Blessings

My key board is a blessing to me. Is it merely a coincidence that there are a lot of 2's involved in playing it?

A Bible word that puzzled me as a child was the word Blessing, or Blessed.  People always pronounced it Bless - ed. To so many, the blessings of God revolve around physical and financial needs being met, but after closer examination, I found it not to be so true with God.  Instead,  blessings were assurances that what one has done or expects to do with life is going to be successful in some way. For example, the well known Beattitude: Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Not a reward, but a result.  A lot of God's words of instruction are about a result or a consequence of the initial action.  Blessing is just such a word describing the result of many actions of men in the history of the Bible.

I have studied the numbers in the Bible for years.  Some time in my early teens, the number 7 became my favorite.  I didn't know at the time that all the Bible numbers came with a significant meaning. And in the many years since, I had not come across anything that made the meaning of the number "2" clear to me.  I had been told by a wise educator that 2 meant Blessing, but I couldn't quite make the connection. But lately, God is emphasizing that truth every way I turn.

Let us begin with the fact that he gave us two hands and two feet.  We are a species which is primarily bipedal.  There are very few species that are able to function, using thier hands to accomplish so much with such dexterity. The use of our hands can be an element of our becoming successful.  But the scriptures make specific note of our hands, when it mentions in several locations, that when we worship and pray, the result of being blessed in our souls is that we lift our hands in praise.  It doesn't say how high, but it is a natural thing for many people.  You almost want to reach to Heaven as if you are accepting God's hug.  I am not a hand lifter for the most part, but I have been blessed sometimes by others who were.

In Noah's ark were built accommadations for all the animals to be brought in two by two.  In this case the blessing would be when these two of any species saved had opportunity to reproduce and thereby the world would be blessed.  Even the fact that it takes two humans to make increase in the human population, alludes to the blessing of family, increase and continued existance of our own species. It is also true that God wished that marriage would be something he considered worth blessing. This concept is not limited to marriage, however.  Scripture says for example that where two or more are gathered in prayer, He is in the midst of them.  It also says that where two are agreed, then there can be expectation of an answer being forthcoming.  There are many more illustrations of relationship pairings when God blessed the love that kept those relationships strong, healthy, and blessed.  David and Jonathan come to mind.

In Old Testament tradition, we read of fathers who "blessed" an oldest son. This was a unique twosome relational blessing that holds pictures of the realationship between God the Father, and God the Son - Christ.  There is a book that could be written to expound that particular example, but it is the one example that holds the most value to us. It is a picture of how God wants to bless us with His own belongings. The things he made with his Proverbial hands. God created heaven and earth with a specific  mental picture in mind of what He intended to do with this earth.  It was prepared for us. He owns it all, but gifts us with anything on this earth we can figure out how to use.  And as with the story of the prodigal son, he doesn't dictate whether we use it wisely or unwisely.  If we destroy our gifts, He still accepts us because it is the relationship which he holds dear above the material value of what He has given us. The one on one relationship, between just two beings, is the spiritual law that God indowed with blessing. 

The exact opposite is thereby true.  The commandment of "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" is an extention of the Law of Twos.  If we put other things or "Gods" before Jaweh, Jehovah God = the one true God, then the relationship is watered down. The blessings are dissolved.  One God plus one child of God equals blessing.  The uniqueness of it being a supernatural pairing, is that it can be unique to every Child of God. All Christians can be blessed by a one on one relationship with God, as if they were the only Child on earth. Unlike earthly fathers whose resources are limited, there is no such thing with God. God wants you to be assured that it is the relationship with you, a singular person, that is His objective. This means you are highly prized in His eyes. If that doesn't bless you, then you haven't met my God - the one true God.

On the second day of creation, God divided something by two, for the earth's greater good. I challenge readers to look it up.  It involves H2O and what's between it.  What a huge blessing for our future environment. Without this first 2 on the second day, we could not have lived on this earth. This is called the first mention. Even the days of the week involve God's blessing. I can really take this to depths----the evening and the morning were the first day. but it also began day 2.

