A Haunting Tale

  Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between the towns of Mizpah  and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (the stone of help or thus far God has been in our help)
 (I Samuel 7:12)

Because of undealt with issues, unmet needs and unhealed hurts it may feel sometimes as if one is carrying around a ghost. Like the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, we too have three ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. The ghosts of our regrets about past decisions, tensions about present circumstances, and fears about unrevealed futures can lead to restless nights and sleepless ones as well. In the midst of all this uncertainty and unrest, God comes and speaks, "Peace, be still." But ultimately like Ebenezer, we must need face the past, we must need face our unmet expectations, unfulfilled longings.

In an earlier part of the story, Ebenezer so longed to marry a beautiful young woman, but his brokenness and wounded-ness inhibited that relationship and ultimately destroyed it. It is for reason also that his relationship with his associate, Bob, also goes badly. It must have seemed to Ebenezer that wherever he turned there was loss and a sense of incompleteness. So he hid behind any wall that he could find. In his case, he hid behind money and success. Isaiah 30:12 talks about building walls that eventually collapse upon one and leaves one with nothing but ruins; only scraps of building material providing little enough to hold a cold drink of water.

Ebenezer was a keen example of that. It's rather ironic that his name means "Rock of God" or "Strength of The Lord." But he trusted in his own wisdom, in his own abilities; he did not lean and rely and trust in God. For that reason, everything he feared, just as Job said, had come upon him (Job 3:25). He lived a miserable life surrounded by emotional and spiritual squalor, isolated and separated by people, eaten up and destroyed by the very things that he coveted. His life of greed created a cell wall around him. He became imprisoned by the very things he cherished more than people and was almost destroyed by them, except for the three ghosts.

I wonder if God allows us to be haunted for a season at least or may be just for a night by our own ghosts of regrets so that we too, like Ebenezer, can take that haunting to heart, repent and find life once again. When we make idols of our money, accomplishments, or even families, be sure that God loves us enough to allow us to experience some sleepless nights so that we can turn our eyes and hearts back to the One who alone is the Mountain of Our Salvation. As we reflect on 2014, may we also realize that all our help has come from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1),


Sleepless,
MJ

The Royal Dry cleaner

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27).

Holy Spirit is the Royal Dry Cleaner. So, it's his job to remove every spot, blemish, and wrinkle in order to prepare us for the second coming of Christ. See Jesus is coming for a bride who is spotless. 

And as the royal and official dry cleaner,  it's Holy Spirit's duty to make us ready as a fit vessel to wear the royal diadem and the pure white linen for the righteous acts of the saints.

But, how does he do this? David said: that God desired truth inward parts. That's where the Holy Spirit comes on the scene. He is the spirit of truth, and it's his job to reveal wherever there is deception, wherever there is falsity, wherever there is any spot, blemish or wrinkle that does not reflect the nature of Christ. We are encouraged to take captive every thought that exalts itself above our knowledge of Christ. So He shines his divine spotlight on the broken places, on the blemishes, that He might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

His truth puts out of doors, the fear, the anxiety, the lies of the enemy, and in their place, we have the cleansing power of Christ's blood and the truth of his word on that spot, that blemish. That wrinkle is ironed out and is removed and bit by bit, He prepares the righteous linen. He prepares us to be the Bride of Christ to become the inhabiting place of God's presence to come to rule and reign with him.

I haven't always understood the purpose and the ministry of Holy Spirit. But for the first time in my life, I have a personal intimate understanding of his working of his presence, of his purpose here on earth. which is to prepare the bride to make her ready. Every step toward healing, every dealt-with issue, every healed hurt, every wound sutured shut, is a blemish, a spot and a wrinkle that has been removed- another step in the preparation of making me ready and making you ready 

to receive our husband Jesus Christ. It really is a simple assignment: The one that takes a great deal of patience, kindness, and faithfulness. Holy Spirit is ultimately a gentleman who handles our dirty laundry with care and concern.

Gone to the Cleaners,
MJ

The Woman doth protest too much!

If asked whom I resembled in the Bible, likely the least person I would mention would be Saul. But recently as the Holy Spirit has been dealing with me, I recognize that there is some of Saul in me. 1st Samuel 15 tells the story of God asking Saul to destroy the Amalekites. In 1^st Samuel 15:3 to go to attacks and destroy everything to that belongs to them,  do not spare them, put to death men, women, and children and cattle sheep, camels, and donkeys. However, Saul did not follow instructions; instead he captured, rather than destroyed God’s enemies. Instead of killing the terrorist king Agog, he spared his life and saved the best of the livestock to sacrifice to God.

