Walking by the Spirit

I want everything I do to give glory to God. My heart for this blog is to give glory to God and to do His Will. In my excitement and exuberance over my recent epiphany, I may have bitten off more than I can chew as far as trying to relate - in a few blog posts - the magnificance that is My Heavenly Father and His plan for this world and the world to come. I really didn't think of it as a pride thing, at least I sincerely hope I didn't and I really did check my heart to make sure that I was not trying to get some glory for myself in this.

Some of you are trying to walk by the Spirit of God, like I am, and you know that it is not always an easy road. Some of you may not know what walking by the Spirit is. Even that is not something I can really explain to you because I believe that walking by the Spirit of God is a very individual thing. The Lord may lead me one way and you another - because we all have different weaknesses and strengths. Covetousness has never really been one of my weaknesses. I have been out of debt for the most part for the last several years and have always given money to other people and ministries as I have felt led, so when the Lord told me to give up all my possessions and my job to follow Him, that was not too hard. (O some of it was hard, don't get me wrong.) But loving people and not being a respector of persons, THAT WAS HARD. That IS hard.

I believe that Loving people like Christ loved people is the most important key to understanding God's plan for the ages. True love is a fruit of the spirit, and therefore a supernatural manifestation. Oh, we can fake it till we make it I suppose, but then it isn't true love. Just fake love. I also think it takes work to really love people the way Christ did. You have to get rid of all your pre-concieved notions about that person, your stereo types, your prejudices. You can't truly love people and be stocking up on guns and ammo. You can't truly love people if you think that torture is ok. You certainly can't love people if you are a racist.

I believe that God does have to clean us up and change us into His image, but we also have to follow. We have to lead every thought captive - and sometimes that is an uphill battle every moment of every day. We have to live our lives according to God's word and obey the things that God tells us to do. The clearest way the Lord speaks to us is through His Word. The word tells us how to think and what to think and how to avoid sin and how to repent. And repentance is not about saying sorry. God doesn't want you to keep saying sorry over and over while still engaging in your sin. Repent means CHANGE. Turn your life around and stop doing the things that are sin in your life.

If you find you cannot stop sinning in a certain category in your life ask the Father why you keep getting defeated. Sometimes there is a reason behind it. Sometimes it is a demon. Don't believe those people that tell you that Christians can't have demons. They most certainly can. Satan likes to tell you that Christians can't have demons because if he succeeds in getting a demon in a Christian, he certainly does not want that Christian to be delivered. That is why Jesus gave his followers the ability to cast out demons - so God's kids can get deliverance from satan and his evil hordes. It is God's will that you have deliverance from all demons and demonic influences. But sometimes there are giants in the land so that you will learn spiritual warfare.

You might be interested in reading The restitution of all things by Andrew Jukes. He talks more at length about this idea that I've been trying to convey and failing miserably at. There are some other writings from him that can be accessed from that page as well. I also think you may like J. Preston Eby - who I think I have mentioned before on this website. His writings on Revelation are absolutely astounding and very meaty.

Anyway, that is all I have to say for now. Love God and Appreciate Him and Thank Him for all the blessings you have in your life. Thank Him also for the trials and tribulations you may be going through, as He works to perfect you as a son or daughter. If you are not saved, seek the Lord and pray and read the bible and believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. God desires all men to be saved, and there is nothing that can separate you from the Love of God. If you are a Christian, make sure you have not taken that name in vain. With much knowledge comes much responsibility. Do not let someone take your crown or cause you to lose your birthright or inheritance. Love God and seek Him first in all you do and endeavor to walk in obedience to His Holy Spirit.

