How do we pray for people that we want to forgive? After being badly wounded, sometimes we have trouble making forgiveness “stick.” Even after being offended we find that forgiveness is more than mouthing the words. It takes a divine transaction within us to minister this transaction between us.
Forgiveness is a gift of power, and that is the very reason our enemy gives us a hard time when we are wronged or offended. Once we forgive we can effectively pray for our brother. By standing in the gap for our brother we are an agent of reconciliation between him and God. Lest we forget that it is part of the divine nature to judge and to forgive, Jesus told the Jews that all authority was given to Him to judge men (Jn 5:27), and then told His disciples that they had the authority to forgive or retain the sins of men (Jn 20:23). We can put people’s sins under the blood of Jesus, just as He did.
Knowing we are within our legal bound to give the powerful gift of forgiveness doesn’t make room for it in our own heart, though. Usually the sting of pain returns more than a few times and imbeds the wrong-doing in our minds. Even after choosing to forgive we find the need to change our own hearts in order to give forgiveness. Change, or turning around, is called repentance. Though we expect our thoughts to change when we say “I forgive him/her,” there is actually another step for us to take. We repent of wanting our brother or sister to be judged, and then we bear the fruit of our repentance.
John the Baptist spoke to the Jewish leaders about bearing the fruit that was needed for their repentance (Lk 3:8-14). Before they could be baptized he told them that their actions needed to change. When we decide against judgment, and decide to forgive instead, we must begin to bear the fruit of that change of heart or forgiveness will not “stick” in our hearts.
I remember the day the Lord was dealing with me about a hard attitude I had against a brother. Because this brother’s offensive ways never changed I finally quit praying for him and built up resentment took hold of my heart. I just wanted God to change him by judging him. But the Lord thought differently than me. He said “I don’t want you to lose him, Helen.” Because I asked the Lord how to make the forgiveness I sought to give “stick” in my heart, He brought me opportunities to bear fruit. The brother became more present in my life, stopping by on his way to work. I would hear the Holy Spirit whisper, “Why don’t you make him a sack lunch?” So I did. I’d see the brother without money for gas and the Holy Spirit would whisper “He needs your help.” Since my criticism had been in the area of my brother’s unsuccessful management of his money and resultant poverty, the Lord sought my fruit in the area of generosity. My brother had failed in his finances and the Lord asked me to be a provision for him. And that is what made the forgiveness stick.
I have seen more thoughtfulness and better planning on the part of this brother than ever before in my acquaintance with him. God is better able to act on my prayers when I am bearing the fruit of giving forgiveness, having repented of wanting judgment. I would like to encourage you to live your lives as if you mean the forgiveness you are praying, and to pray as if you mean for God to bless the one who offends or has wronged you. Then we will see the hand of the Lord at work all around us. Amen.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
children
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Prov 22:6)
For those of us with children, this is a comforting verse. We invest time and prayer, love and patience in our children. Though each child grows up to make their own decisions, we hope they will choose to walk as Christians. A few months ago I had a curious dream about one of my nieces. She is a very up-standing person, but does not live as one who has faith in God. Yet in the dream she said her faith was “not my mother’s faith.” I’ve also seen this niece in another dream singing in a church choir, when, in reality she does not attend church. Besides the Lord giving me glimpses of His work in my niece’s life, I have seen my own children in dreams, receiving the blessing of the Lord. In reality, one does not yet confess Jesus is Lord. The Lord was using the dreams as a way to show me that our adult children were in His hands, and He was at work in their lives.
Tonight I remembered the verse in Proverbs again, about our children not departing from the Lord. The Holy Spirit nudged me, saying “You treat you children as Christians . . . because that is the way you raised them.” It’s true. The Lord has led me to honor their upbringing and believe His promises concerning their eventual walk with Him. Though I would like to have the concrete evidence that they are saved, as with all God’s promises, I have to walk in faith. Also, the verse quoted above does not say that we train our children in the way of the Lord and then hit them up with it again after they are out on their own. If we try to evangelize our wandering children, they resent it. But if we treat them like Christians, without having an agenda of “return”ing them by our own efforts, it will go better. God is watering every word we have sown in our children’s hearts and it will grow into a harvest of righteousness one day.
My youngest son told me that he is a Christian. The Lord began giving him dreams long before this confession. I have come to see that God sees our children as His own. After all, it is the Lord who is the Husbandman, tending the seed we have planted in our children’s hearts and minds (1 Cor 3:7). He will complete that good work which He began in us all, and when it is time, we will see it. Amen.
For those of us with children, this is a comforting verse. We invest time and prayer, love and patience in our children. Though each child grows up to make their own decisions, we hope they will choose to walk as Christians. A few months ago I had a curious dream about one of my nieces. She is a very up-standing person, but does not live as one who has faith in God. Yet in the dream she said her faith was “not my mother’s faith.” I’ve also seen this niece in another dream singing in a church choir, when, in reality she does not attend church. Besides the Lord giving me glimpses of His work in my niece’s life, I have seen my own children in dreams, receiving the blessing of the Lord. In reality, one does not yet confess Jesus is Lord. The Lord was using the dreams as a way to show me that our adult children were in His hands, and He was at work in their lives.
Tonight I remembered the verse in Proverbs again, about our children not departing from the Lord. The Holy Spirit nudged me, saying “You treat you children as Christians . . . because that is the way you raised them.” It’s true. The Lord has led me to honor their upbringing and believe His promises concerning their eventual walk with Him. Though I would like to have the concrete evidence that they are saved, as with all God’s promises, I have to walk in faith. Also, the verse quoted above does not say that we train our children in the way of the Lord and then hit them up with it again after they are out on their own. If we try to evangelize our wandering children, they resent it. But if we treat them like Christians, without having an agenda of “return”ing them by our own efforts, it will go better. God is watering every word we have sown in our children’s hearts and it will grow into a harvest of righteousness one day.
My youngest son told me that he is a Christian. The Lord began giving him dreams long before this confession. I have come to see that God sees our children as His own. After all, it is the Lord who is the Husbandman, tending the seed we have planted in our children’s hearts and minds (1 Cor 3:7). He will complete that good work which He began in us all, and when it is time, we will see it. Amen.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
the stall
Sometimes we are confronted with the most unusual things. When Dave and I were building our house in Kona we had to tear down an existing burnt house first. We had bought the property because, frankly, it looked like a jungle growing over the poor charred house, and we said “I’ll bet we can afford it!” It took a while to prepare the land to build our new home there. After helping demolish the remainder of the old house, one of my jobs was to remove the pipes that had provided plumbing. What confronted me was a scorpion who thought those pipes were his home! My first impulse was “Ugh!” as I stood up to run the other direction. Yet I could see that the scorpion was running away from me, and a still small voice asked me “Are you sure you want it to get away?” I could see the point the Lord was making; “do you want to encounter the scorpion later, perhaps when you don’t have the advantage?” Without hesitation I went to the rock I saw it duck beneath, picked up the rock and crushed the scorpion with it. “Ick!” I couldn’t help think this clearly was a job that a man should do. Yet, again, that little voice was asking me “Why?” After all, I was well equipped to do the job, and the scorpion had presented himself to me, not my husband Dave.