Next time you are blessed, think about the number two, and ask God if there is a definite reference to the "2" in your situation. Think, "Did this success, or feeling of accomplishment involve developing a realtionship of some sort?  Was it a gift from someone or God himself?"   Can you see the number two in any aspect of your blessing? 

Ever wonder if your blessing is a result of God's blessing, or has Satan drawn you into a false hope? Check out the relationships you have formed. Not the blessings you received.  If the relationships are possessive, or demanding, or taking from you rather than adding to you, then you are probably not within the unwritten  Law of Two.

The next time you feel blessed, or are seeking God's hand on an endeavor, think about the number two. See if it applies to something God is telling you.  Don't manipulate your numbers, but ask God if He has a two that will help you see His path.  Don't be surprised if He shows you one.

Lord, not everyone will be blessed by knowing something about the laws you put in place reguarding  the numbers. Maybe someone who loves mathematics will see automatically how, without the laws of God in place, many things would not exist.  Maybe someone will see that without harnessing and learning more about numbers, we would not be blessed with many of our modern conveniences, including, for all we Geeks, the computer.  I thank you for these things Lord. The many blessings on our modern lives -- Even our binomal language that makes computers possible.  Without a computer, I couldn't write this blog.  I thank you for sharing the value of the number two with me. And for all the blessings in my life.  Even comunication is an extention of first one person speaking to at least one person. And in this case, the blessing of prayer, is all about my being able to talk to you. And knowing that you hear me. Therefore it involves two. Praise your name. You are the Alpha and Omega...loving that it is another two...LOL Jesus! Amen

Frozen Until....

I have a heavy heart, this week. There are several reasons, but mostly that close friends and family are struggling with the realities of life and death. Only God can ultimately control whether life on this earth will continue, and it is important to hope for life, choose life, live like you have chosen life.  There is no wrong in living even while facing death. To the very end.  As long I guess as the choice doesn't leave those who supported your choices in a state of confusion and bitterness, which is the reasonable result of continuing to believe in life.  When God says, "No, they will continue to live, but with me, in their eternal home," it feels like he has said no to life itself. When my mother passed into heaven about a year ago, I couldn't cry. She was where she longed to be, with family who had gone on, and with Jesus. Mama was whole for the first time in her life, since she was born with only one leg.  All our lives, we had talked about when Mama went to heaven she would be able to run.  Although she never let not having a leg take her down a pity path, we always thought that this would be a time of rejoicing for her.  As so many of our loved ones have passed in recent years to into the arms of Jesus, I have been saddened to lose their physical presence, but glad to know they were "in a better place."

