Tag Archives: sin

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

July 25, 2024 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” – ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.” – ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:5

“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” – Matthew 6:16

The problem is not that we are seen by men as we do the good we’re called to. We are light. Light is visible. The darker the night, the harder it is for light to hide.

The problem is our heart in the work. Trying to be seen so people notice us and glorify us in our supposed good, robbing God of His due, is the sin. Doing good to please and honor God and Him getting the glory is the goal.

The heart of those seeing is in play here as well. When they see our good works, who do they glorify? Man’s deeds, or God’s goodness in bringing it all about?

Watch your own hearts, for from the depths of that which makes us who we are flows the springs of life. That which is in us – our desires, motives, intentions – will seep out as a light of revelation, making our true nature known.

““No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Then WATCH OUT THAT THE LIGHT IN YOU IS NOT DARKNESS. If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”” – ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭33‬-‭36‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Holy Habitation

Entering the Baptism of Christ

December 12, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” – Luke 12:49-51 NKJV

Jesus took our sins upon Himself for the purpose of taking our eternal death of separation from God for us. In the baptism of His death and burial, followed by His rising again as Victor over sin and death, He gave us opportunity to enter into His baptism and rise again to newness of life.

Do not take the baptismal waters lightly, as commonplace. This is the sin of the Pharisees who ritually washed without thought of its importance. When you enter those waters, do so in full understanding of its meaning, as this is a vital step in the experience of the saving grace of Christ. It is not a ritual. It is a commitment, requiring full understanding of its importance as a first act of obedience for righteousness sake. This, too, follows the example Christ gives (Matthew 3:13-15 NKJV).

Entering the baptismal waters is the reality we enter into in Christ when we surrender ourselves to walk in the newness of life Jesus provides for us. As we enter those waters, we enter His death. Recognize that as you step into that glorious bath. Your old life is over. Leave it behind and let it die.

In being lowered in submersion to those waters, we are buried with Him. If you want the full experience of this, let those waters be cold. It takes your breath away so in rising again, you inhale deeply, as taking the first breath of life – a life made new in Christ. The slate of your past is wiped clean.

As you step out of those waters, fully realizing the reality of entering the baptism Jesus took for you, do so with a heart determined to write on the slate of your life the good God desires to write through You, following the example of the Christ with every subsequent breath.

This is the meaning of “There is also an ANTITYPE which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 3:21 NKJV).

Anyone can say the right words and get dunked under those waters. But God, who knows the heart of every person, sees the sincerity of the commitment we make when we enter the baptism of Christ in this first step of obedience. It is vital we understand the heart of the action, and do not take these steps lightly.

Holy Habitation

God’s Living, Life Giving Word

November 14, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 NASB1995

Thinking on this verse this morning, I couldn’t remember exactly how it’s worded, so I looked it up. As I think on it, I realize – maybe not for the first time – the significance of its parameters.

The Word of God is living and active. It’s timeless: useful to God for directing and instructing, inspiring and strengthening our lives now as much as it did those it was originally spoken to. God can highlight any portion of it to our hearts, giving wisdom for our now situations. It is as relevant and vital to life now as it was in the days it was lived out. It has the capacity to lift us out of death and depression, giving us all that is needful for an abundant life that glorifies and honors God, accomplishing His purpose with wisdom and grace. So how does it work? This verse tells us.

The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts to the quick of life as God’s Spirit highlights it to our hearts for our good, to inspire, teach, direct, reprove, and train in righteousness. It pierces our lives as far as the division of…

Soul and spirit: the soul is our mind – the way we think; our will – the desires and inclinations that dictate choice; and our emotions; all making us the unique individuals we are. Our spirit is that part of us that is eternal. It cannot be separated from that which makes us who we are and will live on after our flesh shell dies. The question is, where? There is an eternal destination we are responsible to choose before our physical flesh dies. We will either be with God for all eternity, or we will be doomed to separation from Him, given over to the hell that separation brings us to.

Joints and marrow: joints make full, functioning mobility possible. Without the joints, the body cannot move far quickly, nor accomplish much. Marrow is the factory for red blood cells, which are the oxygen carriers of our bodies. Oxygen is necessary for life. The breath of life cannot flow through our bodies without well functioning marrow. God’s Word keeps our spiritual and physical lives healthy and full of Life, able to function at full strength.

Rightly judging the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Without right thoughts within us, even our best intentions will fall short of God’s glory, which makes even our good to be sin in God’s economy. We cannot recognize when our good intentions are being misled and fed by wrong thinking and selfish motives without the instruction of God found in His Word.

We cannot live righteously on the earth apart from God. We learn of God and His ways through His Word. God transforms us to be and function at our best capacity, with adequate life-breath and full function, as we let His Word penetrate our lives and make us wholly holy, as He is holy.

I pray you find time everyday to be in God’s Word. It is our life breath. Since, in Christ, we live in the New Covenant found in the New Testament, this is the reading plan I recommend. Read 5 times through the New Testament in this fashion:

John through Revelation
Matthew, skip to Acts through Revelation
Mark, skip to Acts through Revelation
Luke, skip to Acts through Revelation
Matthew through Revelation
Then read Genesis through Revelation.
Repeat over and over again. The Word of God never gets old or obsolete. And there is always and forever greater depth of understanding to glean.

When a verse or passage makes your heart jump, don’t just read on as if nothing happened.

Pause over it.
Note the full context of the passage. Who? What? Where? When? And why?
Pray over it, asking for wisdom and understanding in its application to your life.
Make note of it.
Follow the references that are listed with it and note any of them that speak to your heart and need.
Look up definitions of words that stand out – both in a good language dictionary and a detailed Bible Word dictionary.
Note any insights found.
Memorize the verse or passage.
Write the verse or passage on a piece of paper. Put it in your pocket. Reread and meditate on these things throughout your day, asking God for His good seed to take root in the soil of a heart made ready to apply its truths to your life.

May the Lord bless you, through the reading of His Word, to have a glorious life.

“He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray.” – Proverbs 10:17 NASB1995

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 11/9/23

November 9, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” – Mark 14:37-38 NKJV

Father, thank You for pausing me here this morning, leading me to consider these words. As I do, it dawns on me that Jesus just told these with Him that they would fall away and deny Him. If ever they needed to be praying, it was then. He was warning them of what was coming to Him and that one of their number would betray Him. If ever they needed to be praying, it was then.

Father God, You call us to Yourself, giving us assignment in living and serving You. Living for You is bigger than our flesh can accomplish without Your work in us and cannot be done apart from You. The wisdom of this world, our very flesh, and demonic influences stand against us, set to draw us into falsehood and sin. If ever we need to be praying and seeking Your Face, it is now.

Here am I, O God. Teach me to pray fervently, just as Jesus did. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 10/30/23

October 30, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

The hardest and most important thing about confessing sin is seeing self rightly and truly, as You see me. I too readily tend to look at myself with rose colored glasses, if I am not careful to honestly and earnestly seek Your opinion or keep ears attuned to You.

I understand the importance of right relationship with You, Father, and the role of sincere repentance in maintaining that connection with You. Empower me to be quick in hearing You and faithful in seeking hard after You. Grant me eyes to see clearly as You see me; ears to hear truly, recognizing Your voice over those that are falsely self approving and deceptive; a mind of comprehensive understanding, in agreement with Your will done Your way; a heart set to seeking You with right desire for You as first and foremost need and necessity; and a spirit vitally united with Your Spirit, bowed down to You in willing obedience.

“This is my desire to honor You. Lord with all my heart I worship You. All I have within me, I give You praise. All that I adore is in You. Lord I give You my heart. I give You my soul, I live for You alone. Every breath that I take, Every moment I’m awake, Lord have Your way in me.” In Jesus, amen.

