Fine Wine in 2009

We the people voted in the White House CHANGE! And I am sure it will be Change that we shall get. I pray the Hand of God is on our President and his staff. We shall all pray! May God's guidance, love and mercy be upon us and those who are our nation's leaders. So we voted for Change! God is all about Change. Are we ready for the change that is to come and are we ready to Change?

As we leap into 2009 remember CHANGE is at hand.

Fine Wine in 2009

Mighty, mighty fine 2009
Change your whine
Toward the divine
Change your state of mind!
And have some fine, fine wine
Reminding you this—As the Son shines
You will have peace of mind
In 2009

Be conscious of your traditions and the Lord's. Change your atmosphere into a climate where you and He can abide. The Stronghold of His presence will make a rest in the habitation of praise. There you and He will cultivate a harvest of fine wine.

Blessings of Greatness in 2009.

For the Lord is our shelter, He is our peace and our rest, and in Him we shall take refuge!

Traditions

Are you a living contradiction: Do your traditions portray your beliefs?

Sometimes we are held in bondage by our traditions, religious mindsets, or the family traditions we have grown up with that are not in line with the Bible or our beliefs.

When we became a believer our life was destined for change. Believe it or not change happens if we want it or not. We are born; we grow old (hopefully), and then die. From the beginning of life we begin our change. Some call that growth. Yet others have a hard time when they reach the age of 30 or 50 and so on. I remember our daughter Lori telling me she did not want to grow up. She did not want to have the responsibility that adults have! Interesting for a ten year old to say, yet at that age she knew she did not have a choice and she would have to CHANGE!

Today I am speaking of spiritually change. When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly it is called metamorphous! What a change! It is similar to what God does to us. He causes a death to the old to bring forth something new.

If you live in New England you can watch the trees change! The turning color of the leaves is called photosynthesis. They begin as buds, turn to green leaves, and then end the process by changing to the multicolored leaves ultimately dying leaving the tree barren until spring.

Change for Christians involves the hunger and longing we have for His Presence, His Love more than we have ever had before!

Contradiction occurs in our lives when our internal man presses forward to into God’s loving embrace and our old man continues in the same traditions and lifestyle it always had. Our mind can become paralyzed because of the traditions we confess oral. There is always a contradiction when we obtain new revelation in Christ Jesus. The revelation we obtain causes us to want CHANGE. With revelation we create a new TRADITION! We give up our old customs of culture and beliefs, surrender to the Lord and He leads us in a new life, a new way of living, and a new way of celebrating life. Therefore, our traditions should reflect the Word. Unfortunately most of our traditions are a contradiction to our New Life in Christ.

I wonder how much of what has been orally passed on through our generations has caused us to believe error—a contradiction to the Living Word. How much of what we believe today is an exaggerated truth that became unbiblical?

The way we "traditionally worship" has been passed down through the generations, and even though I changed my idea of worship over the years a lot of what I do is out of tradition. How about you? Is it Biblical or traditional? If we really stop and ponder this point, we can surmise that many areas of our life are carved out by tradition. In this Christmas season, I am reminded of how we celebrated Christmas as Children and then how we changed tradition to fit our own blended family.

As our children grew, it was tradition at Thanksgiving dinner that we would all say what we were thankful for. Now I think of those things each day! Is it tradition for you to attend Sunday service to receive from the preacher? Or is it now tradition to sit at the Lord’s feet yourself? Unfortunately, this is a mindset for most of the Church - many sit in the pew and allow another person to hear from God for them, rather than hear daily for themselves. There you have it – another tradition!

Today however, I am breaking OUT from tradition. I believe we can have church any day of the week - because we are the Church! I am not advocating that we stop attending worship on a weekly basis, but rather break out of tradition and have "church" every day. How can we do this? By worshiping God every day and acknowledging Him in our hearts on a daily basis. Our hearts must be intimately involved in worship - or else it is simply tradition. Again, it is a HEART issue. If our hearts are not engaged, then our worship becomes religious tradition. And when we attend a church service our hearts and minds need to be engaged.

I want to encourage you today to break out of the tradition of man and enter into the presence of the Lord. Enter into His tradition. If we were engaged with the heart of Christ, we would witness more and more of His presence supernaturally manifested in the world in which we live!

Let's look at Mark 7:6, 7, and 13 to better understand how Jesus felt concerning religious tradition:

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' …Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that." (NIV)

In other words, a relationship with God that is only through tradition can be hazardous and can hold us in bondage!

Be Prepared for Controversy and Contradiction.

Get ready for a shaking. Our mindsets concerning God and Church are going to be confronted by Heaven. The more we pray for His perfect will to be established, the more our traditions will be challenged to CHANGE.

