How Long Oh Lord????

If you never read anything else we discuss, do not miss this one.  Why, because this topic God said "it is not a lie"........literally! Read on:

We all go through the times when we do not understand the reason we are going through difficulties due to someone else's stubbornness or rebellion.  We ask ourselves questions like:  Does God really expect me to help this person when they are simply receiving what they created?  Is it selfish of me to not help where I can so that this individual may see that there is a God that loves him / her when they are bottoming out?  Is it disrespectful to God if I do not "put on joy" as I am having to deal with people that always put their wants before the burdens they are allowing to crash in on my life with disregard to the weight is has on me?

So what do we do with that.  Well I pray that during our next conversations God will really speak up, because this is the road we are headed down as we discuss Love honestly.

In the book of Habakkuk we studied where this man of God was deliberating “How long, Oh Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save.” He goes on to ask about all the imbalance, injustice and oppression taking place and questions why God is just watching it all happen. God did respond to Habakkuk, but Habakkuk waited for the answer trusting that He would. God said listen Habakkuk to my reply and write it down REALLY big so everyone knows the answer, and tell them it isn't a lie - it is GOING to happen, AND it is going to happen at the appropriate time - not early and not late. He then describes the person it is going to happen to. He says "look at the proud person he is not right in himself. He then describes the one he sees suffering by their actions and describes what He sees. "But the righteous person will live because of his faithfulness"

Now he really explains things to Hab as he expounds stating He sees it all. He sees their arrogance,and how their soul is not upright in them.  God keeps giving them the opportunity to make fair decisions since He has allowed them to have the power.  He, obviously, has allowed them to obtain the truth so that they KNOW their actions are unfair......and yet.....they keep on keeping on as if God isn't watching, isn't caring, isn't there.  Not that the next thing God stated through Habakkuk would have been comforting, but at least it did validate these down trodden folks sentiments: God told Hab that it was going to get worse because He knew their callous, selfish, manipulative and uncaring ways. 

What I read next gave me courage, comfort and strength though - God wanted Hab to write it down LARGE for everyone to see.  The reason was this:  So that they would read it and RUN.

Habakkuk 2:3"Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record  the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. "For the vision is yet for the appointed  time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. "

So how can all this help us today?

God made boundary lines for containment in the beginning of creation; He called them good! Which let's us  know that when others disregard proper boundaries they are supposed to be isolated so that damage is contained.  If they do not choose to come away from destruction or want to keep causing weakened structures around and over them, then things will only crashing in on themselves.   For some reason it isn't always obvious to some of us, that if we stay in their midst as these metaphorical walls become real weights and bondage that we too are going to be injured.  It is almost as if we think God is going to reach down and pull us out because it is not His will for us to be crushed? 

When you think about it isn't it ludicrous to rush in to rescue them?  People are SUPPOSED to feel the gravity of their decisions; that is what SIN is designed to do.  If it get unbearable for them maybe they will stop inflicting pain on themselves!!!  We know they are not going to care about the pain crushing in on us as we block it from hitting them.  So stop rescuing them, or they will never learn and God's justice will never be seen by others in the mighty way He has planned.

Let's stop rewriting the scriptures to say things they do not say.  Sometime we are supposed to "See the writing on the wall" and RUN like Forest Gump "in faithfulness"!  And maybe, just maybe when we get out of the way .......THEY will see the writing that our big head was blocking from their view.

What writing in on your wall?
Who are you trying to "suck it up" and "save?
Remember, we aren't here to "save" that is Jesus job.
We are supposed to show them the way out......
So put on your runnin' shoes baby!
.................think about it.

Write about it - I love you all,
Candace

If you are feeling like you cannot withstand much longer, as always click on the blue lettering in each post for similar topics.  However here are a few which are specific to waiting:

• How Can I Be Still When I Feel I Need To Move??
• Is God in Your Way or Are You in His?



©Candace Huffmaster 2012, All Copyrights Reserved

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc™

God is NOT slow!

I want to start by saying thank you to the lovely ladies who met for a journey group today.  These groups are always a highlight to my week.  When there is such an openness...a vulnerability in your sharing of thoughts, hopes, and even intimidation's there is an amazing intangible, unreasonable sense of connectivity which transpires.  What a gift you all give me - well not really me, I simply receive it for Him!

We spoke about how He does not want a sacrifice, but a body to call His own.  When we come together corporately like this and love each other unconditionally, that is what He receives! Isn't He awesome; meeting our needs in such VERY real ways through out the moments of our days?

