The Secret of Contentment
April 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have.
Dear Child,
It is right and good to give thanks, for My mercy endures forever. Through all circumstances My grace and mercy are available.
A thankful heart is an appreciative heart, and an appreciative heart is a soft heart, which I can work with and mold, but an ungrateful heart becomes hard and cold.
With appreciation comes contentment. Godliness and contentment are great gain.
So fulfill My will for you today by being be thankful and you will be contented.
Thus saith Papa
1Tim 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Phil. 4:11… for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Heb.13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
There are many things that money will buy but not contentment!
Money will buy:-
A bed BUT not sleep
Books BUT not brains
Food BUT not an appetite
Finery BUT not beauty
A house BUT not a home
Medicine BUT not health
Luxuries BUT not culture
Amusement BUT not happiness
A crucifix BUT not a savior
A church pew BUT not heaven.
Remember:-
Haman had a great court position yet not content!
Ahab was on a throne yet not content!
Adam was in paradise yet not content!
Angels were in heaven yet not content!
Lucifer was the highest of the angels yet not content!
CHALLENGE: Don’t try to keep up with the “Jones” for contentment is not having what you want but rather wanting what you have!
Contentment comes not so much from great wealth but from few wants for he who is contented is rich.
The Beauty of the Thorns
April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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.”
Spring Cleaning our Spiritual Closets
April 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Dear Father,
Help me that I may only be clothed with integrity and never in subtle pretense!
Show me, Papa, signs of danger least I fall!
Dear Child,
It is in relationships and your dealings and responses to others, you will see the signs, as the Holy Spirit, illuminates that which is not of My spirit, but of the flesh!
In our time alone you behold Me!
BUT
In your time with others you behold yourself!
It is in your interactions with others that you see clearly what you have learned while in My presence.
It is in interaction with others that your growth is tested
In My presence you stand naked
BUT
In the presence of others you may be clothed with “pretense”.
Do not fool yourself or try to fool others, be real, grow up and wear the character of integrity and authenticity.
Declutter your spiritual wardrobe that there may be room for the clothing of humility, grace, integrity and authenticity.
These are royal robes!
Moths and time cannot deteriorate these garments, but rather time matures them to shine even brighter!
Thus saith Papa
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Challenge: As the Lord shines His light into the hidden corners of our spiritual closet, let us do some spiritual spring cleaning by withdrawing and discarding our subtle masks, that we may be found clothed in the transparent “royal robes” that befit a saint.