Lord, I Give You My Heart

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 10/23/23

October 23, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Every time we face something in life that appears impossible or tempts us away from faithfully following You; any time we sense Your call to a hard thing we aren’t sure we can do; with every opportunity to doubt or fear, a stone pops up to cause stumbling, making us stop, leading us to sin against You. Father, grant us faith to trust You that, in all You call us to and every opportunity You set before us, You are with us to move those stones or show us the path to removing their hindrance. When we walk with faith that fully trusts You, stones of stumbling get crushed under the Cornerstone of our faith, and we walk free to stand firm on the foundation of our victory in Christ. Increase our trust as we walk securely in The Way, The Truth, and The Life. Make us faithful to trust You more and obey You fully, especially in the hard places. IJA

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 10/21/23

October 21, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” – Revelations 2:2-6

Father, thank You for this passage that always gives me opportunity for self evaluation. Am I producing a work that honors You as God, laboring in patient endurance out of love for You, as pleases You as my First and Foremost desire? Am I testing the teachers and teaching I sit under by digging into Your word for myself, that I may know truth, giving me a basis for recognizing falsehood? Do I live as one who hates evil? Am I remaining true to You as my First Love?

Here am I, O God. Search me and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. Grant me eyes to see myself – my heart – as You see me. See if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me to a right heart in walking through life into eternal purposes fulfilled to the glory of Your Name. Grant me right heart attitudes in serving You with whole hearted fervor, practicing patient endurance, to a finish that glorifies Your name and accomplishes Your purpose. May I realize the evil around me and recognize any way in which I inadvertently give myself to those things that displease and dishonor You. Deliver me from evil, and lead me to repentance that reestablishes right standing with You. Make me a light that helps those I love or come in contact with to find You for themselves. This I pray in Jesus’ Name and by His authority, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 10/20/23

October 20, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Matthew 7:7-11; James 4:2-4; 1 John 1:5-7, 2:3-11, 3:1-10, 5:14-15

Father God, You have been encouraging my prayer life all morning, reminding me to ask, seek, and knock with a view toward right and true evaluation of my motives in my requests. To pray with a pure heart dictated by love. To pray with a heart set to love You through obedience. To seek Your face with a whole heart set on things above, not on worldly desires, lusts of my flesh, or demonic wisdom and influence. Praying this way does require an honesty with self and with You that only Your Holy Presence can empower in me. As You give me eyes to see my own heart and know the truth of it, only then can I pray in truth and righteousness, from an honest stance and in full assurance of faith that reveals my trust in You. Here am I, O God. Grant me understanding that will empower me to ask, seek, and knock with a pure heart and clean hands. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation

The Viable Seed is Enough

September 16, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

If you have the smallest seed of faith in God, you have enough faith. The size of one’s faith is not the issue. It’s viability, soil, and focus is.

Is your faith living and growing in a way that bears the fruit of it? Is your faith planted in the the soil of a heart tilled, cultivated, fed, and watered by God? Is faith focused on the healing or thing desired, or on the Healer – on the God who can be believed and trusted? Is your desire on the thing you want, or on the One who so greatly desires you that He gave His only begotten Son, so whoever believes in Him with trusting faith may be saved for all eternity with Him who desires it? Is the intent of your heart in your request so you can have your desire and use it on your lust? Or is your desire to please and honor God in accordance with His will, design, and purpose?

Sometimes God leaves us in our place of need because it is the only thing that causes us to seek Him. Sometimes we remain in our point of need because we refuse to leave the sinful things that put us there. Sometimes He leaves us in our need because He has a purpose to be fulfilled in and through us, purposes our need opens opportunities for us to fulfill.

God’s desire is for us to seek Him whole heartedly; and in our seeking, to find Him; and in our finding Him, to KNOW Him – discovering Him faithful and true; and in our knowing Him, to live Him – faithful and true; and in our living Him, to make Him known.

Your faith is not too small. If you truly have faith in the One who is faithful and true, He will feed and water and tend that seed of faith until it is strong and productive of His glory and Crown. Focus on Him whose desire is for you and see the great things He will do in and through you because you have found Him to be your true need and desire. Seek His face more than His hand and you will find both. That is His promise and plan. For those who seek Him wholeheartedly will find Him. We will not be disappointed or put to shame when we seek to please the One in whom we have believed and trusted.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭17‬:‭6‬ ‭(see AMP‬); Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭; ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭30‬; ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬-‭18; ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭34‬; James‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭10; ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭

Holy Habitation

Honoring Our Fallen Soldiers

May 28, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

As we remember our fallen forces who fought and died to protect our freedoms, there is one fallen I glorify God for today. Jesus, God’s Soldier, sent into the final battle of the ultimate war, fought the good fight of faith and won the war, securing freedom for all who will choose citizenship in His Kingdom. Because of Him, as we honor our fallen, we also celebrate Pentecost Sunday today, when life that sees no death poured breath into those who were the birth of the Church – God’s Kingdom people on earth.

Jesus paid the ultimate price to set all who will believe free from sin’s death – the penalty of eternal separation from God. Because of Jesus’ willing service, freely giving His life, God, through Christ, made a way for the dead to truly live. So today I remember; and I thank my Savior for purchasing my freedom. As I seek to honor those who gave their life to protect the interests of this nation in which I live, breathe, and have my being, I pray to live in such a way that honors my Savior, who made a way for our fallen to rise again to life eternal with Him.

If you have not believed this truth of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in the battle for your eternal destiny, I pray you choose to believe and receive it today. Jesus took your death, so you can take hold and possess His life. May you be raised up out of death to the new life God has waiting for you.

“(Jesus) Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NASB1995

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭21‬-‭25‬ ‭NASB1995

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭19‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Holy Habitation

When Angry, Choose Life

April 6, 2023 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

““You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that

• everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court;

• and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court;

• and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” – Matthew 5:21-22 NASB1995

What’s Jesus saying?

1. ANGER

Scripture tells us to be angry, yet do not sin in our anger, giving the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:26-27). It tells us that the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20). Anger is the beginning, uncontrollable emotion that is the first step toward harming, or even killing the one anger settles on. It is the doorway by which Satan gets a stronghold that allows him to lead us away from God, bringing discord, bitterness, hate, and disunity: all of which are sin that does not accomplish any good.

2. Devaluation – “You good for nothing”

God created every person and poured Himself into His creation (Genesis 1-2). And God so loved the world that He gave (John 3:16). When we devalue what God values, it is sin, standing in opposition to God and making nothing of the gift of His Son. We are called to love as God loves, which includes pouring oneself into the lives of others out of love that has nothing to do with whether the good done to them is deserved by them (1 John 4; Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:9-21; 1 Corinthians 13). Failure to value others leads to a lack of appreciation for them. It leads to a lack of care and failure to give self for the benefit of others. We will not give the time of day, much less energy and resources to the benefit of those we do not value.

3. Murder – “You fool.”

Anger causes us in an instant to devalue a person, killing their mind, soul, spirit, and strength of identity with our words of insult and demoralization. We cooperate with the devil in killing the spirit (emotional stability) of a person when we belittle them, which is hate, by:

stealing away their confidence and courage;
killing their strength of character and stability of life; and
destroying their growth into a mature, sound minded individual of worth and value.

So, what do we do when we realize we used anger as a weapon of destruction?

“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.” – Matthew 5:23-26 NASB1995

God, the true Judge, hears the cry of the downtrodden and oppressed. So be quick to repent, first to God who causes us to realize our sin; then to those sinned against. Even children need to see a parent who is strong and brave enough to say, “I was in the wrong. I failed you, injured you, and I am truly sorry. Please forgive me and pray for God to help me do better.”

Once forgiveness is sought out, repent: change your ways to align with God and His ways. Find ways to correct others and express upset constructively, in ways that serve to build up, and not tear down. Remind the one your angry with of the good they possess as a person and the potential that is in them, encouraging them to be and do their best at every opportunity and in all times.

