of ability. My heart faints at the inability to perform.

Yet it is He that will bring it forth. Building a strong flow in that area for those around me. I have asked, believed, and yielded before, Glory to God for bringing the word! And I have stepped out in my mind to much flames before, burning humiliation is no fun. But the Body here today needs our faithfullness, and immediately dear ones! Those around are trapped, by many things, and the living word so easily sets us free, the Body free. I exhort you here, now, to humble your heart before God. Offer your mouth to be His voice. Ask for the word to come forth. Nothing is denied Jesus, and in the Body, in line with His supreme desire to build, you will not be denied either.

Make no question, and be very serious about following His lead. It may be a single word, to one person in a quite place. It may be God pushing you to the front of thousands, in trembling fear unable to move. But He will move! The word in the Spirit does not go forth without power! Just yield in faith, and try to find peace with the Lord daily, that peace will carry you when He calls your name to service in this way. And He will. He is faithful to meet the needs of the saints, and what we need now comes by prophesy.

Lord, give us the gift of faith. Set us out as Your voice. Transform our hearts, not to mystical utterances, but to the living word, to the edification of those you have called. I thank you beyond all thanks, with a broken heart, for Your incredible Grace. We get glimpses of Your expectations, and only You are able to meet that high mark. Praise You for the life in us that is able.

What I Believe

For some reason the concept of a "statement of faith" has been bandied about in different places recently. I don't know if it is the leading, but at different times in our lives, perhaps it is good to examine what we believe. I will make a list, and order it according to some form of relevance:

God established life, both temporal and eternal

God gave man a free will, and intended for man to desire closeness to God

Man chose self determination without God's guidance, and experienced death

God revealed His love to man in physical picture through the ages

Jesus came as the reality and fulfillment of God's love for man

Jesus is the High Priest before God, having performed singularly the reconciliation of man to God

The sacrifice of that service was His own blameless body, being the Son of God

We now live by the source of life set in His Kingdom

That life by God's will is spreading and manifest throughout time and location

We are become an inheritance for Him, to dwell forever in the New Kingdom to His Glory

His power is manifest through faith, and that of the unity of faith in the practice of the Body of Christ

We are to practice that faith, that body life, and display His power

That is about it for my statement of faith right now. I could add a bunch of other things, but again, this looks good today. Tomorrow, perhaps another description will be more pertinent. If your faith is in these things, most everything else falls into place. All the details and trappings of this existence are minor compared to actually experiencing the flow of eternal life.

Thoughts On the Gifts and Prophets

A question was asked, whether some of the gifts had passed away after the founding of the church, and what relationship the Old Testament prophets were to the gifts as described by Paul. Part of the context of the question was how to view the verses in the first Corinthian letter, chapter 13. There is a description by Paul of when the perfect comes then we will need not the gifts per se. I believe and view these verses as both for the now, and for the end of all things. In the now, the Spirit is emerging into the age, revealing the reality of the New Kingdom through those who believe. For the end of all ages, we will exist in that completed state as His inheritance, as His bride, as the family of God forever. No more building will be necessary, it is done.

Now, have the gifts disappeared from this realm? On a practical level, there are many today I would bear witness of, whom by faith in the Living God, bring forth prophecy, speak in tongues, and reveal knowledge (as well as function in the other gifts). To address the Corinthian verses, clearly Paul has juxtaposed spiritual functioning with the greater motive of love. By his logic here in the verses mentioned, one would conclude that in love, the gifts are good and for perfecting the saints. As an example, we of this day and age will call someone a preacher or pastor, yet that is a gift. Our label does not bring forth the gift, nor does four years of seminary or any appointment of man. Conversely, there are men today, who in love of the body, function in the pastoral gift spiritually whether they bear that label or not.

To continue, I would ask all to ponder this regarding the foundation of the church. The founding of the church universally in time was when the foundation stone was set in place, as in when our Lord presented before God the perfect sacrifice, even His own body. To that foundation were added the apostles and prophets. At what point in time has the practical (and I do mean in the practice of building) extension of that 'foundation' so to speak become complete? Why wouldn't we need apostles today? Is the building complete? If God were to 'found' a church in some locality, today, who would He send? If these gifts (by that I mean men raised up given to the church to function in such a way) are for the perfecting of the body of Christ, do we yet need perfecting?

No one can move what has been built. The foundation stone was set, and to that were added the apostles. And built onto them were the believers next, who sought the Lord and built up the body. Among their midst were raised up ones, given as gifts, sent out to bring salvation to all. Were these added on top? Or laid alongside? Are they part of the foundation? Is it simply that those of the first generation of Christians were the foundation? Who will answer with the measure of this building?

In no way do I lessen the significance of the first apostles. Nor do I limit God by my partial understanding. Our predecessors in each age built on to this temple. These ones received the life that has penetrated the ages, and spread it in their day. Is this current generation any less? Do we have some limitation to the movement of God? Has His will changed in any way? Or His working? In each generation the Spirit pushes into the realm of man, manifesting God's glory and power according to the faith implanted in the people. We should expect to see it manifest, eagerly looking for more eternal life. Paul exhorts to all believers to run the race. Do you think the race is over for you? Have you reached completion? If not, then run!

Many will contend that Ephesians 2:20 has specific tense and implication:

"... being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;"

And certainly as completing the law, the picture of God sending the Messiah to the people of God first in the transition to the New Kingdom, twelve apostles are significant, representing access for all the tribes. But in the practical reality of the people at the time of Christ there was no clear tribal representation. The captivities hundreds of years previous had blended all into two major groups, why send twelve? That is rhetorical, but significant, in that even the physical reality of the twelve in the historic age was a manifestation of a spiritual reality.

Why after completion of the law, which He accomplished for those that believe (Rom 10:4), by which the twelve represent that completion for all Israel and Judah of that day, and the descendants of Abraham for ancient days, does the principal of raising up apostles unto each people, in each age not seem applicable? Even those twelve, beginning with the vision of Peter, go forth into all the land. With plenty of other apostles one would assume, though the record of such is faint (Rom 16:7). Who are we to proclaim the level of an office, or the stamp of approval on a man who is given as a gift? If one today functions as a apostle, though unrecognized by name, is he any less? And likewise, is it not Christ in that man working? If the life is evident, the Spirit in you bears witness to it. The labels of man have no significance, even if those labels are in the language of spiritual things.

Now, on to this idea of prophecy, which is a part of the original question I find so fascinating. What is the separation between the prophets of the OT from the gift in the spirit to perfect the saints in the New Covenant? This is interesting, as clearly we have the Holy Spirit moving within today through the baptism of such. Yet they (in the OT) were our picture of God's intention for the functioning ministry of the New Covenant. Jesus being our leader and chief prophet. Was not the Olivette prediction one of the greatest prophesies of all time? And in that, He echoed the prophets of the OT.

And prophesy itself is the speaking forth of God's living word. By any measure the word spoken by the prophets of old was living, and in all practicality equivalent to God's voice today among the saints. As to the 'office' of prophet, as a gift given to the church for the perfecting of the body, I can only compare the practical application. There was no direct equivalence as per the Pauline description in days of old, but those OT men sparated for the purpose of speaking God's word to the people are beautiful pictures of the 'official' gift. In this what strikes me as the difference is the blood of our Prophet.

Yes, that seems the closest to what is different. Consider Isaiah's vision, the Seraph took a coal from the altar and touched his lips. And declared his transgressions forgiven. In that, he took part in faith of a sacrifice, yes, one offered by God, as there were no other priests in the vision, and Isaiah did not offer his own sacrifice. He walked in faith in the coming spiritual reality for all which was realized in our High Priest, Jesus. But we have that blood now, and experience the spiritual reality of that eternal ministry and sacrifice.

The difference between the prophets of old and those in the work of the New Kingdom is then the blood, the access to God. Today a prophet may speak, and all who listen have the immediate opportunity to enter into that word experientially by faith. In ancient days, they must have laid hold of that future promise by faith as well, but walked in the practice of the law which was as yet unfulfilled.

May God open the eyes of us all to the workings in this day of His will. May we eagerly seek the function which He has prepared for us in giving life to the saints. Lord, illuminate the path of service to all who read this, that we would allow You to do your work through us in this day, in our localities. Thank You for the blood, no words can encompass how precious that gift.

The Bread, the Wine, and the Inheritance

There is a amazing verse in Genisis chapter 14, about Melchizedek who was a priest of the Most High God. He was King of Salem as well, and brought forth the bread and wine after Abraham's victory. This event is revealed to us in Hebrews for the purpose of displaying the true picture of Jesus as the Messiah. The promise was made to Abraham by God, and through that the physical pictures of God's spiritual reality occurred in the Israelites.

Many clung to that picture, and still do. They cling to the bonds of heredity, the promises made to their fathers. Yet those promises were a metaphor, a example, a partial model of what God had established for man from the foundation of creation. Even in the day of Abraham, the reality was pushing on the age, pregnant with the expectation of the fullness of the Messiah.

As in the book of Hebrews, this priest was of an order, yet not in Abraham's household. And it was Abraham who received ministry from Melchizedek, and gave to him a tithe. He yielded to this one outside of his actual promise from God the first portion of his inheritance, even yet before the promise was fulfilled. Abraham did not in his lifetime take possesion of the land promised to him, apart from the field he purchased. Yet he gave a top portion, the first fruits, the tithe to this priest and King of Salem.

