Hey friend!
That's me. Free! REALLY. So AMAZINGLY free. No fear, no guilt, no condemnation and no shame.
Hard to believe, right?!? NO, I'm done with thinking like hell -- that's what what Jesus died for, to destroy hell for a living, even AND ESPECIALLY our thinking. 1 John 3:8, James 3:14-17.
So instead, this is what keeps coming to mind: Finally, Amy, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK about these things.
I told a woman this morning, I used to ruminate on all that I wasn't or every could be, comparing to people, at least, I'm not like so-and-so, and all of this anxiety, fear, comparison, feeling like I would never get it right, all that JUNK would just start to rule and I would be a mess. I'm not doing it any more. Jesus drank a cup of suffering for my sin, so I wouldn't have to. I BELIEVE the gospel!
Well, Amy, not every gets it that way. No, when you become a believer you ARE that way! I WAS blind, now I can see. I WAS darkness, but now I AM light in the Lord. Walk as children of light!
I want to encapsulate my entire life and how twisted it was so no one has to live like I used to! Great parenting, right!? "Don't do as I do, do as I say..." Nah, nah. NO. REALLY, that's not what I mean. I lived most of my childhood like that and THEN I became the hypocrite I NEVER wanted to become.
I mean who does, really!? But I was, for like 19 years. Didn't know Whose I was, couldn't see myself through the blood of Jesus, so I sure couldn't see anyone else that way! Sad, I know, "But God..."
No! Not anymore. Sin used to be problem, when I lived in what I wanted. Now I live by His directives, which I can tell you can even be crazier. Saturday afternoon I spent the early afternoon trying to find a store to get some groceries for a homeless man, who really needed TP. And ended up praying for a woman at the front door of Safeway, who was on oxygen for COPD, praying to be healed completely and not need that oxygen every again. God is healing her lungs, she is crying and ended up praying for her sister, too, to be free from demonic attack and then NO JOKE ... WHILE we're praying she is taking off her oxygen with a big smile on her face! FREEDOM! Then I meet an employee who is "all-in" for Jesus, how God healed him of drug addiction. They were were working in the parking lot, and I saw them but I didn't hear a word of what they were saying, and as I walking up, my heart beats so hard, my chest is warm and God says, "Those are my kids and THEY know it! God tell them I see them." Got to bless them and be blessed by them right there in the parking lot, then saw a kid listening to some hard music in a 4-runner. Thought it could be my brother-in-law, walked over to him, it wasn't him, but I told him how much Jesus loved him and he said, "Thanks, thanks a lot actually..." Then met my brother back at the post office and got to bless him with two times the amount of groceries, so he could go BLESS someone else!
How is that for the spirit leading?!? The Holy Spirit is in me, He wants out! And NOW I can say, "Imitate me, as I imitate Christ!"
I mean, I feel like that guy Paul. He used to be Saul. You know him!?! He was the previous Pharisee, killing Christians, who then became one. He wrote like MOST of the New Testament.
He comes to realize Jesus is the WAY and then his whole life turns around. Not necessarily easier, but definitely BETTER. He wants to warn all of His fellow Israelite's about the RELIGIOUS PRISON they are in. And it keeps falling on deaf ears. But we have to go back to what God said about him in Acts 9 to Ananias, another key player in Paul's eye-opening testimony.
“Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."
Listen, we may not always look like the best candidate for the job, but when God's behind it, its pretty much a given -- if we Shama (listen and obey)!
The reason that this is all so powerful and heart-wrenching is -- well, two things -- first of all its, Good Friday and I've just had the most intense and close intimate time with the Lord this week; and secondly, I just read a series of letters, over 3 years, of a woman's correspondence with a man that had been in jail for some pretty extreme intense drug-related crimes. This time has has really opened my Spirit brought me to a new appreciation of the human condition and how TRUE freedom in Christ, can transform the lives of the most difficult situations.
Then TODAY to TOP it all off, at 3pm EVERYTHING goes dark, and quiet. Literally. I sat there in complete silence, except my small prayers to Holy Spirit, in a hushed tone. I was so peaceful.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record that Jesus died about "the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46). "The ninth hour" is what we, today, would refer to as 3pm.
Then around 4pm the sun came out and I saw this on the rode as I drove to where I have internet to send this ...
I felt like I was going through heaven, to get here. So THRILLING! As I went through this steam from the roads, this overwhelming joy filled me and on the other side of the clouds, is me writing this message about freedom!
Thinking about my new brother in prison how in the world is held captive, yet he living in freedom in prison and then the rest of you, even some of you who have Jesus, at least a little bit, but aren't "all-in" yet...
Just give up! If we're living for the world, or ourselves EVERYTHING completely changes when start living by God's guidelines: love God and love people! Not just a little in. ALL-IN. So good...
