holy-spirit

He’s Mighty, Merciful, and Powerful…STILL

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s Sunday – the day I recognize the Sabbath – and I’ll be doing my best to “keep it holy” as I’m Instructed to do. Even though church time is just around the corner, Time with Him is the way I begin each day of the week Sunday or not. I met with the Living God outside where the air was cool and the fog was thick and I watched the Hand of God at work over this old farm. This time of year we can expect to see fog as the cool air meets the warm ground, and I never get tired of watching the fog lift off the farm in the Fall. Sometimes it remains low to the ground until it dissipates, and sometimes the fog covers the entire farm from low ground to high ground and beyond. As I sat there not only could I see the fog, but I could feel it all around me too and it reminded me of the Shekinah Glory (the manifested Glory of God) and what it will be like to see one day…and I will. Some people have closed their minds to the thought that God can still manifest today as He did in the Bible…but not me. I Believe in the Supernatural work of my Supernatural God. Isn’t that what your Journey of Faith looks like too?

Sometimes I wonder how it came to be that people decided that God belongs in a box. To some, the Bible is just a history book and all the things they read about are just entertaining stories from the past BUT not for today. If the Glory of God showed up they’d excuse Him away the same as they do for so many other miraculous things right before their very eyes. Is it that His Supernatural Works scare them because they can’t explain Him OR is there a conflict between the Supernatural and the intellectual faith that so many hang their hat on today? Either way, some have wiped away all the Supernatural works of God as if He’s a past-tense God even though the Word says that He’s the “same today, yesterday, and forever more.” It must make our Enemy very happy to see us “muting” the Works of a Mighty and Merciful God. It’s interesting (and sad) that some people have been taught NOT to believe in the Power of God at all, and if that’s the case, they might as well “worship” a statue. My God IS the same today, yesterday, and forever more, and I long to see His Glory…and I will. Who in the world would want to believe in a powerless God, and why would they want to keep Him in a box?

It’s painful for me to see so many “regular church attendees” walking around IN the fog when I know that all they need is a genuine Relationship with Jesus Christ, more time in His Word, and the Holy Spirit to Guide them. They laugh at people like me and they scoff at the Supernatural just the way the Bible says they will… and they settle into teaching that tickles their ears because they hunger to be entertained and to hear what they want to hear. Maybe they have a Bible app on their phone but it’s rarely opened or read outside of the church. Sometimes they might reach for a copy of the Bible in the pew ahead, but they can rarely find the verse in time to read along because they aren’t familiar yet. Jesus really does “love the little children of the world” but He expects them to grow up! In fact, He expects His Children to Learn and Grow every day. He expects His Children to hunger to be in His Presence every day all the days of their lives. He expects His Children to be so familiar with Him that they recognize the voice of their Shepherd without hesitation or doubt. He expects His Children to know His Word like the back of their hands, and He expects His Children to obey the “rules”. That’s what growing up (or maturing in Faith) looks like and it’s the ONLY way to be Confident and Capable when the fog settles in.

If it’s foggy today, that’s okay – I can see the beauty even with my eyes closed. If my Bible was taken from me today I’d be very sad because I love it so much and I love to spend Time in it with Him every day…but I wouldn’t be lost and I wouldn’t stumble around in a fog. I’ll always have the Holy Spirit to guide me and the Holy Spirit will illuminate the Words when I’m struggling if I ask Him to. My Heart knows what His Word says because I Know Him. I’m a grown-up Christian still in the works so I Work on getting Stronger and better every day. I appreciate the fog but I’ll never be walking in it…church or no church…Bible or no bible…I’ll always have His Spirit and I’ll always have His Word embedded in my Heart.

I’ve put in the Time and effort to Mature.

How about you?

It’s Just Noise To Me!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One who scattered the stars in the sky and knows them each by name with a Heart eager to Learn and overflowing with Love. I Prayed and read from my Instruction Manual, but I had the hardest time trying to concentrate this morning! At first, I couldn’t figure out what my problem was, but then I realized the problem wasn’t with me or my ability to focus – the “problem” was due to a couple of crows in a nearby tree making a lot of noise to disrupt an otherwise quiet and beautiful morning. The more I thought about how a couple of noisy crows could disrupt my time with the Living God, the more it reminded me of the Journey of Faith at such a time as this. All those noisy “crows” in the world today SO determined to be heard have managed to take the focus off the Living God and onto the “theory of the month”. Sadly, while most of the noise is intellectually (and emotionally) stimulating, it has absolutely no eternal relevance whatsoever. With each “crow” – with each tweet – with each post – and with each conversation, the noisy ones are doing their part to divide the Church but they can’t see the Forest for the trees. Isn’t that the way you see the world too?

