New Wine - dig dig dig

So in "K" group we have been studying Nehemiah and in Chapter 10:39 it talks about the new wine - in fact it says " the Levites are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil" - this whole chapter is talking about 1st fruits giving all our first fruits to the Lord. - this whole idea of new wine grabbed my attention and i knew i needed to look into it and see what little treasure there was in this - through out the old and new testament this series of items, grain, new wine and oil is listed over and over again. so here is my little diggin of this in a nut shell:

grain: represents bread /the Word of God
new wine: i know that wine symbolizes joy but also wine shows the cup, communion - a remembrance of what our Lord did on the cross in our place. - i knew there was something else here that my God wanted to show me - so the search began........ i'll post in a min.
oil: represents consecration / anointing / Holy Spirit

this all was fire in my belly as i could see there was some really great symbolism, yet i didn't have complete understanding of the meaning yet.

The story from John 2 - the miracle of Cana has been a little thing that has come up a few times over the past 6 months or so. Very drawn to this story and all the great applications there are in it. Well once again I was brought to this part of scripture and began to dig some very interesting facts and applications from it.

it's been over 450 years since there was a miracle of God in the Bible at the time of this event. - Daniel and the Lions Den is the last recorded miracle ( i'm sure there there is an interesting application in this the last i will have to look at this later to see how they intertwine )

in the book of John, he only records 8 miracles - according to his own writing he records those miracles that are to instruct not to amaze - he ( through the working of the Holy Spirit had a different purpose in the miracles he chose to write about) - another study i am intriged to do. ( do you see how i get off on so many rabbit trails when i study)

so here we are the first recorded miracle - Jesus turning water into wine: in a nut shell the scene is at a wedding and the wine has run out - Mary, mother of Jesus goes to Him and tells him of the problem he instructs the servants to fill the jugs with water to the brim and take it to the master of the feast - the water turns to wine some were after the act of obedience on the servants part and when the Master sees it. The master taste it and it is good in fact it is the better wine.

so let's look at a few things: in the miracle the contents changed not the pots - just like us at our conversion ( being born again) our outward flesh does not change it is the spirit in us that changes. - we see in other parts of scripture that the pots represent man - there were also 6 pots another symbolism for man - on earth our flesh will always be apart of us and there willalways be a battle between our flesh and the Spirit in us - the one that will win each battle is the one we feed more - so i ask which one are you feeding more?

our conversion is the new wine. - our salvation is a miracle - it is our transformation from our old self to being a new creation in Jesus - it is where everything begins - this is where we become a new creation - it is an act of faith - it is total obedience - all of these things are linked to this first miracle of Jesus.

let's look at those things:
an act of faith - the servants obeyed they did not ? - personally this shocks me one would think they might have act or stated - ' it's wine they need not water' - Jesus did not tell him what He was going to do - yet they obeyed - just like when Jesus called us to His heart we heard His command to come and we obeyed - total obedience - my pray also is that this is always my heart in following Jesus and His word - total obedience.

it's where everything begins: this was the first miracle of Jesus - just like our conversion in Jesus is our new beginning - our slat is made clean.

i was looking for a verse that states all 3 areas grain, new wine and oil - this is what God gave me:
Ephesians 1:13 - having heard the Word of truth (grain) the Gospel of your salvation (new wine). Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (oil).

here is another cool thing - Jesus was invited to the wedding - we have to invite Him - He will never force His way in - we must invite him.

anyway off on to many crazy trails - ....it all came down to, that I found my answer the new wine is our conversion........

so i hope this makes sense to you. - maybe it even prompted a little seeking in the Word for yourself.

o this just came to me - like i said up there wine usually means joy - htis little study i did i saw that new wine represents our conversion in Jesus - and I know my Word says Jesus is the Joy of my salvation. - cute!!!!!!!