When my granddaughter Brynley died as a stillborn, full term baby, I lived for a couple of years in a place that is difficult to explain.  I could not get my mind around any form of satisfaction that she was with Jesus.  It seemed as if she didn't belong in Heaven. We never even had an opportunity to enjoy her sweet life on earth, to see her smile, or hear her laugh. I don't know what I expected the void of not having those expectations realized to  have on my emotions, my mental apect of the reality of death, the attitude I had always held about life and death....but it was nothing like I had ever experienced before.  I was overwhelmed, It was at least two years before I could even find any form of relief by trying to imagine her in heaven.  NO mental exercise I could come up with gave me a sense of relief. No scripture, no poem, no devotion, no blog, no card, no outside influence on this earth allowed me to see her happily enjoying heaven, and even if it had, my daughter and I felt cheated.  History actually changed in my mind.  I suddenely looked differently even at history.  So many mothers had lost thier little ones at or near birth, that there were certainly great crowds of people in heaven who never even experienced the joys and pains of earth. They were of course blessed, but those left behind without enjoying their presence were denied the gift of their life.  I had never experienced the hole that left in time.  And there is nothing except the experience that can give a perspective on just how awful that feels.
I had totally hoped to never feel that helpless again.  But the reality is, that there will be times when the impact on our emotions of loss, and unfulfilled expectations will grip us more tightly than we can emotionally receive.  For everyone the response will be different, but I am finding that for me, it shuts some part of me down.  Shutting down until the Lord gives me His remedy for the pain, is the only way I can cope.  And here I am again.  Someone I love is dying and all I can do is shut down.  When Brynley died and mother died I couldn't cry. The stress involved with mother's passing, and the shock involved with Brynley's passing left me empty.  But thankfully, these days I can at least cry. But I am failing miserably at being an support for anyone else.  I don't have it in me. And God is not giving it to me. All I can do is shut down, hide and protect my emotional self.  I don't know what it will mean for my emotional future, but I do know that eventually, God gave me the vision, the enlightenment that healed the pain after about two years, when it was my granddaughter who died.
So knowing that God knows how we feel, I am only able to pray that God will be there in a very special way for those who need him in these hours of near death. I simply don't know how, to be His tool on earth, because I fully believe there is no person on earth that can lessen that empty unimaginable crush of loss. God is the only one who knows our spirit well enough to provide the kind of spiritual medication that heals the wounds of that kind of reality. There are people all over the world today who need God in that kind of special way, and for some reason He choses to wait a while to reveal Himself as the healer.
When his dear friend Lazarus was dying, Lazarus' family begged Jesus to come before he died. They fully believed that if Jesus would just come, He could heal him. Jesus had purpose in not going when they wanted him to.  We don't know if Jesus had experienced the loss of someone close at this point, although the absense of his father indicates that he may have died by this time in Jesus' life. Had Jesus known the special kind of pain that losing someone close could bring humans.  With his unique aspect on Heaven, having known what living with the Father on a level we humans can only get after death, sending his friend home to the Father was a gift he might give him. Without Lazarus' death we might never have known if Jesus human side knew the pain we feel. I personally am glad to read that Jesus cried.  What intensity of emotions did Jesus feel.  He allowed his friend to die. Knowing how it hurt Mary and Martha. Knowing how his disciples and close followers would judge him for not coming. Feeling the pain humans feel in the death of a loved one, we know he knew he had power over death, and he let it happen.
Jesus wanted to demonstrate that power. he knew he had to demonstrate that power.  But in order to demonstrate the power over death, death had to occur. He also wanted to foreshaddow his own death, and the expected end to that event.  He was giving hope to those who loved him that he might have power even in his own death.  Now, there are still two facts that remain...eventually, Lazarus died and Jesus was not there to resurrect him.  And, even though Jesus was resurrected himself, he revealed himself in his resurrected form, but made a big deal of his being more ready to go to his Father.  His heart was already in his heavenly home.  He went ahead saying, " I go to prepare a place for YOU."

I don't feel like Jesus right now. I don't have the emotions that go with knowing a place has been prepared for those nearest death who must depend on Jesus's power over death, and promise of a better place. But having faith is not living out of my emotions.  But having faith doesn't releive my emotions, and I don't think Jesus wanted us to believe it would. Because even he cried. He could have gone to Lazarus and been there and allowed him to die. We often see in the Biblical accounts that Jesus followers had not taken their faith yet to the point of understanding that it did not require his physical presense to make miracles happen.  Mary who knew how he told the story of the soldier who had faith to say, "Lord, if you just say it, it will be done."  He commended this man for his faith. It wasn't about faith for Mary. She didn't want his miracle without his presense. Her emotions needed him to be there.  But he didn't go.  Why?  Was Jesus physically overwhelmed? Did he experience what I experience when intense emotions overcome me? I think he had to have known this kind of human pain, at least once. When he was dying, he knew how his mother felt, how his disciples would shut down emotionally, until he brought them the healing they would need. Until he removed the gripping sorrow that sent them to a place of not knowing what to do or how to live; until he revealed his presense and power would still be available in the Glorious third person of the Godhead. He would never leave them, but would remain constantly available in His Spirit, by indwelling them.
In spite of his constant presense, God knows when we are disabled by our physical or emotional pain.  Sometimes he takes it away, but often he does not.  He did not for himself, but he does set limits. In time, he brings an end to it, interjecting something greater than when and where we are while in our pain.  But one of the values of death is that it is the end of pain we cannot bear.  The blessed end.
No more tears, no pain, no more fear of death, no more canes, or prosthetics, or any other sting of ... anything that brings the need for death as the exclusive remedy.