RESPONSE TO: HARD WORK

Dear Dianne,

 

I could relate to the things that you asked if we could relate to. . .

 

Only recently have I had a breakthrough.  I've battled with depression for years and am finally realizing that the missing link was a "daily" walk with God and for me that is work.  Although, I am beginning to find it a pleasure to be "invited" into God's presense daily.  And I'm finding that as I "draw nigh to God, He is 'drawing' nigh to me." 

 

This is not only helping with the depression, but it is helping my relationships with people, as well as, my work ethics.  I can now say that I am "working as unto the Lord."  My current job is working with elementary age children in an after school program.

 

Although, the children are great, I don't believe working with children is my gift.  The burden God has put on my heart is for those who battle with depression.  He has brought me through a long journey to where I am to today and I believe God wants me to share with others my story in order to encourage them. 

 

I don't know as yet, how God is going to use me in all this.  However, at least for the time being, I encourage who I can on a one-to-one basis.

 

I mentioned above that God "has brought me through a long journey."  One of things I can relate to in your message is "laziness."  In the depression, I had the tendancy to "sleep to avoid life and pain."  And while in this state, I spent much time in bed.  In addition, I isolated myself from people who could have been there to help me, if I'd only take a "step of faith."

 

Thankfully, I've found a loving, caring group of people at my church.  Also, we recently had a "life course" (a course on various subjects for instance - budgeting) on "Overcoming Depression.  It was very, very helpful and I truly believe that I've had a breakthrough after suffering with depression for many years.

 

I look forward to how God is going to use me in my "work" with others.

 

Thank you for another message that I can "ponder in my heart."

 

God bless,

Joan

Food for Thought

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)

 

Thinking and meditating on this scripture causes an explosion within my being.

 

His divine power has given me everything I need for life. His divine nature that I am a partaker of from the beginning of my walk with Him-Christ Jesus. I have that same divine nature—that tree of life growing within me! Yes, in me and in you. All who believe on and in Jesus the Christ. Those things we need are accessible to us. Come on now, you must have some thoughts on that yourself.

 

Everything I need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us

Ok, now I have the rights (the keys) to obtain godliness? Yes we do, because we are made in the image and likeness of Christ. That does include godliness, does it? Yea, the secret is that it comes through our knowledge of Him. To know Him is to love Him and our walk is determined by what we know of Him. Our relationship with Him defines the power, godliness, and life supply we receive.

 

This is the process I take to chew on the Word. Meditating on what it means to me, for me, and how I can relate it to others..

 

Who called us by His own glory and goodness. It does not have to do with my worth, my goodness, or even my holiness. Jesus did it all at and on the cross. He gave us the right away for a relationship with the Father. It began in the Father's heart, His glory, and His goodness alone called us! I think of any of our children and grandchildren. I love them all. All differently, because of their personalities, yet all with the same love and affection. It does not matter if they behave the way I think they should, or do what I think they should do. There are no rules or hoops they need to go through to receive my love. Our Father God is even better than that.

 

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises. So I think of those promises He has given me. To live a healthy, fruitful life. To be able to love the un-lovely and care for those He instructs. That me and my household will serve the Lord. Those are just a couple.  Do you have your own special promises maped out for yourself? I know I will serve the Lord with the rest of my life and that by putting Him first He shall take care of all my needs.

 

So that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." This is so awesome. We all get to participate in His divine nature. And to do so we must know His nature and His ways. That can only happen by reading His Word, praying in our prayer language, and consulting and communicating with the Lord for ourselves. Looking to God and not man for answers. To know when to flee from temptation and to recognize His voice and to obey His divine purpose in our lives is top priority. Then and only then do we escape the devastation and calamity of life around us.

 

This is just food for thought. Now it is your turn to chew on this scripture and dig for yourself the oil He has for you and your life.

Blessings, Dianne

 

Hard Work

 It takes hard work to get anything done in this world. If you want to do something significant, you must do significant work.

 

Those who do the minimum, the status quo— who continually think of how to contribute as little as possible in any given situation — always remain minimal in their impact on the world around them. If a person wants to be successful or impacting in life, they must be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the task that they has been asked to perform.

 

As Paul continues to tell us about his life experiences in Second Corinthians 11:27, he lets us know he was willing to do very hard work. For him, there was no clock to punch with his time card, nor any employee manual to specify how many days of vacation he takes off each year. Paul's whole life was his calling. He could not separate who he was from what he was called to do.. Paul took ownership. Can you RELATE?

 

His identity and purpose for living was wrapped up in the life assignment God had given him. Because of this, every minute he lived and breathed was devoted to fulfilling his divine assignment. Paul was willing to do anything required to fulfill that call.

