Saturday Musings Augus 16 Rule of Law

I was looking at a YouTube post recently https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCW2hxux3Ro  In it this man speaks about the rule of law and that where the rule of law is missing, there is "no protection of life." Repeatedly we have seen the coming forth of the "man of lawlessness"  so to speak where laws that are on the books are ignored or superseded by states and other governmental officials. And it is easy to point fingers at those people. I live in a State that voted in laws that violate the laws of the United States and now there is effort to get the federal laws repealed.  This is "lawlessness."  When a nation's leaders choose to enforce some laws and not enforce other laws, we are well into a state of "lawlessness." However, if we look at the Body of Christ, perhaps we can find explanation for what is happening in the larger realm in states and nations. And I must use myself as an example as I am guilty of the very thing that I deplore that takes place in government these days and find that many of my brothers and sisters don't recognize  their own guilt in this situation. My guilt is under the blood and I have changed my thinking on this matter (repented) and no longer advocate the behavior that I once myself engaged in. So I am free to share this story. Back from 1986 up until 2001 I was a part of a marriage in which domestic violence involving physical injury or threats occurred. On repeated occasions starting in 1992 the police were called in when my life was threatened and as a result restraining orders were put in place by the court.  In repeated ways I violated those restraining orders thinking they were "impeding" my ability to work on my marriage.   That is why, of course, that the issues continued from 1992-2003 when the marriage was finally dissolved. One of the things my children have expressed their disgust with me over has been the fact that in spite of the "law" that was there to protect me, I wanted my husband back in the home and my marriage "intact."   So I took calls from my estranged husband while there were restraining/no contact orders in place. I went places with him and at one point even invited him back into the home. All the time I was praying and trusting God to be healing my marriage and dealing with the issues of alcoholism and anger that had destroyed it.  As you are reading this you probably wonder, how could she be so silly?   One principle that I have come to learn since then that is not subject to compromise, is that  when a law is broken deliberately that is not against the "royal law" don't expect blessing!!!!!    As a counselor in the past 12 years I have seen this scenario replayed over and over and see it currently in friends who are going through the same thing.  It comes down to a very basic principle concerning the rule of law and God's ways. If we deliberately break the rule of law (except where it violates Royal Law) we cannot expect the blessing of God.  I do have to say that during the years that my husband and I both violated those laws meant to protect us that God's hand was still on my life and He protected me and my children and my husband many many times, for which I am thankful. I did call upon His Name, I did pray, I did seek His Presence....it "felt good", it was all I had to hold onto in those years. But it wasn't about HIM, it was about ME and what I wanted. People often refer to the Isaiah scripture that speaks of the fire not kindling upon you, the flood not overtaking you, Isaiah 43.2  But that wasn't the scripture that God performed in my life..Instead it was Isaiah 28:16-22 but of course ending in verses 23-29. One doesn't often hear sermons on Isaiah 28:16-22.  When the floods come, it wipes out stuff....all that has kept a person from the knowledge of the Lord!  All the idols in ones life gets wiped out.  And I had called upon the Lord and trusted Him, so He was faithful to removed all in my life that was exalted before Him. Talk about being stripped naked! If we violate the law, expect consequences. I was a part of groups of Christians and pastors who rather joked about their "speeding" on the highway.  There are consequences in our lives when we engage openly in such behavior against the law. Today it is true of those who will text or be on their cell phones when they drive without using speaker phones or other bluetooth mechanisms when the state says it is against the law. My daughter went on a Father Daughter outing with her dad  years ago and her dad was  a professional truck driver and generally an excellent driver. During the outing, the pastor who was driving the van of dads and daughter played games with the vehicle while he was driving.  He called it "fun".   It is never fun when it is a violation of the law. The law was there to "protect lives"...the initial intent of the "law".  