Life’s lessons are for both the physical and the spiritual. Just as I was equipped to kill the scorpion, God equips us to overcome our enemy, satan. But first we have to take our eyes off the fear and repulsion we feel rising up within ourselves and fix our eyes on the bigger picture. When God zooms out to let us see that there is more involved than ourselves we begin to find the purpose for the event, and His enabling power to conquer.
Our spiritual enemy is subtle and makes plans for our fall (Eph 6:11). But thank goodness the Lord equips us to stand. If anger, grief, pain or sorrow well up in us, God is willing to “zoom out” to show us the bigger picture (it’s not all about “me”), and bring assurance that He is with us in the unpleasant circumstances. God not only wants us to have victory to overcome our enemy, but He works within us so that we will come through our trial like gold (Mal 3:3).
In regards to unjust situations, sometimes there is a long trial of unresolved hurt and forbearance before actual forgiveness takes place. When I questioned the Lord about the waiting period, He led me to Mal 4:2. “But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” The waiting period may seem confining when things are not corrected yet, like things are “stalled”. But whenever injustice is involved, it is never about just one person. The stall is about preparing our heart to be righteous, and giving the wrongdoer time to repent or fill up the cup of God’s patience with his sin.
When being wronged, we can have two responses that are not reflective of God’s heart. The first is to brush it off lightly and say “Oh, it doesn’t matter.” The second is to grow bitter and resentful. The response God is looking for is for us to say “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” Forgiving, when being wronged, sends up the sweet fragrance of Jesus to the Father. At the point we can forgive, we then can stand in the gap for the wrong-doer, interceding for their reconciliation with righteousness, God and ourselves. We receive God’s yearning for their soul to become right and lay aside our personal pain. Why is it necessary to receive God’s heart about a person who does wrong against us? Remember, I said that our waiting time is to prepare our hearts. Our hearts need to rejoice when the wrong-doer returns to righteousness. But if he does not repent, and the Lord disciplines the wrong-doer, our heart needs to be prepared to grieve as God does. If He did not prepare our hearts during the stall, we might sin by gloating or take advantage of the situation to seize what is being forfeited by the brother under discipline.
God’s purposes during the stall can also be seen in His desire for the wrong-doer to repent. It takes time for the Lord to work with him, to bringing out the contents of his heart. God always hopes that the wicked will repent and takes no pleasure in having to discipline or judge. His hope is that we will stand in the gap with Him for those who sin against us so that they will turn around. God has great patience and would gladly restore men to Him and His ways. Yet there comes a time for those who are being wronged to be freed from their stall.
God gives us all we need to be righteous (2 Pet 1:3). As repulsive as our trials may grow to be, and as much dirt as they bring up in our hearts, He has equipped us to be more than conquerors. If we let our own emotions bring our focus onto ourselves, then we will grow bitter and resentful, and the wrong-doers of this world will not have our intercession for them. When God eventually corrects them we will not have His heart in us and may also need correction. But if we forgive, God will zoom out, showing us that the trial itself holds the circumstances that enable us to walk in power over scorpions, eliminating future harm and making our part of the world a safer place to live (and build). God may let unusual things, and unpleasant people confront us. He may let the unjust take unfair advantage of us, or slanderers destroy our reputation. But the fact that we are confronted should indicate that we are in a privileged position. We are the one that can move God’s hand through our prayers. We are the apple of His eye, sending up the sweet fragrance of His Son through our forgiveness. And when He releases us from our stall, we will leap with the joy of overcoming and walk with the power of knowing our hearts have become a little more like Jesus’. Amen.
Life’s lessons are for both the physical and the spiritual. Just as I was equipped to kill the scorpion, God equips us to overcome our enemy, satan. But first we have to take our eyes off the fear and repulsion we feel rising up within ourselves and fix our eyes on the bigger picture. When God zooms out to let us see that there is more involved than ourselves we begin to find the purpose for the event, and His enabling power to conquer.
Our spiritual enemy is subtle and makes plans for our fall (Eph 6:11). But thank goodness the Lord equips us to stand. If anger, grief, pain or sorrow well up in us, God is willing to “zoom out” to show us the bigger picture (it’s not all about “me”), and bring assurance that He is with us in the unpleasant circumstances. God not only wants us to have victory to overcome our enemy, but He works within us so that we will come through our trial like gold (Mal 3:3).
In regards to unjust situations, sometimes there is a long trial of unresolved hurt and forbearance before actual forgiveness takes place. When I questioned the Lord about the waiting period, He led me to Mal 4:2. “But for you who revere My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” The waiting period may seem confining when things are not corrected yet, like things are “stalled”. But whenever injustice is involved, it is never about just one person. The stall is about preparing our heart to be righteous, and giving the wrongdoer time to repent or fill up the cup of God’s patience with his sin.
When being wronged, we can have two responses that are not reflective of God’s heart. The first is to brush it off lightly and say “Oh, it doesn’t matter.” The second is to grow bitter and resentful. The response God is looking for is for us to say “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” Forgiving, when being wronged, sends up the sweet fragrance of Jesus to the Father. At the point we can forgive, we then can stand in the gap for the wrong-doer, interceding for their reconciliation with righteousness, God and ourselves. We receive God’s yearning for their soul to become right and lay aside our personal pain. Why is it necessary to receive God’s heart about a person who does wrong against us? Remember, I said that our waiting time is to prepare our hearts. Our hearts need to rejoice when the wrong-doer returns to righteousness. But if he does not repent, and the Lord disciplines the wrong-doer, our heart needs to be prepared to grieve as God does. If He did not prepare our hearts during the stall, we might sin by gloating or take advantage of the situation to seize what is being forfeited by the brother under discipline.
God’s purposes during the stall can also be seen in His desire for the wrong-doer to repent. It takes time for the Lord to work with him, to bringing out the contents of his heart. God always hopes that the wicked will repent and takes no pleasure in having to discipline or judge. His hope is that we will stand in the gap with Him for those who sin against us so that they will turn around. God has great patience and would gladly restore men to Him and His ways. Yet there comes a time for those who are being wronged to be freed from their stall.