understanding this journey - Holy Spirit - Breathe on Me

so i seem to be all over the place these days in things our Lord is showing me - well after about a few days of some just feeling yucky inside ( oppression ) i began to realize that i need and want all that the power of the Holy Spirit has for me. This battle inside of me is real and my enemy knows what a life fully empowered by God's Spirit looks like and he is trying to rip me off. Truth be told i have been letting him... so i'm on my real journey right now of understanding and being filled with the complete baptism of the Holy Spirit. - we are hopeless without the Holy Spirit and yet to often we try to go about our walk our ministries without allowing this free and willing power to be front and center of all we do or i suppose i should just say me since this really is my journey.
samuel chadwick stated a century ago that the church has a theology of the Holy Spirit yet has no living consciousness of His presence and power. - this tells me that if it was true a century ago haw much more now with all our current junk in the way.
there are people who are so deceived in their emotionalism ( not Holy Spirit - let's make that very clear ) barking, flailing around, chirping etc..... that they are completely ripping themselves off. The bottom line is we need to look at what the Bible says of the Holy Spirit - if we do not see something in the Bible it absolutely can not be today - there is no new work of God - My God, the one true God is the same yesterday today and tomorrow this means so is His Spirit! - so let's measure our new Christianity up against what the Bible teaches - WOW seems this is a hot button for me. I guess it just makes me sad how much our deceiver gets to us and convinces us of things that are completely against our LORD. - i want to purge thoser things out of my life.
I've always felt a kinship to Peter - yes the good the bad and the awful. - however Peter was the only one that wanted so deeply the same power that Jesus displayed as Jesus walked on the water - the others were in complete satisfaction to witness the power and be blessed by it but not Peter no way He wanted to do the same as Jesus - i so love this about peter - i love his zeal - however we must be careful of zeal - zeal without knowledge (wisdom -and the beginning of wisdom and knowledge is the FEAR OF GOD - reverence) is not good (Proverbs 19:2) however Zeal powered with knowledge and the Holy Spirit - WOW what our Lord can do with that - look at peter's life this is a man who walked with Jesus for 3 years completely under His leadership learning and gleaning everything that Jesus had to offer yet all of that never made Peter all that our Lord meant for Him to be ( has this ever happened to you that you were so blessed to be under amazing leadership / discipleship yet never could measure up to the one you respected spiritually?)- not until Peter is filled with the Spirit do we see Peter go off and have this amazing ministry - over 3000 people were saved by his first time out as a preacher. remember this is a man who was not educated, a fisherman, and eagerness that often got him in bad situations - this man now filled with the Holy Spirit just was used to win thousands to the Kingdom. ......gosh to be set a fire like that.........there is a song by John Waller called "breath on Me" go to his myspace http://www.myspace.com/johnwaller and listen to it....here are the words.
Hover over me / fill me spirit, breathe on me /Hover over me/ fill me fresh and breathe on my/ I want to walk in signs and wonders/ I want to speak with tongues of angels /Breathe on me spirit I receive empower me to be your witness /rest on me and Jesus let me see even greater things than these- when you breathe /breathe on me/Let me bind up the broken hearted/ I want the world to see your power/I believe, I receive everything you have for me

this song is so awesome it's my hearts cry right now.

so this is my journey right now everything i have been studying has been about coming to this place to come to an understanding of the Holy Spirit in my life the way our Lord intended for it to be - i suppose i may come to some unpopular reality truths but i'm willing to go there where ever my Lord my lead - for today i just want this heaviness lifted from me - I praise Jesus because I know that even in this so my journey begins -

In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior who conquered death on the cross in Jesus name i command you satan to leave depart you have no place in this. Amen

Armor - link up

Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH( Lord Jesus that I may be completely surrounded in your truth this covers my gut Lord Jesus and I pray that I will be able to know in my gut your truth always with no deception from the enemy and no persuasion from my flesh), and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ( May my heart be covered with your righteousness allowing no unrighteousness to enter my heart)15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; ( may my feet be covered with your peace Jesus that if I walk anywhere and feel no peace in my life I will know that I have walked off your path for my life and no matter what the circumstances if i have peace I will know that I am walking in accordance to your will Jesus)16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.( in faith I acknowledge your sovereignty that everything that is thrown my way you my Lord have allowed it, Satan can not harm me i belong to you17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION,( allow this to cover my mind - that i will keep mindful that i am your through my salvation - that you will cover my mouth putting a guard over my tongue that everything that i speak gives evidence of my salvation in you) and the sword of the Spirit,( my only weapon that i need Jesus is your Word - everything is right there in your truth, your word to be my defender - it has the power to move mountains, it is the only weapon i need) which is the word of God.

