A Diamond in the Rough

Joshua Chapter 2

Rahab – she lived in Jericho. She was not an Israelite but respected (feared) the Power of God and saw that He is all powerful. She is a prostitute. But she is aware of her window of opportunity to save not just herself, but her father’s household. She saves the Israelites and herself.

Perhaps she was just smarter that the rest of the people in Jericho. Again here we have a woman of dubious moral character who plays a very important role in the great epic story of the Israelites. Can she be compared to another prostitute in the New Testament who’s faith saves her?

Is it an allegory on the story of Jesus/Mary – Joshua and Rahab?

Yet again God shows us that who you are has nothing to do with who you are to Him. That what you do here on earth has nothing to do with the work He has set out for you and that He judges whoever HE sees fit to do His Kingdom’s work.

If it were up to man we’d all be judged unfit. Unfit for duty to the King and dismissed summarily. God looks through the rough exterior and finds beauty in the rough.

He is like a miner that has to search through many layers of dirt before He finds a rough diamond. He values it very highly and gently removes if from the pit of darkness. He brings it to the light, cleanses it and then He starts the shining process. He has to find my weakness and then cut along that weakness in order to find my true brilliance. It is a painful and arduous task but He is gentle and knows the end result He is working toward.

When He is done after many years, the end result is perfect. Not only does it allow ALL the light into itself, but it then also has the amazing ability to refract and reflect the light into many more places.

Such a treasure is worthy of the crown of a King. Jesus is my King and He deserves a diamond (me) that is truly beautiful, radiant and flawless.

Only by His hand can I ever be that.

AMEN.

Funny how there are days that you can be so strong in the Spirit. That there are things that you have dealt with, let go of and left at the foot of the cross. And then out of absolutely nowhere, that thing comes back with such a fleshy craving, it feels like a physical force that is going to crush you!
I have given up smoking and drinking and drugs 1 year and 6 months ago. I am delivered and clean by the grace of God alone. No rehab, no therapy, just clean and off. It's a miracle I KNOW.
Today at work we are having a farewell for a colleague who is going on retirement. I work for an alcohol company and this does not bother me in the least. Drinking, no thanks.
However, today, in this normal insignificant in my life day, I had such an intense craving for a cigarette that it felt it was a physical thing, crushing me from the inside out. I have never felt such a thing in my life before. I made a call to my best friend, brother in Christ and Confidant - my husband Niven Maree. He is so amazing and strong and the best thing that has ever happened to me. By God's grace, I have the best husband in the world.
I called him, but couldn't speak openly to him at the time as there were other people in my office. I sent him a text message to tell him how I was feeling and what I was going through. God has given him wisdom - liberally - he didn't chastise me or lecture me, he just understood and prayed for me. He told me that my God is greater than the flesh craving I was experiencing and that I should pray too. He said to give it over to the Lord.

I did.

The craving went away.

The devil is a liar. He tried to make me feel as though my flesh craving was so great, I couldn't handle it. He was right. I couldn't handle it. But I have awesome support and the Holy Spirit inside me that is my strength and my salvation. Without God I am nothing. I can do nothing. And HE promised me that in my weakness He will be at His strongest. That was proven to me again today.

Thank you God. I love you. I am grateful to you for Niven, my support and my friend and the love of my life.
Thank you Jesus for your gift of the Holy Spirit in me.
I love you. Amen

Bad Apple

'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.'
I believe this is written for young believers. To show us how MUCH larger our God is than the troubles of this world. Greater than the deceiver, the liar and destroyer. Greater than the lie that - its ok to do what u wanna. NO! It is not ok! We are called to be obedient to God's commandments and His word! How can we even begin to think that what we are going through is a surprise to God? I'm sure the disciples must have thought God was super surprised when Jesus was crucified! They must have thought He was looking the other way the day THAT happened. And yet, if we believe what is written in Holy Scripture, then it tells us that God called us by name before He created the Universe! He knew what you were up to and gonna get up to right from before the start of the start and He decided to love you and call you anyway! He decided that even in your vrottest state, you were still worth the life of His only Son! How great is the love that chooses that?! Knowing ALL the disgusting, embarrasing, dirty rotten vrot things that NOBODY else knows. He knows! He knows the deepest part of the darkest heart. And YET, we are called to love Him, because HE LOVED US FIRST. Now if that truth has not yet sunk into your Spirit, then maybe ur not as vrot as me. Maybe I have more to be forgiven for and so receive greater grace. But HE promises me, that HIS grace is sufficient for me. No matter what, He has enough for me. My God, My God. Why have you NOT forsaken me? Thank you Jesus. I owe you everything. My very breath, my existence, my ALL. I offer it all to you. I give it to you. I committ ALL I am and ALL I have to You Jesus. Who am I without you? NOBODY. Who am I in You? I am more than an overcomer. I am a little child, but I AM an overcomer, because greater is He that is in me, than he who is in the world. Amen. Thank YOU HOLY SPIRIT.

His Grace and Favour

Ephesians 1:4-6

This morning I was lead to Ephesians. I keep going back there. In this book there are so many wonderful truths and promises that it overwhelms me everytime I dwell on the Word.
These 3 little verses carry so much weight that if you just read it for the sake of reading, it will go by and you will not notice the significance at all.
In Vs 4 it tells me that I was chosen by GOD before He created the foundation of the world. What insanity is that?!! God knew who I was going to be, with all my failures and shortcomings and sin and rejection of Him, and He still chose me WAAAAYYYY back then! If that doesn't blow your mind, I'm not sure that much will!
He chose me to HOLY and BLAMELESS in His sight. He knew all my iniquity and He chose that one day, He would see me not as my fleshy worldly scary self, but that He would see His Son, Jesus Christ in me instead. Holy and Blameless. How can anyone look at me and see me to be blameless? Not even I see myself as blameless. But who am I to go against GOD?
The next verse talks of how he predestined me to be adopted into His family. If you think about it, that makes Jesus my big brother. Who can ask for a better big brother than the saviour of the world! When I speak to my Father in heaven, I am allowed to call Him ABBA (daddy) because of the sacrifice of my older brother. I dont have to call Him Sir, or any other formal name, because the Blood of my big brother has paved the way for me to approach the throne of Grace directly and speak to His Father as my own.
BUT, we were NOT called because we are good enough or perfect. Who can ever attain such goodness or perfection? It is impossible in this human frailty and fleshy 'Eve-ness'. Rather we are called according to HIS favour and Grace. How awesome is this GOD who knows me, calls me by my name, knows all my sin and the deepest grossest parts of me and still calls me HOLY?
How can I not offer Him all the Glory and all the Praise and all my Worship every day of my life?! For all eternity! He is MY GOD. He is your GOD.
Will you listen to Him calling your name today? Will you answer Him and let Him call you Holy and Blameless? Let Jesus into your heart and offer Him your life. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. He will always have your best interests at heart and He will always be your Grace.

Tuesday 22/05/2012



http://aafwaterloo.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/a-law-ve-like-no-other/

 

Romans 8:2

“For the LAW of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the LAW of sin and death.”

 

The laws spoken of in this scripture are not the laws as we know them to be in books done by lawyers and politicians. THOSE laws we know can be changed, with some difficulty, but they CAN be changed. Like the privacy bill being proposed by our government to suit their own selfish greed and lust for the world.

NO! These laws spoken about here are not the same as they cannot change. These are NATURAL Laws, like the law of gravity. This is a law that cannot be changed. It is impossible to deny and everything on this planet SUBMITS to that law.  The same as the Law that states, that for every action, there is an equal and opposite re-action. It cannot be changed and it applies to you and me and OUR creation as God created. The law of LIFE in the Spirit is just that. When you are governed by the Holy Spirit residing inside you, you are entitled to and WILL receive life in abundance. God says that His plans are for us to prosper, NOT to wither. He wants to plant us next to an everlasting river. This river gives life even through the drought. How do you DO that? You listen to God. Read His Word, ask Him what he wants us to do and HE WILL TELL YOU! In no uncertain terms. The feeling you get when you are in alignment with His Spirit is one of peace, love and joy!

Why do we find it so hard to yield to the goodness and greatness of God? But find it so easy to accept the death and destruction of sin? Look around you. Have you become so used to sin that you don’t even recognize it any longer? The headlines, the violence in movies, another child raped, another politician who is rumored to be corrupt. Do you ALLOW it to happen because you are NOT offering an equal and opposite reaction? By applying a natural law to your life and to your circumstances YOU can change the world.  We as a collective group of Spirit Dwelling Beings can change EVEN more – when 2 or more are gathered in My name, the I AM – and what can God not achieve?

Stop speaking hatred, indifference and subjection to the world around you. DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT!

You don’t like what happens to rape victims? Then DO something to help. Help by building a Rape Victims Room at your local Police Station. Help by providing a source of comfort to those why have been hurt.

Help the orphans by building them a new building, GIVE of your God given abundance! You are blessed to be a blessing. Use the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus to sow life where there is sin and death. These laws are opposites and if you apply more life and love you start to push back the darkness. We can be more than the proverbial light to the world. We ARE Sons and Daughters of Light. We are already shining, just take the lid off and stop hiding it.

Every person here was inspired to DO something great when they first got saved, right?! Prison ministry or feeding the hungry or speaking to inspire the masses. But then the opposite law starts pushing back and pulls you back down, you start getting told that you cannot hang on to that ZEAL forever and you start to doubt God’s absolute divinity.

His absolute Power and you relinquish that GREAT DREAM because of fear. But God says “I did not give you a spirit of fear and timidity”.

Step out of your fear and accomplish what you set out to do. Do your souls work and be fulfilled with the LAW of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.

Don’t allow the opposite law to eat way at your God-given right! Don’t allow this world of negativity to stump your growth in the Spirit and to cover your light.

Shine! Be Bold! Be the change and make the changes you want to see in this world!

Amen!