God gives us all we need to be righteous (2 Pet 1:3). As repulsive as our trials may grow to be, and as much dirt as they bring up in our hearts, He has equipped us to be more than conquerors. If we let our own emotions bring our focus onto ourselves, then we will grow bitter and resentful, and the wrong-doers of this world will not have our intercession for them. When God eventually corrects them we will not have His heart in us and may also need correction. But if we forgive, God will zoom out, showing us that the trial itself holds the circumstances that enable us to walk in power over scorpions, eliminating future harm and making our part of the world a safer place to live (and build). God may let unusual things, and unpleasant people confront us. He may let the unjust take unfair advantage of us, or slanderers destroy our reputation. But the fact that we are confronted should indicate that we are in a privileged position. We are the one that can move God’s hand through our prayers. We are the apple of His eye, sending up the sweet fragrance of His Son through our forgiveness. And when He releases us from our stall, we will leap with the joy of overcoming and walk with the power of knowing our hearts have become a little more like Jesus’. Amen.
Friday, January 14, 2011
love
We know that God is love (1 Jn 4:8). God’s actions proceed from His character, of which emotions are a part. We are eager to look into His love for us and all that love has for us. Yet a relationship with God should take into consideration all His heart has to express. I head a minister say “God is happy with you,” to the congregation one day. Is happiness all God feels?
Happiness is not always a comfortable expression of love. If our own spouse is in a terrible wreak, happiness would seem out of place. Concern, comfort, and peace would be more appropriate expressions of God’s caring during these trying circumstances. People need to know God cares. When terrible tragedies strike the earth, God’s heart hurts. He takes no pleasure in death. We see God’s care for us in our trials as He comes along side us to comfort, heal and restore. He does so because of His character, and just as we can feel pain over suffering or loss of life, so does God.
God made Man for a reciprocal love relationship. Because we are made in His image we are also capable of loving in the same way that God loves us. His love can bear our mistakes, weaknesses and failures. In fact, He blots our transgressions out for His sake (Is 43:25) because He wants to love us. We in turn forgive others their weaknesses and sins, because we want to love.
Though we should be able to learn more about God’s character from reading the Bible, there seem to be parts we avoid. We shy away and downright avoid mention of God’s displeasure in church services. But the scriptures hold valuable insights into what God’s heart is like, and how He yearns to have His love returned to Him by His people.
In a relationship between man and wife, it is better to talk matters over than to let them brew. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love,” (Prov 27:5). Hidden inactive love will not sustain a marriage through its problems, and tepid love will not sustain God’s people through their trials (Rev 3:15-16). Words are important in a relationship because they express what’s in our hearts. In Isaiah 66 we read that the Lord is seeking people who are humble and contrite, and who take His words seriously (vs 2). Yet His people did not value His words, and preferred their own ways. Just as this would put the damper on an earthly marriage, we see how this puts the same sort of pain and distance in our relationship with God. Self-interest will cause us to desire our own ways over our relationship with our spouse, and with our God. Though some can bear our weaknesses, and forgives us our sins, when the love goes out of our hearts there is little life left in the relationship.
Are there limits to how much God will bear from us? We would like to think His love is limitless and eternal. But in reality, there are things His people have done in the past that threw cold water in His face. One was the insincerity of their actions. Though God’s people were the recipient of His love, they only went through the motions of their relationship with Him. In Isaiah chapter 1 we read about how hard it was for God to bear their actions, which were void of any meaning. They were doing right things from a wrong heart, and it wounded God so much that He couldn’t bear to see the things they did. In our day we might say they “cheapened” love. It held no meaning to God.
Though insincerity wounds our relationship with God we can repent and strengthen our love. It is not a place of no return. Indifference and contempt, if not repented of, are places of no return. When we lose the knowledge of God’s character because we are more concerned with our own desires, we lose love. When God’s heart is aching, we need to remember that His heart wants to love. When a flood kills many people, or other tragedies strike, we need to be a comfort to Him by honoring His loving nature. And when God corrects His people, we need to be as grieved as He is at the trials that come upon us all. During a time like this the Lord asked Israel to weep and put on sackcloth, for He was grieved at the correction necessary for their nation (Is 22:12). What grieved God even more was that they refused to feel His pain, and did not repent of their actions. Instead they said “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (vs 13b). They loved their own ways so much that they would not entertain the heart of God because it contained pain and displeasure at their sins. Sadly, their indifference and contempt cause the Lord to reply “To your dying day this sin will not be atoned for.” (vs 14).
Though insincerity, indifference and contempt will injure God’s heart, it is not too late for us to repent and return to our first love of Him. God’s love wants to love us. Knowing the nature of God’s heart through the scripture and by looking at the nature of love between people will help us when we lose our love. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent,” (Rev 3:19). Let us return love to God and be strengthened in our earthly love-relationships today, and always. Amen.
Happiness is not always a comfortable expression of love. If our own spouse is in a terrible wreak, happiness would seem out of place. Concern, comfort, and peace would be more appropriate expressions of God’s caring during these trying circumstances. People need to know God cares. When terrible tragedies strike the earth, God’s heart hurts. He takes no pleasure in death. We see God’s care for us in our trials as He comes along side us to comfort, heal and restore. He does so because of His character, and just as we can feel pain over suffering or loss of life, so does God.
God made Man for a reciprocal love relationship. Because we are made in His image we are also capable of loving in the same way that God loves us. His love can bear our mistakes, weaknesses and failures. In fact, He blots our transgressions out for His sake (Is 43:25) because He wants to love us. We in turn forgive others their weaknesses and sins, because we want to love.
Though we should be able to learn more about God’s character from reading the Bible, there seem to be parts we avoid. We shy away and downright avoid mention of God’s displeasure in church services. But the scriptures hold valuable insights into what God’s heart is like, and how He yearns to have His love returned to Him by His people.
In a relationship between man and wife, it is better to talk matters over than to let them brew. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love,” (Prov 27:5). Hidden inactive love will not sustain a marriage through its problems, and tepid love will not sustain God’s people through their trials (Rev 3:15-16). Words are important in a relationship because they express what’s in our hearts. In Isaiah 66 we read that the Lord is seeking people who are humble and contrite, and who take His words seriously (vs 2). Yet His people did not value His words, and preferred their own ways. Just as this would put the damper on an earthly marriage, we see how this puts the same sort of pain and distance in our relationship with God. Self-interest will cause us to desire our own ways over our relationship with our spouse, and with our God. Though some can bear our weaknesses, and forgives us our sins, when the love goes out of our hearts there is little life left in the relationship.
Are there limits to how much God will bear from us? We would like to think His love is limitless and eternal. But in reality, there are things His people have done in the past that threw cold water in His face. One was the insincerity of their actions. Though God’s people were the recipient of His love, they only went through the motions of their relationship with Him. In Isaiah chapter 1 we read about how hard it was for God to bear their actions, which were void of any meaning. They were doing right things from a wrong heart, and it wounded God so much that He couldn’t bear to see the things they did. In our day we might say they “cheapened” love. It held no meaning to God.