 

In Weariness

Paul uses the words "in weariness" to describe the incredible effort, toil, and physical exertion he put forth to fulfill God's calling on his life. It is also used in Second Corinthians 11:23, where Paul told us that he worked harder than anyone else he knew. To combat weariness means that one would have to endure, muscle strains, struggles of fatigue, and emotional anguish to push forward and complete the job. This effort requires total concentration and devotion.

 

Many people have the misconception that ministry is primarily comprised of sitting around praying and reading the Bible. The truth is there is a price to pay. It is the sacrifice of one's life. This is why Paul referred to it as "the work of the ministry" (Ephesians 4:12). A great deal of hard work is required to fulfill one's ministry effectively and responsibly. Submission of my will to His will.

 

One must be willing to give their life to the task of pushing back the kingdom of darkness and establishing newly saved people into a stable and mature Christian walk. Effective Christian walk requires a person to work hours, to be focused, to crucify his flesh, and to do whatever is necessary to see God's Kingdom furthered.

 

One must fight off the devil's attacks with the living Word of God, deal with people's instability, deliberately decide not to be hurt or wounded by those who disappoint him, and spend enough time with God to always have a fresh word from Heaven.

 

Let me tell you from personal experience— to do all this effectively demands my entire life. This is why Paul called it the "work of the ministry." To prepare for a healing workshop or a time of speaking to the body takes concentrated effort, before and after engagements, to remain in fellowship with Chirst—to empty my mind of self talk, self needs, and personal family desires.

 

In Painfulness

Paul uses the phrase "in painfulness" to tell us the extent to which he had worked to achieve God's purposes. The word painfulness has to do with the idea of struggle or to work so hard that he is about to collapse. He is exhausted from physical labor. His job demanded a level of physical commitment beyond what is considered normal. But the job needed to be done, so he kept pushing, pushing, and pushing himself further and further. Like it or not, it was not a time to rest.

 

I believe I have just begun to understand the ministry as Paul describes.

 

Paul's entire life was consumed with and committed to fulfilling what God called him to do. It was the driving motivation of his life and the purpose for his existence. NOT A 9 TO 5. GOTTA MAKE A LIVING. 

 

The only thing "painful" about Paul's consuming drive to obey God was the toll ot took on his body. Our flesh always wants to take an easier, lazier course of action.— can you relate?

 

You must understan that when you come to the end of yourself God takes over. His grace is sufficient for us all. We need to rejoice in our weakness, knowing that His power will kick in. God's power enabled Paul to push beyond a normal capacity of human strength. Because Paul had a heart to never fail or give up, God's power came upon him and empowered him to do what other men and women could not physically do—that is the heart motivation I want!

 

Do you want to be super successful in life? Then you must go above and beyond what everyone else is doing. In order to achieve something spectacular, you have to do something spectacular. Think beyond yourself. I am considering Paul for a role model!

 

I urge you today to take a good look at your work habits and to evaluate what kind of worker you really are. If you continue at the same pace and level of excellence you are working at today, where will you be in five years?

 

To get to a place of greater responsibility, authority, and blessing, what changes do you need to make in the way you work?

 

These Days

For me,  I do judge the world according to the  Word of God and apply it to my own life walk. Love the sinner and not the sin. Give Cesar what is his and give the Lord what is His. What comes to mind is Jesus as he is dying on the cross and crying "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do".  That is not only for the unbeliever but for the believer as well.  Often I find my life with sin that I did not realize it.

 

After reading the end of Jonah, I believe we are ultimately responsible for our own lives.  Hopefully that by living a "good" life in Christ we will be able to persuade others into the faith. Again in John, it is because we have the Living God within and we are listening to Him.

 

John 14:17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

 

Therefore, I continue to pray for the veil to be removed from the eyes of the unbeliever and believer alike,for ears to be open and hearts to be softened to the hearkening of the Spirit's call and command to us as we live this life.

 

 

Jonah 4:10  Then the Lord said, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there.  It came quickly and died quickly.  But Nieveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals.  Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?"

 

These are going to be times of great trials and devastation's and we have the answers within our spiritual hearts.  Go deeper and see the width and breath of His love and provision for us and our families.  The other side of the boat is where they caught the fish.  We are to listen and go to the other side of provision and not consider the condition of the world.

 

 May we all do our part to increase His Kingdom and strengthen those believers we are in relationship with.  May the Grace of God, that flows from the Mercy Seat, touch and strengthen you today.