With much love and blessings in Christ!
Linda

The Need for Light

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Rom 13:12

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matt 5:14-16

I got the results of my blood tests back yesterday. My thyroid was fine and the dosage I am currently on for my thyroid is fine. But apparantly I have a red flag vitamin D deficiency. The lowest number you can have for optimum health is 32. Mine was 9. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that we hardly ever see the sun here in the Pacific Northwest. The doctors say I need 4000 units to get back up. Of course I looked up vitamin D deficiency and one of the main causes is lack of natural light. Our skin is able to convert sunlight into vitamin D. I thought it was pretty profound that the Lord has designed our bodies to require a certain amount of light in order to function.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

God is light. Just like our bodies need the light of the sun, spiritually, we need the light of God in our lives.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1 John 1:6

If we say that we have a relationship with God, and yet we are still walking in darkness,(full of sin and anger and hatred and NOT LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR) we are LIARS, and are not doing the truth. Nowadays the lost can't see any light at all in this crooked and preverse world because all the Christians are hypocrites and not walking in the love of Jesus.

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Eph 5:8-14

Jesus Christ brought all the law into two commandments. Love God and love your neighbor. It is the love of God that you show that will bring the light of God to a world filled with so much darkness. If you can't love your neighbor, ask the Lord to fill you with His light and His love. Pray for open doors to witness Christ and to share the hope that is in you and be lights in this world.

Understanding Perfection

Some interesting points were made in the comment section that I think are important to take a closer look at. I'd like to thank those of you who are commenting and encourage you to keep commenting. My heart for this blog and in these posts in particular is not that I am right and anyone with an opposing view is wrong. I will freely admit that I don't know anything and could be wrong in the view I am holding. My heart, is to find out what is the Word actually saying. Also, with the way the Word is designed - both letter and Spirit - we could be saying what appears to be the opposite idea and can actually both be right. Or wrong.

The Scriptures do not come right out and say that Adam was created perfect. The very first usage of the word perfect was in reference to Noah. It says, "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." Gen 6:9 Now I know there are alot of theories out there that the word 'generations' actually means 'genetics' and that idea is used to prove alot of pretty out there doctrines. We could debate whether or not evil changes your genetic code or changes you at the genetic level, but I think that idea is going to take up more space and be more of a distraction than I want for this discussion.

Unfortunately for us, the Word does not explain why Noah was perfect - was it because he was just? or because he walked with God? The answer is not in the text.

I believe that everything God creates is perfect. I don't think that He is even capable of creating something that is imperfect. I believe that the imperfectness comes from the created being and not from God. Even the anointed cherub himself was created perfect:

Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Eze 28:12-15

I still hold to the idea that Adam was created in the image of God - and God is perfect - therefore Adam being in God's image was perfect. Plus, I think Adam had to be created perfect on a legal basis. It is impossible for God to do anything that could cause Him to be accused of unrighteousness. Not that people don't accuse him of unrighteousness, because they do that all the time since they do not understand what righteousness is and that God is incapable of unrighteousness. If Adam had been created imperfect - then he could say, "of course I sinned, you created me this way". It would have been unfair.

No. I believe God created a perfect man and put him in a perfect environment. He also gave him the Word that the man could stand on to use against the adversary. God also told the man the consequences of breaking the Word. The man chose himself to break the Word and bear the consequences.

Yes, absolutely Jesus Christ was perfect. He had to be like the first Adam in order to be the perfect sacrifice. That is why he took part (the flesh) but not the blood (the tainted sin nature brought by the fall of man). Before the fall, Adam's blood was not tainted, because he was created perfect. The blood became tainted with the sin nature after Adam sinned.

This is a very vast subject and I don't have more time today to devote to it. I also believe books and books could be written on the subject and it still not be adequately covered. Blessings in Christ!
Linda

Adam and Eve: A Love Story

This is really the most amazing Love story of How God So Loved The World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son and more about How much God Loves us as individuals. God is the Great Author who has given us His amazing Word and has magnified His Word above all His name. (Psa 138:2) Jesus Christ was The Word of God made flesh, and dwelt among us.

