Bad Breath!

"...Indeed, has God said,...?" Genesis 3:1

When words are spoken breath is released. This breath creates an atmosphere of life or death depending, not only on the words spoken, but the heart-motivation of the speaker. The words of the serpent to Eve created an atmosphere of doubt. Doubt about God, and about what He said and what He meant. Doubt about His intentions and sincerity for Adam and Eve. This is bad breath! We want to stay away from those breathing out bad breath and creating an atmosphere of doubt, suspicion and a feeling of lack.

On the contrary, Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. His life is a story--a living example--of the Word of God. He is the very breath of God and His life here on earth perfectly revealed the breath of God--His intentions, His love and what He desires for His people. When we spend time breathing in the Words of God, as intended by His Spirit, we surround ourselves with an atmosphere of love, faith, peace and all that He is. As we do this, our breath becomes exhales of His breath and creates life atmospheres wherever we go.

Jesus often spoke in parables to teach the ways of the Father, yet His life was a story too. The Word of God is full of stories about people. When we study the stories of man--history--they also speak about the ways of God. Breathe in..breathe out...the life-filled breath of God!

John 1:14

Like a Dove

"and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove..." Luke 3:22

After Jesus was baptized in water, the Holy Spirit came upon Him, resting on Him, like a dove. Because of this Scripture we often refer to the Holy Spirit as a dove. Why did God choose a dove? I'm reminded of another place in Scripture where a dove was used when another bird wasn't quite so helpful. It was with Noah. After the rain stopped Noah opened the window of the ark and sent out a raven. The raven flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. The raven never came back to let Noah know what was going on. It just went on its way exploring the earth. 

"Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark..." Genesis 8:8-9

The dove returned to Noah, letting him know the water was still flooded over the earth. I love how the Scripture reads, "Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself." The dove had no place to rest and returned to Noah, who gently received her back into the ark. It seems the dove will rest in a place where one will gladly receive her, appreciate her, and learn the language she has to speak. Noah waited another seven days and sent her out again. This time the dove returned in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf. Noah understood this communication from the dove--the water was abated from the earth. Seven days after that he sent her out again and she did not return. It was time. How helpful it is to welcome the dove and learn the language of the Holy Spirit.

By the way, I'm not anti-raven, for the raven brought Elijah food during the drought as God instructed in 1 Kings 17.

Perfection or Truth?

I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Psalm 119:96

There is a difference between perfection and truth. Human "perfection" has limitations. The judgment of man which tries to define and attain perfection apart from the commands of God brings bondage. It sets a standard of conformity that limits creativity and expansion because everything is tested by man's understanding. Even if we try and live by God's commands according to our own understanding and judgment of it, we will live by the letter of the law which kills, rather than the Spirit of the law which gives life.

On the other hand, God's commandments are "exceedingly broad." They are more than perfect, they are truth. They are the breath of God--His Spirit and His Word. They are His thoughts and His heart. His truth brings freedom. His truth encourages creativity and growth. His truth is His heart and is mingled with love. It contains hope and faith. It's full of mercy and forgiveness. It's all that the Spirit of God is. Jesus said to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Rather than looking to our limiting idea of perfection, we follow His. Rather than defining holiness and righteousness as we think it should be, we look to His defining truth. Rather than trying to judge the end from the beginning, we walk with Him from where we are now and go forward embracing His Spirit and truth--worshiping Him in Spirit and in truth.

The standard that Truth uses are things like the righteousness of God, the judgment of God, the holiness of God and the love of God. However these are not limiting as man's ways are, but they bring creativity and growth as the Holy Spirit flows from man. The "correctness" of truth is not in the end result so much as it is in the seed that its birthed from. As we are filled with God's Holy Spirit, then what flows out from us will be truth. It will be His life, love and the Spirit of all He is. It will be His nature expressed through the creative gifting we've been given from Him.

Usually, we fall into perfection because we don't want to forget truth. We receive a revelation of truth and recognize how important it is to remember. Yet if we don't mix the truth we hear with faith then we end up trusting ourselves to try and preserve this truth. We must have faith in God who holds it all together. We can't try and contain His truths into something we become the keeper of. The Most High God sees things from a perspective higher than ours. Yes, we are seated with Him in heavenly places, and we need to see things from this place, but we must remember it's the word of His power who holds it all together. It's His thoughts, His mind, His ways and His truth that we must seek to live by, and as we do we live in freedom that perfection could never bring.

John 14:16-17, John 17:17, John 8:31-32, Hebrews 4:2, Mark 11:22, Hebrews 1:3, Ephesians 2:6, Matthew 5:48, Ecclesiastes 3:11, 2 Corinthians 3:6, John 4:24

Breaking News

"Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant land." 