     

 

Once Again

---

 

In my Heaviness In my business In my loneliness I come to be filled   You alone satisfy You alone magnify Bringing Your goodness within me   So Lord here I am again Pleading for your touch Repenting of the chaos in which I live Repenting for my wondering heart.   I know your loving kindness Once again takes me in  Captures my heart Makes me whole To serve You with a blazing fire Once again.   Bring it on Lord Pour on the fire Ablaze in me again.   Like a tuning fork you call forth Divine timing Divine clarity   My divine purpose Once again brings about the heralding   Of Your wondrous works     Psalm 119:29  I lie in the dust, completely discouraged; revive me by your word.   Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.

Seeds of Greatness!

We have all heard messages on 'seed'—seed for our gifts and talents and of course prosperity seed. I am not talking about the money seed inwhich we give. I am referring to germinating those seeds within, those seeds our Father placed within us before our birth.  by the Holy Spirit's power and the Father's Love those seeds will germinate .

 

October is a great month. On the contrary, you might not think so, however, it is all about perception! Let me tell you why October is a great month. It is a great month for growing grass and seeding planting for spring, and for preparing the soil so it can obtain its fullness. The Word tells us there is seedtime, nurturing time, and harvest time. It also tells us that the planting and the harvesting will come together!

 

This is what I am bearing witness to.

 

There is nothing NEW in you. You already possess the seeds of greatness. This is a time that the Holy Spirit will revive, renew, and activate those seeds! It all happens when we are resting in His presence, leaning on His breast! That is quite the metaphor. That can only happen when we apply those four disciplines I previously wrote about. Un-clutter, Be Still, Cultivate Serenity, and Trust Him Completely. If you take these disciplines seriously, you will be able to enter into His gates and Activation will occur. You will know what it is, sense it, feel it, and proceed to accomplish His purpose for your life!

 

1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.

 

There are four words to inspire and lead us to go forward in God. They are:

 

1.      Proclamation

 

Proclaiming or declaring the Word over our lives as well as Rhema Word we receive produces germination, activation, and renewing of those seeds within. Together with your gifts and talents God will anoint you and give you the grace you need to fulfill His divine purpose for your life. It is time we shout on mountaintops how great is our God, how wonderful He is in our lives, and how faithful He has been and will continue to be!

 

Isaiah 1:18-19 "Come now, let us argue this out," says the LORD. "No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool. If you will only obey me and let me help you, then you will have plenty to eat.

 

When we proclaim God's Word, we give the Holy Spirit permission to activate that seed within. I will use our seed of Salvation as an example: We must understand our Salvation and all it represents. Salvation gives us the right to be up close and personal with our heavenly Father, the right to gain access to the throne, and the authority Jesus has left us to use on our behalf and on behalf of others including His Holy Believers!

 

 

2.      Activation

 

Our faith is like that of a mustard seed. When we confess our sin, and proclaim with our mouth that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, that faith seed germinates and we become a new person. The Holy Spirit activated that seed within us. Then we married Jesus. We proclaimed who He is, who we were, and where we are headed. When we are in Salvation mode every gift from the Father is available for and to us. That gift of the Spirit is proclaimed then it is Activated!

 
1 Timothy 4:15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress.

 

We choose to proclaim and then we give the Holy Spirit the access to activate that gift. That is to change us and bring to our mind those things we are to proclaim changed!

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun.

 

As the Holy Spirit lights the way, we hear and obey. And the only way we can hear is to be in the Word, pray in the spirit, and declare the truth as the Spirit leads.

 

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Psalm 119:35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight

V 101 I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word

V 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

 We choose to proclaim and then we allow the Spirit to activate. Do you get the gist of this! If it is to be, it is up to me and Thee!

 

3.      Accelerate

 

Now we choose to accelerate our lives towards the mark Christ has ordained for us. If your life has not accelerated in the last year, I challenge you to take stock; then go back to the four basic disciplines, and get back to the activation process. Allow the Holly Spirit to renew in you a sound mind. Begin to live life on the offensive; not on the defensive! Do not allow circumstances to slow you down or prevent you from partaking in the things of God! Live your life victoriously leaving behind the victim mentality.

 

1Peter 5:8 Then we accelerated that faith through the way we live out our lives. We had a life style change.

Hebrews 13:20 - And now, may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

Better it is to walk in the Spirit then fall in spirit. Trust in your prayers and your relationship with Christ more than man.. The vehicle we have to change our direction is Hope! Hope can change your atmosphere to once again ignite your faith. Hope draws you into the Lord like a magnet.

 

Hebrews 6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

 

You will find yourself in a mountaintop experience—a victor among the victorious. You are redeemed and it cost a life. Now you are a vessel giving all the Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ! Pay the price; it is worth the sanctification of your life!

Faith and Fear

 A poem By Dianne Evans

 

If thou hast love there is no room to fear.