But this story has to start somewhere and for me, it started in one of the most unlikely of places. Stuart Best. I'm not sure if you are familiar with him, but he wrote a book entitled, "Darklight." In the book, he has an enormous amount of research about the word "agape" which is the love of God, and also has a lot on the idea that when Adam and Eve were created - they were created in the image of God and therefore - miniature agape loves - just like God Himself. Now if you are interested in reading "Darklight" you can google it or Stuart Best and delve into some of his research for yourself. He offers "Darklight" for free to download from his website. But I would have to say EMPHATICALLY that I do not recommend that you do that. I only read up to page 535 (there is over 700 pages) and I believe that the conclusions he reaches are false and actively contribute to the deception that I am trying to overturn here. If you feel led of the Lord to read that book, then please pray beforehand for discernment. I'm not so sure that the meat is worth all the bones that would have to be picked through.

I used to visit Stuart's website daily, but every couple days he announced the "potential" complete and utter annihilation of the planet on such and such a date. After a couple years of that and still no extinction level event I just couldn't take it anymore! The only reason I even bring up his name at all (since you may have noticed, I don't like to name names) is that some of what I learned in that book, helped to open my eyes to the truths I am expounding here.

So I loved the premise that Adam and Eve were little agape love people. If they were in the image of God who is love - then they were also pure love. So let's go back to the garden for a moment. God looked at Adam alone, and stated that it was "not good." Up until that time, everything had been very good or at least good. So God created Eve and brought her to Adam. (You know the story. But if you don't you can read it in the beginning of Genesis.) Two little love birds sitting in a tree.

Now I have read many many books about what happened in the garden. Every one of them different. So I know that there are many ways to interpret what happened in Eden and I have read and/or believed a good portion of them. I think it is a parable for many different things - so pray about this idea of agape love creatures in the image of God. I'm not making this up, I'm just the messenger. "Darklight" also touches on this.

So now the serpent has tempted Eve and she has eaten of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Word establishes the fact that Eve was deceived but that Adam WAS NOT deceived.

Here is Adam - a pure agape love creature - who has seen the object of his perfect love become a fallen creature right before his very eyes. Oh - we can say maybe he should of stopped her, maybe he could of talked to God - woulda, shoulda, coulda.

No he did what another famous romantic did in a similar situation. Maybe Shakespeare actually knew what happened back then? Romeo - having seen Juliet die after eating the poison - decides to join her in death - rather than live without her. Because Love always lays down His life for His friends.

When I first heard that idea my jaw about hit the floor.

If that was the case - then the fact that Adam subsequently blames both the woman and God for his disobedience becomes that much more poignant. Now a fallen creature Adam does not remember his noble agape love and pure motive sacrifice for Eve. Yet, that was the plan all along from God's perspective - because without the fall, there can be no plan of redemption. That is why - by Adam death was introduced, but by Jesus (the 2nd Adam) death was destroyed and thereby life was made available again. True agape love type life.

While we are still in the garden lets look around a little more. There is someone here who is not like the others, someone else who just doesn't belong. Someone who is NOT a pure agape love creature. Our adversary, satan who is pure hatred the polar opposite from God (and Adam and Eve when they were first created.) I read somewhere the idea that satan was able to get 1/3 of the angels to rebel because he convinced them that SINCE God was pure love - He would be unable to do anything about satan's revolt, satan thinking that he could use God's own Holy Character against Him. I'm sorry I can't remember who taught that so if you know please let me know and I will edit this to add the authors name. (Ma says she thinks it is Chuck Missler. Thanks Ma!)So the fall of man and subsequent redemption up to now and including the destruction of the power of death that satan has used to bind the human race, has not only saved man, but shown satan how God was willing to take on humanity in order to lay down His Own life for it. Thus proving to satan once and for all that the Lord can defeat satan without breaking His perfect Love and Character.

Phew!