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
That's me. Free! REALLY. So AMAZINGLY free. No fear, no guilt, no condemnation and no shame.
Hard to believe, right?!? NO, I'm done with thinking like hell -- that's what what Jesus died for, to destroy hell for a living, even AND ESPECIALLY our thinking. 1 John 3:8, James 3:14-17.
So instead, this is what keeps coming to mind: Finally, Amy, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK about these things.
I told a woman this morning, I used to ruminate on all that I wasn't or every could be, comparing to people, at least, I'm not like so-and-so, and all of this anxiety, fear, comparison, feeling like I would never get it right, all that JUNK would just start to rule and I would be a mess. I'm not doing it any more. Jesus drank a cup of suffering for my sin, so I wouldn't have to. I BELIEVE the gospel!
Well, Amy, not every gets it that way. No, when you become a believer you ARE that way! I WAS blind, now I can see. I WAS darkness, but now I AM light in the Lord. Walk as children of light!
I want to encapsulate my entire life and how twisted it was so no one has to live like I used to! Great parenting, right!? "Don't do as I do, do as I say..." Nah, nah. NO. REALLY, that's not what I mean. I lived most of my childhood like that and THEN I became the hypocrite I NEVER wanted to become.
I mean who does, really!? But I was, for like 19 years. Didn't know Whose I was, couldn't see myself through the blood of Jesus, so I sure couldn't see anyone else that way! Sad, I know, "But God..."
No! Not anymore. Sin used to be problem, when I lived in what I wanted. Now I live by His directives, which I can tell you can even be crazier. Saturday afternoon I spent the early afternoon trying to find a store to get some groceries for a homeless man, who really needed TP. And ended up praying for a woman at the front door of Safeway, who was on oxygen for COPD, praying to be healed completely and not need that oxygen every again. God is healing her lungs, she is crying and ended up praying for her sister, too, to be free from demonic attack and then NO JOKE ... WHILE we're praying she is taking off her oxygen with a big smile on her face! FREEDOM! Then I meet an employee who is "all-in" for Jesus, how God healed him of drug addiction. They were were working in the parking lot, and I saw them but I didn't hear a word of what they were saying, and as I walking up, my heart beats so hard, my chest is warm and God says, "Those are my kids and THEY know it! God tell them I see them." Got to bless them and be blessed by them right there in the parking lot, then saw a kid listening to some hard music in a 4-runner. Thought it could be my brother-in-law, walked over to him, it wasn't him, but I told him how much Jesus loved him and he said, "Thanks, thanks a lot actually..." Then met my brother back at the post office and got to bless him with two times the amount of groceries, so he could go BLESS someone else!
How is that for the spirit leading?!? The Holy Spirit is in me, He wants out! And NOW I can say, "Imitate me, as I imitate Christ!"
I mean, I feel like that guy Paul. He used to be Saul. You know him!?! He was the previous Pharisee, killing Christians, who then became one. He wrote like MOST of the New Testament.
He comes to realize Jesus is the WAY and then his whole life turns around. Not necessarily easier, but definitely BETTER. He wants to warn all of His fellow Israelite's about the RELIGIOUS PRISON they are in. And it keeps falling on deaf ears. But we have to go back to what God said about him in Acts 9 to Ananias, another key player in Paul's eye-opening testimony.
“Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel."
Listen, we may not always look like the best candidate for the job, but when God's behind it, its pretty much a given -- if we Shama (listen and obey)!
The reason that this is all so powerful and heart-wrenching is -- well, two things -- first of all its, Good Friday and I've just had the most intense and close intimate time with the Lord this week; and secondly, I just read a series of letters, over 3 years, of a woman's correspondence with a man that had been in jail for some pretty extreme intense drug-related crimes. This time has has really opened my Spirit brought me to a new appreciation of the human condition and how TRUE freedom in Christ, can transform the lives of the most difficult situations.
Then TODAY to TOP it all off, at 3pm EVERYTHING goes dark, and quiet. Literally. I sat there in complete silence, except my small prayers to Holy Spirit, in a hushed tone. I was so peaceful.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record that Jesus died about "the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:45-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46). "The ninth hour" is what we, today, would refer to as 3pm.Then around 4pm the sun came out and I saw this on the rode as I drove to where I have internet to send this ...
I felt like I was going through heaven, to get here. So THRILLING! As I went through this steam from the roads, this overwhelming joy filled me and on the other side of the clouds, is me writing this message about freedom!
Thinking about my new brother in prison how in the world is held captive, yet he living in freedom in prison and then the rest of you, even some of you who have Jesus, at least a little bit, but aren't "all-in" yet...
Just give up! If we're living for the world, or ourselves EVERYTHING completely changes when start living by God's guidelines: love God and love people! Not just a little in. ALL-IN. So good...
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
1 Peter 2:16
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