It’s not sin to be angry. It’s not sin to express one’s anger. Sin comes when anger is unjustified, or when the expression of it adds injury to insult that can lead to a type of death. Be angry when it’s rightly warranted, but sin not, and thereby close tight our doors against a devil who is roaming to and fro, ready to pounce on any given opportunity (1 Peter 5:8). Address issues of anger properly and life, made stronger, stable, and secure, will spring forth to build us up for God’s glory.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:6-11 NASB1995

Holy Habitation, Salvation

Choose Now

September 25, 2022 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Holy Habitation, Salvation

The Message

September 23, 2022 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

I have a message for you:
Your sins are already forgiven.

Jesus paid for all sin, past, present, and future; and God accepted His payment on our behalf.

God is not shocked or surprised by your sin. He knows it all and has seen it all before, yet He still sent His Son, loving us all enough to let His Son choose to pay the price we owe for the evils He did not do. And Jesus did so willingly out of love, delivering all who receive His gift of saving grace, delivering us from sin’s death – separation from God, desiring to give us life with God for all eternity.

There’s only one sin God will not forgive and Jesus doesn’t cover: the sin of refusing to believe and trust the truth of the work of God’s Spirit in birthing Christ to a virgin; living through Him, performing miracles and teaching truth; letting Him die on a cruel cross on our behalf so He (the Spirit Power of God) could raise Him to life again; taking Him up in ascension to sit on God’s throne as King of kings and Lord of lords. If we refuse to believe these truths of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension to Lordship of Jesus Christ, only possible because of God’s work through the power of His Spirit, we cannot possess eternal life with God the Father. When we possess eternal life in Christ, He gives us the Spirit Power of God, making us a new creation, bearing the fruit of the nature and image of God in us. Eternity begins when we let God in.

Your sins are forgiven. Receive your gift by believing in Christ, receiving Him as Lord, and you will be saved to eternal Life.

Holy Habitation

Overeating vs. Biblical Gluttony

August 16, 2022 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

I am truly enjoying the devotional study by Alisa Keaton, The Wellness Revelation, 40 Day Journey. She makes excellent points that are helping me turn my heart to a healthier lifestyle. However, I disagree with some points on day 9. Knowing many who teach this understanding of overeating being the biblical sin of gluttony, I give my opinion based on past studies years ago by people whose names escape me, but who foever changed my focus on this battleground.

On day 9, covering what the author calls the sin of gluttony: This teaching I take issue with. The dictionary definition of gluttony as overeating used in this devo is not the biblical view of gluttony.

In Bible days, people would come together for celebrations that lasted days and centered around a constant supply of food and drink. In the guise of celebrating, many would drink to drunkenness and eat until they were so full they couldn’t take another bite. But the glutton didn’t stop there. These would make themselves throw up, emptying the stomach specifically so that they could continue their gluttonous celebration. This is not the illness experienced by the person struggling with bulimia, but the sin of the party animal. This is gluttony.

There are many issues in our lives that can lead to our overeating: bad habits formed from childhood; emotions centered on self; sin or health issues that need to be discovered having nothing to do with gluttony. Overeating is more often out of bad habits like the tendency to eat too fast, or a symptom of unrecognized sin or some mental or physical health issue that needs to be addressed.

Focusing a person on a lesser definition of gluttony when that is not the underlying issue causes their focus on food to turn to a whole different level of struggle, with the wrong enemy of their flesh targeted. And the person fighting a false understanding of biblical gluttony, who cannot get control because of ignoring the underlying cause of their symptom of overeating, falls to feelings of defeat and gives up a fight they never truly engaged in because they were standing on a battle line that was never the issue.

To win the battle of the bulge, we must discern the true issues we as individuals need to address and point our arrows at that target. Lifestyle changes take time and there are many victories on the way to the desired goals. Find a habit or a trigger point in your life with food and drink. Start there. Win that hill, then move to the next habit, sin, or health issue and target that. Maintain possession of victories won while focusing on the next goal. Little by little, hill by hill, feel better and grow stronger.

By the grace of God, you and He together have got this.

The Wellness Revelation 40-Day Journey’. Check it out here:

Holy Habitation

The Fear of The Lord

July 18, 2022 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“The Lord favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:11‬ ‭‬‬

I read this and ask God, “Do I fear You as I should? What does fearing You mean?”

How would you define “fear of the Lord”? I don’t quake before Him. Hebrews says I can come boldly before the throne of grace. He is my Father. I enjoy His presence. There is not a quaking fear there.

I look around at things going on in the world and quake at the fate of all involved in it when God moves against it. Do I quake enough to reach out a warning hand ready to pull them out of their pit of destruction? Is my fear of the Lord the righteous fear He calls for, expects, and is worthy of receiving? A fear that acknowledges His worthiness, respects His authority, and recognizes His justice and His right as the true Supreme Justice?

Holy Spirit, You come teaching me of sin, righteousness, and judgement. Is the understanding of these truths and humility it brings that causes my heart to crumble before Him “the fear of the Lord”? If this is it, I am there.

Father, I acknowledge Your worthiness, respect Your authority, and recognize Your right and responsibility to delve out justice. I quake at the thought of an eternity without You, Your love, Your mercy, Your grace, Your presence. Father, I need You and I cry out for those wallowing in the pit of a world set against You.

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner in need of Your merciful grace. Let this “fear of the Lord” cause me to recognize the difference between the path of sin, the path of righteousness, and the consequences that come with Your judgment. I bow to You, my Daddy-King Jehovah in the name of my Beloved Savior, Jesus Christ, our Jehovah-Tsidkenu. Amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 6/28/22

June 28, 2022 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Father, thank You that You, knowing our frame, are mindful that we are but dust. We are Your creation, given breath, life, strength, and purpose by You. We can do nothing of eternal worth and true goodness apart from You. Only with You as our true supply of wisdom, direction, and power sourcing can we accomplish the work You prepared for us to do and succeed at fulfilling Your divine purpose and plan. You know how difficult it is for mere dust to maintain focus and not be blown off course by every wind.

Thank You for making The Way of redemption through The Truth of Christ, giving us The Life You desire we possess. He is our anchor that holds us, the wind of Your Spirit directing us on paths of righteousness, uprightness, and right standing with You, for Your Name’s sake, as pleases You. Thank You that our past is behind us, covered by Christ, and You use the lessons from it to bring us to a good end. May we not be stuck in the mud of dead dust. In Christ, we are free indeed.

Holy Habitation

Encourage Righteousness

October 22, 2021 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“… Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15:1-14‬ ‭NASB

I believe that Jesus loved the Pharisees and other religious leaders of the day, enough-so that He refused to fear insulting them for their good and the good of those looking to their instruction. Our teaching, exemplary lives, and testimonies of faith matter to God the Father. To me, the greater insult and act of hate is to see a professing Christian bear a testimony that leads others away from God and say nothing for fear of offending them. Better for them to be offended by me, and me by them, than to face God after living offensively toward His Lordship, will, and way.

I also know that we are called to deal with our own issues first and to take care that our attempts to help another is not an act of hypocrisy. We are always to act out of sincere love and care, for the good of others and the glory of God. And I know that we do not always know and judge our own heart rightly. Sin is so deceptive, our own hearts so deceived, that we don’t often realize the sin we practice. Thus, encouraging and building one another up in love is vital when God the Father directs it.

Anytime I am led to encourage a loved one to rethink a position taken or word said, it makes me look at self and make adjustments too. Hope of encouraging righteous living in others, encourages and strengthens self first, as I apply the truths professed to my own life.

It is vital any word of encouragement to look at ones self and adjust direction be based on God’s judgment, standing in agreement with His Word of law, will, and way, and not one’s own ideology. Why should another be dictated by my personal sensitivities, or me, theirs. But all must bow to God’s will and way. Judgment must always be based on what God has already judged.

In these days of lawlessness and evil, self-reliance and personal offensiveness, it is vital that we help one another realize when we are walking in the ways of this world instead of on the paths of righteousness that honors God as God. So if you love me and care about my relationship with God and the testimony I bear, love me enough to encourage my righteousness, even though it may insult or offend me for a moment. If your viewpoint aligns with God’s, He will help me see that and change my ways. And I pray to love you enough to speak truth, according to God’s Word, to you in kind.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:15-17‬ ‭NASB

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Trust

God is Sovereign

April 1, 2020 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

He holds the hearts of kings.

