Censorship

Psalm 34:12-13

Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.

Censorship is a hot topic because some large companies with the power to do so have attempted to censor those they disagree with to prevent the opinions of opposing persons from being seen by the public. They are endeavoring to control what people can see and hear, in hopes of making people agree with a certain point of view. All of this is part of an attempt to shape society into what “powerful” people think it should be like. In a free society that is wrong. However, when it comes to our personal lives, the psalmist says if we want to live a long and good life, we had better practice self-censorship. We must censor our mouths so that we only allow ourselves to say what is right and pure. We must learn to dictate to our mouths what is allowed to come out. No matter what we think, we must only say what is in line with the Word of God, and what the Holy Spirit and our spirits will approve.

Mysteries of the Kingdom

Last night I dreamt:

1.   Someone asked me to park the car I was a passenger in. I passed up a preferred parking space and parked a little farther away. There was an object in the preferred space that was not normally there which made parking there difficult.

2.   I was somewhere with some children and I mentioned an egg fight in the context that it was something I may have been instructed to do. When I grabbed the handle on the fridge door as if I would get the eggs, one of the children made a motion as if they were ready to participate , but I told them I would not do it.

Interpretations

1.   We cannot do what we always do just because that is the way we always do it, even when it seems like the preferred thing to do. We need to be perceptive so we can recognize when things need to be done differently. (A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. Proverbs 22:3 NKJV)

2.   Nothing has to be done because it has been suggested, including when it is something that may be fun for others. We need to be sensitive to our spirits and do what we feel comfortable with. (For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14 NKJV)

Mysteries of the Kingdom 6

I woke up recently and while sitting on the edge of my bed I heard in my spirit a song I learned as a child. There are different versions of it but here is what I heard:

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout

Here is my handle. Here is my spout.

When the tea is ready, hear me shout.

Pick me up and pour me out.”

Because I learned about mysteries of the kingdom, I did not dismiss it as just a funny thing happening to me. Instead I wrote it down and searched for the significance of why it came to my spirit. Here is what I got:

1.   We are vessels the Lord works through. (A teapot is a vessel. In this case we are talking about a tea kettle.)

2.   He made us capable of fulfilling our divine purpose. (The teapot is designed with a handle and a spout because of what it has to do.)

3.   He works with us to make us ready for our assignment. (The teapot stays on the stove until the water is boiling.)

4.   When we are ready there will be signs indicating that. (When the water is ready and the pot whistles as the steam comes out.)

5.   When we are ready, God will pour us out to meet the needs he ordained us to meet. (The teapot is picked up and poured out into the cups of those it is intended to bless.)

This helped me a lot over the next several days. I came into different situations where I was called on to do what I never did before, or had to ask someone to do something they had never done before. Each time, the teapot song reminded me that God had prepared us to do whatever we were ordained to do. We are vessels He works through. We just have to let Him have His way and use us to bless others. It gave me confidence and peace in the midst of the challenges. I was changed from one level of glory to another..

The Throne Room

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The author of Hebrews encouraged us to come boldly to the Throne of God’s grace because we have a High Priest who can identify with what we are going through. If we seriously think about going before the very throne of God it could be intimidating. However, Jesus our Intercessor makes it easier. He’s there to advocate on our behalf . He is our mediator, our elder brother and our Father is His Father too. Most Christians have not had a real “Throne Room” experience. They talk to God from the earth. How can we follow the advice of going boldly to the Throne? First we have to acknowledge that the blood of Jesus makes it possible. When Jesus gave His life on the cross, His blood was shed as part of the final sacrifice. The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. It was very high so we know God tore it open to symbolize that we are now a kingdom of priests and can all enter the Most Holy Place. Then we have to close our eyes, shut out earth and visualize ourselves going to the Throne of God and then talk to Him from that position. Each person may have a different experience because we all have unique relationships with God. However, when we see ourselves there, we will want to go back again and again. We cannot go physically, so the only way we can go is with our spirits, as an act of our will. When decide to go, we can say something like, “Father, here I come by the blood of Jesus to Your Throne” and then let the Holy Spirit guide our spiritual imagination to that most Holy Place. Don’t create the scene. Relax yourself and let the Lord do it and you will learn and grow from your experience. Welcome to the Throne Room.

Getting Wisdom in a Timely Manner

Ephesians 1:17 NKJV

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him“

Sometimes we are seeking wisdom and insight and it seems to be elusive. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Only God can give us certain things. In order to get wisdom and revelation that only comes from God, we must pursue Him for it. He has not hidden things from us but He has hidden them FOR us. The Bible does not teach us to seek the Lord for no reason. Isaiah 55:6 tells us to seek the Lord while He may be found and call Him while He is near. Sometimes we have a window of time to get the wisdom we need and we cannot be haphazard about it or we will miss the timing. God has it. We need it. Let us focus until we get it. Better yet, we can live a life of seeking God, and receive a spirit of wisdom where we always know what to do. This will only come by living a life of sincere fasting and prayer.

Stop Looking in the Wrong Place

Exodus 17:2 NKJV

Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”

In Exodus 17, we have a record of the people of Israel running out of water while traveling through the wilderness. They got upset with Moses and demanded that he give them water. Moses asked why they were blaming him. The current government shut down has many people concerned about their benefits. I wonder how many Christians are among those depending on the government, and they will not know where to look for help. How many will be looking to human beings and blaming humans for their challenge and demanding help from mortal men. Just like the people of Israel, Christians can talk about how they trust God but we will not know until they are tested. We can say it and sing it: “The Lord is my Help. All my help comes from the Lord. He supplies all my need.” If we believe that it will show in our words and demeanor when we have a need we do not know how to meet in the natural realm. God does not want His children looking in the wrong places for help. It is an embarrassment to the Lord who cares for the birds and much more for us.