One of your questions / statements brought to my mind the verse telling us how God is not slow.  We were speaking of the difficulties experienced, and the experience gleaned from waiting on God.  We also spoke about how all things return to God fulfilled; how if it is "returning" to Him it must originate from within Him.  All that is not from within Him will fall away, so self made things are not eternal.  I have posted from my journal on the Kisses C page, save that for tomorrow to think on.....in His presence. 

As for today, here it the verse on God is not slow, which I promised to send you.  And as for the painting on opportunity for cross referencing it to the poetry on Eden (asked for after group) I have linked the word opportunity to the Art of Survival page for you to pull that up.  If you have any problems please contact me.

2 Peter Chapter 3 (GW)

 Dear friends, this is the second letter I’m writing to you. In both letters I’m trying to refresh your memory. ² I want you to remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and what the Lord and Savior commanded you through your apostles.

³ First, you must understand this: In the last days people who follow their own desires will appear. These disrespectful people will ridicule God’s promise ⁴ by saying, “What’s happened to his promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did from the beginning of the world.”

⁵ They are deliberately ignoring one fact: Because of God’s word, heaven and earth existed a long time ago. The earth appeared out of water and was kept alive by water. ⁶ Water also flooded and destroyed that world. ⁷ By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.

⁸ Dear friends, don’t ignore this fact: One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. ⁹ The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.

¹⁰ The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed.

¹¹ All these things will be destroyed in this way. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt. ¹³ But we look forward to what God has promised—a new heaven and a new earth—a place where everything that has God’s approval lives.

¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, with this to look forward to, make every effort to have him find you at peace, without spiritual stains or blemishes. ¹⁵ Think of our Lord’s patience as an opportunity for us to be saved. This is what our dear brother Paul wrote to you about, using the wisdom God gave him. ¹⁶ He talks about this subject in all his letters. Some things in his letters are hard to understand. Ignorant people and people who aren’t sure of what they believe distort what Paul says in his letters the same way they distort the rest of the Scriptures. These people will be destroyed.

¹⁷ Dear friends, you already know these things. So be on your guard not to be carried away by the deception of people who have no principles. Then you won’t fall from your firm position. ¹⁸ But grow in the good will and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to him now and for that eternal day!

Amen.

I pray that each of us bless all that is around us - not curse.  We are light, let the darkness BE darkness - but as for us, we have no part in the deeds of that darkness. So separate! (I say that with love AND emphasis dear friends)

Kisses,

Candace



©Candace Huffmaster 2012, All Copyrights Reserved

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc™

Where Is Our Rudder Heading Us?

A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds.  A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything...or destroy it!  It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire.  A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that.  By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell!   ~ James 3: 4-6 The Message

We spoke last week about the importance of knowing our story.  The stories of our life are nothing more than the merging of words: our word and the words we've heard.  But they are so much more than letters merged together, God created all things with them.  A year or so ago we broached this topic when speaking of Job's story:

Words. What do they really mean? God utilized them to create the world, then had them written so that we would know that. He also told us:  they are a double edge sword,  they have a great power and recompense, to etch them on our heart, to bind them about our waist, to wear them as a garland around our neck, to wrap them around wrist and to never let them leave our mouth. 

God also explained how to serve them:  to always speak them, sometimes to hold them, not to give them to fools, to realize they are pearls and not to feed the pearls to swine.  He asked us:  to speak them even when we know people will not listen, not to withhold them when they will teach, to speak them in love and kindness, advising us that, they can harm or heal and that they have action for good or evil. 

God's bottom line was this:  Ultimately they give life or cause death so we must understand our words because anything we propel out from us on some level we did in by faith. But sometimes our words expose the direction our rudder is heading us.....and it isn't where we've been telling everyone we were going.

There is no doubt, that the whole when to speak and when to "shut ye ole pie hole" can become a bit overwhelming……ESPECIALLY if we are leaning on our own thoughts with our eyes focused on our self.    Satan knows this!   But let's not focus on him, let's focus on what God says - and what He says is that  there is nothing new under the sun! This is great news, it means that evils bag of tricks is "predicable".  Let’s not be so naive (maybe that is a bit harsh) easily overtaken. Let's take the time to look at our history of words swarming about us all.  Let's not be one of those weak willed women (or men) ever learning but never knowing.  We can go through many days, but never learn one thing and we never mature enough to learn how to use our rudder to head us in God's desired direction.  Let's grow up a bit, we can do it!

If you want to read Job's story which I referred to above, click here. If you have ever felt like there is no where else earth for you to go because evil is attempting to force you off the last snippet of ground you are wobbling upon so you might as well just end all the terrible mess……..or better yet just beg God to curse the day you were born.  Then you know how Job felt when he basically said “Job OUT!” 