Though insincerity wounds our relationship with God we can repent and strengthen our love. It is not a place of no return. Indifference and contempt, if not repented of, are places of no return. When we lose the knowledge of God’s character because we are more concerned with our own desires, we lose love. When God’s heart is aching, we need to remember that His heart wants to love. When a flood kills many people, or other tragedies strike, we need to be a comfort to Him by honoring His loving nature. And when God corrects His people, we need to be as grieved as He is at the trials that come upon us all. During a time like this the Lord asked Israel to weep and put on sackcloth, for He was grieved at the correction necessary for their nation (Is 22:12). What grieved God even more was that they refused to feel His pain, and did not repent of their actions. Instead they said “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (vs 13b). They loved their own ways so much that they would not entertain the heart of God because it contained pain and displeasure at their sins. Sadly, their indifference and contempt cause the Lord to reply “To your dying day this sin will not be atoned for.” (vs 14).
Though insincerity, indifference and contempt will injure God’s heart, it is not too late for us to repent and return to our first love of Him. God’s love wants to love us. Knowing the nature of God’s heart through the scripture and by looking at the nature of love between people will help us when we lose our love. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent,” (Rev 3:19). Let us return love to God and be strengthened in our earthly love-relationships today, and always. Amen.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
exalting the young
This is the final dream in a series of 4 in which the Lord shows areas that the church needs to correct. Again, the 4 dreams were given after prayer concerning an initial dream (Dec 17th) in which young people came to a bad end. If you have not read these dreams they can also be found on this month’s postings of Sea of Glass.
In the 4th dream I was with people who ministered. We were on the deck of a large white ship, like an ocean liner. It was anchored at a dock, on which many people were gathered to hear the speaker. I was not chosen to speak, but a younger man was. He began ascending a ladder up the mast, to the crow’s nest. He carried his guitar up with him. It had a cord made of thick white cable of braided strands of lesser cable (thick wire, such as is braided together for the cables of the Golden Gate bridge). When he got to the crow’s nest platform the young man plugged his cord into an outlet above him, on the black stove pipe. I had the understanding that the Lord was going to correct him. He began to sing to the crowd gathered below, but straight away his guitar cord broke loose from its plug-in because it was too heavy. I heard a “twang” and deep reverberations as the heavy cord fell. We all watched this. The concert was over, and the young man was upset. End of dream.
Interpretation – White ship = ministry. A ship can carry many people
Speaker = one who conveys the Word of the Lord
People below = Christians gathered to listen to the Word
Ship’s mast = One of God’s current prophets is a man named Dale Mast. He had a prophecy for 2010 and recently one for 2011, which was posted on Elijah List Nov 8th this year. Though I had not read his word before the dream, I ran across it today while deleting old emails, and so had the chance to find out about a prophet I never knew existed. Dale’s word was called “You must Increase.” The young man in the dream did seek an exalted position of ministry; that of a prophet.
Crow’s nest = Though the mast offers a “look-out” for what is far off, the young man was not placed in this setting to exalt himself. It provided a platform for ministry in a high position, again, such as a prophet.
Cord = the construction was exactly like the braided cables of the Golden Gate Bridge. Each individual cable being intertwined represents the strength of a man. In Eccl 4:12 we read that “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” White means pure, and intertwining the cables represents multiplied strength. Yet, because of its weight, the cord should have been plugged in down below, not up above. It needed to be “grounded” in the ship’s ministry and not plugged into the black stove pipe. When all was said and done, the younger man could not carry the weight of the message and the calling of a prophet.
Black stove pipe = area for engine’s exhaust. Smoke is where there is fire. Though the fire of the Holy Spirit is like the fuel of the ship in that it propels us onward in our works, its power is not the source of God’s Words. God brings His words to the speaker out of his relationship with Him, and the words are based on His nature and what He wants to say at any particular given time, and not on the power we may covet for greater works.
Why the young man was chosen over a older woman = the preference of some ministries is to be appealing to the listeners. The 4th dream seems to indicate that the decisions of men done in unity (cord, or being in "one accord") may seem strong, but the Lord will bring His correction and assert His will. He alone exalts, and abases. It was unfortunate that the concert ended without the people hearing what God had to say to them. As ministers of God’s word, this should be our only concern; what does God want to say. Amen.
In the 4th dream I was with people who ministered. We were on the deck of a large white ship, like an ocean liner. It was anchored at a dock, on which many people were gathered to hear the speaker. I was not chosen to speak, but a younger man was. He began ascending a ladder up the mast, to the crow’s nest. He carried his guitar up with him. It had a cord made of thick white cable of braided strands of lesser cable (thick wire, such as is braided together for the cables of the Golden Gate bridge). When he got to the crow’s nest platform the young man plugged his cord into an outlet above him, on the black stove pipe. I had the understanding that the Lord was going to correct him. He began to sing to the crowd gathered below, but straight away his guitar cord broke loose from its plug-in because it was too heavy. I heard a “twang” and deep reverberations as the heavy cord fell. We all watched this. The concert was over, and the young man was upset. End of dream.
Interpretation – White ship = ministry. A ship can carry many people
Speaker = one who conveys the Word of the Lord
People below = Christians gathered to listen to the Word
Ship’s mast = One of God’s current prophets is a man named Dale Mast. He had a prophecy for 2010 and recently one for 2011, which was posted on Elijah List Nov 8th this year. Though I had not read his word before the dream, I ran across it today while deleting old emails, and so had the chance to find out about a prophet I never knew existed. Dale’s word was called “You must Increase.” The young man in the dream did seek an exalted position of ministry; that of a prophet.
Crow’s nest = Though the mast offers a “look-out” for what is far off, the young man was not placed in this setting to exalt himself. It provided a platform for ministry in a high position, again, such as a prophet.
Cord = the construction was exactly like the braided cables of the Golden Gate Bridge. Each individual cable being intertwined represents the strength of a man. In Eccl 4:12 we read that “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” White means pure, and intertwining the cables represents multiplied strength. Yet, because of its weight, the cord should have been plugged in down below, not up above. It needed to be “grounded” in the ship’s ministry and not plugged into the black stove pipe. When all was said and done, the younger man could not carry the weight of the message and the calling of a prophet.
Black stove pipe = area for engine’s exhaust. Smoke is where there is fire. Though the fire of the Holy Spirit is like the fuel of the ship in that it propels us onward in our works, its power is not the source of God’s Words. God brings His words to the speaker out of his relationship with Him, and the words are based on His nature and what He wants to say at any particular given time, and not on the power we may covet for greater works.