 He believed that his ideas were somehow better than God’s. But God rebukes hi in verses 22, “Do I delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices in as much as obeying my voice. To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I have been guilty of this kind of misguidance, to say the least. Unfortunately, I have cared more about what people have thought, put a greater impact of being a people-pleaser. Now, I have followed instructions, I have been obedient; I have done what I was told, but in my heart of hearts, I am like Saul. These people that you gave me- they wanted- that was always Saul’s excuse for not following instructions. The people, the people, the people.  And, that’s me. What do people say? What do the people think? And God is saying, I am more concerned about what I think, what I say, what I required of you.  Hmm. If I am listening to God’s voice, He has made it clear that what He has asked for is obedience. He didn’t ask for my opinion. He asked me to live beyond whatever is rooted wound in me that makes people’s opinions for more inflated and valuable than his command to simply follow instructions. See, man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, and that becomes particularly frightening because my  motivations are revealed for the crass, base things that they sometimes are- they need for man’s approval.

Abounding Like David

The Word of God says that the fear of man is a snare. We can trust in chariots and horses,  but if  we fail to put our trust in God., our trust is in vain. Men are unreliable, God states that He is not a man, thus He cannot lie. When  I don’t choose to rest in God, but put my trust in value and esteem and worth in the hands of men, I trust myself to marauders and killers. 

I have learned about the folly of Saul, of how he sought to please the people and in so doing displeased God, and in the end, his life was destroyed. His legacy was relinquished and what he thought that he could gain from people, he never got. But in the example of David, a man after God’s own heart, as he was purified, refined, and received wisdom, God caused him to ride upon the heights of the land. God gave him favor and an everlasting legacy as God’s king and the peoples’ king- the very things Saul wanted but failed to receive because of his disobedience and ultimately, he was destroyed because of His brokenness.

God promises that when our ways please Him, He will make even our enemies to be at peace with us. He gives us favor and causes us to be the head and not the tail. To be above and not beneath. He goes before us and behind us- hemming us in with His favor, and no good thing will He withhold from those who love and seek Him.  He only asks that we seek him and his kingdom first- that we love Him with our all heart, soul, and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves.

We must seek Him and his kingdom, not accolades and acceptance by people. We must realize that we are his servants, his obedient servants, and that is what He values obedience more than sacrifice, listening and obeying more than the blood of goats and rams, or whatever type of sacrifice we can create. We can do nothing without Him for it is in Him that we live, move, and have all our being. Through Christ, we shall do valiantly, for it is he shall tread down the enemy. We make progress of the mountains of our responsibilities as He enables our feet to go up like hind’s feet on the steeps. He goes before us and we speak grace to every mountain. He brings truth ad revelation so that we can go forward. He causes grace to abound to us so that at all  times, in all things, having all that we need, we can abound in every good work.

Seeking His approval most,
MJ

Now, You Realize

 

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13).

 

The Holy Spirit is the Epiphany Giver. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth, but exactly how does He do that. In my case, the Holy Spirit will allow me to experience something and then quietly reveal information and understanding that I have lacked.  Often I have walked a road, then suddenly an epiphany occurs. For example, I have come to understand the most of the negative images I have projected onto other people as holding are really my own true feelings and attitudes that I hold against myself. How did I learn this lesson?  Simply, by allowing Holy Spirit to bring healing and balance in my emotions. David said that God desired truth in the inmost parts of our being (Psalm 51:6), and Jesus said that the Holy Spirit leads us into such truth.

Here’s an ordinary, but meaningful example for me. I had been self-medicating for three weeks trying to get rid of a cough and bronchitis, at least what I thought was bronchitis. Holy Spirit had gently, through a friend of mine, told me that I might have a secondary infection and should go to the doctor. I, being of a homeopathic mindset, decided to continue medicating myself, thinking I was getting better. I was coughing less and sleeping through the night.

What I didn’t recognize was that I indeed had a secondary infection. After I went to the doctor, and received corticosteroids, pain medication, cough syrup, and antibiotics, three days in , I was still suffering. Holy Spirit gently queried to me, as he often does, you realize you have walking pneumonia? That is the way He does things. It is not I told you so or why don’t you listen; why don’t you pay attention; it’s you realize, don’t you?

