A Devotion for Palm Sunday

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As we celebrate this coming Palm Sunday, as Jewish congregations prepare to celebrate Passover, may the Old Testament types add to the dimension of our faith and understanding of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

Consider for a moment that on that same day thousands of lambs were being ushered into Jerusalem through the same Eastern gate, also known as the Golden Gate, as Our Passover Lamb. But I wonder how many who were enthusiastically waving palms, saw with spiritual eyes the Lamb of God, who would take away the sin of the world, among all the other lambs.

The lambs were being brought into Jerusalem five days prior to Passover, to be examined by the priests. They were to be examined for blemishes or disfigurement, as only perfect lambs were found worthy to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. It is interesting to note that the priest did not examine the sinner who brought the sacrifice, rather the priest looked to see if the sacrificial substitute was worthy.

Likewise Our Lamb was brought into the city five days prior to Passover, to also be examined. He was brought before Pontius Pilate, Herod, Annas and Ciaphas, the high priests, and the ultimate judgement was made by Pilate when he declared, “I find no fault in Him.” Praise God for our Lamb who was found worthy to be sacrificed for our sins.

As we worship this coming Sunday let us with a loud voice declare with the heavens

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!” Rev. 5:12

 

Adversities will Stretch those Spiritual Muscles

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Dear Child,

Adversities are the lessons of life, that exercise your spiritual muscles and make you healthy and strong. The more battles you fight, the more victories you will win!

Battles fought in the mind will eventually effect the physical, if not won in the battlefield of the mind, so bring every thought into the captivity of Christ.

Child, you are body, soul and spirit, be a good steward of each.

Exercise your body muscles and be strong physically!

Exercise your mind and be strong in your convictions!

Exercise your spiritual muscles and stand strong against the powers of darkness!

                                                       Thus saith Papa

 

In the PHYSICAL realm you must have a resistance program if you want healthy, strong muscles. Without resistance, strength cannot be produced.

In the MENTAL realm we must resist in the battlefield of the mind and bring every thought into the captivity of Christ. Only then will we have strong Godly convictions.

2 Corinthians.10:4-5 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

In the SPIRITUAL realm we also have a resistance program against the enemy of our souls. When we submit ourselves to God, we will have the power to resist the devil, which will result in strong, healthy spiritual muscles.

James 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter.5:8-10 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

CHALLENGE: Do you feel defeated when you try to resist the devil, because you haven’t first warmed up your spiritual muscles by submitting the situation to God?


The Love That Will Set You Free

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Dear Child, 

I set your spirit free to worship Me, for where My Spirit is there is liberty!

Not by conformity to man or as people pleasers, but to please only Me.

For when you fully comprehend My love for you, you can do anything, for then you are free!

Why worry what people may think, when I am the only Judge?

I am the one who knows you the best yet loves you the most.

All  the  hurts I see, all the past I see, all the struggles I see, all the shortcomings I see but I have set you free! 

You are free to become who I created you to be, lay down the struggles and just be the you I had in mind when I formed you in your mother’s womb.                                                                  

My child, My love for you will never change!

                                                   Thus saith Papa

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed!

CHALLENGE: Delight in the vastness of His love and be free!

 

Conflicts are Lessons in the School Room of Life

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Dear Child,

A deep relationship is not the result of a relationship without problems or offenses, but is a relationship which overcomes problems and offenses, and matures because your spiritual muscles are being exercised as you respond to one another.

The working out of problems causes the roots to grow deeper together and your history with the other person grows deeper and less shallow.

You exercise your spiritual muscles by obedience to the Word and the Spirit.

Work out those lessons I am giving you as an opportunity to learn as you fellowship with others.                                                    Thus saith Papa

Prov 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

My daughter, Angela, has written a thought on this subject, which I think is very appropriate at this point. Angela writes, ‘ We have gotten to the point in our society where all relationships are disposable ( whether it be personal, work, family, or church ). Whenever a situation arises that we don’t like or doesn’t happen to meet our expectations we choose to “opt out” of the relationship. The consequences of this choice is devastating to our families, churches and communities. We have seemed to have lost the ability or desire to work through problems – confronting wrongs, admitting our own faults, covering each other in love; it appears to take too much energy. It is much easier to close the pages of one relationship and open the new and exciting pages of another one. The saddest result of this situation is the disappearing of depth in our society. When we choose to cut off relationships we also cut off the root of history we developed during the years of that relationship. We are left with shallow and superficial relationships that leave us yearning for a depth of intimacy we never seem able to attain.

Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Our relationships with each other, are living lessons, “where the rubber meets the road” opportunities to put our words into action. Situations where we may be conformed to His image, that we may not only talk like Jesus but also walk like Jesus.

CHALLENGE: How can we learn to forgive if we never have the opportunity to forgive?

                             How can we be conformed to His Image without learning to forgive?

Excerpt “Developing A Secret History with God” page 102

Book and Study Guide available on Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ Lulu/ itunes/ Kindle/ Nook/http wwwclfrance.com/ Rhema Publication or a bookstore near you.

Languages: English/ French

 

Invest in the Becoming and the Doing will Glorify God

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Dear Child,

Through everyday life I am teaching you!

Living, breathing, and responding to everyday life produces maturity that will bear fruit!

Through maturity you are BECOMING!

Through fruit bearing you are producing seed!

                          but 

Through gifting you are DOING!

You have to grow from everyday life to have the maturity to use the gifting.

 I need the balance of fruit and gifting.

I need the balance of BECOMING and DOING.

Without the tests of living, your gifting would lack the flame of passion and conviction, which only comes from character building as your life ripens to the fruit of the spirit.

The seeds you are sowing through your gifting are from the fruit and maturity of your life which is the BECOMING

The using of your gifts is the sowing of those seeds which is the DOING.

Do you see, child, the balance!

Both are needed. I do not want only the gifting, I want the gifting used through your living, the defeats, victories, joys, sorrows, up and downs, testings, questions of life, and the wisdom gained through your time spent with Me.

                                       Thus saith Papa

God commanded that the edge of the robe of the High Priest of Israel would be embroidered with pomegranates. In between the pomegranates were to be sown gold bells. This serves as a typology lesson for us:

The pomegranates speak of the fruit of the spirit which is the BECOMING.

The golden bells speak of the gifts of the spirits which is the DOING.

The placement speaks to us of balance between the fruit and the gifts.

Both were needed but not without balance. Each bell was separated by a pomegranate.  What a clanging noise the bells would have made if not separated by the pomegranates. Does not this remind us of Paul’s exhortation in : 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

In other words, because the gifts can be misused, abused or even faked, they are not a sign of spiritual maturity. Only the fruit of the spirit is evidence of maturity of character. That is why Jesus warns in Matthew 7:20-23  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Therefore gifts are not a sign of maturity! If we desire to grow up in the faith, our character must  ripen to the maturity of the fruit of the spirit. 

If we are to hear Matthew 25:21 Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord., we must be consistently growing in the character of righteousness, that we may faithfully use our gifting in authenticity and integrity for His Kingdom.

CHALLENGE: Is your spiritual life all outward show with no inner substance?

                             Is it all DOING and no BECOMING?

                             Invest in the BECOMING and the DOING will glorify God.

Excerpt from “Developing a Secret History with God” for further study see pages 35-36

Book and Study Guide available on Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ Lulu/ itunes/ Kindle/ Nook/http wwwclfrance.com/ Rhema Publication or a bookstore near you.
Languages: English/ French