Idols

Idols are created when our minds and emotions WOW anything. Our mind and emotions are looking for things we can admire, adore and at the same time have a sense of control. Eve admired the fruit for its power and beauty. The power it could bring her and the beauty of itself. None of these attributes were a lie, they were all facts - but not the truth.

If you enjoy something, anything and your mind and feelings WOW it, your soul will secretly stow away that idol for future use. You are not even aware that you have done it. Mostly the IDOLS are worthless but they create clutter in our worship. God longs for complete relationship with us.

I can tell something that I have enjoyed is not an IDOL because of the thanksgiving toward God I feel. I ate at Oddfellows in Bishop Art District of Dallas the other day with a good friend, Sean. He loves HeartTalk and we are discussing new insight and revelation. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and salad. It was a great salad and sandwich. I was grateful through the whole meal. Great fellowship and great food. Good service too. Topped it off with a glass of pure, fresh squeezed apple juice. I sat back from the table and worshipped and thanked God. I ate only half of my sandwich and walked away refreshed.

I am now cautious about getting excited about anything earthly. I don't believe that we need to worry ourselves about every little thing, but in the West we are known for IDOLS of the material type. Fasting the month of January exposed IDOLS in my life, especially TV and video games. Food is finally being enjoyed in worship. For men sex can be the same thing, even when enjoyed by the wife. IDOLS are very dangerous. The Apostle John closes in letter in 1 John with Guard yourselves from idols. They are creeping around trying to find a way in...

FIGHT

Truth and humility are the core disciplines for leadership. In Psalm 45 God tells the young King to mount his horse and fight for Truth and Humility righteously.

I have a hard time telling myself the truth. Most of the time I don't. I don't need that cookie but that is not what I tell myself. "One won't hurt." The older I get the easier it is to let lies lie. They just seem to do it on their own. I may be scared that I am getting good at it but I think most people just tend to believe me so I believe myself. I have a few good friends who don't lie to me. They are kind but they will not lie. They don't let me have the second cookie or hamburger. And when I invite them to help me live the truth - they do it. Truth is not natural to any person.

Isn't it amazing God tells the King to fight for humility. Gentleness, meekness is how it is translated. Humility is a way of life. I have wonderfully found fasting to be one way of practically keeping humility in my life. Humility is a wonderful choice. If we don't embrace it, God will send it again and again. Invite humility into your life. It will dramatically affect and infect your relationships and your finances.

Father Wounds

I have dealt with two young married women who had no father to speak of in their lives. Yet they have become powerful and beautiful women, wives and mothers. Single moms, pray, pray and pray. God delights to care for orphans. When a father leaves or never shows up, the damage is powerful and real. Yet God is able to redeem those who have been abandoned.

I was asked a couple of weekends ago what is a daughter to do if the father has left? How does she get that feminine awakening that only a father can do? Ask God for it. He is the real Father any way. I am a mere step father to my children- He is their real Father. God has been that father to me. God has raised up men around me again and again to father me into maturity. These are powerful men who took an interest in me and I took an interest in them as well. And I grew.

One of the good things about not having gotten parenting and marriage stuff from my family was that I had to learn it from scratch. In learning the basics, wrestling through these things caused me to know those things inside out. I can explain them to the smallest child or oldest grandparent. That which Satan intended to use to destroy me, God is now using to grow me and minister through me.

Known by My Groan

Want to know who you are? Let your heart get hurt!

If you really want to know the person that God Himself created you to be, then love everyone with all your heart. You will get hurt, probably a lot and you will also learn a lot about yourself.

Some of you are basically miserable because you have believed a reason to not love. You are all backed up in your spirit, soul, mind and probably body because you are managing someone's else's sin done to you. Let it go. Forgive and love. It not only sets them free - it does wonders for you.

Tonight, as you pray before you go to bed, just release a groan. Listen to what is contained in the groan. Romans 8 says there are groans too deep for the mind. Release that groan and listen. Sometimes we get wounded in the middle of the day and we carry the wound all day long. When we get home we take it out of the dog or worse our family. Learn to know when you have been wounded, even if it is only a bruise.

