I have been blessed to live on a hill in beautiful Lake Guntersville. Every day when I sit in my chair (which has been dubbed "the queen's chair" by my family), I am able and blessed to look out upon a fabulous view of the town and the lake. For Christmas, my husband gave me a bird feeder on a pole and he put it in the yard so I can see it from my chair.
The feeder was up for about two weeks and no birds! I thought maybe it was because they saw the cats in the window or maybe they didn't realize there was seed in that feeder. I went out and sprinkled seed on the ground around it and they still didn't come. Then one day, boom! Birds everywhere! Word had gotten out, there is seed!
The Word tells us that it is seed. Sometimes, it is hard to receive that seed due to various fears, preset ideas, religious mindsets. Mark chapter 4 explains the things that hinder the receiving of the seed. I have been guilty of letting the cares of this life enter in and choke the Word in my life, as I am sure most of us have. Fear of the future, finances, worry about our children, etc. But I am here to tell you that The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy. No matter what our circumstances, that word, that seed, will grow up and produce the kingdom. In Mark 4:11, Jesus said that to us it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. That word mystery is musterion which means a secret known only to the initiated. The word denotes something that people could never know by their own understanding and that demands a revelation from God. The Word is a seed that grows up in our mind (soul) and reveals what the Spirit in us already knows.
Colossians1:13, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." He has delivered us from the power of not seeing and transferred us into the kingdom! Colossians 1:27 tells us that He made known the mystery to us, CHRIST IN US, the hope of glory.
The seed always produces after its own kind. We have the seed of God Himself. We cannot produce anything lasting that is not of Him. It is wood, hay and stubble. It will be burned up. It will be burned up by the fire of God. All that will be left is the gold, silver and precious stones. Our God is a consuming fire. Whatever we have produced in the past is consumed by His Presence. Get into the Word and let it take hold in that good ground. All the other cares of this life will fade away under the glorious presence of HIM. Sing unto Him a new song, worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. His Word,His Seed, is Spirit and it is life!
I am so glad the birds found that that seed feeder is safe. That it is there as a gift to their beauty and song. That the seed in that feeder is for their enjoyment as well as their nutrition. That it brings pleasure to me, as the giver of that seed, to see them and hear their song.
It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!
Pam
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
I have always been a simple kind of person. I have never expected to be treated any differently from anyone else. I guess you could say "I am not a respecter of persons." Maybe this is because I know where I have been. But I believe it is a result of the Christ in me. I like to look at each individual and see their heart, their potential, their hurts and pains, rather than their behaviour.
I chose the title "Wooed by Love" for my blogsite because I have been wooed by love.
It all began when Jesus wooed me to be a part of His Bride. I have never known of anyone falling in love with someone because they were evil, punishing and vindictive. (at least a healthy person). In order to have someone love you, you must love first. Be kind toward them. Love them unconditionally.
2 Corinthians 11:3 states, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
Simplicity. Oh what a wonderful word! How often do we wish for a simpler time? When we were kids and had no cares? Well, my friend, we are His kids and His bride. He is our supplier and our love. How simple is that?
The religious world has make things so complicated. DO this, don't DO that. We are confused on every side, wondering "am I good enough?' "will I be raptured on the first load?" "am I really saved?" All I can tell you is that God is confident, even when you are not. The Blood of Jesus was enough. It is our arrogance and pride, whether we realize it or not, that makes us think anything we can DO can make the Blood of Jesus lose it's power. We must learn to BE. Be who He created you to be. Rest in His promises. Have the faith as a little child that He is working good in your life. It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. NOW. Not after you die, not after a "rapture", but NOW. The kingdom of God is within you.
"And do not be conformed (patterned after) to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2. We are not to pattern ourselves after anything or anyone but the pattern Son. We do have the mind of Christ but we have to get past our thoughts and ideas and reasonings to hear what the Spirit says. To hear the kingdom mandate.
"casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Cor. 10:5.
That word arguments means reasonings and comprehensions. And that word obedience in this verse means "to hear with submission"! So when we argue within our mind and try to reason what, when, where and why, we must cast that down and listen to Christ with submission.
It really is simple to BE what He created you to BE. It means we have to stop trying and just BE. Stop trying to do good and just be good. It is our nature, now that we have His nature, that we walk in love and compassion, that we have faith,( His faith). I always told my children don't be good when you are away from me because you are afraid of getting caught. Be good because that is who you are. Don't forget what manner of man(kind) you are. You are His and it is Him you represent.
The word tells us in Colossians that we were once alienated and enemies in our MINDS. But now we have been reconciled. If we will live out of the Spirit within, we will walk in the holy, blameless and above reproach life of BEING that was already finished for us. IT IS FINISHED.
We are in the new covenant. I also have a question, If God is kind to the unthankful and evil (Luke 6:35) and it is His kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), how can we say He causes earthquakes, floods, disease, etc. to destroy His creation, to teach them a lesson?
That's not love. God is Love.
Pam
I chose the title "Wooed by Love" for my blogsite because I have been wooed by love.
It all began when Jesus wooed me to be a part of His Bride. I have never known of anyone falling in love with someone because they were evil, punishing and vindictive. (at least a healthy person). In order to have someone love you, you must love first. Be kind toward them. Love them unconditionally.
2 Corinthians 11:3 states, "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
Simplicity. Oh what a wonderful word! How often do we wish for a simpler time? When we were kids and had no cares? Well, my friend, we are His kids and His bride. He is our supplier and our love. How simple is that?
The religious world has make things so complicated. DO this, don't DO that. We are confused on every side, wondering "am I good enough?' "will I be raptured on the first load?" "am I really saved?" All I can tell you is that God is confident, even when you are not. The Blood of Jesus was enough. It is our arrogance and pride, whether we realize it or not, that makes us think anything we can DO can make the Blood of Jesus lose it's power. We must learn to BE. Be who He created you to be. Rest in His promises. Have the faith as a little child that He is working good in your life. It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. NOW. Not after you die, not after a "rapture", but NOW. The kingdom of God is within you.
"And do not be conformed (patterned after) to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2. We are not to pattern ourselves after anything or anyone but the pattern Son. We do have the mind of Christ but we have to get past our thoughts and ideas and reasonings to hear what the Spirit says. To hear the kingdom mandate.
"casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" 2 Cor. 10:5.
That word arguments means reasonings and comprehensions. And that word obedience in this verse means "to hear with submission"! So when we argue within our mind and try to reason what, when, where and why, we must cast that down and listen to Christ with submission.
It really is simple to BE what He created you to BE. It means we have to stop trying and just BE. Stop trying to do good and just be good. It is our nature, now that we have His nature, that we walk in love and compassion, that we have faith,( His faith). I always told my children don't be good when you are away from me because you are afraid of getting caught. Be good because that is who you are. Don't forget what manner of man(kind) you are. You are His and it is Him you represent.
The word tells us in Colossians that we were once alienated and enemies in our MINDS. But now we have been reconciled. If we will live out of the Spirit within, we will walk in the holy, blameless and above reproach life of BEING that was already finished for us. IT IS FINISHED.
We are in the new covenant. I also have a question, If God is kind to the unthankful and evil (Luke 6:35) and it is His kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), how can we say He causes earthquakes, floods, disease, etc. to destroy His creation, to teach them a lesson?
That's not love. God is Love.
Pam
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