Christian Healing

.......Kingdom Applications For Everyday Living

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Last news: December 23, 2009 22:36:06

“Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that you may silence the enemy and the avenger.”

Psalm 8:2

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I remember when I was a child ..a gullible and trusting child. Always so willing (and needing) to see the good in people.

I soon learned to squelch this fairy tale perspective after so many experiences of hurt, insult and rejection. And looking back, I’m still not sure which was more discouraging -the experiences, themselves, or letting go of the make-believe perspective I so embraced.

And yet, the older I get (and especially inside this Christ walk) the more I long for the unsullied, innocent experience of life from my childhood. I’ve found there to be three genuine justifications for this newfound “gullibility”. They are:

1. The innocence of our youth proves the folly of our so-called rational maturity.
2. The conflicts and turmoil we encounter in this life are the result of the perspectives we’ve chosen to claim as our own.
3. The love in a child’s heart is the most powerful force this species possesses.

Awareness Defines The Innocence of Youth

“Whatever is good, whatever is worth of reverence and honorable and is seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these thing [fix your mind on them]. Phillipians 4:8 (Amplified Version)

For as callous and vengeful as the Apostle Paul’s life was before his conversion, he has certainly painted us a rose-colored world to view.

Who else but a 3 year old, 4 year old, or 5 year old child is naturally capable of seeing and thinking about the world we know today in the terms Paul describes in Phillipians 4:8?

Kids, for the most part, have it easy; no jobs, no bills. None of the pressures that adults face. There “awarenesses” can roam free, and unrestricted. No roles to fill, no agendas to push. No pressure. They experience life on a freer, lighter plane of existence.

Children at play, or children who are seeing a place for the first time are a pure depiction of the essence of life. They are naturally drawn to what is good and what is worthy, and what is pure, and what is kind because they are still capable of believing in these qualities.

“But Jesus called them [the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God.” Like 18:16

As Christians -as children of God- we can rest, once again, inside the innocence of our youth; or rather, we must rest, once again, inside the innocence of our youth. We can re-enter that freer, lighter plane knowing that our heavenly Father takes care of us better than any human father, or mother ever could. It is inside this trust that we have in Him -our belief in Him- that this child-like awareness can be found.

(Part II ….to be continued)

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

I Corinthians 12:13

When we deemed the separation of Church and State as just and right for freedom’s sake, did we also justify a separation of spirit and self as portrayed inside our day-to-day lives?

Christ died for all of us. All of us are deemed partakers of God’s grace. And yet few of us can embrace this as a genuine reality, and/or “condition to life.”

Only our spirit selves can make this connection; the same “selves” assigned backseat status for the sake of freedom’s place up front. And yet freedom, as defined by State has become verbiage at best; a mirage to the needs of this country’s used and disfigured soul.

And once freedom is lost to the soul, a new and vicious breed of slavery takes root, for the mind and the body cannot live without the soul. We are rather left with a hunger for Spirit that no earthbound government can feed.

It is nonetheless a blessing to live in these United States because of the freedoms we share; but might there be such a thing as an abysmal freedom -a freedom that “undoes” itself?

Hopefully, we as a country won’t have to experience too many more 9/11 catastrophes before we return to the root of our freedom as printed on our currency -our money, our capital- “In God We Trust.”

Why’s to Rest
By darlene hight

The “Why?” bounced around the room like an electronic ping-pong ball set in motion. Sadness rested on each face. “Why?” the answerless question seeks, still, an answer. “Why did this happen to my child?” “Why my husband, marriage, job, home?” “Why me?”

Only One holds the answer to satisfy this search. He remains silent, as does a parent when asked, “Why must I go to bed now?” “Why can’t I go to the party?” “Why do I have to eat my vegetables?” The answer is in the silence but the “Why” refuses to accept it, for now.

With time the “Why” is replaced with other questions. “What do I do now?” “How do I live with this?” These questions are small steps towards satisfaction, resolution, peace and acceptance.

Sometimes this side of heaven, there aren’t any satisfactory answers. It is then that we must trust in the character of God. Of course, the problem is that we either don’t know enough about the character of God or we place foreign characteristics on Him. At times, we place the characteristics of our earthly father. Is your father a push over? God is not.

**Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. **

Is your father a stern authoritarian? God is not.

**Nehemiah 9:17b But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.**

** Psalm 119:156 Your compassion is great, O Lord; preserve my life according to your laws. **

Is your father cruel? God is never cruel.

**Deuteronomy 32:4 He is a Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.**

What we long for will one day be satisfied. We have God’s word.

**Jeremiah29: 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope. **

***II Corinthians 5:1-5 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.***

**Psalm 63:5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; **

**63:7Because you are my help, I will sing in the shadow of your wings.**

Now, I lay my “Whys” to rest.
Trusting my God to know what’s best.
No more questions will I bring.
Safe against his breast I sing.
Spirit deposit, guarantee
my future; hope is His plan for me.