Ok, check in with you tomorrow! Has your head exploded yet? That is just the beginning! Love in Christ!
Linda

The Weaning Process

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: Isaiah 28:9-12

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:11-14

Those of us who are parents know what it is to wean a child off of milk and unto solid food. If you have never had children or been around little babies, from the time they are born until they are about 6 months old, a baby can only drink milk. Around 6 months of age,(maybe 4 months if the baby is really big and always hungry) you can start to introduce them to solid food. Usually cereal first. Then baby food which can be fruits, vegetables or even meat, although it is completely pureed because little babies do not have any teeth. Babies usually get their first tooth around 6 months and by two years old should have their full set of baby teeth. But it has happened that a baby won't get their first tooth until they are 15 months old and have a full set by three years old - so it really varies from baby to baby. No two babies are alike.

The Scriptures talk about milk and meat in terms of what a baby Christian can handle as far as what the truth of God's Word is. But when it is time to start going past the milk doctrines and start chewing some of the meat doctrines you don't just stop drinking the milk. No matter how old you get in the Word, you always have to remember the milk - but now you have the meat as well.

I used to think the Word was like an onion. You would get deeper and deeper as you take off the certain layers. Then I began to see it as a diamond, if you turned it this way in the light it looked this way and if you turned it that way in the light it would look that way. Now I understand that it is a classroom, where you are the student and our Heavenly Father is the teacher. Sometimes there are field trips and sometimes there is homework. But the Holy Spirit is not a mean teacher who is wearing polyester pants and has tape on his glasses and a laser pointer. He is our merciful and graceful Heavenly Father who is home-schooling us. Like I told someone in an email recently, "Our Father feeds us like a little baby. He gives us a bite and then He waits for us to chew on it. He does not shove a steak sandwich down our throats!"

I want to clarify that I'm not taking the place of the teacher in this next couple of posts. The Holy Spirit is your only teacher and He will lead you to hear what I have to say or lead you away if that is His Will. I, frankly, know nothing.

I do want to share what I have learned with you, but not by shoving a steak sandwich down your throats! I want to show you the way my Father showed me - precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Someone on a comment somewhere on the internet that I cannot remember where I read it said, "we are all at different levels." That is absolutely the truth. I can assume that my readers are more mature Christians, but that is not necessarily the case. So I certainly don't want any of the younger Christians to start choking on this, if I can introduce it in a way that can be pure and peaceable.

My wise friend Richard has brought up a very good point in the comments. He said, "a wise man has said “that the most dangerous doctrine is God’s truth held carnally to exalt self”. A very sobering truth - and one I do not take lightly. I don't want to turn into some kind of blowfish - puffed up on my new found knowledge. I certainly don't want you to think that I think everyone who doesn't know this is a child and I'm a grown up. NO! Absolutely not. I pray the Lord will keep me humble with this knowledge. And here is the rub. This information should be COMMON KNOWLEDGE to Christians! This should be taught in the churches and not the watered down prosperity gospel we have there now. All the people in the 1st century church KNEW this stuff! But the adversary has done a pretty thorough job of hiding this truth with a lot of lies. Lies that me and most of my fellow Christians have believed for the most part.

I have another reason for talking about this subject the slow way rather than just posting a bunch of links. I have already had someone very close to me accuse me of not sticking to the words of Jesus and they would not accept this subject. While on the phone with this person - I had a very clear idea of what the coming persecution would be like. This person has been a Christian for years and could not accept the truth of what I was saying. Maybe you won't be able to either. The Lord has to open peoples eye's when HE believes they are ready. I used to believe whole-heartedly in the pre-trib rapture doctrine. I was so set on it, that anyone who did NOT believe in the pre-trib rapture, I would not take them seriously or read their website. Of course, I was a backslidden carnal Christian at the time. So that just proves the validity of the 'we are all at different levels' case.