Through the communion, through the blessing, Abraham walked in the promise of God. Yet the one who blessed is the King, the one who provided the communion is the intercessor before God. A priest of the Most High God! What does this mean? There is yet to be a Levitical system, no Mosaic dispensation, no tabernacle or temple. And here we find a priest of the Most High?

The next time priests are mentioned in context with service to God is in Exodus 19, where God says to Moses, "...ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." He has an intention for us, a plan to walk in this reality. A kingdom of priests, that all would come before God, and all would minister unto each other and the world.

Now the function of a priest is to worship God, to find life, and to be a supply of life. Our priest is Jesus. He offered up the perfect sacrifice to God, interceding on our behalf, that we may partake of eternal life. He is also the King, the reality of the one who receives the Kingdom. He is God's son, who receives the inheritance.

His body was broken and spilled out. He yielded the blood, the life, the true wine of our communion. Broken, as a loaf offering, we partake and become one with His body. He, through His ministry before God as our High Priest, has brought us into His inheritance of the eternal Kingdom. We become part of His inheritance. The one who receives the Kingdom, the promised land, the one who sits at the right hand of God, who is the gate to the Garden of Eden, has invited us to be fellow priests.

There is no heritage that attaches you to the promise, no blood line that makes you part of it. We serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but the same God, by way of His son, brought forth the true priesthood, and the true inheritance. No physical contracts or ties have any claim upon that. No physical land or location, no building, no physical sacrifice, no Pope or priestly office of man has any claim in the reality.

The binding is through the blood. The experience of the reality through the Holy Spirit which fills us and transforms us. We, soaked in this unifying mist, penetrated from within by this powerful wind, begin to grow and exhibit the nature of the eternal garden. We walk as before the Lord in the realm of the Spirit. We worship, intercede, bless, and provide life for those in this age, in our localities. His inheritance grows by the workings of the Spirit through us, now, as we live.

May our eyes be opened, may we consult the Head Priest as to the riches He has obtained. Let us find our love in Him, let us break bread together in one faith, drink wine together in one Spirit. Let us minister to one another and the world by His leading. And walk in and as His inheritance, as a glorious testimony of the victory He wrought over death itself.

Layers of Spiritual Reality

What does God see now, in this instant? What is the full movement of the Spirit now, in this age? There is a pushing of the Spirit, from within all who have received faith in Christ, to display eternal life right now. This is throughout the earth, in all peoples, in every corner. Now, does God respect the boundaries of man, the divisions we have, between cultures, geography, governments, blood, anything? I do not believe these are His concern. He is the Ruler of those that rule, the one who raises up, and tears down. But His heart is toward the growth in the Spirit of His Son. The expansion of life to all man.

So for us practically, where do we 'draw the line'? We divide ourselves up into countries and states, counties and cities. But what is the movement of the Spirit that is closest to where you are? How do you get a vision of that, become part of what God is actually doing? Now this is not a slight to all the efforts of the faithful to spread the word, to do good works.

But the true intention of the Spirit is revealed in the display of faithful ones moving in the Spirit. There must be changed lives, repentance, healings, prophetic movement, spiritual utterances, and in fullness all the gifts displayed by the body. And we will know the movement in more ways, God will raise up men as gifts in our midst, to function in the Spirit for the edification of the body. Even further expression of His power, beyond what is written or imagined, is entirely possible for God.

Is this happening in your community? The Spirit is ready to move by faith, to pour forth into the world, right where you are. Do you want this to happen? Can you see it happening in your meetings? We are facing two major cultural blockages to this movement. Perhaps they are the same thing. But I will tell what is on my heart, as two things.

The first is the practical culture of 'church' in our society. Did you pick your church? Were you led there by the Spirit? There is no right or wrong, but what does God see in your community? You live and work somewhere, you are around the same people every day. This range of people that you are exposed to is the community in which you live. You may not see them much, or consider them at all, but there they are. An when God looks to the body in your community, He sees all those around you, that live and work in the same area. All of the believers in Jesus as the Messiah near you.

Now, it gets trickier, because the Spirit moves strongly in those who are built together into a practical expression of the body of Christ. This is where He moves with power. This is the expression of the King, the pouring out into the world of the life giving flow. And there may be no such expressions in your community, or hundreds. But the practical expression of the body requires closeness, commitment, sacrifice. It does not just happen.

Of course God is free to move however He chooses. I think of the great revivals in the past, some are unbelievable. Yet even in these, if what is left behind from place to place is a fading reflection of a powerful movement, the transformation is incomplete. So to see the body where you live, to be a part of that expression, requires that you commit to a people, that you meet with them, and move in life with them.

This is where the culture of church becomes a hindrance to the expression of Christ. Yes we must meet somewhere. And we must meet together at regular times. Not everyone can go to the same place, at the same time. But why do we persist in supporting this church or that church, this building or that building. And are you a member? Of what? A organization run by men? Does God have any special requirement or regulation about that?

Of course I do not advocate the abolishment of any groups practices, just the opening of the eyes to see the expression of faith in our communities. We are drawn to 'special' buildings, magnanimous pastors, pleasing worship bands. But these are not what anchors the body. I was struck especially today, when a man walked into our worship service, and asked if it was such and such church. I said "No, that group meets at a different time, but come on in!" He replied, "No, I will come back for (so and so's --insert name of pastor here--) church."

I was taken aback, and God opened my eyes to how far we are from practicing His reality. Now it can be simple miscommunication, but I have been to the meeting in question, and it has been infected by a cult of personality. There is no such thing as pastor so and so's church. Even in casual conversation, this is a sign of deep blindness. Just as there is no such thing in the Spirit as Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholics, Non-Denoms, or any other group with a label on it.

And that is not to say that labels are bad, but the practice of division is a sign of the lack of vision in the believers. The are blind to the full life in their communities because of these walls, and are held back from that measure of faith that will unleash the power of God locally. There is nothing wrong with having a place to meet. Of maintaining services for the people of God. But membership is by the Spirit, unto the reality of believers in your comunity. Any other separation, by doctrine or business, anything of mans construction, is a hindrance to the manifestation of power.

We can individually overcome many of these walls, simply by claiming membership of His church locally, no matter where you meet. The roof over your head simply keeps the rain of the brother next to you. And down the street are plenty more brothers and sisters joining with you in service to the living God. See it in your prayer life, walk it in your daily life. Promote the local church where you live.

Now, for the second part, it is the deaf and blind state of our hearts. We are experiencing in this day a cultural Christianity that focuses upon the self. Upon what God can do for me. Upon what He has for me in the future. About how we can experience peace. How we can be free of problems. About the love that will come to us in Christ. These are all true, all good things. And real promises of the Living God. But in almost every way, what we practice spiritually is self focused.

I know it sounds harsh, it sounds unbelievable. But I hear over and over about the individual in relationship to God. And very little about experiencing God in the body, from the living water inside one another. Our Christian books are about the self. Our popular Christian music is about the self. And worst of all, the majority of our church practices are promoting the me focused spiritual life. Oh listen with a heart for the Lord dear saint. I do not criticize any one church, any congregation, any body of believers.

But if you are living for Him, then you are suplying life in the Spirit to the body. And that life will flow out of you when you meet together. Sure, there are difficulties, roadblocks to the functioning body. But we have settled for the lowest common form of meeting. We gather together looking for life instead of bringing it. Again, if you are living for Him, you are living for the Body of Christ. It can be no other way, but that you are a supply of spiritual things to that body.

Don't get me wrong, some are here for to be gifts unto the body, as ministers unto the flock. And it is right to submit ourselves to leadership in the body. But can you, dear saint, persist in a walk with God where you do not overflow in life? Can you meet together, and not ever move in the Spirit? Fear God, dear ones, for if you are not displaying life, you will become stagnant inside, grasping for something. You will become ripe for the self focused lie that has permeated cultural Christianity in this day.

Be a fountain of eternal life. Push in with God to the supply. Do not let yourself fall asleep in rows, relying upon a few men to give you life each week. This is not the order of God, not the proper alignment of our walk together.

Perhaps these two things are related, the fractured social constructs that wall up our communities of faith and the self serving spirituality prevalent in this day. What ever the cause, the cure is clear. Each individual that experiences a vision of the actual 'church', that collection of believers in their community, will punch a whole in those walls. Each one who sees the reality of laying down the self and gaining Him, moves the body one step closer to functioning.

May the living God create in you a new faith, enough to perceive Him in the body, and strive for more of that life display. Lord, take the words of my heart and use them as you wish. Craft in me a connection, that my words would be simple and in line with what you are speaking in this day. May Your Glory fill the earth now!

Body Life in a Culture of Selfish Personality

This is a incomplete thought, the title is a bit broad for such a message, but while my heart says the title, my mind is limited. May you receive life from the Spirit of God in these words though. Lord make my words those of Your own will and desire in this age.

We live in a culture of selfishness. Freedom means that the ugly springs up beside the beautiful. And we tend to be concoctions of all sorts of internal and external self centered personality characteristics. I don't claim that in any other age it was better or worse. Or that any other culture, with reserved traits of politeness and decorum, is less self centered. In fact I think man in his natural state will orient on self no matter what the environment.