“This is what the Lord says: “The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I WILL NOT LET THEM GO UNPUNISHED! … Does disaster come to a city unless the Lord has planned it?” (Amos 2:6a, 3:6 NLT)

We tend to forget that God is still Sovereign over all. We forget that He holds the hearts of kings in His hands to turn them the direction of His will for His purpose. An enemy attacked us on 911 and God sent us to fight that enemy. He used us to deliver a nation from an evil overlord. That is how He Works.

We are told that “God is patient toward us, not wishing any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). We see that fact in God’s words to Abraham as He tells them of Israel’s future slavery and their return to take the promised land. The Lord says, “After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction” (Genesis 15:16 NLT).

God gives the Amorites time to turn from evil, but knowing they won’t, He sets the day when their opportunity to repent is gone. We see God direct the heart of kings against a sinful, unrepentant people over and over in scripture. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We must take His sovereign rule to heart and recognize His hand in our day. And we, as a nation, must repent before God says, “Enough!”

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

The Cleansing Coal

January 27, 2019 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

One of my favorite songs, recorded by Kutless, is “Take Me In (To The Holy of Holies)”. My enjoyment of it is especially true in these days of God teaching me the greater depths of our role as His Temple. On one particular day, as I sang along with it, revelation dawned on a truth needed.

The lyric is of one seeking Father to, “take the coal, touch my lips, here I am.” Those words usher in thought of two scripture passages, the first being the source of that lyric.

“…Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”” (Isaiah 6:1-7 NASB)

Isaiah has just gazed upon the glory of God, seated on His throne. Instantly, Isaiah not only confesses his sin and the sin of all the nation’s people, but he also expresses deep, abiding surrender to God’s will: “Here I am.” With Isaiah’s recognition of the fire of iniquity fueling that sin, my mind goes to the second passage risen up within me, found in James.

“…if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” (James 3:2 NLT)

We cannot help, when in the sure and pure Presence of God, but to realize how unworthy we are to be there. When God heard Isaiah’s repentant plea, God sent the angel with the burning coal to touch his lips and cleanse Isaiah’s entire being. In doing so, not only was Isaiah cleansed and purified, but He was set apart and anointed to use that mouth in service to God. He spent the remainder of His day’s doing just that as a prophet of the One True God to the people of Israel.

Looking at both passages, we can recognize that our mouths are a major hot spot in our journey to please God. James states it clearly. Ability to control the tongue equips one to control their entire being.

Reading on, James warns, “…the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5-6 NASB)

Think about it. We too quickly speak, only to find ourselves on roads of endeavor God never intended. We make a rash commitment that forces us on a path to destruction; or we speak thoughtlessly, only to back out and fail to keep our word. Or we respond too quickly to falsehood, insult, injustice, dispute, only to find doors of opportunity and relationship closed; and further access denied.

Then there are hurting people who constantly hurt people. There’s prideful people who overestimate themselves and bite off more than they can chew. And there are insecure people who fearfully fail to trust God and refuse an opportunity He sends that would not only grow faith and security, but allow them to participate in a work of God beyond their comfort zone, bringing them up higher in their walk with God. And, lest we forget, as stated by James, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.” (James 3:9-10 NASB)

But God cleanses and God sanctifies, putting a new fire in our tongues, flaming from a bit of His choosing, controlled by the reins His Hands direct. With surrender to His bit and bridle, He leads us to walk the streets of His desire, design, will, and purpose.

With these insights, I have to ask what we can learn from the analogy of the bit and bridle. We will look at these in the next post.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Desires Fulfilled

January 8, 2019 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Read this blessing of God to Abram, then consider the boast of Babel.

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”” (Genesis 12:1-3 NLT)

“Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”” (Genesis 11:4 NLT)

Do you see the similarities? The people of Babel wanted to settle down into a place of their own. They wanted to be a great nation of great renown. Then here comes Abram, following hard after God, and what does God promise to him? A territory of his own in which to settle down and grow into a great nation, with a name of great renown.

It begs the question: did God just pick something out of the blue to gift to Abram, or was this the deep desire of Abram’s heart? It was an obvious desire for the people of Babel. Was their desire wrong? What’s the difference between them and Abram? What do the answers to these questions say to us concerning our desires?

I believe God plant’s the seeds of His desire in all off us. The problem is what our minds and hearts do with those seeds. For example, God “wishes none to perish, but all to come to repentance.” The seed of desire for eternity is in most all of us. A desire for God resides there. Problem is in what feeds, nourishes, and waters that desire. Are we delving into Truth and searching for the Real with understanding that their is a Mind, a Power, greater than self to find and humbly tap into? Or do we see self or some other pathway as the solution?

God wanted the earth populated. He wanted all to find their place in the scheme of God’s plan. So He planted desires toward that end into the heart of humankind. I believe Babel was the result of God given desires being twisted by self-centered minds, aided by enemy potencies. They were working out of the wisdom of the flesh, the world, and the demonic. And fleshly weariness in the journey may well have been a factor. Seeing the area and liking what they saw, failing to seek God’s opinion and provision, they were willing to stop there rather than find the greater plan of God.

In Abram, on the other hand, we see the following:

“Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.” (Psalms 37:3-6 NASB)

I believe this call on Abram’s life and the desires in him began with his father, Terah. The journey to Canaan began in the heart and at the leading of Terah, indications being that he was, at the first, following God.

However, along the way, Terah’s son, Haran, died. When they reached the city named Haran, Terah settled there. One, well known Bible teacher, (I’m thinking it was Beth Moore, but don’t quote me on that because my brain is unsure), but that Bible teacher made the observation that Terah got stuck in Haran out of his grief over the passing of his son, Haran, and he could not make himself go on, so God passed the baton to Abram. I believe that is true.

The difference between the people of Babel and Abram is their seeking after God. Abram fed off of his desire to follow God over all other desires. His willingness to please God earned him the reward of a promise for his heart’s desire to be realized. All that the people of Babel wanted, Abram wanted to, and his heart toward God as first place made the difference.

God places desires in our hearts: desires for good, for future, and for hope. Seeking Him, chasing hard after Him, trusting His lead is key to seeing our desires fulfilled.

A blogger, using Proverbs 16:3, advises that once we commit to follow God, then, and only then, does God order our thoughts to direct our path to His desires being fulfilled in us (David Fischer). What’s the desires of Your heart, Beloved? A friend of mine often said it this way, “I know the desire. I’m seeking God to know what the journey to it’s fulfillment looks like” (Missionary Steve Cook). God will establish our thoughts to understand the ways and means as we first commit ourselves to Him and seek Him for it.

“Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3 NKJV)

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Heart Matters

January 5, 2019 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“…The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him. ….” (Genesis 4:1-16 NLThttp://bible.com/116/gen.4.1-16.nlt)

Cain and Abel: we know the story well. Here we see these first born into the world. Bear with me for a little speculation here. Cain was firstborn. The first experience of birth pangs. He is named “Cain” in appreciation of God’s help bearing something Eve never knew before that experience. Thus, Eve describes the meaning of the name, Cain, when she proclaims, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man.”

When Abel came, Eve knew from experience what to expect and was better prepared for his birthing. The name, Abel, means “vapor, breath, in the negative sense of having no substance and being something very close to nothing.” Now, considering the implication of Cain being so named out of gratitude for God’s help in going through such unanticipated difficulty, Eve, being better prepared, saw the birth of Abel as a breeze by comparison.

Now, I’ve seen women who had difficult births teasingly, or not, remind their child often of the great pain “they” caused her. This frequent rant often causes a child to feel unacceptable, breeding a need to please with hope of being accepted. If, this was the reality for Cain, we have the root of rejection he dealt with on a daily basis. Abel, on the other hand, would function from a position of being accepted and loved, which breeds confidence. Such differences in there motivational viewpoints led to a sibling rivalry.