Why the young man was chosen over a older woman = the preference of some ministries is to be appealing to the listeners. The 4th dream seems to indicate that the decisions of men done in unity (cord, or being in "one accord") may seem strong, but the Lord will bring His correction and assert His will. He alone exalts, and abases. It was unfortunate that the concert ended without the people hearing what God had to say to them. As ministers of God’s word, this should be our only concern; what does God want to say. Amen.
Monday, January 10, 2011
receiving the prophet
On Dec 21st I had the 3rd & 4th dreams in the series of 4 (mentioned in prior postings). Today I will share dream #3.
In the 3rd dream I was upstairs in a church and realized I had something important for its leaders. They were in a meeting downstairs which I decided to attend. I picked up a yellow banner with fine embroidery on it and brought it down the stairs with me.
As I went down the stairs I saw an important looking man, who walked next to me into the lobby. He said “Do you know who we are?” I listened for the Lord’s answer, and just as He said to me “You are men who make important decisions” we came to the opening of the sanctuary, and the man went in. I didn’t get a chance to give the Lord’s answer to the man. The men gathered there received the yellow banner I handed them but one stood in their midst with his hand outstretched towards me, indicating I was not to enter in. I turned around and left, thinking it was strange that women could not come to the meeting.
I began walking back towards the stairs and the same man whom I had walked with in the lobby came along side of me again. He was friendly and so I asked him his name. He told me his name, and I told him mine. When we were with other people he invited us into a room upstairs (like a Sunday school room). I thought it would be a meeting where he would share content from the “important men’s” meeting, but instead he was trying to sell us soap. I got up to leave, explaining that I was allergic to soap, except for Ivory, yet he convinced me to stay for his demonstration, assuring me that his soap would be fine (being a little condescending to me, as if I was seen as not giving him a chance). I watched him squeeze beads of soap inbetween his fingers, shaping them into a fish. We all were given a Petri dish to do the same thing, but each came up with all different shapes of his soap. End of dream.
Interpretation – Yellow banner = prophecy about time. (I have been praying for what the Lord’s message is for the coming year. Also, in a prior dream the Lord used a yellow ribbon in the sky to represent that His Word had come into the present time.)
Gathering of men in the sanctuary = pastor’s prayer meeting. The Lord has given them spiritual authority to make important decisions in this county and city. He laid it on my heart to take the prophecy to them, yet I was not received (though the prophecy was taken).
Man who walked along side of me = probably a local, and encouraging pastor
Upper floor of the church = like the upper room; where one receives from the Holy Spirit
Lower portion of the church = where the foundation is; its values and the decisions made
Soap = what we are cleansed with. Jesus said we are cleansed by the Word of God (Jn 17:17)
Ivory = pure white soap; able to represent the Word of God and His intentions
The man’s soap = since he had to manipulate the beads of soap to form them into a Christian lesson (fish) they were not the pure Word of God. Perhaps I had been invited to learn about prophesying/the use of God’s rhemas Word, yet the lessons were not pure.
This dream is about not receiving the prophet, yet teaching prophecy according to Man’s traditions. Though pastors are in authority in their churches, God has 4 other branches of his authority; Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Teachers. Rather than instruct prophets in what may not be the area of a pastor’s knowledge, the Lord would have us receive each other and the ministry worked in us by God’s Spirit.
In the 3rd dream I was upstairs in a church and realized I had something important for its leaders. They were in a meeting downstairs which I decided to attend. I picked up a yellow banner with fine embroidery on it and brought it down the stairs with me.
As I went down the stairs I saw an important looking man, who walked next to me into the lobby. He said “Do you know who we are?” I listened for the Lord’s answer, and just as He said to me “You are men who make important decisions” we came to the opening of the sanctuary, and the man went in. I didn’t get a chance to give the Lord’s answer to the man. The men gathered there received the yellow banner I handed them but one stood in their midst with his hand outstretched towards me, indicating I was not to enter in. I turned around and left, thinking it was strange that women could not come to the meeting.
I began walking back towards the stairs and the same man whom I had walked with in the lobby came along side of me again. He was friendly and so I asked him his name. He told me his name, and I told him mine. When we were with other people he invited us into a room upstairs (like a Sunday school room). I thought it would be a meeting where he would share content from the “important men’s” meeting, but instead he was trying to sell us soap. I got up to leave, explaining that I was allergic to soap, except for Ivory, yet he convinced me to stay for his demonstration, assuring me that his soap would be fine (being a little condescending to me, as if I was seen as not giving him a chance). I watched him squeeze beads of soap inbetween his fingers, shaping them into a fish. We all were given a Petri dish to do the same thing, but each came up with all different shapes of his soap. End of dream.
Interpretation – Yellow banner = prophecy about time. (I have been praying for what the Lord’s message is for the coming year. Also, in a prior dream the Lord used a yellow ribbon in the sky to represent that His Word had come into the present time.)
Gathering of men in the sanctuary = pastor’s prayer meeting. The Lord has given them spiritual authority to make important decisions in this county and city. He laid it on my heart to take the prophecy to them, yet I was not received (though the prophecy was taken).
Man who walked along side of me = probably a local, and encouraging pastor
Upper floor of the church = like the upper room; where one receives from the Holy Spirit
Lower portion of the church = where the foundation is; its values and the decisions made
Soap = what we are cleansed with. Jesus said we are cleansed by the Word of God (Jn 17:17)
Ivory = pure white soap; able to represent the Word of God and His intentions
The man’s soap = since he had to manipulate the beads of soap to form them into a Christian lesson (fish) they were not the pure Word of God. Perhaps I had been invited to learn about prophesying/the use of God’s rhemas Word, yet the lessons were not pure.
This dream is about not receiving the prophet, yet teaching prophecy according to Man’s traditions. Though pastors are in authority in their churches, God has 4 other branches of his authority; Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, and Teachers. Rather than instruct prophets in what may not be the area of a pastor’s knowledge, the Lord would have us receive each other and the ministry worked in us by God’s Spirit.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
performance
This dream is the second in a series of 4 and was given to me 12/20/10. I shared the prior dream yesterday. All 4 dreams were in response to my prayers after a dream which preceded all 4. If you have not read these 2 prior dreams please see my earlier posts. Thank you. Here is the second of the series of 4 dreams;
In the 2nd dream I saw a circle of performers on stage. They were to take turns leading the audience in song. It was a man on the left end of the circle’s turn to sing. He had a wonderful country voice, but was only singing a few repeating words; “Dana, chance, whew”. I looked at my song sheet (each person in the audience had one and they were like the caroling sheets I had at my caroling party). I thought that I surely must be missing part of his words for the prior singers had led us in Christian songs, yet when I found his song, it was only the same set of 3 words, repeated over and over again. Though he sang beautifully, he was saying nothing, which was disappointing.
