Unraveling the Stress of the Christmas Season

November 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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As we head into heat of the Christmas season with the frustrating lines in the stores, the tangled lights that don’t work after hours of decorating, the strained relationships especially within families, the baking that was a flop, the stress to fit all the activities into your calendar are only examples of  the pressure cooker we make of the season as we blow our tops and lose the joy of the season, I am cautioned by this word my heavenly Papa dropped into my heart.

Dear Child,

The pressure and stress that robs you of the joy of this season has been manufactured by man and led man into slavery when this season was to set man free from the bondage of this world. The angels cry “Joy to the world” not “Stress to the world”.

Do not try to package my gift in wrapping paper of stress tied up with a bow of pressure!

My gift came wrapped in joy and tied with love.

May the joy of the season overflow from your hearts as you extend your arms as ribbons of love to others.

Thus saith Papa

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

CHALLENGE: Do not let the world pour you into its mold of stress during this season of joy.

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Thanksgiving is a Faith Builder

November 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Dear Child,

Entering My presence with thanksgiving will build the faith you need to present your requests before Me, and without faith it is impossible to please Me.

Without thanksgiving you will not have that ever increasing faith to believe that I am a rewarder of those who diligently seek Me.

Because thanksgiving brings to remembrance My faithfulness in the past and feeds your faith.

But ingratitude produces a complaining heart drowned in self-pity which will quench your faith.

An unthankful heart will be excluded from My presence.

In My presence is joy unspeakable and full of glory, a place you can only enter through the gate of thanksgiving! Child, be thankful!

                                            Thus saith Papa

                                              My Jehovah Jireh

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. 

Counting our blessings and remembering His goodness and faithfulness in the past feeds and nourishes our faith BUT being ungrateful and complaining will quench our faith and gratify the weeds that the enemy has sown.

An attitude of praise is the result of a thankful heart.

 Praise and thanksgiving are like Siamese twins i.e. they are inseparable.

Without thanksgiving we haven’t even entered the gate. Yet so often we try to offer praise in His court, and yet still find ourselves coldly on the outside. The only way into the warmth His presence is through the Gate of Thanksgiving. 

So often we come to church with a heavy heart because of circumstances. But if only we would spend a few moments reflecting as we declare  “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11 it would give us an appreciative and thankful heart and our attitude would change, preparing us to enter the gate and into His courts with praise. As the Word tells us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”Isaiah.61:3.

Please note that I did not say our circumstances would necessarily change, I said our attitude to the circumstances would change. We will no longer be under the circumstances because our sacrifice of praise will raise us above those circumstances, and we will find ourselves spiritually seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Then in His timing we will see victory because He can work with those who praise Him. A grateful heart is a soft, pliable heart in the loving hands of the Master Potter. But hearts become cold and hardened when we murmur and complain.

Yes, it is hard when we are burdened and we just don’t feel like praising God.

But isn’t that what a sacrifice is all about? Something that is costing you! What is the cost? An act of our will to choose to offer Him a sacrifice of praise even when we don’t understand the “whys?” We are actually saying with that praise, “ God, I don’t know the future but I do believe that you hold my future and I trust you with the outcome.” We call that faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him.

CHALLENGE: May we all grow to the stature of the faith of Job who declared “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:” Job 13:15

 

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Chasing After Honor or Does it Follow You?

November 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

photo 3Dear Father,

Forgive me for the times that the flesh has sought for honor, depriving the spirit of honor that only comes from you! Teach me and mold me, I pray!

Dear Child,

When your heart motivation is truly just to please Me, who sees all things, you will receive a reward and honor. 

You will have the reward of contentment knowing you can commit all things to My faithful hands. The stress and sweat of trying to prove oneself to others will be overcome by My peace that passes understanding.

You will be able to love and accept others because you will not be in competition with others!

Yes, you are running a race, but you will be running to please Me, not to prove anything to others.

Your life is hid in the cross!

The source of your life is hid beneath the soil of your heart and in your spiritual root structure, which is developed in secret times with Me, which no man sees. 

                                                     Thus saith Papa

Matt. 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 

When we minister only to be seen and approved by men, the word tells us we already have our reward, but that temporal reward comes at the expense of an eternal reward which we would receive if we minister only for our Audience of One.

John 21:21-22  Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

In the above scripture Peter questions Jesus about the calling of John. Jesus’ reply helps me understand  that I should not be competitively concerned about what He has called others to do, but only be responsibly concerned about what He has called me to do! 

CHALLENGE: “Honor is like the shadow, which flees from those who pursue it, and grasp at it, but follows those who flee from it.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Seek the honor that comes from solely serving your Audience of One, rather that temporarily satisfying the flesh with the honor and approval of man.

 For more information about your quiet time with God read “Developing a Secret History with God”

Book available on Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ Walmart/Lulu/ itunes/ Kindle/ Nook/http wwwclfrance.com/ W.H. Smith UK/or a bookstore near you.
Languages: English/ French

 

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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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The Sun is Always behind the Clouds

September 17, 2013 by 2 Comments

sun bursting throughOne morning as I was spending time alone in my rose garden with my heavenly Papa I looked up at a beautiful cloudless blue sky and wondered why life couldn’t always be this “perfect”? In answer to my questioning meditation Papa dropped this word into my heart.

Dear Child,

Yes, look at that sky! Today there is not a cloud in sight, but, child, without clouds there would be no rain to nourish and refresh your garden. Without clouds in your life, the sun cannot break through. Without trials there cannot be the sweet fragrance of victory in your life like the cool refreshing fragrance in your garden after the clouds burst to become rain to water and give life to the earth.

Remember the sun is always there behind the clouds, but the clouds are not always there. If you look up at a cloudy sky you will notice how the clouds are always moving away. Trials only last for a season but I am always there working in My sovereignty behind those trials that all things may work together for good.

Just as the clouds work for good and become refreshing rain, there is a divine purpose for every cloud in your life.

                                        Thus saith Papa

 

1Peter 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Andre Crouch penned it so well in his song,

“ Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.

For if I never had my problems, I would never know what faith in God could do.

I have learned that my trials only come to make me strong.”

 

Challenge: When we can’t see His Plan

                      Or we can’t feel His Hand

                      We know we can trust His Heart 

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