Today,  I cry out for those in riding the storm riddles sea of words.  I pray that our faith not fail so that God's name will not be put to shame.  He promised WE would never be put to shame when we ride the seas of His goodness.

That's all I need to have the wind of hope lift MY sails!
With the Love of our Christ
Kisses,
Candace

©Candace Huffmaster 2012, All Copyrights Reserved

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc™

Opportunity is God's Divine Design

Todays thought is posted on our Art of Survival page.  Click the picture to read more

Watercolor: Opportunity

By: Candace Huffmaster

Exhibit: Glimpse of His Glory

Date: May 18 thru June 24

Broken....Beyond Repair

Today's thought is posted on our Art of Survival site click Broken Beyond Repair and go there now!

Have a marvelous day everyone!
Kisses,
Candace

Opportunity to Shine

Think about all the opportunities we are given in a day.  Think about the ones you decide to act upon.  I hope the "thought for today" will lead you to relate your choices with Him.  Then, decide for yourself, as you think on God's will, did you reflect darkness or light?

Remember, in Christ there is no condemnation, guilt or shame - only mercy and grace; receive it, extend it and rejoice in His presence.  After all, that is His hearts desire for you, for us all.

Kisses,
Candace

Genesis 1:6,7,8
1In the beginning God created heaven and earth.2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Spirit of God was hovering over the water.3Then God said, “Let there be light!” So there was light. 4God saw the light was good. So God separated the light from the darkness. 5God named the light day, and the darkness he named night. There was evening, then morning—the first day.6Then God said, “Let there be a horizon in the middle of the water in order to separate the water.” 7So God made the horizon and separated the water above and below the horizon. And so it was. 8God named {what was above} the horizon sky. There was evening, then morning—a second day

Yowm is a Hebrew word meaning:day, time, year, yesterday, today, tomorrow, a 24 hour period, day as opposed to night.  It is a "division of time", a working day or a day's journey.  When used of the collective past it is life time, in generic terms it is a period within time.

I combine all this to help us understand that God has purpose, thought and intention with every inclination within Him as well as what it creates.  He is what we are to be.  We ARE to strive to the best of our abilities to reach this lifestyle or manner of living out our lifetime.  If we do not, not only are we not useful, but we are against what He is striving to accomplish.  Do not be deceived!

The bible speaks of being deceived many times.  Sometime we are deceived and  at times we just ignore what we know.  This is another thing to not be deceived about, there is a difference.  God recognizes who falls into transgression and who is rebellious.  God tells us in Galatians 6:7

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows , that he will also reap.

In James 1: 16,17,18 He tells us not to be deceived or fooled:

My dear brothers and sisters don’t be fooled. Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon. God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.

While God was creating everything good and perfect, separating light from dark and determining what they produce. He had already decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us His most important creatures.

I pray ‘this day in time” that you will not be deceived. That you will remember How Good the Lord is and not turn away, but run in all fullness toward Him that created you.

With the Love of our Christ,
Candace

I leave you with this poem to help us think about what we are sowing today.

Choice of Life

The light of dawn pushes out the dark,
As His rays sear through the dense skies,
The heat hits,  it penetrates, it condensing our lives......
And we see they're our own.......... separate lives.

We walk out our moments, two feet which can’t part
If they could, flesh would rip from pulls force.
See, the battle lies deep, not pressed from outside,
The mind willing....but our heart won't divide.

Our tongue is a razor, as it slashes to and fro...
Like a machete it clear for our conscience to take hold.
Defend and survive or thrash and destroy?
.....Lay weapons down to commune with our soul?

Life will be lived no matter where we go,
Whether resisting or planting, each choice we tow.
Our moments build tomorrows, one stone at a time,
So, Take time to choose through deliberate thought,
Be conscious of tomorrows path you'll leave behind.

By Candace Huffmaster

original 2006 ©Candace Huffmaster 2012, All Copyrights Reserved

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc™

Perceive the Opportunity

It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how deep I go, into striving to understand just one thought stream of God, the layers continue to peel away.  It seems that what I wrote May 2 in my journal was the beginning of a journey onto a new plain.  We discussed the topic "God is faithful to His faithfulness" and what I wrote prior to that I did not post, till now:

We never know the moments, the plans of God.  His ways are so much loftier than our highest ideal.  And yet when crisis comes, do we remember His promises?  If we did we would hold them up and tout them through the airwaves as a shield defying the images and words which hurl themselves into our presence. 