Sadly, the "Christian pastor" was bearing witness to a non-Christian of lawlessness, not of Jesus Christ. Where there is no rule of law there is no protection of Life, and more so, there is given an open door to destroy life. How many churches do you know that violated their own bylaws?  One of the precious groups I was apart of in my youth and early adult hood did just that, never repented, and they literally lost their lampstand. It was one of the earliest founded churches in this county and it no longer exists. Many of you on this list carry a prophetic voice. It is time we were listening to The Spirit of Truth in the fear of the Lord. Holiness is being ONED with Christ who himself said He was the Truth.   If we look across the world at the disasters and tragedies that are coming, it is easy to see Truth has been buried.  In our nation, the rule of law itself and the procedures to enact law have been circumvented in so many ways. Yet, if we are going to combat this, it isnt' enough to "speak about them."  First of all it is about us personally, then secondly the congregations that we are a part of.  I know friends who have been given the left foot of fellowship because they spoke Truth into a situation that leadership didn't want to hear. Ok, so some us have learned wisdom and discretion the hard way but that in no way changes the reality of Truth that some of us have spoken or that we are being asked to speak about today.  Speaking the Truth IN LOVE!  Love isn't some attitude...it is GOD HImself, Christ in me...is love. So when I speak what He is saying about a situation, it will be "in him".  Learning just who we are in Him and who He is in us, will only increase our understanding of HIm as Truth. If we take this one step further on the international scene: where Truth isn't held up, any opinion that disagrees with my opinion, philosophy, etc, is subject to my wrath....or the opposite, my "love."   Love never despises Truth but they are intrinsically connected because they ARE HIMSELF. God is Love, Jesus said I am the Truth...the way, the life. My heart breaks as I see a close friend violating a protection order while their domestic violence issues awaits a court date for resolution.  Most of all I understand her situation because I was there and no counsel anyone could give me or stories of their own failures and consequences could "change my heart" that had a idol in it...my marriage, my husband. How do we tell others that when we violate the law, we have idols in our hearts and if we are crying out to God, we can expect some things to come tearing down.   I have lost so much over the years because of the "idols" in my own heart. And there will not be the ability to be all we want as Christians until we deal with our own hearts, and in Christ show forth a respect for the law and show a measure of honor to our leadership. Then we will be able to speak Truth and have a major effect upon this society. Recently someone on Facebook spoke about stubbornness. Stubbornness is as idolatry..just as rebellion is as witchcraft so the scripture says.  Stubbornness in the life of a Christian who is calling out to the Lord, will find themselves broken if they truly are crying out to God.  He says he will bring the blind by a way they know not of!  I was blind to my idolatry. I was not blind to the fact that I was breaking the law. I just didn't understand or "want to see" what the significance of breaking the law spiritually was. I didn't ever get caught nor did my husband at the time but we paid a horrible price. My own integrity becomes suspect if I encourage another to break a law and be a coconspirator with it.  But our God is faithful to allow the Isaiah 28 scriptures to be fulfilled if we are really serious and he promises that He won't plow for ever or blow out a dim burning wick.  Sometimes we give up without yielding to the Lord and the risks at that point are pretty serious which accounts for much of the depression and suicide in the Body of Christ.  It is a choice at some point to hold onto our own way of doing and thinking rather than choosing His ways in this type of situation and many others.  I have seen it over and over as a counselor. The most difficult client in drug and alcohol counseling was a Christian who wasn't willing to own his own problems. In the Domestic Violence field, the most difficult clients are those that don't own their own problems. If those who live with these issues don't get their own lives in right order, how do we really think God will bring healing and restoration? Instead many of us like me, actually bind the ones we love in their blindness because we fail to own our own idolatry. If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face.....and of course we forget what goes on before this...if the rains don't come ( or maybe if they do come in super abundance and floods)....etc.. THEN....he will heal the land! Meri