So the ground is rough, the rocks and clods in our souls large. The Lord must transform this ground of our hearts every day, every week, and for the long range in terms of years and lifetimes. How does this preparation happen practically? What is the process of transformation, the creation of a soul that expresses God in this world?

Well, let me say that we are broken, first and foremost deeply flawed. All of us. Even the most spiritually mature man, who has walked with the Lord for a lifetime, is but a wisp of His full Glory. A individual simply has not the time or capacity to become as our Messiah here in this realm. But we are going to be like Him at the end of days. Our full expression for all eternity will be His life expressed in us completely. Yet even in this for all eternity, it is because we have been built together, constructed of eternal life and fused with one another that we display His true Glory.

The promise was made to Jesus. The inheritance for all time is His. His body receives that importance, that attention from God. Grasp the significance of that, seek deeply in all things whether your hope, your expectation is something for yourself, or a promise in Christ, part of His inheritance, as a member of His very body. That is the true test of spiritual reality for doctrines and practices. Anything beyond that is the realm of empty speculation and man's imagination.

But let us return to the conflict, the constant battle in our own lives personally. We can move in the Spirit, by faith and His working. By the covering garments stained with His blood. We function, we move in the body, suplying one another. Life will come forth by your faithfulness. At the same time, He is plowing under the weeds. And it usually means using one of the help on the farm. Yes, it will be your closest friend in the church, your brothers and sisters, who will be working on you.

For us, in this selfish culture, we don't like it. It is an affront to our empty pride. Letting someone into your space goes against all we are as tough, independent, resilient people. Now there is nothing wrong with being tough, or resilient. But not for yourself. So when you begin to experience the riches of meeting together openly with likeminded believers, and begin to grow on the life in that group, it comes as a shock when a clash arises.

It is inevitable. We all have broken pieces, and some of those are sharp. When we get close together, we can not avoid getting hurt. If it has not happened to you, then you are not close to anyone. I can guarantee it. Smoothness all the time and every day is a sure sign of hidden lives, and you will not find the riches of meeting openly in such a state. If this is you, don't be offended, but fear God. Pour out your heart honestly before Him and ask to find Christ in those around you.

So what is the problem, everybody will go through it, no big deal right? Wrong! There are too many today in our insulated society who have no emotional maturity. They can not control or understand there own emotions at all, and will basically hide these away. Others live with feelings on their sleeves, and are quick to forgive, yet slow to transform. Both extremes are so prevalent, that leadership must become aware of these ones before, during, and after any 'event' occurs.

If God has prepared an occasion of 'plowing', first let go of your own heart. If your are offended or wounded, find the healing balm quickly. Forgive, ask for forgiveness. Clean your garments, call upon the most High. Then look for life. A deep measure of it. Call out to God, yell at the top of your lungs, through yourself down under a sackcloth. You need that source more than ever for this time.

Now, on to the two cases, one internal and immature in their emotion, and the other external. The first is perhaps the most problematic, because they must find the transformation without understanding it. But it happens none the less. God is so merciful. When you approach this one, be kind, be gentle. Do not be confrontational on the surface. Only by the Spirit will you stand up with light. Talk about what bitterness is, then ask if they have felt bitter before. Talk about resentment, give an example, ask if they have ever resented anything in the past.

Utilize the context of emotional discussions to frame a gentle discovery of the 'event' and how this one needs to respond. Pray together in faith, and ask for the healing transformation together. I know from experience, that the emotionally immature will deny, turn away, compartmentalize, and create a false front in the face of anything close to exposure. And the pain they feel at even what you might consider trivial exposure is intense, and can be related to deep scars that have not healed well.

It will happen time and time again due to our selfish culture. We isolate and separate our reality from the internal life we live. We live by faulty imaginations and immature emotion. We experience failure when the reality of life does not match our imagination. Emotions follow of dissapointment, anger despair, depression, and resentment, emotions we are unable to handle. God will work on those areas, the body needs to be equiped and ready to help. Now for the other side, the external personality.

This extreme is perhaps the one that is the plow at times. The jagged edges stick out a bit farther, and you don't even have to be close to get poked. Of course, get right with God and be led by faith in the Spirit before you attempt to engage. With this personality, you must fish around, sometimes in complete darkness, because what they display on the outside is a jumble of disconnected wires. You can not go by what you see or hear, but by what the Spirit leads and highlights. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about digging around for the true source.

Rarely will this personality type react to even vigorous questions and discussion. But when you have the anointing word, when the rock or clod is displayed, be quick and speak in faith. You have a small window, before things will get mixed up again, go for it. Tell them "I think you have not forgiven so and so." Or perhaps, "That is resentment, lets pray together about that." Be obedient in this way, and God will bless you and give you much grace.

Even more important, when each begins to allow the work inside, when the members of your gathering respond to these instances, and find the transforming life, a greater measure of power is activated in your midst. The entertwined faith goes deeper, and releases miraculous experiences beyond what we can see or do alone. The body will function in your locality.

It is our self centered personalities that need this work. The body can not go forward without this transformation. We need our eyes opened to our own hearts and the situations of plowing in our midst. With such a working, such a concern for one another, and closeness that results, we can see Him. There is no other way. The Lord moves in power through His body, displaying the Glory and drawing all to eternal life. If we want to see that, we must open our eyes and hearts to those around us.

Lord anoint these words, form them in the Spirit to your working. Let me simply be a instrument, a display of your intention in this day. Bless each reader with a new measure of faith. Give them the most precious gift of compassion in the Spirit. A love that is willing to lay down the self for a brother in need. Thank You and increase Your presence in this realm, displaying eternal glory everywhere.

Finding Abundant Nourishment in the Body

Do you want to see Jesus move in power in your locality? What is it that you envision and hunger for? Your neighbor to see the Lord? The clerk at the market to see the Lord? Grandpa? Your cousin? The vacuum salesman? Can you feel the emptiness all around you? Sense the loneliness and pain in these hearts?

Yet we go about our lives with a shell of selfish insulation. Yes, faithful follower and angry atheist are the same in this regard. None of us are completely open. Not one. But there is a man who has broken through the shell, even unto overcoming death itself. And He brought forth that victorious life into our realm. There is no physical barrier to us, no veil of separation. There is now the ability in the blood of Christ to pass by the flaming sword that guards the source of eternal life, that separates this realm from the New Kingdom.

So we who have received faith from Him, enter into a new path. One that leads to the full expression of His amazing promise. And it starts on the inside. Just underneath your conscious mind, a seed planted there. It grows and spreads, reaching out to display the very nature of God to the world. This fruit bearing growth breaks through our selfish shells, these branches rooted in the Spirit extend past our insulating barriers.

Do you sense a deep desire for this fruitfulness? Sometimes it pulls on me so hard, it seems like I will be torn apart if I can not experience more of the work, more of the growth. Everything else in my life seems pointless and static. Grow me Lord! Nourish and feed me, I hunger so much for Your life!

When this happens, when you reach that place of hunger, what can be done? The Spirit will guide us, lead us to the supply. And this morning, the Spirit did provide such a guide, a beautiful signpost to finding life. Consider that we reach a place at times where we have used up our nourishment. We have exhausted the measure of life given to us, and 'famine' is spreading spiritually. It can be personal, like my condition, where we are in desperate need of abundant life. Or it can be congregational, the believers you meet with, experiencing the same thing at each meeting, the same meager portion.

Or perhaps you have not felt these hunger pangs. Have not sensed the desperate desire for much more of Christ. If your experience of the Lord is a quiet detachment, a peacefull life of work and play, with 'church' on Sunday, I would tell you now, you are spiritually stagnant. The living well is not a fountain of life inside of you. This is not condemnation dear ones, but exhortation to renewed life. To live for God is travail at times, without which there is no growth. If you are simply satisfied with your spiritual life, you have stopped growing. Fear God, who intends for you to become strong in faith.

Now, what is the Lord revealing this morning? There is a set of verses in Genisis to ponder. Joseph has been sold into slavery, and is in Egypt. But he has become "Father to the King (Pharaoh)", which is as close to a picture of the "King of Kings" as you can get. He is in the world, subject to that world, yet rules over it! After a time, great famine spreads throughout the land. Jacob (Israel), and his sons and household are without food again, and must return to Joseph, who they do not know is their brother, to obtain more food lest they perish.

Joseph has acted according to God's leading in the spirit. He has set a requirement for them to return, one that we will take note of. The passage in question is this:

And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

Dear brothers and sisters, can you hear the word for us today? The eternal path, set forth from the foundation of the Kingdom, established and manifest in our realm through Christ Himself?

"You will not see my face unless your brother is with you." Oh Lord, thank you for your reproof, for your exhortation, for your guidance. You do not hide wisdom away, in a far place. It is given to us as we need it. Let my brother come with me to see you!

Gather together saints of the most High! Look amongst yourselves, within your groups and congregations. Are you together? Are you in agreement? Do you know the condition of each other? Have you made blanket assumptions about those around you? We must be one, be of one mind, of one thought. God will show you who you need to bring. He will reveal to the gathered ones who is held behind. This is one who did not go the first time, has not seen Joseph yet, but is a brother.