ready for battle - i always like to think about everything that each piece of armor covers on me and i claim it i stand firm in it just as His Word says "Stand Firm"

one thing i love is that this armor, it was made in a way that the shields connected and the soldiers would walk like a human wall of shields ( metal )- this is why we need each other - link up girls - let's make this wall of armor so big that there in no way our enemy can get behind us and come through the back door -
who are you linking up with today will they allow your wall to be strong or weak?
let's get it right today -
link up!!!!!!

Faith - how is my measure of faith today?

Matthew 8:26
why are you fearful O ye of little faith

so i was reading last night in utmost for His highest - bottom line is that when the tough stuff comes our Creator the one who has never ever failed me the one who has an awesome perfect plan that He is allowing me to walk needs me to be the reliable one in the crisis - OUCH!!!!!! - how i wish i could stand firm on this and say, "of course Lord you can depend on me to do the right thing in this situation". - instead i have to admit that it did not come with out a few bumps in the road a few panic moments - oswald chamber says," we get to our wits end showing that we have not the slightest confidence in Him and His government for the world. - now of course i go to that denial state of saying, no way i would never say that to my Lord.....really????? - than why the moments of panic, why the frustration, why the worry or concern......dang will i ever get it right from the beginning of the trial?......i suppose the answer is no not if it's my trial because my trials are there to dig up the yuck stuff to expose my heart, my level of faith - i get it ....it's supposed to be this way......so that in and through it i become a little more stronger in my faith. it's that growing in faith thing.......

As believers in the Lord Jesus we are all given the same measure of faith.

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

We see that our faith grows by being in the Word of God. So if we are not in the Word our faith in becoming flabby. Much like a body builder who exercises their muscles. They become strong and can with stand harder situations without faltering. We were all born with the same amount of muscles we can’t acquire more but we can strengthen and develop the ones we have.
As believers in the Lord Jesus we are all given the same measure of faith.

James 2:26
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

We see that our faith and actions must line up. One can not live without the other. We can not talk about having faith and then fret over a situation. It just does not add up. Faith is active our faith should cause us to move forward trusting what our Lord has said.

Galations 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Our faith works by love.
anger / bitterness / and unforgivness will kill our faith. Our faith is dead if there is no love. There is no getting around this on....the Word of God is clear. I see that if I do not have forgiveness toward someone I am not tied to God I am tied to that person. ( gosh that's a visual that is a little repulsive) They have the power over me.

Romans 7:22
For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

Faith is of the inward man ( heart / spirit) not the outward man ( our 5 senses) so this tells me that there are times that everything on the outside with our 5 sense may tell us one thing yet we need to trust the Holy Spirit in us and walk in that truth. We can not set our course on observations and feelings. We need the Word of God.

The physical man only believes from the physical senses. Faith is from our spirit our inward self.


1 Peter 1:7-8
so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

alot of times we quit before the great revelation (answer) and blessings come. Trails always get the hottest right before the breakthrough. I think of Joseph and how between each place of promise was a wilderness which is always an opportunity to doubt and lose faith. My MOTTO....." DON'T QUIT" and "BUT GOD"
lastly
Hebrews 12:2
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Thess 3:10
Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. this assures me of His sovereignty in my life that everything that comes my way is placed there by His hand. There is no faith without a relationship with Jesus. So my faith can surely be measured by my relationship with My risen Jesus. the more I know Him the more i trust Him and that comes by abiding in Him ( worship / studying His Word / prayer / fellowship) so i ask myself how am I doing in this area am i growing in faith?

