In His Image We Were Made

This is the day that the Lord has made, so let’s rejoice in it!!

He is such a Good God…Great really.  What could possibly bring us to any other destination than rejoicing?  Consider, think on, hold in your heart these thoughts:

• If the Lord our God, who is all mighty, be for us then what could possibly come against us with any success to the point of harming us? 
• Also: Just as close as you hold this thought in your mind and heart, God, who loved you before you existed in the flesh, knew of you.  He knew the number of your days and what you would be facing each and every moment of them. And he has been holding you in His heart, remembering YOU…..

So what in this world, in the heavens, or below is there which you should fear?

Can you ever come to a place of understanding God by taking the Fear bypass?

His word tell us to know and believe his truth.  His own words gave some direction for our travels: the one who fears is not (or cannot be) perfected in Love.  Therefore doesn’t it make sense that the Fear bypass will only take us “around the perimeter” of Love, but not into the heart of it?

To fear the Lord is not what we perceive it to be (I know this is a gross generalization).  What this speaks of is an understanding of how mighty and victorious He is; how all consuming of Righteousness, purity and holiness He is.

To understand this is so overwhelming to our finite minds we dummy it down to create Him in ways we can comprehend.  This is the sin of idolatry – creating Him into an image of man (or something we can fit nicely into our apple basket).

When His word tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, it means thinking new, different thoughts.  This would take His mind to achieve, otherwise, we are still comparing man’s thoughts to man’s thoughts – which will not obtain an original God thought (the needed orange in our basket). 
This is why it is so important for us to “believe” that the bible is God’s word through humans.  It is also why He demands that we not add to it or take away from it.  Again, this would be idolatry.

When He tells us not to conform to this world but to be transformed – we are to understand that piece by piece we are to put down our man made ways and replace them one by one with a God made way.  God made us in His image, through His understanding.  So we cannot be everything He designed us to be by making God in our image – kinda’ stupid simple when the rubber hits the road don’t ya think?

To think of the end destination comparatively to where we are now and the distance we must travel will make even the most challenge loving, self persistent individual shrink back in fear of this daunting adventure.  This is why God tells us up front that the one who shrinks back, He takes no pleasure in.

But do not make God human in His statement.  He did NOT say, “If you do  not do it my way, I won’t like you nor will I have anything to do with you because you are an idiot for not doing what I said.”

What He DID say was this, “It will not bring me to a point of celebration and joy, because my hearts desire is to slather you with ALL my good pleasure, to the point it is chasing you down to overtake you.  And you are funning away from all the help I have in store for you – DON”T Do THAT!  I want GOOD things for you and not things which will harm you!!

Instead of allowing all the false imaginations to hijack you before you even pull onto the road, remember God never expected you to be on the road by your sheer grit –or to have to figure it out all by your smart self.  This would have never given Him what He wanted….relationships.  After all, He is the one who originated the thought, it is not good for man to be alone. He created us not for sacrifice but for a body to call His own.  Just like He created Eve for Adam – something to call His very own, and she him.  I bet what God was thinking as He said, “That’s Good” is, Now that’s good – they would have never known how good, wonderful and perfect life can be without a relationship – and I want them to know only an awesome, loving, take your breath away good life – so they will have something to rejoice about each and every new day I bring them to and through!

That is why I know, understand and believe that He is a Great God….Really! =D

So today, knowing all this, I leave you with a pray of love; which I request to cover each of you as you seek to understand, by way of knowing, the great true love he has for you.  And a question for you to answer to the best of your ability:

Why is integrity so important?

By way of the one who is faithful and the true witness – with Love in my heart and mind as I hold each of you near and dear:
Kisses,
Candace

© 2007 by Candace Huffmaster, All Rights Reserved

Am I a Klepto?

Continuing on our topic of Yokes – what are we truly tied up to? What is harnessing us? You will know when you expose your thoughts by answering the following questions:

 

What are you protecting?

 

Your Love exposes the truth. Fear causes our loving arms to wrap around stuff / people / ideas forming a defense to keep what we cherish from being stolen. Liberty, generosity, trust, faith and love causes our righteous arms to support, protect from harm and yet free whatever is encircled by our care.

 

At times we deceive ourselves by not looking at this truth. We live such defensive lives we are not aware of the conversations going on in our own mind. Many of us are so fearful we constantly remind ourselves of how others fall short and that we are only doing what we must do because of their brokenness. While there is a mustard seed of truth in what we speak because ALL of us are a mess, it is important to remember: nothing can ever be taken from us when we are ready to give in a time of need. After all – we own nothing, every good and perfect things comes from Him.