Now for those of us who think we are finding God on our own, perhaps when you are dry, when you run out of nourishment, the Lord is calling you to a greater experience of His Body. I am one who tries to dig deep, to find God whether anyone else comes along or not. But in these days of famine, I must come with my brother, must approach God with the gathered ones. Bowing down before Him in deepest need and humility. He will be faithful! But we need to follow the lead of the Spirit, there is no other way out of famine.

Perhaps it is not the same for you, you are with the saints always, seeking God together. Yet famine has come! There is one among you who is the 'youngest', protected by all. Yet perhaps this one has not come before the Lord in such away. Or is shielded from the penetrating light by some of you. It can be painful to stand before God, to be exposed for what we are inside. Yet the Lord will lead us, encourage us to trust Him and come together. Ask God to illuminate, to lead in as you meet together. He will provide Grace, and a great outpouring of nourishment when we obey.

There is another scenario I see, one that requires a greater change. You may be meeting together, and your group has grown. Your practical meetings have become larger, active with many believers. Yet famine still comes, it is something we all must face at one time or another. Has the activities, the preponderance of church members masked the drying up of the spiritual storehouses? We may be distracted by good activities. Consumed by all the beautiful things in the spirit that are occurring in our congregations.

There may be many new believers, God is faithful to them! There may be glorious worship! Oh, He will inhabit the praises of His people. But can you see His face? See the head, the very countenance of the Body of Christ? Has this hunger come upon you? The time of dryness, of a deeper need in the spirit, the pulling at the edge of your soul for more. That holy dissatisfaction, even a spiritual edginess. If this is the case, call for a special meeting for the express purpose of finding the "your brother" who needs to come, to be with you and go before the King of Kings in a new unity.

This is one who perhaps has fallen, or is in a hidden place of the heart. One who meets together, but that no one has noticed. One that is afraid of exposure, or has closed up their heart in pain or contempt. Or one that has been consumed inside by jealousy, or resentment. All these things can find us, can attack even the strongest, and even in a congregation of great life, can find a place to hide. It is not our job to expose them, or call them out, the Lord will do that for us. Yet if we are faithfull, and meet together to humbly and honestly lay down our hearts to each other, it will become abundantly clear who the brother or sister is in your life that needs to come on this journy in faith together to find the abundance.

Call for this meeting not to expose one another, but to seek His face. Meet together to find the spiritual nourishment that overflows. Make that your purpose, and the life will move. He will bring forth a new unity among those you meet with! You will be of one purpose, and you will find abundance in the Spirit.

There may even be a miracle waiting. It could happen that the one to be joined together to go before the Lord is not hiding from Him, but is a hidden source of life, ready to spring into a fountain. It could be the youngest among you, with the least experience, that God wants to pour out of with amazing beauty.

Lord lead me to my brother, take me to the ones who I need to bring! Let my heart be true in all the words I speak and write, let them be your voice. By faith I write in You, for Your will to be exercised here in this age. Pour out the nourishment upon all of the faithful!

According to His Will

Do you feel sometimes that you need more? That the Lord seems so distant? You know He is right inside of you, but no matter how much you study, how much you turn to God, how many songs of worship you sing, that sense of fulfillment is missing. And can we turn enough? Can we worship enough? Study enough to find God? No, it is by faith that we find Him. And that faith worked out in experience of Him. The Lord has a perfect plan of revelation, a perfect path of growth for you and I.

In the transformation of my heart, there are periods of time when I feel like something is missing. I long for a manifestation of God, some deep reassurance beyond my comprehension. But He is increasing my faith at these times. What once quenched my thirst, what fed me spiritually, is like a light snack, hardly enough to get by. The desperation for more of Christ builds quickly, that longing for the saturating presence of the Spirit. We must call on Him in these times, seeking Grace to move forward, examining our walk for potholes and ditches.

In this place I find the most amazing juxtapositions in my conversations with God. The Spirit highlights what would appear on the surface to be contraditions, yet lead to peace. Today was one such day, and one such message. I have looked for the flow, searched for the water. Yet in myself I can not even sustain that effort. The soul is easily dismayed, easily trapped by distractions. But He is guiding to greater faith. I could not get over this verse:

"... was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will..."

Oh how incredibly rich is this verse! And how clear the path for each of us! Yet He highlights this, the hearing of His son, in the midst of my distraction. Emphasizes the manifestations of Himself in this realm, while I am grasping for comfort! Transform me Lord, according to Your plan.

Those that heard Jesus (in this verse, the ones physically listening to His ministry pre-assention) bore witness to Him. And God chose along with those witnesses to display signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Spirit according to His will. Saints of the most High God, do you see what His will is? When we find the voice of the Messiah, and hear Him, and attest to what we hear, God moves in power and mystery as confirmation along with that!

Now, there are those who would claim that this was a one time deal, and necessary to seed out the religion of Christianity. So then what? It's over? It's up to us to continue on doing the best we can? Ridiculous! Or there are others who say that the Holy Spirit imparted now is active, but those events surrounding the formation of the followers was unique, and somehow beyond what God intends for today.

If you are close to one of these, open your ears and hear! The unique event was Jesus himself, offering up the ultimate sacrifice. Establishing a new temple, one that will never be destroyed. What manifests here in the physical realm among men is the reflection of that spiritual reality. It is a new generation we live in today, yet the will of God is the same. He is committed to the Body of Christ! He will bear witness to Jesus now! Can you believe that He will? Can you expect signs and wonders? Miracles and gifts?

My heart longs to be nearer the Lord. And we ask not for signs, miracles, wonders, or gifts so that we, of ourselves, can prove unto ourselves that our faith is justified. Testing God is impossible and futile. Yet to not expect these things, to limit your faith to the acceptable experience of the world is a stunted existence. Grasp hold of this word! Believe it, declare to God that you have heard the voice of His son, and believe! Proclaim that word, in the expectation that God with be the true witness of the Messiah!

Lord, open my ears to hear you, my heart to increased faith. Even this very moment I cry out in need of a fuller existence. My own being is empty and weak. Cloth me in Your garments of praise, fill my heart with testimony of Your love. Touch with renewed faith every reader, speak in to the void and let new life come forth.

What We Know and What Can Be Known

One of the greatest misconceptions in Christianity concerns the Bible itself, and its 'level' of divineness. Some people like to separate it into the literal part and the figurative part. Others view it as the definitive description of God. Then there are those who pull from the scripture whatever fits into their own perspective. I would like to offer a perspective as well, perhaps it will ring in your spirit. May the anointing of the Spirit of God move in my words, and may my heart be true before the Lord in this matter.

To begin with, let us consider a few phrases from one of the prophets. No need for context, no need of historical scholarship or any lexical devices. Just words, given to a man by God to speak to the people.

Who will counsel me? Who will answer when I speak?

This is the Lords question to those who had sought after false gods, and inquired of soothsayers.

However, we can look beyond this to a greater perspective. God has established all things, and His seat is in heaven, beyond this physical realm. He can peer into all we are, all we have been, and what will become. It would be of no consequence for Him to reveal all, explain every unknown thing, answer every question. With Him there is no controversy over scripture, He is the word itself.

So first we must ask why does He not clear up all of these confusing concepts of man? Even as He has declared to us that He deals openly and in the light, speaking every good and righteous thing. He does not hide from us, nor does He promote any secret place or closed door meeting. Oh, there are hidden places in the Spirit, that is not what is meant. It is the path, the way to reach God that is in the light, and not hidden. And we speak with God directly, and in the open, not enclosed in some dark corner in secret. Of course you can find that secret place in the Spirit with the Lord, yet consider that, in the Spirit, in the light, there is nothing hidden.

OK, we can move beyond those mysteries and back to the idea of what constitutes divine scripture. Again, why does not God simply reveal all? There is a very good reason. It is the key to the door of the Spirit. The bridge we travel to experience God. The reason is faith itself and the free will of man. God has established faith as the gate to the New Kingdom. And He will not impose upon our free will. These two combined explain much of what we find confusing.

Our free will is the amazing gift given us that separates man from the rest of creation. We have the opportunity to love God, and live in His presence forever. God could have created multitude of creature to worship Him, proclaim His glory, do His will, yet to have a family, and have those that love Him, a free will must be exercised. That is the only way. And to maintain that free will means not forcing things this way or that. It can be likened to a hands off policy, we must choose on our own, and not because of outside stimulus.

Yes, God does miracles. He moves in this realm in power through faith. But He does not arbitrarily mess with the good or the bad. He doesn't act according to what you think is fair or right. Not because it isn't perhaps just (or unjust), but for the reason that He does not impose His will upon us. Consider it the highest order of life that He has created beings unto which He gave free will. And free means free, as in He doesn't mess with it at all.

So many question why God doesn't intervene in disasters. They question how He can allow for dictators, starvation, monetary inequity. They ask why one has an abundance of prosperity and another is destitute. For many it is a reflection of the selfish nature of fallen man, others simply project their own perspective of what is right and wrong. But it is the divine intent to give us free will, and in that He holds back his hand from this realm. He bends His ear to our requests, moves in power through faith according to our need. But exacting justice according to our perception, staving off natural disaster, crushing dictators, these are all areas where His imposition would infringe upon our freedom. Not that a people calling out to God under a dictatorship are not heard. Or those in a region of starvation do not have the ear of God. That is not what is meant.

