Bloom in Your Unique Potential

May 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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Dear Father,

May I never cease to praise You for the works of Your hand! For as I admire my garden in the spring I am amazed how it manifests not only Your glory but also Your faithfulness after the dark days of wintering and your uniqueness.

Oh, Papa, as I place my life, body, soul and spirit in Your hands, the hands of the great Potter, may my life bring glory to Your name and display Your faithfulness.

Everything in my garden has a unique purpose, and therein lies the beauty and the glory for everything in my garden, that it fulfills its unique purpose. All so different and yet all so beautiful.

Papa may I also bloom in my uniqueness!

Dear Child,

Therein lies the glory! when you bloom in your uniqueness, for only then are you fulfilling the purpose of your creation.

Watered from heaven, nourished by the Word, faithfully tend the garden of your life that the cares of this world, and weeds of discouragement do not strangle and choke the potential bloom.

This bloom in all its beauty will bring glory to My name and testify of My faithfulness, just as your physical garden brings glory to My name and testifies of My faithfulness, 

If I wanted a rose in My garden I wouldn’t plant a daffodil. Be yourself! Be who I created and planned for generations for you to be.”

                                                   Thus saith My Faithful Papa

Revelation 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Lamentations 4:2  The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

Challenge: Don’t labor or strive to bloom in someone else’s potential, but rather bring glory to His name by resting in His faithfulness as the unique flower He created. You are so unique, He broke the mold when He made you!

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Get in Touch with God Daily

October 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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You only gain confidence in any relationship by spending time with someone and staying in touch with them.

In the beginning we were created to have intimate fellowship with God but when Adam disobeyed he lost his confidence in his relationship with God and hid the intimate part of himself behind fig leaves. If you have disobeyed and have guilt and shame instead of confidence, run to Him not from Him. Strip off the leaves that the intimacy may be restored as you stand before Him naked with nothing to hide.

Dear Child,

Confidence comes from spending time with Me. As you spend time with Me you grow to know Me better, and as you know Me better, you have confidence in your relationship with Me.

Carnal confidence is the fruit of pride, spiritual confidence is the fruit of true humility, gained by recognizing your inadequacy while you are in my presence. Your confidence is not in self but rather in your relationship to Me. Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you!

                                                      Thus saith Papa

2 Corinthians 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Isaiah 30:15  For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:

 

CHALLENGE: If we lack spiritual confidence, we are not spending enough quiet time alone with our heavenly Papa.

 

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How do I Grow up Spiritually?

October 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Dear Father,

How do I grow up spiritually?

Dear Child,

1. BY FEEDING AND CHEWING OVER THE MEAT OF THE WORD THAT YOU MAY LEARN DISCERNMENT.

Heb 5:13-14  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Heb 6:1  Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

If you want to grow up and mature you must learn to discern between that which is done in the soulish realm and that which is done in the spirit. You can only learn this by meditating and feasting on the meat of the Word. You must invest the time to wean yourselves of milk and unto the meat which takes more time and meditation to chew over than milk which can more easily be swallowed and digested than meat. 

2. BY BEING OBEDIENT .

1 Sam 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. John 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments

I want a child who chooses to spend time with Me. I could have programmed you to obey and love Me, but this would not bring Me glory. Such obedience would have no spiritual value. There would be no fault or sin, yet neither would there be holiness, for obedience would be passive. I do not want automation. I want a child with a free will who will choose to love and obey Me.

3. BY BEING “BIG PICTURE” MINDED, THAT IS, BY SEEING THINGS IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY.

James 5:7-8  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

You are living in a culture where you demand everything NOW, you have forgotten how to delay instant gratification for your better good long term. You need to bring your soulish impulses under subjection of My Holy Spirit who not only knows your future but also holds your future. Impatience belongs to childishness not necessarily childlikeness. I have a lot of impatient childish adults in My Body, when I am looking for patient adult children.

4. BY NOT TAKING OFFENSE.

Psalm 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Luke 17:1-4  Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 

Offenses not forgiven will be stored in the heart and will hold you captive as chains that tighten with each unforgiven offense. They will either be a trap and stunt grow or they will be an opportunity to freedom and maturity. How can you learn to forgive if you never have the opportunity to forgive? How can you be conformed to My Image without learning to forgive?

5. BY SERVING OTHERS.

Mat 23:11-12  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Breathe in My presence, that you might be refreshed and then refresh others, by washing their feet and refreshing them for their journey through life. Speak only words that will build up and be an encouragement. Continue to lead others on the path that leads to eternal life. Help the wounded that they in turn may help others who have fallen on the road.

Lead, lead the way by being a servant. Greatness in My kingdom doesn’t come from being served but by serving. In serving you are investing in My kingdom. That investment no man can steal from you, it is safe in My hands. 