With that understanding, we turn to the scene at hand.

First, note that, though they are no longer in Eden, God, the Father, continues to walk with them in fatherly love and acceptance, seeking to relate with and influence their lives for good. He and Abel appear to have a good relationship. Abel, being confident and assured of loving acceptance, out of that love, brings God a gift of the first and best of his herd.

Then comes Cain. Remember, he functions out of rejection and insecurity. He comes with a gift, probably trying to keep up with his brother and somehow win the approval and acceptance of God. His gift is not from a spirit of love and appreciation, thus his gift is a bunch grabbed in haste, not from the first of the crop, and certainly not the finest. Thus, he gives out of a spirit of followship, not fellowship, and most likely begrudgingly given, feeling he had to buy God’s love, while anticipating that nothing will be enough, so why waste the best.

Note here that Abel gave from the blood sacrifice. Cain gave from sin’s curse. Let’s see if I can explain what I see:

Adam and Eve’s sin led to the curse of death, a separation from the intimacy they had with God before the fall. When God cursed the land to bring difficulty to Adam’s work as a farmer and sent them out of the garden, He first made a blood sacrifice for them and covered their nakedness by the power of His grace. Thus, though they were no longer in the Garden, they still had access to God.

Abel not only literally gave a blood sacrifice to God out of a loving relationship with Him, but he gave from the position of the forgiven. Cain, functioning out of rejection, failed to recognize God’s love and grace toward him. His gifts came from that sense of the cursed. Thus, God did not accept a gift given begrudgingly, from one trying to buy what was already there for him to freely possess. Out of his “feelings” of rejection, Cain rejected the truth about God toward him. Dejected, he walked away to sulk and brood in anger that turned on Abel.

Notice something else here. Dejected and sulking in his pity party, God approached Cain, reaching out to him with truth intended to help him make a wise choice toward a righteous path. Cain again rejected God’s hand of love, failing to recognize that God was dealing with him as a Father toward a beloved son.

“For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” (Hebrews 12:6 NLT)

Now look at Cain’s state of mind. Dejected means sad and depressed; dispirited. Synonyms are downcast, down hearted or disheartened, despondent, disconsolate, dispirited, crestfallen. Of these, despondent stands out to me as true of Cain: being in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. And disconsolate: (of a place or thing) causing or showing a complete lack of comfort; cheerless. He was so bitter and angry that he had no ability to receive comfort. Though The Father reached out to Cain in love, desiring to lift his countenance and direct him to truth and the righteous path, Cain gave himself to his dejected spirit and killed his brother.

God’s Word warns us that our fleshly hearts are deceptive, and cannot be trusted. He advises us to keep our thoughts focused on the true, the right, the pure, the honorable, the lovely, the admirable, the things that are excellent and worthy of praise. If Cain had trusted and believed God, leaning into Him to develop his own relationship with Him, having right thoughts toward Him, he would have avoided all his trouble.

Where is your heart toward God, Beloved? Do you trust His love for you? Are you trapped by fears of rejection, dejected in your thinking toward God and man? Is that breeding distrust toward God; jealousy, bitterness, and anger toward others? Are you trying to buy the love and acceptance Jesus already bought and holds out as a gift to you? Where is your heart motive in seeking after God?

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)

(Philippians 4:8 NLT)

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Finding Who We Are: Part 10-B2

November 30, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Holy Place, Part 2 – The Lampstand

Read: Hebrews 9:1-28 NASB

“You shall set the table outside the veil (covering the Holy of Holies), and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.” (Exodus 26:35)

The lampstand of God’s Temple is located in the Holy Place, deeper in the Presence of God. Remember, the outer court is holy ground. It belongs to God and He is there. The outer court is where ministry to others happens. But only the priests are allowed into the Holy Place. As we will cover, the Holy Place is where intimate relationship with God happens.

We are His Light to the world, so in one sense, we are His lamp. But we are also His Temple. Within us as His Temple, we find a place in us that is the Holy Place. As we look at this reality, I discern with increasing clarity that the Holy Place in us is where we commune with God. And in that place is His lampstand that illumines our lives before Him.

God’s Lamp sheds light that illumines our personal darkness first, helping us to come more and more into His Light, where we receive ever increasing fullness of His Spirit, Who lights us up as His Light to this world. It happens in the Holy Place of God’s Presence. Let’s take a look at that earthly tabernacle to discern what the Holy Place looks like in us.

The tent of meeting and God’s Holy Temple built by Solomon was positioned to face East, facing the direction of the coming King. They didn’t know who their coming King was, and, in many cases, they still don’t. But we in Christ do know who He is, and we watch with expectant anticipation.

Stepping into the Doorway of the Holy Place, the table and showbread are on the right (north side), the lamp on the left (south side). Pictures show them about midway of the wall.

The lampstand was shaped to represent a tree: from root to branches. Jesus is our tree of life. I see the Lampstand as representative of our connection to the Eternal we have through Christ. We live through Him.

The lampstand set in the Holy Place was made of pure gold. The purification of gold by fire is likened to the work of God in purifying us as His servant representatives.

Scripture also likens our connection with Christ to trees and vines, Him being the root and us the branches through which His fruit is borne with it’s seed in it. For me, the lampstand being of pure gold speaks to the reality of our cleansing, already complete in Christ. Our eternal life is secure in Him, who is able to make us stand. He is our Light, leading us to God. We are His Light, illuminating Savior and King that all may see and know Him.

The tree shape is a picture of the tree of life that feeds us and produces the fruit of life in us. Jesus is the tree of life in us who are sealed with His Spirit. It is vital to our lives that we realize our connection to Him as the tree of life in us. Only as He feeds us like the root of a tree to branches producing leaf and fruit, can we produce any fruit or be His Light on the earth.

“”You are the light of the world. … Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NASB)

One purpose Father designated the shape and position of the lampstand to accomplish is that the lamps “light up the space in front of them” (Exodus 25:37 NASB)

Reading the complete Matthew passage above, Jesus reminds us that we don’t hide a light, but we strategically place it where it’s light can be seen. As His light to the world, God has us strategically positioned. As part of His Temple Lamp, it is vital we understand that there is a purpose for our position.

One thing we covered in the outer court passages is that, when someone walks into our sphere of influence, it brings opportunity for ministry. We may find ourselves introducing them to Jesus, or aiding their understanding of His Lordship. Wherever we are in any given day, our lives should spotlight our Savior and King.

I find the wording of Exodus 25:37 interesting: to light the space in front of the lamp. If we are not careful, our focus drifts. We get stuck in the past, on things and regrets behind us; or we get distracted by sideline issues and minutiae. God intends our focus to be on the opportunity right in front of our eyes.

Most often throughout scripture, the lamp or light, with or without the stand, represents the light of God’s Presence. Thus He calls us to be His Light: Jesus as the Light of the world, commissioned us as His light to the world, the work of His Spirit in us being the fuel for our lamps. We can accomplish God’s purpose best when we trust His supply of oil as His Light, and when we face forward to tend to things in front of us.

In Revelation, the lampstand, complete with lamps, represents the Church as a whole and its angel or leading minister (see chapters 1-3). If our church is full of dry bones and dark corners, having no power to draw those into it from outside, that church has a problem. And that problem begins with members that are dulled of senses and content to be as they are.

God seats us on The Lampstand of Christ, the root of David, His life force flowing to and through us as we are vitally united with and through Him. A lifeless, darkened, and fruitless assembly has lost touch with its root and died or is near death.