Darlene Hight

Darlene is a writer who travels with her husband,Mark across rural United States as he builds ethanol plants. She is editor of Riders & Reapers online magazine. http://www.ridersnreapers.com Be sure to check out her Rural Adventures page and drop her a note.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS-MAKE A WEBSITE

“That fine line,

such a fine, fine line;

and only receptors lying closest to it can feel it,

can see it,

can smell it,

can prepare for it.

A plane, a dimension, that presses right up against us,

connected to us,

like a Siamese twin,

made of texture, and energy and coaxings,

with a will and drive of it’s own…….”

As we become familiar with God’s mind for us we become increasingly aware of spiritual realities. In particular, we will approach Him more effectively the more we realize that He sees right through us.

Spiritually experienced people will pray effectively because they take care of the basic things first, clearing their consciences before God so they can be open and honest with Him.

Unless our lives are involved in an escalating consumption by God’s glory in Christ, then we are not really seeking, and our prayers are not sincere. I am not talking about anything predictable nor am I trying to invent another religious standard of measurement. But I am talking about the Spirit of Truth working Himself out in us. I am talking about God’s Living Water springing up when we least expect it, in immeasurable quantities from the inside-out. A steadily prayerful lifestyle leads to irresistible consumption by the infectious Spirit of God.

Christ’s radical requirements will become increasingly clear to us as we spend more time with Him. There is no such thing as a diligently unrighteous, praying person. Something’s gotta give sooner or later. The more time we spend time with Christ, the more we will desire to spend our lives in Him. God’s goal for us in Christ is not just that we know Him at a glance, but rather, that we should be entirely consumed by Him.

And, since God does not answer prayer as our puny, natural minds tend to expect, persistent seeking is better than the hit-and-miss mentality. When a man prays and asks God for some selfish thing regularly, he honors God whether he means to or not with his diligence. If the most despicable man in the world persists in asking God for anything, God Himself will bring out and amplify that vital, Godly aspect of that man’s praying, which is that he is seeking the Lord at all. In this case God’s Spirit will honor Himself by instilling in that man a more profound appreciation of the Almighty.

The Lord will establish any diligently prayerful man in a deeper, stronger Foundation than he could have imagined when he first set out to ask for the “little things.” Remember Christ’s words, that God grows even a mustard seed of faith into a much larger plant. So drastic and heavenly is His work that it surprises the soil, anyone who was watching and even the seed from which the larger plant grew. This is all to God’s glory that He turns a man’s little bit into a bigger, unexpectedly powerful, heavenly blessing.

God will not answer our prayers and also leave us just the way we are. His business is to make His people into a heavenly people. Besides, He is too gracious and entirely too smart to leave us to fend for ourselves.

He wants either all or none of us. And such should be our attitude when we pray, that we will have either everything or nothing to do with Him. Our prayers either lead to us further into Him as our life-consuming All or we are praying religiously and our soul-numbing activity is leading us into nothing at all.

For God to give us what we want and leave us just the way we were would be an incomplete answer to prayer. True prayer, or sincere seeking, has this fundamental feature built into it, that it submits to God to bring about His results, in His timing, in His Way. This means, if you are petitioning God in any capacity, then you are also actively surrendering yourself to Him. Why else would you be praying except to submit to God’s way of solving problems? Otherwise you might as well pray to yourself, your credit cards or your friends.

Such is the greatness of God in Christ, that He consumes the issues at hand, the words being prayed and the person praying all at the same time. Indeed, it is impossible to pray in the flesh. And it’s impossible for us to experience the movement of God and still remain fleshly in our thinking and living.

So let it be a matter of common sense to us that we pray and seek the Lord best when we are consumed and led by His Spirit. How this works out in reality becomes clear to anyone who prays on a regular basis, who is faithful to listen to and follow Christ’s direct guidance.

by Patrick Roberts. Find his book and additional material at www.BooksByPatrick.com

Patrick is an average Christ-seeker. His goal is to turn people to Jesus Christ.
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com CHRISTIAN WRITERS

“And all of us, as with unveiled face [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”

II Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Version)

World events, politics, business affairs, and everyday happenings as portrayed by the media tell us that the human spirit is struggling for survival. Caring, kindness, truth and compassion have become “back-burner” priorities. And the root of the chaos is to be found at the core of the individual : spirit.

This is why we, as believers, must stay in the bible -the Word of God. It isn’t just a book of many chapters and verses. It holds the very Spirit and “influence” of God in-between its covers. Anyone who reads the bible on a regular basis can attest to this. It’s words impart a healing influence on the mind, the soul. It is a living testament.