For Love itself cast out all fear

 

That intimate place is sacred for one and all

It turns mourning into gladness

Sorrow into joy unspeakable

It turns the timid to the Confident One

 

Courageous and Bold are yours

When you who walk into My presence

And call upon my Name

 

For riches and fame are yours

When you seek and touch my face

 

 

We cannot have faith and fear operating at the same time... (Think on that)

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And if we know He hears us in whatever we ask, we know we have obtained the requests made to Him.

A Disciplined Walk

 

We may intentionally begin this discipline or while reading we may realize that these are disciplines we already walk in! This is a season for all to take stock of their lives and find healthy boundaries in which to live.

 

I am taking the liberty to share what I believe to be fundamental in my walk with Jesus! It is my hope that these will inspire you. As you begin the application of these disciplines, you will find yourself adding to them.

 

 

1. unclutter our lives
    Live a simple life. Our lives may be filled with gadgets, meetings, luncheons, and events that amount to no substance in or for Christ.. We find it necessary to have several drawers and closets filled with clothing, kitchens and garages filled with appliances and tools for all occasions. TV programs that are inundated with sexual innuendoes, violence, and destruction to the Christian family. It is time to strip ourselves of the unnecessary and grab hold of the necessity of life.
   
   Ecclesiastes 7:29RSV See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes.
   2 Corinthians 11:3 RSV But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
   
   
2. Be Still
   Silence! The key to hearing His voice. Sit alone in a quiet place with classical instrumental music or in complete silence. If things come to mind write them down and continue in peace. Pray in your prayer language, sing in your unknown tongue, and dance before Him in mind and or in deed.
   
   TLB Cease striving and know that I am God. Stand silent Know that I am God.
   AMP Let be and be still and know—recognizing and understanding that I am God
   
   
3. Cultivate serenity
   Find that solitude deep within. You may call this the place where hidden things come into light and the Godly things become a reality! Deep within us is where we are whole and at peace with God and the things of God.. This is when you can tap into the Glory realm and where you find healing, confidence, and the anointing for carrying out the will of God in your life. When we can live in serenity, we are living under the covering of our heavenly Father. This is truly living in Christ Jesus!
    
   Psalm 139:1-4 For the choir director: A psalm of David. O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.
   Psalm 139:23, 24. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.


4. Trust Him completely
   Surrender your rights, your will, your dreams, your mate, your children, and your finances. When you think of this, you might consider it to be a sacrifice! Well it is a sacrifice. It could mean disassociate yourself with those life long friends who are still living the life of sin you once loved. It could mean to separate yourself from well intentioned relatives who are not living the Word and who try, by no intention of their own, to persuade you back where the Lord found you! To know Jesus is to Love Him and to Love Him is to completely trust Him. Allow the Holy Spirit to go deeper for the completion of your faith. Search the scripture for yourself!
   
   Hebrew11:8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
   Luke 10:27 And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
   

With these disciplines, I shall leave you, to meditate and ponder on the things of God. As He reveals to me I pray also He is working and revealing to you the secrets of your life and love of Him and to Him.

 

All the Glory and Praise to Him whom first loved us!

Dianne

 

Hebrews 2:10-13 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified have all one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, "I will proclaim thy name to my brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee." And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."

 

 

GET JOY!

 

"You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence…" – Psalm 16:11   "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." – Galatians 5:22-23   "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…" – Romans 14:17   "May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth." – Psalm 67:4   Today as you go through your daily routine make sure to open up wide and take a BIG drink of God's joy!!  It will fill you up and begin overflowing to those around you!

A Response to Hiddeness

Boy, to I have to get alone with my thoughts and let the Word do some surgery!  Good teaching this morning.  Last night was a bust, in my estimation.  There are so many things going on here and in me/us.  Like I told Randy I don't know If I am in the flesh, demon possessed :), or if everyone else is.....  I don't know if we are having whiplash from Germany trip - but everything seems to be touched and not with Mr. Gold finger.  Our AC went on the car - thankfully we could borrow someone's to go to Archdia with last night.  Our finances are poopy again....I had a nice full frig. for about 2 weeks...that was so special...I am struggling with constipation, again....and we have the NY trip to figure out how to finance too. And, I so want to stay long enough to go to the woman's meeting there with you... But, in this, God is silent cause I am being too loud inside and out.  ok...I know you read me like a book and you are one I can pour my heart out to. Thanks for your teachng and I sure do hope all this works for compassion in me for others. gotta run, pantry time almost... love, Marie