Applying this to our being the temple of God and it’s effect on our daily walk in life lived as being within the gates of the Holy Place, our lamp is our relationship with God in Christ, our obedience to Him bearing the fruit of relationship with Him, making us to be as He is. Our union with Him grows stronger in the purification process, connecting us more securely to the trunk and root of the tree of Christ, through which is our spiritual nourishment. Our ministry and life-song as bondservant and ambassador, and, more importantly, image bearers who look like their Daddy, shines His Light, bearing the fruit of a life in His Light. Only from here can we worship and obey God, and minister to and empower others. Only through personal time in our Holy Place, communing with God in front of His Lamp, can we hope to be a vital and thriving asset as His light to the world.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Finding Who We Are: Part 10-B1

November 29, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Holy Place, Part 1 – Showbread Table

Read: Hebrews 9:1-28 NASB

“Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. ….” (Hebrews 9:1-5 NASB)

I pray your thanksgiving was greatly BLESSed. Ours was. As it has been several days since our last post, please bear with me for a bit of review.

As the new temple of God, the residence of His Holy Presence on earth, all together we are the earthly sanctuary. Thus far we saw the One Doorway into the outer court, Jesus. We, ourselves having our personal experience of His saving grace, entered that door and decided to stay. That decision made us priests unto God in Christ, bondservants, charged with temple service: we, ourselves, being part of His Temple on earth, in the New Covenant of Christ.

Thus far we discovered that, as we found the altar of Christ, we now help others to the altar for saving grace, and for ever increasing surrender to His Lordship as disciples of Christ. The instant someone enters our presence, they step on Holy Ground. As the new Temple of God, we are always on Holy Ground, charged to behave accordingly. People should begin to experience God in us. Thus, our being as He is makes it vital that we watchfully possess the very image of the nature of our God. That leads us to God’s provision of the Laver

We discovered the Laver of cleansing set in front of the Doorway to the Holy Place, very possibly having mirrors in which we look for the image of God in us. Any scarring or marring seen must be cleansed and restored by the washing of our feet at the Laver of cleansing. We wash our own feet through repentance. We wash the feet of others believers through forgiveness, and through encouragement in righteousness. We bear that image in the outer court as we minister to the needs of those allowed into that area by God in Christ. And we check that image, making it clear and sure, before entering deeper into God’s Presence, found in the Holy Place.

The Holy Place is that area in which only the priests could go. In this large room, they had daily duties to tend before God and on behalf of the people.

The Holy Place, like the outer court, has only one entrance. What I see here is Jesus, beckoning us to deeper intimacy with God in Christ.

Crossing that threshold in our seeking after God and ministering to Him, the first thing to catch our attention is a golden table covered with bread. Twelve loaves, to be exact: evenly spaced with six loaves lining the length of each side of the table. In the Old Testament, these represent the twelve tribes of Israel, laid out in the forever and always Presence of God.

In the New Testament Temple, ours is The Living Bread of Life, Jesus. He entered the eternal dwelling ahead of us, representing our interests before the Father as He ever lives to intercede on our behalf. Because of our Living, Life giving Bread, Jesus, we are enabled to enjoy intimate relationship with The Father.

Eating around the table has long been a place where relationships happen and are strengthened. There’s love, encouragement, strengthening, training, bonding, and more in that time around the table. It pictures face to face time, in intimate relationship with God.

In the physical world, families who keep the dinner hour, seated together around a table, without TV or technology to interfere, are stronger, closer, and more united. In this spiritual sense, we should never leave the Showbread Table where vital nourishment to see us through our day is found. It’s an attitude of relationship that should be a constant, allowing quick access to feast on that precious Bread, Bread which only the priests were sanctioned to eat.

As stated, the Sacred Bread is twelve loaves, lined in two rows on the table, representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel, set as in the presence of God. These are unleavened bread, representing sinless lives in total surrender to God.

In the New Covenant, Jesus is our Bread of Life, our life source Who is forever interceding for us in the Presence of God. Because of Him, we stand sinless before God. We, considered as the body of Christ, are in God’s Presence with Him by association as His body.

Jesus, our Bread of Life, sustains us, empowers us, ignites us, meeting our every need for Life abundant and full. He is our ALL. We can do nothing apart from Him. Because of our relationship with Him, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to find our every need met.

When we enter the Holy Place, our first duty is to do intimate relationship with God, feasting ourselves on Him. Then, receiving His fullness into ourselves, we carry that fullness with us to the outer court of our daily lives and ministries.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Finding Who We Are: Part 10-2

November 20, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

We are The Temple: Outer Court Part 2 – The Laver 1

“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13-14 NASB)

Looking at ourselves as the Temple of our living God, thus far we walked through the one doorway from which we enter the outer court to find the altar of sacrifice, which for us is the cross of Calvary and Jesus, the Christ. It is our privilege as priests unto God to recognize opportunities to lead people to the altar and point them to the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Anyone who crosses the veil into our lives must be viewed as an opportunity for altar ministry. However, that is just the beginning of our role, as Jesus did not call us to make converts, but to make disciples. An altar opportunity may be to help people to the Savior; or it may be to help a fellow believer grow in surrender to His Lordship.

After the altar, we find the Laver.

“You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.” (Exodus 30:18 NASB)

Positioned between the altar of sacrifice and the Holy Place of meeting with God, we find a wash basin called the Laver. Every morning, when the priests entered the outer court, they first sacrificed for their own sins. Before they could serve God and minister to His people, they had to repent for themselves through the blood of sacrifice. Then they were required to wash their hands and feet at the Laver.

The Laver was a basin and stand made of pure bronze. The priest not only washed after his morning sacrifice, but before every entry into the Holy Place, and after every exiting from the Holy Place.

Remember, the priests were dealing with the sins and fleshly needs of the people all day, which continually exposed them to the world’s soiling. Thus, frequent cleansing was required. That leads my thoughts to the last supper and Jesus, dawning a towel to wash the feet of the disciples.

Recall here, Peter, being Peter, baulked at his Lord doing something for him that is normally the job of the lowliest of slaves. Jesus warned him that if he would not allow Him to do this cleansing for him, that Peter had no part with Him. So Peter, being Peter, tells Jesus to not just do his feet, but his hands and head too. What was it that Jesus said?

“…He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is COMPLETELY CLEAN…” (Vs. 10 of John 13:1-17 NASB)

The sacrifice of Jesus completely cleanses us from all sin. We don’t have to make a new sacrifice every day; we just have to realize, gratefully trust, and walk in The One. But we, too, deal daily and all day with a sinful world that makes our feet dirty. So Jesus enacted the Laver washing for us, telling us as disciples to wash each other’s feet.

Now, for one, this speaks to our need to forgive each other so we can walk together in peace and unity as the body, bride, and church. But it also has another very important responsibility. For the disciples, this was preparatory for those who would step into their priestly roles after His departure. But what of today? Is it still needful today? Does the following command from Christ extend to us? I believe it does, and that it is a vital ministry opportunity we too readily fail to practice.

“…Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. ….” (Vs. 12-15 of John 13)

Have you ever experienced a foot washing session? It is beautiful to experience. My first experience was at a ladies retreat. Each person had a turn at having feet washed, and then at washing another’s feet. The last one whose feet were washed then washed the feet of the first, so it went full circle.

Note in Jesus’s command to wash each other’s feet, He called Himself the Lord and Teacher. To me that gives instruction for two main purposes in feet washing: we are to lead people to His Lordship in their daily walk; and we are to take the opportunity to teach His truth over our daily struggles.

This is pictured perfectly in the foot washing sessions I have experienced, as while washing the feet, the servant and the served visited together. It is a very intimate time of addressing common struggles and encouraging their righteous stance, especially for those who know each other, as they can be specific with their encouragement in addressing issues.

Note here that, in truth, Jesus is the Laver of Living Water. We don’t necessarily have to wash physical feet to perform this ritual, but oh how beautiful and intimate it is when we do. The action of physically washing feet transports us to this moment with Jesus. The more Christlike we are with each other, the more we realize His Presence in it.

This is a good pause point in this lengthy discourse, so hold these thoughts to be continued tomorrow.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Temptation’s Lure: My Passion

October 17, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

A Comprehensive Look at James 1:14 (In context)

“Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” NASB

Temptation: we all face it at one time or another. It is even said of Jesus that He, too was tempted, even as we are, yet without sin (1). Truly, temptation is opportunity to choose whether we will do evil or do good. Jesus’s first, most vital desire in all things, at all times, was God.

Jesus was God incarnate, yes. Jesus was filled and empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, yes. But He was still a man who contended with human flesh. The thing about the desires Jesus surrendered Himself to, is His fear of, trust in, and desire to please God that kept Him on the straight and narrow path of always choosing good over evil, so as to always please His Father and bring Him glory. He was dictated by lusts, desires, passions set on God, His will, and His way, ONLY. He did not give leeway to His flesh.

As I look at this verse in several translations, I find understanding that can help us follow in likeness to the example of Christ.

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” NLT

Lusts are focused on the attainment of all our hearts desire. If we are not watchful to keep our desires in line with God, His will and His way, those desires can not only be used to entice us to sin; those desires can grab us and drag us away from the paths of God’s choosing.

Have you ever committed to stay away from a desire, like sweets, only to find yourself running straight to it. I have! In that instant, not only do I find myself eating a sweet, I often fall into gorging myself on them. My lust, desire, passion, literally drags me away from my commitment.

The passion of the Christ was God: first, foremost, and always. That passion protected Him from being dragged elsewhere. Clue?

“Every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).” AMPC

Have you ever found yourself blaming the devil, the temptress, or anyone but self, because they sat the temptation in front of you? I have. It is hard to take the blame for our failures. But truth is, it is our own desires, passions, lusts, that cause our fall.

We alone are to blame when temptation comes and we fall away. We fail to keep our desires in line with godliness, and make ourselves a target. Not only do we make self a target, but we fail to have the right arsenal against the attack of our flesh by having evil passions under our belt. The only passion that can save us from ourselves is desire for God alone. Only then will we do the things that please Him, like studying His Word, so we have knowledge of truth under our belt.

“Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” NIV

It’s “MY”evil desire to blame. Each person is responsible for their own demise. The phenomenon of the individual falling into the group mentality of a chaotic mob is not the mobs fault. There is some desire in that individual that is responsible for their own fall from righteousness. They wanted something that joining the mob could feed them, so they chose the evil of the mob over the good of walking the other way alone.

“Instead it is each person’s own desires and thoughts that drag them into evil and lure them away into darkness.” TPT

When we give self over to the lusts of our flesh, failing to give self to godly pursuits, we leave the Light and walk off into the darkness. Our greatest aid against fleshly desires, lusts, passions, is the transforming of our minds that change the fleshly to the godly (God-centered) pursuits. The more we want Him, the more we want to please Him, the more we desire all He has for us and gives to us, the better off we will be and the closer to His Light we will stay.

“People are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires.” GNB

We set our own trap, providing the cheese to lure us, when we fail to align our desires with God’s. The tempter knows what to put in his trap, because we give it to him.

One last fact I found comes from the Orthodox Jewish Bible, which introduces us to the “Yetzer Hara”:

“But each one is tempted by his own ta’avah (lust, yetzer hara), being dragged off by it and being allured.” OJB

“In Judaism, yetzer hara (Hebrew: יֵצֶר הַרַע‎) refers to the congenital inclination to do evil, by violating the will of God. … The yetzer hara is not a demonic force, but rather man’s misuse of things the physical body needs to survive.” (From Wikipedia – Also see Self Seduction by Jewish author Dr. Alan Morinis)

“Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.” James 1:13-15 MSG

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who LOVE HIM. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. DO NOT BE DECEIVED, my beloved brethren.” James 1:12-16 NASB

1 – Hebrews 4:15

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Incidental Temptation

October 13, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

I wrote the following one year ago, on the 12th of 2017. It’s funny, because as I read in Hebrews this morning, thought of writing about the temptation Christ faced every day of His life was brought to heart. Then here it is, in my memories, ready to post.

It’s long, but hopefully it is well written enough to help us know that, if our Savior faced temptation, we will too. As you read it, I pray you realize that He who successfully faced every assault the tempter threw, can surely empower our victory, too.

Incidental Temptation: Opportunity to Choose Good or Bad

Written 10/12/17 by Darlene Davis

Good day to you. I woke up feeling so great! Wow! I didn’t have any pain all night that I know of, then I got out of bed and realized that I am not there yet. Ugh.

It’s amazing how sapped of energy I felt with so little movement. For those who did not read my post yesterday, I went to the doctor with some weird symptoms and chest pain. They suspect Angina and are setting up a stress test. And I just got going good with Grow Young Fitness!

The PA noticed my weight loss as she evaluated my chest pain and, once she knew it was on purpose, she was pleased. She said that I may exercise as long as I am not hurting. The ache is still there, so I will have to take it slow today.

Isn’t that the way life too often is? We get our feet under us in doing something we need or long to do, and something happens to hinder us or test our resolve.

All this attack against my health is upsetting, yes, but it got me thinking about temptation and things God is teaching me. Temptation is much more than a plate of cookies on a table or a bottle of wine in the hand of the addicted. Everything in this life comes with temptation. With the chest pain comes the temptation to lay down and act sick even when I feel better, tempting me to give in to fear of causing more pain. It tempts me to give myself back to my habit of stress eating and give up on getting this excess weight off, giving up on the very thing this health issue needs me to do. Worse yet, it tempts me to question my God and His love and care for me.

All of that is just the tip of the iceberg of tempting things that go on underneath the surface of such times of challenge. Such times can have hidden beneath it the temptation to give up on life and lay down to die: the temptation to despair. They often tempt us to face the challenge in our own strength: the temptation to pride and self-will. Most often such situations tempt us to forget who God is, how much He loves us, and His faithfulness to fulfill His good will in us: temptation to rebel against the reality of God, and His right over me as Lord of all.

I could go on, but the point is all things present a type of temptation. Take Jesus as an example – He’s a good one to follow.

Starting out His ministry, He faced the temptation to forgo baptism in pride that He had no sin to confess or be forgiven of, as John proclaimed, “You should be baptizing me.” But He knew it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness, thus keeping Him from sin, so He pressed John to baptize Him.

Jesus resisted temptation of pride when the crowds wanted to crown Him before His time. He resisted temptation to the fear of the mobs who wanted to throw Him off a cliff, choosing instead to trust God that it was not yet His time and to press past the mob, going on to finish His work.

Jesus resisted worry and fretting so He could rest Himself in the bow of the boat. He resisted the temptation to take glory to Himself instead of glorifying the Father. On and on we could go throughout His days, revealing the temptation each account brought before Him. But He stood in the face of it all to fulfill the work He was here for, glorifying God, and making Himself a worthy Lamb for the ultimate sin sacrifice.

As you and I look at the things we face in this day, I pray we will be faithful to follow the example of Christ who only allowed Himself to give Himself to the temptation to do right and good, fulfilling the work He saw the Father doing, and bringing glory to His name. He only gave Himself to that which required Him to remember the character, nature, authority, power, and purpose of God, and join Him in it. Even when threatened with despair, as He prayed, “Take this cup,” His deeper heart cry was, “Yet not My will, but Thy will be done.”

Surrendering to God’s will, He refused the temptation to self-preservation, self-protection, and self-gratification. He faithfully refused the temptation to call the armies of God to deliver Him from His appointed path, though they were charged to His care and would have come had He called. He also refused the short-lived fame of a false crown in this life, offered by the multitudes ready to follow Him as King into battle to accomplish deliverance as they understood it; He withstood the temporal temptation in order to do the greater work of an Eternal King, preparing an eternal Kingdom.

Jesus stood for Righteousness in every temptation, following instead the temptation to do good, giving Himself to God’s will for the greater good and the greater reward. God does not tempt to evil, but He does stand in opposition to it, holding out to us the opportune temptation to walk His way.

That is the path we face with everything that comes our way. Follow the temptation to evil, rebelling against God’s will in order to do things “my” way.” Or choose the temptation to stay the course as a follower of Christ in fulfilling God’s good purpose, trusting Him despite the challenge, and doing so for Righteousness’ sake.

