Truefaced

Monday, February 27, 2006

Using The Sword On The Silver Chair. I called unto the Lord and He helped. He sent me a friend and together we discovered the sword that would end the work of the Silver Chair. 2 Cr 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into obedience in Christ.
I wish to thank the friends who read this blog and pray for me.

Friday, February 24, 2006

The Maker of Masks. My last comment, that we will be taking off masks until Jesus comes may not be true. One of the unfortunate things of blogging alone is there is no one to bounce statements around with first before I leave them out here. Blogs are suppose to be just that though, a place where you can say, I think this is the way it is.
Today this is what I think it is. I think our human nature is still pretty much the same as when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. The temptations that they gave into we are still faced with just in different ways. That serpent who was there, he still must be around too, trying to confuse us as to what God really said. His favorite line is," isn't there a way we can do what God said to do, and do what we want to do too ?"
It is because we simply give into temptation that we feel we must wear masks. Once we learn how to quit that I think we will stop putting masks on. That is still a stretch for our imaginations. However it ought to go as far as Jesus did in the wilderness where He was tempted and overcame the evil one for us. Just like He overcame sickness and our sinful state. We are given new life through Him because He took the punishment of death.But back to the wilderness, He did so much for us there that we seem to not understand.
It seems to be our basic nature to have a form of idolatry in our lives. Even when His people knew He was God and that they were His people, knew He was their deliver and knew He was their life they still felt compelled to make an image and worship it. This compulsion just doesn't seem to stop either and I see it in my own life and wonder why I can not just stop it.
Some smart person out there must know the answer to that.
I trust those that are interested enough to read my blog know that we are to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. This is the journey. This is what we are to become. Some would say, "You have no hope, you will be taking off masks til Jesus comes," and some would say, "You have the hope of righteousness today. Resist that temptation today it might be the last time you have to do it. This time you will have righteousness of Jesus and you will no more be bothered with that problem. " Be bothered with that problem ? No, I think that may be where I am confused. Jesus did not stop being bothered with that problem when He left the wilderness. He continued to overcome the problem though.
When His good friend,Peter suggested something contrary to the will of His Father in heaven, Jesus was quick to give him the same reply He gave Satan when he tempted Him in the wilderness.
I think we all must spend our times in the wilderness where we are tempted but learn to do as Jesus did and speak the Word of Truth. Once we learn how to do that ,then when new tests and trials come we have our Sword of the Spirit ready and we know how to use it.
I have been thinking a lot about the story of David and Goliath. I have seen times when the Lord killed a bear. I have seen times when the Lord killed a lion. However, today I sense He is about to kill a giant and I need to know how to cut off his head.
The story of the Silver Chair by C.S.Lewis has been a lot on my mind too. Three seemingly insignificant beings are sent to rescue one captive. This captive person once gave into to temptation and followed the lusts there of. Now imprisoned it seems with no hope but one small remembrance of a special name. He cries out and cries out with no avail until he speaks his redeemers name. Then the three go into action only to find they too are almost overcome by the powers of wickedness tempting them as it were to come back enjoy the same lust her captive has for all this time. Again it is His name that restores them and they break free from her spell. The captive takes the sword and destroys the chair that once kept him in bondage.
Back to David and Goliath. Did you know Goliath had a (twin)* brother ? I remember reading somewhere he shows up again later on in David's life. I wonder if he thought, "What again ?" I wonder if he thought, "I will pick up my sword and destroy him again."Did it bum him out because he had to keep doing what he had already done once, over and over again? I just vaguely remember this story .*For those who want the exact facts I recommend the resources available on www.blueletterbible.org see the link on the side of my blog site.
I wonder if we are suppose to get involved with helping others take off their masks and overcoming the evil one ? It seems like we are but how ? First of all , I made this rule for myself, Don't help unless you are asked. But what if they do not know how to ask ? What if they are in bondage to a problem but they do not see that they are ? Should I tell them ?
Except the LORD build the house he labors in vain that builds it.
Unless the Holy Spirit has given me the time and place to do so, I am sure it would be in vain. The grieving ,(ranting and raving) I am doing is not so much that I want others to change but that I want some avenue of repentance for my own sinful idolatry. If I say, "I want the Holy Spirit to convict me and give me a gift of repentance for bitterness and resentment." Not to many people are concerned. If I say, "I am angry because God knocked down my idol ." I get a whole different response. People do not want to know that I had an idol. If the Holy Spirit has not convicted them for any form of idolatry they should have peace. Regardless it is my sin that I want to receive a gift of repentance for . It may be that I will learn how to be a truefaced friend when a truefaced friend comes to help me.