How we “see” the world determines who we are and what we can do. The Word of God gives us “perspective”, and it is the mainspring of kingdom life. It teaches the “eyes of heart” to intervene; to take on an intercessory role between our physical eyes and minds so that we can see the world around us as loving, spiritual beings.

It’s almost like playing a chess game, only in real life. The Word gives us an aerial view of life that allows each of us to anticipate the repercussions of our actions, and know that everything we do and say and feel makes a difference. Not necessarily an immediate, or visible difference, but a difference in the fabric of the human spirit.

I think the very best example Christ sets for us is a life dedicated to truth, and compassion, and kindness. To Him, nothing in this world was more important than bringing these human qualities to the forefront of “living”; knowing that these were the qualities of life that sustain ….life.

• JOY …is mine.
• PEACE …is mine.
• FREEDOM …is mine.

“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in ME] has (now possesses) eternal life.”

John 6:47 [Amplifed Version]

So what do we consider scientific fact nowadays? Scientific evidence? Hardcore truth? These same “facts” that have been proved and reproved and reformed -precepts- that we’re given as indisputable, have “in fact” been proven incorrect, over and over again.

• The earth was flat, and now it’s round, yet quantum/superstring theory may blow this fact all to bits any day now
• Pluto was considered a planet for most of my lifetime - now it’s not, or is it?
• Time moves at the same rate no matter what we’re doing; and yet we all know, time flies when we’re having fun

Society is so well trained to cleave to those magic, descriptive words, “scientifically proven”, and yet they hold a wavering truth. There is most definitely a higher truth -a higher “fact”- than those we’ve been given by science.

The Christ-walk is an indisputable trust in something that holds little to no scientific basis. Dare we believe in something just because it stirs our souls, revives our spirits and quiets our minds? I think the real question here is : Would we be fools not to?

To not believe in an evidence so genuine, and so personal, springing forth as Real from within us is akin to denying that the air that we breathe doesn’t exist.

How can we let “experts” tell us -convince us- to “think” like this? To deny our own calling, our very sense of life and being as it is expressed from inside us?

If a Man in a book says “believe in Me and you will have everlasting life” and what He says connects with a core piece inside me, scientific fact tends to pale badly in comparison.

As stated in the Word, state the facts:

• JOY …is mine
• PEACE …is mine
• FREEDOM …is mine…in Christ Jesus….

The Holy Spirit is a true and marvelous presence. He connects us with a realm that makes this physical one pale in comparison. The Fruits of the Spirit, the promises God -they reach down to us and touch us with “other-worldly” force and purpose. The renewing of our minds is an essential part of this experience.

Godliness and holiness are both aspects of our life in the Spirit; to be “transported”, from our spirit existences (in heaven), and expressed inside our lives here on earth.

“…Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done -on earth as it is in Heaven.”

As Christ-centered people, we are not mere mortals trying to live a spiritual life. We are, rather, spiritual beings -Spiritual Children of a Living God- living through these “mortal” bodies.

This is our inheritance. THIS …is where we come from. In actuality, we are but “intra-galactic” travelers inside this time here on earth.

A conscious awareness of our “place” inside this earth realm is so very necessary if we are to live within the realm of our Inheritance, and incorporate Spirit’s renewing of our minds. In doing so we are able to “wear the cares and concerns of this world as a loose fitting garment “.

….and that’s what this blog is about.

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

James 3:18

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Belonging is a big thing in today’s world. Fitting in. The right group, the right connections can make all the difference as far as how others see us, and what we can do. But every group carries its set of rules and guidelines …expectations that must be met, or else our status of “belonging” comes into question.

After a certain point -if we’re not careful- our group status begins to define us in ways that conflict with our faith.When the group image begins to conflict with our “Spirit” image, the “peace that passeth all understanding” can quickly turn to chaos.

The 3 Keys to Peace listed in Part I of this article were -

1. The innocence of our youth proves the folly of our so-called rational maturity.
2. The conflicts and turmoil we encounter in this life are the result of the perspectives we’ve chosen to claim as our own.
3. The love in a child’s heart is the most powerful force this species possesses.

So the $64,000 question might be -as Christians, how do we make innocence, love and belonging work together without losing the peace that “Spirit” gives us?

The Innocence of Youth

The older we get, the more we realize how hostile and destructive this world can be. Life expereince teaches us things -unpleasant things- and we’re fools if we don’t heed these lessons. And yet to trust in God’s protection and plan for our lives means learning a whole new set of lessons that go against everything that we’ve learned to be true.

The innocence of youth holds that special ability we all had to hope in what’s right. As we get older, this ability becomes warped. Instead of trusting in what’s right, we rather trust in what’s accepted, or what’s “labeled” as proven. As Christians, we feel these discrepancies in our spirits. More oftentimes than not, there’s a big price to pay when we do the right thing. There’s an even bigger price to pay when we act as if “the right thing” doesn’t really matter.