If you become tempted to judge in this way, simply turn to the Lord and thank Him for life. Give up your own sense of justice, and give it to Him. He can transform it into peace. Recognize the deep significance of this free will, and many irritating thorns will burn up on the altar. Call out to He who's understanding is infinite, and receive new life in this area.

So, how does this matter of free will impact the scriptures? Well, the spiritual guidance contained within is preserved and communicated through the ages. Each "author" from before Moses or so orally passed on the stories and teachings. Each generation is a filter of spiritual experience. And no one generation protrays the fullness of all the Heavenly realm. Hence there are plenty of experiences, innumerable men who walked in faith who's complete record was not preserved in this way.

OK, you argue with me, "But God can reveal all that happened, can cause the man to speak of the past according to the Spirit." Of course this is true. Yet we have only a few records, a few stories, a single book. Were all the experiences of others not good enough? Were those along the line of ages only able to preserve this much? I ask these question not to create doubt or confusion. No, the Spirit moved in men to preserve those things that were good, according to the experience in the Spirit of the men in each age.

Then came the era of the pen, and that which was experienced was recorded on paper, to be communicated more effectively. Again, the principal remains the same. That which gets communicated from age to age is filtered through those who's experience in the Spirit is in the age that they live. No single man, or group of men in one age can experience the fullness of the Spirit, or communicate the complete heart of God. We strive for that, yet it is incredibly deep and infinitely broad!

Are we to expect that God has preserved a select set of communications from the past as some sort of proof? As a complete verification of His plan and existence? In no way do I lessen the divine path of that communication, or the working of the Spirit in each age to lay down for us the guides to our walk. But it is a tool, used by the Spirit to lead us. It is not proof, or justification of this religion. The reality is the living God in this age. The true word walks among us, inside of us, revealing His plan through our lives.

This living revelation of the plan of God is by faith alone. We believe in the fulfillment of the promise. We believe in the establishment of the lamb upon the throne. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus. And when we call upon Him, our lives change. That is the proof of faith. It is the transformation of souls, the building together of the faithful.

For this, the Spirit of God utilizes the scripture, revealing Jesus in the prophets, leading us to a higher walk by the teachings of the Gospels. That is the work of faith in the Spirit. Our first love should be Him. Even the greatest biblical scholar is no closer to God than the simpleton, for it is by the blood that we can draw near, not by our knowledge or wisdom. And even if you had memorized every verse, attained multiple degrees in divinity, etymology, Hebrew and Greek, first century archeology, and whatever else, you could still be a spiritual infant, or even a skeptic.

Oh, these pursuits can be profitable, and full of life. Yet they are at times trappings of this physical realm. There are innumerable interpretations of this verse or that. Uncountable possible explanations of prophetic language. Deep divides among believers about certain doctrines. And in all of this can we hear God asking "Who will counsel me?"

Dear saints of the living God, it is life that leads us forward. The proof of faith is in the Body of Christ. In the building together by faith something that becomes stronger than one believer, or a collection of individuals. This is God's purpose in our age. His highest goal now. Any lesser desire is to fall short on our part.

We do not know all that happened in the past. Whether by historical account, archeology, anthropology, or even spiritual revelation, it is incomplete. We were not there. And even if you could have been there, it would be the Spirit moving in that age that would be on God's heart, not how accurate a written description was created.

Why did Jesus not write down His teachings? Or if He did write anything, which we can assume to be true, why did God not deem any of those physical writings things to be preserved? Again, I do not raise this question to create doubt! In fact just the opposite, He is the word become flesh. And He is alive now. The thing He is passionate about is the hearts of man, and building them together into a glorious city in the Spirit. Ink and paper can not stand in that spiritual reality.

If this bothers you, please forgive me. I have no intention of creating discord, or doubt. But if part of your belief is in doctrine that has little to do with the true purpose of God in this age, why clutch to it at the expense of unity in faith? I would even go so far as to say the standard "statements of faith" many church organizations create is a fairly useless accoutrement. It is the life in your church that will move and shine. Why do you need a set of standards to be acceptable? Don't take that wrong, it is just that the principal should be alive in your congregation, not drafted on paper. I have nothing against statements of faith in themselves of course, especially ones that proclaim the King among us.

Now, since there is no "Gospel According to Jesus", lets consider the second obvious writer who we have less of than could be. By that I mean Paul, and his amazing transformed intelect. Ah, you point out to me the multitude of letters we do have! But given his life, and the obvious ability, there must have been ten or a hundred times that many writings. Clearly he was experienced in letters, as those we have were not from a beginning scholar.

So was it because the "lost letters of Paul" weren't good enough? Or were they just lost? Or did he write a bunch of mundane "hello, how are you" pieces to friends? No, I think not. Does this mean God did not see fit to ensure they were preserved for some reason? Or by the Spirit ensured the destruction of some, yet not the ones we have? Preposterous. Do you see it yet? How He can give us our free will, yet dwell among us? How we need not be concerned over the accuracy of this translation or that questionable section?

It is the living Spirit of God inside of us that creates the word for today. By all means, the scriptures are most useful as a tool to find the Lord. But even if you were stranded on a deserted island as a infant, raised by baboons and lived alone till your dying day, God would find you. He has crafted in society a preservation of what went before. But it is a picture, not the definitive description of what He is doing now in the Spirit among us.

View the evidence, the scriptures themselves, as waves in time. The Spirit moves upon the waters of an age, and in its wake is the written word. There could be plenty more volumes of "divine" discourse. Or less than what we do have. And what was recorded is filtered by more (or less) spiritual men in every age. From oral tradition to poetic writings, from language to language and script to script. But the action of God in each age is the living word, the imprint at the moment of existence of the Eternal upon this physical realm.

Our focus, our burning desire should be to find that living word. Find it moving upon the waters. Find it speaking in the body. Yes we can develop a taste for that word, a hunger to hear it by reading the scriptures. So many times there has been the quickening in my spirit while reading, meditating, even singing the written word. But it is the Spirit inside that quickens, moves upon my soul, creates waves of God's presence in my life. It is not a particular passage, or interpretation, or doctrine, version, language, or lexicon. In fact any knowledge or communication can be of use to God. We are just blessed to have a concentrated collection of writings that provoke turning to God.

If there were no form of writing at the time of Christ, would that have mattered? God is capable of implanting in each believer by faith a new life. And we grow together, our faith becomes connected, entertwined. In that we are molded into the Body of Christ, to display His glory and move on this earth. The early gatherings of believers in each city did not have the New Testament. In fact, as the gospel was spread far and wide, more people became believers who fit the description in the prophets as "those with eyes but are blind, and ears but are deaf". They had not the Jewish traditions, knew not of the promised Messiah, did not know the scriptures. But they believed upon Him due to the movement of the Spirit.

Do we know a thing at all? No, nothing except that there is a new life in us. And by that life we grow, become a source for the Body and the world. Everything else is maleable, partial, changing. We think we 'know' more in this age than the last, yet can we show the foundation of the creation? Our partial knowledge is just that, limited by capacity and time. There is no chance to catch up to God in knowledge, it would take forever, and you would not be able to retain it all.

So why are we so adamant about certain doctrines and scripture perceptions? Is it defensiveness, faith that has not been worked out yet? See with new eyes! Doctrine, interpretation, proof based arguments, these things are of this world. They exist in the realm of the natural man even though they are about spiritual things. Learn to follow eternal life, taste eternal life, drink eternal life. In this you will grow strong in spirit, and in the body.

All good teaching is recognized within. "He teaches as one with power" should inspire you. When you see power displayed, sense power, perceive the quickening of the Spirit inside, then you are on the track of experiential faith. Seek knowledge, wisdom. Meditate on the scriptures. And above all do it in faith with the anointing. We can not know in this realm all that has transpired. We can not know the future. We must not force ourselves to believe doctrine which is of the realm of man.

Let Him counsel us with living water from the inside. From springs in the Body of Christ. Let the Body function, and the word go forth. That we can know in our day. May the Spirit resound in you and give you a new hunger to see the Body of Christ displayed in power here and now.

As it is Written

There is a simple verse on my heart that is so full of life. Let it speak to us now! In my preferential standard version it reads:

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water."

How many times we have read this passage, or heard it used to fortify the saints? Yet again, I find renewed sustenance in this message. So let us journey through it in pieces, which when put together can become such a rich vision of the faithful one.

Experiential faith is what led us to the Lord, and the Eternal King now lays forth the expectation of that faith. Here it is useful to restate phrases so the context becomes clear. With that in mind, lets look at the first part. We may hear within our spirit "One having entered into trust in me", "That (you) credit to me", or "You (pl.) that have come to believe me now". All contain the essential intent that indicates the state of the faith that was first seeded into the disciples. It was grown and strengthened to where trust in Jesus beyond what could be seen physically now existed inside the followers.

That same faith that was placed in you actively engages the life inside of Jesus. The collective faith, the practical faith of believers knit together in a community, releases the power of the King upon the world. That same faith was active collectively among the disciples even at this point in Jesus ministry, before the Assention or Pentecost. How awesome is our God!

