Do You Want Everything?

1 Corinthians 4:7  NKJV
...And what do you have that you did not receive?...

The other day, my husband, Jack,  was sharing a testimony about how he received an impartation from an older man in the Faith. It was a spiritual gift of healing that this man had received from God.  It was one of those unusual God moments.  The man knocked on our door, out of the blue. He was weeping in the Spirit of God, and he asked Jack for his hands. As he laid his hands in Jack's hands, he told Jack God had sent him to impart the gift of healing that he had been given from the Lord.  He did, and then he left. 

As Jack was talking, I thought of the decades that have passed since that day.  I began to think about the measure of the gifting that our dear old friend had so freely given, and how long it had taken to be completely activated in our ministry.  Suddenly, the Holy Spirit highlighted "what do you have that you did not receive..." with the emphasis on "have" and "not."  Now, I recognize that Paul was  exhorting us not to be prideful in our gifts, because that is exactly what they are, gifts.  But God was reminding me, in that moment,  that we have treasures upon treasures of gifts from our Heavenly Poppa that are our beyond measure!! What do we have waiting for us to open and use that we have not received? 

I went back to the root of the word receive. It comes from re- and capere to take, seize.  Re- signifies doing something again, or anew.  When we receive these gifts from God, we are actually taking back what was originally ours, in the Garden, before the enemy stole them from us.  Jesus was beaten and was crucified to restore us, in everything and every way, to God!

What keeps us from receiving everything Jesus already gave us?

It is ignorance, lies, and shame.

Friends, let us cast these aside and press in to the fullness of Christ!  Let's come alongside each other and help each other to be healed, and to learn truth, and to grow into the full stature of our dear Lord and Savior! 

Pesky Parasites!

I have to laugh.  Jack and I just returned from a wonderful International Order of St. Luke the Physician healing conference in New Zealand. We saw some powerful healings and felt the glory of God round about us.  I then spent the next three days in bed, sick with flu-like symptoms.  Turns out I had parasites! Within one hour of taking a doctor prescribed dose of turpentine, I was almost one hundred percent better!  Oh the irony!

Parasites are much more pervasive than people realize.  The little buggers are everywhere, and very frequently misdiagnosed.  I am truly grateful for a doctor that was raised in the country and knows how common they are.  I could have been put on all kinds of antibiotics that would not have done anything to solve the problem, and actually exacerbated it. 

As I have been pondering why this happened to me, again, (happened after S. Africa trip, too) I realized that I did not bless and thank God for everything I ate.  We blessed the food at our meals, but I was snacking on fruit throughout the day, without even giving it another thought.

Jesus always gave thanks for the food he ate, and recognized that it came from His Heavenly Father.  I am thinking that thanking God in this way is becoming more and more important in our time of GMO's and pesticides and God only knows what other health destroying thing are being added to our food supply. I want to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness, especially as it applies to the food and drink He supplies.

I totally believe God when He tells us in His Word that we can
 drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.   Mark 16:18 ASV

The key for me, is to walk in faith and be thankful.  We have another overseas trip coming up.  I will let you know how it goes! 

Virtuous Women, United!

Recently, my friend Nora invited me to Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, here in San Antonio, to hear nine decades of wisdom from nine lovely women. They were asked to review the prior ten years of their lives, and tell us what they knew now that they wished they had known then.  It was inspiring!

I'd like to share the nuggets I came away with.

First, from the 17 year old high-school senior:  God is there!  (Psalm 139:7-10)

Next, from the 20-something: Seek God's approval, not man's!  (Galatians 1:10)

Thirdly from the 30-something: God uses all our struggles for good. We can laugh without fear of the future! (Proverbs 31: 25)

Fourthly from the 40-something:  Daddy God feels the same about me as I do my kids!  He delights in ME!   (Zephaniah 3:17)

From the 50-something:  Change is coming - Don't fear it!  The one constant is your identity in Christ! Practice trusting Him in the small things.  Love more, worry less! Relationships over rules!
(Matthew 6:25-34)

60-something:  I do not know as much as I think I do!  But this I do know: God loves me, just the way I am!  Be intentional with God.  God will get you through it!  Choose joy! (Isaiah 41:10)

70-something:  Be thankful!  Appreciate God's timing, not ours! (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

80-something:  Time is a valuable commodity. Less worry,confusion, fear; these are by-products of search for Peace.  Be a better listener! (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

And from the 90+ treasure: 
Give words of encouragement to others.  The blessings of old age:  Time with the Lord which seemed limited in earlier years, is not limited in later years.  There is more time to respond to the needs of children and more time to be involved.  To those who are married: Focus on husband after nest is empty.  Enjoy each other. Congratulate him on his successes!  Stay on the same page with family after grand-kids arrive.  (Proverbs 31:10-31)

For those with daughters-in-law: Laugh with them!