 Chosen Perspectives

Each one of us has a chain of conditions that must be met before we consider ourselves to be happy …or wealthy ….or, at peace.  These conditions aren’t carved in stone, but sometimes it may feel like they are. In a sense they define how we’re “supposed to” feel, and inevitably shape our perspectives on life, living and people.

And then we’re faced with the Christ Walk …wow. We read about His life, his beliefs, his care and love for people. The idea of Him walking on water seems trivial when compared to the perspectives He chose to embrace. How do we find the strength to push against this world’s pressures? Against this world’s expectations of us? Against the roles this world puts us in? To choose His perspective?

The Heart’s Love                                                                    

While the mind may be the commander-and-chief of the soul, the heart will always get the last word …one way, or another. Be it a job, or a marriage, or a project, or a friendship, or a career -if our heart’s not in it, it shows. We feel it. Something’s not right. Something’s missing. Something’s off. These feelings are indicators that let us know we’re veering off the path to peace. These are Spirit’s signals, placed only where our hearts can sense them.

If one of our roles, or groups, or perspectives goes against the heart’s love nature, peace becomes the bargaining chip. We’re Christians because our God is all about this love principle. There’s no getting around it. There’s no way to compromise this principle without losing His peace.

Our hearts will show us the way …if we let them.

I John 4:4

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

One of the thingsI love about the Word is how you can read the same passage over and over again, on different occassions, and then out of nowhere a verse takes on a whole new, rich meaning.

I always thought of I John 4:4 in terms of an “us against them” mentality. Christ is in me, and He is greater than the people and circumstances I encounter in the world. And this meaning still very much rings true, but the other day, a whole new perspective on this verse jumped out at me.

Christ is the “He who is in me.” It’s the “he who is in the world” part that took on a whole new spin.

“He who is in the world” can be others …or it can be me.

In other words, the verse is saying He who is inside me is greater than he[me] that is in the world. How I look, how I sound, what I’m capable of, what I dream of ….is me in the world. But Christ inside me is greater than what I think I can do, or withstand, or conquer.

Seeing this verse from this perspective just brought the Lord so much closer. To me it means I step out into the world as I am …but there’s so much more inside me. The Son of our Living God is inside me, and so much greater than what I am in the world.

I John 4:4 tells me “don’t worry” …”I AM is right here.”

“Once more Jesus addressed the crowd, He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light of Life.”
John 8:12 (Amplified)

Each one of us follows an invisible cloud throughout any given day. This cloud carries our rules -the do’s and don’ts for the day- and holds the whys and why nots for each rule.

The contents of this cloud will determine what kind of light shines through it, and onto us. It can also determine whether or not any light gets through at all.

John 8:12 tells us to follow Jesus, which in effect, will place us under His cloud for the day. His cloud -His rules, His whys and why nots; and His light.

But what is this “darkness” He speaks about? Walking in darkness. How do we tell the difference between the dark and the Light? Or maybe another way to ask this is: what makes us glow?

When someone we know is going through a terrible time and we can give them a reason to smile and laugh, that makes us glow. When someone has wronged us, or we have wronged someone else and we do what we can to make it right, that makes us glow. When someone is lonely, or left out of the group and we reach out and invite them in, that makes us glow. That gives us Light.

And these are the acts of our Teacher -the One who is the Light of life. And so the cloud we choose to follow does indeed contain our Light, with rules, and whys, and why nots intact.

He holds no darkness. He does what’s right. The same is true for us when we let “glow”, as is the Light of Life.

“For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of eternity], Prince of Peace.”                                         Isaiah 9:6 [Amplified version]

“…to us a Son is given…” Anyone out there have kids? Or someone they love more than anything in the world? Or pets, even? Can you imagine placing your child, or loved one, or pet in the middle of a busy highway -cars going 70, 80 90 miles an hour- knowing full well that he, or she will be killed within minutes? And doing this because you loved someone else so much …and it was the only way to keep “them” from dying?

“…to us a Son is given…” To watch every passing moment of His death, knowing it’s going to happen. Putting His fate in death’s hands.

Anyne who’s experienced the death of a loved one knows the despair and despondency of watching as that person is taken by death. So how do we comprehend this gift, His gift? The very first Christmas gift ever given …

This kind of “heart” -this kind of love- is of another dimension that’s so deep, and so rich, and so real; on so many unimaginable levels. This is the Heart of God.

“…Wonderful Couselor…” He is with us. And not because we asked, or want Him to be.

He’s with us because we need Him.

Whether we know, or acknowledge His Presence …or not, He’s with us.

He is the only real Gift that keeps on Giving.

“Emmanuel …God is with us.”

“Merry Christmas, Brothers & Sisters”