God made sure to forward us that if we do not know Him, we cannot perceive what He can accomplish in our situations.  If we only speak and hope based on our or man's limitations, what real or lasting hope is there?  If we do not abandon the thoughts of destruction in order to believe, without doubt, that His word is truth, what is left to save us? If we are not willing to confess boldly that He alone provides, rescues, restores, renews and transforms then He will not be given the glory for what He has accomplished through our lives.

I am stopping here and over the next week we will be diving into His concepts to discover opportunities.
Please spend time with Him, read His words, ask for understanding and believe....

With Love,
Candace

©Candace Huffmaster 2012, All Copyrights Reserved

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc™

Why Tell People The Truth?

How many times do we hear people say things such as: it's none of your business, keep your nose in your own business, I will just offend them if I don't agree with them, don't say anything if you can't say something nice...... This list goes on and on doesn't it.

As a society it appears that to stick our heads in the sand or allow people to run off the end of a cliff without warning them is the "kind" thing to do.  The truth is, it is the most comfortable thing to do.  None of us like confrontation, especially when we know the mindset of those we are compelled to speak the truth to.  We are constantly judged and judging the intents of others, instead of listening to what people have to say and thinking that they might have a selfless motive. 

God gave us the perfect reason to step out and speak up in Ezekiel 3: 18-21:

"Suppose I tell you that wicked people will surely die, but you don't warn them or speak out so that they can change their wicked ways in order to save their lives.  Then these wicked people will die because of their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their deaths.  But suppose you warn the wicked people, and they don't turn from their wicked ways.  Then they will die because of their sin, but you will save yourself.  If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble, and they will die.  If you don't warn them, they will die because of their sin, and the right things they did will not be remembered.  I will hold you responsible for their deaths.  But if you warn righteous people not to sin, and they don't sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning.  You will save yourself."

Keep in mind that this was spoken to Ezekiel - God appointed him to be a Watchman over Israel. He told Ezekiel to tell them: 

Change the way you think and act.  Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin.  Stop all the rebellious things that you are doing.  Get yourselves new hearts and new spirits.  Why do you want to die, nation of Israel?  I don't want anyone to die, declares the Almighty Lord.  CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK AND ACT!

If we are called to carry on the mission of Christ, isn't that the same ministry?  Where we are in Marks storyline of Jesus' journey in spreading the Gospel is prior to His resurrection.  The indwelling of the spirit by believers has not happened yet.

As I read on about Jarius' daughters death and how Christ went with him to heal her, is when I recalled Ezekiel journey.  When Jesus arrived at their home, there was a large group of people carrying on about his child's death.  Jesus asked them, "why are you carrying on so, she isn't dead, but asleep?"  I assume the reason they laughed at Him was lack of belief. 

Jesus made all of them go outside, only her parents, His 3 disciples and himself entered where the girl was.  Jesus took her hand and said, "Little girl, I'm telling you to get up!"  (Talitha Koum!) And she got up and started walking at once.  Entering now was my memory of "The Valley of Dry Bones".

Ezekiel 37: 1-4, 11-14

The power of the Lord came over me.  The Lord brought me out by his Spirit and put me down in the middle of a valley.  The valley was filled with bones.  He led me all around them.  I saw that there were very many bones at the bottom of the valley, and they were very dry.  Then he asked me, " Son of man, can these bones live?"  I answered, "Only you know, Almighty Lord."  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, Tell them Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord.  This is what the Almighty Lord says to these bones:  I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live.  I will put ligaments on you,k place muscles on you, and cover you with skin.  I will put breath in you, and you will live - Then you will know that I am the Lord. 

The Lord also said to me, "Son of man, all the people of Israel are like these bones.  The people say, Our bones are dry, and our hope has vanished.  We are completely destroyed.  So prophesy.  Tell them, "This is what the Almighty Lord says:  My people, I will open your graves and take you out of them.  I will bring you to Israel.  Then , my people, you will know that I am the Lord, because I will open your graves and bring you out of your graves.  I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. I will place you in your own land.  Then you will know that I the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord."

Of course this triggered thoughts about the forming of mankind ( which we covered in the opening study of God's Story Being Told ), God called the dry land earth, God said the heavens and the earth will pass away but His word will not pass away and many other verses. 

What about you?  What comes to mind when you read all this?  Remember, you are part of His story being told.  Why don't you write a bit more of it today by journaling, to Him, some of your thoughts.  See what He tells you, then share it ....in faith of His faithfulness.

All for His glory and name sake,
Kisses,
Candace

©Candace Huffmaster 2012, All Copyrights Reserved

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc™