Let the Fear of the Lord be upon you

2 Chronicles 19:7 says “Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.” In the Message it reads “Live in the fear of God—be most careful, for God hates dishonesty, partiality, and bribery.”

Do I live in the fear of God? Do I walk as a man with a healthy fear of the Lord such that it influences my actions?  The judges that Jehoshaphat put in place were to perform their work with a fear of the Lord such that they worked with a high degree of integrity in everything that they do.

Faith like a child

Romans 4: 18-22 (NLT) 18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. 20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.

I don’t think I really, really understand faith.  I am convinced that “faith like a child” that Jesus spoke of is much simpler than I make it out to be, in all my maturity and wisdom. (sarcasm implied)

My son Jake understands faith.  I think he has faith like Abraham.  If God said it, that’s enough for him.  There are no questions and no doubts.  Just faith.  By the way, he’s 10 years old.

No, I think I’ve spent my whole life trying to squelch exactly what God puts in us as children.  I so wanted to be “grown up” and a “big boy” that, somehow, I’ve let my faith be tempered by reason, understanding, and feasibility.  OK… I just scared myself writing that down.  Check out what Jesus said on this very topic.

Matt 19:14 ESV 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Luke 10:21 NLT 21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”

How foolish of me to think this way.  How prideful of me to think this way.  Do I really think God only works and can work in the confines of what I understand?  Do I really want a God that is limited by my own imagination? Not me.   Sometimes, I think Papa just sits up on his throne and says about me “Bless his cotton-pickin’ heart. He has NO IDEA what I am capable of.”

Lord, I repent of my sin… my idiotic pride that has led me down a limiting and narrow view of You.  I pray for faith.  Help me exercise my faith this week Lord.  I cast off all the preconceived ideas and pre-built boxes I’ve put you in being “religious” and “pious.”  Forgive me.  Fill me anew with your Holy Spirit and renew a right spirit within me.  Reignite the faith of a child within me.  Thank you for examples of faith such as Abraham. Help me be fully convinced as he was.  Thank you for a living example of faith in my son.  Help me be more like him.  If You said it… that’s enough.  In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Gifts -2

This past saturday at the warrior breakfast Paul (panquerne) spoke about the gifts of the spirit, about why we are given those gifts.  I thought it was pretty cool since thats the same thing Papa has been speaking to me about these past several days.  At the end he told us to ask which gift we have, and I knew exactly which one Papa was saying but I just didn’t want to or could recieve it.  I immediately thought, “I’m too young to have that, that gift is really for a more seasoned saint, not me”  and so I said well I know that I have the gift of faith and discerning of spirits, so that good.  But HE wouldn’t let me go, the word “healing” just keep staring at me, like it was a neon sign, and I have known for a well that it was something HE has wanted to give me but I have been too afraid of it.  I have felt like I’m not good enough to have that or people will think that I am too young, etc.  All the lies of the enemy and I knew then that I had to write this down and confess it or possibly never walk into all that HE has for me.  I know that I have not been given spirit of fear, (going back to timothy again), and even though I have no idea what it looks like on the other side of this, I choose to receive all the gifts that Papa has for me, so that I can be a useful tool for HIM at any given, in season and out of season.
My new rhema strike for this week is
Phil. 4:11-13.
Not that I speak in  regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I  know how to be abased, and I know how to abound,.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This verse seems so fitting, given that He has been dealing with me about contentment and about doing things that I can’t do on my own but only though Christs’ strength.
I am excited about this verse.

I’m Lost, Show Me the Way

Psalms 25:4-5 says, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my slavation; On You I wait all the day.” After reading this passage a few times, Father showed me something. Before I start my quiet time I have kind of a routine that I like to go through. Some praise and worship, a little prayer, and I’ve primed my “spiritual pump” so now I’m ready to read the Bible and pull out what God has for me. The funny thing is Psalms doesn’t say, “I’ll dig in and pull out Your ways, O Lord;” It says, “Show me Your ways…” Apparently, in my mind, I’m the one doing the work in my relationship with Papa. It’s funny to me that in this of all things I have forgotten that He pours out onto me, and that I don’t control it at all.

Papa, forgive me for not realizing that You are the one who reveals Your wisdom and truth to me. Forgive me for thinking that I contribute. Papa, I’m begging You to show me Your ways, I don’t want my ways for my life because they are so inferior to Yours. Papa, I want what you have for me. Forgive me for focusing on the things of this world and using that to gauge my success. I want to succeed in Your word, gifts and ways O Lord.

Healing

This weekend at the warrior breakfast Pops talked about giftings.  It was good.  It began to make me think about healing though.  Pops said everyone has a spiritual gift and ask God what yours is.  Well I know mine, but I want others.  Then I started looking specifically at healing.  I thought well James tells me that all I have to do is pray and people will be healed, and Jesus tells the disciples in the “Great Commission” to preach and heal, so it sounds like anyone can do that.  Then why is there a gift of healing and what does that mean?  So I began to look that up.

The spiritual gift of healing is “charismata iamaton” which means overflowed healing.  The James 5 passage and Acts passages of healing is “therapeuo” or a cure.  The difference in this is that some people walk around with a gift of healing or an overflowing, like a Paul with the shadow deal or a Benny Hinn who when you get around the healing automatically overtakes you.  Then there is a type of healing that is used for a specific time.  When someone is sick and we lay hands God heals, but it takes us laying hands and asking God and them confessing.  The spiritual gift is just an overtaking of healing whether asked for or not, or at least it sounds like that.  It is the same as prophecy.  There are people who are prophets and then there are people who prophecy.  There is a bit of difference in those two things.  That is what I was reading today and that is what I found out.  So now I would like to know how to ask or receive that gift of healing, because I would love to just walk around and people are just getting healed.