With that faith in this saying comes a mystery. There are many passages that Jesus refers to in his ministry. Yet which one does He refer to now? The natural man will look for some exact matching passage. But I believe in something higher. Speculation concerning the scriptures, and how they are communicated to us, leads to confusion. What is written guides us on the path. But the Spirit is our energy for walking that path, our light to see ahead, our strong shield against confusion. Call out now for the Spirit to guide us in the word.

Isaiah speaks of rivers coming forth on the barren high places. A glorious picture of God's intent to make a covenant, a new contract, with all the peoples of the world. Jeremiah speaks of Jehovah as the fountain of living waters. Zechariah reveals living water going forth from Jerusalem to the east and west. All are amazing revelations of God as our source of eternal life.

Yet the Lord now tells us that the scripture shows that source is inside of us! The spiritual truth of that revelation, in the context of the Old Testament, will explode your mind! Remember, it is in believing that Jesus is the Messiah. It is in the revelation of God providing the sacrifice. The ones who believed are there throughout, and they were a source of life to the people of God from age to age, a picture of the spiritual reality we enjoy now. Indeed, "as the scripture hath said", our King is exalted above all knowledge and wisdom!

We have reached the proof now. The display of faith. The evidence that I, and we as a body, believe and place our existence in Christ. From within us, a current, a stream will come out. A river of living water. It does not stop. You can not turn it on, then off again. The flow is there, ever moving outward. To emphasize, the brook is a description of moving water in itself, yet it is stated as a 'flow' as well. No question that the intent is that we are a continuous source of living water.

We are a source for the body. A source for the world around us. A constant flow of refreshing eternal life to everyone we contact. That is the proof of faith. To believe is to be a source. To know Christ as your sacrifice, your replacement in judgment, even unto death, means you become a source of life. It is so simple, so spiritually rich, confounding the natural man and our self centered lives. We are to be sources of spiritual life for others. That is His expectation, His plan. Look to the Spirit within you for acknowledgment of this word.

Lord make us fountains. Spring forth without bound in our being. Release the dam that prevents us form flowing your life into each other and the lost. We believe this word You have brought forth. We believe You are going to gush forth out of us as living water! Let praise upon praise be on my lips.

The Vessel of the Soul and the Anti-depression Diet

I have to testify to a great diet, and how it works. But first, lets look at the physical body with a different perspective. There are three realms of life, perhaps more if you are a scientist or philosopher, but for the purposes of man, just three. Those can be divided into biologic life, self aware life, and spiritual life.

The soul of man is residing in that amazing place of self awareness. God created man different from the animals, we have a choice, a free will. Our soul exist with the unique life of man, a self aware existence. This soul has underneath a void, a incomplete region of unconscious connection. Think of it as a port, a socket, an communications hub between realms. We are aware of the port, but not actively able in ourselves to exert influence in the realm beyond that port.

Without Christ, the spiritual influences of the world plug into our soul, and the end result is decay. With the Spirit of God inside, there is a check, a guardian at the access point, that informs us when we have come into contact with some other source than the eternal life flowing out of the Kingdom. We grow connected to a different realm through this access point. We become beings that are far beyond man's concept of humanity.

God has given us residence in the garden, given us a place before the throne where we can forever proclaim His glory. And through this connection, the transforming power of Christ flows into our soul, into the realm of this existence. We become something beyond our environment, beyond our education, past whatever experience has shaped us and impacted our lives. The seed that was planted in you has its roots in the fertile garden, and grows into a full display in this age to bear fruit for the purposes of God.

All of this takes place in a vessel. Your brain holds all the neurons, structures, blobs of synapses that allow for the soul's activity. Our thinking, our emotion, all of our decisions move through this biologic construction. Now, we know that the brain is connected to the senses, and through those we communicate with the physical realm. But what is of importance here is that the brain can not exist on its own. And without it, your soul ceases to have a container in this realm. If you are connected to the Kingdom, you have the access to eternal life, and the loss of the brain is simply the transfer to eternity.

Anyhow, to serve God, we need to do work here, in this age. This requires that you be able to communicate spiritual life, which needs to pass through your soul (and hence the brain) into the senses of another (hence into their brain) and from there into the others soul. The Eternal King provides the life source, and facilitates this transfer, and by no means other than faith can we make it happen, but it does require these living vessels, biologic life structures.

So the purpose of this palaver is to bear witness to a diet I have been using. Yes, I ballooned out like one of the lazy priests before the altar, feasting on the fat morsels. So the time arrived when I looked at my three daughters and thought "I would like to perhaps be here to guide them as long as possible..." Now, we should be motivated by simpler things. And I am not hiding behind any excuses, I will only live so long. I got round because of the anti-depressive effects that come with consumption of carbohydrates in quantity.

In simple terms, there is a trap that some of us fall into who have this type of body. We get serotonin increases with carbs in the gut. That makes us feel better. If we get stressed, or slightly depressed, we eat as a anti-depressant. If this becomes a lifestyle habit, we get fat as cows. I am that type of person. I won't tell you that all your depression will be gone, or give you release from whatever is stressing you. But, if you just recognize that you are in that position, this diet will work.

One thought first, if it is something terrible that is haunting you, gnawing at your mind in the dark of the night, please get professional help outside of this diet. Dealing with depression is very difficult for some people, and you need confidants who will tell it to you straight when you are at the bottom, and grab your hand to keep you from self destruction. The true psychologist lives in the community of brothers and sisters, and will assist you from there. Also, there is a place for things like SSRI's and Valium, but bear in mind what they are, modifiers of the container that holds your soul. Fixing that container is what is important, not finding a substitute escape mechanism.

Now, lets get into the diet itself. I created this diet with God's prompting. It has three components, each of them is pretty much critical to success, but they are so simple, and almost self correcting, that anyone can find this diet useful. The first and most important component is the will. It is part of your soul, and needs transformation. The second part is craving and hunger control, I loathe feeling hungry. The third part is diversity so you do not end up at a comfortable place only to go off the diet and explode!

Regarding the will, you need to have the Spirit of God in your life to really accomplish this part. But if you don't, you can still do it, just don't expect a easy time retraining yourself. First, recognize that you are fat as a house, and it was your choice to get there. Don't make up excuses or whatnot, just accept the simple fact that you choose all those bowls of pasta, bonbons, slices of pizza, and everything else. Look at yourself in the mirror, you choose to get to this point. Now, the temptation is to let emotion in here, which leads to feelings of hopeless depression. Especially seeing how you don't want to accept your condition (come now, if you did, you would have done something already...), you want to live in a fantasy realm in your mind where you are fine.

Forget the emotional part, just force yourself to look, and say outloud, to God and everybody else, "I choose to get here." Now, if you can do that, you are going to make it. That is the hardest part! All of the excuses that pop into your mind are emotional traps that will turn you away, and if you can not face your will, you can not get transformation there. Now, ask God to move into your will. Ask Him to take your will and fill it with the healing Spirit. Tell Him you have used your will to get here, a place where the vessel of your soul is not working correctly. Tell Him that you have used your will to over eat. Tell Him you want to alleviate feelings of depression, tell Him that it makes you feel good, and you want to feel good without hurting yourself now.

Seriously, if you can do this, if you can make it through this confrontation with God and your broken will, you are going to walk this diet easily. You may not believe me, but it is true, He is so faithfull, so ready to move into those broken areas of our soul. And fast! There is no waiting. Oh, you will be tested, nothing that gets transformed goes without being tested. But it is not what you expect! When the Spirit inhabits your will, the choices we face are made with a deep and abiding peace.

So, you have made it past the hard part, and now it's time for the plan. My biggest issue was with craving control. Needing that serotonin fix is as strong a craving as any I know of. Pure addiction, like heroin, nicotine, cocaine. Some may not believe that, but it is true for body types like mine. If we don't get that fix, it is almost unbearable. So how do you break the cycle? Well, it takes about three weeks. And you must stick to it for that long!

If you start and only make it five days, or two weeks, please reset the "withdrawl" clock, otherwise you will be frustrated. Now, the key is proteins. Use them to get that sensation of fullness. And vary the type and quantity to match your 'moods' or 'hungers'. It doesn't really matter when you fill up on them, but you will need to have a ready supply. I started with boiled chicken thighs. I would cook three pounds at a time and leave them in the fridge. Then I moved to cold baked salmon. Then shrimp, then ahi tuna, then tofu, on and on. Usually I could eat the same thing for about three days before getting tired of it.

Here is the key. During this three weeks, you absolutely must not eat any refined carbs! A few whole grain portions a day are fine, but absolutely no rice, refined bread, sweets, alcohol, potatoes, on and on... This is a strict requirement. Only for the reason of 'breaking' the serotonin fix cycle. After the three weeks, you can add back some portions of basically anything you want, but you will find it hard to keep proper nutrition with a bunch of refined carbs. Why? Because the last part of this diet is about calorie control.

