Give Me a Break....

We have been speaking a lot lately about how to not enter into arguments and how to handle situations through the power and posture of Christ. It is difficult to live in this world yet not be of this world...These verses help us understand about grieving the holy spirit / looking at situations with empathy for what we put God through by not walking in obedience and doing the work to mature.

I think part of the reason this is so difficult is due to our worldly training.  We try to do these things without entering into His rest. The Hebrews verses below will explain that a bit.

I think what we don't understand is that seeking Him / the relationship with Him at all times keeps us in His secret abode, His rest. Then out of that relationship / union He is able to flow through us and into those around us.

A friend of mine shared a Psalm yesterday that spoke of the stream flowing into the mountains and valleys. What I visualized when she was speaking the Psalm to me was us being overfilled with His spirit and flowing into the highs and lows of the world to bring His refreshment in all ways to all situations.

Oh how I pray we become the pathways for His refreshing, cool waters to permeate this world....which is  in such need.

My love to you all, in Christ's name I pray this.
Candace


Scriptures from God's Word Translation
Ephesians 4:29 Don't say anything that would hurt [another person]. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. 30 Don't give God's Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free [from the world of sin]. 31 Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred.

Hebrews 4:1 God's promise that we may enter his place of rest still stands. We are afraid that some of you think you won't enter his place of rest. 2 We have heard the same Good News that your ancestors heard. But the message didn't help those who heard it in the past because they didn't believe. 3 We who believe are entering that place of rest. As God said, "So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest." God said this even though he had finished his work when he created the world. 4 Somewhere in Scripture God has said this about the seventh day: "On the seventh day God rested from all his work." 5 God also said in the same passage, "They will never enter my place of rest." 6 However, some people enter that place of rest. Those who heard the Good News in the past did not enter God's place of rest because they did not obey God. 7 So God set another day. That day is today. Many years after [your ancestors failed to enter that place of rest] God spoke about it through David in the passage already quoted: "If you hear God speak today, don't be stubborn." 8 If Joshua had given the people rest, God would not have spoken about another day. 9 Therefore, a time of rest and worship exists for God's people. 10 Those who entered his place of rest also rested from their work as God did from his. 11 So we must make every effort to enter that place of rest. Then no one will be lost by following the example of those who refused to obey. 12 God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions. 13 No creature can hide from God. Everything is uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him. 14 We need to hold on to our declaration of faith: We have a superior chief priest who has gone through the heavens. That person is Jesus, the Son of God. 15 We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn't sin. 16 So we can go confidently to the throne of God's kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.

How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14

Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of "the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.


Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29 ). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted. By Oswald Chambers