 

Also, we must be aware that there are many times when we ourselves create crisis because we will not get up and do things ourselves. WE place expectancy on others in our midst to do the work for us. We choose not to look at what we are doing to them – and call it an unconscious mistake.

 

Ephesians 4:28, God lovingly took the time to tells us exactly what this looks like so that we may discern and take positive action to correct this as we transform through the renewing of our minds.

 

Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they’ll have something to share with those in need.

The original Greek word in the scripture above is klepto and yes it is where kleptomania is derived from. This condition does not really have anything to do with the value of items or even the act of stealing. It stems from mood disorders, addictive personalities or insecurity / lack of control. It is not thought out or planned it is more of an unconscious compulsion.

God explains how to get on track:

• Get conscious
• Look at what you have
• Look for ways to do good for others
• Get busy doing good for others

Think back about how Jesus related to people. Did he fix their discomfort by filling their lives with material comforts? No, he gave them truth, told them how to obtain what they needed. But when people had no other resource and it was a crisis he did give them physical things. 

 

I pray for God to keep our eyes on where we alone need to grow and being accountable for our own actions and walk so that we can be a lovely catalyst for tranformation of our communities.

 

With Love,

Candace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be as Little Children

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1a

"I have an important business meeting in the morning. Would you please set the alarm for 5:30 a.m.?" I said to my wife.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. Just tell the Lord what time you want to wake up. He does it for me all the time," my wife said.

I rolled my eyes in disbelief. "Well, I'd feel more comfortable if we set the alarm."

"Okay, ye of little faith. But just to prove my point I am going to ask the Lord to wake us up just before 5:30."

The next morning I awoke before the alarm went off. I looked at the clock. It read 5:15. I looked at my wife, who had just awakened at the same time with an I-told-you-so smile.

Sometimes we wrongfully view God as someone we go to for only the "big things." The idea of "bothering God" for such a trivial matter seems foolish and presumptuous. However, when you were a child and had to get up in the morning for school, didn't your mom or dad come wake you up? They were your parents, and you could come to them with the most trivial concerns or requests. Why would our heavenly Father be any less approachable? Perhaps our problem is that we simply have not developed a level of intimacy with God so that we feel the freedom to approach Him at these daily, routine levels. We often operate with an unwritten code that says our needs must have a certain degree of importance or crisis before we come to God with them. This is not God's character towards us.

Does the Lord desire this level of intimacy with you and me? The apostle Paul exhorted us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17 KJV). There is never a caution to pray only about matters of greater importance.

Today, go to God with matters that you might view as trivial and would normally avoid bringing to God. Ask God to increase your level of intimacy with Him. You may even be able to get rid of your alarm clock.

What is Your Story?

I thougth we would take a breather today.  If you have not been working on the pieces of your story think about it today.

I've been working a bit on mine and I will share:

Tail Tale Story

The stories they change,
They twist and they turn
Like a river it flow and it swells
Around the deep bend the current picks up
And becomes as a snake slithering away.

As if I were not there
His words pierce through my heart
His deception taunting me from friends lips
The truth is the truth, not versions from sides
The facts do not lie as He states
With no one else there
It is character that stands true
My story was told beforehand
At the end of the days
All truth will be known
So today, I will live without shame
My heart knows all truth
My prayers weep the loss
My God covers and comforts my pain

When all seemed to be lost
It is Him that I found
Standing near since the day I was born
He witnessed it all
He knows the sad tale
He smashes the head with his heel

Now at the rivers bank
I sit in peace with my past
Releasing the harms I held deep,
As they gently drift far away
I rest and I wade through the pieces of my past
There is a reflection of a bright faced little girl
She seems simple and sweet: free as a bird
Then their darkness closed in for the take
She fought long and hard, she never gave up
They tried desperately to lay her body down
They trampled, they screamed . they taunted and sneered
Yet her spirit they never could break
They too are alive in the corridors of her mind
But their grip has no power to pull

She stands at the door to the end of the hall
Looking back toward them as she leaves
Though there is grief in her heart she still speaks the truth
Stating “I lived and I loved”, “I cried and I tried”
“Not for me, but to bring you a gift”
“So I leave with my peace”
“But the gift you may keep”
“You see love never ends if it is received”.
By Candace Huffmaster ©

I CAN do all things....but what if I don't want to?