will my Jesus Say of me today

O ye of little faith

i made it back

i can't believe in light of this very difficult day that i actually made it back here - but i am choosing to "HOLD FAST"....... that's another long post but let's finish what i wanted to share earlier
- i really want to share from the words of Margaret Ashmore -

Psalm 32: 3
When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

actually read the whole chapter in it's content - this was david holding on to his sin with bathseba and uriah - awesome passage of scripture

Margaret was saying that when we worry, have prolonged grief, sorrow, guilt - there is a release of acid in our body (most of us know this to be true already) anyway our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made by our Creator and when the acid is released our bones will push out calcium to neutralize the acid - we all know what happens to our bones with a lack of calcium - also red blood cells are made in our bones so if our bones are not healthy becasue of a lack of calcium than our red blood cells are not either which than has the potential of many other serious sicknesses.


this is a very interesting study to dig into if you look a verses in the Bible that relate to healing and good health from having wisdom and good words
prov 16:24
prov 12:18

i look at this whole idea and it just encourages me in so many ways mainly the complete proof that the Bible is the the inspired Word of God -
these writers did not have the knowledge of anatomy that we have today and yet they got it completely right -

i love this!

what kind of suffering isin my life?

1Peter 4:19
let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in doing good

Oswald Chambers says, " to chose to suffer means that there is something wrong, to choose God's will even if means suffering is a very different thing"

the way i see it is there is 2 sufferings: 1 - because of our sin and that is easily rectified by our confession to our God and often times than confessing it to someone else in our life - the power in this is it truly breaks the bondage of the sin - Satan no longer has the control. - this is complete freedom.
2 - the suffering that has been placed in our life because there we will glorify our Lord the most and isn't that what we were put on this earth for - for His Glory!

so i'm taking a little evaluation today - maybe i'll be brave enough to share the results with you all - if there is a 'you all' -

i'll be back later today i need to get aaron to mathnesium - i have something really insightful to share with you all from my new favorite woman Bible teacher - Margaret Ashmore - you are not gonna want to miss this i promise it will be eye opening and potentially change your life.
i hope that has peeked your interest -
until later
keep chasing righteousness!!!!!!!

chosing the lighter side

okay so myheart is full of so many things to share yet i just got this email from a dear from up north and it was fun so i thought i'd post it here and chose today the lighter side of life:

Four Things about Me -it's a fun little thing.Four things about me you maynot have known:

FOUR JOBS I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE:
1. Mc Donald's - yes i was a dang great front order girl, just ask karen

2. summer camp counselor - mainly because the cute boys were there

3. dietician for an active retirement home
4. AP/AR Director

FOUR PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1. Pennsylvania

2. Tennesee

3. Montana

4. brink of insanity

FOUR TV SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH: ( don't judge me - tv is my quilty pleasure)

1. Lost
2. So you Think You Can Dance

3. Dog Whisperer

4. Survivor

FOUR PLACES I'VE BEEN ON VACATION:

1. Prague - it was a missions trip

2. Mexico - Cruise

3. Puerto Vallarta
4. Yellow Stone National Park - and yes I did see Yogi and Boo-Boo with the picnic basket

FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
1. Sword Fish
2. A great salad

3. Greek Food
4. Bread in the morning from Jesus

I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: - not in correct order so dont think i have my priorities messed up
1. On a beach by myself- with a skinner body gosh i can see it now...dang i look good ;0)
2. Enjoying Bobby and aaron in the Mountains in about 20 degree weather in a nice hot tub talking about Jesus

3. Having coffee with a good friend talking about Jesus

4. sleeping just plain sleeping - can't even imagine how great that would be

FOUR PLACES I LIKE TO SHOP: - i am super cheap - that's why bobby likes me ;0)
1. Henry's