I will keep asking my "possible" friends to come to my house and break bread with me. Partake of the LORD's supper and a footwashing service. There will be a day when one and then one more, will say ,"yes."

Thursday, February 16, 2006

DO THIS AT HOME We have all seen episodes on TV where the person about to do a dangerous stunt, says,"Don't do this at home." Somehow our churches have gotten into a "do this here mode but don't worry about it if you don't do it at home." Maybe it would be nice if there was a little device that you walk through when you go into the church. If you haven't been doing at home what you are about to do now, it would sound off a warning alarm. Of course, we know them. They are sad. So sad. I look at leaderships wives, so sad. I look at the people around me ,so sad. Where is the joy ? Where is the joy of their salvation ? Do they think they have lost it , because they did not do good at home ? That is not a reason to lose your joy. Our salvation is a free gift. Not one we have earned by being good at home. Be thankful at home. Worship the rock of your salvation at home. Be glad when the HOLY SPIRIT convicts you at home.
Repent at home. The joy of the LORD is to be our strength to obey the scriptures. Everyone has quenched their joy, no wonder they can not do this at home. So I read Trueface Experience but it wasn't needed by them. They didn't need this kind of help. They needed to learn how to love the Lord with all their minds. They did, we do. When the DaVinci code movie comes out we need to be ready to say, why we believe what we believe. My answer is still basically the same, "I know He lives, He lives within my soul !"

Monday, February 13, 2006

Doing Things Because You Are A Christian
THINGS BEING DONE BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST (there is a Christ likeness in you.) The place that I go to for Spiritual food will have different food servers for a while. I really love the guy who is feeding us now. His presentation was oh so similar to what I was use to hearing. I like the truth, not mixed in with a bunch of possible truths, thrown in to make the sermon entertaining. In fact the place I go to doesn't give sermons they give teaching and it is the best way to feed.
As I asked the Holy Spirit to convict me and waited, I was wondering if this guy does the same thing. You know , ask the Holy Spirit to convict . I knew I especially need to be allowing the Holy Spirit to convict me because the Holy Spirit is leading me to be more vocal more and more. I have this theory . My theory is that the reason John the Baptist was able to do such a good job at saying "Prepare Ye the Way of the LORD" was because the preparation was done in his own heart first. I am exhorting as many will hear, don't just attend church, be a church. Don't just say, that's a nice guy up there teaching me on Sundays, see that he is the authority the Lord has placed over you. Don't just say, I submit to him, really work towards submitting as you would unto the LORD. Don't ever say anything about him that you would not gladly say if he was standing right there with you. To me you are coming dangerously close to not revering the word that says, "Touch not God's anointed ,do my anointed no harm, " if you speak of any child of God revealing the parts of Christ not conformed yet into his image. However there is a place for the shepherds to warn their flocks of false teachers and I appreciated it when my shepherd was more specific and said exactly what was false. Then I had something to work with rather than he just didn't like the guy. I wondered though why he did not warn of more false teachers some I suspect are close enough for our flock to wander off into their churches and see if the grass is greener over there. The answer of course, is because the Holy Spirit did not lead him to do that. I have a young friend who is very curious about so many things. She is ready to buy every book that suggests that they have the truth that everyone needs to know. She is smart enough to love the LORD with all her mind , so she gets into debates and stuff with others. But I worry about her heart. Sometimes when we overload on getting prepared mentally we forget the really most important thing. The only necessary thing Jesus said , to Martha, and Mary had chosen it and it would not be taken from her. So many times I have seen people lose that, not because it was taken from them but because they willingly gave it up while they pursued something else , for the LORD. I hope that does not happen for my young friend.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Joy while sitting. Joy while waiting. A new thing happened. While confessing earlier that I was sitting but really standing on the inside ,someone helped me see that was not bad. You know it never occurred to me that it was not bad. That is why we need each other , to help us see things from a different perspective. It is not bad to want to do what you feel God wants you to . And if it's standing but you are being told to sit, you are not bad, if you sit but wish with all your heart you could stand. I am so happy now because I know I really really want to stand . However I also know that I really really want to be submissive to the authorities God has placed over me. So I am waiting and enjoying it just a little more this morning. I'll stand someday. Go ahead and buy your books. Go ahead and start reading them. This book is like no other book I've read. You will want to go through it 15 times at least. Also , this is like the song that never ends , we will be taking off masks until Jesus comes.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Waiting for a shepherd to find me......waiting ...........waiting