Asleep in Babylon

This was sent to me by my good friend Ray Ashmore who teaches at a seminary in Charlotte NC.

Hello folks. This is on a blog by one of my former students and minister, Kyle Fuller. Profound. But not understood by those who are sleep.

ASLEEP IN BABYLON by Kyle Fuller

Asleep in Babylon, they dream.  As the words of the Apostles and Prophets come alive around them, they dream on.

They are oblivious to the beginnings of the stirring of the beast, and the cry of, “Come out of her my people, and do not partake of her sins.” is but an echo of His voice meant for some generation long ago.

The days of the Spirit have ceased, and God no longer speaks. All that remains is to sleep, and wait for the gospel to permeate the world. It’s easy to ignore the writing on the wall when you’re convinced you know everything.

“Take the book and open the seals.”

Asleep in Babylon, they dream. Conferences and impartations, trivial pursuit is such a deadly game. They dream on.

Who is gonna reform the Reformers? Tired arguments, stale rhetoric, and doctrinal clichés doom the next generation to invent heresies. They know something is missing, but to admit what It is would blow their theology. Lullabies are plentiful in Babylon.

Institutionalized, mesmerized, idealized- It’s over guys! Yet, it’s business as usual, sleepwalking on the deck of the Titanic. There has to be some way to save all that we have built.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”

Asleep in Babylon, they dream. If you ignore the riders on their horses maybe they’ll just go away. They dream on.

Wholesale slaughter, a loaf of bread for a days wage, deception, war, and pestilence abound. You better not touch my Chick fil a. The world is on fire. I wonder if they have an app for that.

IPhones, ringtones, a trumpet blast, and we’ll all be gone, ‘cause you know God wouldn’t let his people suffer. Hey, our worship team just got a smoke machine. That’ll go great with the angel feathers and the glory cloud!

“I find your deeds incomplete in the sight of my God.”

Asleep in Babylon, they dream. I heard Jesus came back Saturday night. Never mind that; services start tomorrow at eleven.