2. Mevyn's
3. Target

4. TJ Max

FOUR THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I GO TO HEAVEN

1. regain my pre-pregnancy body

2. take a real vacation with my family

3. be used by God to draw women to Jesus

4. see my son truly surrender his life to our Lord

so there that's the lighter side for today

i'm standing

So this morning this word was on my heart - from the moment i woke up i knew our Lord was telling me something - this was my word this morning STAND.....so i went to the source and in reading in Ephesians 6 tells us over and over again to stand to stand firm and than stand firm again. so i'm guessing that this stand thing is pretty important that our Lord needs to drive this principal home with us - and especially today for me no doubt - so i'm thinkin' about this stand firm and it means to stand still - be still okay this whole chapter is about being at war and i'm to stand still ....what ?????? - so i get to thinking about walking in the wilderness and this snake comes upon me ....my instinct is to run, scream well actually i'm pretty sure i would pass out but no need to let people know how wimpy i really am ;0) so that is my fleshly instinct however what i have learned about snakes and when they come across my path - i need to stand stand firm - be silent and stand firm - so whose job is it to kill this serpant? - the one who is next to me that the snake is not looking at - that would be my Lord, my Jesus, the Lover of my soul. ....so i get it, i am to stand firm in this place that my Lord has me in ( the line in the sand) and know that He will save me from the snake - .....so today i heard clearly form my Jesus i need to stand firm in this situation that is before me and allow my faithful Creator to deal with the serpant - CAN A GET AN AMEN UP IN HEAR??????? - AMEN

The line in the sand

Sovereignty - is resonating in my head over and over - today is a really hard day - we all have that line in the sand that we say if this happens than no i can not do that God not that - well today God allowed that - my line in the sand that i have held on to for many years was crossed - so i screamed ( truly ) pitched a big ol' fit ( gosh it look pretty) and just wanted to dwell in that yucky place of it's just not fair - this can not be happening - so as the day is coming to a bit of an end - the sand is settling and a little bit of clarity is coming my way. - i realize my Lord does not owe me an explanation but He expects me to behave in such a way that i do not hurt those around me with my sinful heart - i realize that God is telling me that i have hit a wall - i am in a place in Jesus that in order to go deeper He needs to purge those hidden thing - He can't use them - He doesn't want them - and as justified as i may be by anyone who could know my story - it really just doesn't matter to God - what matters to my Jesus is my heart and my usefulness for Him - Darn it this situation is really hard -before i go to bed tonight i need to make a decision, am i gonna order Satan extra padding for his lawn chair in this situation or am i kicking him to the curb - sure it seems like there is no real decision but there is this one is very hard for me. - this verse keeps coming to my mind
Psalm 24: 3 -
who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? who may stand in His holy place? he who has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. he shall receive a blessing for the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him who seek Thy face O God of Jacob

i want clean hands and a pure heart - yes Jesus i do - i pray that as i lay my head down tonight that i can do so knowing that in the morning His mercies are new and i chose Jesus - recently i had to tell a friend that she could not be making decisions when she is so emotional....we just do not have the ability to have clarity or any discernment whan we are so emotional....i suppose i get to live out my own advise right now........maybe Jesus had that line crossed because it made me to much the judge of my life and he alone is the Judge. - ....things that make me go huuummmmm!

He is still Sovereign

you know something this tragic happens and it just makes all of my stuff seem like nothin' - the truth is all of our stuff is something - it's there because our Creator has allowed it, the good, the bad, and the horrible. In His soveringty I trust no matter what, no matter what. - if 100 lives get saved for Jesus is it worth it? - if 1000 people pray harder today than ever before is it worth it? - if 20 people go to church on Sunday and hear the true Gospel for the very first time and chose it is it worth it? - if one marriage is restored is it worth it? - if one life just one life surrenders completely to a faithful, loving, soveriegn Jesus is it worth? - this is what I know the answer to all of these is YES. ......myheart is heavy for these people, the families touched by this tragedy the friends effected by this........but my prayer is that Jesus and His grace, and mercy is seen in every situation......Pray for them pray for all of them and watch and listen to all the stories we will hear of Jesus our King in the midst of this tragedy.
Psalm 103:19 tells me that His soveriegnty rules over all - all not just some but all....so all of my stuff and all of your stuff and yes even this horrible bridge collapsing. He is sovereign over all.