Monday, April 2, 2012

I live in the “City of the Arts.” Any given Spring weekend, as I stroll along the tree-lined streets of Downtown, I may hear musical strands exiting the Art Nouveau facades. Ethnic aromas swirl through the arbors and outdoor bistros, enticing me to turn aside. Local art galleries fill in the negative space between local eateries and performance venues. The hibernating Sawtooth fountain awakens again, diamond blue with the gentle whisper of the waters. Yes, it is Spring and the arts are coming alive in Winston-Salem.

But, there is an Artist who ever lives. I know him well. His artwork graced the universe before a man ever awoke. He is God, the Creator… my Father. All of Art history is nothing more than an attempt to emulate the Great Artist.

Early in the morning, before the vintage downtown doors ever open, His artwork is on display. Sunlight striking red, blue, and yellow as holy feathered choruses rejoice through the air and trees. The sweet breath of floral scents engages all my senses. Wind-kissed petals delicately dance along a green canvas dotted with translucent pinks and purples. The curtain rises as this story, the story of life, unfolds…the world is awake. And I… am… alive.

Monday, December 13, 2010

We Have These Treasures Inside of Us

For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. - 2 Co 4:6-12

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. - Jn 15:5

For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. - 2 Co 2:15-16

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. - Mt 13:23

God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Col 1:27

A ripe fruit hangs on the branch, aromatic and vibrant, full of color. We are that fruit. Like a child waiting in the womb, we are nourished by the nutrients that flow from the living vine. We wait for that time when we have received full nourishment. We are ready! But, alas, we are nothing more than eye candy until our flesh is broken to release the gifts within us.

We die daily for the nourishment of others. The tearing of pulpy flesh fully releases our fragrance. The sweet savor of His presence waits within for others to taste and see that the Lord is good. We hold the essential building blocks for someone’s life in our fruit. But, only if the flesh is broken.

Even the discards of our shattered state supply a hungry world. Crushed flesh tumbles onto the hungry soil, preparing the way for a new crop. Seeds fall to the revitalized earth, playing the role we have just finished. Flesh breaking, germinating in the good soil, the kernels spark new life that will eventually spread the taste and fragrance of the Lord into all the earth.

All this is made possible by being broken. Understand your brokenness and live!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Egypt is the Church


I was reading the Word when the Lord prompted me to just write. This is what came out.

What once was a place of refuge for the people of God: Egypt, has now become the land of the task master. The pharaohs of the land whip and abuse their volunteer-slaves, feeding them only enough to get the job done. Meanwhile the vacant-eyed slaves are forced into building grand edifices unto the glory of the pharaohs.

Pharaoh, who never comes down from the high places of his palace to look into the eyes of the very ones that built his empire. Once in a while a Moses appears, one who realizes who he really is in God. Will he take revenge and kill his brother who stays in Egypt – or will he run towards the refuge of the mountain of his God?

To get to the mountain of God this forerunner must go through the wilderness of loneliness, rejection and humility. But when he is stripped of his old flesh, dried bones lying in a valley, he sees and hears the voice of Yahweh. The breath of Yahweh breathes flesh onto his bones and restores him to new life. Go back. Go back to your brothers in bondage and tell them that I want to introduce them to my presence. Bring them here to the mountain of the Lord, to MY presence.

In Egypt again, sharing the Word of Love from the Lord, the slaves have freedom set before their eyes. “Yes, freedom is what we want,” they cry. At the first sign of resistance, maybe Egypt is better after all.

Finally, they are free, but are they really? Coming to Yahweh’s presence is not an easy thing. Without the wilderness of loneliness, rejection and humility to cause a hunger in them, they reject His presence. That’s right; they don’t actually want to hear HIS voice, just an interpretation of it.

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Besides our Moses, very few Joshuas and Calebs exist.

Joshua, sneaking up the mountain to hear the voice of the LORD for himself. Or hanging out in the tabernacle long after Moses leaves.

The people want to go back to Egypt, where they can be slaves to build an empire that will leave them always hungering, never filled.

So a new breed, a younger generation, a few older Joshuas, will obey the voice of the LORD and take the land of the enemy. But! They refuse to go without the Presence. No Lord, not without YOU.

But there is still hope for Egypt. Recall that it was a place of refuge for our savior, Jesus. He wanted to redeem Egypt from it’s past Pharoahs. The spirit of pride and control was reversed when the Lord entered.