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

JOY IN DOING.....JOY IN BEING......
JOY IN MY SALVATION.....JOY IN WAITING.....
JOY IN THE LORD.....True joy comes from knowing the Lord. When your life experiences start making sense. This is why this happened, He (Our Lord) was trying to teach me something, there is joy. It must be joy in the Lord. It must also be joy in the Holy Ghost. These times of understanding can only come because the Holy Spirit was allowed to reveal His Truth to me. To live my life in a way that does not quench the Holy Spirit, nor grieve the Holy Spirit, or sin in anyway against the Holy Spirit has been my desire for quite a long time now. With that came a willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to fill me as much as He wants. To not ever tell Him I have enough. You never know how much Holy Spirit you may need. I am constantly aware of sad Christians who are afraid to let their co-workers and employers know ,they are believers in the salvation of Jesus Christ.
They just put a block on a filling of the Holy Spirit that day, that can be the only answer. When you say," fill me, fill me completely Lord," there is no fear of people wondering who you are. You know who you are and you are very glad.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Submission...Authority...Waiting...
(with a right spirit).Surely you've heard the story about the little boy who was told over and over to sit down. Finally he obeyed and he sat down, but when he was given a chance to talk he said,
"I was sitting down, but I was standing up on the inside." That is how I have been feeling and I knew it was not right. Only how do you change stuff like that ? There is no light switch on the inside of us that you flip, now you have a right spirit, now you don't. Wouldn't it be nice if there was.
God's word is what changes me. When the Holy Spirit shows me my situation in the Bible and I feel this understanding and peace. Then I know I am on way to change. First of all that in itself lines up with being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Second of all it works !
Being ready to do something that God wants you to do and not having approval granted from those in authority is not a new scenario. Joesph was one person who knew this well. David was another. God sent Samuel to anoint him to be king while there was still another king on the throne. Not only did his king in authority over him not agree with God about who David was to be, he did not like David very much either. David had to run,or at least he chose to run. How did he do it ,Lord ? I asked Him today. How did he manage to not be bitter while he was out there running for his life ? All the while he knew he was suppose to be king.
David was a man after God's own heart. I imagine it was because David reminded Him of His own son who would come to earth one day.
He thought it not robbery to lower Himself to be like us, when He had the highest place of all. He was God. We know Him as Jesus.

Friday, February 03, 2006

YOU HAVE TO LOVE ME....So do I. One thing that goes against the grain of human nature is being told you HAVE to do something. Tell me if I want to do something , I can if I please. This would be our Adamic nature's life of ease. Unfortunately the next step for a lot of people is, okay if I have to do it I will. Then when they try to do it but fail, they feel that they are bad. You told me I have to do this, I tried to do it, I couldn't so that must make me bad. They stick to this cycle and never enjoy being a Christian. In the blog YOU CAN'T COPY THIS I shared the answer to ending this cycle. Yet to apply it you are going to look like you did before. There is going to be one small change though when you fail , you are not going to say you are bad. You are going to say ,"I tried to do this with the grace God. He wants me to do this so I want to do this. I will go to Him and confess , I will receive His forgiveness, I will ask for more grace, I will try again. I will not cover up that I tried and failed. " That last part is why we want to learn how to take off our masks. Once you take off a mask you see that mask has been quenching the Holy Spirit. The new fresh awakening your spirit receives from not having a mask on is like being able to breathe in air that has plenty of oxygen in it. As opposed to years of just enough to get by. I want to learn how to take off all my masks. I want to learn how to consistently not put them back on.
If you read the first chapter of the book, TRUEFACED by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch and it sparks a hope for a more fulfilling life in Jesus, may He bless you. You are not dead yet !
If you have been doing the mask thing for a long time.
If you just recently started wearing a mask, (you do not want to make it a habit ).
If you would like some company as you attempt to change your life style.
Put your e-mail address over there on the side bar. (I have not a clue who does this or if anyone does. It just is some device that alerts you by e-mail when I have updated the blog.)
If you want to give me some personal input ,my e-mail address is available in personal profile.
Come along with me. Let us learn together how to dance in our Father God's field of grace.