Feelings / EMOTIONS And Thoughts

I have learned and experienced in my life that "feelings" are. Feelings are neither right nor wrong. It is just happens to be the way we feel at the moment—present, day, year or whatever. Knowing this has helped me to love and receive others in whatever condition they may be in. It has also given me a deeper understanding of who I am as a believer who is continuing to grow in Christ. How I feel does not determine my life choices! Feelings do not pronounce a guilt verdict over me. However, feelings could hold me back from being perfected in Christ. When it comes to my faith, I have learned not to be driven by my feelings, nor to react to them.   All of this brings me to the topic at hand: EMOTIONS—A human characteristic, yes. This is true. Needless to say, whether male or female, we need to be able to deal with and be above our emotions. Some emotions are fear, anxiety, grief, love, stress, elation, joy, nervousness, sadness, anger, happiness, and on and on. Emotions come from the subconscious and they are triggered by circumstances or thought patterns you have.   Question: Are you in control of your emotions or are your emotions in control of you? Some religious folk will say this statement is not biblical. Well I beg to differ with you. God created us with the freedom of choice. Once we discover we are in this emotional state, we can give way to it or it can cause us to call 911 Heaven We choose what we think about and how we respond to things. Sometimes our emotion speaks louder than our inner true being. When this happens we need to call upon our ultimate power source—the Spirit of our living God! He then releases grace to propel us into a restful/peaceful place..   Unforgiveness turns into bitterness causing us to be disturbed in our emotions. This negative emotion opens up a doorway for disease to creep into our bodies. Some of these diseases are cancer, autoimmune diseases, and arthritis. Stress, ungodly expectations on others and us can cause heart problems!   We need to get a hold of our emotions and soak in the blood of Jesus. Well, Dianne, you are saying some strange thing here. How does that all happen? Do you allow your emotions to rule or do you allow the Spirit of God to flood those negative emotions washing our minds with His loving word and bring you to a place of love, peace and freedom? Therefore, if emotions are unconscious thoughts then thoughts to change our emotions are conscience! So we can wash our mind with the written Word of God to change those unconscious thoughts that produce bad feelings that cause disease, sickness and ultimately death spiritually and physically.   Be a troubleshooter not a troublemaker. When emotions of depression, illusions of dread, and thoughts of unworthiness (like thinking you are not equipped enough, etc) creep into your mind, begin to troubleshoot. Get into the Word of God. Find scriptures that have the reverse effect of those emotions trying to overtake you.   When I am feeling like a looser, I shout that I am more than a conquer in Christ Jesus! Behold the Lamb of God; He has paid the price for one and all of those who believe. I can do anything through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. All things are possible to those who believe! Wow, all of that and I did not once have to look up the Word! See His Word resides in you and me. So that when a unhealthy thought comes, shoot it down with the Word of God that is alive within you.   Let me leave you with this thought to meditate and have become part of your flesh! (Colossians 3: 1-4) Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.   "Those sinful earthly things lurking with you" is also referring to those ungodly emotions and thoughts.

HIDDENNESS

There are secret things that belong to the LORD our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we may obey these words of the law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Each of us must go through a hidden preparation period in which we learn how to walk in compassion. As in any process, we have to take "baby steps" at first. It is the path of hiddenness that prepares you to be presented before man.

And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness – secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel , the one who calls you by name. (Isaiah 45:3)

What is this hiddenness all about? Well the Word tells us that the Lord gives us secrets in hidden places. In the shelter of the Almighty is that place where just you and the Lord reside. It is where He performs His surgery on us. He continues to touch our minds, bodies, and soul rearranging and transforming us so we can become that perfected being. As those places of insignificance, unworthiness, shame, and hurt are healed we are able to reach others with His compassion and LOVE. There is no secret other than to get alone with your thoughts, get alone with the living Word and allow the Spirit to do the surgery! I have, I am, and I will always continue to do so. How about you?

We prepare ourselves by applying the Blood of the Lamb and the Grace the Father is bestowing upon us! That Grace is the force that empowers us to leap from faith to faith. It does not take great faith to accomplish great victories in God. It takes that little faith of ours and when we act upon it, He sends His GRACE!

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. (Ephesians 4:7 Revised Standard)

May this find you in His embrace resting in His presence!

The Sword of the Spirit

 

Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. — Ephesians 6:17

 

Have you ever been in a situation where you have exhausted yourself and come to realize you needed a God Word for your circumstance? Did you find yourself fumbling through the Word and yet not find what you needed?

 

Today we will pick up the sword of the Spirit. It is our BIBLE a.k.a. Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth….

 

In my experience, when I just about get to the end of self the Holy Spirit kicks in.  He drops a word into my heart and then a strong peaceful confidence floods my being followed by a burst of energy exploding within giving me a fresh prospective. That word is a rhema word for it carries incredible power to drive the enemy back off his attack!