This third and finally point is easy, but you do need to work at it a bit. Check your daily burn rate for calories. I was at a whopping big poundage, and the calculators estimated that I burned 3700 calories a day for my activity level. Now that was a bit silly, so if you are fat as a pig, like I was, put into the calorie burn calculators a reasonable 'overweight' value for your height. Doing this brought my expected daily burn rate down to 2900 calories, quite a difference. And I can say that is about correct, as I have averaged near ten pounds a month weight loss on this diet, with a mean intake of 1800 calories a day or a bit less.

Yes, there it is, a mean daily calorie intake. You need to eat less than you burn. Nothing else will be healthy. Sure, there are diets where you trick your body and such, but we were designed by God to use the nutrition available in nature, and if we believe that, there is no need to deceive ourselves or our bodies. So, under this average calorie limit you need to do two things: stay healthy, and vary the daily level of calories. I use this pattern mostly: 1300 cal for two days, 1900 cal for one day, 1500 for a couple days, then repeat. It is important to do this, to trick your metabolism into thinking that everything is fine, and you aren't starving.

If we stay on a very low calorie diet, our bodies shift into starvation mode. You can loose weight, but the minute that you intake more calories than you burn, your body wants to turn that to fat right away. When it does this, hunger actually increases, as your body thinks it is in the season of plenty, and you eat eat eat, then explode! With the diet here, there is no problem going "off the reservation", as you will just be eating your normal amount. Even if you did gorge out, your body would just slowly switch to storage, instead of growing a new spare tire.

So, putting the two items together, here is what happens. If you get up in the morning, and you are ravenously hungry, eat protein only. Maybe a piece of fruit, or half glass of juice, but nothing else besides protein. Some days, the worst days, I would eat four chicken thighs for breakfast before I felt full. That is around 700 calories! Plus coffee and a quarter glass of milk. Half of the daily requiremet gone in the first meal. But I would be full. Full enough to eat a very light lunch. Say a protein bar (300 cal), or a salad. Still fine all the way to dinner, where I would finish up the daily calorie count.

On other days, I would wake up fine, and eat a couple of whole grain crackers, some avocado, perhaps a bit of fruit. Keep it to 400 calories or so. Then check yourself at lunch, shoot for another 400 cal, mostly protein. Now you have a 800 calorie dinner waiting, which is pretty substantial, and should fill you completely. If you are not feeling extremely hungry, go for more vegetables and whole grains. If you feel like it will be a night of lying in bed dreaming of pasta, eat all protein! Stuff it in.

After three weeks go by, begin to balance things out with nutritious items. But if you get hunger cravings, immediately switch back to all protein for a few days. The whole point of the protein is to break your serotonin drug dependence, and that is of the highest priority! Higher than meeting a calorie limit. The lesser goal is to be as nutritious as possible while eating 500-1000 calories a day bellow what you need. All the while, you simply must be finding God in your will. That spiritual transformation will allow you to plan and execute this diet easily. You can do it for months, or even years if you are morbidly obese.

And you are not "on a diet" in the traditional sense, because this is the way your body needs to eat anyhow! Keeping the vessel in working condition is necessary to be of use to God. So of course He will help you to do it! You don't need guilt, or pain and suffering. If you are caught in those traps, you are denying the sacrifice of Christ! He freed use from our transgressions, even those of fatness and food abuse! Grasp this reality, and let Him into your will for serious healing and transformation.

So here is the plan. Get in front of God, and a mirror. See yourself honestly, and be honest with God about your condition. You made the choices to get there, now you can choose to live in a different way. Then set out a plan for three weeks of zero refined carbs. Write down your daily calorie requirements, and estimate a level that will give you good weight loss. For instance 500 calories a day less than you need will equal nearly six pounds a month loss. I wouldn't go beyond 1000 calories a day less than what you need no matter your size, as this is not sustainably healthy.

Now get through the three weeks. It isn't eternity, but if you do blow it completely, just be honest. Dealing with the will is difficult, but absolutely necessary. If you can not do three weeks, you have flaws in your will that run deeper, get with a counselor in the Spirit. Don't be lame with excuses, it is a waste of time and just indicates you are not willing to change. Look deep at yourself, it is fine to see broken pieces, give them to God! Keep going until you master the three weeks, and I believe for most people with body type like mine that you will find the serotonin addiction pretty well beat.

After that it is just deciding to make the vessel of your brain, the organ that holds the soul, a healthy organism. Do it for service to God, and He will make that path a easy one. If you get seriously hungry, drop back to a full protein anti-craving meal plan for a few days. I went through a period about three months into this program where I was ravenously hungry! For two or three days, it was constant, I ate fish all day it seemed. But it did work, each time I was hungry, filling up on protein would eventually satisfy.

Finally, praise God from which you found the source of eternal life. He has beaten death, and can overcome the flesh in every way! For Him, to renew our will to His design is effortless, and in line with His purpose of growing the Body of Christ. Know this, and be ready to see it happen. Proclaim His Glory throughout the earth in this and in all things!

Building Eternal Life for Women: Mirrors, Silk, and Procreation

I was searching around for fanciful and humorous titles for the description of spiritual hindrances on the female side, but I fell flat. So, the categories are not as mental sticky, but equally applicable. Now, I am a man, and this will be from my perspective, so please take no offense if I "cross the line" into derogatory territory.

Our focus is upon the areas inside, parts of our being that remain broken and flawed, even as we proceed along the path of spiritual growth. Keep in mind that each individual has their own responsibility to yield over these broken pieces to God. We are not here to stand in judgment of one another. Use your discernment, and speak in love to one another, but do not judge. Give eternal life to each other, assist in the transformation of those broken pieces. Be kind and forgiving, and your own walk will quicken.

Now the designation "Mirrors" may seem obvious to everyone, especially considering modern societies obsession with appearance, but I have thrown a twist in there. I don't mean what you look like, but how you observe yourself. There are two paths along this line of reasoning. One, you are perpetually critical of your appearance, and the other an obsession with 'checking' how good you look. They seem the same, and have a common root spiritually, but manifest in separate ways.

The perpetually critical person will never reach satisfaction, and hence never find peace, because they have set themselves up as the judge of appearance. They have decided, based upon societal structures and internal quirks what is a perfect visage. This is a obviously unreachable goal (there is no perfect image apart from Christ anyhow), and is a direct violation of God's desire for us to enjoy eternal life. You CAN NOT get more eternal life if you are sitting on the seat of judgment in your own heart. It will not happen.

This is not in any way contradictory to looking good. We should all be presentable, and pleasing in our appearance. Most of that is subjective, and a truly pleasing appearance comes from inside, but there is a place for nice hair, makeup, good clothes and the like. However, test yourself in this way. Put on some plain worn out clothes. Wear no makeup. Do your hair up simple. And go worship God with your brothers and sisters. I challenge you. The persons who are hindered spiritually in this area will find it very hard to be 'themselves' without the artificial crutches of outward appearance. If you find this is you, get on your knees in a deep and desperate way, because you have serious work to do.

Don't think we have left out the other side... Oh no, if you never dress up, or prepare yourself to look nice, you are possibly doing the same thing! You are hiding your heart, and perhaps judging all those around you at the same time! Try it, dress up, be thoughtful about a few details of your appearance. If you suddenly become self conscious, and are unable to worship God comfortably, you are in trouble as well! The appearance of the saints before God is spiritual, and stems from the condition of our hearts. If we are unable to walk in faith without some physical connection, such as clothes or makeup, we are not 'in faith' but have created our own place, our own world of order based upon the precepts of man, and it is polluting our spiritual life.

Don't take this area of mirrors lightly. It is a hidden, internal flaw that society continuously reinforces. Even when you get right in your heart, when you find freedom, the world will be there mocking and tempting. Fashion moves on, yet is always the same. It is a subjective, fickle beast ready to gnaw at your heart. We should look good, but that starts with a clean heart, and a King that sits on the throne of that heart. It does not mean walking the catwalk, or conversely, hidding in a corner.

Your conscience will be sensing the Spirit of God, leading you in this matter. If you can not sense it, get down low and call out with every fiber of your being. It is that important, because if the world has you in this hidden manner, you will not be able to experience the true peace of God. And that is a very bad state for a Christian to live in. Even many 'normal' Christians can not see this because it is internal, and will seem trivialized in importance. So finding help can be hard, it MUST come from faith. Believe God will lead you, and free you from this pit of self image. He is faithful.

So, for the next section, Silk, you may think it has to do with clothing, but not so fast. Yes, I used the concept of cloth, and that for fine clothes, but what I mean is the selection of that cloth. Ah, you get it now, shopping! Well, specifically the act of shopping as a proxy for the decisions that women make. Or, if you are quite intimate with the female species, the lack of decision.

Yes, it seems daily that I am frustrated by the gorgeous beings that populate my house (all girls so far). Why can't they just choose something and stick with it? A man makes a decision, and then does it. Women seem to be far more interested in the state of choosing than the end result, no matter what it is! Exasperating indeed. But this is a normal balance in most regards, and perfectly healthy. It has a dark side though, and that is where we must go.

The purpose inside of a woman is different from a man. The desire is for security, stability, provision. Constantly being able to evaluate the choices around is a protection against threats to life itself. At the core of a woman, these prevail. God is there, and aligning these desires with His will is the essence of spiritual growth. He is the source of our eternal security. He provides the true stability, the solid rock inside that will not be moved no matter how bad the storm. He is the supply of our eternal life, the food that will keep us forever before Him, praising and worshipping the King.