6. BY ABIDING IN ME THAT YOU MAY MATURE TO THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Abiding in Me is abiding in the Word for I am the Word, and if you do not abide in the Word, you can do nothing. Abiding is living with, you must live with and by the Word. Abiding is not just visiting BUT living with continually.

Abiding in Me is abiding in My Body. You can’t stay connected to the Head unless you are in the Body. Parts of the Body cannot operate in the Spirit apart from the Head. 

Abiding in Me is talking with Me. If you live and abide with Me you will converse with Me.

Without these you are not abiding, you are only occasionally visiting.

7. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BY SPENDING TIME ALONE WITH ME AND BEING LED BY MY SPIRIT.

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

That is the hidden Manna of your heart! Your secret history is that path I walk with you that nobody else knows of, that secret history is time spent with the one who knows you the best and loves you the most. Only I know all the motivation of your heart and thoughts, only you and I know your innermost being. Your history and communications with me, will be the path we can share, as I alone can deal with those motivations that are not of my Spirit, and daily transform you into My likeness as we spend time together.

                                                           Thus saith Papa   

CHALLENGE: Is your spiritual life only in survival mode? 

                    Which of the above areas have you neglected the most, resulting in stunted 

                     growth in some of your spiritual root structure?

My book “Developing a Secret History with God” will inspire and help you as you develop your root structure. See Amazon/Barnes & Noble

 

 

 

 

 

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Why were you born?

May 14, 2013 by 2 Comments

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Dear Child,

Invest yourself in your uniqueness. What makes you different?

Be who I created, don’t try to be what I didn’t create and intend for you.

You can try to do that which you weren’t created to do.

But you can never be what you weren’t created to be, no matter how you struggle!

Do what you were created to do! What did I invest in you?

I prioritized your life when I created you by giving you passions that would guide you.

Yes, child, I want you to grow and rise to your potential but only within that uniqueness.

There is only one of you, you can’t do everything.

True fulfillment will be realized as you move out in your gifting and your uniqueness in that gifting. 

                                                     Thus saith Papa

Psalm 139:14 -16  I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Matthew 10:30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

The calling of God is a distinctive calling, its object is always precise, never merely haphazard or undefined. When God commits to each of us a ministry He does so, not merely to occupy us in His service, but always to accomplish through each of us something definite toward the attaining of His goal. There is a general commission to His church to “make disciples of all nations” but to each of us personally God’s charge represents , and must always represent A PERSONAL TRUST.

All are not called to precisely identical tasks:

God does not use identical means to prepare us for that task:

God retains the right to use particular forms of discipline and training, and often the added test of suffering as a means to His end.

God understands clearly what He is doing with You!

CHALLENGE: Why have you come to the Kingdom for such a time as this? 

Your uniqueness is more than the number of hairs on your head or your fingerprints?

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The Beauty of the Thorns

April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Dear Child,

 Can’t you see and understand with your heart that when you are admitting your weaknesses in trials and testings, you are humbling yourself. When you humble yourself before Me, My grace is available to you. That is how My strength is made perfect in weakness. So, child, glory in that weakness and need of Me, that My power may rest upon you.

Thus saith Papa

2Cor.12: 7-9…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

“Paul recognizes not merely God’s strength but also his own weakness. Countless saints have been carried through trial and testings by means of this revelation of God to Paul. Oh, if we ourselves only knew how weak we are! For as soon as the weakness leaves us, POWER likewise departs! But what we go through perfects the words we utter. As we then rise up and admitting our own weaknesses, speak words that are tempered through trial, our brothers and sisters, themselves under testing, are given by God the grace and the strength to carry them through also.” Watchman Nee

Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

 “The thorns Christ wore for us, with which He was crowned, sanctify and make easy all the thorns in the flesh we may at any time be afflicted with. Temptations and trials are most grievous thorns; they are messengers of Satan to buffet us. The design was to keep Paul humble. Paul gloried in his infirmities… this does not mean sinful infirmities (those we have reason to be ashamed of and grieved at) but he means his afflictions, his reproaches, persecutions and distresses for Christ’s sake. These were opportunities for Christ to manifest His power and sufficiency of His grace upon Paul.” Henry Matthew Commentary 

The Lord not only took upon Himself my sin and bore my sickness, He also wore my thorns! Surely those thorns were a part of our Lord humbling Himself even to His death on the cross!

Phil 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Even as a beautiful rose is displayed on the branches bearing thorns, even so the beautiful love of our savior is displayed beneath a crown of thorns.

The beauty of our lives is displayed when buffeted by those thorns of the flesh!

Those thorns buffet us to shine because they humble us in our weakness that His grace may shine through us. 

Challenge: Pray this prayer “Dear Father, Help me by your power to truly digest this truth, that you may be glorified in my life. That others will not see me, but rather your grace and power manifested. That your glory will shine through the cracks of my brokeness.”

 

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