Interpretation – Whether in song or prophecy, what is done on the stage ought to have a message. The Word (Bible) has used singing as symbolism for prophecy (Ez 33:32) so we can use the message of this dream to apply to what may occur during the worship service as well as with a vague prophecy. To the contrary, prophecy is supposed to hit a “distinct note” (1st Cor 14:8) so as to prepare people by the Word which is spoken.
Left represents spiritual, or a movement that is initiated from an unseen force. We do not “see” the repetitions and vagueness as a direct onslaught against God’s word to us, but we feel the impact of disappointment, as if knowing there should be substance to what we are hearing. Though the servants of the Lord should not have a “performance” mentality, sometimes ministers of the Lord feel the need to speak or minister in worship yet do not convey a message. Let us all be mindful that the Church as a whole is the Lord’s body, and serve Him by giving our fellow servants their portion at the proper time (Mt 24:45). Amen.
In the 2nd dream I saw a circle of performers on stage. They were to take turns leading the audience in song. It was a man on the left end of the circle’s turn to sing. He had a wonderful country voice, but was only singing a few repeating words; “Dana, chance, whew”. I looked at my song sheet (each person in the audience had one and they were like the caroling sheets I had at my caroling party). I thought that I surely must be missing part of his words for the prior singers had led us in Christian songs, yet when I found his song, it was only the same set of 3 words, repeated over and over again. Though he sang beautifully, he was saying nothing, which was disappointing.
Interpretation – Whether in song or prophecy, what is done on the stage ought to have a message. The Word (Bible) has used singing as symbolism for prophecy (Ez 33:32) so we can use the message of this dream to apply to what may occur during the worship service as well as with a vague prophecy. To the contrary, prophecy is supposed to hit a “distinct note” (1st Cor 14:8) so as to prepare people by the Word which is spoken.
Left represents spiritual, or a movement that is initiated from an unseen force. We do not “see” the repetitions and vagueness as a direct onslaught against God’s word to us, but we feel the impact of disappointment, as if knowing there should be substance to what we are hearing. Though the servants of the Lord should not have a “performance” mentality, sometimes ministers of the Lord feel the need to speak or minister in worship yet do not convey a message. Let us all be mindful that the Church as a whole is the Lord’s body, and serve Him by giving our fellow servants their portion at the proper time (Mt 24:45). Amen.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
exaltation - first of 4 dream
Yesterday I wrote about a dream the Lord gave on 12/17/10 as an answer to my inquiry about His message for the New year. I had been praying for the local pastors who meet in prayer, and for the New Year’s Eve Service. After the original dream the Lord brought 4 more dreams, on Dec 19th, 20th, & 21st. These dreams had a common theme; one person exalting himself, using his gift for his own purposes. Today I will share the first of those 4 dreams.
In the dream from Dec. 19th I saw a wedding band with diamonds inset, flush with the band. This type of setting is called “pavement” setting. But one diamond, on the right end of the row, stood up. It would catch on things, so I pushed it back into place, only to see it stand up again. This repeated a few times. Its prongs were different than the pavement setting; they were the Tiffany setting.
Interpretation –Jewels represent God’s people, which have the truth (Mal 3:17 KJV). Pavement is our position as we clear the highway of the Lord from obstacles so that His people can travel across it (Is 57:14; 62:10). One man let things catch on himself because he exalted himself. Though corrected, he kept returning to his high position due to his setting. Right indicates literal, or occurring in the physical world. It is something we will literally see take place.
Though a leader may think it a good thing to position himself high where others can see him, he will cause them to stumble (catch) on him after he exalts himself. We are meant to work together, each member (jewel) contributing according to the faith and gifts he or she has. The work of the ministry is to prepare God’s people in maturity (Eph 4:11-16). This will bring unity as the body builds itself up in love. If a leader exalts himself it will result in a following, not in unity.
In the dream from Dec. 19th I saw a wedding band with diamonds inset, flush with the band. This type of setting is called “pavement” setting. But one diamond, on the right end of the row, stood up. It would catch on things, so I pushed it back into place, only to see it stand up again. This repeated a few times. Its prongs were different than the pavement setting; they were the Tiffany setting.
Interpretation –Jewels represent God’s people, which have the truth (Mal 3:17 KJV). Pavement is our position as we clear the highway of the Lord from obstacles so that His people can travel across it (Is 57:14; 62:10). One man let things catch on himself because he exalted himself. Though corrected, he kept returning to his high position due to his setting. Right indicates literal, or occurring in the physical world. It is something we will literally see take place.
Though a leader may think it a good thing to position himself high where others can see him, he will cause them to stumble (catch) on him after he exalts himself. We are meant to work together, each member (jewel) contributing according to the faith and gifts he or she has. The work of the ministry is to prepare God’s people in maturity (Eph 4:11-16). This will bring unity as the body builds itself up in love. If a leader exalts himself it will result in a following, not in unity.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Haste and Zeal
“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” (Prov 19:2) The Lord led me to this scripture yesterday, and it seemed to resonate with something deep within me. We are finding that well-meaning teachers, preachers and evangelists are looking for quick results from our faith, and actions on our part that outwardly appear to demonstrate what we believe will happen. Those who proclaim what they believe will happen are lauded for prophetic proclamation, yet those who wait in quietness for the Lord to move are seen, at times, as lacking faith. Perhaps we expect faith to move mountains instantly, or bring sudden, powerful healing and other miracles. Yet, no matter how zealously we proclaim or how quickly we move forward in our beliefs, the power and timing of God rests with Him separate from our faith.
If we set aside what we think our faith should look like and what we think it should result in we find ourselves in front of a Sovereign God who holds all things in His hands. He is listening to our thoughts and prayers and will insert His answers into our lives in His time and His way. It is presumptuous of us to think anything else. We can only know God by following Him, and not by thinking He will follow us. Along this line of thinking, A month ago I was asked to paint prophetically in the New Year’s Eve service here in town. It was a meeting several churches would attend and I felt that it was important to seek the Lord for His message, for truly prophetic art always carries His heart to the people. To my surprise He gave me a dream with a solemn message, as copied below;
I was a speaker and a leader in the company I worked for. People gathered as I spoke against the insurance company who took our money but didn’t use it for our benefit. When I spoke, it was as if I were preaching. Then Star Wars music began playing, and played during the rest of the dream (the march of Darth Vadar). The scene shifted to a place where some of the younger generation were following me as we spied things out (looking into what the “enemy” was doing). At the first location, a young man went from behind me to in front of everyone. He took the lead and was somewhat belligerent to me, as if he thought I was too slow and careful, like his mother. He led us up to an enclosure that was our covering, and shook it as if to challenge any enemy that was present. I wanted to tell him not to do that, but he quickly led us to another location. There was no warfare in the first location.