Isaiah 19:21 In that day the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians. Yes, they will know the LORD and will give their sacrifices and offerings to him. They will make promises to the LORD and keep them. 22 The LORD will strike Egypt in a way that will bring healing. For the Egyptians will turn to the LORD, and he will listen to their pleas and heal them. 23 In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will worship the same God. 24 And Israel will be their ally. The three will be together, and Israel will be a blessing to them. 25 For the LORD Almighty will say, "Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!"

if you go back through scriptures and replace Egypt with 'church' some interesting things start coming to light. things i'd never seen before. still studying though. so tell me what you are thinking.

(You may ask yourself – who is Assyria? This is for another blog but the Lord is revealing things to me right now that are shocking and amazing! If you study Assyria in the Bible you see that they are used as an arm of judgment against Israel. It is also the land of the Garden of Eden, the land He had made. Okay Wow, I’m studying this later)

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Mansions?

Okay, for some reason I felt led to study John 14:2, the Mansion verse. Here's what I got:

John 14:2 & 14:23
Mone – (From Meno) a staying, abiding, dwelling, abode, to make an (one's) abode, metaph. of the God the Holy Spirit indwelling believers

John 15
Meno – to remain, stay, abide, dwell in reference to place, to sojourn, tarry, not to depart, to continue to be present, to be held, kept, continually in reference to time, to continue to be, not to perish, to last, to survive, live in reference to state or condition to remain as one, not to become another or different to wait for, await one

John 14:2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.

John 14:23 says: Jesus replied, "All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them.

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Everyone has heard that Jesus is preparing a Mansion for us up in Heaven. But if you study this word, Mone, you find that it actually means a dwelling place or a place of remaining. But whose dwelling place? Verse 23 uses the exact same word but it is translated ‘live’ or ‘abide’.

When we think of a Mansion we think of brick and mortar, extravagant furniture and large rooms. Nice thought BUT probably not what He was saying. There is something better than a Mansion that awaits us. In 14:23 Jesus tell us that IF we love Him then we’ll obey Him AND then the Father (abba) will love us too and LIVE (make His Mansion) with us NOW.

Jesus had to go to Heaven so that all of us (the many mansions) would be able to be a dwelling place for God. That means we have a new home in Him and He has a home in us. My body is a temple?

Read John 15. Specifically let’s look at verses 4-11:

4 Remain (abide, dwell) in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Check this out – the Word ‘remain’ is the root word for the word ‘mansion.’ So the whole ‘going to prepare a place for us’ means that He is going so that we can have constant fellowship with Him: A never-ending stream of love between us and God. The whole thing is linked to His love. We are, like, Homies (living in the same house without the weed (just the vine)). LOL.

We have to REMAIN in the vine in order to produce fruit. The Father’s love, power, word, whatever He has, flows through the vine just like the nutrients through a plant. If we live connected to that vine, guess what? we get that love, power, word, etc. flowing through us. Then we can produce love fruit, power fruit, word fruit, wtvr!

What joy we have when we are remaining in Him! Way more joy than thinking about some mansion We get to inherit up in heaven. What will we need a house for when we’re in heaven anyway? When I go there, I’m gonna stay 24-7 at the feet of my Father and enjoy His presence.

Friday, September 21, 2007


Okay, so like I’ve been on this 3 week journey into God’s presence. It has been amazing!

It all started when I got some news that seemed to be impending doom upon me and my household. Ha-ha, not that bad, but when you’re real close to a situation it seems that bad. You know like when you look at yourself in a mirror from far and go, “dang, I look good today!” but then you check yourself out up close and see that zit.

So, neways, I sat in sackcloth & ashes with one of my children, just mourning the loss of all we knew to be true. I went to worship at the Well that night and told God I give up. I wanted to quit life and church and school and being a mom and a daughter. Just quit.

But He loved me anyway and comforted me and set me free from the glass chains that were holding me down. I couldn’t see the chains because they were see-through glass but they still held me down and kept me out of His joy. The funny thing is that at any moment I could have broken free from those chains, they were just GLASS for Pete’s sake (who’s Pete anyway?)

As I was set free, I felt pure freedom and joy in God. Jesus refilled me with His Spirit and I was truly set free. I ministered to my daughter and helped her out of her chains. But I still had a journey to go on, so God spent the next 3 weeks cleaning me out.