For those with sons-in-law: Keep your distance! (Laughter ensued!)

For married sons: Let him be the husband first!

For those with grandchildren: Stay in touch!

And finally, "God is good, as I told Him this morning!"


More wisdom from all the women:
For married women:  Don't forget what connected you to your husband.
Prefer one another.
It's a partnership. I am not always right!

Be open and allow each other to be who they are.

Communicate!

There will be peaks and valleys.  Enjoy the peaks, and when you are in the valley remember there is a peak coming!  (Psalm 23)

For those in High School:  Find your passion.  Learn the hard part: Trust in God!

I would like to add that I took the 90+ year old's advice and congratulated my husband on his successes.  I wish you could have seen his face light up!  I asked him how it made him feel. He said, "Encouraged, affirmed and confirmed. It felt good! Do it more!"  LOL, I believe I will!

Thanks, Ladies!!

More Thoughts on Loving Others...Are We Approachable?

John 15:12 NKJV
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

This commandment has me meditating and meditating.  What does it mean to love others as Jesus loved me?  Today, as I was pumpin' iron at the gym, I was thinking about this Word from Jesus.

"How do I do this, Lord? "

"Be approachable, as I am approachable." was the whisper in my head.

How do we come across to others?  Do they feel free to engage us?

I started thinking about approachability.   Who do I feel the safest approaching to ask for directions when I am lost?  It is the person who looks me in the eye and smiles.  They welcome interaction with their warmth.

Have you ever met a stranger who was approachable? This person welcomed you into a conversation, valued your input, made you feel like their new best friend?  You felt all warm and fuzzy, and as you walked off with someone else saying what a lovely person that was, you found out they were famous?

That happened to me.  I was privileged to meet the woman who helped start the National Alliance, an organization to end homelessness in Washington, and wife of a former White House Chief of Staff.  She was totally approachable. We talked, prayed together, laughed together, and I wanted to get to know her better!  I remember being so glad afterwards that I did not know who she was at the time, because I would have been tongue tied!

I know Jesus was like that.  He did not announce who He was.  He welcomed those who came to Him, as if coming into His presence was the most natural, familiar thing in the world.  It says in many places that Jesus looked at them. The transliterated Greek word for 'looked,' in these moments is Horaro.  One of its meanings is actually to see, i.e. to become acquainted with by experience.

He engaged with those who approached Him in such a way they experienced Him.  His disciples felt no resistance in entering into a relationship with Him.  He did not announce, "I Am God! Follow Me!"

Rather, He welcomed all who came to enter into a relationship with Him, in whatever degree they were able. It was after this He was able to be revealed as the great I AM.  

So today, I want to be intentional to be approachable; to really look at others around me in such a way they feel welcomed, recognized, known. Hopefully, they will feel drawn to get to know Jesus, too.   This will be my act of love for others.

Join me?  

How Can We Love Others the Way Jesus Loved Us?

John 15:12 NKJV
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

I have been pondering some of the ways Jesus loved His disciples. (We are His disciples if we follow Him) 
How did He love us, and how can I walk this out daily? 

I want to spend some time meditating on this. Today's thoughts are these:

•  Jesus was completely submitted to Father God. He faithfully revealed the love of the Father in such a way that He equipped His disciples to continue His redeeming Kingdom life. His love brought them up to His level! 
•  His love was completely selfless. His yoke was connected to the Father. He offers His yoke to us! A yoke is only used for work. As we go, we are to demonstrate the love of the Father to those around us. If we are yoked to Him, He takes the lead and knows the intended "field" to plow. 

If we take His yoke upon us and bear it without resistance, the fruit of the Spirit would be ripe and plentiful in our going. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control would be available to those who are placed in our path. 

If we take His yoke upon us and bear it without resistance, the gifts of the Spirit would be manifest when needed. Words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues would be activated as needed to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth. 

Today I choose to bear His yoke without resistance. I want to reveal the love of the Father to those around me and in doing so, equip them to do the same. As He raises me up to His level, I want to raise others up to that level as well. 

Today I choose to let the Father take the lead for our path. As I am willing to go, He is willing to be revealed! 

Father, in Jesus' precious name I choose You and Your love. Teach me how to reveal You to those we meet! 

Blessings, Anna Marie