Lord, my emotions are like the weather this week. From cloudy to sunny to cloudy to sunny and the same again and again. I wait on you.  I lean on you. I have no resource but you.  Once again I am can only say...."Only to they cross I cling."
Be there Lord for those who need you today.

AMEN 

Totally the God WE NEED

The more we are able to see ourselves as in the image of God, the more clearly we will see ourselves as a reflection of Him when we find ourselves mirrored in His word.  The great risk however, is that when we fall short, fail to mirror God in some way, and have previously been so bold as to emulate Christ publically, verbally, wholeheartedly….then Satan is quick to declare loudly, publically, wholeheartedly how very much we have mirrored his evil instead. He delights in showing the world when we have failed, for he is self-seeking, in no way wishes to promote us for our benefit, much less God’s. The secondary risk is that the more you emulate God, the more people judge you by what they think God is. In other words, they put you on a pedestal of expectations, and when you fall short in their eyes, they seldom consider if you fell short in God’s eyes. An example would be that my mother always thought that if she called the church for someone to come by and help her pray about something, she fully expected the pastor to be the one who came.  If it wasn’t the pastor, she judged him as failing to do what she thought God expected him to do as her pastor, and she never liked that church the same again.  This is an obvious example. Most are more subtle, but friendships often fail because of expectations.  Parent/children relationships fail because of expectations.  As a person who publicly professes Christ, it is a risk that Satan loves to take advantage of. I have learned that I must not try to suit everyone else, but only Christ, then, cling to that no matter what.

 If you can ever see more clearly what the character of Satan is, then know that the character of God is just the opposite.  On the surface, it may appear to be a copy of something distinguishing God, but look closely and you will see that it is the opposite of God’s intent. Even the most subtle of Satan’s lies will manipulate us to unwittingly serve him instead of God. Our Savoir wants us to know without a doubt that we are one with Him and are free each day to choose to be more like Him. Not like Satan aspiring to be a god, but like Christ aspiring to be one with God.  Know the difference.

God gave us laws and commandments, then gave us permission to break them, and then held us accountable when we did, and then paid the penalties even unto death for our breaking them. Then He let us choose whether we still “go to jail (hell)” or not.  Can’t He just make up His mind? What’s all this about?  It’s called: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

There is therefore, now no condemnation, to them who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 

No condemnation, No comdemnation, No condemnation, No condemnation, No Condemnation,.....None!!!!!!!!!!! 

Father, Help me not  view my world through the eyes of those who will find reason to call me on my failures, and accuse me of Christian infidelity because I fall short in their eyes. Thank you for allowing me to be human, and continuing to love me undcontionally.  With no condemnation. In Jesus, AMEN

How To Know God Is In It - Part 3

 The more someone who is over you lords over you, the less they are walking in the Spirit of God.  This is a good policy by which to gage politicians, marriage partners, and church pastors. It is also a gage for parents and teachers.  God created us with an innate ability to increase in so many ways when allowed to make choices.  We have reasoning skills, and response skills.  They are both God given.  So, for example, a good business practice is for a manager to give some liberty to employees to make some valuable choices for the company. 