 

That is how it begins with me.  I get a quickening word from the Spirit and then rhema (or an enlightened word).  When this occurs I can then get into the Logos or the written Word and find a scripture to set my feet firmly upon until the manifest victory appears.

 

The rhema and quickening of the Spirit comes more quickly these days.  Praise God for that! J I attribute this to my relationship with the Lord; my diligence in the Word.  Now believe me I do not study theology or take Bible classes, but I am dedicated to read the Word morning and night and even during the course of the day.  When I taught local adult education computer class, we joked about GIGO. It is an old computer term meaning Garbage In Garbage Out.  If you put the right data  into the computer, you will get the proper information out. The same is true with our relationship with our heavenly Father. The more we ingest the Word of God, the more we have in us, and the more comes out. GIGO once again, but now I see it as God in God out. J 

 

Last week I traveled caravan style with our son and his wife, two cats and our granddaughter Alex to Monticello Kentucky. My focus on the trip was to help them with Alex so the trip would be more comfortable. Part of that for me was to read the Word as I always do. My relationship with the Lord never goes on vacation.  It is my way of life. At one point, my son told me, "Mom, the book did not change since the last time you read it." My response was very simple. It is new and changes every day! Not only that, but I know the more I meditate on the Word the more it becomes a part of me and the easier I can spot the enemy!

 

Therefore, as I need to advance in the Kingdom of Heaven and slay the enemy, the Word I have read becomes that rhema, a weapon to stab and kill the enemy. (Ephesians 6:17) Notice particularly that Paul says, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." That word I have ingested becomes life and a power source that destroys every yoke of the enemy.

 

So whenever adversity comes, I am fully equipped to slain the enemy.  Just one word with that Holy Ghost Power will do it! Some of the best one-liners were used by Jesus.  I will repeat some of those to you now.  "It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God"  "Get behind me Satan" "It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" Then Satan tried to tempt Jesus to prove His deity. But Jesus answered His adversary with a sword, saying, "It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God".

 

 Like the Lord Jesus, you are equipped with all the armor of God, and this includes the sword of the Spirit. As long as you have this spiritual equipment, no battle is a real threat to you or me!

 

Today if you will open your heart and listen, the Holy Spirit will place in your heart and hands the exact rhema you need to put the devil on the run!

 

He also said something like this… I will go to the Father and when I do I will send the comforter, counselor, teacher and you will do greater things then I. Check it out there is more than one verse in that statement!

 

The challenge today is whether you will you be a friend to Jesus and the Father and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you into all truth. Fall in love with Him who has loved you before you were even a twinkle in your dad's eye!

 

 

GET EXCITED!

When I begin to think of the reasons why the Lord healed me, an excitement comes over me and takes over my emotions! I know without a doubt that He touched my body and my mind so I would reach others and touch them with His healing power.

 

Acts 15:28 tells us "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these requirements". Ok now, you went to your Bible and it is not talking specifically about Dianne Evans and the way she leads her life. However, it does say that the Apostles lived their life being guided by the Holy Spirit. And if it worked for them it surly works for me! How about you?

 

The thought of laying hands on the sick excites me. The thought of pointing people to the scripture to help them on their journey brings about much JOY in my life. To be a blessing is receiving a blessing to me! Even when life is filled with chaos, I can sit back with a grateful, thankful heart and project a hopeful future. There is no doubt that there are sacrifices to be made and things to be done that maybe I would not choose to do. However, when the time is right I do them and I am deeply happy and satisfied with the work of my hands.

 

God always finds ways to let you know He is with you and guiding you. Dick once used the GPS to illustrate how the Holy Spirit teaches, and guides us through life situations. I must say it is a very good analogy. However, this last trip from Florida to RI was an adventure. I felt I had over stayed my visit to Florida and it was time to leave our Florida home.

 

For some reason I was not looking forward to my trip home which included the preparation and travel to Tampa with Tuffy, our cairn terrier.. It was an early rise to finish preparing the house and then off on a two-hour trip to Tampa. I thought I was prepared as I stopped at for a coffee and donut, kissed my mom goodbye and took off. The GPS was mounted, the coordinates entered, and the display showing me the best route of travel.

 

First part of the way was smooth sailing with blue skies overhead. Then the rain came! The downpour and the noise of the wipers frightened Tuffy so she curled up into my lap for safe travel. A few seconds later the GPS screen turned black. I pulled over thinking it needed POWER. I plugged it into the cigar lighter and it did not work! What am I going to do? I began driving again, rain just coming down in torrents. I began to Nextel Dick with no contact. Then I called him and my phone loss contact with the tower! Oh, BOY! In between all of these maneuvers, I was giving thanks to my guide and comforter, provider and instiller of all hope--The Holy Spirit!