Mason gave me his reading this morning and suggested that I pass it on, He was inspired by it and wanted to share it with everyone in hopes we too would glean from TD Jakes. It is from Strength for Every Moment.

I Can Do All Things

I can do all things through Christ who strenthens me (Philippians 4:13)

Deception is a trap and stronghold that ensnares many, especially those who are not content with their present state in life. The bible instructs us to learn to be content in whatever state we find ourselves. The apostle Paul learned that lesson well......"for I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content (KJV Phil 4:11)

This is not to imply that we should be satisfied with being bound by the devil or be content with complacency and mediocrity, thus not fulfilling the call of God on our lives. Not at all. We are to work to improve ourselves while at the same time remaining totally dependent on God.
             _____________________________________________________________

Called By God

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ’Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ’Here am I! Send me’ —Isaiah 6:8

God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, ". . . who will go for Us?" The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). That is, few prove that they are the chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their ears opened. Then they hear "the voice of the Lord" continually asking, ". . . who will go for Us?" However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, "Now, you go." He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, "Here am I! Send me."

Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard-"the voice of the Lord." In perfect freedom we too will say, "Here am I! Send me." - By Oswald Chamber



----I do not think it was any coincidence that God put these two voices together to speak this subject into our lives. They both were addressing God calling us to do His will. He created us, He has a plan for what He created. I hope the poem below help us reflect on this subject and see ourselves through His eyes, with His heart.
I pray that we wait patiently for God to prepare us and the path. I pray we remember it is His HIGH calling. we simply participate as He needs.

In Christ name, with love,

Candace



Connective Cog

We are but a part, a connective cog,
Positive energy or broken and exposed.
Our eyes connect, though infused by our hearts,
With goodness to help or darkness shall fall.

To look in the face of those who we meet,
The circular pathways stare back in our face.

Each person, a universe…we all exist in our own,
Created no different than the world that we know.
Who rules the planet? Your pathways meet…
The rotation and pull…does it collide or make way?
Is there lift off or desolation? Could anything exist?

One God and one vision, there’s no room for more,
Our Creator, divine, who cannot be improved.
We take our blessings then think we know more
Move out of His energy, our natural pull
Negative energy, like opposite poles,
Has to connect with the positive to realign,
Ending the force which repels, and throws down,

The universe you travel, but do you realize your path?
Is it synergy in motion or out of control?

God in His provision, made perfect your path.
Study and ask Him, He will positively pull
Your desire to travel in His universe alone.

By Candace Huffmaster ©

At the Core of the Crowd

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" Matthew 16:13

If Jesus were to walk into your town today, I wonder what kind of people He would attract. If you were like the rest of us, you’d probably expect all the well-put-together churchgoers to show up and occupy the front row seats. But you just might be surprised.

In Luke 15, it wasn’t the good folk who crowded around Jesus; it was the tax collectors and “sinners.” These were the ones who lived in blatant disregard for the law—the problem people in town! Which makes me wonder, what is it about Jesus that attracted them? And why were the “good folk” standing at the fringe of the crowd? Because they were ticked at sinners to begin with and mad at Jesus for hanging out with such unworthy people!

Thankfully, Jesus puts things into perspective for them—and for us—with a few lessons about why He hangs out with sinners, by telling the stories of the lost sheep and the lost coin.

The point Jesus makes is that sinners have great value to God. Why else would the shepherd go after one lost sheep, or the woman conduct a diligent search for her coin? They had suffered significant loss—a loss like God suffered when sin took people, His prized possession, away from Him.

And, to make matters worse, sinners are hopelessly lost. Sheep can’t help themselves when lost, and obviously when a coin is lost, it remains lost until someone finds it. Which means there must be intentional intervention to rescue the lost. That’s why Jesus said that He came “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Obviously the grumblers on the fringe didn’t get it, but it was Jesus’ love and pursuit of sinners that drew their hearts to Him.

Got any “sinners” near you? Are you feeling a little standoffish and grumpy about them, or are you compelled to love them by launching a rescue operation of your own? After all, I bet you’re glad He went after you—as hopelessly lost and hell-bound as you were. So take a moment to remember what it was like to be lost, and do what you can to attract others to the joy of being found. You can’t go wrong when you’re at the core of the crowd. See you there!

Lord Jesus, I want to be at the core of the crowd. Forgive me for attitudes that counteract Your abundant mercy for the lost, and enable me to be Your hands and feet to reach out to those who desperately need to be found. Amen
by Joe Stowell