Listen to another's groan, if you dare. Pray back their groan with words. Sometimes someone will groan in your presence with a sigh and will not want you to verbalize what they said. Just because you know does not mean that God wants you to tell them. Learn to know what is right in each situation by listening to His Spirit through your heart.

Journal your groans. God does. You are going to be surprised at the spiritual depth and wisdom of your groans. They did not originate with you. The Holy Spirit is co-creating and some of you have had parents and grandparents and forefathers breathe those sacred groans into your heart. To listen to an African-American sing one of the spirituals that have come out of slavery is humbling for an Caucasian American. You can hear the connection going years back to the Middle Passage across the ocean, Jim Crowism and even now the lies that still permeate our culture and community. The groan was redeeming and guiding.

The best way to learn your husband is to listen and let your heart grasp without interpreting his groans. The best way to learn your wife is to listen and let your heart grasp without interpreting in any way what her heart is groaning.

The best way to know God is to listen to His groans.

PS also what makes His heart laugh.

Hidden in the Shadow

Thanks for Chuch and Ginny for this open heart revelation.

The mind on its own will always drift toward foolish speculation.

The stomach and the loins will always drift toward foolish appetites when left alone.

Fears and feelings will always abandon truth and drift toward deception and lies.

The only way to live with these things is to keep them in the shadow of the heart.

The mind works well when it is submitted to the heart. The mind seeks the facts, cold hard facts and most of the time can not and will not discern the truth. The mind submits to the heart when it is forced to abide in the shadow of the heart. The mind makes a great servant but a horrible master.

The stomach is quiet and careful in the shadow of the heart. The heart is well aware that the stomach and loins can provide a comfort that is offensive to the heart and spirit of ourselves and God.

Walking this out is very hard and takes a lot of practice and interaction with others who are trying to walk the same path. It is far easier to know someone else's heart rather than our own. So get into an intense relationship and learn their heart and have them help you learn how to keep your feelings, appetites, thoughts and desires in the shadow of your as you keep your heart in the shadow of His heart with in you.

When you fail

Wisdom from a friend
When you fail
1. Clean out your gut. You did it. Deal with it. Get out the hope that you would not be caught, would not deal with the consequences of what you have done. Deal with what you have done, why you did it and clean it out.
2. Own it. Own the damage, own the consequences. No shame, no blame and own it.
3. Ask God to humble you. Look for it, accept it. I messed up because I was independent and did not need God. Now I need Him. Look for Him to celebrate and enjoy that naked dependency upon Himself. He delights in it more than a new mother delights in her child's dependency upon her.

Dear Job,

Job, shut up! i know you want to answer your foolish friends foolish assumptions. You know that your heart is NOT convicting you of sin yet you try to answer their accusations as if there was some truth to what they are saying. Be still and be quiet. Do not let them move you off your confidence. God is good - all the time. Yes, I know you have suffered unbelievable loss, more pain than a person can manage in a day or even in a life time. I am sorry. But be quiet. If you open your mouth your bowels will open and you will spew trash you know is not true. You will think for a moment that you will feel better but you won't. You will feel awful! And whoever you spew on will feel awful as well. Be still and wait for God. Learn to still your soul before Him. Let the tears and pain of your situation flow freely but open only your heart and not your bowels. Learn the difference, precious child.

In this moment of pain God is working deep in your heart and your soul. He is moving your soul furniture around and you are going to be different because of it. You will not even be aware of the changes that He has made until much later. Let Him do His work in your heart. The pain and grief causes things to float to the surface so that He can deal with them. Let your stuff float and face Him. Release the tears, the groans, the hopes and the joys from deep inside of your being.

Years from now God will use the depth of the work that He is doing right now to lead you into deeper truth that you would not be able to grasp if it were not for the pain and grief that is wising you up even now. The fire burns the HAY, WOOD and STUBBLE and the gold of faith remains, purfied. God delights to use that which we cannot grasp to purify us. Trust Him and let His fire seek your heart