At the second location the young man did the same thing after entering the enclosure that was our covering; he grabbed the canvas tent-like structure and shook it. It was as if he was inviting a confrontation between ourselves and our enemy. My view of the scene began to zoom out, taking in the setting we were in. The enclosure was set at the end of a long aisle in an out-door eating area, with long tables off the aisle on both sides. At the other end of the aisle was an assassin with a machine gun. (I had seen him in another dream before, and he was an assassin then also).
Again I was in the tent-like structure. I could see the assassin and what he was doing by looking over the heads of the young man, and a young woman. They both sat casually in front of a window in the tent. I saw the assassin raise a machine gun and aim it directly at them, and fire. Before he pulled the trigger I said “duck” and crouched down behind a picnic cooler. But no one had enough time to duck and I feared they had been hit when the man started firing. The girl and young man could be plainly seen through the window and were an easy target for him.
Since there was no protection in the tent I slid on my belly (as if I was in combat) and went to my left, under a table. I was hoping to crawl away from the whole area. The gun man was no longer at the end of the aisle, and I could see his legs plainly at the far end of the table I was under. Though I had no protection and he could have seen me if he bent down and looked, there were people seated at every chair, and at every table. I hoped he wouldn’t find me. It almost seemed as if the seated people were trying to be good, and were quiet so as not to antagonize the gun man. They were all older than me, and silent. I hoped none would give my location away. I thought that anyone of us could have stopped the assassin, if we had a weapon. But no one had a weapon except the assassin, and he was very quick and cunning. End of dream.
Here is the interpretation;
Business I work for = God’s kingdom
Insurance company I complained about = some ministers and churches which hold the talents (money) of Christians yet do not see that those saints are ministered to nor train them in the use of their talents
Me speaking/preaching = bringing to light the wrongful taking away of our talents/money
Star Wars music = marks the beginning of spiritual warfare in this dream
Younger Generation = seeking to overcome their enemy and get back what is theirs yet they are impulsive and hasty, and a bit condescending
Younger man = grew impatient, insolent, thought he knew better than his parent’s generation
Tent/covering = not the “strong tower” we are told to run to in the Bible (Ps 61:3; Prov 18:10). Flimsy, and offers no protection. Is a man-made structure. Could represent teachings and beliefs that seem strong but aren’t grounded in sound doctrine.
Assassin – satan. He kills, steals, and destroys. He is much more cunning than the impulsive actions which the young man thought demonstrated his faith.
Shot down = because we were not in a strong tower, which is God and His name (Ps 61:3; 144:2 and Prov 18:10), we were vulnerable. As an example, in reality, I have known young people who were involved in extreme sports for Jesus but never got good discipleship training . . . and now one of them is gay, an alcoholic, and is anorexic. She came to mind during prayer about this dream.
Picnic cooler = the older generation was having a picnic instead of dealing with their enemy
Older generation = “silent majority”. Captives of the enemy, though Christians. Ineffective against the enemy, and silent against wrong-doing/teaching.
Weapon = the Word of God. Also, Jesus asks the Father to protect us by the power of His name, the name the Father gave Him (Jn 17:11). In Rev 19:13 we read that Jesus’ name is “The Word of God”, and He writes that name on us when we overcome (Rev 3:12) as the church in Philadelphia was instructed to; “hold fast to what you have so that no one will take your crown.” (vs 11). It seems that, in this dream, the silent majority had abdicated to satan, and so became ineffective. They had no weapon (God’s Word) and could not save themselves nor anyone else.
I do not often share my prophetic dreams with the public, but since this one came as an answer to my prayer for a message for 2011 I feel the weight of God’s heart and how important this message is to Him. Over the following few days He gave me 4 more dreams, detailing some of the problems that will cause us to fail. I will share them in the next few days.
Let us encourage each other in our faith, and not fret over God’s timing nor the appearance of His works which we partner with Him for. He is faithful and will perform His Word. When the pressures of life and our enemy assail us with doubts, let us run to the Strong Tower, Jesus as the Word of God, and stand in the strength found there. Amen.
If we set aside what we think our faith should look like and what we think it should result in we find ourselves in front of a Sovereign God who holds all things in His hands. He is listening to our thoughts and prayers and will insert His answers into our lives in His time and His way. It is presumptuous of us to think anything else. We can only know God by following Him, and not by thinking He will follow us. Along this line of thinking, A month ago I was asked to paint prophetically in the New Year’s Eve service here in town. It was a meeting several churches would attend and I felt that it was important to seek the Lord for His message, for truly prophetic art always carries His heart to the people. To my surprise He gave me a dream with a solemn message, as copied below;
I was a speaker and a leader in the company I worked for. People gathered as I spoke against the insurance company who took our money but didn’t use it for our benefit. When I spoke, it was as if I were preaching. Then Star Wars music began playing, and played during the rest of the dream (the march of Darth Vadar). The scene shifted to a place where some of the younger generation were following me as we spied things out (looking into what the “enemy” was doing). At the first location, a young man went from behind me to in front of everyone. He took the lead and was somewhat belligerent to me, as if he thought I was too slow and careful, like his mother. He led us up to an enclosure that was our covering, and shook it as if to challenge any enemy that was present. I wanted to tell him not to do that, but he quickly led us to another location. There was no warfare in the first location.
At the second location the young man did the same thing after entering the enclosure that was our covering; he grabbed the canvas tent-like structure and shook it. It was as if he was inviting a confrontation between ourselves and our enemy. My view of the scene began to zoom out, taking in the setting we were in. The enclosure was set at the end of a long aisle in an out-door eating area, with long tables off the aisle on both sides. At the other end of the aisle was an assassin with a machine gun. (I had seen him in another dream before, and he was an assassin then also).
Again I was in the tent-like structure. I could see the assassin and what he was doing by looking over the heads of the young man, and a young woman. They both sat casually in front of a window in the tent. I saw the assassin raise a machine gun and aim it directly at them, and fire. Before he pulled the trigger I said “duck” and crouched down behind a picnic cooler. But no one had enough time to duck and I feared they had been hit when the man started firing. The girl and young man could be plainly seen through the window and were an easy target for him.
Since there was no protection in the tent I slid on my belly (as if I was in combat) and went to my left, under a table. I was hoping to crawl away from the whole area. The gun man was no longer at the end of the aisle, and I could see his legs plainly at the far end of the table I was under. Though I had no protection and he could have seen me if he bent down and looked, there were people seated at every chair, and at every table. I hoped he wouldn’t find me. It almost seemed as if the seated people were trying to be good, and were quiet so as not to antagonize the gun man. They were all older than me, and silent. I hoped none would give my location away. I thought that anyone of us could have stopped the assassin, if we had a weapon. But no one had a weapon except the assassin, and he was very quick and cunning. End of dream.