 I worked for a company once that practiced this.  The risk was that as we allowed our employees to grow in this way within the company, they became so good at their jobs and productiveness, it was recognized by clients. As a result we were always losing employees to other businesses. When asked, I always advised that, before leaving, our employee should determine if the company to which they were going, was also a company committed to an employee’s growth, not just their own profits. We sometimes found that our competitors would promise our employee unreal  amounts of money to leave us.  Not long after hire, they would drop this employee. Citing reasons such as: our productive employee did not adapt to a more subjective, profit oriented goal system, or the company suddenly  could not afford them. Often they had ignored the employee’s growth. It was obvious to our management that some of these people were drawn away in hopes of affecting our productivity and sales. 

 The one thing our competitors didn’t bank on, was that our whole team was being trained, all the time, to be always moving toward being better than they were. So someone was always able to move into the space left by an employee who moved on.  We were never hurt at all.  One of our strengths was to build our people.  That is God-like.  And God blessed it. On occasion we took such an employee back and were glad to get them.   

The parallel is like a Christian who is led away by Satan’s wiles, and finds themselves in a world of empty promises, and returns in hope to walk in God’s freedom. This wayward child then comes to realize that God also gives freedom to make both the good and bad choices and continues to open His arms for any who return. He will lovingly continue to be the foundation for our growth, even at the risk of losing us to Satan’s worldly ploys. That He receives us back, even after being drawn away by Satan’s deciepts, confirms that He allows us to learn from it. 
We would feel more protected if He would not allow us to go roaming, but we would revolt to being hemmed in to His boundaries.  It is built into our character, like unconditional love is built into His.  And these opposites seem to complement one another.  God desires willing subjects.

My next entry talks a little more about that unconditional love. Ck back for my final thoughts on this subject til the Lord shares more. 

Lord, The realization that I can ask myself, is this more like God or Satan, and know right away if I am in your will or being led away by misguidance was so freeing. It is most interesting to me to know that freedom came when I stopped trying to judge if I was doing what you most wanted me to, not by checking in on your laws, but on your character.  If I can find how best to emmulate your image, or allow you to shine through me, then I am in your will.  So much easier. And much like you.  Help me remember when I am being led astray.  So love you dear Jesus!!! AMEN

How To Know God Is In It: part 2

This entire principle is tied up in understanding God’s opposite – Satan.  Scriptures help us understand that Satan, was once as esteemed among God’s creations as any.  Satan however, wanted to elevate himself to a position of being a god, with power to Lord over elements of creation, to have things and beings subjugated to him.  He saw the position of being God as being an obtainable goal.  He was short sighted, because he failed to see that the difference in being God and being his opposite is the willingness to let your creation choose to follow you or not.  In an evil world, beings are forced to participate under a master of their fate, while in a God-like world, even the unbeliever is allowed not to believe in the one who created and loved this same non-believer.  In addition, the one who allows all to make their own choice allows that all remain totally under the umbrella of unconditional love.  Rejected, ignored, and disobeyed, God continues to love all, unaffected by their choice.  Satan cares not about the love of his subjects, but only that they are persuaded to yield to his untruths. Whether his subjects are deceived or totally aware, he will extremely manipulate the path of anyone he pursues; not hoping they will believe in and follow him as a god necessarily, but that any who follow him will be confused about who god is. The promises of Satan are hollow, however decorative on the surface, still hollow and void of truth.  In this respect and all others, Satan has a copy of what he believes God is or says or does, and that copy is equally hollow in its value.  Being able to tell the difference is beyond the human vision.  It is the duty of the Spirit of God to help us see the false things of Satan, when compared to the real things of God.

Ok. I know this is a truth that is difficult to put into a simple example. That is because it is a BIG concept.  The greatness of God is in that he does not possess His human creation. He totally owns us, but chooses not to possess us.  It is a risky thing.  Satan is the ultimate example of how creation could choose not to live in God’s power and wisdom.  Sometimes we see God as a master passing down legalisms and making life hard.  But I try to stop sometimes and really see God.  God is all powerful.  He could force everything in his creation to serve him. But He shows us that His real power is in allowing us to choose that He become the power in our lives. Then His power becomes productive, has direction,  is conveyed.  His power increases as it is multiplied within beings, who make use of it willingly. God desires that all the things of His character and creation “increase.”  The method by which He is able to increase His own power is through us. He becomes greater in willing servants.  We are not slaves to his power, but conveyers of His power.  We are benefactors of that power therefore, because we can use it for our benefit in His name. - The very opposite of how power is used by Satan.  He uses his power to make slaves of his followers, to lord over them, and seeks only that his power increase fear and forced subjugation in his subjects.