Look at all your going through today, beloved. What’s the temptation? Like Jesus, choose that which fulfills righteousness.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

The Son of God Appeared for this Purpose

September 6, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

Are storms evil?

No. Storms happen because they are keeping the law. There are laws in nature that determine when it rains, snows, hails, when the wind blows and how hard, where the lightening strikes or tornadoes form. These things, in themselves, are not evil, though they can bring great destruction; nor are they necessarily good, though they can bring good and needful things to the earth. However, storms can be used for evil, or they can lead to great good.

When a storm produces destruction, we see one of two things come from those effected:

Some come out to take advantage of others out of selfishness and avarice.

Others come, even out of their own extreme poverty, to help those in need and to build anew.

I read a devotional that eluded to this passage of scripture and the purpose for Christ expressed here:

“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who ABIDES in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who PRACTICES righteousness (as a deliberate and habitual action of choice out of love for God and allegiance to Jesus) is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who PRACTICES sin (as a deliberate and habitual action of choice, which is rebellion against God and His chosen King) is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

“The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil (sin and all that stands in opposition to God, His will, His way, His sovereignty). No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:4-9 NASB (my understanding)

The storm is not evil or good: but the force behind it and the spirit it brings can produce great evil, or healing balms of good through the actions and reactions of people effected by the storm. A person reveals his heart in such seasons.

Jesus came to destroy the work of Satan that leads people to do the evil seen in such times. With Job, when His children were killed in a tornado, the purpose of Satan and the trap of temptation set by him was to prove Job would lose faith in God and rebel against Him. That is what Satan seeks to accomplish through the storms of life.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 NASB

To die, in God’s value of things, is to turn away from Him in lack of faith to trust Him in the storm. It is to rebel against Him out of anger, self-centeredness, pride, greed, or any number of evils that get a controlling hold on our hearts and lead us to turn against God’s way.

Life, in God’s economy, is this relationship with Him from a heart that trusts and follows Him despite the tricks of the devil. We don’t easily and habitually give in to temptations to sin out of fear or because of stressors to faith in God. We stand with God and for God, no matter the length of our waiting for His hand to move, and we find Him faithful. This is the Life, abundant and full, that Jesus provides.

The abundance Jesus provides is peace beyond measure; joy unrelated to circumstance; faith fed by deep pools of belief’s hope; and a River of love flowing to and through us, all fed by God, who is love. Evil that seeks destruction cannot win when God’s people stand firmly planted on Him.

“Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.” Psalms 37:1-9 NASB

“My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:1-8 NASB

Yes, Satan used a storm and other devastations in Job’s life, intending it for evil; but God allowed it, knowing it would produce the good He desired. The question is, on which side of the equation will we stand?

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Visual Acuity

August 19, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; FOR MY EYES HAVE SEEN the King, the LORD of hosts.”” (Isaiah 6:5, NASB)

God is perfect and His ways are perfect, perfectly fulfilling every intent and purpose.

We’ve talked a lot about all that God is: love, good, light, etc. All His thoughts are pure, His Words are Life, His actions and reactions are dictated by all He is, being intent on pure and eternal purpose. Beloved, God is all that we aspire to and need for ourselves and from ourselves. It is only as we draw near to see Him as He is that we can be the people of His desire and design.

Here through Isaiah, we see that the clearer our view of God, in all His glory, the more we realize our own inadequacies. Only then can we bow to seek Him in ways that make us the people of His design.

Thus, it is vital that we, who are called by His Name, draw ever closer to see Him as He is. Paul tells us, “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.” (1 Corinthians 15:33-34, NASB)

We are intended to draw near to Him, to see Him as He is so we may become like Him, His image bearers. This is vital, for through Isaiah’s testimony, I discern that, only to the degree that we see God as He is, can we fully discern our lack of godly likeness. People need to see God to know there need of Him, and that is the purpose of God’s desire for us as His image bearers.

We are called to be His revelators, making Him and His ways known by living in stark contrast to those of this world, so those watching can see God in us, recognize their destitute estate, and bow in recognition of their own need of Him. What they need is not constant taps on the head, beating them down for things they can’t fully see without first seeing what can be. That just makes us look like them, being judgmental, unloving, uncaring. They need to see clearly the pure Love, bright Light, true Good that gives visual acuity for realizing their own destitute need of One True God. And we are the portrait God chooses to reveal Himself through.

Take stock, Beloved, draw near, and move out where God’s Light in you is visible to all. Distinguish yourself from the world, so those trapped there may have light for their path to saving grace.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

Inhale Life

August 12, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 NASB)

“For the word of God is living and all-efficient, and much sharper than a double edged sword, and it pierces to the separation of soul and spirit and of joints, marrow and of bones, and judges the reasoning and conscience of the heart.” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

The Word of God is truth that is described as a double edged sword. It is said to separate joint and bone from marrow.

Bone is a stabilizing foundation. It holds the body together and aides one to stand and sit, their joints allow ease of movement; but bone is also a type of dead, petrified material. The marrow, which is housed inside the tube of hollow bones, is the source of blood cells that enable us to utilize oxygen and other nutrients, thus giving us life. Out of death comes life!

The Sword of the Word separates or reveals in us that which brings, gives, and aides life, from that which is or produces death. That process, Beloved, often hurts, because it requires us to die to our mortal self, so we can live eternally in Him. God’s Word works God’s good in us by increasing, stabilizing, and vitalizing Life in us.

The Word of God is His Breath of Life to our mortal souls. Inhale often

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation

A Focus On Light: Let There Be Light

August 10, 2018 Darlene's Ponderings Leave a comment

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. GOD SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS GOOD; and GOD SEPARATED THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS.” (Genesis 1:1-4 NASB)

The physical creation of all that we know begins with God, The Triune One Who is Light, creating light in the physical realm. He sees light as good, knowing that light allows visual acuity. We can see in the light better than in the night.

The next thing God did after creating light and pronouncing it to be good, was to make a CLEAR DISTINCTION between light and dark.

All through scripture we find things in creation and in life that are a picture of God and His ways, set to aid our understanding of Him. As we study “Light” this Genesis Scripture is a powerful representation of today’s truth: God makes a clear distinction between Light and dark.

There is NO GRAY between black and white. It’s either true, or it’s a lie.

There are continuums all through scripture that define this separation. For example, we know, having seen thus far in this series, that God is light and His light has no relationship or harmony with dark. God is the Father of Truth _______ lies are fathered by Satan. God is good _______ evil is Satan. God is Love _______ hate is Satan. I’m sure you can think of others. We each fall somewhere on these continuums in our practice of life. The goal and desire of God for our lives, is for all to come to repentance (drawing into Light) _______ perishing (falling to eternal darkness) not.

Beloved, The closer to God we walk, the more pure the light we possess and walk out into life. Knowledge of God’s true Light is vital, for the warning of Scripture is that Satan is so good at lying, that he can fool even the Christian elect with his false light (Matthew 24:24 NASB; 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 NASB).

The greatest desire of false light is to put a veil of hindrance between us and true salvation found only in Christ. Jesus alone is the way, the Truth, and the life. The flesh of man always asks, “What must I DO to inherit eternal life?” Our pride and arrogance makes it hard for us to accept that we can do nothing worthy of the debt we owe. Thus God provided the propitiation (full payment) through Christ. The only thing we can and must do is to receive His gracious gift through repentance (acknowledging our need of Him, aligning self with His estimations), denying our own arrogance, thus, receiving His salvation. In so doing, we acknowledge our need of Him, bowing down to His Lordship as The true Christ, thus choosing to walk with Him into the Light. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6 NASB)

Jesus paid it all and invites us to journey with Him to the Light-end of every continuum we travel. He makes our every need of Him clear, aligning us with His Light.

“But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.” (Ephesians 5:13 NASB)

Also see: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NASB; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NASB.

Seeking Holy Habitation, seated at God's feet (Exodus 15:13).