Here is the interpretation;
Business I work for = God’s kingdom
Insurance company I complained about = some ministers and churches which hold the talents (money) of Christians yet do not see that those saints are ministered to nor train them in the use of their talents
Me speaking/preaching = bringing to light the wrongful taking away of our talents/money
Star Wars music = marks the beginning of spiritual warfare in this dream
Younger Generation = seeking to overcome their enemy and get back what is theirs yet they are impulsive and hasty, and a bit condescending
Younger man = grew impatient, insolent, thought he knew better than his parent’s generation
Tent/covering = not the “strong tower” we are told to run to in the Bible (Ps 61:3; Prov 18:10). Flimsy, and offers no protection. Is a man-made structure. Could represent teachings and beliefs that seem strong but aren’t grounded in sound doctrine.
Assassin – satan. He kills, steals, and destroys. He is much more cunning than the impulsive actions which the young man thought demonstrated his faith.
Shot down = because we were not in a strong tower, which is God and His name (Ps 61:3; 144:2 and Prov 18:10), we were vulnerable. As an example, in reality, I have known young people who were involved in extreme sports for Jesus but never got good discipleship training . . . and now one of them is gay, an alcoholic, and is anorexic. She came to mind during prayer about this dream.
Picnic cooler = the older generation was having a picnic instead of dealing with their enemy
Older generation = “silent majority”. Captives of the enemy, though Christians. Ineffective against the enemy, and silent against wrong-doing/teaching.
Weapon = the Word of God. Also, Jesus asks the Father to protect us by the power of His name, the name the Father gave Him (Jn 17:11). In Rev 19:13 we read that Jesus’ name is “The Word of God”, and He writes that name on us when we overcome (Rev 3:12) as the church in Philadelphia was instructed to; “hold fast to what you have so that no one will take your crown.” (vs 11). It seems that, in this dream, the silent majority had abdicated to satan, and so became ineffective. They had no weapon (God’s Word) and could not save themselves nor anyone else.
I do not often share my prophetic dreams with the public, but since this one came as an answer to my prayer for a message for 2011 I feel the weight of God’s heart and how important this message is to Him. Over the following few days He gave me 4 more dreams, detailing some of the problems that will cause us to fail. I will share them in the next few days.
Let us encourage each other in our faith, and not fret over God’s timing nor the appearance of His works which we partner with Him for. He is faithful and will perform His Word. When the pressures of life and our enemy assail us with doubts, let us run to the Strong Tower, Jesus as the Word of God, and stand in the strength found there. Amen.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Depression
I have been walking along-side a depressed family member for a few years. From what I have observed about depression is that it is satan’s way of taking all of the life out of a person, yet while they are living. My thoughts went to the inactivity of this person and how he needed to be accountable to someone for the way he was leading his life. As always, the Lord broke through my puny observations with His great thoughts.
The Lord led me to read Job 17. The first verse states “My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me.” This seems to sum up what the family member’s attitude towards life has become; hopelessness. And hopelessness comes from a broken spirit.
The human spirit can endure many things, but for some people disappointments and set- backs break their spirit. The spirit should function in a way that the contents of the heart and mind become “known” by him (1 Cor 2:11). A broken spirit is like a poor phone connection; the messages just don’t get through. And so, though no one should know themselves better than they themselves, a man with a broken spirit loses touch with who he is. He becomes lost to who he is.
The good news is that God’s Spirit searches our spirit and knows us thoroughly (Prov 20:27). Because we Christians have God’s spirit joined with ours we can hear His thoughts and receive ministry for those who are broken. Jesus came to mend the broken, and it is our ministry too.
Ministry to the depressed person needs to include attentiveness on our part. Showing an interest in what they are reading and listening to their thoughts validates them, helping the depressed person form a stronger bond with the good God has placed inside them. Caring for their physical needs also shows honor and worth towards the person. But above all, and perhaps the hardest, is to set aside frustration and anger, choosing to love instead. This is Christ’s nature in us and becomes like a mirror for the depressed person, not reflecting their failures but bringing to mind the great love Christ has for them. Remembering Christ’s love for them and in them is the greatest validation and works the most change for a person struggling with depression.
People with physical and mental illnesses alike need ministry from more than one person. We find that we each have our own unique roles in helping someone back to wholeness. For me the role is that of “nurturer”. Perhaps another person will come along and be an instructor, and a third person may be a discipler. It clearly takes the body of Christ to minister in total to the needs we have individually. What steps we take to help a person with depression are our choice. Loving, listening, and caring are not easy to our natural being when we are with a depressed person. But God will give grace, if we ask for it. We will ask only if our brother’s life is more important to us than our own. In this time of the love of men growing cold, we are the embers of God’s flame. Let us chose today to love, listen, and care. Amen.
The Lord led me to read Job 17. The first verse states “My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me.” This seems to sum up what the family member’s attitude towards life has become; hopelessness. And hopelessness comes from a broken spirit.
The human spirit can endure many things, but for some people disappointments and set- backs break their spirit. The spirit should function in a way that the contents of the heart and mind become “known” by him (1 Cor 2:11). A broken spirit is like a poor phone connection; the messages just don’t get through. And so, though no one should know themselves better than they themselves, a man with a broken spirit loses touch with who he is. He becomes lost to who he is.
The good news is that God’s Spirit searches our spirit and knows us thoroughly (Prov 20:27). Because we Christians have God’s spirit joined with ours we can hear His thoughts and receive ministry for those who are broken. Jesus came to mend the broken, and it is our ministry too.
Ministry to the depressed person needs to include attentiveness on our part. Showing an interest in what they are reading and listening to their thoughts validates them, helping the depressed person form a stronger bond with the good God has placed inside them. Caring for their physical needs also shows honor and worth towards the person. But above all, and perhaps the hardest, is to set aside frustration and anger, choosing to love instead. This is Christ’s nature in us and becomes like a mirror for the depressed person, not reflecting their failures but bringing to mind the great love Christ has for them. Remembering Christ’s love for them and in them is the greatest validation and works the most change for a person struggling with depression.
People with physical and mental illnesses alike need ministry from more than one person. We find that we each have our own unique roles in helping someone back to wholeness. For me the role is that of “nurturer”. Perhaps another person will come along and be an instructor, and a third person may be a discipler. It clearly takes the body of Christ to minister in total to the needs we have individually. What steps we take to help a person with depression are our choice. Loving, listening, and caring are not easy to our natural being when we are with a depressed person. But God will give grace, if we ask for it. We will ask only if our brother’s life is more important to us than our own. In this time of the love of men growing cold, we are the embers of God’s flame. Let us chose today to love, listen, and care. Amen.
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