For a practical application of this principle, see my next blog.   Til then, God Bless!!!

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Thank you so much, Dear Father, for being my Lord and my Savoir.  And for letting me choose whether I serve you.  I do sooooo choose you. Help me to be wise when Satan seeks to deceive me.  Open my eyes to see when he offers false hope, and misguided direction. Make it clear to me when you are wielding your power in my life, and give me wisdom to use that power, not just store it.  Glorify yourself in me. In Jesus Name. AMEN

How to Know God Is In It

On a week when it rains as much as it has while this hurricane turned tropical storm has dumped it’s payload of the Gulf of Mexico onto the interior of the US, I wish I truly had a garden to which I could go now that the sun has broken through.  Hallelujah for being able to see that there is a universe beyond the clouds.  We so needed the rain that I am thankful, but I need a flower to help me smileJ

While closed in this week, the Lord has been repeatedly giving me glimpses into the subject of how to know for sure when it is He not the deceiver who is leading my life.  He keeps slipping me different angles on the same subject: the basic truth of opposites.

There is a uniqueness in the Character of God that helps me see clearly His hand in the circumstances of life.  The concept is a bit difficult to explain, but is worth the attempt at the discussion.  It is the truth of opposites.  The simplest scriptural example that comes to my mind is the story of Abraham who took his son to the mountain top to sacrifice him to God, even though this was his only son through whom God had promised the future of a nation, and a Messiah for the people of Israel.  In addition, it was so unlike God to ask for a human sacrifice.  Everything about it seemed to be the opposite of what scripture teaches us about God. The story ends with God providing another sacrifice and seemingly changing His mind about expecting Abraham to sacrifice His son.  The whole experience leaves the reader asking why,  or what was God saying or doing in this very strange story?

On the surface, the story is about trusting God, to the point of being willing to do whatever He asks, unto the extreme of sacrificing your own child. This goes against everything we believe about God, because we believe one thing that separates our God from the gods of the world is that He doesn’t ask such things of us.  In fact, anyone who declares God has told him to do such a thing, would be confined as mentally deranged.  We thankfully know that if such a thought should cross our mind, we know it is not from God.  Why in fact would Abraham even indulge himself to accept such a thought as being from God?  Why would he follow the command to do such a thing?  Except that he fully believed that God had promised this son would be the father of a great nation, and therefore, even at the expense of his death, God would somehow, miraculously keep His promise.

There are of course so many other lessons learned in this story, including the picture type of our Savoir being the only son of God, who actually was sacrificed on our behalf. However, this story always bothered me until I learned the principle of discerning opposites.  A large part of this principle is tied up in God’s willingness to allow us to choose.  Choose life, choose faith, choose salvation….the ability and freedom to choose. God does the opposite of what it seems a God should do. If we are truly His creation, why does he allow us to choose to accept or reject  Him.  Why not just save everyone and make it so we all are one with Him?   Check in tomorrow as I begin to sort out what the Lord is sharing with me on “How to Know God is In It”.

Changing day by day

 Life all around me is changing, and I am struggling to keep up.  But for once in my life I am forgiving myself for the times when I just can't get things done, and allowing that to become my reason to arise with peace, not stress in the mornings.  Having something to do, is not what I live for, but what gives me the joy to know I have a purpose.  I don't think I will ever run out of things I want to do.  I will die saying, but I have to get "whatever" done in the morning. LOL
But if I don't...well, I know I gave it my all.