The flow August 6, 2014

Date: Aug 6, 2014 11:19 AM

Hi Guys, I have so many questions and I hope that some of you will have some input to my questions about what I call "flow". Some people may describe what I am calling "flow or flows" as the different currents of the anointing of the Lord. that each of us bring as we gather together with the brethren.  I am not asking about the specific "flow of Holy Spirit" that moves through a body at any given time and location at least not in the beginning of this email. I noticed that when I was at the recent conference, that I seemed to be "coming from" or "moving in" a flow of expression that wasn't really common or known among the group I was with.  I am thankful that it was "welcomed" and on two occasions "invited" particularly.  My hands move a lot when I worship before the Lord and sometimes i know that the Holy Spirit is doing things for I am given understanding at times when I see Him wrapping his hands around people, sometimes see things broken, and I notice my hands will make sudden movements when things are spoken forth and at times I almost feel like a conductor, moving with some synchronization with music and the spoken Word both, though my hands do it, and it doesn't come from my understanding.  A lady shouted  with what I learned later was called a  war cry and my left hand spontaneously shot up as if cutting through the air.  I have sat during sermons and found my hands in my lap keeping the rhythm of the message and if that "flow" of the message stopped so did my hands. Some of these things are illuminating my understanding to some of the ways of the Holy Spirit. I was surprised when during the first evenings meeting I was asked to stand beside the speaker...I felt like I was on exhibition....but it was the Lord's way of saying....you are a part Meri...they are recognizing that I am working through you. Another time, a speaker, a precious bible teacher, looked at me and told me that I was "welcome" to do whatever anytime, that what I was doing was blessing to her. I think my hands had punctuated something she had said. It was almost like someone had said Amen! Ok, so what's the point of this post.  I am just asking for some of your insight into how we come together from different "expressions" of the move and power of Holy Spirit.   I was among some in Portland that moved in this same type of expression and the young woman next to me told me that I was "throwing fireballs" into certain locations and she had actually seen the fireballs land and knew the names of the towns where they landed!   News to me!!since I had no understanding of some of the actions that I was yielding to.  This young woman was also moving in this same "flow" which was nice for me as I didn't feel so weird.  She had a name for this type of "anointing" as she called it which would be a "flow" or "anointing" that was once upon one of the great men of God of another generation here in Washington State. One of the things that came forth in this conference was the concept of "holding the anointing". And learning to not just let the "emotion" that flows with the anointing at times to move us to action.  Training us "in the Spirit"....by the Spirit as we walk in fellowship with one another in the power of the Spirit. Boy do I know that I have sooooooooooooo much to learn about the Lord as His manifest presence rests upon a group!!! I am so thankful that the leader of this conference is a gentle woman who has a heart for teaching and training and nourishes as much as possible and doesn't "come down hard" on the children.  Reminds me of that scripture that says to parents to not be hard on your children...to not provoke them to anger. I wonder how many pastors and leaders have been hard on their congregants instead of providing leadership and training and the experience to fail and learn through doing? And again...when one gathers with saints in different parts of the country, one enters into the things that the Lord has been teaching and training them, which ultimately will harmonize with what He is doing in other parts IF we have learned Him and know His ways,  which is again, a process. The group that I was with have been taking back some of the things in our culture that the enemy has taken over and filled up with himself and his wicken minions  We know that in years past that many of us old timers  had great checks in our spirits about the "natural products" and 'natural ways" of doing things because we saw the extremes that the enemy had used and how the enemy had "hooked" people on things and got their focus on them away from the Lord God.   So we the body of Christ, then turned our back on thoses areas because we saw the devil's influence.  I still remember a dear friend who was into organic and natural foods 30 years ago. And I do believe she got her focus on those things and looked to them in a way that took her eyes off Jesus. And many of us thought the enemy's hold was intrinsic to the nature of the things...rather than a heart condition.   Today we know Holy Spirit is stirring many of us about our diets, the foods we eat and how they do or don't affect our bodies. And any of us that He is speaking to us about, know too well, how we can 'get off focus" and onto the stuff...in most any area of our lives!      Many today in the body are becoming aware of the role essential oils have played throughout history and how the physical body particularly responds to various oils differently.  Oils were used in various dimension in this conference and many of us had some real questions as they were introduced.  But the focus was ALWAYS JESUS....each oil used, only caused us to see Jesus and His desire to penetrate our physical bodies and our souls....the oils were often used as "anointing oils" so to speak...but knowing HE IS THE ANOINTED ONE. There was a session on Reflexology....yikes....many of us went to it with our walls of protection from the enemy UP HIGH! But we also let our discernment loose and several of us knew we "found our way in Christ" through the things that were shared. Yes, there are traps....but for every highway I have taken, there are pot holes, potential accidents, and tons of vehicles that could run into me or I into them....but that doesn't mean I am not to travel that highway as the Lord leads me. For some, the things introduced in the conference and in the days ahead will not "be profitable."  And each of us have areas of weakness where  we must be aware of the Lord's leading. There are things I can do others can't..things the Lord has told me not to do, that others are free and do under the leading of Holy Spirit.   Doesn't make them right and me wrong!!  or the things right or wrong. Our life is in Jesus! I really would like to have some of you share with this list your own experiences in being among those who express themselves differently and some of your own experiences in learning how to respond and react to the different ways Holy Spirit flows through meetings.   I talked with a precious teacher..Mary Sue Davis and her husband and they both told how as they went through graduate school (PhD)...the group that studied their "theology" with was a working group operating in the power of the Holy Spirit and they were practicing and learning through the very things that they were being taught.  Several of the group had the privilege of being in small group fellowships where they had freedom from religious norms and structures to move in the power of holy Spirit...and learn His ways. And some of these type of people were our speakers and leaders of this gathering.   Last year i attended a small gathering in Montana that had many mature saints and that moved together. I sure had a whole lot of not comfortable lessons to learn on a functioning level to work in harmony and in unity with those I didn't know and the ways Holy Spirit worked through them.  It was a process of me being conformed to Him as He moved and revealed himself in the saints. Please share with us some of your own struggles and understandings... Meri Meri Ford 516 Park Rd Winlock, WA 98596 360 520 4503 Blogs http://meriford.blogspot.com/ http://www.renewedhopesite.wordpress.com/ website: http://www.renewedhopesite.com