So how does this category, Silk, i.e. the shopping principal, relate to some hindrance inside of a woman? It is simple, yet spiritual, so allow the Spirit of God to highlight in the example I will give. Let us consider this common situation in a marriage. The man has become bored. Tired of the same job, unstimulated with life, going through the motions. We all get like this at times, to one degree or another. The Christian man will be prompted by God to turn and find life. But if there is resentment... even the faithful can live for a long time in a bad way.

What does the woman see? She senses uncertainty and insecurity. It can be conscious or unconscious, it will still impact inside. And what is the natural response for a woman? It is to raise this issue up, to make it something noticeable to the man. If he doesn't respond by reinforcing security, increasing stability, by being a provider, it just gets worse for the woman. And guess what, most men are flawed, and selfish, and absorbed by their own insecurity. Being confronted with that... it's a affront to our very manhood! We turn away, doing exactly the wrong thing.

Now, of course the Godly man will snap out of these situations by the prompting of the Spirit. And even if he naturally bridles at being exposed, he will get over it with God. But we are concerned with the woman here, and recognizing how these outward actions are not in line with God's purpose, and will hinder spiritual growth.

The woman in the picture is doing exactly this: shopping for a new man. Now that sounds silly, because most people in a marriage aren't there to swap around. Even with the divorces and infidelity of modern society, most people want to be together on some level, or they would just split. Some level of commitment has been made, and I don't mean that all wives are out actively looking for a new spouse. What I mean is that they a always shopping for one. Even though they have one, they want a better one. Even worse, that 'better one' is usually a pie in the sky creation of a flawed imagination. Not actively, again, but a construct of the imagination all the same, as even the 'perfect' husband is just as inherently flawed as the next man.

By all means, the more of Christ that is in your spouse, the more of the 'perfect' husband you are living with. But we are for the most part spiritual children, and don't display the fullness of Him all day, every day. This raises the core issue. The "Shopping" mentality in treating your spouse is not God's purpose. It is you projecting your desire of what is correct or incorrect about your spouses life. It is external judgment. It is you on the throne, and not God.

What happens when you give this over to the Lord? What happens when you vacate the throne of your heart and let Him have a seat in this matter? There is a deep transformation inside. Your shopping, that looking for satisfaction deep within, becomes a active search for life. You will be looking for Christ in your man. You will be drawing eternal life out of him, spurring him to greatness. The situation may be the same, but the word you speak will be full of fire and life. Even if your husband reacts in the natural, spurns you and turns away to his own selfishness, you won't experience resentment yourself. And you won't feel even more insecure, as the word you speak will be one of life itself. You will find freedom and release in this act of faith, in speaking in faith this way.

Go ahead, try it. Get with the King on your own, in that quiet place in your heart. Ask Him to speak for you, lay your concerns and desires at His feet. Tell God that you trust that the words you will speak to your spouse will be words of life. Then act on that faith. It is not about being silent, you still need to speak, just speak in faith. Oh, you may slip up. We develop patterns of critical behavior so easily. And your man will most likely react just as always, but do it in faith, and God will be there.

This shopping mentality applies in many other ways to how women walk in faith. In fact it is universal to the heart of a woman. A simple way to perceive this in your own life is to actually go shopping. Pick something you do need, like a pair of socks or pencils, perhaps new tires for the car. Watch yourself, time how long it takes to finally pick, see how many times you weigh options, how many times you are close to deciding, then reconsider. If you begin to sense that state of indecision, turn to the Lord. That sense needs to be trained to seek eternal life. You can transform that desire to one of always finding life. And if you are full of life, you will be suplying those around you, which brings you very close to God's heart.

Now don't get me wrong, it is no big deal to not know which pair of socks you really want. But think about it. Why don't you know which pair? Do the socks make you better one way or another? If you get the wrong ones, will you become depressed? How will you know if you go the perfect pair? Will someone come up to you and say "Amazing socks, those look so nice on you!" Even if someone noticed your socks in that way, would you believe them? And if you did believe them, would that make you feel good about yourself, for yourself? No, buy the socks in faith even. Spend two hours searching for the heart of God about which pair of socks to buy. Seriously, this will be profitable, beyond any other time you would spend shopping. It sounds silly, but this is so big in terms of growing up spiritually, don't conveniently discount it and remain stunted.

Finally we get to the reproductive region. There is a great verse, in that the woman will be saved through childbirth. But don't take that to mean physically, no, turn this into spiritual work. You can be perfectly celebate, single, happy and satisfied serving God and bringing forth the children of God. Nurturing them, feeding them, teaching them. I can't count the innumerable times that it was a sister in the Lord who identified some simple spiritual need, in myself or others, and was right there with a measure of life.

Some say that the closesest thing to God's love for us is a mothers love. But that is way off. Way, way off. Oh, there may be a deep connection to that which came from your own body. But God has a life so far beyond the physical, there is no comparison. I have seen childbirth, the endorphin high, and the comedown. I have seen many a first time mom go through phases with the newborn. Even feelings of loathing are common, "Get this thing away from me..." Shocking? No, it is completely normal. No one can live up to all the 'needs' of a newborn. There is a quick dying to the self with a new baby, and all the emotional pain and stress along with it. God is our source in those times, with a love much more complete.

Even so, women have a unique opportunity to take what is natural, what is instinctively nurturing and empathetic, and let God transform that in the Spirit. You can work in the Body of Christ in a deep and purposeful way with that transformed awareness and love. It is in each one, there is no requirement to be married and have children before growing up in the Spirit. In fact, pairing up, dating, searching for Mr. Right can be a huge stumbling block to spiritual growth. But that falls under the Silk category I would presume. The natural desire for procreation will motivate finding a mate, but finding a physical mate is not the primary focus of spiritual growth.

Oh, I know, there is a faction of Christians who are religious about promoting everyone up to 'family' status. And others who see single, nubile sisters as a threat to the congregation. Yes, in this society, with no emphasis on self control and personal purity, there is cause for concern. And hormones are powerful drugs, very strong. What to do? Recognize that it will drive you. Know that deep in you core being you are one step away from doing anything to find that security and stability, the place of procreation. You want that nest, and it is natural to go way past what you know is correct to get it.

I can't even imagine living in a abusive relationship. Yet so many do. They have accepted a intolerable life to satisfy that unsatiable need. It can happen to anyone, and that I do understand. It doesn't stop at abuse either. Once broken, once finding the fleeting relief from that desire that comes with the physical act of procreation, so many go down the path of 'this broken relationship' to 'that one night stand'. Accumulating a long string of pain, and not ever truly finding the answer to that deep, deep force.

I know you can see it in yourself. It is there always, yet by finding the Lord, a transformation begins. Each time you give that need, that desire over to Him, he is able to change it, transform it into something beautiful You will desire the Kingdom of God. You will find the true nest, the ideal spot for creating new life. And along with that, you will see the outward realm change. Your life will reflect your true existence in the Spirit. If you have discovered the new life that hoppens in the presence of God, everything else begins to change.

If you are single, frustrated, and looking, lay it down at God's altar. Get out of the way, force yourself to give up the search yourself. Desperately call out to Him for enough eternal life to satisfy that need. He will amaze you. Besides, if you are looking for a mate, you will pick someone according to what you feel, not according to true compatibility. Only God knows the type of person that will make a good life bond for you. Don't turn to a dating service, turn to God. Really give it up! Many say that they have put it in God's hands, yet go on dating as usual, with the usual result.

If you are married, and know the natural course of motherhood, even if your only child is your husband, let God use that and transform it into faith functional spirituality. Remember, we are here, experiencing life in the now, but His family is forever. Your life here will end. Let God make you into His house. Then your marriage, your children, your spouse, everything in your life will begin to reflect the eternal reality. This will lead to serious growth in the spirit. And satisfaction beyond what you could imagine.

My exhortation to all women is then simple. Let God open your eyes to these areas that stop spiritual growth. Let Him be your mirror. Don't look at yourself with your own eyes, with your own flawed scale. Look at Him, and he will show you what you need to see about yourself, what He can change. Give Him that much respect at a minimum. Trust in faith that the King knows what you should look like, and will make you appear. If you dwell in self judgment, you don't believe God's word, and can not act in faith.

Turn your shopping mentality into a search for life! Forget indecision, waffling around looking for the right way. You know the right way! He is the way, and can take that natural need to control, to be secure, to maintain provisions and turn it into a fountain of life. A continuous source of security. Even a source of life for all. How amazing is that!

Finally, don't let your own flawed nature, and the broken society around you poison the desire to procreate. It is there to fulfill God's plan, to make us succeed and fill the earth. You are not flawed because of that desire, it is the emotion, the decisions, the thinking about how to fulfill that need that are broken. Give that to our Eternal Counselor. Let Him transform your very soul, and conform that desire into His wonderful plan for increasing the family of Christ. You will not find any satisfaction higher than that.

Lord, may the words of my heart be useful to you, and the thoughts which I have written here. Use them, cover over what is tarnished, and show your gold. May your Spirit fill each reader in a deep way, and give them Grace to follow in faith.