 

A few years ago, I would have begun to literally sweat and panic causing my stomach to swell and ache. There was none of that, praise God for He has done a new thing within me. Well, I continued on route, knowing there was a turn off somewhere but I did not remember where. I picked up the phone again and dialed Dick and there he was arriving home after delivering bread to the shelters nearby. He got on the computer and by the time he got back to me, I was approaching the turn off to 275. WOW what timing the Holy Spirit has.

 

There was no bargaining with the Lord through this process. I was just so grateful He was with me planning my every move, providing my every need. I just kept on the path knowing He would intervene and send the WORD!

 

We really need to just go on with our life to the best of our ability. There are alternate avenues and venues for us to pursue in life. The Lord Himself, will make a way even when things seem dark and grey—keep the task in hand and pursue your goal. Even if it was just driving to Tampa without a GPS or a personal sense of direction that could get you lost in my own back yard!

 

When all else fails, try and try again. For waiting on Him is not staying still. But, it is pressing forward toward the mark He has set before us! Then when you get to a place and not know where to turn you STAND and stand on the Word until the answer comes forth!

 

Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

For in him we have the answers to life itself.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

 

Hang in there, the Holy Spirit is here to stay!

 

 

 

 

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Dick Evans <dick@rwevans.com>
To: Dianne Evans <dianne@theevans.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:17:28 PM
Subject: Re: The Gambler -- done

The Gambler?

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

I know you are probably thinking what in the world does Kenny Rogers song the Gambler have to do with the Scripture and our lives! How does this relate to being effective and productive in our lives?

For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race. (Heb 11:40)

From the beginning of time the Lord has know us and formed us in our mother's womb! He even proclaimed to us that His plans for us are for good and not for evil.

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

He is our living hope, the hope of our salvation and the hope for a bright future. Hope is the anchor to our souls, yes? And the blessed hope who dwells within us is no other than Jesus Himself!

The only way to know that Jesus is our living hope with in us is to be in the Word allowing the Holy Spirit to connect us in a intimate way with the Father and the Son. Relationships just do not happen in a microwave. It takes time to know one, their ways, their needs, and their desires, their hopes and their dreams! And so it is with God. To really know Him we should spend time talking to him and listening to the Spirit guide us to know His ways, desires, dreams, and hopes for us!

There is another old song out there that goes something like this:
To Known know know him is to love love love him and I do, and I do …

As I go about just living life to the fullest, He is always there for me! He is whispering in my ear secrets to life. The other day I was riding to the beach asking the Lord to give me an instruction for my life. Lo and behold, I saw a biker dressed in his Speedo outfit, riding his ten-speed down Flamingo. So Lord what does that have to do with my life? He said digest the biker! So I took a quick look and remembered what I saw. It was a very fit older gentleman riding a ten speed bike with his outfit and helmet. After passing him, I realized he had two canteens  "assuming" water strapped to his waist. He must be on a long journey, I thought. Then scripture came to mind.

Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Hold tightly to the word of life, so that when Christ returns, I will be proud that I did not lose the race and that my work was not useless. (Philippians 2:16)

You bet he was definitely suited to win the race. Dressed in armor that would not hold him down or get in his spokes (Ephesians full armor of God) and equipped with the necessary refreshment (Holy Spirit) for the journey ahead. There was no turning back for this guy. He was focused straight ahead and no dilly-dallying either. He was peddling at an even pace..

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. (Hebrews 12:2)

 

What a lesson to be learned. No matter where I find myself on the journey home, I will remember, with the Holy Spirit's help, to reinforce my armor and keep my focus on the prize! I will be just as the one virgin, waiting for the Lord, was prepared because she had oil in her lamp. Lord, I pray you will have me sheltered in the shadow of the Almighty so my oil will always be filled to over-flowing. For I know that in and of myself I will fail, and I cannot succeed; but oh, the Blood and oh, the Spirit within will protect and guide me through the trials of the day and the people around me will lift me up and encourage me in the things of the Lord!

 

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you are so wise! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are well thought of, but we are laughed at. (1 Corinthians 4:10)

 

So, Kenny Rogers had some good advice after all.

 

·        You have to know in your innards when to "hold 'em". Stay put and wait for the Holy Spirit's input.

·        Know when to "fold 'em". Your job is complete. There is no more fruit to be had here.

·        Know when to "walk away". Listen carefully and discern when it is better with things left unsaid and walk away.

·        Know when to "run". Get out of town when you are not welcomed . Better still, run from evil and run to God!

·        Don't count your money while sittin' at the table". People don't need to see you all puffed up with all those good deeds you boast . Keep focused at the task at hand and leave the rest to God.

·        There will be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. God himself is the rewarder and when you have finished your race He surely will reward you!