I would like to ask that you pray for me as I write these posts, that they will be what the Father wants me say, the way He wants me to say it. I also ask that you pray for yourselves, that the Lord show you the truths in His Word. I also ask that you look up the stuff I will say for yourselves and not just blindly believe it because I am saying it. Press in to the Father and establish a relationship with Him. It is His desire that we trust Him to teach us and to take care of us in every aspect of our lives. Pray for the lost, because we were once, just as lost as them. Till next time! blessings in Christ!
Linda

A bottle in the smoke

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes. Psalms 119:83

I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment (thy Word) is exceeding broad. Psalms 119:96

The wine bottles of old, were not glass like they are today. They were made out of animal skins, most likely goatskins and were more like our modern day bota bag. Jesus taught that "no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better." Luke 5:37-39

When they hung the wine bottles over the fire - the smoke of the fire would harden the skin and render the bottle useless and also cause it to break or leak. But when I first read that verse in Psalms 119 about a bottle in the smoke, I thought about our bottles. If you have ever seen a bottle that has been in a fire - it is covered in this black coating that reminded me of the world and the filth of the world. If I am a bottle in the smoke, then the Lord Himself has had to take the time to clean all the filth of the world off of me before I can see clearly. I must also be willing to taste the new wine and not cling to the old.

I have tasted the new wine. I have been made new. The Lord has shown me a tiny glimpse of something so spectacular that it has changed the way I see everything. Reading the Word has a whole NEW meaning now, and I can't unglimpse it. This is my testimony that I want to share with you, but it is so huge that I cannot even begin to tell you in one tiny post. The Lord has filled my veins with fire and if I were to shut my mouth my entire head would explode just like in the movie Scanners. (Scanners was the very first movie to have a real live head explosion. But now, meh, happens all the time!)

I realized that every single minute, every trial, every temptation and every hardship had brought me to this moment. Not just since I started this journey in 2008, but my whole life was getting me ready to see the Lord bigger than I ever had. It isn't even about me. It's about God and His mighty and amazing plan of redemption.

I saw a brilliant rainbow today. The colors were amazing - bright blue, deep purple, light yellow, but when I tried to take a picture of it, it was dull. The camera was unable to capture the brilliance I had seen with my own eyes. I fear that I will be unable to convey with mere words the amazing and unimaginable glory that is my Heavenly Father and His great Love and Mercy for this fallen world and my fellow brothers and sisters.

Maybe you will not understand? Maybe you will stop following my blog and think me a heretic? Maybe I have gone insane? If this is craziness I want MORE! And I never want to go back to sanity.

I started this post at 10am this morning - but got called away from the computer. Now it is 7:30pm and I have had a long day and cannot say the things I wanted to earlier. I will have to start again in the morning.

Seek the Lord my friends and LOVE Him with your whole heart and soul and mind and strength. He loves us more than we can even imagine and His mighty arm is stretched out still. He sent His son Jesus Christ to be the ultimate sacrifice, to take away the sins of the world and to destroy the works of the devil.

Sorry, I am so tired now and have to go to bed. I will attempt tomorrow to finish what I have to tell you. Love you my friends!
Linda

Fools

God's word has a lot to say about fools. The book of Proverbs is filled with verses about the fool. Here is an example from Proverbs 26:1-12:

As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools. As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools. The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

I was surprised to find out that when the Lord Jesus Christ was listing the things that come out of the heart of man, to defile the man, one of the things He listed was foolishness! Mar 7:20-23.

When it comes to death, though, the fool and the wise man are the same:

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. Ecc. 2:16

But wisdom itself is a paradox. The minute you say that you are wise, you become a fool. The ultimate wisdom/foolish paradox is the cross:

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; I Cor 1:18-27

So then? What do we do? I am beginning to understand the paradox. If you want to be wise, become a fool for God. Any true wisdom comes from the Father above. The Word admonishes us:

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 1Cr 3:18

Just like if you want to save your life you must lose it, so if you want to be wise in the Lord, understand that you are a fool. Then you will understand Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 1Cr 10:15