I’ve been told to “pay attention” to what’s going on in the world by some of my closest friends and because I refuse to pay attention to the world (and the White House), I’ve lost a few along the way. Some think I’m ignorant of what’s going on. Some think I’m being deceived because I’m not jumping on board. Some have even called me a “trader” for not doing my part to win the world over to what’s coming out of Washington. I’ve been insulted and shunned more times than I can count. What they don’t realize is that I believe there is absolutely no end to the corruption in this dark world and that anything is possible. They don’t need to sell me on that! The difference between us ISN’T that I believe one way and they believe another…although that’s the picture Hell paints. The real difference between us is that I’m too focused on the One who already died for me to sacrifice even one minute of my life to theories. God is still on the Throne, He sees it all, HE ALLOWS it all, and vengeance belongs to Him. The Living God doesn’t need me to spread darkness into the world – He “needs” me to share the Light with a world that is much closer to Hell than it realizes…and to encourage people of Faith to stop making noise that has no Eternal significance and to get back to God’s business before it’s too late.

The world could be flat after all, who knows? There might be a cabal with a deep-rooted agenda. The reset could be just around the corner. Children are being sold and sacrificed every day. We might have a President propped up on a pillow and another corrupt election just around the corner. All these things are horrific, but they don’t deserve my Focus. My Focus is on the One True God. The One Who sees it all. The One who allows what He allows and rejects whatever He rejects. The God who gives and takes away. The God who ordains ALL our leaders. The One who gives Life and who hates evil. The One who is coming for me One Day soon. My Focus is on Sharing the Good News – the ONLY News that matters in the Bigger Picture. I’m Focused on Eternity and God is my King.

So, if you’re busy making noise like the crows about things that have no Eternal Significance whatsoever, I’ll be praying for you but I’ll tune you out as surely as I tuned out the crows that were robbing me of Quality Time with my God this morning. I’m only interested in One Leader and One Future and everything else is just noise. In case you don’t know by now, I’m not recruitable. I’m SOLD OUT for the King and His Story is the ONLY one I share.

How about you?

Claim Your Victory…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT IT WAS A TREMENDOUS ENCOURAGEMENT TO ME THIS MORNING. I PRAY IT BLESSES YOU TOO!

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Author and Perfecter of my Faith before the sun came up but this morning was a little different than my average morning, this morning instead of seeking His Will, I Claimed my Victory instead. I marched around this farmhouse and I marched across the front porch, and the longer I marched the louder and bolder I became. Sometimes I struggle with life but I never struggle with Faith – so when I’m feeling “shaky” I begin to shout out all the Promises of my God and I claim my Victory as if it has already shown itself in my Life. He’s my God and I’m His child, and He’s already Told me how the Story ends. So, for all the in-betweens I face in this Journey Called Life I just keep claiming my Victory and I’ll persevere until the end. Isn’t that how you handle your struggles too?

“Taking captive every thought” is easier said than done when we’re facing “trials of many kinds.” If the trial is big enough, all the “what ifs” could drive us insane if we dwell on them, and before you know it we give the enemy an edge to push us over the edge because of it. But there isn’t a trial that God isn’t already aware of and there isn’t a problem He can’t solve. The real problem is that we can’t see the Victory as long as the mind is a muddled mess! Our ability to stay focused in His Word or in prayer is nearly impossible because our mind keeps going back to the mess instead. So when that happens to me, I eventually begin to SHOUT out the Victory He’s already told me would come. I know when I shout out the Victory He hears me for sure…but I know my enemy does as well…and the more I SHOUT the Bolder I become as all those fiery darts set out to destroy me are diminished…at least for now. When I SHOUT out I’m overriding all those things that have been consuming me and I Stand Taller than ever before! This is the Key to battling the spiritual war and it’s the Key to Victory over it all.

If anybody saw me shouting out they’d probably call for help. I’m loud, and bold, and determined. You might hear me SHOUT things like; “MY GOD parted the sea, healed the sick, and raised the dead THIS IS A PIECE OF CAKE for Him!” – MY GOD placed the stars in the sky and knows them each by name – and He calls me by name when He says “you are mine!” – MY GOD knit me together in my mother’s womb for SUCH A TIME AS THIS” – “MY GOD Prepared me for this battle before the foundations of the earth!” – MY GOD will use everything to “work together for Good” because I love Him and I’m called according to His Purpose” – MY GOD says “no weapon formed against me will prosper!” – “WATCH my God bring Resolution!” – WATCH my God bring healing!” – WATCH my God stomp out conflict!” – WATCH my God Strengthen” – “WATCH my God bring Peace that surpasses all understanding!” – “WATCH my God make all things Perfect” – “WATCH my God bring Miracle after Miracle over my life!” – “He’s the same yesterday, today, and forevermore and HE’S GOT THIS!”- and so the SHOUTING goes, with countless proclamations of VICTORY and the Goodness of my Perfect God.

There is no end to the things I can proclaim as I shout out my Victory to my Amazing God…the God of Miracles… and sometimes I wonder if He gets a little more pleasure out of my SHOUTING Victory throughout the Heavens…shouting out like the Warrior I’m Designed to be…than He does when I have a muddled mess going on in my head as I search for answers like a child. I don’t know for sure, and I don’t know His mind…but I do know that the SHOUTING Victory Strengthens me no matter how weak I felt before it began…and I KNOW MY GOD hears me.

How about you?