Proverbs 25:25

We live in an age of ever-increasing forms of communication. Years ago, couriers ran on foot or horseback to bring word verbally or in written form. Boats, trains, cars, trucks and airplanes made this form of communication easier and quicker. Postal carriers today deliver what's come to be called snail mail because its slower than the many forms of electronic communication. The telegraph, telephone, radio and television impacted our lives forever as it changed the way we communicate. Now we have the internet and email, facebook etc. Satellite communication brought us another avenue. These increased methods of communication are not a bad thing. They bring news from far away--loved ones who live in other countries, weather warnings and news alerts are all possible because of our ability to communicate rapidly and easily.

With each form of communication comes its own form of advertising. From word of mouth to electronic mass marketing, advertising is woven into all of a society's ways. Advertising is simply a method used to try and persuade people to buy their product, sway their thinking, promote their idea or get their vote. Yes, even the Gospel is spread through our testimony, our story. However as communication forms have increased, we've grown accustomed to being bombarded with all types of advertisements trying to get us to buy something or believe something. Television and radio commercials, pop-up ads on the internet, printed ads in newspapers and magazines, junk mail, billboards etc. Ads have taken many subtle forms, sometimes disguising themselves to look like news, or agendas hidden in television shows. Each advertiser learns to be bigger, louder, and wittier than the other in order to get our attention and win our approval. In fact, we even have "breaking news" bulletins in order for us to pay attention to "important" events. We learn to dismiss ads because we realize they all seem to want something from us and are not always truthful or honest. There is a whole psychology to advertising and to avoid being manipulated we learn to be skeptical and do a lot of tuning out and ignoring what's blasting us in the face.

What does all this mean? For one thing, it has given us less motivation to think for ourselves. We expect if something is important it will invade our lives. We will be bombarded with news flashes or phone calls from family and friends if we really need to know something. We've become reactive instead of proactive. If we're not paying attention, the ads and the agendas of others will tell us how to think, what to believe, what we will spend our money on etc. So much time is spent weeding through what is thrown at us that it never occurs to us to plant our own seed! We end up looking to choose from the best of what's offered, instead of seeking out what is life and truth.

Today, find that quiet place in time and space, where you can think your own thoughts. Listen to the Holy Spirit's communications and the Word of God as revealed to you. He is the one voice you do want to listen to. He is the voice of truth and life. He is the voice that set creation in motion and the One we need to follow and pattern our lives after. Go after Him. Seek out and cry after His wisdom and understanding. Do as Paul said and press on so that you may lay hold of that for which you were laid hold of by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12). He got a hold of you for a reason, so press in and get a hold of your purpose in Christ. To do that, tune out all the noise around you and follow His lead instead.

Proverbs 2, John 8:31-32

Reflections

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face;

now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." 

1 Corinthians 13:12

In my quest for truth I got sidetracked, by looking for perfection.

When on perfection's path you'll see, much evidence of frustration.

The calmer my mind and heart might be, the clearer I see reality.

While man looks for satisfaction from achievement,

God says be at peace.

While man compares and competes,

God says be creative.

While man looks for better than,

God says choose good.

While man looks for good,

God says choose life.

While man looks to please,

God says to love.

When man admits failure,

God says to hope.

While man looks for pleasure,

God says a clear conscious is full of joy.

While man uses driving force,

God says have determined faith.

While man justifies and becomes proud,

God says to soul-search and repent.

When man says, I want,

God says to thank.

While man says God what can You do for me?

God's man says, What can I do for You?

When man says I can't,

God says in Me you can.

Your Story

"One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4

In a tall building, there are many stories. One is built upon another until a beautiful, functional structure is built. Throughout history, there are many stories--personal stories--of individual people, cities, cultures and nations. God is building His kingdom, which is not just one building, but many beautiful buildings made with the stories of people and how they built their lives upon the foundation of the Savior of mankind--Jesus Christ. History is His story--and we can tell it through our stories. 

As believers, we are a temple of God. The Spirit of God dwells in us. Each one of our lives is being built on the foundation, the only foundation that has been laid--Jesus. No other foundation will hold up. We secure ourselves to the foundation through hearing and doing the words of the Lord. By being fastened to Him in this way, what we are building will remain standing through the storms. 

While building the story of your life, know that what you are building is on the foundation of the Lord. Hearing and doing the words of Jesus, how you hear His words and the motives of your heart will determine if what you are building will remain standing when all is said and done. When your time here on earth is done, what will your story say? What will remain for the next generation? As they explore your story will they discover how your generation has praised the works of God into the next?

1 Peter 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:10-18; 4:5; Matthew 7:24; Matthew 13; Revelation 12:11; Psalm 145:4

Still Waiting

When the shadows told time

by the light of the sun,

I hurried to move on

and with old ways be done,

but the darkness shines bright

in my enlightened age.

The clock of creation

continues its ways,

whether or not

I think I've replaced

or removed all the trace

of One greater than I.

Might I welcome the deep

where the truth still ticks

and look past the surface

to embrace and kiss

the face of the One

who first spoke the light?

Then I’ll find peace

beyond my own strength,

and I’ll stand in awe

at the breadth and the length

of the love of the One

still waiting for me.

Rose Murdock
May 9, 2014