Now, you realize.  In His quiet matter of fact way, not overbearing or condescending, after I have made some healthy progress, Holy Spirit comes alongside of me and says, now, you realize ? He is the  Epiphany-Giver; without Him, none of us can realize anything. We will keep going our own stubborn ways, doing our own stubborn things and failing miserably at life. We will project all of our pain onto others, assume that the problem rests in someone else’s bosom, and  it is really the brokenness that is in our own hearts...

That is why I love the Holy Spirit. He gently reveals the truth and the healing that he has been doing all along in me. Sometimes, it is at night, but always when I am quiet and when I least expect it that I hear his gently voice say, Now, you realize. And when I hear those words, I know that another lesson is almost complete and  more truth has entered my heart.

 

Becoming a Better Listener,

 MJ

 

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The Woman doth protest too much!

If asked whom I resembled in the Bible, likely the least person I would mention would be Saul. But recently as the Holy Spirit has been dealing with me, I recognize that there is some of Saul in me. 1st Samuel 15 tells the story of God asking Saul to destroy the Amalekites. In 1^st Samuel 15:3 to go to attacks and destroy everything to that belongs to them,  do not spare them, put to death men, women, and children and cattle sheep, camels, and donkeys. However, Saul did not follow instructions; instead he captured, rather than destroyed God’s enemies. Instead of killing the terrorist king Agog, he spared his life and saved the best of the livestock to sacrifice to God.

 

 He believed that his ideas were somehow better than God’s. But God rebukes him in verses 22, “Do I delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices in as much as obeying my voice. To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I have been guilty of this kind of misguidance, to say the least. Unfortunately, I have cared more about what people have thought, put a greater impact of being a people-pleaser.

Now, I have followed instructions; I have been obedient. I have done what I was told, but in my heart of hearts, I am like Saul. These people that you gave me- they wanted- that was always Saul’s excuse for not following instructions. The people, the people, the people.  And, that’s me. What do people say? What do the people think? And God is saying, I am more concerned about what I think, what I say, what I require of you.

Hmm. If I am listening to God’s voice, He has made it clear that what He has asked for is obedience. He didn’t ask for my opinion. He asked me to live beyond whatever is rooted wound in me that makes people’s opinions far more inflated and valuable than his command to simply follow instructions. See, man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, and that becomes particularly frightening because my  motivations are revealed for the crass, base things that they sometimes are- the need for man’s approval.

Scrutinizing,
MJ

On the Other Side

Some of us wonder, when, if ever, we will receive a reward. First, we must understand that there are those of us who received their reward on this side and then there are the other-siders. Yes, I know that other-siders is not a real word.  But I use it to express the idea that some people spend all their lives without ever seeing the fruit of their efforts.  It is easy to get discouraged if you're one of these people. Luckily, Jesus makes a promise to those of us who have to wait to see the reward of their labor. Jesus promises that although some people's good works are apparent while they are still living, He reminds us that some people's good works and deeds will not be revealed until Judgment Day. Paul also reminds us that "the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later.  In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. (I Timothy 5:24-25).

So what does one do if you are one of the other-siders? Will one continue to work joyfully when one doesn't see one's reward? Well, it's really about focus: focus on the reward or the Rewarder?
Why I am doing what I am doing? Is it for the praise of man or the praise of God? In the end, "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (I Corinthians 5:10).

Galatians 1:10 says if I'm serving man then I could not be a servant of God When we do not understand this principle, we easily become disillusioned and disappointed with God in life. We ask questions such as: why do bad things happen to good people? But the real question is about payout. Some people get paid in advance in this life and others get paid in eternity. This truthful enigma answers the same dilemma about why some people get punished for evil while others seem to go unpunished? Again, the principal of the other-side provides the answer. In the end, we must trust God's ultimate sovereignty and wisdom in how He metes our both punishment and reward. We can only do so if we trust in the inherent goodness of God's nature.

Jesus told us plainly that there would be those who would be rewarded for both good or evil in this life and others who would not see their recompense, except in the life to come. So, why are we so stressed? Do we really think that God would defraud us? That God is not fair? Did He really is asleep at the wheel? He is simply a Divine watchmaker who started everything, but won't take care of us till the end?

Great news. God is not asleep at the wheel. Every tear we shed has been saved and written in His book (Psalm 56;8), so how can He forget everything we have done for Him?  Hebrews 6:10 says God is not just; he will not forget our work and the love we have shown as we continue to help his people.

I want to end with Jesus' own words as an encouragement:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.“ So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matt. 6:1-4).

 

Holding on for the Other Side,

MJ