The things God showed me were amazing. But, He focused on one thing in order to do what He’s called me to. LOVE.

Reading the book of John is what all of us need to do on a regular basis: Staying connected to the vine and loving one another. Sometimes that’s hard to do – we keep trying to do it in the flesh. I know a better way. When I’m connected to Jesus, daily, keeping my mind on His Word and worshipping Him, then I can love in a way I never thought I could. Really, it really works!

Mark 10:42-44 says, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.

We cannot do this apart from the power of Holy Spirit. It absolutely goes against our flesh! Yet, with a willing and contrite heart, God can do anything. And He is… in me.

One thing God asked me was “If those that you feel hurt by were to be blessed by Me, would you still love Me? What if I asked you to be happy for them?”

I was honest and didn’t know if I could. Then I read Jonah. If you know the story, fine, read it anyway. How many people have actually ever read Jonah? Nineveh was a bad place. Jonah was not happy about Nineveh’s repentance. He waited to see judgment. When it didn’t come he was grumpier than ever. God had to get a hold of him. I don’t want to be like Jonah.

As in my last two blogs, I am reminded of the eagle. I am that eagle soaring so far above the storms of life that they actually look beautiful. I’m not so close to the situation to only focus on the ugly. I’m being lifted up by the Spirit of God into the heavenly places.

As Jesus said in Luke 10:41-42, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Love is the better. It will NOT be taken away from me.


Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Day 3

Okay, so I woke up this morning, drove Tori to school, went to the gym, cleaned myself up and went to Amanda's school for a class picnic. I was really frazzled and irritated with myself. I started praying and felt this war within me. Part of me felt like a failure, like I wasn't worthy to fast and pray. The other part fought and kept reminding me that I was more than a conqueror. It was a soulish battle as well as physical. I had to serve 30 hungry 5th graders fresh hamburgers and hotdogs, knowing I couldn't even lick one. (gross, I know) Jesus was in a wilderness when He fasted, I'm stuck in a wilderness of fresh food everywhere I go.
But I'm going to wrestle through this until God gets my full attention and I get His.
I'm not going to go into my driving schedule but I probably spent 3 hours of my life driving all over Winston/Pfafftown. During that last shuttle I started crying, I was thinking about the little girl who disappeared in Europe and the mother who just hung herself & her 3 children.

WHEN God???? When will you move and show us on this earth the defeat that has already occurred in the heavens? All I could do was weep and pray for the lost, kidnapped children of God. I want to see them come home.
When you don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with groanings and tears. I'm still weeping.

Break through NOW O God!

****ADDENDUM after church****

So this spirit of travail continues. During preservice prayer, It was so easy for me to kick in and hear God. It was powerful and amazing. Kim travailed and there were a few confirmations of a breaker anointing. Wow, did I write that up there?
God just spoke through me during prayer school and it was really easy teaching about travailing. When the kids started praying a spirit of travail took over some of them. 3 in particular that blew me away. I'm finally seeing a dream come true: african-american kids stepping into God and leading from the front. Hallelujah, what I've been in travail over for years. Ironic that I'm teaching about being pregnant and birthing in the spirit and I got to watch the birth of numerous prayers right there. Yahweh is awesome! Praise Jesus!

I hope youth service was as good as God promised it would be.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Day 2

I woke up headache free today and felt great. The lemon juice thing I'm doing is to cleanse my body and solely used as my juice fast. I drink a mint tea sometimes. Giving up coffee was not a problem at all. I really wasn't as hungry as I thought I would be today. Well, except when I had to buy groceries and I could smell that Foodlion fried chicken cookin' (they don't even make good fried chicken). Oh yeah, when I had to make dinner for the family (mac&cheese was tempting). But I know that a breakthrough will be coming very soon, so I press on.
The media fast is interesting. I had no idea how much time I spent on the computer until I saw how much free time I had today, so I studied the Word. Yeah, that addiction is going to be broken. I've been studying travailing for prayer school and it really convicted me about how much prayer time I'm spending during my fast. I've been praying, especially when there's a rumbly in my tumbly, but I'll need to spend more time if I'm going to be led into travailing for the land.
Isaiah 66:8 says "... no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children"
I want to labor for these "children" so that I can have the joy in seeing them birthed.
Sheesh I'm tired. I'll try to write more tomorrow. (If I have time, crazy days comin' up)